Local residents are among the many looking to help victims of the earthquake in Nepal on April 23.  Photographer Peter Marbach says one of the hardest hit areas is Kumari, a steep mountainous region in the Himalayas that is home to about 60,000 people.  He points out the road between Kumari and Kathmandu, which was not very good to begin with, was essentially destroyed in the earthquake, making it difficult to get needed supplies.  Marbach adds a recently developed medical clinic was destroyed in the earthquake.  Those who would like to help with the Kumari recovery can go on-line to healthanded4nepal.org.

Baseball Hood River Valley 12, The Dalles 0:  Patrick Harvey homered and drove in three runs while Skyler Hunter also had three runs batted in as the Eagles inched closer to the Columbia River Conference title.  Kam Walker pitched five shutout innings.  HRV is now two games ahead of Pendleton at the top of the CRC standings with three games to play.   Columbia splits with Kalama, winning game one 5-4 and losing the nightcap 6-2.  The Bruins and the Chinooks remain tied for third in the Trico League heading into their game on Friday in Kalama. King’s Way Christian swept Stevenson 12-4 and 13-1. Dufur 8, Riverside 0   Softball Hood River Valley 12, The Dalles 2:  HRV scored four runs in each of the first three innings on the way to the win.  Zoe Munn had four hits while Breanna Weekly had three hits and three runs batted in to lead the Eagle offense.  Hood River moved two games ahead of Hermiston for the Columbia River Conference’s final play-in spot with three to play.   Kalama swept Columbia 13-6 and 14-3.   Boys Soccer LaCenter 2, Stevenson 0:  LaCenter moved into third place in the Trico League. Columbia 14, Castle Rock 0

A Goldendale man was taken by LifeFlight to a Portland hospital after a one-car accident at the intersection of Highways 142 and 97 early Sunday evening.  According to the Washington State Patrol, the car driven by 43-year-old Scott Snoen was eastbound on Highway 142 just before 7:30 p.m. Sunday when it failed to stop at the intersection with Highway 97.  The WSP says the car continued across Highway 97, going off the northbound shoulder through a Department of Transportation fence, and came to rest on its top 100 feet off the roadway.  Snoen was flown to Oregon Health Sciences University Hospital in Portland.  The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Hood River Police are warning motorcycle owners to secure their vehicles after a pair of motorcycles were stolen in residential neighborhoods over the past week.  Both of the motorcycles were reported to have been parked outside of the owner’s residences and within view of the street.  The two locations were not in close proximity to each other, and it is believed the suspect is targeting motorcycles left outside overnight.  Police encourage residents to park their motorcycles inside a secure location if possible.  If that’s not possible, lock your ignition and remove the key, secure the motorcycle by locking it to a stationary object that cannot be easily dismantled, or install an alarm on the motorcycle.  Anyone who might have information about the recent motorcycle thefts is asked to call Hood River Police Detective Mike Martin at 541-387-5256.

Lyle High School and the Corbett Middle School Electric Cardinals were the first place finishers at the 2015 Wind Challenge  at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center.  The event attracted 40 teams of students from high schools and middle schools in the region.  The challenge was to build a working wind turbine that could pass power and efficiency tests.  In the high school division, Lyle was the winner, with Columbia High School in second and Goldendale Homeschoolers in third.  Corbett won the middle school division, followed by Mill A in second and St. Mary’s Team 1 in third.  Google and Columbia Gorge Community College sponsored the event.

