Klickitat County Public Health Director Erinn Quinn says COVID-19 case numbers will hopefully drop in November after there were over 380 in October, the largest the County has experienced.  Quinn did say the number of active cases is currently down to 71, the lowest it has been in a while, and there have only been eleven reported so far this week.  Klickitat County’s vaccination rate continues to rise very slowly, with 49 percent of those 16 and older having received at least one shot.  Quinn is hoping the ability for 5 to 11 year olds to be vaccinated will spur a jump in those getting the vaccines.

Hood River County is above 80 percent of those 18 and older having received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and case rates are starting to come down in November after high numbers in September and October.  County COVID-19 Coordinator Daron Ryan says with vaccines now available for 5 to 11 year olds, they hope the decrease can be accelerated.  Ryan says several health care providers in the County are involved in getting the pediatric vaccine distributed, trying to get it to as many children as possible before the holidays.  She adds they are encouraging parents to take their children to the primary care provider for the shot, as the youngsters tend to be more comfortable in that setting.

The Dalles City Council voted unanimously to approve an infrastructure agreement with Design LLC, primarily addressing water issues, as a step toward Google eventually establishing a pair of new data centers on former Northwest Aluminum property.  The agreement calls for Design LLC to pay for about $28 million in water system improvements that City officials have said would not only provide sufficient water to cool the data centers, but also leave The Dalles in a better position in regard to water supply than it is now.  But some are skeptical, and concerned about how the projects would impact nearby wells and the surrounding aquifer.  Councilor Dan Richardson acknowledged those concerns. but also said this agreement was not rushed, and he considered it a win for the community.  When asked why Google would turn over the water rights it acquired by purchasing the property to the City, Public Works Director Dave Anderson said the company would not want to have to maintain its own water system.   Meanwhile, The City of The Dalles’ legal counsel explained why the City is suing to keep from being required to reveal the amount of water required to cool Google’s data centers.  Jonathan Kara said the City’s agreements with Google require non-disclosure of the figure that is considered a trade secret, and to cooperate to the extent allowed by the law, adding that the company is required to reimburse the City for the costs of defending that position in court.  The City denied a public records request from The Oregonian to release the figure, but Wasco County District Attorney Matthew Ellis overruled that.  Kara says the next step under state law is for the City to seek recourse through a lawsuit in Circuit Court.

Hood River City Finance Director Will Norris told City Councilors on Monday that the City’s financial health is recovering well after COVID-19 had negatively impacted reveunes.  Norris says the first quarter fiscal report shows an estimated pandemic total revenue loss of $1.83 million has been almost completely offset by American Rescue Plan Act funds.  He adds many revenue streams have returned to normal.  Norris noted current projections show the City would end the fiscal year with an ending fund balance of a little over $4 million, primarily thanks to the federal recovery funds.

Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege says he sees the County’s role in doing community outreach surrounding Mid-Columbia Medical Center’s proposed concept of building a new hospital campus at Kramer Field and constructing a new athletic complex on 35 acres of former Northwest Aluminum land will be focused on Kramer Field.  Hege points out there are a lot of moving parts in MCMC’s vision, and a number of different parties involved that have to be considered.  The Wasco County Commission will discuss how to do community outreach on the subject at a 1 p.m. meeting Wednesday, with log-in information available on the County website.  Hege emphasizes even when the Strategic Investment Program deal that would make the 35 acre property available goes through, any movement on development would still be substantially down the road.    

The Oregon Department of Transportation is shifting its scheduled rock blasts for the Mitchell Point Tunnel on the Historic Columbia River Highway Trail from Tuesday and Thursday to just Wednesday this week due to the Veterans Day holiday.  Crews will do rock blasting and rolling slowdowns between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Wednesday.  During the work, travelers on Interstate 84 in both directions between Cascade Locks and Memaloose State Park will be slowed down to create a 20-minute window where no traffic is near the blasting site.  The regular Tuesday and Thursday schedule should return next week.

Hood River County has moved to the top of the state in the percentage of people 18 and older who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.  According to Oregon Health Authority, 82.8 percent of Hood River County residents over the age of 18 have received at least one dose.  Washington, Multnomah, and Lincoln counties are the others currently above the 80 percent mark.  Wasco County is at 70.6 percent, Sherman County at 65.5 percent, and Gilliam County at 48.9 percent.

The Next Door is developing a program to train Spanish-speaking community health workers and others in mental health issues so they can help their clients.  Alisha Swift says Valle de Verde, or “Green Valley,” will have a 12-module curriculum developed by The Next Door staff including suicide prevention, stress in arriving in a new culture, coping, and general mental health topics.  Swift said they are targeting community health workers for the program that will be done in Spanish, but it will be open to anyone who speaks Spanish.  She adds the program is still being refined after it was tested internally within The Next Door.

The Dalles Police Department says a scam that has re-surfaced has been targeting citizens that are supportive of the police department and other law enforcement organizations and causes.  In a statement, the Department says the solicitations are worded in a way that makes the reader think The Dalles Police Department and/or other police organizations are somehow a part of the solicitation and receiving benefits.  The Dalles Police Department says it will not solicit for money by way of a mailers, newspaper articles, emails or phone calls for benefit of the department.  The department has participated in various fundraising activities for causes outside of the department but they can easily and always be verified by any member of the department.  The Dalles Police Department strongly encourages any citizen that is solicited in this kind of way to contact the department for guidance.

Hood River County officials have begun to explore the long-discussed concept of an Odell urban unincorporated community boundary.  The County has looked at this in the past, but a state rule prohibits an urban unincorporated area within ten miles of an established urban growth boundary such as Hood River.  County Commission Chair Mike Oates says the continued housing issues in the Hood River Valley has led them to revisit the issue, with county and state officials meeting recently to discuss the subject.  Oates did say two other areas in Oregon have received exceptions from the Legislature, and the County is asking the Department of Land Conservation and Development to consider it. Oates added County Commissioners will discuss the subject at an upcoming meeting.