The Hood River County Health Department says it confirmed a measles diagnosis in a partially vaccinated individual in the community on Thursday. A Health Department statement says it has determined there is minimal risk of exposure to others in Hood River County from this individual. Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus. It is spread through the air primarily after someone with measles coughs or sneezes. The symptoms of measles start with a fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes followed by a red rash that usually begins on the head or face and spreads to the rest of the body. Although measles is highly contagious, it has largely been eliminated from circulating in our community because of many people being immune. The best protection against measles is vaccination. Children should receive their first dose of measles vaccine between 12 and 15 months of age, and another dose at kindergarten. The measles/mumps/rubella, or MMR, vaccine is generally first given at 12 months of age in the United States. In Oregon, two doses of measles vaccination have been required for school children since 1998.
Heights District Options To Be Presented In April
Hood River’s Urban Renewal Agency Board will receive a couple of options in April on moving forward with the Heights Urban Renewal District. City Manager Abigail Elder says staff and their consultants will be presenting items based on input the URA board gave last summer, most notably on roundabouts and stop lights. The Heights Streetscape Project focuses on the commercial core of 12th and 13th Streets between May Street and Belmont Avenue. The URA board meeting to discuss the staff recommendations will be on April 24.
March 24-25 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
The Dalles sweeps Sisters 22-4 and 11-1
Goldendale sweeps Highland 20-0 and 14-2
Riverside 12, Stevenson 2
Country Christian defeats Dufur 11-9 in game one, game two ends in 10-10 tie.
Softball
Stevenson 30, Riverside 4
Boys Soccer
Columbia 4, Stevenson 0
Track and Field
Jessica Polkinghorn won the girls’ javelin and finished second in the shot put to lead the Columbia effort at the Tiger Relays in Battle Ground.
Navigation Center Named Gloria Center
Mid-Columbia Community Action’s new navigation center has been christened the Gloria Center. The name honors the late Gloria Schultens. who donated the property at 2505 West 7th that will be the location for the facility. The naming announcement was made at a groundbreaking ceremony this morning. Community Action Executive Director Kenny LaPoint said Schultens had a vision for the project. The Gloria Center is targeted to open at the start of next year, and will serve as a multi-agency service center and emergency overnight shelter. It is intended to be a one-stop resource hub providing services that work toward eliminating poverty and houselessness in the community. The agencies to be housed at the Center include Community Action, the Mid-Columbia Center for Living, One Community Health, the Oregon Human Development Corporation, Nch’Iwana Housing, the Department of Human Services, the Columbia Gorge Health Council, and its Bridges to Health program.
Klickitat County Commission Continues Solar Moratorium
Klickitat County Commissioners this week continued their current moratorium on solar development proposals over one acre in size and located in the Goldendale and Centerville valleys. The Commission asked Planning Director Mo-Chi Lindblad to provide findings of fact for the moratorium at their meeting next week. That after one hour of at time contentious discussions, most notably between Chair Dan Christopher and Commissioner Jacob Anderson, on the goal of what is to be accomplished as a result of the moratorium. Christopher said he is looking for more specific regulations for industrial solar farm siting to be done in an expedited manner, but added he is asking the Prosecuting Attorney’s office to allow the Commission to hire an attorney who specializes in land use to advise them. Lindblad will also be providing a work plan for developing ordinance revisions to deal with industrial solar projects.
Hood River County Agencies Starting Fentanyl Education Campaign
The Hood River County Prevention Department and the Hood River County Health Department are embarking on an education campaign around the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Fake pills sold illegally are often laced with fentanyl, and even a dose as small as two milligrams is lethal. One of the aims of the campaign is to increase the availability of opioid rescue medications such as naloxone, which is a nasal spray that can be used to rapidly reverse opioid overdose to give time for emergency medical attention to be provided.
Student Taken Into Custody After Alleged Threat
A Stevenson High School student was taken into custody on Wednesday after allegedly asking another student to “shoot up the school.” A statement from the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says there was no plan in place and no intent from the recipient of the text message to cause harm. The Sheriff’s Office added it was not necessary to place the school into lockdown as there was no direct threat on campus. School staff had contacted the Sheriff’s Office immediately after receiving word of the threat. The Sheriff’s Office says the juvenile suspect was taken into custody and booked into the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Juvenile Detention Center, adding it is an active case and further details are being investigated.
CGCC Aviation Program Students Have Jobs Waiting For Them
The first cohort of students is moving through Columbia Gorge Community College’s Aviation Maintenance Technology program. CGCC Director of Technology and Trades Robert Clark says those students have jobs waiting for them when they are done, with industry partners committing to hiring all of their graduates. The program is currently based in a former warehouse, but plans to move to Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in Dallesport. Clark says they are awaiting a bill in the Oregon Legislature authored by 26th District Senator Daniel Bonham that will allow the move across the river, where the program’s industry partners are located.
Newhouse & Rodgers Introduce Dam Protection Bill
Washington Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers have introduced a bill to protect Lower Snake River Dams. The legislation entitled the “Northwest Energy Security Act” supports the Federal Columbia River Power System. It directs the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) to be operated in alignment with the 2020 Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Decision. Published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration in September of that year, the decision found that the Lower Snake River Dams should not be breached, with efforts focused on improving and maintaining hydropower assets while working to improve salmon passage and conditions. Senators Jim Risch of Idaho and Steve Daines of Montana introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
March 22 Prep Sports Roundup
Baseball
The Dalles 15, Taft 1: Braden Schwartz went 4 for 4 with three doubles and fire runs batted in to lead the Riverhawks’ offense.
Softball
The Dalles 9, Yamhill-Carlton 7: Maddie Brock homered and drove in two runs while Madalynn Sagapolutele and Despina Seufalemua also had two RBI apiece to lead the Riverhawks.
Stevenson 8, Kalama 4