The Hood River County Health Department says two people in the County have died likely as a result of the rate brain disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. Health Department Public Information Officer Daron Ryan says over the last eight months, there have been one confirmed and two probable cases of CJD. Ryan says per state law, the health department investigates and monitors diseases that could be a risk to the public, and at this time, there is no identifiable link between these three cases. The risk of getting CJD is extremely low. It does not spread through the air, touch, social contact, or water. Ryan adds this is an active and ongoing investigation in partnership with the Oregon Health Authority and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the health department will continue to monitor the situation.
April 14 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
The Dalles 3, Crook County 2: Trey Hodges pitched five innings of hitless relief, and also drove in two runs. Hodges struck out six after coming into the game early in the third inning.
Softball
Crook County 9, The Dalles 5: Crook County withstood a late rally by the Riverhawks, who scored five in the sixth inning but could not come all the way back. Bryce Newby and Edie May both had three hits and a run batted in for The Dalles.
Boys Soccer
Columbia 2, King’s Way Christian 2
Boys Golf
Hood River Valley was fourth at the LaSalle Invitational at Persimmon Golf Course. The host Falcons came out on top. John Olson was the top Eagle on the day, finishing in a tie for fifth with a ten-over-par 81.
April 11-12 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Ida B. Wells 12, Hood River Valley 8: The Guardians blew the game open in the late innings. Bodie Stuben had two hits and two RBI for the Eagles.
Newport 6, The Dalles 5: Will Booth, Finley Corbin , and Avery Schwartz all homered for the Riverhawks in the losing effort.
Joseph sweeps Sherman 11-1 and 14-3
Asotin 10, Goldendale 0
Chelan 6, Goldendale 2
Softball
Astoria 2, The Dalles 1: Maddie Brock accounted for The Dalles’ only run with a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning.
LaCenter 7, Stevenson 3: Rebecca Townsend had three hits for the Bulldogs.
Track and Field
Riverside was the boys’ winner and Echo the girls’ victor at the Condon Invitational. South Wasco’s Storm McCoy won a pair of events.
Logan King won the boys’ 1500 meters with a sub-four minute run to highlight the Hood River Valley effort at the Wilsonville Invitational.
Julian Morehouse cleared 14’ 6” to win the boys’ pole vault for The Dalles at the need For Speed Invitational at Sherwood.
Columbia’s Samantha Evans and Saylor Hague finished one-two in the girls’ high jump at the Tiger Invitational at Battle Ground.
Horizon Christian’s Hannah Adams won the girls’ pole vault at the Lower Columbia Invitational at St. Helens.
Sherman’s Taylor Payne had a second place finish in the girls’ 1500 meters at the Pepsi Invitational at Union High School.
Trout Lake dominated the pole vault at the Rob Frank Invitational in Banks, with Sawyer Dean the boys’ winner and Jade McLean taking first in the girls’ competition.
Matthew Gray’s win in the triple jump highlighted Goldendale’s third place finish at the Quincy Invitational.
Boys Tennis
The Dalles 5, Philomath 0
Boys Lacrosse
Lincoln 16, Hood River Valley 6
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 10, St. Mary’s 9
Boys Soccer
King’s Way Christian 8, Stevenson 0
Port of TD Putting Considers Waterfront Plan
The Port of The Dalles is considering putting together a waterfront master plan. Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says the Port owns a fair amount of the waterfront in The Dalles along with other partners, primarily Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District and the City of The Dalles. She says as a first step they are having a survey done to determine where in the Columbia River are the Port-owned boundaries. That’s important because when the Port built its dock in 1933, it was built on dry land. Now it goes out into the Bonneville Pool of the Columbia River. Klaas says after they get that answer, they can move toward a comprehensive water plan from the commercial cruise dock to Lone Pine.
