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Bridge Authority About To Get Access To Portion Of Federal Grant

Posted on by mbailey

It appears the federal government is going to allow the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority to finally access at least a portion of a $208 million grant promised last year.  Bridge Authority Board Member Mike Fox says they are in the final stages of getting that contract in place to allow local access to at least $83 million of the grant.  Fox says that would not be enough to start any construction work, but would allow the Authority to get the bridge design work done.  Fox notes they are at a crucial point in assembling funding to build the new bridge, with the Washington Legislature having committed its $125 million share, but the Oregon Legislature still hasn’t made that move yet.  Fox adds the process for the federal Bridge Investment Program grants is resuming, and the Authority has a $532 million grant application in that process.

 

 

 

TD Tourism Contract Includes Hiring Director

Posted on by mbailey

As part of its new tourism promotion contract with the City of The Dalles, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce will be hiring an executive tourism director.  Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson notes they had a tourism coordinator before the COVID-19 pandemic, but this will be different in that it is going to be a full-fledged director.  Farquharson says the new director will be tasked with coming up with new campaigns to bring Gorge tourists further west.  Farquharson says they will be seeking candidates that have experience working with Travel Oregon and destination marketing organizations.

Fireworks Ban In The Dalles

Posted on by mbailey

The City of The Dalles has declared a state of emergency banning personal fireworks use under a recently adopted ordinance.  Wasco County issued an order banning fireworks due to fire-related safety concerns.  As a result, the use of all fireworks is now prohibited within the city limits of The Dalles.  The prohibition includes lighting, igniting, or setting off any type of firework.  The sale and possession of fireworks are not restricted.  The ban does not apply to commercial fireworks displays that are approved by local or state government, including the State Fire Marshal.

Fire Information as of 1:45 p.m. June 16

Posted on by mbailey

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office reduced or dropped a number of Rowena Fire evacuation levels Monday afternoon:

LEVEL 2 BE SET Evacuation
**NEW DOWNGRADE** Evacuation from Rowena Ferry Rd in the east, west to Highway 30, south to intersection of Mountain View Rd. and Seven Mile Hill Rd., southeast the area north of Chenowith Creek Rd and Browns Creek Rd., northeast to the area north of Murray’s Addition and Foley Lakes.
– Rowena River Rd, north to the Columbia
– Basalt St, Simonelli Rd., Morris Ln, Adeline Way, and Hwy 30 west to Tooley Lake.
LEVEL 1 BE SET Evacuation
– **NEW DOWNGRADE** The Dalles Country Club
– From The Dalles Country Club, east to I-84, south to River Rd., west to W. 7th St., south to Chenoweth Loop Rd., and west to 10th St.
– Highway 30 west to Dell Rd. and State Rd., south to Seven Mile Hill Rd. east to Mountain View Dr.
– Snipes, west to Chenoweth Loop Rd., Chenowith Creek Rd, to Browns Creek Rd.
All previous Level 1 Evacuations have been dropped.
 
Complete evacuation level information is available through the Wasco County Facebook page. 

Containment of the 3,563 acre Rowena Fire continues to be listed at 24% today.  Adam Sinkey of Oregon Department of Forestry Complex Incident Management Team 2 says in the area of Rowena proper, work continues to make the area safe.  At the eastern edge of the fire, infrared cameras identified hot spots on Sunday night that will be extinguished by crews today.  And in the west, tactical firing was done on Sunday to create good blackened trail along fire lines in that area. 

The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Office along with Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue and Wasco County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management completed a comprehensive assessment of the fire-affected area that identified a total of 56 residential structures and 91 additional structures—including sheds, barns, and shops— being confirmed lost in this devastating incident. The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office says they have no confirmed lost lives as a result of the fire.

OSFM resources have begun a gradual demobilization as containment and mitigation work continues around affected residences. Unified Command with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Incident Management Team ceased this morning, leaving the ODF fire team in sole control of the incident.

