Two men died Tuesday morning in a two-vehicle accident on Highway 97 at milepost 73 about six miles south of the junction with Highway 197. According to the Oregon State Patrol, a commercial motor vehicle operated by 25-year-old Ronald Sims of Redmond was northbound when a southbound silver pickup driven by 74-year-old William Robinson of Wasilla, Alaska crossed into the northbound lanes for an unknown reason.  The two vehicles hit head-on, and both individuals sustained fatal injuries.  Highway 97 was closed for approximately 5 hours.

Fire burned a structure located off of Trout Creek Road in Stabler on Tuesday morning.  According to Skamania Fire District 1, the fire posed a threat to surrounding wildlands due to the current dry conditions, but crews were able to contain the fire to the structures and protect the perimeter from igniting.  Stevenson Fire Department, Skamania EMS and Rescue, Skamania County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Department of Natural Resources responded to a the fire along with Skamania Fire District 1.  No injuries to occupants or firefighters were reported.

With still another couple of months to go in the fire season, it remains important to keep safety in mind with continued high fire danger in the region.  Kiel Nairns of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s The Dalles Unit says their regulated use closure remains in place, adding the fires the agency has dealt with so far have been human-caused.  Nairns says their initial attacks have been able to keep most fires small…and the addition of fire boss planes to be based in the Gorge has been helping in that effort.

Tuesday is the final day to submit ballots in the Washington primary election.  Ballots must be delivered to official drop boxes or postmarked by today.  There is a limited number of issues and offices on the primary ballot in Klickitat and Skamania counties.  The Klickitat County ballot is highlighted by Klickitat Valley Health’s bond measure for improvements to its facility in Goldendale.  There are also three-way races for school board positions in the Lyle and White Salmon Valley districts, with the top two in each advancing to the November general election.  Skamania County’s ballot includes the proposed annexation of Mill A and Willard into Fire District 1, and a three-way primary for a Stevenson City Council seat.

Temperatures continue to rise into the triple digits in the region, and the Hood River County Health Department is reminding people heat illness, or hyperthermia, is a serious and important medical issue to watch out for during these warm days.  Mild to severe symptoms of heat illness can include: nausea, vomiting, sweating or dry skin, dry mouth thirst, fever, headache, muscle cramps, abdominal cramps, fatigue/exhaustion, rapid heart rate, weakness, and diarrhea.  If experiencing those symptoms, it’s important that you move to a cooler or air-conditioned location, drink plenty of fluids, Take a cold shower or use a cool compress, and remove tight or restrictive clothing.  Heat stroke occurs when an individual has a fever of at least 104 degrees and mental status changes such as disorientation, delirium, irritability, confusion, and seizure.  If heat stroke is suspected, it’s important to call 911 immediately and move the individual to a cooler place and douse with or immerse in cold water.

Following a small round of lightning Monday afternoon, three new fires were identified on the south end of the Mt. Hood National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service says two fires are in the southeast corner of the Bull of the Woods Wilderness in the Janus Butte area with the largest of the two at approximately 50 acres.  The third appears to be outside of the wilderness boundary and is in the vicinity of Round Lake.  Two engine crews headed to the fire by Round Lake when it was reported, and worked on clearing fallen trees from the roads leading into the fire area until dark and will return this morning.  The location of the two Janus Butte fires will require firefighters to take indirect tactics to suppress, due to the lack of adequate escape routes and safety zones for firefighters.  Additional personnel and logistical support are being ordered to be able to implement that plan, but a team is already in place to coordinate.  

Wasco County’s YouthThink is gearing up for the 2021-22 school year.  Executive Director Debby Jones says they don’t have a formal calendar of events yet, but they are starting a new initiative called “The More You Know” that will be unveiled on billboards and other materials.  Jones says they are looking at both in-person and virtual models to allow for community discussion on issues facing parents and their children.  YouthThink’s website is youththink.net.  

Oregon OSHA is adopting two new emergency rules.  One puts protections in place against the hazards of wildfire smoke, and another establishes safeguards against high heat in employer-provided housing.  The wildfire smoke rule encompasses a variety of exposure controls, training and information, and other measures.  The heat rule applies to occupants of housing provided by employers.  It requires access to cooling areas and other steps to minimize dangerous heat in housing units.  Both rules take effect Aug. 9 and remain in effect for 180 days.  The two temporary rules follow Oregon OSHA’s July 8 adoption of emergency requirements to prevent heat illness in outdoor and indoor workplaces.    

Phase 1 of NW Natural’s pipe system project from Bingen to White Salmon is underway.  The first series of road closures that will run through August 10 includes the closure of one lane of Ash Street between West Humboldt and Oak.  Flaggers will direct traffic.  The cross streets of Franklin, West Humboldt, and Jefferson are closed between Alder and Oak, with the roads open to local traffic only.  Construction with flaggers directing traffic is anticipated between the hours of 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays.

One Community Health, Oregon Health Authority, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic for the next ten days at Wy’east Middle School in Odell.  The walk-in clinic will be open from noon to 7 p.m. daily through August 11 beginning today.  Hood River County COVID-19 Coordinator Daron Ryan says 75 percent of Hood River County residents 18 and up are vaccinated, but there is still work to be done, particularly in the 18 to 40 age group.  Both Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be available at the Wy’east clinic.  No one will be charged for the vaccine.  Ryan says Columbia Area Transit is offering transportation to anyone trying to get to the clinic.