The remains of a man found in December 2009 by children playing in a wooded area west of an Oregon Department of Transportation gravel storage facility in Hood River County has been identified through advanced DNA testing.  The Oregon State Police says the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the positive identification in July of 2021.  A month later, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office informed the family of the man who had been reported missing from the East Coast, but they were unconvinced the body was that of their missing loved one.  The OSP says a kinship inference analysis done with a sample of an oral swab from a sibling of the missing man confirmed the initial determination.  The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s office have now collaborated with the family, and the body was successfully released to the funeral home of their choice this month.  The OSP says the name of the man has not been released at the request of family members.

Washington State 14^th District Representative Gina Mosbrucker says she is “extremely disappointed” that Gov. Jay Inslee has vetoed House Bill 1623 in its entirety, despite the measure gaining unanimous approval by 147 lawmakers in committees and in both chambers of the state Legislature. Mosbrucker’s bill sought to ensure the state continually addresses plans to help avoid energy blackouts, brownouts or other inadequacies of the electric grid.  The governor vetoed the legislation last week.  Mosbrucker says it was frustrating that despite the bipartisan support of the bill in the Legislature, the governor gave no indication at any point during the process that he would veto it, adding she did not receive notification from the governor’s office afterward that he vetoed the bill.  The Republican lawmaker said she will continue to address the issue, and hopes to work with the governor’s office to make the case such legislation is needed.

Baseball Hood River Valley 5, Bend 2:  A four-run fourth inning propelled HRV to the win.  Jacob von Lubken took a shutout into the seventh inning in pitching a complete game, striking out five. Dufur 10, Columbia 0 King’s Way Christian 17, Stevenson 1   Softball The Dalles 6, Reynolds 5:   The Riverhawks scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to complete a comeback from a 5-2 deficit.  Despina Seufalemua opened the bottom of the seventh with a double, and scored the tying run on a one-out double by Kaleyah Crichton-Tunai.  With two out, Maddie Brock drove home the winning run, bringing in Crichton-Tunai.  

Wasco County Planning staff will hold once a month office hours in the Maupin Civic Center conference room as a new service for South Wasco County residents.  This new remote location service is scheduled for one Friday a month on April 15th, May 13th, June 17th, July 15th, and August 12th.  During Maupin office hours of 10am to 1pm, staff will have access to GIS Maps and other property information databases, permit applications, and other tools to advise citizens on a variety of land use and development projects or questions.   Current planning staff will continue to serve the public at their location in The Dalles on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 10 am-12pm and 1pm-4pm.  County Planning Director Kelly Howsley-Glover says staff has planned some focused topics for citizens including non-farm dwellings, solar arrays, code compliance, RV dwellings, and land divisions if individuals want to visit and learn more about opportunities and procedures for land use in Wasco County.  Citizens will also have the opportunity, beginning in May, to review the proposed draft updates to the Land Use and Development Ordinance in person during office hours.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says spring Chinook fishing on the Hood River will open April 15, but there will be no season in the Deschutes.  ODFW says the Hood River will be open for adult hatchery Chinook from April 15 through June 30 from the mouth to mainstem confluence with the East Fork, and the West Fork from the confluence with the mainstem upstream to the angling deadline 200 feet downstream of Punchbowl Falls.  The catch limit is one adult hatchery salmon per day, and five hatchery jack salmon per day.  All wild Chinook salmon must be released unharmed.  Fishery managers are predicting a good return of about 1,200 adult hatchery fish for the Hood River, which is quite a bit higher than last year’s actual return.  There will be no season for spring Chinook on the Deschutes River for 2022 due to another year of predicted poor returns of both hatchery and wild fish.  ODFW fish biologist Jason Seals says the Hood River fishery is one of the few places a bank angler has a pretty good chance of catching a Columbia River spring Chinook.  Seals said the run usually peaks in late May due to colder water temperatures in the Hood River.

The Barlow Ranger District plans to implement the South Rock prescribed fire west of Wamic over the next several weeks.  Depending on the weather, fire personnel may start ignitions as early as Saturday on the South Rock prescribed fire unit, located approximately three miles southwest of Pine Hollow and five miles west of Wamic.  Up to 400 acres are planned for burning this spring.  Fire personnel are planning for up to three days of ignitions.  The South Rock prescribed fire is part of the Rock Creek thin and burn project and is within the footprint of the Central Wasco County All Lands Joint Chief Project.  This burn builds upon last year’s successful underburn of the North Rock prescribed fire.  Visibility along National Forest roads in the area may be temporarily degraded, as well as along Rock Creek Road. Smoke may be visible from Highway 197.  No road closures are anticipated, however access to Forest roads in the burn perimeter may be temporarily restricted while firefighters are actively lighting.

With April providing a number of “awareness” months, YouthThink of Wasco County is encouraging parents to be aware of alcohol use among young people.  YouthThink’s Debby Jones says the state of Oregon will be rolling out a “Rethink Your Drink” campaign.  Jones says it is not anti-alcohol, but rather a look at the influence alcohol has on people’s lives.  Jones says YouthThink has new billboards in The Dalles with a picture of a bottle that says “common sense,” with the message that is what children need most.

Maryhill Museum of Art is open for the season and getting back to more normal operations.  Maryhill’s Rachel Bucci says they are excited about that, and this year’s special exhibition focuses on Indigenous art since 1980, with works from their own collection and on loan from other galleries.  Other special exhibitions at Maryhill this year include Navajo and Pueblo jewelry, plus avian imagery on paper in Maryhill’s Favorites Gallery.  The Exqusite Gorge II project with fiber arts is also underway.  Maryhill is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Dalles Public Works this week will repairing asphalt from the recent stormwater system main installation project on West 10th Street.  Work on Wednesday is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a full road closure with a clearly marked detour will be in effect on West 10th from Walnut to Snipes.  Work on Thursday is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but there will be no road closures.  That work will occur in the South bike lane and the travel lanes will be shifted over with cones.  Full and partial road closures will affect pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.  No parking will be allowed within the work area due to heavy equipment use and the location of the trench.  No parking signs will be placed on the curb 48 hours before the project moves into each work area.

Wasco County, the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, and the Link Public Transit will hold an in-person event Tuesday evening for a presentation on the Wasco County Transit Development Plan.  MCEDD Deputy Director of Transportation Kate Drennan says the plan is designed to take a 20-year view of what is possible for public transportation in Wasco County, and builds on a transit system plan put together by the City of The Dalles.  The in-person event runs from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday at The Link Transit Center on 802 Chenowith Loop Road in The Dalles, with the presentation beginning at 5:30.  An on-line open house continues through Friday, go to mcedd.org for more information.