The Hood River County School District has shuffled some administrative duties, including making the district-wide athletic director position fully focused on that role and no longer also serving as an assistant principal at Hood River Valley High School.  Current district athletic director Trent Kroll will continue in the position, while the number of assistant principals at the high school will drop from three to two.  In addition, Jennifer Schlosser will transition from an assistant principal at HRVHS to becoming the district’s recruitment and retention specialist.  To fill her spot at the high school, Nate Parson will move from Wy’east Middle School where has been the past four school years to Hood River Valley High School.  The district is currently looking to fill the vacant assistant principal position at Wy’east.

Gifford Pinchot National Forest fire managers have issued restrictions on campfires, smoking, and other activities within the forest starting today.  Prohibitions include building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire, including a charcoal fire and pellet fire on all Gifford Pinchot general forest land and developed campgrounds.  Smoking is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a designated campground, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.           Also banned is possessing, discharging, or using any kind of firework or other pyrotechnic device, and operating or using any internal or external combustion engine without a spark arresting device properly installed, maintained, and in effective working order.  Portable cooking stoves, lanterns, and heating devices using liquefied or bottled fuel, such as propane, are still allowed as they can be instantly switched off.

Mop up work continues today on the brush fire on the south side of Interstate 84 Exit 87 at the east end of The Dalles that generated a large and quick response by firefighters on Thursday before being brought under control.  Helicopter drops helped bring the fire under control after it started in the mid-morning hours near the railroad tracks south of the freeway.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Palmer estimated the fire to be eight-to-nine acres in size, but there were a number of factors that made it difficult to deal with, including a strong wind, the fire being in a bit of draw between the freeway and the railroad tracks, and spotting.  Palmer noted there was some spotting of the fire along the hillside, but crews were able to catch them quickly and prevent spread.  He added the big concern was the fire spotting into the Columbia View Heights area, but firefighters were able to prevent that from happening.  Palmer said the investigation into what caused the fire is continuing.

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says they are downgrading all evacuation levels associated with the Miller Road Fire by one level.  That means the area from Victor Road and Walters Road on the north and south side of Highway 216 to Highway 197 are now at Level 2 “Get Set.”  Tygh Valley, Tygh Valley Road, Fred Ashley Road, Davidson Grade Road, the east side of Highway 197 and all of Oak Spring Road to Highway 216,and Maupin on both sides of the Deschutes River are now at Level 1 “Be Ready.”  Fire officials say the fire is now at 25 percent containment, as light winds and moderate temperatures on Thursday allowed crews to start mop up operations.  The size of the fire is now estimated at 11,186 acres.  Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Incident Commander Scott Magers says they are making a big push to make as much progress as possible before hotter weather arrives during the weekend.  OSFM Operations Section Chief Trainee Mark Corless says crews will continue today to increase mop up operations, with a goal of 100 feet from the fire’s perimeter.  A Type-2 Northwest Interagency Management Team was joining the state fire marshal’s team in a unifed command for the fire.  There are nine task forces, 36 engines, two dozers, and eight water tenders assigned to the fire, with air assets available as needed.

As of August 4 at 5:45 p.m.

