As work continues on NW Natural’s pipe system improvement project in White Salmon and Bingen, there will be traffic impacts at Dock Grade Road and East Jewett Boulevard through September 10.  The Intersection will be temporarily closed during construction hours.  One lane traffic will continue on East Jewett with flaggers directing traffic.  Detours around the construction site are in place.  Construction will not take place on Friday, and will resume on Tuesday.  Some intermittent work will also occur at the intersection of Ingram Place and E Jewett Blvd during this time.  Phase one of the project at East Jewett and Dock Grade is nearly complete.  Phase two will be from the intersection of East Jewett and Dock Grade to the intersection of Northeast Tohomish and North Main in White Salmon.  

The Oregon Health Authority Wednesday reported a continued increase in the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the state, and local numbers reflect the trend.  The number of hospitalized patients with COVID across Oregon is 1,178, which is 16 more than Tuesday.  There are 358 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds, which is 36 more than Tuesday.  Locally, OHA statistics show for the state’s hospital Region 6, which includes Mid-Columbia Medical Center and Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital…eight of 10 staffed adult ICU beds were occupied as of this morning for various reasons…while 42 out of 50 adult non-ICU beds were being used.  Oregon Health Authority reported 2,827 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, bringing the state total to 279,086.  Hood River County had 20 new cases, Wasco County 18, and Sherman County five.  There are 23 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,221.

The Oregon Health Authority’s COVID-19 Weekly Report, released Wednesday, shows continued increases in daily cases, hospitalizations and deaths.  OHA reported 16,252 new cases of COVID-19 during the week that ended Sunday, representing a 10% increase over the previous week and the eighth consecutive week of increases.  There were 1,000 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, up from 601 last week.  That also marked the eighth consecutive week of increases.  There were 119 reported COVID-19 related deaths, up from 87 reported the previous week and the highest weekly death toll since January 2021.  There were 160,605 tests for COVID-19 for the week that ended Saturday.  The percentage of positive tests increased to 12.4%.  

Klickitat County had more COVID-19 cases in August than in all of March to July combined.  County Public Health Director Erinn Quinn says the County had 326 COVID cases reported for August, the largest monthly number for the entire pandemic, as the Delta variant circulates and passing easier from person-to-person.  Quinn said Klickitat County’s vaccination rate is still only a shade under 40 percent, leaving a majority of the County’s residents vulnerable to the virus.  Quinn said the County’s two hospitals…like most of the country, are feeling the pressure of high case counts, and they are having a hard time finding higher levels of care for patients that need it.

North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell told Wasco County Commissioners on Wednesday that the County experienced over 500 diagnosed COVID-19 cases in August, the highest monthly total for the pandemic by a substantial amount.  McDonell said hospitalized cases remained the biggest worry.  She told Commissioners that Oregon’s Region 6 hospitals, which are made up of Mid-Columbia Medical Center and Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, are seeing larger numbers of COVID patients in beds than they have seen at any time previously, with fourteen checked in at the present time.  65.1 percent of Wasco County residents over the age of 18 have been vaccinated against COVID-19.  McDonell said people who are unvaccinated are 29 times more likely to be hospitalized by COVID-19 than those who are vaccinated.

Wasco County Commissioners honored North Central Public Health District staff for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.  County Commission Chair Scott Hege says it is hard to fully express the appreciation they have for what the district’s staff has been doing.  Commissioners Steve Kramer and Kathy Schwartz echoed Hege’s thoughts.  Members of the district staff are receiving certificates to express gratitude for their work to keep the community safe during the pandemic.

The Hood River County Health Department says August was the second highest month for new COVID-19 infections in the County since the beginning of the pandemic.  There have been 221 new COVID-19 cases this month, the second highest behind December, which saw over 400 new cases.  County health officials also are reminding those under the state’s vaccine mandate, including state executive branch employees, K-12 teachers, educators, support staff, and volunteers, of key dates to make the October 18 date to be fully vaccinated.  Those who use the Moderna vaccine must get their first shot by September 6 to make the October 18 deadline, Pfizer vaccinations must begin by September 13, and the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine must be received by October 4.  Contact your primary care provider now or visit hrccovid19.org to see a list of vaccine opportunities throughout Hood River County.

A quick response from the air and on the ground was instrumental in stopping the forward progression of a wildfire originating in the southwest area of The Dalles Tuesday afternoon.  Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Public Affairs Officer Karen Davis says fire managers reported the size of the Chenowith Rim Fire at approximately 50 acres.  She added Oregon Department of Natural Resources Fire Boss aircraft were instrumental in knocking down the fire’s activity.  Crews continued to construct containment line, and were to mop up and monitor the fire until it is fully suppressed.  The Chenowith Rim Fire reportedly started on private land at approximately 4:20 p.m. and burned primarily in steep terrain on U.S. Forest Service lands.  The response is being managed under unified command between the U.S. Forest Service and Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue.  The cause of the fire is unknown currently and is under investigation.

The Oregon Health Authority reported the number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 has gone up again.  The number of hospitalized patients with COVID across Oregon is 1,162, which is 42 more than Monday.  There are 322 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit beds, which is six more than Monday.  There are 43 available adult ICU beds out of 674 total in Oregon, and 298 available adult non-ICU beds out of 4,288.  OHA reported 2,414 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, bringing the state’s pandemic total to 276,286.  Thirty new COVID cases were listed in the OHA report in Wasco County, three in Hood River County, and one in Gilliam County.  There are 43 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 3,198.  

Farmers Irrigation District is closing in on finishing its Kingsley Reservoir expansion project.  District General Manager Les Perkins says the last lift on the dam was placed on Monday, putting it at full height.  Perkins said now they are doing detail work and finishing up campground replacement, and it all should be wrapped up this fall.  The project will nearly double the volume of the upper Kingsley Reservoir and will help to provide a consistent supply of stored winter water while decreasing demand on live stream flow late in the summer.  The district had initially planned to complete the project in 2020, but a number of delays pushed back completion into this year.