The Mid-Columbia Housing Stabilization Summit will take place on Wednesday at The Dalles Middle School.  Mid-Columbia Community Action’s Kenny LaPoint says this event is to highlight resources available to those at risk of eviction, especially with pandemic-related protections ending on July 1.  Also to be discussed are equitable housing stability resources that reach all people, and the connection between behavioral health and housing stability.  The summit will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday and is targeted to service providers and caseworkers, but is open to anyone.  To sign up, go to mccac.com.

Klickitat County Commissioners on Tuesday rescinded plans to have the County’s Burn Ban Zone Three start its burning prohibition Wednesday due to continued wet and cool conditions in the western portion of the County.  Commissioners will discuss the issue again at their meeting next Tuesday.  Klickitat County Emergency Management indicates residents should anticipate the burn ban will go into effect as soon as July 1.  Burn bans are currently in effect for zones one and two in the central and eastern portions of the county.  Burn ban zone maps can be viewed at the Klickitat County Emergency Management website.  Also, check with local fire authorities about burning restrictions within the corporate limits of any city or town.

A woman from Dallesport died in a head-on collision Tuesday morning on Washington Highway 14 west of the Lyle tunnel.  According to the Washington State Patrol, the car driven by 60-year-old Donnita Wolcott was westbound just west of the Lyle Tunnel at milepost 76.6 at around 9 a.m. on Tuesday when it crossed the center line and collided head-on with an SUV driven by 66-year-old Barbara Matosich of Lyle.  Wolcott was pronounced deceased at the scene, while Matosich was taken to Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles with undisclosed injuries.  The WSP indicated there were no passengers in either vehicle.

The City of Hood River should learn in August whether it will receive highly competitive state grant funds for its affordable housing project on 780 Rand Road.  Jessica Woodruff of Community Development Partners told the City Council that in submitting the application there were modifications to the project, including increasing the number of units for those at 30 percent of area median income from 20 to 39 and decreasing the number earmarked for families at 60 percent of area median income from 109 to 90.  That’s because the state has been prioritizing the lower income units.  Woodruff noted project partner Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation has applied for $3 million in federal funds through Senator Jeff Merkley’s office, and should learn if those monies are available by the end of the calendar year.  

The Dalles City Council approved the municipal budget for Fiscal Year 2022-23 with a few modifications.  Most notable was to provide an additional $40,000 for the Fort Dalles Fourth fireworks display, bringing the total to $50,000.  New City Manager Matthew Klebes says that will provide another $15,000 for this year’s display, and $25,000 for 2023, to allow the Fort Dalles Fourth committee to better plan their expenditures.  The Council approved the budget unanimously.  There was some discussion about assigning a large percentage of Transient Room Tax revenues to The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce tourism promotion plan, and whether more TRT funds should be left to the discretion of the City Manager for other tourism-related uses, but Councilors decided that discussion would be more appropriate in preparation for future budgets.

North Central Public Health District has scheduled a two-day free COVID-19 vaccine clinic offering both walk-in and drive-through vaccinations later this week.  It is set for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 523 E. 3rd St. in The Dalles, across from Sawyer’s Ace Hardware and Grinders Coffee.  No appointment is needed and everyone ages 5 and up is eligible for a vaccine.  No insurance or ID is required.  The Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available.

Wasco County Commissioners Steve Kramer and Scott Hege will be taking part Wednesday in the Association of Oregon Counties’ legislative committee retreat, leading to the cancellation of the usual County Commission meeting that would have taken place this week.  Kramer says the AOC’s panels current priorities are topped by housing, water, and mental and behavioral health.  Kramer would like to see mental health move to the top of the list, believing that component is a large part of other issues.  Kramer adds Mid-Columbia Center for Living is in the process of hiring a new executive director and getting that organization on the right track.

One Community Health in Hood River and The Dalles has its Test-To-Treat centers for COVID-19 up and running.  OCH program lead Jason Bradley says the Test-To-Treat centers are a pilot program in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority designed to offer one-stop COVID services through a federal program that has been focused on pharmacies.  The Test-To-Treat centers are currently open to One Community Health patients and individuals from underserved communities, with plans to expand access in the coming months.  They are located at the OCH clinics in Hood River and The Dalles.

Crews will be working on a crack sealing project in The Dalles later this week and into next week.  Segments of roads will be closed beginning on Thursday.  The project will start with a closure of East 12th from Thompson to Dry Hollow, followed by East 12th from Richmond to Thompson, East 15th from Morton to 16th, East 16th from 15th to Thompson, and Thompson from East 19th to East 10th.  Construction hours will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Motorists are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes.

A delegation from The Dalles recently traveled to Missouri as part of the community’s involvement in the national Center for Rural Innovation cohort.  Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says she and Carrie Pipinich of the Wasco County Economic Development Commission made the trip.  Klaas says the purpose of the cohort is how to bring in and support tech entrepreneurship in rural communities.  Klaas says they met with representatives of communities who have had some success with tech entrepreneurship, and saw examples of entrepreneurial networking space.