Klickitat County Commissioner Pos. 2

Lori Zoller                               851    40.6

Matt Dumolt                           522    24.9

William Morris                        473    22.5

Rick Essacson                         232    11.1

  Skamania County Sheriff

Summer Scheyer                     2,108          45.6

David Waymire                       1,715          37.1

Zach Prosser                            458             9.9

Ryan Cook                              326             7.1

  Congressional Dist. 4

Dan Newhouse ®                     29,681        26.4

Doug White (D)                        28,516        25.4

Loren Culp ®                           23,562        21.0

  Congressional Dist. 3

Marie Glusenkamp-Perez (D)  49,202        31.1

Jamie Herrera-Beutler ®                   36,854        23.3

Joe Kent ®                              34,909        22.2

Heidi St. John ®                      24,808        15.7

  Washington House District 14 Pos. 2

Gina Mosbrucker                    15,774        65.3

Liz Hallock                              4,918          20.4

Chris Faison                                     3,354          13.9

  Washington House District 17 Pos. 1

Terri Niles (D)                         14,421        44.1

Kevin Waters ®                       7,688          23.5

Hannah Joy ®                         6,141          18.8

Anthony Ho ®                        4,454          13.6

  Washington House District 17 Pos. 2

Joe Kear (D)                            14,695        45.2

Paul Harris ®                          9,909          30.5

Earl Bowerman ®                   4,087          12.6

Justin Forsman ®                    3,737           11.5

  Skamania County PUD Commission Pos. 2

Dave McKenzie              843    51.6

Kathleen Fitzgerald        404    24.7

Mary Repar                             383    23.4

  Home Valley Water District Maintenance and Capital Improvement Levy

Yes                                85      62.5

No                                  51      37.5

Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Palmer says five boathouses were totaled…six more significantly damaged…and ten to eleven were saved with minimal damage from Monday night’s fire at The Dalles Marina.  Palmer says crews arrived shortly after receiving the fire call at 7:10 p.m., and found several boathouses on fire in the B finger of the Marina.  Those crews then began protecting potential exposures…battling winds that came up during the fire.  Palmer said embers from the fire ignited some nearby brush…burning an area about 300 feet long and 75 feet wide alongside Interstate 84.  Fire crews returned to that location today after reports of the brush fire restarting.  Palmer said the Port of The Dalles was able to quickly get contract crews to the Marina to contain debris and hazardous materials resulting from the boats that were damaged in the fire.  The fire is under investigation…with Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office called in to lead that work.  Palmer said one firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion at Mid-Columbia Medical Center.  Last year during the Fourth of July weekend…a fire destroyed a number of houseboats in The Dalles Marina’s D finger.  

Columbia Gorge Community College and the Gorge Community Foundation are teaming up to help bring a visiting authors program to CGCC beginning this fall.  CGCC Foundation Director Wendy Patton says the project will select diverse authors and integrate their work into existing courses.  The visiting authors and other details, including involvement of the wider Gorge community, will be announced in the coming weeks.  The Gorge Community Foundation provided $1500 for the visiting authors program.

The new 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is operational.  The 9-8-8 dialing code connects callers to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, a network of local call centers throughout the country.  Oregon Health Authority Behavioral Health Crisis System and 9-8-8 Lead Rusha Grinstead says the hope is the three-digit number is easier to remember than the lifeline’s previous ten-digit number, especially for those in crisis.  In 2020 the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline received nearly 2.4 million calls, and call volume is anticipated to significantly increase with the launch of 9-8-8.

A Klamath Falls man will be riding his mountain bike on the Oregon Timber Trail from Lakeview to Hood River starting on Monday to raise awareness of ovarian cancer.  Mark Shafer’s wife Kelly is an ovarian cancer survivor after being diagnosed with Stage 3C cancer in 2016.  Mark Shafer says he making the ride to promote awareness of the disease and to provide education to women and the health care community, noting the symptoms are bloating, getting full fast, and a need to urinate frequently.  Shafer said if those persist for a couple of weeks, see a doctor.  The ride is scheduled to finish August 25 in Hood River.  To follow Shafer’s trip, go to Teal on 2 Wheels on Facebook.

North Central Public Health District says two dead bats have been found on properties in The Dalles in recent months.  Bats are an important part of the ecosystem and are helpful bug eaters, but they are also the leading cause of rabies deaths in people in the U.S.  NCPHD says most bats do not have rabies, but you can’t tell just by looking at it.  The district is advising to dispose of a dead bat, pick it up with a plastic bag over your hand or use disposable gloves, place both the bat and the plastic bag into another plastic bag, spray with disinfectant, close the bag securely, and dispose of it with your garbage, then thoroughly wash your hands and clothing that comes into contact with the bat.  Dead and observed sick bats can be reported to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife through the agency’s website.  Signs a bat is sick is if it flies during daytime, has difficulty flying or on the ground, or has a white substance on their face or wings.