The Hood River County Health Department currently has free high-flu dose vaccines for those over the age of 65, regardless of insurance coverage, while supplies last. The health department’s Daron Ryan says they received a grant through the Hood River Valley Adult Center to cover the cost of the doses. They also have flu shots for ages six months to 64 years old, and COVID-19 vaccine for those over the age of six months without insurance and six months to 64 years old with most insurance. Call 541-386-1115 to verify nurse availability the day you would like to drop in at the health department office on 1109 June in Hood River. They are open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
November 7 OSAA Boys Soccer Semi-Final Roundup
Oregon Class 5A Boys Soccer Semifinal
Hood River Valley 2, Wilsonville 1: Felipe Mendez scored with just under five minutes to play to push the Eagles into the championship game this Saturday. Mendez tallied his second goal of the game from the top of the penalty box on an assist from Edgar Luchino. Mendez had given the Eagles the early lead just four minutes into the contest. Wilsonville tied it in the 13th minute on a volley by Alex Aguiar. HRV will meet Summit, a 2-1 winner over LaSalle, in the 5A title game on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Sherwood High School.
Oregon Class 4A Boys Soccer Semifinal
Cottage Grove 3, The Dalles 1: The Lions won at home in a game that was marred by an altercation with nine minutes to play. According to Mid-Major Media’s X feed, a Lions’ player was being assessed a red card when the altercation occurred. Mid-Major Media said officials allowed play to resume after a lengthy delay, with Cottage Grove playing the final minutes down a man. NFHS Network video showed players coming off the benches, but it was unclear what precipitated the situation.
Election Results as of November 8, 7:20 p.m.
North Wasco County School District 21 Bond Measure
No 3,476 52.6%
Yes 3,138 47.4%
West Klickitat Regional Fire Authority
Yes 866 62.0%
No 530 38.0%
Stevenson City Council Pos. 3
Lucy Lauser 313
Amanda Meyers 52
Write-In 121
Stevenson City Council Pos. 4
Pat Rice 408
Mark Meyers 48
Goldendale Mayor
Dave Jones 529 91.5%
Michael Standley 49 8.5%
Goldendale City Council Pos. 2
Theone Wheeler 377 67.9%
Filberto Ontiveros 176 31.7%
Goldendale City Council Pos. 5
Danielle Clevidence 400 69.8%
Darlene Williamson 173 30.1%
White Salmon Valley School District Pos. 1
Kris Ostness 1,296 83.2%
Andrew Chapman 255 16.4%
White Salmon Valley School District Pos. 2
Matthew Byrne 1,100 68.3%
Mike Hughes 508 31.6%
White Salmon Valley School District Pos. 4
Laurie Stanton 1,196 73.5%
Todd Andrews 430 26.4%
Stevenson-Carson School District Pos. 5
Mitch Engel 967 65.3%
John Lofberg 509 34.6%
Lyle School District Pos. 1
Dan Smith 324 57.9%
John Hadley 233 41.6%
Lyle School District Pos. 4
Marc Harvey 288 50.7%
Kathi Green 275 48.4%
5 write-ins
Trout Lake School District Pos. 1
Kristen Rubesh 208 64.0%
Lacey Doede 117 36.0%
Trout Lake School District Pos. 4
Carmen Leslie 214 65.4%
Jeff Fink 101 30.9%
Glenwood School District Pos. 1
Jacob Eldred 94
Kaci Bartkowski 68
Glenwood School District Pos. 5
Mary Pierce 95
Dustin Jones 68
Mill A School District Pos. 2
Angela Morrill 109
Don Morby 62
Mill A School District Pos. 3
Erik Lundby 126
Joan Graham 45
Mill A School District Pos. 5
Diane Green 118
Kathryn Anne Libke 56
Wishram School District Pos. 4
Betsy Barnhart 34
Jason Cheyne Blodgett 17
Centerville School Board Pos. 1
Eric Olson 83
Shannon Crocker-Ihrig 68
Goldendale School District Pos. 1
Chris Twohy 990 72.9%
Will Samuelsen 362 26.6%
Skamania County Fire District 1 Lid-Lift
Yes 476 57.3%
No 355 42.7%
Skamania County Fire District 5 Lid-Lift
Yes 74
No 48
Home Valley Water District Maintenance and Capital Improvement Levy
Yes 57
No 40
STR Owners Appealing Hood River Residency Requirement To LUBA
A group of Hood River short-term rental owners intend to file an appeal with the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, claiming residency requirements in the City’s STR regulations adopted seven years ago are unconstitutional. According to documents sent to the appeals board by the law firm Tonkon Torp of Portland on behalf of the plaintiffs, the appeal has been filed shortly after the expiration of a seven-year period for STR’s that were in operations before the regulations were adopted to come into compliance. The documents contend the ordinance violates the dormant commerce clause by imposing a residency requirement for holders of short term rental permits, and is a taking of private property without compensation, in violation of both the U.S. and Oregon Constitutions. Eighteen different people or couples were listed as plaintiffs in the appeal document.
