Klickitat County:  https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20211102/klickitat/ Skamania County:  https://results.vote.wa.gov/results/20211102/skamania/    

Fire burned a building at an agricultural facility in the Tygh Valley area on Monday night.  Paul LaPlante of the Tygh Valley Rural Fire Protection District says the fire occurred around 8:30 p.m., and firefighters arrived to find the building on Fred Ashley Road fully involved.  Fire crews were able to surround the fire and contain it to the single building.  The building is a total loss.  LaPlante said no one was hurt in the fire.  The cause is under investigation.  Crews from Wamic/Pine Hollow, Juniper Flat, Dufur, Shaniko, and Southern Wasco County Ambulance joined Tygh Valley Fire in responding to the blaze.

The Dalles Public Works Director Dave Anderson says he is confident a proposed water agreement with Google would leave the City in a better position than it currently is in now, adding supply emergencies are covered by the City’s water management and conservation plan.  Anderson says that plan puts the highest priority on providing water to meet public health needs, including residential and home consumption, hospitals, and businesses, and would supersede any industrial need.  The Dalles City Council will discuss the proposed agreement with Google at its meeting this Monday at 5:30 p.m.  Google is seeking the deal as part of plans to eventually build two data centers on the former aluminum plant property it owns.

Mid-Columbia Community Action has a site picked out for a navigation center in The Dalles with multiple agency services, and is working with a development consultant on the project.  Community Action executive director Kenny LaPoint said they are planning to use a 1.3 acre site the organization already owns on West Second Street on land zoned commercial/light industrial.  LaPoint says they have $1.5 million from the state and $500,000 from the City of The Dalles for the project, but they probably need another $500,000 to do the full build, and they will go to the community for some of that.  LaPoint said they don’t have a timeline for development of the navigation center, but they would like to do it in the next 12 to 18 months.

The Barlow Ranger District of the Mt. Hood National Forest says the fire damage closure for the White River Fire has been reduced.  The entire length of Forest Roads 48 and 43 are now open.  In addition, the McCubbins Gulch Off-Highway Vehicle area is open, along with much of the land around McCubbins north of Highway 216.  A smaller area within the White River Fire perimeter will remain closed as fire recovery and salvage work continues.  Also, some roads have winter closures which begin December 1.

A five-county resource directory of organizations and services that offer support to community members is now online.  Hood River County Prevention Department director Belinda Ballah says the directory was developed a couple of years ago in printed form, and it tries to cover anything somebody might need help with.  The guide is available at c-gorge-resourceguide.com.  Ballah adds a new run of printed guides will be available soon.

Washington Class 2B District 4 Girls Soccer First Round Adna 7, Stevenson 0   EWAC Volleyball First Round Goldendale def. Warden 25-15, 25-12, 25-15:  The Timberwolves move on to play Tri-Cities Prep today at 5 p.m. at Granger.

Mid-Columbia Health Foundation’s Festival of Trees is being re-envisioned as a virtual event.  As always, adorned trees will be donated by community members and business to help the Health Foundation raise money in support of local cancer patients and Celilo Cancer Center.  The decorated trees will be prominently displayed at various locations around town and online on Facebook and the Health Foundation web page from Dec. 1 to Dec. 7.  Rather than an auction, money will be raised by way of a direct donation. Each tree will be displayed with a QR code and website address that patrons can use to make a donation online.  Community members and businesses who have been involved with Festival of Trees in the past will receive a brochure in the mail that includes mail-in instructions for their convenience.  At the conclusion of the event, the decorated trees will be donated to local organizations to continue spreading holiday cheer throughout the community.  Proceeds from the 2021 Festival of Trees will support the Celilo Cancer Center Fund and the purchase of a new linear accelerator for radiation therapy.

The Gorge TransLink Alliance is offering its new GOrge Pass for 2022 to provide unlimited travel on transit systems serving Wasco, Hood River, Klickitat, and Skamania counties and the Portland metro area.  Kate Drennan of Mid-Columbia Economic Development District says the pass covers The Link in The Dalles, Columbia Area Transit in Hood River, Mt. Adams Transportation Services in Klickitat County, and Skamania County Transit.  The annual GOrge Pass costs $40 for an adult or $20 for youth under 17.  For purchase information and ride schedules, go to gorgepass.com or call 833-3GO-PASS.

Mid-Columbia Community Action is taking applications for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program in Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties as winter draws closer.  Community Action director Kenny LaPoint says they’ve been able to run the program year-round since June of 2020.  Qualification for the program is 60 percent of the area median income based on family size.  To apply, go to mccac.com or call Community Action at 541-298-5131.