Baseball Hood River Valley splits with The Dalles, winning the opener 12-2 but losing the nightcap 10-6:  HRV maintains a two-game lead over The Dalles and Pendleton in the Columbia River Conference with four to play.   Columbia 13, Stevenson 8 Dufur sweeps Culver 5-1 and 20-8   Softball The Dalles sweeps Hood River Valley 13-8 and 8-7 Granger sweeps Goldendale 13-3 and 11-1   Track and Field Hood River Valley’s Sebastian Barajas won both the boys’ shot put and discus at the Nike/Jesuit Twilight Relays.  HRV’s Jestena Mattson was nipped by Barlow’s Danielle Woodcock in the girls’ 100 meters.   Hood River Valley’s boys were second at the Dean Nice Invitational in Gresham.  Parker Kennedy broke a school record in winning the boys’ pole vault and also took first in the 110 meter hurdles, while Gabriel Campos-Davis won the 400 meters.  Emily Viuhkola won the girls’ 400 for HRV, while for The Dalles Riley Bardes won the boys’ shot put and Katie Conklin the girls’ triple jump.   Sherman’s boys and girls earned second place finishes at the 1-A Classic in Portland.  Blake Evans won the boys’ 100 meters for the Huskies, Maverick Winslow grabbed first in the boys’ pole vault, the boys’ 4 by 100 meter relay team was victorious, and Brittney Orendorff won the girls’ pole vault.  For Dufur, Taylor Darden won both the girls’ shot put and discus, Kirsten Sorensen was first in the girls’ high jump, and Jake Little topped the boys’ javelin.   Columbia grabbed three first place finishes at the Panther Twilight in Washougal:  Stacia Bell in the girls’ discus, Savanah Story the girls’ 300 meter hurdles, and the boys’ 4 by 100 meter relay team.   Goldendale’s Ocean Bryan won the girls’ 300 meter hurdles at the Naches Valley Invitational   Lyle-Wishram was the boys’ winner and Columbia the girls’ victor at the Jeff Agar Memorial Invitational in Glenwood.  Top boys’ performers included Lyle-Wishram’s Gabe Montoya and Trout Lake’s James Baker winning three events each, while Ellie Smith of Lyle-Wishram won three girls’ events.   Boys Lacrosse Oregon Episcopal 12, Hood River Valley 5   Boys Tennis Highland 4, Goldendale 1   Girls Tennis Highland 5, Goldendale 0

The Washington State Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court’s ruling that the Klickitat Public Utility District is liable for one-point-six million dollars in fire-suppression costs resulting from a fire five years ago near Lyle.  The PUD had appealed the 2013 Klickitat County Superior Court ruling, arguing it was not subject to state law requiring the Department of Natural Resources to recover fire-suppression costs if negligence is found.  Investigators said the 2,100-acre wildfire started when a tree fell on a power line owned by Klickitat PUD.  The Court of Appeals ruling stated even as a municipal corporation, the PUD can still be held responsible for the starting a wildfire.  PUD chief operating officer Ron Ihrig told the Yakima Herald-Republic the utility has not yet decided whether to appeal, noting their insurer had led the effort to contest liability because it insures several other public utilities.

Oregon Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli says legislators have to try again to make reforms to the state’s Public Employees Retirement System, but adds that probably should happen during next year’s legislative session.  Ferrioli thinks the state can’t afford for the Oregon Supreme Court ruling that the 2013 cuts to public employee retirement benefits are unconstitutional to be the end of PERS reform.  The John Day Republican believes while PERS premiums will not spike immediately, the cliff is coming and he wants to bring together the state’s best and brightest budget, economic, and legal scholars to look at the decision.  Justices ruled the Legislature cannot retroactively scale back an annual inflation increase of up to two percent.

The Oregon Supreme Court says some of the 2013 cuts to public employee retirement benefits are unconstitutional.  Today’s ruling eliminates much of the savings state lawmakers were seeking, and will probably lead to larger pension contributions for state and local governments starting in 2017.  Justices ruled the Legislature couldn’t retroactively scale back an annual inflation increase of up to two percent.  House Republican Leader Mike McLane and Senate Minority Leader Ted Ferrioli both expressed disappointment with the ruling, saying it reverses bipartisan work done to address PERS liabilities.  The Court did rule the Legislature could change cost of living adjustments for services provided after the law was amended, and that out-of state retirees do not have a right to extra benefits to cover state taxes they don’t pay.

Washington Department of Natural Resources officials are worried about ultra-dry conditions in much of the state, and urging people to be prepared for the fire season.  DNR’s Mary Verner says the fire season is actually underway, with 73 fires already reported.  Verner points out there are already restrictions in place on DNR-protected lands, even though there is no burn ban at this point.  She says they want people to understand how to protect their own properties.  Verner adds DNR resources to fight were stretched thin last year, and they rely on numerous partnerships for help.  DNR is hosting a wildfire preparedness meeting tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Lyle High School.