White Salmon Gets State Grant For Water Mainline Work
The City of White Salmon was awarded $1.2 million in grant funding from the Washington State Public Works Board for the the next phase of planned improvements to the mainline of the city’s water delivery system. This phase spans from Forester Lane to the top of Bald Mountain Corners on Highway 141 and is anticipated to move into construction in early 2025. The city submitted a loan application for the 2023 Washington State Public Works Board funding cycle seeking $8,045,000 in financing for the project, which was awarded earlier this fall. The grant award now reduces the anticipated loan amount to $6.8 million. White Salmon Public Works Director Andrew Dirks says completion of the mainline improvements will ensure stable water delivery on the City’s main transmission feed to town going forward, and help to address known water losses currently within the system.
Klickitat County Moves Closer To Stopping Large Scale Solar In Some Areas
The Klickitat County Commission approved taking the next step toward adopting amendments to the County’s zoning ordinance to prohibit large scale solar development over one acre in size in ten townships in the Goldendale and Centerville valleys. Commissioners accepted the County Planning Commission’s findings and conclusions calling for adopting the amendments, and asked planning staff to prepare an ordinance to present at the next Commission meeting on November 21. Commission Chair Dan Christopher and Lori Zoller voted in favor, while Jacob Anderson was not present at the meeting.
Pikas Making Comeback
In the wake of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire, conservationists were relieved to learn that one of the Columbia Gorge’s fluffiest residents — the American pika — was still squeaking by. The Oregon Zoo says recent surveys show the tiny animals are making a strong comeback from the fire. Pikas are potato-sized rabbit relatives known for their distinctive, squeak-toy-like calls, and typically live on mountain slopes at elevations above 6,000 feet, but a somewhat anomalous low-elevation population is living in the Columbia Gorge. Over the past five years, biologists have been especially eager to track how pikas are faring in those areas most affected by the Eagle Creek fire. This year, Cascade Pika Watch volunteers reported pikas at 23 out of 31 sites surveyed, an increase of more than 50% since 2018. In addition to the reported increase in pikas reported this year, Cascades Pika Watch benefitted from a record number of volunteers: 168 trained citizen scientists spent 1,620 hours searching for the tiny mammals, and the effort will continue next year.
PUD Names Scruggs New Chief Legal Officer
Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District has selected Irene Scruggs as its new Chief Legal Officer. Scruggs will serve as general counsel to the PUD’s Board of Directors and as a key strategic leader and partner to the General Manager and executive management team with programmatic responsibilities in several key areas of the utility. Scruggs will assume the position in January of 2024. Scruggs was the Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel of the Public Power Council, the region’s largest association of consumer-owned utilities. Prior to that, Scruggs was in private practice with large firms in Portland representing business clients in commercial litigation. As Chief Legal Officer, Scruggs will support Northern Wasco PUD’s evaluation of future power supply agreements, enterprise risk management, and corporate governance.
D21 Vote In Final Stages
We are in the final hours for ballots in the North Wasco County School District 21 bond measure vote to be returned. Ballots must be postmarked on or before Tuesday’s election day, or returned to the County Courthouse or placed in authorized drop boxes at the Wasco County Courthouse or Mosier City Hall by Tuesday at 8 p.m. The Wasco County Clerk’s Office will be open to receive ballots during regular business hours on Monday and from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Wasco County Chief Deputy Clerk Chrissy Zaugg says as of the end of Friday, they had received 4,946 ballots back. That’s out of 14,626 eligible voters, for a return rate of 33.82% For comparision, at this time in the 2022 general election the return rate was at 35.93%. D-21 is asking voters to approve a 30-year, 140-million dollar bond measure to build a new high school at the Wahtonka campus.
Port of TD Should Finalize Strategic Plan In November
The Port of The Dalles is now expecting to finalize its strategic plan in December. That after the Port Commission took a second read of the draft plan, and wanted to do a little more work to make sure they capture the idea of looking at redevelopment and infill within The Dalles’ urban growth boundary. Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says at the outset, infill can be more expensive, but at the same time it takes lower-value property and increases its value and provides additional opportunities for different types of businesses. Klaas says infill and redevelopment is one of the reasons they have been looking toward the tech sector for opportunities. She notes the Port will be looking to partnerships with other agencies when looking at infill projects.