The pandemic is forcing changes to the annual Hood River County Christmas Project to provide assistance with food and children’s gifts for families in need.  Registrations will be taken online at hoodrivercountychristmasproject.com from November 1 to December 7 from Hood River County families that currently meet State of Oregon low income eligibility standards.  All of the 470 families who participated last year will be contacted by phone to re-register them in so desired.  Individuals and families experiencing homelessness are encouraged to register.  Instead of distributing food boxes in person, all families will be able to choose a food gift card from one of four local grocery stores and a toy gift card for each child from two local stores and an on-line toy company.  The Christmas Project will be coordinating with Hood River Shelter Services and FISH this year to register and deliver their gift cards.   For more information, and to donate or volunteer to help, go to hoodrivercountychristmasproject.com.

The annual free Community Thanksgiving meal in The Dalles will be different this year.  The Salvation Army reports all meals will be “drive-thru take out” or “delivery” because of the pandemic.  All meals must be pre-ordered.  That can be done by calling 541-296-6517 before November 23, which is the Monday before Thanksgiving.  To sign-up to volunteer go to thedalles.salvationarmy.org or call 541-296-6417.

With recent rain, cooler temperatures, and shorter days, fire management personnel on the Mt. Hood National Forest anticipate the start of fall pile burning season to begin as early as this week and continue for the next several weeks.  Piles are from hazardous fuels reduction projects, timber sales, and timber stand improvement projects.  Slash piles are created when timber stands are thinned, as well as when surface fuels are reduced from the forest floor.  The slash is placed in piles and left to cure before burning.  Crews ignite piles in the morning and early afternoon to allow fuels to burn down prior to evening.  Burn units are monitored by firefighters until they are declared out.  Smoke may be visible in the vicinity during ignition operations and for a short time.

The Hood River County Department of Records and Assessment says the Oregon State Police over the weekend recovered several pieces of stolen mail, including some general election ballots.  The ballots belonged to Hood River residents living on Eugene Street, Hazel Street, and Lovers Lane.  Department Deputy Director Darlene Johnson says the ballots were returned to the County elections’ office, and all of the voters were mailed replacement ballots on Monday.  If you live in Hood River County and have not received your ballot, contact the elections’ office at 541-386-1442.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and Gifford Pinchot National Forest will host a firewood cutting event at Tracy Hill, near White Salmon the next two weekends.  The event provides valid permit-holders with firewood while removing flammable woody materials from forest lands that were treated as part of fuels management activities.  The wood includes seasoned Douglas-fir in a range of sizes, easily accessible from decks and other piles of pre-cut rounds.  Wood quantities are limited and not guaranteed.  Gifford Pinchot National Forest firewood permits, which cost $20 per cord, are required, with a maximum purchase of six cords.  Advance purchase of permits are available at the Mt. Adams Ranger Station in Trout Lake, Home Valley Store, Wind River Market in Carson, and Main Street Convenience Store in Stevenson.  Permits will be available on-site on Saturdays.  Gates to the site will be open 8:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays both weekends.  A map to the Tracy Hill site and more details are available on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website.

There will be intermittent single-lane closures at the Washington-side approach to the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday for seasonal street sweeping and debris removal.  Flaggers will direct traffic around the work zone.   Motorists should expect delays of approximately 20-30 minutes depending on traffic volume.  For more information, contact the Port of Hood River via email to porthr@gorge.net.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce has been in discussion with public health officials on a possible way to have a holiday celebration.  Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says they have come up with some unique ideas, but aren’t ready to announce anything until health officials sign off on a plan.  Farquharson said they do know the annual lighting of the Christmas tree outside the Chamber office will be virtual, but they are working with the City’s Beautification Committee to have some community-wide activity in conjunction with that.

The Port of Hood River is considering holding two lots on the former Lower Hanel Mill property as it tries to determine whether to construct its own buildings there.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee likens the current situation to the 2008 recession, when the Port decided to move ahead with building the Halyard Building on the waterfront in spite of an economic downturn.  McElwee said the Port has been in negotiations with one potential purchaser for a Lower Mill lot, but those talks have been slowed down by the pandemic.

A 34-year-old Hood River man died Friday night after the motorcycle he was driving crashed into a pickup on Toll Bridge Road shortly after attempting to elude a Sheriff’s officer who was trying to contact him for a traffic violation.  According to the Oregon State Police, the officer reported the motorcycle operated by 34-year-old Lyle Halverson was southbound on Baseline Road at about 8 p.m. on Friday, and upon the officer’s attempt to contact him the motorcycle accelerated and turned northbound onto Toll Bridge Road.  About one minute after that, the officer came upon the motorcycle crashed on Toll Bridge Road south of the Highway 35 intersection.  A preliminary investigation by the OSP found Halverson was traveling at high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a right-hand corner, entered the southbound lane, and crashed into a pickup.  The OSP says Halverson sustained fatal injuries.  The driver of the pickup was not injured.  The OSP was assisted by Parkdale Fire and Rescue.

The Stevenson-Carson School District says its entire sixth grade class will make their return to Wind River Middle School with full-time school starting on November 4.  The district recently made the decision to reopen the school, which had been closed since 2012, after determining the need for additional space and a dedicated facility for sixth to eighth grade students outweighed the financial savings stemming from its closure.  The district says when the sixth graders return to in-person classes…it will be among the first in Washington State to see the return of all students in grades K-6 to full-time in-person learning.  The district says to meet health department guidelines staff designed a plan separating the middle school’s gymnasium into sixth grade class “pods” using dividers to allow for appropriate social distancing.  Wind River will reopen on a reduced daily schedule similar to the one planned for use by Carson Elementary in order to provide custodial staff with additional time to ensure deep and thorough cleaning of the facility following each school day.  Families with sixth grade students who prefer to remain with distance learning can opt to stay with Stevenson-Carson Learning Link, the district’s distance learning program.