Wasco County Commissioners approved opting out of recently adopted state rules on siting solar power projects to allow the County’s planning staff to analyze their impacts. County Community Development Director Kelly Howsley-Glover told Commissioners a recent state Supreme Court decision found Oregon’s Energy Facility Siting Council can waive local regulations if there is no direct impact to statewide land use planning goals. She says there have been two new pathways prescribed for solar permitting, but they are very confusing, even to planning officials. Howsley-Glover says the opt-out will give her staff a chance to analyze the impacts of the new rules. She says they can opt back in if it is found the rules would be a good fit for Wasco County.
College President Finishing 1500 Mile Run In Hood River
Clackamas Community College President Tim Cook will conclude his 1,500 mile run to bring attention to the needs of community college students around Oregon in Hood River on Thursday morning. Community runners can join Cook in the final stretch of his run. He will start from the CGCC campus on 1730 College Way in Hood River at 8 a.m. Thursday and follow Indian Creek Trail two-and-a-half miles to the finish line at Slackwater Beach. He will finish the run off with a plunge into the Columbia River. Cook has spent his summer running on a route that connected all seventeen of Oregon’s community colleges. He wants to raise awareness and support for the basic needs of community college students.
Cruise The Gorge Weekend
The upcoming weekend is Cruise the Gorge weekend in The Dalles. The Neon Cruise will take place through downtown The Dalles on Friday evening, with the Show in the Shade set for Sorosis Park on Saturday. Steve Hudson of the Mid-Columbia Car Club says they are expecting car enthusiasts from the Northwest and beyond to take part, with the added attraction of Dennis Gage from the television program My Classic Car coming for the second time in recent years. For information on the Cruise the Gorge schedule, go to midcolumbiacarclub.org.
Foster Parents Needed For The Next Door’s Therapeutic School
The Next Door is seeking more foster parents for students in its Klahre House Alternative School. The school in Hood River provides high school-age students place their by the Oregon Youth Authority who are receiving therapeutic schooling that combines behavioral health and addiction treatment services with traditional education and a GED program. School Administrator Tim Shampoe says they need more foster parents to provide a stable home-like setting some of their students have never had on a consistent basis. Those interested in being a foster parent can contact The Next Door by email at fosterinfo@nextdoorinc.org.
Wasco Sheriff Notes Phase 1 Of Fire Recovery Nearing An End
The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says phase 1 of Rowena Fire recovery is nearing an end, and it’s an important time to take advantage of available recovery services while they are still accessible. Free personal property recovery is available through Northwest Baptist Disaster Relief, which the Sheriff’s Office says is a vetted member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters and offers specialized assistance to help fire victims sift through debris and recover personal belongings with the assistance of trained volunteers with specialized fire cleanup experience. The service is available through Monday, and is free of charge to all those impacted by the Rowena Fire. Call the organization’s Region 3 coordinator, Dave Hillison, at 503-789-6952.
Merkley & Dexter Introduce Bill To Protect Farmworkers From Heat & Smoke
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley and Third District Congresswoman Maxine Dexter have introduced a bill they say would put safeguards in place for farmworkers facing wildfire smoke and extreme weather dangers. The Farmworker Smoke and Excessive Heat Protection Act would tequire employers to provide N95 masks or other National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-certified respiratory protection, along with training and education, to farmworkers exposed to hazardous air conditions. It also directs the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to develop and publish an official standard to protect employees from wildfire smoke and extreme heat exposure. Merkley and Dexter say during wildfire season, farmworkers must often work quickly in smoky conditions to harvest crops and protect them from smoke damage, and many do so without proper respiratory protection.
Foster Parents Needed For The Next Door’s Therapeutic School
The Next Door is seeking more foster parents for students in its Klahre House Alternative School. The school in Hood River provides high school-age students place their by the Oregon Youth Authority who are receiving therapeutic schooling that combines behavioral health and addiction treatment services with traditional education and a GED program. School Administrator Tim Shampoe says they need more foster parents to provide a stable home-like setting some of their students have never had on a consistent basis. Those interested in being a foster parent can contact The Next Door by email at fosterinfo@nextdoorinc.org.
Treatment Plan Improving, But Not Yet In Compliance
The Dalles Public Works says operations at the City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant are improving but not yet back in compliance after a recent plant upset that resulted in treated wastewater exceeding the plant’s limit for E. coli being discharged into the Columbia River. On Sunday samples were taken at pre-arranged locations in the Columbia River to determine the effect of the discharge on water quality in the river. Tests on five samples show that E. coli levels at the sample locations were well below bacterial criteria set by the Oregon Department Environmental Quality for freshwater recreation. As a precaution, signs saying “Warning-Contaminated Water-No Water Contact” will remain in place from The Dalles Riverfront to the West Mayer Park boat launch on the Oregon shore of the Columbia. Wastewater treatment staff are working to restore the biological balance so that the plant can return to normal operations.
Burdoin Fire Assistance Available Wednesday
There will be an assistance event Wednesday in Lyle from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. for those affected by the Burdoin Fire. Walk-in resources will be available at the Lyle Lions Community Center. It will be a one-stop spot for recovery resources, with local and regional agencies onsite to offer assistance, answer questions, and connect people with services. No appointment is needed. At the nearby Lyle School Cafeteria, donation pick-up will take place. It will be stocked with essentials like towels, bedding, plates, cups, toiletries, perishable and non-perishable food, and lots of clothing for all ages. Both locations will be open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
MCCAC Finding Housing For Those Displaced By Rowena Fire
Mid-Columbia Community Action has been working to help get those displaced by the Rowena Fire rehoused. MCCAC Executive Director Leslie Naramore says they have helped fourteen households find rental housing, and gotten hotel stays arranged for others. She adds they are trying to help in other ways as well, helping to acquire household items for the displaced. If you have been affected by the Rowena Fire and need help, you can go to mccac.com for information, or go to the Gloria Center at 2505 West 7th in The Dalles. If you are interested in helping fire victims with their needs, watch the Mid-Columbia Community Action Facebook page where the organization has been posting information on items that are being requested.