Oregon District 5 Little League Tournament at The Dalles Majors Baseball Tuesday:  Hood River Valley 4, The Dalles 2 Wednesday:  Hood River Valley 21, Sisters 1 Thursday:  Hood River Valley vs. TBA, 8 a.m.   10/11 Baseball Wednesday:  Hood River Valley vs. Bend North, 9 a.m.   9/10 Baseball Tuesday:  The Dalles 13, Crook County 5 Wednesday:  The Dalles vs. Bend North, 10 a.m.

Fire crews are quickly mobilizing to prevent a two-acre fire from spreading in the 9000 block area of Mill Creek.  David Jacobs of the Oregon Department of Forestry in The Dalles says smoke was reported coming from Mill Creek Ridge at about 8:45 a.m.  Jacobs says a helicopter is dropping water on the fire, an air tanker with retardant is on the way, and multiple engines, a bulldozer, and a 20 person hand crew were being sent to the scene to keep the fire small.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue has a crew at that location as well.  Jacobs noted it is fortunate there is no wind at the site, a ridgeline that was at the northern edge of the Government Flats Fire two years ago.  He adds even though there is rugged terrain to deal with, there is a road right to the fire location.

Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue crews Tuesday dealt with a 12-to-15 acre grass fire west of The Dalles between Highway 30 and Interstate 84 near Pinewood Mobile Manor.  According to MCFR, crews during the late afternoon went into a mop-up phase with the fire still burning in hot spots and parts of some railroad ties are smoldering.  The fire did jump to the north side of the freeway, so firefighters were working both east and westbound sides of I-84.  The fire call came in at about 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.  Dallesport, Hood River, Oregon Department of Forestry, and U.S. Forest Service crews along with Klickitat County EMS were all assisting MCFR crews.

Hood River City Planning Commissioners prepared for a hearing next week on the new housing needs analysis and strategy presented from a technical advisory committee.  At the upcoming hearing the Commission will be looking at the findings and determining what strategies to have Planner Cindy Walbridge and her staff begin to pursue.  The City Council has put an additional $70,000 in the planning budget for 2015-16 for this effort, and Walbridge says they will hire a consultant and probably take on five or six code changes at one time.  The hearing will be held Monday at 5:30 p.m. in Hood River City Hall.

North Central Public Health District has issued an advisory about an on-going pertussis outbreak in The Dalles.  Pertussis, often referred to as “whooping cough,” is an infection that affects the airways and is easily spread from person to person by coughing or sneezing, and can last for months.  Anyone can get pertussis, but it can be very dangerous for infants and people with weakened immune systems.  District officials say the best way to prevent pertussis is to get vaccinated.  Keeping infants and those at high risk for pertussis complications away from infected people is also important for prevention.

District 5 Little League Tournament at The Dalles Majors Baseball Tuesday:  Hood River Valley 4, The Dalles 2 Wednesday:  Hood River Valley vs. Sisters or Redmond, 8 a.m.   10/11 Baseball Wednesday:  Hood River Valley vs. Bend North or Bend South,  9 a.m.   9/10 Baseball Tuesday:  The Dalles 13, Crook County 5 Wednesday:  The Dalles vs. TBA, 10 a.m.

The 16-point-one billion dollar transportation package that has passed the Washington State Senate and is before the House includes money for an overpass in Bingen to access the Port of Klickitat.  14th District Senator and Senate Transportation Committee Chair Curtis King says there is 22 million dollars set aside for the project, including $300,000 to begin a study to determine the best place to locate it.  In addition, King says the package also includes funding for improvements to the Wind River Junction in Skamania County.  The transportation package will increase Washington’s gas tax by nearly 12 cents over the next year.

Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue crews today dealt with a 12-to-15 acre grass fire west of The Dalles between Highway 30 and Interstate 84 near Pinewood Mobile Manor.  According to MCFR, crews are into a mop-up phase with the fire still burning in hot spots and parts of some railroad ties are smoldering.  The fire did jump to the north side of the freeway, so firefighters were working both east and westbound sides of I-84.  Highway 30 is closed through the fire area at this time and railroad traffic is stopped, however Interstate 84 is open in both directions.  Motorists should be aware that there is fire apparatus on the side of Interstate 84.  The fire call came in at about 10:30 a.m.  Dallesport, Hood River, Oregon Department of Forestry, and U.S. Forest Service crews along with Klickitat County EMS were all assisting MCFR crews.

A St. Helens man has shot and seriously wounded himself after a police pursuit on Interstate 84 through Hood River.  Hood River County Sheriff Matt English said late Monday night in a statement that law enforcement officers were looking for Jerome Matilton after a reported domestic violence incident in The Dalles.  A short, high-speed chase on westbound I-84 followed an Oregon State Police officer’s attempt to stop the car at Exit 62.  English says when pursuing units stopped the vehicle, officers heard a gunshot and then found Matilton with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Matilton was taken by LifeFlight to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, where English reported he was in “grave condition.”  The sheriff says no shots were fired by officers.  According to witnesses Matilton was armed and reportedly had made threats toward law enforcement if they tried to stop him. Photo courtesy Hood River County Sheriff’s Office

Chipping away at a childhood obesity rate of one out of three children in Wasco County is the goal of the recently formed Coalition To End Childhood Obesity.  Over 20 different public and private organizations have signed on to help promote healthier habits for young people.  Mimi McDonnel of the North Central Public Health District says one of their initial efforts will be to promote a “5-2-1-0” message.  That stands for five servings of fruits or vegetables per day, no more than two hours of screen time a day, one hour of physical activity per day, and no sugar sweetened beverages.  McDonnel says it is a simple message they will be taking to schools, day cares, and clinics around the County.  She adds they are trying to find ways to make commuting by walking or bicycling easier to do in The Dalles.