The project to relocate the outfall pipe in the Columbia River from Hood River’s wastewater treatment plant will enter a key phase in the latter part of the month.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says in-water work is about to get underway, with the window for that kind of work continuing into early March.  The complete project should wrap up in the spring.  The move was necessitated by changes in river flows as the result of debris flows during a 2006 storm.  The City received a low interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture loan to do the work.

The Hood River County School District is in the midst of doing community polling that will help determine the kind of bond measure it will seek in May.  School board members are in the midst of deciding how much to seek to do deferred maintenance and add space to ease crowding in schools particularly in the lower valley, with the major decision revolving around whether to build a new elementary school either on the current May Street School site or on land on Sherman Street, or to expand Westside Elementary.  Superintendent Dan Goldman says once the polling is done, decisions will be made in January.  The measure would be on the May 17 primary election ballot.

Boys Basketball The Dalles 90, Woodburn 86 (2 OT):  The Riverhawks win their first game this season, snapping a three-game losing streak. Girls Basketball LaCenter 84, Stevenson 32

The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s help for information to identify whoever was responsible for the unlawful killing of 15 to 20 Coot Ducks near Government Cove in Cascade Locks.  The OSP was notified by a Hood River County Sheriff’s Deputy about the coot ducks floating dead near Government Cove on November 12.  There was no evidence at the scene to determine the cause of death, but examination of four of the ducks by the Oregon Department of Fish Wildlife determined the ducks were killed by a small caliber weapon, possibly a .17 caliber rifle or pellet gun.  Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact OSP Senior Trooper Thaddeus Routson at The Dalles Patrol Office at 541-296-9646, or go through the Turn in Poachers hotline at 1-800-452-7888.   Information may be kept anonymous.

Hood River County Commissioners will be picking a search firm to find a replacement for retiring Administrator David Meriwether this month.  County Commission Chair Ron Rivers says a committee has narrowed down the possible firms to conduct the search to two.  Rivers says they do have the advantage of having plenty of time to assemble candidates and make a selection.  Meriwether will be retiring at the end of the fiscal year on June 30.  

The Port of The Dalles is searching for an outside party to manage the operations of its marina.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says with the Port’s small four-person staff, it is difficult for them to manage the Marina, noting they have 90 tenants at any one time.  The Port’s strategic plan calls for finding management for the Marina by the end of 2016.  Klaas notes the Port will continue to own the Marina.

Wrestling Hood River Valley’s Noah Wachsmuth won the 120 pound division at the Coast Classic wrestling tournament in North Bend.  Wachsmuth won his first four matches by fall before defeating Henry Cox of North Medford 7-2 in the final.  HRV finished 14^th as a team in the tournament won by Roseburg.  In the girls’ portion of the tourney, Lexie McCafferty, Payton Rigert, and Grace Miller all won their brackets.   The Dalles’ Joe Linebarger won the 220 pound division at the Muilenburg Invitational in LaGrande.  Linebarger won all four of his matches, three by fall before stopping Taylor Tandy of Imbler 9-3 in the final.  The Dalles finished 13^th in the team standings.   Swimming The Hood River Valley girls finished fourth and the boys sixth at the Bend Winter Classic swim meet.  Dhani Freeland won both the 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle for the Eagle girls.  Summit won both the boys and girls team titles.   Boys Basketball Putnam 84, Hood River Valley 65 Sandy 93, The Dalles 58 Hockinson 54, Columbia 41 King’s Way Christian 67, Stevenson 25 Corbett 77, Stevenson 65 Lyle-Wishram 65, Dufur 31 Sherman 64, Touchet 56 Sherman 69, Grant Union 66 Stanfield 60, Horizon Christian 41 Irrigon 54, Horizon Christian 39 South Wasco 39, Perrydale 33 Kittitas 55, Goldendale 52   Girls Basketball LaGrande 77, Columbia 40 Canby 88, Hood River Valley 24 Hood River Valley 36, Columbia 32 The Dalles 35, Sandy 23 Stevenson 44, King’s Way Christian 35 Corbett 57, Stevenson 35 Lyle-Wishram 59, Dufur 28 Touchet 75, Sherman 15 Weston-McEwen 63, Sherman 25 Stanfield 77, Horizon Christian 25 Irrigon 56, Horizon Christian 21 South Wasco 37, Perrydale 35 Kittitas 47, Goldendale 34

Boys Basketball Arlington 48, Trout Lake 22 Castle Rock at Columbia, ppd.   Girls Basketball Arlington 47, Trout Lake 23 Columbia at Castle Rock, ppd.

The Hood River County School District will be conducting community polling over the next week to determine what people would support in a planned bond measure request this May.  District board members were briefed by Superintendent Dan Goldman and a consulting team on the findings of community workgroups on district facility needs.  Two packages were presented, with both based around taking care of deferred maintenance along with improving technology options, a six-classroom expansion of Hood River Middle School, and refurbishment of STEM facilities at Wy’east Middle School  The difference was in how to create more elementary school space in the lower valley, with a 42 million dollar package including money for six new classrooms at Westside Elementary, while a 60 million dollar bond measure would accommodate a rebuild of May Street Elementary.  Goldman says what the community tells the district will dictate what they can do.  The district board will receive the polling results on January 13, and need to make a decision by the end of January to get a bond measure on the May ballot.  A bond measure approved in 2000 comes off the books in 2017, and both of the packages the workgroups came up with would keep tax rates where they are now.

The Oregon Legislature has a number of fiscal challenges they will have to face in 2017, but it does not appear likely many steps can be taken during the short session of 2016.  59th District State Representative John Huffman, who serves on the Ways and Means Committee, says there is the potential for a two billion dollar hole in the next biennium’s budget.  He believes the only way to deal with it is to start prioritizing the state budget.  The recent state economic forecast showed a slight uptick in revenue.