A group from the Washington Department of Natural Resources toured some properties in the Burdoin Fire footprint that had taken steps to mitigate danger from a large scale wildfire, and they found those actions did help protect trees and buildings. DNR’s Alison Martin says they observed a change in fire behavior where mitigation efforts had taken place. Martin said they had video from the fire that showed how its behavior changed where mitigation efforts had taken place. Martin notes DNR does have help available for landowners to strengthen their protection from fire by using the Landowners’ Assistance Portal available by searching online for “DNR Find Your Forester Tool” with your favorite search engine.
October 3-4 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Football
Hood River Valley 53, LaSalle 13
Woodburn 28, The Dalles 21 (OT)
Rainier 34, Columbia 13
Kalama 32, Stevenson 0
Dufur 35, Imbler 30
Elgin 66, Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 48
Sherman 46, Dayville-Monument 13
South Wasco 59, Ione-Arlington 24
Volleyball
The Dalles lost to Ridgeview and defeated Ida B. Wells at the Mt. Hood Invitational at Barlow High School
Sherman def. Lyle-Wishram 25-6, 25-21, 25-16
Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler def. Trout Lake-Glenwood 26-24, 25-19, 25-21
Spray-Mitchell-Wheeler def. Lyle-Wishram 25-21, 26-24, 25-19
Dufur def. Country Christian 25-3, 25-12, 25-11
South Wasco goes 1-2 at the Damascus Christian Invitational, defeating Willamette Valley Christian but losing to St. Paul and Damascus Christian.
Boys Soccer
Trout Lake-Horizon Christian 8, Riverdale JV 0
Cross Country
Trout Lake’s Melody Stock won the girls’ varsity race at the Apple Ridge Run in Cowiche.
October 2 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Volleyball
Canby def. Hood River Valley 28-26, 23-25, 25-20, 25-15
The Dalles def. Molalla 25-9, 25-15, 25-15
Columbia def. Stevenson 3-0
Dufur def. Sherman 25-12, 25-22, 25-19
South Wasco def. Condon 25-10, 25-15, 25-11
Lyle-Wishram def. Horizon Christian 25-21, 25-21, 25-13
Ione-Arlington def. Trout Lake-Glenwood 25-12, 25-13, 25-17
Boys Soccer
The Dalles 9, Estacada 1
Girls Soccer
The Dalles 5, Estacada 0
Columbia 7, Stevenson 0
Cross Country
The Dalles boys and girls won the Mustang Invitational in Heppner. Tyson Long had a third place finish for the Riverhawk boys, while Abigail Pope did the same for The Dalles girls.
October 1 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Cross Country
Columbia was second to LaCenter while Stevenson was third in the girls’ portion of a seven-school Trico League meet at Vancouver Lake. The Bruins’ Lilah Zimmerman was second and Kathryn O’Connor fourth, and Stevenson’s Daisy Jones was fifth. In the boys’ race CHS was third and Stevenson fourth with LaCenter winning again. Colton Hollis of Stevenson was sixth, and Luther Thomas of Columbia was ninth.
Hurdle Remains For Fire Cleanup Agreement
The Rowena Fire Incident Management Team is close to a deal with the State of Oregon on how phase two of cleanup of properties burned by the fire will be paid for, but there is a hurdle that will still need to be cleared. Sheriff Lane Magill told County Commissioners Wednesday that the County has reached an agreement with Crestline Construction to manage the cleanup, for a cost of $3 million that the state would cover. However, Magill says the state has been seeking language for a Debris Removal Operations Plan, or DROP, that includes additional work that would cost the County another $3 million, and Magill says that’s not acceptable. Magill told Commissioners a proposed contract is to arrive by the end of the week. If it does not include the DROP language, they’ll move ahead quickly, but if it is included, the County will not move forward.
Next Door Harvest Of Hope Comes Amid Funding Questions
The Next Door will hold its annual Harvest Of Hope fundraiser later this month amid a backdrop of uncertainty for some of the funding it receives for the 35 programs the organization administers. Director of Marketing and Development Amanda Lawrence says they are seeing cuts at both the federal and state levels. Lawrence says many of The Next Door’s programs help to lift people up and get the tools they need to succeed and not need shelters and food banks. The Harvest of Hope fundraiser will be held on October 23 at 5:30 p.m. at The Ruins in Hood River, featuring Next Door board member Maija Yasui as keynote speaker. Tickets are available through The Next Door’s website or Facebook page.
September 30 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Tuesday Schedule
Volleyball
Stevenson def. Fort Vancouver 3-0
Dufur def. South Wasco 25-21, 25-21, 26-24
Ione-Arlington def. Sherman 25-22, 22-25, 21-25, 25-13, 15-7
Condon def. Horizon Christian 25-13, 25-9, 25-14
Lyle-Wishram def. Bickleton 27-25, 25-14, 26-24
Boys Soccer
Hood River Valley 0, Wilsonville 0
The Dalles 2, Gladstone 1
Girls Soccer
Wilsonville 2, Hood River Valley 0
The Dalles 8, Gladstone 0
Columbia 3, Castle Rock 3
Fort Vancouver 3, Stevenson 0
Oregon Episcopal 8, Trout Lake-Horizon Christian 0
HR City Council Talks Bond Measure
The Hood River City Council held a special meeting Monday evening to discuss what projects should go into a potential November 2026 bond measure. A new or renovated police facility received the most support, with a new or renovated public works building, Safe Routes to School, and land for affordable housing also prioritized. There was also plenty of discussion regarding a roundabout at the intersection of Cascade Avenue and Mount Adams Drive, with Councilor Ben Mitchell noting it would be needed to fully unlock the Westside area for development. Next steps include further refinement by City staff, and bringing in a consultant to help guide the process of putting together the bond measure.
MCCAC Strategic Plan Centered On Stability
After a flurry of growth over the last five years, Mid-Columbia Community Action has made stability and sustainability the goal of its latest five-year strategic plan. The last five years has seen the establishment of The Annex transitional housing facility in The Dalles, the Gloria Center to bring together a variety of services, and the inclusion of Hood River Shelter Services within the organization. MCCAC Development and Engagement Coordinator Sarah Kellums says one of their goals is diversifying their funding sources. MCCAC Executive Director Leslie Naramore says this strategic plan has three focus areas: strengthening the organization’s systems and communications, advancing equity and language access, and sustaining effective programs and services.
D21 Appoints Director of Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
North Wasco County School District 21 has appointed Dr. Allison Ivey as its new Director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment. Ivey will oversee D-21’s K–12 curriculum development, staff professional learning, assessment systems, school improvement initiatives, and federal program administration. Ivey brings extensive experience in district and school improvement, instructional leadership, and equity-centered policy development. Most recently, she served with the Oregon Department of Education as a District Support Specialist with the Intensive Program and as Digital Learning Program Specialist & Interim Director. Ivey began her career as a classroom teacher in Nevada and California before serving as an Instructional Coach and Restorative Justice School-Based Coach. She has also served in higher education as an assistant professor and adjunct instructor at the University of Oregon, and as an adjunct instructor at Great Basin College, leading coursework and clinical experiences designed to strengthen K–12 instructional practice.