Washington 14th District State Representative Gina Mosbrucker feels the legislative session that is wrapping up this week featured some good bipartisan bills that will help the state’s residents, but also there were some disappointments.  Mosbrucker thought there was progress in fixing police reform legislation from 2020.  However, Mosbrucker said she was disappointed that with a $15 billion budget surplus there was no significant tax relief moves made, and surprised no legislation to provide checks and balances for the Governor’s emergency powers was able to get to the House floor in spite of a desire to do so on both sides of the aisle.

Sturgeon retention will be closed in the John Day Pool, from John Day Dam upstream to McNary Dam, as of Thursday.  Fishery managers from Oregon and Washington made the decision because catches increased rapidly beginning late last week.  Due to the increased catch rate the 105 fish harvest guideline is projected to be met mid-week.  Therefore, the sturgeon retention will close tonight at 11:59 p.m.  Sturgeon retention currently remains open today and next Wednesday in the Bonneville Pool and Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in The Dalles Pool until March 30.

Gas prices continue to climb around the Northwest and the nation.  AAA says the price of regular gas in Oregon was at $4.588 per gallon today, and in Washington it was $4.546, both all-time highs.  According to AAA figures, the average price in Wasco County is $4.611, while in Sherman County it is $4.619 and in Hood River County it has reached $4.69.  In Washington, the average price for regular gas in Klickitat County is $4.442 per gallon, and in Skamania County it’s $4.599.  President Joe Biden announced Tuesday the U.S. will ban all Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia’s economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine, but he acknowledged it will bring costs to Americans, particularly at the gas pump.  Even before the U.S. ban many Western energy companies had moved to cut ties with the Russia and limit imports.

The City of The Dalles Vision 2040 planning process will be the subject of a virtual community town hall on Wednesday evening.  It’s the latest step in developing a shared vision for The Dalles and putting together an actionable road map for getting there.  Mayor Rich Mays says this meeting builds on input they received from an opening community survey late last year.  Survey respondents centered their thoughts in six basic categories:  enhancing education, creating economic vitality, providing recreation and open space, improving governance and infrastructure, fostering cultural enrichment, and strengthening and sustaining community life.  The virtual town hall will be held on Zoom starting at 5:30 Wednesday afternoon, and sign-ups are available at thedalles.org.  

Washington Gorge Action Programs will hold a Wednesday evening community forum on a mobile food pantry it intends to start operating this summer.  WAGAP’s Leslie Naramore says they received a Washington Department of Agriculture grant to purchase a refrigerated truck that is being refurbished to allow it to deliver food on a periodic basis to smaller communities in Klickitat and Skamania counties. The community discussion on the mobile food pantry plan on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. at the Lyle Activity Center.  WAGAP will retain its permanent food bank locations in Bingen, Goldendale, Klickitat, and Stevenson.

Taxing districts involved in the Strategic Investment Program agreement with Google for the future building of a pair of data centers on former aluminum plant property will hold a second meeting Wednesday to try to determine a plan for distributing Community Service Fees that would be due upon construction.  Wasco County Commissioner Steve Kramer said he is hopeful a consensus will be reached, with a Business Oregon deadline to come up with one at the local level looming.  Wednesday’s meeting begins at 1 p.m. at Columbia Gorge Community College 2nd Floor Lecture Hall.

North Wasco County School District 21’s board filled its Zone 1 vacancy on Monday, selecting Adrian Lopez of Mosier for the position.  He succeeds Rebecca Thistlewaite, who recently stepped down from the position.  The D-21 board interviewed three candidates for the position.  Lopez will serve in the Zone 1 seat until it comes up for an election in May of next year.

Five bills authored by Washington 14th District Representative Gina Mosbrucker have passed both legislative chambers and are on their way to the governor.   The House concurred on Senate amendments to the final two bills Monday, clearing the path to the governor’s office.  Mosbrucker bills sent to the governor include requiring county auditors to mail a voters’ pamphlet to registered voters overseas, preventing telephone solicitors from making calls before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m., allowing tribal members to pray over a deceased indigenous person without compromising the crime scene before an autopsy is conducted, increasing the availability of sexual assault nurse examiners in rural areas, and mandating yearly power resource adequacy meetings through 2029.  The Washington legislative session ends on Thursday.

Applications for scholarships for the Columbia Gorge Community College and Oregon State University Elementary Education Pathway program are being taken through March 18.  The program allow students to complete their first two years at CGCC and then take on-line courses through OSU to obtain a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education without leaving the Gorge.  CGCC Dean of General Education Rebecca Schwartz says the need for teachers makes graduates of the program sought after to fill positions.  Questions about the scholarships can be directed to the Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation at 541-506-6104.

An Oregon City man was sentenced to federal prison for his leadership role in a conspiracy to traffic large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl from Mexico for resale in Oregon and Washington, and for illegally reentering the U.S.  50-year-old Victor Alvarez Farfan was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.  According to court documents, Farfan received approximately 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, half a kilogram of heroin and two kilograms of fentanyl from a drug cartel based in Michoacan, Mexico.  He and his associates would then resell the methamphetamine and heroin in Hood River, Hillsboro, Gresham, Portland and Tacoma.  Farfan also oversaw the manufacturing of crystal methamphetamine from its liquid form.  Farfan, a citizen of Mexico, was found in the U.S. on October 16, 2018 after having previously been removed in June 2015 following multiple federal convictions.  Previously, in 2006, in the District of Oregon, Farfan was convicted for drug trafficking and illegally reentering the U.S. and sentenced to 120 months in federal prison.