Eric Veach was selected as the new Gifford Pinchot National Forest Supervisor, effective next Tuesday (May 26).   Veach currently serves as the Superintendent of Kenai Fjords National Park in Seward, Alaska.  Veach began his permanent federal career as a Fisheries Biologist on the Payette National Forest, following several seasonal positions working for the U.S. Forest Service and the Nez Perce Tribe.  For the past 20 years he’s worked for the National Park Service in Alaska in a variety of positions.  Veach graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries Science.

A single engine plane crashed into the Columbia River near the Port of Cascade Locks Marina on Sunday morning, but the two occupants were able to swim back to shore safely.  According to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, the crash occurred at about 11:45 Sunday morning.  The Sheriff’s Office says witnesses reported seeing the airplane attempt to land at the Cascade Locks Airfield but it appeared as if the landing gear was not down.  The plane then nosed over toward the river and skipped along the water before coming to rest and sinking within the Coast Guard waterway.  The occupants of the plane, a man and a woman from Bellevue, Washington, were able to swim to shore and were transported to a Portland area hospital for treatment of minor injuries.  The cause of the crash has not yet been determined and will be investigated by the National Transportation Safety Bureau.  

The deadline for ballots to be turned in for Oregon’s primary election is Tuesday at 8 p.m.  Ballots can be taken to official drop boxes.  In Hood River County, they are located at the County Administration Building on 601 State in Hood River and at Cascade Locks City Hall.  In Wasco County, ballots can be dropped off in the drop box at the 5th Street entrance to the County Courthouse in The Dalles, and at the Maupin Civic Center.  Ballots in Hood River and Wasco counties feature votes for County Commission and District Attorney, along with primaries for the Oregon’s Second District Congressional seat.  Hood River County voters are being asked to decide on a five-year public safety levy, and there are City Charter revisions proposed in The Dalles.  

The filing deadline passed in Washington on Friday, and there will be a pair of contested Klickitat County Commission races.  In District 1, incumbent Rex Johnston opted not to file for re-election, and the two candidates will be Republican Jacob Anderson and Democrat Joanna Turner.  There are three candidates in District 3 including two Republicans, incumbent Jim Sizemore and Dan Christopher, and Democrat Miland Walling.  In Skamania County there is one contested Commission seat, with Republican incumbent Richard Mahar opposed in District 1 by Jeremy Bechtel.  Tom Lannen is unopposed for re-election in District 2.  There is a three-way race for Position 1 in the 14th Legislative District, as incumbent Republican Chris Corry is challenged by Democrat Tracy Rushing and William Razey, who listed his party affiliation as Education.  Gina Mosbrucker is unopposed for 14th District Position 2 and Curtis King is also unopposed to be re-elected to the State Senate.  Randall Krog was the only candidate to file for Superior Court Position 1 in Klickitat and Skamania counties.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s office announced that the man who was apprehended following a high-speed chase on Interstate 84 through the Gorge on Thursday could face attempted aggravated murder charges in Hood River County.  Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill said court documents indicate 26-year-old Grayson Morris, who was wanted in connection with the murder of his father in Ritzville, Washington, was initially spotted in Hood River County, and while still in the County repeatedly fired his firearm out the window, which troopers perceived as towards them.  The East Multnomah County Major Crimes Team has referred attempted aggravated murder charges to Hood River County law enforcement for investigation.  After the pursuit entered Multnomah County, Morris’ vehicle ran out of gas.  He exited his vehicle and with rifle in hand carjacked another vehicle.  Once the pursuit ended, law enforcement recovered a .30 caliber rifle from the vehicle Morris was stopped in.  Morris is in the Multnomah County Detention Center facing numerous charges.  

Two Mid-Columbia counties saw their number of positive COVID-19 tests go up over the weekend.  Klickitat County reported three new tests to move its cumulative total over the past two months to 25, and Wasco County had two more to go up to 18.  In the rest of the region, Hood River County remained at 14 reported COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began, Skamania County 3, and Sherman County 1.  The Oregon Health Authority reported 73 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and 10 presumptive cases on Saturday and Sunday, bringing the state total to 3,623.  No deaths from COVID-19 were reported in Oregon over the weekend, leaving that total at 137.  The Washington State Department of Health reported the number of deaths in Washington because of the coronavirus has reached 1,001.  It listed the total number of confirmed cases at 18,433.

Mid-Columbia Medical Center officials say the Nichols Landing building in Hood River damaged by fire early Friday morning will remain closed for restoration, but they don’t know if it will be for a few weeks or several months.  The fire broke out in an adjacent business within the building and spread to MCMC’s offices before it was extinguished.  MCMC chief ambulatory operations manager Christina McMaingal said they are assessing the damage, but no one was hurt and all patient files are secure.  MCMC’s Hood River-based providers have been seeing patients in The Dalles throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to do so while the Nichols Landing building is restored.  

The Dalles-Wasco County Library started offering curbside service Monday.  Patrons can place holds online through the Sage catalog at wascocountylibrary.com, or by phone, or email.   Curbside service will be available Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Dalles Public Library on 722 Court Street.  Pick up service will be located at the back door of the library.  Park your car in the library parking lot and walk up to the curbside pick up location while maintaining physical distancing.   Call the library or ring the doorbell when you are outside ready for pick up.   The library’s front doors will be closed.   For more information, call 541-296-2815.  The Hood River County Library District indicated on its website that it will start curbside pickup on May 28 in Hood River and May 30 in Cascade Locks and Parkdale.

The 150,000 households in Oregon that received postcards asking them to participate in Oregon Health Sciences University’s “Key to Oregon” study of COVID-19 will be receiving follow up letters with details during the next week.  Study lead and OHSU-Portland State University School of Public Health Dean Dr. David Bangsberg says the goal is to develop a better understanding of how many Oregonians are infected with the coronavirus, where infections are and how the virus spreads.  He explains study volunteers will be asked to take their temperature and do a short symptom survey on a daily basis.  OHSU is looking for 100,000 people who have received the postcards to volunteer for the study.

The City of The Dalles is recommending owners and operators of commercial buildings flush out their building’s water system with fresh water from City mains before reopening for business.   Buildings with low or no occupancy for several weeks likely have water that has stagnated in building pipes.   Stagnant water may or may not taste different or be discolored, but long periods of low or no water use in buildings can allow bacteria to grow.  Remove aerators, pre-rinse spray valves, and showerheads before flushing stale water from the pipes.  Run cold water from all fully opened faucets in the building for at least 5 minutes.  Change all water filters, then run water coolers, drinking fountains and refrigerator taps connected to the tap water supply for at least 5 minutes.  If you have an automatic ice maker, make three batches of ice cubes and throw away all three batches.