A suspect in a reported copper theft from Union Pacific property near Rufus was taken into custody after a short pursuit. The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office says a vehicle associated with the Thursday morning theft was located. When deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop, the driver decided to flee. A Gilliam County Sheriff’s deputy deployed a spike strip, hitting the suspect’s front tire, but before the vehicle became disabled it went trhough a fence on the south side of Interstate 84. The driver fled on foot up a steep incline. Officers from the Oregon State Police, Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office, and Sherman County law enforcement were able to take him into custody.
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October 2 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Volleyball
The Dalles def. Molalla 25-8, 25-12, 25-6
Girls Soccer
Trout Lake-Glenwood 1, Westside Christian 0
Cross Country
Stevenson grabbed four of the top nine places to win the girls’ portion of a three-school Trico League meet at Seton Catholic. The Bulldogs were led by Daisy Jones in second and Ruby Langer in third. Colton Hollis was the top Stevenson finisher in the boys’ race, taking fifth.
Historic Highway Trail Between Hood River & Mosier Reopens Thursday
The Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail from Hood River to Mosier will reopen Thursday. It’s been closed since late July due to the Microwave Tower Fire. Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area officials say fire suppression activities in recent days successfully put out an old disposal site hotspot that burned close to the trail and emitted noxious smoke into the area. Other area closures associated with the Microwave Tower Fire remains in effect on all National Forest System lands within the fire perimeter. Public entry to areas outside the trail is still prohibited, including entering the disposal site. People intending to hike near the fire area, or any recently burned area, should always remain alert and be aware of increased hazards, particularly recently burned or dead trees. Dead or dying trees that remain standing after a fire are unstable, and loose rocks and logs can be present in a burned area and are unpredictable, creating a falling hazard. Additionally, burned vegetation can also contribute to landslides, mudslides and erosion when rain occurs.
Burn Planned For Thursday Postponed
The Columbia Gorge Prescribed Fire Training Exchange has decided to postpone a burn planned for Thursday in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. A statement from the Exchange said they plan to complete this burn next week, adding the postponement participants a much-needed break, and ensure that there will be adequate staffing for both burning as well as for monitoring and patrol. Exchange participants wrapped up a big week of prescribed fire in the Gorge and Mt. Adams area Wednesday, having burned five of the last eight days for a total of over 120 acres on mostly private lands. The Wednesday burn, which took place at Ekone Ranch northeast of Goldendale, was deemed a success and an opportunity to begin the process of bringing fire back to the oak and pine forests on the Ekone property. Patrol and mop-up will continue through Thursday afternoon.
Counties Say Funds Needed To Maintain Roads
The Association of Oregon Counties presented its 2024 County Road Needs Study to the Legislative Joint Committee on Transportation, forecasting a statewide annual revenue shortfall of 59% over the next five years, resulting in an additional $834 million per year needed to maintain and manage county road systems. Wasco County officials say they depend on shared revenues from the long-standing 50-30-20 State Highway Fund distribution formula that supports Oregon’s public road system. Funds are distributed 50% to the state, 30% to counties, and 20% to cities. Wasco County Public Works Director Arthur Smith says without adequate funding counties would continue to struggle keeping up with basic road maintenance like chip sealing, paint striping, blading, and snow removal. The Oregon Department of Transportation this summer said it needed an extra $1.8 billion annually just to keep up with maintenance.
Wasco County Discusses Plans For Wildfire Mitigation Grant
Wasco County Commissioners learned more about how a five-year $6 million federal grant to put toward wildfire mitigation efforts will be used. County Planning Director Kelly Howsley-Glover notes a number of agencies are partnering in helping to reduce the fire danger on public lands in the County. She says residents will note a lot of activity on area roadsides in the next few years to remove potential invasive species that can become fire fuels. Howsley-Glover says there will also be outreach to discuss defensible space, particularly to vulnerable communities. The agencies also hope to do chipping that can be spread on area farmlands for regenerative soil purposes.
YouthThink Gets Ready For Fall Parenting Education
YouthThink of Wasco County is getting ready to kickoff their fall parenting education opportunities. YouthThink Executive Director Debby Jones says their classes for discussing various age groups will be offered again this fall on a monthly basis. Both their “Toddlers to Teens” and “Tweens to Teens” classes will be available once again. Jones says they are talking with local schools to hold parenting education events into the schools. She adds they working on determining how parents want to receive this kind of information.
October 1 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Boys Soccer
The Dalles 4, Gladstone 0
Wilsonville 2, Hood River Valley 0
Girls Soccer
The Dalles 4, Gladstone 3
Wilsonville 4, Hood River Valley 0
Kalama 4, Columbia 2
King’s Way Christian 5, Stevenson 0
Volleyball
Centennial def. Hood River Valley 25-12, 25-14, 25-10
Kalama def. Columbia 3-2
Stevenson def. King’s Way Christian 24-26, 25-19, 25-17, 25-14
South Wasco def. Horizon Christian 25-12, 25-11, 25-9
Dufur def. Trout Lake-Klickitat-Glenwood at Dufur 25-11, 25-12, 25-21
Goldendale def. Highland 3-0
Girls Water Polo
Hood River Valley 17, David Douglas 5: Kylin Elliott scored five goals for the Eagles.
Body Of Missing Boater Recovered
The body of a boater missing since his vessel capsized in the Columbia River at the mouth of the White Salmon River on Wednesday has been recovered. The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says the body of Michael Shufeldt of Washougal was located in the Columbia River on Monday morning, about one-and-three-quarter miles from where he was last seen. Columbia River Intertribal Police officers and the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the recovery of Shufeldt’s body. The sunken vessel has also been successfully recovered. It was initially reported the vessel was a North River boat, which turned out to be incorrect. The 24’ fishing boat was recovered by a private salvage company without incident. Information gathered by investigators indicates the sinking was a result of rapidly deteriorating weather conditions on Wednesday that the Sheriff’s Office called “treacherous,” as the boat capsized after taking a large wave over the stern. Six people were rescued, with two transported to a hospital.
Screening Process For Klickitat County Jail Administrator Candidate Continues
Klickitat County Human Resources Director Robb Van Cleave gave a brief update to County Commissioners on the impending transfer of administration of the County Jail to its own department and the process to hire a jail administrator. Van Cleave says the screening process for their selected candidate continues, and it takes some time to finish. Van Cleave reiterated what he stated one week ago, that no date has been set to move the jail from the Sheriff’s Office to the new Department of Corrections, nor have there been any discussions at the Commission level. He did say the start date for the new administrator and the transition should be fairly close together.