North Central Public Health District says it has purchased a handheld X‑ray fluorescence analyzer, which detects and measures lead in materials like paint, soil, and other consumer products. Outside of Multnomah County, NCPHD is the only local public health department in Oregon to have the tool. NCPHD Epidemiologist Zachary Hale at NCPHD, is a certified lead risk assessor trained to operate the XRF tool. He will be using the device for on-site lead investigations to identify the cause of raised levels in children, and he will be attending community events to allow people to test household items for lead content. NCPHD will be at the Wasco County Children’s Fair on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and the public can bring items to test. Likely objects include paint, soil, toys, ceramics, dishware, jewelry, and cosmetics. Vintage and international items are especially likely to contain lead. If you cannot make the Children’s Fair, call (541) 506-2600, and NCPHD will try to coordinate a test.
Category: Uncategorized
May 12 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Wilsonville 6, Hood River Valley 5: Wilsonville scored three in the fourth inning and two in the fifth, then hung on as the Eagles scored three in the bottom of the seventh before seeing the game end with a runner in scoring position. The Wildcats move a game in front of the Eagles in the Northwest Oregon Conference heading into a rematch today at 5 p.m. in Wilsonville.
Sherman 5, Irrigon 4 (8 innings): Cael Bish singled home Eli Picard in the top of eighth inning to give the Huskies the win.
Castle Rock 1, Columbia 0: The Rockets made a single run in the second inning stand up and eliminate CHS from the Southwest Washington Class 1A District Tournament. Kellen Olson pitched an outstanding game for the Bruins, giving up only three hits while striking out ten.
Softball
Wilsonville 6, Hood River Valley 0: Wilsonville pitchers Addi Smith and Mia Rucker combined to throw a no-hitter, striking out 18.
Tennis
Hood River Valley’s Kaylin Mitchell along with two doubles teams have earned their invitations to the Oregon Class 5A tournament by advancing to the semi-finals at the Northwest Oregon Conference championships. Mitchell advanced to the semi with a 6-0, 6-1 quarterfinal win over Sai Nithya Kalavai of Wilsonville.
She’ll face Teagan Hamilton of Wilsonville in the semi-final.
HRV’s Charlotte Fuller and Anna Dalbey also reached the NWOC semis in girls’ doubles, topping LaSalle’s Olivia Klein and Rissa-Unique Stone 6-2, 4-6, 6-4. The Eagle pair faces LaSalle’s Kaitlin Carter and Isabella Montecucco in the semi-final round.
The Eagles’ Kane and Kash Wagner got to the semis and the state tournament with a 6-1 win over Asa Gessler and Thorin Hepburn of Wilsonville, and will go up against Lucas and Nolan Wong of LaSalle today.
Golf
Hood River Valley’s Aksel Betz qualified for the Oregon Class 5A Boys Golf Tournament next Monday at Tokatee Golf Course. Betz had a 22nd place finish at the Special District 1 Tournament at Meadow Lakes Golf Course in Prineville, but qualified thanks to his second place finish in the Northwest Oregon Conference tournament last week. Both the Eagle boys and girls teams finished sixth in the team standings.
The Dalles’ Andrew Westin qualified for the Oregon Class 4A Boys Golf Tournament at Emerald Valley in Creswell after a 7th place finish at Tri-Valley Conference Tournament at Arrowhead Golf Club in Molalla. The Riverhawk boys finished fifth as a team, while The Dalles girls’ were third in the Special District 2 tourney, led by a sixth place finish by the Riverhawks’ Elliott Winwood.
Dufur’s Tygh Timinsky cruised to a 14-shot win at the Class 4A Special District 4 Girls Golf Tournament, and will head to the state tournament at Eagle Crest. The Rangers were second to Trinity Lutheran in the team standings.
Southwest Washington Class 1A Boys Soccer Tournament
Columbia 5, Montesano 2: The Bruins move into the semi-finals, visiting Raymond-South Bend on Thursday at 6 p.m.
Oregon Girls Lacrosse Association Playoffs
First Round
Hood River Valley 16, Central Catholic 6: The Eagles advance to play at Oregon Episcopal in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Track and Field
Lyle-Wishram’s Ezekiel Marble and Jack Thiemann, Trout Lake’s Jayden Kusky, and South Wasco’s Bailey Udey won two events apiece at a meet in Maupin.
TD City Budget Committee At Work
The Dalles City Budget Committee started its work Monday night with presentations on general fund departments. In his budget message, City Manager Matthew Klebes pointed out The Dalles is in a stronger short-term position than many communities, but it does face the same long-term challenges, including increasing costs outpacing revenue growth, and infrastructure needs. He proposes the 2026-27 budget establish a service continuity reserve fund, to accumulate and hold monies to finance the cost of maintaining and adjusting existing General Fund services due to sudden revenue or expenditure changes and changing economic conditions. The budget proposing transferring $2.75 million of the general fund’s beginning fund balance to get the fund started, with more contributions in the future based on available resources. The budget committee work continues Tuesday evening at 5:30 in The Dalles City Hall.