Wyden Town Hall April 23 In The Dalles
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden will hold a town hall in The Dalles later this month. It will take place on April 23 at 1 p.m. at The Dalles High School. It will kick off a swing of seven town hall appearances in four days for Wyden. He will also go to Umatilla, Grant, Harney, Lake, Klamath and Douglas counties. Wyden’s office says he has held 1,100 open-to-all town halls during his Senate tenure, one each year in each of the state’s 36 counties. Doors will open one hour before the town hall start times for attendees. Backpacks and large bags will not be allowed in the town hall for security reasons.
The Dalles Downtown Beautification Grant Process Starts
The City of The Dalles Beautification and Tree Committee has started its 2025 Downtown Beautification Grant program. The grants provides reimbursement of up to $300 to eligible downtown business and property owners for projects that enhance the visual appeal of their storefronts. Qualifying projects may include flowers, greenery, planters, and long-lasting infrastructure such as hanging basket systems and other durable beautification elements. Applications are due by May 1, and early submissions are encouraged due to limited funding. Grant recipients will be notified by May 15. Approved projects must be completed during the 2025 growing season, and recipients are required to maintain their improvements throughout the season. The program area is limited to the downtown commercial zone. For more information, to view the downtown commercial zone map, and to complete the application, visit www.thedalles.org/DTGrantBTC.
Next Door Names Wade Volunteer Of The Year
The Next Door has named Andy Wade as its Volunteer of the Year. Wade is a familiar face at the Hood River Warming Shelter after several years spent being the shelter’s volunteer coordinator and currently serves as the pastor at Bethel United Church of Christ in White Salmon. He is also a member of the Gorge Native American Collaborative, a group of nonprofits, social service providers, inter-tribal organizations, volunteers, and allies working together to support Native American community members in the Gorge. For years, GNAC has had a goal to provide propane to Native Americans living at in-lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites along the Columbia River where many residents rely heavily on propane as their primary source of fuel for cooking, heating, and electricity in their homes. With the help of Columbia Gorge Health Council, Wade helped secure a location for a propane tank bank, a centralized propane storage and distribution space where community partners can exchange empty propane tanks for filled ones.
HR County Health Reports Trio Of CJD Cases
The Hood River County Health Department says it is investigating three cases of the rare brain disorder Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in Hood River County. CJD is a serious brain disorder caused by a misfolded protein called a prion, and there are about 500 new cases per year according to the Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Foundation. Symptoms include issues with memory, walking, coordination, speech, and behavior changes. A statement from the health department says these three local cases have been found in the past eight months, and at this time, it is not known if the cases are linked. The department emphasizes the risk of CJD to the public is extremely low. It cannot be spread through the air, touch, social contact, or water. Most cases happen without a known reason. It can be inherited and run in families, and in very rare cases, it may be spread through certain medical exposures to infected brain or nervous tissue or by eating infected beef. The health department says it is closely monitoring the situation.
Army Corps Delays Campground Opening
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is delaying the opening of Plymouth and LePage campgrounds. The campgrounds, which were originally scheduled to open to the public on Tuesday, will now open May 9. The Corps of Engineers says it is experiencing challenges providing recreation activities for the public this year due to what it termed resource constraints. In a statement, the Corps says the delay allows them to ensure campground facilities comply with health and safety standards for the upcoming recreation season. Corps’ Portland District Natural Resources Management Director Melissa Rinehart says visitor well-being is their priority, so they are delaying the campground openings to ensure staff can provide safe experiences for visitors.
Motorcyclist Injured In Highway 14 Accident
A motorcyclist was transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver after a Friday morning accident at the intersection of Highway 14 and Cook-Underwood Road. According to a Washington State Patrol report, a 55-year-old White Salmon man was driving a motorcycle west on Highway 14 when a car driven by a 38-year-old Hood River man attempted to turn east from Cook-Underwood Road on to the highway. The motorcyclist swerved but hit the car head on, and was ejected from the bike. No one in the car was injured. The WSP says the motorcyclist is facing charges for driving with a suspended or revoked license, and having no endorsement.