Hood River County’s Budget Committee is in the process of reviewing the County’s proposed 2023-24 fiscal plan. County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says right now the County is in good financial shape, but noted inflation has taken a toll on the budget. He adds federal funds helped the County through the pandemic, replacing revenue lost during that time period, so the County is in a good cash position. Hecksel added that with the County’s public safety levy expiring in 2025. after this budget cycle the committee will be considering whether the County should seek a renewal within two years.
Wasco County Flood Map Open Houses Scheduled
There will be two open houses later in May on the Federal Emergency Management Agency preliminary updated flood insurance rate map for Wasco County. The map provides information on areas of the County that are most prone to and least likely to experience flooding, with detailed information on flood zones, base flood elevations, and other flood risk factors. Wasco County officials are encouraging property owners to review the updated map and consult with their insurance agent. The open houses where there will be a specialist available for questions are planned for May 23 at The Dalles High School and May 24 at the Wasco Community Center. Both run from 5:30 to 7:30 in the evening. The updated map is available for review at the Wasco County Planning Office on 2705 East 2nd in The Dalles, and online at bit.ly/wascostorymap.
Paving Work Continues In The Dalles
The City of The Dalles Public Works began Monday to pave back East 11th St. and East 13th Pl. with new asphalt. Weather permitting, work is to continue through Thursday. Work hours are from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on each scheduled work day. Full street closures will be in effect most of each work day. Motor vehicles and bicyclists will be detoured to adjacent side streets. Where sidewalks exist, pedestrian and sidewalk access will remain open through the duration of this work. No parking will be allowed within the project areas due to curb-to-curb asphalt removal and replacement. No parking signs will be place on the curb 48 hours before the project moves into each work area.
New Welcome Signs Unveiled In The Dalles
A pair of new welcome signs were unveiled Monday on each end of The Dalles. One is on the eastside on Highway 30, and the other on the west side of the City at the corner of River Road and Highway 30. The signs were the work of the City of The Dalles Beautification Committee. Mayor Rich Mays says signs like these show pride in the community, and can boost morale. Mays hopes when people see the new signs, there might be more interest in adding similar signs at other community entrances.
Hydrant Flushing Planned
The Dalles Public Works Department will be flushing fire hydrants throughout the city over the next few weeks, weather permitting. Fire hydrants are flushed in order to clean out deposits, sediments and rust from distribution pipelines, help minimize water quality problems, test fire protection water pressures, exercise hydrant valves, and identify hydrants needing repair or replacement. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid driving or walking through the water coming directly from a hydrant while it is being flushed. If it is not possible to avoid the area, please proceed with caution. Occasionally main flushing causes water flowing from a tap to be discolored from stirred up sediment or milky white caused by tiny air bubbles. Although discolored water won’t make you sick, you might want to flush the pipe by running the water for several minutes before drinking or washing. If the water does not clear contact the Public Works office at 541-296-5401 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., or after hours at 541-980-7703.
Columbia River Recreational Salmon & Steelhead Seasons Set
Oregon and Washington fishery managers recently finalized seasons and regulations for 2023 Columbia River summer and fall recreational salmon and steelhead fisheries. The forecast for summer Chinook is 85,400 adult fish, which is larger than last year’s actual return, and the forecast for sockeye is 234,500 fish, which is higher than last year’s forecast but significantly less than last year’s record return. For the summer season, retention of adult hatchery Chinook, hatchery steelhead, and sockeye will open June 16 and is expected to continue through July 31 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco. The bag limit is two adult salmonids, but only one may be a hatchery steelhead, and all sockeye are considered adults. If accurate, the preseason forecast of 67,800 fish would be the lowest return for upriver summer steelhead since counting started at Bonneville Dam in 1938. In recognition of the expected low abundance, anglers will see extremely conservative retention regulations again in 2023, similar to recent years. Hatchery steelhead retention will be allowed June 16 to July 31 from the Astoria-Megler Bridge upstream to The Dalles Dam and June 16 through Aug. 31 from The Dalles Dam upstream to the Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco with a reduced bag limit of one fish.
Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority Agreement Signed
The cities and counties at both ends of the aging Hood River White Salmon Bridge have signed an agreement to form a new bridge authority, another step toward replacing the current crossing. The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority’s charter takes effect on July 1. Washington signers are the cities of Bingen and White Salmon, and Klickitat County. Oregon signers are the City of Hood River, Hood River County and the Port of Hood River. The six signers had been collaborating since October 2020 in an informal working group called the Bistate Working Group, which will continue working as Hood River and Klickitat counties appoint the new authority’s board members. The six members of the new authority will transition into place between now and July 1 when the new authority officially takes on the responsibility of designing, building and operating the new bridge. The board will appoint two co-chairs — one from Washington, one from Oregon — to a two-year term. The charter gives the board wide authority, notably including “the power to impose, fix, collect, and periodically adjust the rate of tolls.” The formation of the bridge authority is expected to aid progress on obtaining state and federal funding and building a replacement.
Mosbrucker Bills Signed By Governor
The last three of six bills authored by Washington 14th District Rep. Gina Mosbrucker that passed the Legislature and were sent to the governor received his signature Thursday and will become law in July. Gov. Jay Inslee signed the trio of bills during ceremonies Thursday at the state Capitol in Olympia. House Bill 1114 expands the state’s Sentencing Guidelines Commission by five unpaid members. House Bill 1564 prohibits the sale and distribution of do-it-yourself inadmissible at-home rape kits. And also known as “Mary’s Law,” House Bill 1779 would convene a state interagency carbon monoxide work group to investigate how to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. All the bills take effect on July 22.
May 5-6 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Wilsonville 11, Hood Rive Valley 0
Heppner sweeps Sherman 20-1 and 7-3
Seton Catholic 11, Stevenson 1
Goldendale sweeps White Swan 12-4 and 19-0
Softball
LaSalle 11, Hood River Valley 0
Stevenson 11, Seton Catholic 9
Pilot Rock sweeps Lyle-Klickitat-Wishram 19-0 and 22-1
Goldendale sweeps White Swan 18-3 and 24-13
Track and Field
Zoe Dunn of The Dalles won a pair of events at the Rex Putnam Invitational. Alaina Casady. Lilly Adams, Juan Diego Contreras, Leo Lemann, River McClure, and Julian Moorehouse all won events for the Riverhawks, while Jordan Waymire, Kacen Bach, and Tucker Wyninger of Stevenson also had first place fuinishes.
Goldendale won the boys’ title and the host Huskies the girls’ at the Sherman Invitational. Goldendale’s Raymond Holycross won four events and Landon Heberling of Trout Lake three in boys’ competition, while Sherman’s Sophie Hulke won three in the girls’ half of the meet.
Columbia’s Jessica Polkinghorn won the girls’ shot put at the Spudder Invitational at Ridgefield
Glenwood’s Emma Patterson and Klickitat’s Lena Thiemann won two events at the Revenge of the Fifth Meet in Mabton
Boys Lacrosse
Lincoln 16, Hood River Valley 9
Girls Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 20, Central Catholic 9
Boys Soccer
Columbia 6, Elma 1
WSP Seeks Witnesses To Reckless Driving Incident In Bingen
The Washington State Patrol is seeking witnesses or information to a dangerous incident that occurred Thursday morning on Highway 14 near milepost 62 in the Bingen area. The WSP says the Washington State Department of Transportation was conducting roadway maintenance that required a lane closure in the area just after 9 a.m. Workers were flagging alternating traffic into one lane when a vehicle entered the construction zone, disregarding the closure. The vehicle, a black truck cab with an open bed trailer, failed to stop for flagging crews and traveled the wrong way in the lane closure, almost going head-on with westbound traffic. The vehicle was seen by troopers going at a high-rate of speed through the work zone, but were unable to stop the vehicle due to the safety of roadway workers and other motorists. Troopers were able to follow the vehicle once through the construction zone south across the Interstate Bridge into Oregon. The vehicle made additional dangerous movements by traveling across the two lane bridge the wrong way, forcing northbound traffic on the bridge to make aggressive movements to avoid head-on collisions. Troopers would like to speak to the driver or owner of the vehicle about the dangerous incident, and are seeking witnesses who were traveling through the area, or have dash-cam video of the incidents, between 9:10 AM and 9:30 AM. If you have information that can assist troopers in contacting the driver or owner of the pictured vehicle, please call 360-903-3965.