 

Cherry Harvest Underway

Posted on by mbailey

Cherry harvest has begun in Mid-Columbia orchards, and so far there are signs it could be a good year grower.  Oregon State University Extension horticulturist Ashley Thompson says good weather leading up to harvest has helped the crop.  She says it a medium-sized crop, with good sizing.    Chelan cherries were being harvested this week in The Dalles area, and Thompson says Bing cherries are about ten to eighteen days out.  She noted Upper Valley growers are a bit behind that timeline, but they have also been doing harvesting.  Thompson says the domestic market is the largest for cherries, but many will end up in Canada and Southeast Asia.

HR County Health Doing Summer Food Handling Inspections

Posted on by mbailey

As summer arrives, the Hood River County Health Department becomes busy with inspecting food handling inspections, from restaurants to mobile carts to one-time events.  Environmental Health Specialist Michelle McCafferty says if you are serving the public food, you need at least a temporary permit.  McCafferty says the health department goes over the food safety plan for the event or business.  She adds the main rules for all of us to remember when handling food this summer is to make sure hot food stays hot and cold food stays cold.  Also, be sure to wash your hands after handling food, as McCafferty notes cross-contamination is a main cause of foodborne illness.

 

One Dead, One Injured After Odell Fire

Posted on by mbailey

A structure fire in Odell has led to the death of a 64-year-old woman and the hospitalization of her husband.  The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says the first call of the house fire on 3188 Lingren Road was received at about 1:54 Tuesday morning.  Wy’east Fire District units reported the structure was fully involved.  The Sheriff’s office says a 64-year-old male occupant made it out of the house and was transported by Life Flight to Portland in serious condition, but a 64-year-old female occupant was located deceased inside the home.  Investigators with the Oregon Fire Marshal’s Office, Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, and Oregon State Police are investigating the cause of the fire, but the Sheriff’s Office says at this time there is no reason to suspect anything other than a tragic accident.  Fire crews from Wy’East, Westside, Parkdale, Hood River, and Cascade Locks fire departments responded to the blaze.

 

TD Council Accepts Ownership Of Water Infrastructure From Google

Posted on by mbailey

The Dalles City Council approved accepting ownership of 4.5 acres near West 2nd and Snipes that includes water infrastructure constructed by Google as part of a 2021 infrastructure agreement for the construction of new data centers.  The property includes two 1800 gallon wells, one of which has Aquifer Storage and Recovery capability, two 1.25 million gall above ground storage tanks, and a booster pump station.  City Public Works Director Dale McCabe says it will be an asset to municipal water infrastructure.  In other business, the Council formally approved the municipal budget for the upcoming fiscal year as recommended by the budget committee last month.

 

HR Council Approves 25-26 Budget

Posted on by mbailey

The Hood River City Council has approved the FY 2025-26 municipal budget.  It went through three budget committee meetings during May to get to the Counci. City Finance Director Chris Longinetti outlined to the panel some of the projects the fiscal plan includes.  Among those are a five-year information technology plan, IT equipment replacements, and a utility rate study.  The general fund also includes a transfer to the building fund and a loan to the urban renewal agency in support of promoting housing production.  The public works budget includes plans for water, wastewater, stormline, and road improvements.  The budget was approved by a unanimous vote.

Washington DSHS To Close White Salmon Office

Posted on by mbailey

The Washington Department of Social and Health Services announced it is going to close its brick-and-mortar office in White Salmon on June 30 when the building’s lease expires.  The office has been closed to in-person services since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March of 2020.  Community Services Office and Home and Community Services division employees at this location have been teleworking since the pandemic and seeing Home and Community Services customers by appointment only in person, in their home or at the Goldendale Community Services Office, or by phone, online, or other in-person service options.  The DSHS Mobile Outreach Team has been in White Salmon two times each month at the WorkSource Washington office at 107 West Jewett Boulevard.  DSHS says the closure will save the state nearly $77,000 annually in lease costs and facility-related expenses in a time when Washington is also facing a budget shortfall.

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