The Dalles Art Center has established a new Artist-in-Residence program at Colonel Wright Elementary School, featuring celebrated watercolor artist Elizabeth Zimmerman. It’s funded by the Oregon Arts Commission’s Arts Learning Grant, which brings professional artists directly into the classroom. Over the course of the residency, Zimmerman will lead students through a series of watercolor workshops, and students will learn to express their personal stories and ideas through art, fostering both confidence and creativity. The residency will culminate with students preparing original pieces to be included in the annual Student Art Show at The Dalles Art Center. In addition to working with students, Zimmerman will collaborate with the school’s teachers to integrate watercolor into the everyday curriculum, instructing educators in watercolor techniques.
October 13 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Volleyball
The Dalles def. Gladstone 25-14, 25-15, 25-15
Dufur def. Open Door Christian 25-15, 25-20, 25-15
Girls Soccer
Riverdale 2, Trout Lake-Horizon Christian 0
October 10-11 Prep Sports Roundup
Friday Schedule
Football
Milwaukie 28, Hood River Valley 25
The Dalles 31, Ontario 14
King’s Way Christian 40, Stevenson 14
Dufur 30, Echo 6
Jordan Valley 60, South Wasco 8
Volleyball
Sherman def. Southwest Christian 25-15, 25-19, 18-25, 26-24
Sherman def. Adrian 25-16, 25-14, 25-14
South Wasco def. Horizon Christian 25-8, 25-14, 25-13
Cross Country
The Dalles was seventh and Hood River Valley 12th in the boys’ varsity silver division at the Rose City Invitational. Tyson Long of The Dalles was 23rd and HRV’s Victor Coffman 27th. Syl Perrin of Hood River Valley was 26th in the girls’ varsity championship division, and The Dalles’ Abigail Pope was 37th in the girls’ varsity silver division.
Melody Stock of Trout Lake was third in the small schools’ girls varsity race at the Max Jensen Invitational in Richland.
Westbound I-84 Reduced To One Lane At McCord Creek Starting Thursday
Westbound Interstate 84 will be reduced to one lane around the clock near Exit 37 at McCord Creek starting Thursday until late in the year. One eastbound lane has been closed since early September. The Oregon Department of Transportation says starting Thursday, one westbound lane on I-84 will close while crews drill under the bridges, start building a retaining wall and finish prepping the work zone on the highway for the crossover traffic configuration. The retaining wall will support the westbound bridge foundation while the aging eastbound bridge is demolished in spring 2026. ODOT encourages zipper merging when approaching closed lanes like those experienced at McCord Creek. Zipper merging is when drivers remain in their current lane until the lane ends so traffic can take turns merging. This allows drivers to use all the available space in each lane while reducing backups. It also promotes merging at slower speeds to reduce the chance of a crash. In addition, the NE Frontage Road on-ramp to eastbound I-84 at the Elowah Falls Trailhead parking lot is closed. Travelers accessing eastbound I-84 from NE Frontage Road must detour to the on-ramps at Ainsworth State Park at Exit 35.
East Fork Habitat Enhancement Project Nearly Done
A habitat enhancement project on 1.7 miles of the East Fork of the Hood River is nearly complete. This project, which is a partnership between the Hood River Watershed Group, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, and six private landowners, enhances and reconnects 1.7 miles of in-stream and off-channel habitat on the Lower East Fork Hood River, improving habitat complexity and increasing availability for salmon and steelhead spawning habitat and juvenile rearing habitat. Watershed Group Restoration and Outreach Project Manager Alix Danielson says the project attempts to take what is now a single thread channel and move it out across any available flood plain into multiple channels. The project also used engineered log jams, built in a way that looks as natural possible but also will stay in place to a 100-year flood event.
TD Outreach Team Visits D.C.
The Dalles Community Outreach Team made one of its twice a year visits to Washington, D.C. last month, just before the federal shutdown. Rather than emphasizing funding projects, this time the group emphasized policies, most notably involving agriculture. Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says they were suggesting changes to help growers who have had to spend more on wages through the Workforce Modernization Act. Since the trip, Klaas noted the Department of Labor had reduced some of those requirements, so growers should see some wage relief next year. The group also pushed for restoration of funding for the Secure Rural Schools and Payment In Lieu of Tax programs.
October 9 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Boys Soccer
Trout Lake-Horizon Christian 5, Columbia Christian 5
Girls Soccer
Kalama 5, Stevenson 2
Banks 3, Trout Lake-Horizon Christian 0
Volleyball
LaCenter def. Columbia 25-14, 24-26, 25-16, 25-20
Kalama def. Stevenson 25-10, 25-15, 25-13
South Wasco def. Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler 25-22, 25-16, 26-24
Dufur def. Condon 25-18, 25-16, 25-12
Sherman def. Lyle-Wishram 25-19, 25-17, 25-9
Trout Lake-Glenwood def. Horizon Christian 25-22, 25-15, 25-20
HR School Board Discusses Guidance On Statements
The Hood River County School District Board discussed when and how the district should make statements on social issues, events, and tragedies at a worksession Wednesday evening. The district already has policies in place, but Superintendent Bill Newton presented two documents, one indicating public statements would be generally be limited to situations that have a direct influence on school operations. The other gave staff guidelines including referring all public and media inquiries to the district office for a coordinated response, and being cautious and thoughtful on social media platforms. The board gave some feedback, with Chair Chrissy Reitz noting they already have legal policies in place but there is a need to provide district employees guidance with more straightforward language. Newton says they will run the documents by teacher and classified staff representatives and legal counsel, and bring them back to the board at its October 22 meeting.
Gorge Orchestra Association Celebrating 20th Anniversary
The Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association is celebrating its 20th anniversary season. CGOA Founder and Artistic Director Emeritus Mark Steighner says what started with the Columbia Gorge Sinfoinetta has evolved to a broader musical spectrum, with four different performing groups. CGOA will remember its history during its second annual Cabaret Fundraiser, with performances of musical favorites from past years. That will be held on November 8 at 7:15 at The Ruins in Hood River. Tickets are $20, and available at gorgeorchestra.org.
Providence HR Cancer Center Involved In Breast Cancer Treatment Trials
Providence Hood River’s Cancer Center is participating in a pair of clinical trials for breast cancer treatments. Oncologist Dr. Eric Anderson says one is for early stage low risk breast cancer, asking if a less toxic and intensive treatment can still cure women with this kind of cancer with reduced side effects. Anderson says at the other end of the spectrum, they are looking at adding immunotherapy to chemotherapy for women with more advanced high risk hormone receptor breast cancer. Anderson said making clinical trials available to patients without having to travel to a larger city like Portland and Seattle was one of his goals when he came to Hood River two years ago.