The Next Door Inc. is hosting a Community Baby Shower donation drive this month to support local families. The organization will be taking monetary donations at nextdoorinc.org, or contributions of new, unwrapped gender-neutral items to help parents nurture their newborns. Needed items include diapers, wipes, onesies, swaddlers, bibs, pacifiers, teethers, baby carriers, front packs, wraps, and white noise machines. New items or cash gifts can be dropped off at the offices of The Next Door located at 965 Tucker in Hood River and 1113 Kelly Avenue in The Dalles. For more information about Family Services programs at The Next Door, visit nextdoorinc.org/family-services.
April 3 Prep Sports Roundup
Softball
Gresham 11, Hood River Valley 3: The Gophers scored two in the fifth inning and six in the seventh grab the win.
Snowpack High; But Water YTD Short Of Normal
The latest numbers from the Natural Resources Conservation Oregon Snow Pack Survey has the Hood/Sandy/Lower Deschutes basin at 157% of normal snowpack in terms of snow water equivalent, but the water year to date is only at 86% of normal. Survey supervisor Matt Warbritton says the storms in the fall, which is the start of the water year, brought more snow than rain. And he says that means soil moisture content did not get a boost going into the winter, particularly east of the Cascades’ crest. Warbritton adds that’s all the more reason it’s important the snowpack is above normal numbers.
Dam Spills To Begin
Federal water managers will begin spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of water over spillways instead of through turbines during annual “spring spill” operations at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ dams on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers. The operations, which primarily benefit juvenile fish, start today on the lower Snake River and next Monday on the lower Columbia River. It’s intended to decrease the time it takes juvenile salmon and steelhead to move through the system of dams to the Pacific Ocean as well as provide a non-turbine passage route past the dams. Spill levels vary at each of the eight dams, but all projects have an upper limit that protects water quality such as total dissolved gas, or TDG. Bonneville, McNary and Ice Harbor dams will spill up to the 125% TDG levels 24 hours per day. The Dalles Dam will spill 40% of the river over the spillway, equivalent to 2022 spill level. The John Day Dam will spill 16 hours per day up to the 125% TDG levels and reduce spill for up to eight hours to performance standard spill levels or 32% of the river.
Johnson Named Interim TD Art Center Director
The Dalles Art Center Board has hired Sally Johnson as its Interim Executive Director. In a statement by the board, they say Johnson will help advance the strategic plan initiated by the board and help prepare the organization for a permanent Executive Director. Johnson comes to The Dalles Arts Center with over 12 years of experience managing programs, teams, and departments at for-profit and non-profit organizations. Most recently, she was the Director of Business Development for the non-profit organization, Oxbow Farm & Conservation in Carnation, Washington. Board member Philip Mascher says Johnson brings experience scaling non-profits with diversified financial plans that include grants, donations and other revenue generating programs. She also has a background as a visual artist and musician. Johnson will be at the opening gala for the Gorge Artists Open Studio Tour show on April 6th at 5 p.m. The Art Center says it is in reach of meeting its fundraising goal of $3,500 in committed monthly donations.
March 31-April 1 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
Hood River Valley 13, Glencoe 3
Hood River Valley 15, McNary 4
Nelson 20, Hood River Valley 5
LaCenter 20, Columbia 0
Country Christian 17, Lyle-Wishram 1
Country Christian 11, Lyle-Wishram 11
Softball
Columbia 4, Camas 3
Boys Lacrosse
Hood River Valley 16, Union 3
Track and Field
Goldendale’s Raymond Holycross finished second in the 300 meter hurdles and the triple jump at the Holder Relays in Yakima.
MCCAC Publishes 2022 Report
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council published its 2022 annual report, revealing that the agency invested more than $5.5 million in services, housing, rent, utility, and bill pay assistance to community members in Wasco, Sherman, and Hood River Counties last year. The report highlights nearly $1 million more was spent by MCCAC in the community through the local workforce, businesses, contractors, and others for a total of approximately $6.5 million. The assistance provided by the agency’s programs in 2022 helped more than 4,000 residents of Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties. Nearly 1,000 people were helped by Community Action’s housing programs, and over 3,400 were assisted through over $1.42 million in payments to local utility companies on their behalf. The report also highlights several key projects MCCAC was involved in 2022, including the recent groundbreaking of the Gloria Center to streamline access to essential services, beginning to convert the Oregon Motor Motel into The Annex for transitional housing and shelter, and creation of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative’s five-year strategic plan to improve the region’s coordinated system to prevent and respond to houselessness.
Sewer Main Replacement Suspended
A sanitary sewer main replacement project on East 9th Street in The Dalles has been suspended after excavation had to be stopped due to a dig into underground utilities. The Dalles Public Works says the City had contacted the 811 Utility Notification Center to locate existing underground utilities and utilities were clearly marked. But the markings provided for an existing privately-owned fiber optic line were incorrect and City crews on Wednesday excavated into and damaged it. Work by a private contractor to complete an emergency repair of the damaged fiber optic line extended well into Wednesday night and have been completed. The City will be suspending work on the project on East 9th St west of Quinton Street while the City works with the private utility owners to resolve any potential conflicts. The trench will be filled and roads reopened for use by this coming weekend. After that, the City says work on the pipeline replacement project will not resume until it is confident that excavation can be done safely, without interrupting utility service.
Second Threat Toward Wind River
Skamania County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded on Thursday to the second threat of a school shooting at Wind River Middle School in less than a week. The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says at approximately 10:50 Thursday morning, school officials reported the incident to the Sheriff’s Office. Wind River Middle School was placed in lockdown and students were sequestered to the school’s gymnasium. Video surveillance was reviewed and several students were interviewed by detectives. The Sheriff’s Office said late Thursday the person responsible for making the threat has not been determined and the investigation is active. If you have any information regarding this case, please contact the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office at 509-427-9490 and dial 0.
Two Arrested In Coastal Theft
Two people were arrested on Wednesday in Washington after a report of theft and burglary at Coastal Farm and Ranch in The Dalles. According to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office, Wasco County Sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police attempted to stop a vehicle near The Dalles after the theft was reported, but the suspect vehicle crossed the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge. The vehicle was located abandoned in White Salmon. A passenger, identified as 33-year-old William Forbes of Carson was taken into custody in White Salmon while the driver, identified as 29-year-old Elizabeth Purkeypyle of Carson was arrested at a residence in Carson. Both suspects were lodged in the Klickitat County Correctional Facility.