Total enrollment in the Hood River County School District is down by over 300 students from last year.  District Human Resources Director Catherine Dalbey says as of last week 3,769 students were attending the district’s virtual classes.  She told the district board the reductions were centered in three areas.  Nearly 100 expected kindergarten students not enrolling probably due to comprehensive distance learning and COVID that will probably return next year, the Columbia Gorge Educational Service District put the estimate on registered home school students up from the usual 120 to over 200, and the remaining students have chosen other virtual schools.  State school funding is based on a two-year average enrollment, but Dalbey noted many districts are seeing similar trends, so that formula may be changed.

Klickitat Valley Health is asking voters in Public Hospital District #1 of Klickitat County to approve a $14.3 million bond measure to expand the facility in Goldendale.  A $20 million bond measure was narrowly defeated in 2019, and KVH Chief Executive Officer Leslie Hiebert says they listened to community input to narrow the project to focus on adding 15 long-term care beds, establishing new and expanded acute care space, and creating new operating rooms.  The proposed tax levy is 67 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.  KVH’s current 20 year bond that expires in 2021 was passed at a rate of $1.29 per $1,000, but it has over time been reduced to 44 cents per $1,000 thanks to increases in assessed property values around the hospital district.

A Friday morning press briefing from Oregon Health Authority officials continued a trend of recent weeks, a message that COVID-19 cases continue to rise and social gatherings are the main reason for it.  OHA Director Patrick Allen said reported COVID cases went up 18 percent this week, with the positive test rate nudging up to 6.4 percent and hospitalizations up as well.  Allen says as they study data, they find social gatherings are driving this surge.  He noted in particular results of a survey released last week finding the people who attend the most social gatherings are those the least likely to take COVID threats seriously.  Allen said they are recommending people not have social gatherings or trick-or-treating for Halloween.  OHA officials did say they are submitting plans to the Centers for Disease Control for distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine once one is available.

Medicare’s annual open enrollment period got underway yesterday, and continues through December 7.  Sue Ann Arguelles is the coordinator for the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program sponsored by Mid-Columbia Senior Center that serves Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler counties.  She explains the open enrollment period involves the extra plans that those on Medicare may purchase, and they change every year.  The SHIBA program offers counseling to Medicare clients.  In the five-county area in Oregon, call 541-288-8341.  In Klickitat County, in White Salmon call 509-493-3068, and in Goldendale call 509-773-3757.

Road and utility work will have traffic impacts in White Salmon on Monday.  Crestline Construction will be paving on Jewett Bouleverd the entire week.  In addition, Klickitat PUD will be replacing power poles on Jewett between Skyline Drive and Fireman’s Park at the same time.  Motorists should expect lane closures with long delays.

The City of the Dalles is still taking applications for a pilot program to rehabilitate deteriorated sidewalks.  The 50/50 Sidewalk Rehabilitation Pilot Program will provide some financial assistance to property owners to meet that responsibility.  The City will consider applications for the rehabilitation or replacement of existing sidewalks, focusing on sidewalks located in residential areas within the city limits.  Applicants for this program must be the property owner. The City will accept applications until November 18, with priority within the limited funding available to provide the greatest benefit to the community.  The homeowner must pay for half of the cost of sidewalk rehabilitation before the project can be scheduled.  Applications are available at thedalles.org, or call (541) 296-5401 to ask for a paper copy.

This is the final week to apply for the for the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Food Security and Farmworker Safety Program that will provide reimbursement for certain COVID-19 related costs.  Applications will be accepted until October 25, and applicants have until November 16 to submit all eligible expenses for assistance.  Costs directly incurred, or charged by a labor contractor, may be fully reimbursable, including alternative housing or modifications to employer-provided housing, purchased or rented portable toilets or hand washing stations, additional mileage or costs for employer-provided transportation, and face coverings purchased for employees.  Apply online at oregon.gov/oweb/fsfs or call 503-986-0058.

The Hood River County School District is preparing its operational blueprints for on-site learning, but at this point the County doesn’t meet state metrics to open up.  District staff presented an overview of the plans to the board Wednesday evening.  Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn noted the district will have to meet state metrics for three weeks before they could bring students into the classroom, and he told the board at this point they have very rarely met the metrics for any period of time. The operational plan is scheduled to go to the Oregon Department of Education on October 29.  The district board will conduct a worksession on the plans on October 28.

Fire Season for The Dalles Unit of the Oregon Department of Forestry will end Saturday morning.  Industrial fire precautions in MH-1 and MH-4 of The Dalles Unit will also terminate.  ODF officials say fuel conditions do not pose a significant risk of fire ignition and rapid spread in these areas.  Burn permits for logging slash and debris will not be issued in The Dalles unit until additional precipitation is received.  Yard debris, burn barrels, and other open burning should follow local and county fire restrictions.  Since fire season began in the Central Oregon District on June 1, firefighters have responded to 62 lightning fires burning 11,300 acres and 52 human caused fires burning 1,643 acres.  More information is available at ODFcentraloregon.com.

The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum has returned to seven day a week schedule.  The Discovery Center announced it will now be open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and raptors will be on display outside from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The Discovery Center was closed for three months in the spring, and then open on weekends over the summer.  Federal funding and grants from the Oregon Cultural Trust are allowing the return to daily operation.  Regular programs, raptor presentations, and the Kids Explorer Room are not currently operating to avoid people congregating.  Discovery Center Executive Director Carolyn Purcell says their roof repair project is now underway and will be completed before winter weather arrives.