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.  

Work is starting this week on a new entrance for the Hood River County Courthouse to improve security.  County Commission Chair Mike Oates said the project was delayed due to some historic building issues, but that has been worked through with the state and construction is getting underway.  The new entrance will be at the western end of the building.  Oates says work should be finished by the end of the month.  The Hood River County Courthouse was constructed in 1954.

A person reported to be passed out in his vehicle on Thursday in The Dalles was found in possession of fentanyl and methamphetaime.  According to The Dalles Police Department, officers were dispatched to do a welfare check when they noticed several pieces of drug paraphernalia and a container of blue pills inside the vehicle that were recognized to be fentanyl.  Officers also found a bag of methamphetamine weighing more than the violation amount of two grams.  The person was arrested for possessing a controlled substance and lodged at NORCOR.

A wanted subject was arrested in The Dalles with help from Wasco County’s newly established K-9 unit.  According to a statement from The Dalles Police Department, Wasco County Parole and Probation received a tip that a person wanted for a probation violation along with drug and weapons charges was in the area of East 10th Street in The Dalles.  After a short search, the subject was located in the area of the Shilo Inn but fled on foot.  The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office’s newly trained search dog Xena was brought in and quickly found the suspect hiding under The Dalles Bridge, near the Columbia River.  The suspect was taken into custody and lodged at NORCOR.  The suspect was not bitten during the apprehension.

Federal water managers are changing release and storage schedules at several Pacific Northwest dams because of a late season and strong atmospheric river that began late last week.  Significant amounts of rainfall have fallen across the Columbia River Basin filling reservoirs and rivers.  To assist in managing river stages at Vancouver, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is increasing storage behind John Day Dam.  Most dams on the Columbia and lower Snake rivers are “run of river” projects, but the John Day Dam provides for some storage capacity to aid in reducing flooding in the lower Columbia River.  The Corps will manage the reservoir up to elevation 268 feet by Thursday, which may impact shoreline trails and parks along the John Day reservoir shoreline.  Current flood risk management operations limiting outflows at John Day Dam is expected to keep the Columbia River at Vancouver just at flood stage, with an expected peak Monday.   Reservoirs in the Columbia Basin are being operated to release sufficient water to preserve storage space and capture incoming runoff. There are currently no control points downstream of Corps projects that are forecast to exceed flood stage, although several points throughout the basin will reach flood stage.

Wasco County and fire districts within it will be implementing a county wide burn ban effective on Wednesday.  This ban includes open burning such as yard debris and burn barrels and is intended to prevent wildfires.  Hood River County plans to implement their seasonal burn ban July 1.  Fire managers welcome the recent rain, but caution landowners that warm temperatures and dry periods quickly dry fine vegetative fuel, making it receptive to fire starts.  Fire burning in these fine fuels quickly spreads to both live vegetation and larger fuels which have low fuel moisture due to underlying long-term drought conditions.  The Oregon Department of Forestry says any landowner who has burned this spring should revisit their burn site to ensure there is no fire or heat remaining, which could spread to adjacent fuels as seasonal weather returns.  The Dalles Unit forester Kristin Dodd says they are concerned that recent rain will give landowners a false sense of the risks involved with burning at this time.  Alternatives to burning, such as chipping or disposal at a local landfill are encouraged.  Counties and local fire departments may have additional restrictions in place.

Starting this week, travelers who use Washington Highway 142 between Lyle and the Little Klickitat River in Klickitat County will get a reprieve from daytime resurfacing work.  The Washington State Department of Transportation says on Tuesday the contractor will pause resurfacing work for the next several weeks to allow the recent application of crack sealant time to cure, which helps preserve the foundation of the highway.  Once the cure window is complete and contractor crews are available, work will resume beginning with the application of the chip seal which will extend the useful life of the highway for many years to come.  Applying the chip seal over uncured crack sealant can cause the sealant to expand and potentially damage the roadway.  Allowing for cure time ensures the cracks are sealed properly.

The City of The Dalles’ water system’s Drinking Water Quality Report, also known as Consumer Confidence Report or CCR, for the year of 2021 has been mailed out to every water customer in the City’s service area.  According to the City, the annual report shows residents can drink and wash hands in water from any home faucet and public tap with a high assurance of safety.  The report also says the municipal system provides water where firefighters need it, when they need it, supports the economy, and enhances the overall quality of life in The Dalles.  The report is available online at thedalles.org/waterquality

Balcom Environmental Services has been contracted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide community Involvement support for the Bradford Island site in Cascade Locks.  The Bradford Island site was recently listed on the National Priorities List by the Environmental Protection Agency, and public engagement will continue through the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act process.  The Corps plans to hold in person and virtual interviews during July and August, and examine creation of a community advisory group.  To set up an interview, call 719-290-3765.