The Washington Legislature passed a bill to allow for establishment of a bi-state commission to govern a new Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge, following passage of a similar bill in Oregon earlier in the week.  Each bill awaits gubernatorial signatures.  The bills allow for a legal local government to be created over state lines, and for separate state funding to be received by the new entity as well as federal funding.  They enable the new entity to issue toll bonds but does not grant any property tax authority, and identifies the new entity as responsible for development, finance, construction, and operation of the new bridge.  They also establish equal representation for citizens from Hood River and Klickitat Counties on the governing body.

Masks will not be required in Hood River County School District school facilities, including buses, beginning on next Monday, March 14.  In a statement by the district released late Friday, Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn said after consultation with the Hood River County Health Department, the district chose to no longer require masks in schools for a number of reasons, including a sharp decline in COVID-19 cases in Hood River County along with a low hospitalization rate and a high level of population immunity from both vaccination and infections.  Hood River County is categorized as low in the Centers for Disease and Prevention COVID-19 Community Levels.  Polkinghorn says the district will continue to monitor data by collecting and tracking self-reported positive COVID-19 cases for students and staff, require any student or staff who tests positive for COVID-19 to isolate for five days regardless of vaccination status, maintain cleaning and disinfection protocols, practice physical distancing to the greatest extent possible, offer masks to students, staff, and visitors at all district facilities, and provide COVID-19 testing and information for students and staff.

With the even-year short session of the Oregon Legislature having wrapped up on Friday, some of the discussion, at least from minority Republicans, revolves around making major policy decisions during the 35-day session rather than waiting for the lengthier odd-year session.  Overtime pay for farmworkers, stimulus payments for low-income workers, and an affordable housing package were all approved in the past two weeks.  29th District State Senator Bill Hansell points out that the short sessions were initially intended to address budget fixes and technical issues.  Democrats were adamant that larger issues like the pandemic, affordable housing, access to health care, and workforce disparities had to be addressed.

Soroptimist International of Hood River is looking for women with dependents and is the financial head of household to award $1500 to as part of their annual “Live Your Dream” awards. Club President Kate Daugherty says they are taking applications through March 15. She adds the money can be used by the recipient in whatever manner they see fit to be able to stay in school. Applications are available at Columbia Gorge Community College, Hood River Library, or call Daugherty at 541-490-4296.

Saturday Results

Oregon Class 1A Boys Basketball Tournament at Baker City

Championship

Crane 62, South Wasco 53: Crane used an 11-3 run in the final 5:31 of the game to win the title. Jared Zander scored 16 points and Carter Nichols 15 to lead Crane. Oscar Thomas led South Wasco with 20 points while Brock LaFaver added 19. Crane finished the season unbeaten in 31 games, while the title game loss ended the Redsides’ 25-game winning streak.

Friday Results

Oregon Class 5A Boys Basketball First Round

Churchill 59, The Dalles 24: Samaje Morgan led the Lancers to the final eight with 14 points. Braden Schwartz topped the Riverhawks with 8 points.

Eagle Point 74, Hood River Valley 61: Eagle Point broke the game open with a 24-8 second quarter run, and Hood River Valley could not get any closer than 12 points after that. Brennen Neyt paced Eagle Point with 20 points. Emanuel Romero led Hood River with 24 points.

Oregon Class 1A Boys Basketball Tournament at Baker City

Semi-Final

South Wasco 59, Powder Valley 40:  The Redsides had a 14 point lead at halftime and cruised from there to remain unbeaten on the season and advance to the state championship game.  Oscar Thomas went 7 for 11 from the three-point line while scoring 25 points, while Ian Ongers added 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.  South Wasco will play another unbeaten in Crane for the state championship on Saturday at 6:30 p.m.

  Oregon Class 1A Girls Basketball Tournament at Baker City

Consolation Semi-Final

Echo 58, Trout Lake 49:  Violette Anderson scored 19 points to lead the Mustangs as their season came to an end.

Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association Championships at Mt. Hood Meadows

Hood River Valley’s Thorsen Welch finished eighth in both the boys’ combined and giant slalom. Gray Roetscinder of The Dalles was 20th in the boys combined standings, while the Riverhawks’ Lucy Booth finished 21st in the girls’ combined.V    

The bill to create overtime pay for farmworkers that passed the Oregon Senate Thursday on a 17-10 mainly party line vote, and is now headed to the Governor.  Senator Lee Beyer of Springfield was the lone Democrat to vote against the bill, which would phase in overtime pay, setting maximum hours without paying time-and-a-half at 55 per week through 2024, 48 per week the following two years, and 40 in 2027 and beyond.  Farms would be eligible for personal and corporate income tax credits to help offset added costs.  Representative Daniel Bonham of The Dalles opposed the bill in the House, and he expects it will pass the Senate.  He also expressed frustration that a move to send the bill back to committee for more study was narrowly defeated.  Bonham added he felt “political will” won out over finding good policy.

Oregon State 52nd District Representative Anna Williams says she will not seek re-election.  In a Facebook post, Williams said being a state legislator has been the “greatest honor of my professional life.”  But she also says the state treats it as a part time job, but “it’s a full time role for anyone who wants to get it right.”  Williams said with the $33,000 base salary state lawmakers receive, it’s not sustainable for her to continue.  Williams has represented the 52nd District in the Oregon House for past four years.  Four candidates have filed to run in the 52nd District that now includes The Dalles.  The Dalles City Councilor Darcy Long is the only Democrat to have filed so far, and Jeff Helfrich, who twice lost to Williams in the general election, is one of the three Republican hopefuls.

The Washington State Senate has given unanimous approval to a bill sponsored by 14th District Representative Gina Mosbrucker directing the Department of Commerce and the Utilities and Transportation Commission to hold yearly resource adequacy meetings through 2029 with utilities, regional planning organizations and other stakeholders to discuss the current, short-term and long-term adequacy of energy resources.  The Goldendale Republican says the meetings are designed to make sure the state continually addresses plans that would help avoid energy blackouts, brownouts or other inadequacies of the electric grid.  The meetings would also focus on how proposed laws and regulations that seek to accelerate the electrification of buildings and transportation electrification charging stations might require a new state policy for resource adequacy.  The bill previously passed the House with a unanimous vote.  It now heads to the governor for his signature.

Oregon Class 1A Boys Basketball Tournament at Baker City

Quarterfinals

South Wasco 59. Rogue Valley Adventist 58:  Oscar Thomas made a free throw with seven seconds left to cap a comeback after the Redsides trailed by ten points with just over five minutes to play.  Thomas scored 11 points and Remington Anderson Shear five as part of a closing 17-6 run to grab the win.  Thomas scored 27 points in the game, while Ian Ongers tallied 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.  Kyle Wilson led Rogue Valley Adventist with 14 points.  South Wasco stays unbeaten on the season at 23-0, and will play Powder Valley in the semi-finals on Friday afternoon at 3:15.

Oregon State University Extension’s Master Naturalist will be offering a Gorge field course this spring and summer program.  OSU Extension’s Ann Harris says the Master Naturalist program teaches the natural history of the entire state and the Gorge area, and the students then share what they learn with others.  The field-based portion of the course involves going out with local experts to engage in hands-on experiences in all of the major ecosystems in the Gorge.  An information session will be held via Zoom on March 11 at 6 p.m.  Log-in information is available at the OSU Extension websites for Hood River and Wasco counties.