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Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Tolls Go Up Friday

Posted on by mbailey

New toll rates for all vehicles on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate bridge will go into effect at midnight.  Base toll rates for passenger vehicles will increase for cash-paying customers to $3.50 per crossing. BreezeBy customers will see an increase to $1.75 per crossing for two-axle vehicles.  Toll rates depend on vehicle class with large trucks, RVs, and trailers paying $4.00 per axle for cash customers, $3.00 per axle with BreezeBy.  The new toll rates were set based on the recommendation of the newly formed Hood River White Salmon Bridge Authority, citing the need to raise $75 -$150 million in local toll revenue to complete the funding package for construction of the replacement bridge.  All of the new toll revenue will be paid out to a separate Bi-State replacement fund to build up cash reserves required for a federal construction loan.

 

Deadline For TD Government Academy Applications Now Wednesday

Posted on by mbailey

The deadline to apply for The Dalles Local Government Academy has been pushed back to Wednesday.  The academy is designed to give community members a chance to learn more about how local government operates.  Executive Assistant to the City Manager Amie Ell says they will combine classroom-style presentations with tours of municipal operations.  Academy sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday evening from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. from October 17 through November 9, except on Halloween.  To be eligible you must be at least 18 years of age and be a resident of The Dalles.  To get an application go to thedalles.org or call 541-296-5481, ext. 4408.

Light Rain Falls On Camp Creek Fire

Posted on by mbailey

Light rain falling on the Camp Creek Fire in the Mount Hood National Forest near the Bull Run Watershed is expected to continue into Friday morning.  Crews continue to work on using existing forest roads to serve as points to establish containment lines. Operations Section Chief Matt Call noted a lack of visibility is limiting use of air resources, even though they remain available should they be needed.  The fire size remains 1,969 acres, with no containment figure at this point.

August 29 Prep Sports Roundup

Posted on by mbailey

Volleyball

Hood River Valley def. Canby 25-13, 15-25, 25-17, 25-20

The Dalles def. LaGrande 25-18, 21-25, 18-25, 25-23, 15-7

Powder Valley def. South Wasco 25-8, 25-13, 25-21

Joseph def. South Wasco 25-19, 25-10, 25-14

Echo def. Sherman 25-12, 25-22, 25-21

 

Boys Soccer

Gresham 3, Hood River Valley 1

 

Girls Soccer

Catlin Gabel 3, Hood River Valley 0

Point In Time Count Shows Jump In HR County Homeless Numbers

Posted on by mbailey

The recently released preliminary data from Mid-Columbia Community Action’s Point In Time count of homeless people in January showed a 56 percent increase in the number of people in that position in Hood River County compared to 2022.  Community Action Executive Director Kenny LaPoint says improved counting methods are one reason for the increase, but he also notes Hood River County doesn’t have the amount of resources that are available in Wasco County.  He notes there is only a seasonal shelter available in Hood River County, compared to a year-round shelter in Wasco County.  LaPoint said his organization has looked for property in Hood River County to establish a navigation center for housing services similar to what Community Action is currently developing in The Dalles.

 

Management Team Assumes Command Of Pinchot Fires

Posted on by mbailey

The Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 2 assumed command of the Cowlitz Complex Fire on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, with officials saying local crews have done an excellent job of establishing containment lines around several of the more than 40 wildfires currently active on the Pinchot.  Team officials say four fires have been identified for immediate attention, including the Snagtooth and Spencer Quartz fires on the southside of Snagtooth Mountain that are the largest in the complex at a combined 449 acres.  Access is limited due to steep terrain, and crews have been scouting the area and assessing the potential for growth.

Umatilla County Poaching Conviction First Under New Guidelines

Posted on by mbailey

A recent poaching conviction in Umatilla County is the first significant application of new sentencing guidelines established by the Oregon Legislature in 2018 creating stiffer penalties and allows prosecutors to elevate poaching crimes from a misdemeanor to a felony.  The Oregon State Police say 28-year-old Walker Erickson on Pendleton will pay $75,000 in fines and serve jail time after pleading guilty to 22 charges of killing numerous deer and elk near Pendleton in what officials called a wildlife crime spree.  It was prosecuted by Oregon Department of Justice Wildlife Anti-Poaching Resources Prosecutor Jay Hall.  Yvonne Shaw of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says Hall has experience with trying poaching cases, and his new position allows him to provide guidance to prosecutors and the OSP.  A new website, ProtectOregonsWildlife.com, features tips on how to recognize poaching and report it.

Low Pressure Pattern Helps Camp Creek Fire Effort

Posted on by mbailey

Officials on the Camp Creek Fire in the Mt. Hood National Forest northeast of Sandy near the Bull Run Watershed say higher humidity and rainfall have helped moderate fire spread, but the fire continues to burn steadily inside thick canopies of trees.  Great Basin Incident Management Team 1 Commander Evans Kuo told a community meeting in Corbett on Tuesday evening that the current weather patterns are helping firefighters, even though there are some east winds forecast later in the week.  Operations Section Chief Issac Powning did emphasize that even with some moisture in the area, the fire is burning actively.  Size of the fire has increased to 1,969 acres, with no containment figure.

Fire Near Cottonwood Canyon Park Burns 4,000 Acres

Posted on by mbailey

A fire reported 17 miles southeast of Wasco adjacent to Highway 206 in the John Day River drainage burned 4,000 acres before the Bureau of Land Management declared it in mop-up.  The fire was first reported near Highway 206 milepost 15 in Sherman County.  The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office says it was about one mile south of Cottonwood Canyon State Park, on both sides of the John Day River, and grew rapidly to the east.  It burned on BLM, state, and private lands.  Firefighters on the ground were supported by four single-engine air tankers and two large air tankers.

Winslow Road Fire Burns 960 Acres

Posted on by mbailey

Firefighters on Tuesday evening were able to stop the forward progression of a fire southwest of Dufur without losing any structures.  The Oregon Department of Forestry says the Winslow Road Fire was estimated at about 960 acres in size.  The fire burned a combination of dry fuels, ranging from timber and brush to recently harvested wheatland, and was wind driven by 20 to 30 mile per hour sustained winds gusting to 45 miles per hour, which the ODF says made it fairly difficult to get a line around the fire initially.  ODF’s fire bosses along with scoopers and a large air tanker from the Camp Creek Fire helped to assist ground operations in stopping forward progression of the fire.  ODF crews were mopping up the fire Wednesday.  Given the light fuels, the fire will be in patrol status for a couple of days.  All evacuation advisories were lifted Wednesday morning.  Crews from ODF, the Mt. Hood National Forest, Tygh Valley, Dufur, Petersburg, Wamic, Dallesport, a task force consisting of units from Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue, Hood River, and Mosier, and local landowers all took part in the firefighting effort.

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