Like many law enforcement agencies, the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office is seeking to fill positions. Sheriff Matt English says his department have seen a wave of retirements, and backups getting new officers trained at the state’s police academy slows getting replacements fully trained. English adds if people have ever thought about a career in law enforcement, there are plenty of jobs available, and he would love to see local residents apply. Application information is available on the employment page at hoodrivercounty.gov.
Two Area Projects Get ReConnect Grants For Rural Broadband
Two Mid-Columbia area projects to extend broadband service in to rural areas are receiving federal loans and grants as part of the fourth funding round of the ReConnect program. U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development announced a $10.235 million dollar grant and a loan of the same amount to North-State Telephone to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises network to provide high-speed internet to 1,490 people, 64 businesses and 43 farms in Wasco County. And Home Telephone Company will be receiving an $18 million grant and a loan of the same size to deploy a fiber-to-the-premises and hybrid-fiber-coax network to provide high-speed internet to serve what Rural Development termed “socially vulnerable communities” in Klicktat County. The department says that network will benefit 4,183 people, 138 businesses, 74 farms and seven educational facilities in Klickitat County. ReConnect Program funding must serve a rural area that lacks access to service at speeds of 100 megabits per second download and 20 Mbps upload.
MCMC Now Adventist Health Columbia Gorge
Mid-Columbia Medical Center is now Adventist Health Columbia Gorge. The name change reflecting Adventist making the former MCMC part of its network was officially unveiled during ceremonies Wednesday at the hospital campus in The Dalles. Hospital President and CEO Dennis Knox said out of 21 health care systems that expressed interest in MCMC seventeen months ago, the culture of Adventist Health aligned with theirs the best. Adventist Health President and CEO Kerry Heinrich said they want to make a difference and connect with the community. Staff members representing many of Adventist Health’s other locations in the Northwest were in attendance at the celebration the hospital conducted to mark the name change.
Hood River URA Approves Moving Toward Loan For Heights Housing Project
The Hood River Urban Renewal Agency board approved having its staff move forward with Mid-Columbia Economic Development District in providing a bridge loan of $2 million for a mixed use development including affordable housing in the Heights Urban Renewal District. The project being developed by Maui Meyer and Ben Stenn at 13th and Taylor was approved by the City in 2021, including a real component on the first floor, a structured parking area, and 28 of the 30 housing units priced for under 120 percent of average median income with an average of 112 percent. URA board chair Mark Zanmiller says part of the purpose of the Heights district is to develop more affordable housing opportunities, and he hopes this project would spark other developments. The URA and MCEDD would each contribute half of the loan, which would have a 25-year term. An intergovernmental agreement between the URA and MCEDD will be put together.
White Salmon Housing Action Plan Meeting Thursday
The White Salmon City Council and Planning Commission will hold a joint meeting Thursday to take input on what should be part of a Housing Action Plan for the community. Consultant Michael Mehaffy says the objective is to provide a pathway toward development of various types of housing that working families and young people can afford. White Salmon citizens are being invited to give their views of housing issues that need to be addressed at the meeting. It begins Thursday evening at 6 p.m. in the City Council chambers at the White Salmon Fire Hall.
Smoke Ready Week
This is Smoke Ready Week. The Hood River County Health Department says it is one of many agencies trying to spread the word about being ready to deal with smoky conditions, whether it is because of wildfire or another source. Department Public Information Officer Daron Ryan says the most important message is knowing how to get to a place that has cleaner air. Ryan says people can learn more about dealing with smoke conditions by going to airnow.gov.
The Dalles Establishes Temporary Paid Reserve Police Officer Program
The City of The Dalles has established a temporary paid reserve police officer program. City Manager Matthew Klebes told City Councilors on Monday evening that the police department is understaffed, but has reserve officers available to take some available shifts. He added the first reserve officer was activated on Monday, and they hope to have more join the reserve program. In other business, the City Council formally approved the budget for fiscal year 2023-24, adding in a $758,000 grant from the Oregon Department of Energy that the City will pass through to Mid-Columbia Community Action for new solar panels for their Navigation Center that is under construction.
HR URA Board Moves Westside Urban Renewal Plan To Taxing Districts
The Hood River Urban Renewal Agency Board has moved the plan for a Westside Urban Renewal District on to various taxing districts for their approval. The board approved a Westside district that is 406 acres in size, reducing the size of the Waterfront Urban Renewal Area to 42 acres to accommodate it. The board also received a preview of what will be discussed when the Westside plan gets to the Hood River County Commission. County Commissioner Arthur Babitz, who emphasized he was speaking for himself, said it was critical to acknowledge that without annexation of lands in the district none of the plans will be successful. He is advocating that the City and County adopt policy to have the City annex all land within the urban growth boundary within ten years. Taxing districts are to give their comments on the plan over the next six weeks, with a City Council hearing planned for August 14 and the County Commission considering it on August 21.
Search & Rescue Demands Increase With Summer
With summer weather arriving, the demands on search and rescue crews in the region increases. Forestlands, trails, and waterways lead to Hood River County being in the top six in the state every year for search and rescue calls, but the other five counties are much larger. Hood River County Sheriff Matt English says many of the calls they receive could have been avoided. He says at this time of year, many hikers from out of the area don’t realize as they hike on trails the further south they go, the more likely they are to run in the snow, and then decide to push through and lose the trail, and become lost. English emphasizes hikers should let people know their itineraries, understand cell phones have limitations and may not work in some locations so take along a hand-held GPS unit, and be aware of weather and fire conditions. Also, even if going on a day hike, be prepared for a longer stay in the wilderness.
Upstairs Of The Dalles City Hall To Be Remodeled
One section of the upstairs area of The Dalles City Hall is going to get a remodel. City Manager Matthew Klebes says the Veterans Museum will move to the first floor adjacent to the Fire Museum in hopes of generating traffic for those exhibits, but also create more room for municipal staff, including a new economic development officer and a facilities supervisor. The economic development position has been in place in the past associated with other duties, but now the job will have a dedicated focus to economic development. Klebes says they’ve gone out to bid for the remodel work.