The White Salmon Valley School District is hoping the delayed paving of the parking lot at its secondary school campus will be finished by the end of the week. District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says delays were caused by weather and the development of a sinkhole in the parent drop-off lane in front of Henkle Middle School. Polkinghorn noted the lot was built years ago on top of a swamp. Polkinghorn said their engineers have determined the sinkhole issue has been resolved, allowing the repaving to continue.
Gorge Tech Showcase Set For October 26
The Gorge Tech Showcase is planned for next week. The annual event is held by the Gorge Technology Alliance. Mid-Columbia Economic Development District Executive Director Jessica Metta says there will be presentations sharing the latest news from area tech companies and any job openings they might have. Metta adds the Showcase provides excellent networking opportunities. The Showcase will be Thursday, October 26, starting at 6 p.m. at The Ruins in Hood River. It is free for Gorge Technology Alliance members, and $15 for non-members.
The Dalles Asking Citizens To Fill Out Water Line Survey
The City of The Dalles water service line survey has been mailed out to every water customer in the City’s service area. The City says it has no known lead service lines in its system. But to comply with the revised Federal Lead and Copper Rule, the City must record an inventory of all materials in our system from the water main to where the service line connects to a building. The Dalles Public Works Department is asking people to help by using the unique QR code on the survey that has been mailed out to fill out a short online survey and upload a picture of a scratch test of the pipe. The brochure will have simple instructions for doing the scratch test. There is also a how-to-video available on the City website, thedalles.org. Questions or comments can be directed to the Public Works office (541) 296-5401.
Newhouse Introduces Bill On Organic Farming Practices
Washington Fourth District Congressman Dan Newhouse joined a group of representatives to introduce a bill to modernize U.S. Agriculture Department process to respond to changes in organic farming practices. Newhouse believes the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act would better align organic standards authored by the agency with industry best practices and consumer demands. Newhouse, a third-generation farmer, says it is crucial to ensure transparency in organics process—for both producers and consumers—and provide growers certainty, adding that is how to spark further innovation and improvement within the organic industry. The bill would require the USDA to request public input on recommended changes to organic standards at least once every five years and establishes a five-year working period for the USDA, in consultation with the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), to implement the recommendations. It also calls for those two groups to consider the best available information – including environmental and ecological data, consumer and market data, organic production and handling practices, organic research, and scientific data – when implementing recommended changes.
October 17 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Boys Soccer
Hood River Valley 3, Parkrose 2: HRV moves into fourth in the Northwest Oregon Conference with the victory.
Girls Soccer
Parkrose 1, Hood River Valley 0
The Dalles 1, Madras 0: The win sets up a showdown for first place in the Tri-Valley Conference with Gladstone tomorrow at 4 p.m. in The Dalles.
Columbia 4, Castle Rock 1
White Swan at Goldendale, 6 p.m.
Volleyball
LaSalle def. Hood River Valley 25-4, 25-12, 25-17
LaCenter def. Columbia 25-21, 25-12, 25-20
Seton Catholic def. Stevenson 3-2
Goldendale def. Mabton 3-0
CGCC Releases Study On Its Economic Impact
Columbia Gorge Community College has released a study on the economic impact of Oregon’s community colleges that finds CGCC supported 645 jobs in the region in the 2021-2022 fiscal year, adding about $45 million to the local economy. The study was conducted by Lightcast, a labor analytics firm, on behalf of the Oregon Community College Association. Statewide, the report showed that Oregon’s 17 community colleges generate an annual economic impact of $9.6 billion and support 1 out of every 22 jobs in the state. The Lightcast study says the average CGCC associate degree graduate from Fiscal Year 2021-22 will see annual earnings that are $7,000 higher than a person with a high school diploma or equivalent working in Oregon. The full report entitled “The Economic Value of Columbia Gorge Community College” is available at cgcc.edu.
HR School Board Talks Mental Health Supports
The Hood River County School District board held a worksession to discuss mental health support for students. Interim District Superintendent Bill Newton says they had a number of community partners take part in the meeting as all involved shared the levels of support they provide both students and parents. Newton says they have increased the number of counselors and student support specialists in schools to help with mental health needs. But he adds the worksession showed there is more need out there than the level of support both the district and their community partners are currently providing.
New Signs Near Tobacco Displays Part Of 2006 Court Ruling
New signs near tobacco displays in local stores include “corrective statements” that are part of the outcome of a 2006 federal court ruling that found tobacco companies misled customers about the harm and addictiveness of smoking. North Central Public Health District says the signs are required to be posted at about 200,000 retail locations nationwide that have merchandising agreements with the tobacco companies involved in the litigation. Another 100,000 tobacco retailers do not have such agreements and aren’t required to post the signs. Retailers had until October 1 to post the signs, which must stay up for 21 months. The signs are the final remedies called for by the 2006 ruling. In 2017, the tobacco companies were required to post the statements in newspaper advertisements, on TV spots, on cigarette packages, and on their websites and social media pages. The court ordered the posting of retail signs regarding the adverse health effects of smoking, how addictive it is, how “light” or “mild” and other labels did not have health benefits, how the industry manipulated cigarette design and composition to ensure optimum nicotine delivery, and how dangerous secondhand smoke is.
White Salmon Council To Discuss Tax Increase
The White Salmon City Council will hold a hearing on Wednesday on taking the annual one percent property tax increase allowed by the state of Washington. It’s part of their work in preparing a municipal budget for 2024. Mayor Marla Keethler says the City is in a healthy financial state heading into next year, but costs continue to increase. Keethler said as the budget process continues, decisions will need to be made on projects the Council would like to undertake and how they are financed, whether it’s from the City’s budget or seeking additional funds from other sources.
October 16 Prep Sports Scoreboard
Boys Soccer
Madras 1, The Dalles 0: The White Buffaloes closed in on clinching first place in the Tri-Valley Conference with the narrow victory over the Riverhawks…taking a four point lead in the standings with just two matches to play.
Trout Lake-Glenwood 3, Portland Christian 0: The Mustangs nail down second in Special District 7 with the victory.
Columbia Christian 8, Horizon Christian 0
Volleyball
Open Door Christian def. Horizon Christian 25-14, 25-11, 25-15