The Columbia River Gorge Commission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday on a proposed National Scenic Area Management Plan amendment addressing rebuilding homes in the NSA after a disaster. The damage brought by the Rowena and Burdoin fires this past summer led to the Gorge Commission revisiting what is required to rebuild. Gorge Commission Executive Director Krystyna Wolniakowski says the goal is to simplify the process for property owners who simply want to rebuild what they had before the disaster, including lengthening how long they could live in an RV on the property. Also, permits for homes that are simply being replaced at a similar size or footprint will have an expedited process. The hearing will begin at 9:20 Wednesday morning during their monthly meeting. It will be held virtually on Zoom, for log-in information go to gorgecommission.org.
Highway 141 Accident Injures Man
A man was injured after the pickup he was driving on Highway 141 near Trout Lake left the roadway and crashed into a telephone pole. According to the Washington State Patrol, the pickup was headed south on Highway 141 at around 9:20 Thursday evening when the driver lost control, left the roadway to the right, and struck the telephone pole. The 31-year-old man from The Dalles was taken to Skyline Hospital in White Salmon. The WSP attributed the crash to the speed of the truck being too fast for the conditions. Police are charging the driver with Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants, and have referred the case to the Klickitat County Prosecutors’ Office.
New Wasco County Highway Signs To Honor Vets
Some new signs are coming to highways entering Wasco County. Wasco County Veterans Services in a partnership with the Oregon Department of Transportation will be putting up new “Entering Wasco County” signs at seven different entry points adding the byline “We Honor Veterans.” Wasco County Veterans Services Officer Chelsea Perritt told County Commissioners it’s patterned on other signs she has seen while traveling. The signs will be installed at entry points to the County on Highways 26, 30, 97, 197, 216, and 218. The County Commission approved $3,700 for the signs, and Perritt says she is applying for grants to attempt to offset that money.
November 6 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Southwest Washington Class 1A Girls Soccer Tournament
Loser-Out Game
Tenino 4, Columbia 1
QLife Receives Honors
The QLife Network of Wasco County received three awards during the recent Oregon Telecommunications Connections Conference in Hood River. The agency received the Excellence in Telecommunications Partnerships Award for its collaborative model uniting Wasco County, the City of The Dalles, and the Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District to expand broadband access in the Gorge. QLife Board President Lee Weinstein received the Outstanding Telecommunications Advocate Award for his leadership in championing broadband access and digital literacy across the Mid-Columbia. And Q-Life Executive Director Liz Lance was named Emerging Telecommunications Leader for her work to secure more than $10 million in federal funding to expand fiber broadband service to nearly 1,000 addresses across Wasco County. In September, Q-Life received $10.4 million in Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding, the biggest grant in the agency’s 23-year-history.
November 5 Prep Sports Roundup
Oregon Class 5A Boys Soccer First Round
Silverton 2, Hood River Valley 1 (PK 7-6): Freshman Colt Lorentz hit the game winner in the eighth round of penalty kicks to give Silverton the win. Foxes goalkeeper Henry Briggs had a massive save to help set the stage for Lorentz.
Oregon Class 4A Boys Soccer First Round
The Dalles 7, Cottage Grove 0: Ivan Santana and Juan Camarillo both tallied hat tricks to lead the Riverhawks. The Dalles hosts North Marion on Saturday morning at 11 in a quarterfinal match.
Southwest Washington Class 1A Volleyball Tournament
Columbia def. Montesano 3-1
Kalama def. Columbia 3-2: Columbia will face either Hoquiam or Castle Rock for a berth in the Washington Class 1A tournament on Saturday morning at 11 in Rochester
Corvallis Man Killed In Highway 97 Accident
A Corvallis man died in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday evening on Highway 97 near milepost 43 in Sherman County. The Oregon State Police says a preliminary investigation indicated a northbound car driven by 66-year-old Eric Neal Barton of Corvallis crossed into the southbound lane at about 5:35 p.m. Tuesday evening and struck a southbound commercial motor vehicle and trailer operated by 35-year-old Preston Dejion Shepherd of Hanford, California, near the rear drive tires. The OSP says Barton was declared deceased at the scene. Shepherd was reportedly uninjured. The highway was impacted for approximately four hours during the on-scene investigation. OSP was assisted by the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation.
Wasco County Commission Discusses Animal Control Needs
Wasco County Commissioners say they want to find a permanent solution to funding animal control and shelter services in the County. Commissioners received a request from the Columbia Gorge Humane Society to fund an executive director position and pay for utilities, as the organization continues to research whether it is feasible to pursue creating a special taxing district for the services. County officials noted this is not the first time in recent years they’ve been asked to contribute more toward the animal shelter, and the Commission said they want to help find a permanent solution. Commissioners did approve providing $50,000 to the Humane Society contingent on the City of The Dalles doing the same in order to buy time to develop a long-term strategy.
Wasco County To Bring In Temporary Dispatchers While Hiring Continues
Wasco County Commissioners approved bringing in a firm to provide temporary emergency dispatchers to assist with low staffing levels while hiring to fill open positions takes place. County Dispatch Manager Christa Silver told the Commission they will enter into a six-month contract with Rescue 911 to provide relief to the current staff and reduce overtime and burnout. Silver says the contract will give them time to fill two open emergency dispatch positions, noting it takes at least two months to go through the hiring process, and then training takes place. In other business, the County Commission extended the state of emergency related the Rowena Fire for another three months to February 1. That will allow the County to continue to have access to resources for fire recovery. The State of Oregon also recently extended its emergency declaration for the Rowena Fire for a similar period of time.
Klickitat County WIC Program Funded Through Thanksgiving
Klickitat County’s Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, program has funding to run through around Thanksgiving, as the federal government shutdown continues. County Public Health Director Erin Quinn told the County Commission on Tuesday she is doing contingency planning, the big issue would be how to provide supplies like baby formula to clients. Quinn says they do potentially have a plan to provide for formula for one month after the funds run out. She also said the health department has been receiving calls from community members offering to help keep the WIC program going.