Hood River Council Back To Downtown Parking Discussion
Downtown parking is once again a topic for the Hood River City Council. This time the focus is the City’s hotel parking pass program, which allows lodging establishments to purchase day-long permits to park anywhere downtown except on Oak Street at the cost of paying the meter for a full day. Use had been limited until the new Lightwell Hotel opened, which City Manager Abigail Elder said now purchases two blocks of 100 passes a month. Some businesses say that may be reducing daytime space availability in high-demand areas. The City was already planning to update its 2019 parking study, but City Councilor Doug Stepina says there is a need to do something in the interim, and the panel needs to come up with ideas to move forward. City Manager Abigail Elder said she will continue to work with the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce and area businesses to find possible solutions.
HR County Budget Panel To Hold Fourth Meeting Thursday
The Hood River County Budget Committee will meet for a fourth time on Thursday as it continues to go over the 2026-27 fiscal plan. Staff has been asked to find additional savings in a budget that is already very tight. County Commission Chair Jennifer Euwer says they are going through the budget with a fine-tooth comb, adding she believes the main issue facing the County long-term is revenue. County Administrator Allison Williams says they are awaiting the final report on a recent review of the County’s operations, but she adds the preliminary findings show the County is already very lean. Euwer adds the revenue question will be a key part of Commission discussions in the next 12 months. Thursday’s budget committee meeting begins at 3 p.m. in the County Administration Building.
Meeting Held On Wasco Landfill For Portland Harbor Soils
A meeting Monday night was held in The Dalles on the potential for contaminated soils from the Portland Harbor Superfund Site to be delivered to the Wasco County Landfill. The group Neighbors for Clean Air held the meeting, and one of the attendees was Wasco County Commissioner Jeff Justesen. Justesen notes by Department of Environmental Quality standards, the Wasco County Landfill could handle the spoils, but he adds safety also has to be considered, particularly in regard to the roadway into the landfill. Waste Connections owns the Wasco County Landfill, and Justesen notes they have been great partners to the County. He also says it is possible the County could make money by accepting the sediment, but the impact to the community has to be considered. Justesen also noted much of this is speculative at this point, but the County is evaluating what its options would be should this progress further.
Newhouse “Build More Hydro” Bill Signed Into Law
Washington Fourth District Congressman Dan Newhouse’s “Build More Hydro” bill has been signed into law by President Donald Trump. It allows the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to approve six-year extensions for hydropower projects licensed before 2020. Newhouse says the Build More Hydro bill would extend commence construction deadlines for hydropower projects nationwide and increase American energy production. Newhouse adds since the introduction of his bill and a companion bill by Montana Senator Steve Daines approximately 100 megawatts of hydropower has been put on hold with an additional 36 megawatts forced into limbo by the end of the year because of congressional inaction. Hydropower supplies baseload electricity to over 30 million homes, provides 96% of utility-scale energy storage, and is important for flood control, water storage, irrigation, and grid reliability services.
Ballot Returns Jump Over The Weekend
Ballot return counts for the May 19 primary election jumped over the weekend. The Hood River County Assessment, Records, and Election Department reports as of the end of Monday just over 16 percent of ballots have been returned: 2,676. That’s up by 222 ballots from two years ago and 639 from 2022. In Wasco County, the Clerk’s office says on Monday 13.27 percent of ballots had been received: 2,537. It’s an increase of 49 from 2024, and 268 from four years ago. Ballots that are mailed must be postmarked by Election Day and received within seven days. U.S. Postal Service delivery times may vary, so local election officials advise you to return your ballot early. If you’re returning your ballot by mail within 7 days before the election, ask a USPS staff member to postmark the ballot by hand at your local branch or better yet drop their ballot in an official drop box. In addition, Wasco County officials will do public test of its tabulation equipment at 3 p.m. this afternoon.
