City officials in The Dalles are encouraging citizens to sign up for virtual town hall on March 9 to help shape The Dalles Vision 2040 document.  An initial community survey was done in November.  Mayor Rich Mays says the responses are helping to shape the March 9 discussion.  Six broad categories came from the first survey, including enhancing education, creating economic vitality, providing recreation and open space, improving governance and infrastructure, fostering cultural enrichment, and strengthening and sustaining community life.  The meeting will be on Zoom from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on March 9, and to register go to thedalles.org.

South Wasco County School District closed Sherman County School District closed but operating remotely Lyle School District two-hour delay, no morning pre-school, morning buses on snow routes   Mid-Columbia Children’s Council Head Start Tygh Valley center will be virtual today.

The Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge will be closed from midnight to 5 a.m. on Friday to do work on a structural support on the bridge’s lift span.  It’s the first of a few bridge closures that are upcoming this year.  Port of Hood River Deputy Executive Director Genevieve Scholl says this spring asphalt replacement will need to be done on both approach ramps, and could require three to four full days of closure.  The project will go out for bid in a couple of weeks.  Then in the fall, replacement of the wire cables that raise and lower the lift span will be done.  Scholl says they don’t know what kind of closures will be required when that work takes place.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce attended the Pacific Northwest’s Sportsmen’s Show last week to promote the community to potential visitors seeking outdoor activities.  Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says there is a different feel heading into the upcoming tourist season, with the potential for an ease in the COVID-19 pandemic leading people to plan to get out and enjoy themselves.  Farquharson says the Chamber will also attend the Central Oregon Sportsmen’s Show in Redmond during March.

Swimming

Hood River Valley took fourth place in the Oregon Class 5A girls swimming championships at Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center.  HRV’s Sarah Arpag finished second in the 100 yard butterfly and fourth in the 100 backstroke, while Emma Titus was fourth in the 100 freestyle and fifth in the 200 freestyle.  Titus and Arpag were joined by Nora Sandoval and Michelle Graves to finish third in the 200 freestyle relay, and Titus, Arpag, Sandoval, and Abby Tomlinson were third in the 400 freestyle relay.  Lydia DiGennaro of The Dalles was fourth in the 50 freestyle.

In the boys’ 5A swimming championships…Hood River Valley’s Lucas Elliott was eighth in the 100 backstroke and The Dalles took eighth in the 400 freestyle relay.

Wrestling

Goldendale’s Bryce Waddell finished second in the Class B 126-pound division at the Washington Mat Classic in Tacoma.  Waddell defeated Carson Borden of Willapa Valley by first round fall in the quarter-final and then topped Noah Cormier Higgins of Muckleshoot Tribal School 7-0 in the semi-final, before dropping the championship final to Granger’s Jose Toscano 7-5.

Other area highlights from the Mat Classic included third place finishes by Goldendale’s Matthew Gray at Class B 132 pounds, and fourth place finishes by Kali Watson of Goldendale at Girls 130 pounds and Solomon Mahoney of Stevenson at Class B 132 pounds.

Boys Basketball

Ridgeview 60, Hood River Valley 42

The Dalles 73, Pendleton 41:  The Eagles and the Riverhawks are tied for second in the Intermountain Conference, and both will advance to the state 5A playoffs with wins on Tuesday…HRV at home against Pendleton and The Dalles at Crook County.

  Big Sky League Boys Basketball Tournament

Championship:  South Wasco 42, Ione-Arlington 40:  The Redsides will have a bye in round one of the Oregon Class 1A tournament, and host a second round game on Friday.

  Girls Basketball

Pendleton 55, The Dalles 31

Ridgeview 54, Hood River Valley 17

  Big Sky League Girls Basketball Tournament

3^rd Place Game:  Trout Lake 44, South Wasco 38:  The Mustangs move on to visit Powder Valley in a first round Oregon Class 1A tournament game on Wednesday.

The White Salmon City Council approved ordinances and amendments to regulate short-term rentals.  Councilors, along with municipal planning commissioners, have spent a number of months working on the new STR regulations.  In approving the seven different motions to codify the package, Councilor Jim Ransier said he felt the rules fit White Salmon as a community.  All portions of the package passed unanimously.  The only change made during the meeting clarified that the cost of a short-term rental application fee will be $75 per application.

The Oregon State Police will be conducting a high visibility saturation patrol over the President’s Day weekend focusing on driving behaviors.  Beginning Friday and continuing through Monday, the OSP says troopers from all of their area command locations will focus on Oregon’s Interstate freeways   This saturation will be focusing on what OSP refers to as the “Fatal Five”:  speeding, occupant safety, lane safety, impaired driving, and distracted driving.  The OSP says those five driving behaviors are the leading causes of serious injury and fatal crashes.  The agency adds that sheriff’s deputies and local police officers will be joining the OSP in this effort.

The Hood River County Transportation District, which operates as Columbia Area Transit, is in the process of updating their 2017 Transit Master Plan.  That’s a key guiding document that outlines the delivery of community and regional transit services.  The district is seeking input from community and regional residents to help shape its future delivery of services.  It notes Hood River County has a growing population with expanding employment opportunities and remains a continued draw for tourists, and the agency wants to determine how transit options can support it.  An online survey is available in English and Spanish at engagecatbus.org.

Big Sky League Girls Basketball Semi-Final

Ione-Arlington 42, South Wasco 41

Echo 54, Trout Lake 53:  Trout Lake and South Wasco will play Saturday at 2 p.m. in Umatilla for the Big Sky’s third state playoff bid.

  Boys Basketball

Central Christian 44, Sherman 41

Wasco County’s COVID-19 cases are decreasing with the rest of the state, according a North Central Public Health District report given to Wasco County Commissioners on Wednesday.  Health District Board member Kathy Schwartz, who is also Wasco County Commission Chair, gave the report that also showed an improving picture for hospital space in the region and a decrease in COVID-19 test volumes.  But Schwartz did say health officials are asking for continued mask use right now, with hospitals still under stress from large patient numbers.  A Federal Emergency Management Agency COVID-19 vaccine clinic will be set up at the old Griffith Motors building on East 3rd in The Dalles beginning this Monday, and it will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day through February 28.