Hood River’s Urban Renewal Agency Board, made up primarily of the City Council, gave the go-ahead to the Port of Hood River to conduct a financial analysis of expanding the length of the Waterfront Urban Renewal District but shrinking its size, but gave no guarantees it would approve an extension after the study.  Many on the panel are focused on a Westside Urban Renewal District in an effort to create affordable housing opportunities, and don’t want an extension of the Waterfront district to take away from that.  But Councilor Mark Zanmiller pointed out that doing the analysis will provide a better idea of what it would take to create an additional $1.8 million in tax increment financing to make improvements to the entry to the Waterfront.  The analysis will look at five different options that would shrink the current Waterfront Urban Renewal District down to 12 to 25 acres in size.

Hood River’s Urban Renewal Agency Board will be discussing the Heights Streetscape project in August.  City Manager Abigail Elder says the topic is planned for the panel’s August 8 meeting.  Mayor Kate McBride says they will be reviewing recommendations from their consultants and staff selecting a direction to pursue, noting while a hybrid concept which would make 13th Street two-way but 12th remain one-way had some favor among the board, nothing has been decided.  Elder noted municipal staff have continued discussions with the Oregon Department of Transportation on the subject.  Both 12th and 13th are state highways.

A local contingent has returned from a visit to Washington, D.C. to seek support for its application for $195 million in federal grant funds for replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge.  Klickitat County Commissioner Jacob Anderson says he felt positive about the reception they received, especially from federal transportation officials.  The federal transportation department should announce its grant recipients sometime later this year.

A 57-year-old Longview woman died in a motorcycle accident on Washington Highway 14 Sunday evening.  According to the Washington State Patrol, the motorcycle was traveling westbound on Highway 14 near milepost 24 when it went off the roadway to the right and struck an embankment. The motorcycle came to rest in the westbound lane.  The driver was taken to Peacehealth Southwest Washington Hospital in Vancouver, where she was pronounced deceased.  Her name has not been released pending notification of next of kin.  The accident occurred just after 7:30 Sunday night.

The Port of Hood River says bridge engineers and inspection crews will be on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate bridge Tuesday through Thursday to conduct the Oregon Department of Transportation required biennial bridge inspections.   Flaggers will be on the bridge directing traffic around the moving work zone starting at 6:30 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. all three days.   Motorists should expect delays of approximately 20 minutes during these hours, depending on traffic volume.  For more information, contact the Port via email to porthr@gorge.net.

Mid-Columbia Community Action and Washington Gorge Action Programs will be have cooling shelters open this coming week from Monday through Friday due to the expected high temperatures.  In Hood River County the shelter will be at the Hood River Alliance Church on 2650 Montello…while in Wasco County it will be located at St. Vincent dePaul at 315 West 3rd in The Dalles.  Shelters in Klickitat County will be at Father’s House Fellowship on 207 South Klickitat Avenue in Goldendale and the White Salmon Fire Hall on 119 NE Church Avenue.  WAGAP will also have a Skamania County shelter adjacent to the Hegewald Center on 710 SW Rock Creek Drive in Stevenson.  In all cases, shelters will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  In Sherman County, Mid-Columbia Community Action advises people to call 541-565-3100 for information on cooling resources near you.

North Wasco County School District 21 has hired Dr. Lauren Merklin as the new Director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment.  Merklin, who holds both a masters and doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Administration brings an extensive background in leadership, professional development, and school strategy to the role.  Since 2015, Merklin has been a consultant, contracting with schools across the nation, focusing on strategic development, vision planning, and the development of education models to facilitate student success.  Merklin says she considers herself a “data-informed strategist.”  As Director of Teaching, Learning and Assessment, Merklin will be tasked with the development, implementation, and evaluation of D21’s K-12 curriculum, staff development and assessment, school improvement initiatives, and federal grants oversight.

Work is about to start on the second phase of the Neal Creek Instream Habitat Restoration Project to restore native fish habitat.  The Hood River Watershed Group says this phase of the project will restore habitat diversity and quantity on a ¾ mile stretch of the creek, particularly spawning and juvenile rearing habitat.   This project aims to restore the ecological processes of the Neal Creek Watershed through 640 feet of side channel and floodplain reconnection, the excavation of two off-channel alcoves for juvenile fish, 11 log jams, pool enhancement, and native riparian revegetation.  The Watershed Group has worked with nine private landowners to allow for the implementation of this project on their land, and has partnered with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, which has provided extensive funding for the design and the construction of the project.  Other funding comes from the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, U.S. Forest Service, and Bonneville Environmental Foundation Tree Credits.

North Central Public Health District has iHealth COVID-19 test kits available to agencies and the public, and will distribute them on a drive-up basis.  Each at-home test kit contains two tests.  Drive-up distribution is being offered one hour per day the week of July 25-29, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. all five days.  Just pull up to the Annex C building after entering the parking lot at 419 E. 7th St. and someone will bring you a couple of boxes of self-tests.  If you would like at-home test kits, but can’t make it to the drive-up times listed above, please call 541-506-2600 to schedule an alternate pick-up time.

The Hood River Police Department says with the increasing use of electric bicycles on public roadways, they are issuing a reminder that youth under the age of 16 cannot legally operate an e-bike.  An electric bicycle is equipped with an electric motor integrated into the frame and wheel.  It cannot exceed 1,000 watts and is designed to not exceed 20 miles per hour.  E-bikes are considered a bicycle under the Oregon Vehicle Code.  Hood River Police say they are allowed on roadways, lanes, or paths that bicycles are permitted to use.  E-bikes are not permitted on sidewalks.  Hood River Police are encouraging parents to review e-bike laws before purchasing one for a child.