The Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency board approved a four-month extension for Improvement Program Grant and Development Funding agreements for the Basalt Commons mixed-use residential and commercial project on the former Griffith Motors site at 523 East 3rd in The Dalles. Developer Mary Hanlon said in a letter to the URA the project is in the final stages of loan development preparation, the General Contractor is finalizing subcontracts, and said those should take about three months. She asked for a six month extension. This is not the first extension for the project, and URA board member and Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege said it is not abnormal for a development of this size to take time to come together. Hanlon’s letter to the URA projected that demolition of the old building on the property will begin in September, followed by construction.
Gorge Wellness Alliance Returning
The Gorge Wellness Alliance is being reestablished. With a grant from The Roundhouse Foundation, the regional coalition is made up of healthcare providers, community organizations, schools, and local leaders to provide a coordinated approach to suicide prevention. Hood River County Prevention Program Manager Amanda Holste says they have received a small grant to get the group together again. The grant will support work in the schools where they partner with health teachers in presenting the suicide prevention curriculum called “Question, Respond, Persuade.”
MCCAC Continues To Take Donations For Cooling Kits
Mid-Columbia Community Action is continuing to take donations for its cooling kits for those who need them. MCCAC Executive Director Leslie Naramore says their initial drive to start the summer went very well, but demand remains high for the cooling kits. The Center is taking donations of cooling supplies, including bottled water, lip balm, shelf-stable individually-wrapped snacks, electrolyte packets, and sun screen. Donations can be taken to MCCAC locations at 2505 West 7th in The Dalles and 606 State in Hood River. Naramore says they also have N95 masks available for dealing with smoky conditions.
Grasshopper Fire Update (11:50 a.m. on August 12)
Officials say the Grasshopper Fire has burned more than 83,600 acres and is now 20 percent contained. The fire remained active Tuesday along the northeastern and eastern edges, pushed by gusty winds. The northeast corner has reached Hix Road, while the eastern edge is near Elliott Road. Firefighters held the northern perimeter along Forest Road 4421 and continued strengthening lines elsewhere. Activity has moderated along the southern and southwestern edges. Crews today are focused on strengthening control lines, particularly on the eastern side, ahead of stronger winds this afternoon and unstable weather expected this weekend. Air operations will continue as conditions allow. The Southern Area Blue Incident Management Team has replaced a California team and has joined the Oregon State Fire Marshal in a unified command of the fire, with a team from Australia and New Zealand also embedded at the fire. Additional crews and engines from California arrived Tuesday night. About 1,832 firefighters are assigned to the fire. A community meeting is planned for Thursday at 6 p.m. at Dufur School.
Wasco County Fair Canceled
The Wasco County Fair Board decided Tuesday night to cancel the Wasco County Fair and Rodeo due to active fire danger and severe smoke from the Grasshopper Fire.
The decision was made in consultation with Fire Incident Command and the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office.
In a statement posted on social meeting after their meeting, the board said public safety is their top priority.
The statement added they will meet soon to explore possibilities for hosting specific fair events at a later date.
Earlier in the day, County Commissioner Jeff Justesen, who is also a member of the fair board, said they didn’t want to have a situation where they would have to do a last minute evacuation.
City of Hood River Enters Into New Animal Control IGA With County
After a lengthy discussion, the Hood River City Council approved a five-year intergovernmental agreement for animal control services with Hood River County. Councilors spent considerable time talking about whether quality of shelter services the County can provide would be adequate if Hood River Adopt-A-Dog cannot overcome its current fiscal issues with the exhaustion of the Hukari Fund that has helped pay for the shelter’s operation. Councilor Doug Stepina said he was comfortable with the opt-out clauses built into the agreement should the City determine shelter services are inadequate. Under the new IGA going into effect September 1, the City will pay $41,700 in the first year, with a five percent increase each of the following four years of the deal.
Riverkeeper Issues Report Warning Of Federal Deregulation Of Nuclear Safety
The group Columbia Riverkeeper has issued a new report warning federal deregulation of nuclear safety standards could undermine Hanford Nuclear Site cleanup efforts. Columbia Riverkeeper senior attorney and Hanford program director Simone Anter says the report focuses on an area near Richland where plutonium production began, and is a potential site for new reactors. She says the report looks at how removing safety and environmental standards will impact clean up at the most contaminated site in the Western Hemisphere. The Trump administration says it’s streamlining deployment of “next-generation advanced reactors,” largely to generate more electricity for data centers. It calls the effort a “nuclear renaissance.”
Level 3 Evacuation Announced For Sportsman’s Paradise & Shellrock Road; Tygh Valley & Fairgrounds Road Drop To Level 1
The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office has issued a Level 3 “Go Now’ evacuation order for Sportsman’s Paradise and Shellrock Road.
Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill says the Grasshopper Fire is holding along the established lines on the northeast side and has not breached containment, but due to weather conditions, limited community access, and the challenging terrain, the evacuation status for those locations was moved to Level 3.
A shelter is now being opened at The Dalles Middle School.
A large animal shelter is available at the Sherman County Fairgrounds in Moro.
Aircraft today has been actively dropping retardant in that area to strengthen contingency lines protecting nearby communities from the Grasshopper Fire.
An Oregon State Fire Marshal’s task force, in coordination with the Sheriff’s Office, is currently working in the Shellrock Road area.
Additionally, the OSFM Blue Incident Management Team is arriving to support the unified response.
The Sheriff’s Office also said evacuation advisories for Tygh Valley and Fairgrounds Road have been downgraded from a Level 2 to a Level 1 – Be Ready.
The Sheriff’s Office advises residents to use caution returning to the area. Be aware of fire crews and law enforcement on roads. Look for road closures and downed power lines.
Grasshopper Fire Grows; Containment Still 23%
Officials say the Grasshopper Fire continued to grow steadily yesterday and overnight to nearly 63,700 acres, while containment lines along the southern and eastern portions of the fire held. The containment figure this morning remained at 23%. On the northern perimeter, firefighters worked to slow the fire’s advance near Fivemile Creek and Fifteenmile Creek. Crews also continued monitoring the Highway 35 corridor, where containment lines remain secure. In the southwest, firefighters began direct suppression efforts in the Bennett Creek area. Today, crews will focus on strengthening containment and contingency lines, working to keep the fire south of Dufur Valley Road, and west of High Prairie. Crews will continue securing and monitoring lines along Highway 35. In the southwest, firefighters will continue direct suppression where conditions allow. A community meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. at Dufur School. Highway 35 remains closed between Bennett Pass Snow Park and Baseline Road.
Progress Being Made On High Lava Fire
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest over the weekend expanded an emergency closure around the High Lava Fire in southwest Washington. The fire is estimated at 1,500 acres, burning northwest of Stabler and west of the Trapper Creek Wilderness. Jacob Welsh with High Lava Fire operations says they are making good progress. He says the fire is confined to a triangle between three Forest Service road systems: Forest Service Roads 54, 34, and 37. The closure includes several trails and trailheads, including West Crater, Soda Peaks and Siouxon, as well as all trails in the Trapper Creek Wilderness. It also covers the Canyon Creek dispersed camping area and several nearby roads. All motorized and pedestrian access is prohibited. The closure is scheduled to remain in effect through October 31st, unless lifted sooner.