May 11 Prep Sports Roundup
Tennis
Hood River Valley at Northwest Oregon Conference Tournament First Round
Girls Singles
(1) Kaylen Mitchell def. Greta Dazer, LaSalle 6-0, 6-1
(5) Zoe Aiken def. Autumn Hesse, Canby 6-1, 6-1
Emily Doss def. Kaylin Doan, Centennial 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
Sofia Rodriguez def. Vivian Williams, Wilsonville 0-6, 6-0, 6-4
Girls Doubles
Cate Haspela/Ellie Giordano def. Siliva Nunez Lopez/Meadow Palmer, Hillsboro 6-1, 6-2
(5) Charlotte Fuller/Anna Dalbey def. Halei Brunais/Megan Lamug, Hillsboro 6-0, 6-0
(3) Ava Giordano/Grace Kerr def. Tammy Nguyen/Celmy Groff, Parkrose 6-0, 6-1
(2) Emma Ahrens/Kenna Crocker, Wilsonville def. Amelia Hotchkiss/Tess Balzer 6-0, 6-0
Boys Singles
(4) Carson Abel def. Brandon Le, Parkrose by default
Rune Baumahckl def. Harrison Vu, Parkrose, 6-2, 6-1
Oscar Shen, LaSalle def. Ansel Bernard 6-3, 6-1
Boys Doubles
Asher Weld/Emmi Galindo def. Jack Bossenbrock/Bao Nguyen, Parkrose 6-2, 6-2
Judah Tsipin/Justin Fox def. Lucas Fetrow/Julian Rodriguez-Barrgon, Milwaukie 7-5, 6-4
Green Sutton/Cooper Castello def. Lev Adams/Abdie Abraham, Parkrose 6-0, 7-6
(3) Kane Wagner/Kash Wagner def. Jordan Thongsy/Jaden Nyguen, Centennial 6-1, 6-2
Boys Golf
Hood River Valley is in sixth after one round of the Class 5A Special District 1 Tournament at Meadow Lakes in Prineville. Aksel Betz had the best round of the day for the Eagles, shooting a ten-over-par 82 to be in ninth place.
The Dalles is in fifth after the first round at the Tri-Valley Conference Tournament at Arrowhead in Molalla. The Riverhawks’ Andrew Westin shot a 94 and is in ninth place.
Girls Golf
Hood River Valley is in sixth at the Class 5A Special District 1 Tournament at Meadow Lakes in Prineville. Kailee Klindt is in 18th after shooting 103 in the opening round.
The Dalles is in second behind leader Catlin Gable at the Class 4A Special District 2 Tournament at Arrowhead in Molalla. Elliott Winwood had the best round for the Riverhawks, and is in fourth place after shooting 101.
Dufur’s Tygh Timinsky leads by four shots at the Class 4A Special District 6 Tournament at Buffalo Peak Golf Course in Union. She had a two-over 74 in round one to lead Heppner’s Naomi Propheter by four. The Rangers are in third in the team standings.
Baseball
SW Washington Class 1A Tournament: Seton Catholic 23, Columbia 0: The Bruins will try to stay in the tournament at Castle Rock today at 4 p.m.
Molalla 4, The Dalles 2: Molalla scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to hand The Dalles its fourth straight loss.
Softball
The Dalles 10, Molalla 0: Siyra Faulkner homered, drove in three runs, and pitched a no-hitter in a five inning game as the Riverhawks won their 13th straight game. Cadence Young and Ainslee Eisland drove in two runs apiece.
May 8-9 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Hood River Valley 7, Canby 3: Maverick Hockett drove in two runs as the Eagles scattered 12 hits and moved into a first place tie with Wilsonville in the Northwest Oregon Conference heading into a two-game series with the Wildcats starting Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Traner Field.
Columbia 4, Hoquiam 3: Ryder Graves and Kellen Olson had back-to-back run scoring singles in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the Bruins to the win in a Southwest Washington Class 1A District Tournament play-in game. CHS will visit Seton Catholic for a first round game today at 4 p.m.
Sherman sweeps Weston-McEwen 8-7 and 20-2: Diego Ambriz’s two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning brought home the winning run and capped a three-run rally in the opener, then the Huskies scored 11 runs in the bottom of the fourth in the nightcap.
Softball
Canby 15, Hood River Valley 0: The Cougars scored eight runs in third inning to blow the game open. Kenadie Lucas had two hits for the Eagles.
Track and Field
Hood River Valley’s Syl Perrin won the girls’ 3,000 meters and The Dalles’ Evelyn Rogers took second in the girls’ shot put at the Dean Nice Invitational in Gresham.
The Stevenson boys won the Al McKee Invitational at home, while Trout Lake was second to Portland Christian in the girls’ half. Jude Travinski and Matthew Trollier of Stevenson and Jayden Kusky of Trout Lake all won two events in the boys’ competition, while Stevenson’s Daisy Jones won two events on the girls’ side.
Host Sherman was the boys’ winner and South Wasco the girls’ victor at the Sherman County Invitational in Moro. Lyle-Wishram’s Jack Thiemann and Sherman’s Chloe Simpson each won three events.
Columbia’s Samantha Evans won the high jump at the Spudder Classic in Ridgefield.
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 14, Oregon Episcopal 13: Hood River Valley will host Central Catholic in a first round state playoff meeting on Tuesday.
Girls Flag Football
Summit 24, The Dalles 0
Boys Lacrosse
Ida B. Wells 12, Hood River Valley 11