Washington Fourth District Congressman Dan Newhouse is introducing a bill to prohibit the purchase of public or private agricultural land in the United States by foreign nationals associated with the Government of the People’s Republic of China.  The Sunnyside Republican said in announcing the Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People’s Republic of China Act that the government need to take every action it can to strengthen domestic production while preventing adversaries from gaining a foothold in the U.S. supply chain.  Additionally, the legislation would prohibit the same associations from participating in any United States Department of Agriculture programs except food safety inspections.  Newhouse says China’s American agricultural land holdings have increased over tenfold in the last decade, and at the beginning of 2020, investments from China held $2 billion of American agricultural land.

With another low run of summer steelhead forecast, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced angling closures for steelhead, bass and salmon will be in effect for parts of the Deschutes River this summer starting as early as this Wednesday.   Pre-season forecasts for 2022 are similar to last year’s returns, so ODFW managers say closures are necessary in these mixed stock fisheries even though anglers may be targeting hatchery steelhead.  Under temporary rules adopted for the Deschutes River this week, steelhead and bass fishing is closed from June 1 to August 15 from the mouth at the west bound I-84 Bridge upstream to Pelton Dam.  Chinook salmon fishing will be closed from August 1 to August 15 from the mouth at the west bound I-84 Bridge upstream to upper railroad trestle, approximately three miles downstream from Sherars Falls.  And coho salmon fishing is closed from August 1 to August 15 from the mouth at the westbound I-84 Bridge upstream to upper railroad trestle, and from Sherars Falls upstream to Pelton Dam.  Trout fishing remains open on the Deschutes River as there is less risk that trout anglers will encounter wild steelhead.

Washington Highway 142 in Klickitat County will be fully closed in both directions on Tuesday and Wednesday between mileposts 19 and 22.5 for pavement repair work.  The Washington State Department of Transportation says the closures will be from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. both days.  Travelers will need to use an alternate route.  The closure is part of work to resurface a 33-mile section of Highway 142 between Lyle and the Little Klickitat River.

The City of The Dalles is bringing its legal services back in-house.  The City Council gave its approval for staff to enter into negotiations with Jonathan Kara to become City Attorney.  He has already been acting as the City’s legal counsel as part of the City’s contract with the firm Campbell Phillips.  Mayor Rich Mays says they have been very happy with the work by the firm, but conflicts of interest that prevented Kara from providing some services had become an issue.  Mays adds bringing Kara in to City Hall will make it easier for department heads to consult with him.  Gene Parker was the City’s in-house attorney for a number of years, and Mays noted when Parker retired they did a nationwide search for a replacement but were not happy with the applicants.

An open house to mark the start of construction of Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s new warehouse and community food center in The Dalles will take place on Thursday morning.  Food Bank Manager Sharon Thornberry says they will have the open house at their current location on 3610 Crates Way.  The new facility will include a 10,000 square foot warehouse with a drive-in cooler that can hold an entire truckload of fresh product, allowing for a larger inventory to be kept on hand.  The Columbia Gorge Food Bank serves over 5,000 people in Wasco, Hood River, and Sherman counties.  The open house will run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Thursday.

The Mid-Columbia Housing Collaborative has been formed to bring a large number of housing initiatives together to address homelessness in the region.  Kenny LaPoint of Mid-Columbia Community Action says it’s an attempt to make the efforts to provide more housing less confusing for the different agencies and governments involved, and the public.  Leslie Naramore of Washington Gorge Action Programs adds the collaborative keeps all groups aware of what is being done, and generates new ideas.  Providence Health Systems have provided a grant to help put the strategic plan together.

The City of White Salmon is once again providing free access to the Hood River Aquatic Center for residents that live within the city limits.  White Salmon residents can sign up at City Hall at 100 N. Main, by sending an email to utilityclerk@ci.white-salmon.wa.us, or by calling (509) 493-1133.  Signups are not being taken at the Hood River Aquatic Center, and children should not be sent to City Hall to sign up.  Once residents have signed up, information will be sent to the Hood River Aquatic Center and they will create an account noting that the free access via the City of White Salmon.  Free access is provided from June 1 through September 30.

Home at Last Humane Society has launched a community survey to better understand The Dalles community’s priorities for its services, and recommendations for creating reliable funding sources in the face of increasing costs.  Home at Last is our region’s primary provider of animal management partnership with law enforcement, rescues, adoptions, and community spay and neuter support.  The organization has seen a 25% increase in costs of labor, food, medicine and facility maintenance over the past 18 months.  The survey asks for community input on how Home at Last should address the increasing costs of running shelter operations and maintenance of its aging facility.  One of the options for ongoing funding is a 10-cent county-wide levy that could be placed on the November ballot.  This levy of 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed value would generate approximately $250,000 for the shelter each year.  The survey is available through June 19, and can be accessed at homeatlasths.org.

Replacement of the Dog River water pipeline took a major step forward on Monday evening as The Dalles City Council voted to award a construction contract for the project to K&E Excavating.  The bid was for over $5.89 million, well under the City’s estimated cost of $9.47 million.  Mayor Rich Mays noted it has been a 12-year process for the City to get to this point, but now work is starting on the ground.  The project is due to be finished by the end of next year.

The White Salmon Valley Pool Metropolitan Park District will hold a virtual town hall meeting on Thursday evening to update the public on the status of efforts to construct a new swimming pool in White Salmon.  Much of the design work has been done for the pool and associated facilities that would be constructed in a first phase, but the district board voted to take a pause the development process last month.  Board member Steve Harris says that’s because their consultants have given them updated numbers showing the estimated cost to build the pool of $5.7 million reached last August has gone up by 28 percent, to $6.7 million.  The district has been fundraising in an effort to get the pool built.  Thursday’s meeting begins on Zoom at 7 p.m.  To take part go to whitesalmonvalleypool.org.