The free mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic at St. Mary’s Academy in The Dalles has just four more days of operation.  The clinic at 1112 Cherry Heights Road will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  No appointments are needed at the mobile clinic.  It offers free Pfizer vaccine, for those 12 and up, and Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and people can walk-up or drive-through.  People who live in Wasco County or out of state people who work in Wasco County, and their age-eligible family members, receive a $50 gift card.  North Central Public Health District says over 1,300 doses of vaccine have been administered through the clinic, and as of last Saturday over 25,000 doses have been administered in Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties by various entities.

Peace Corps volunteers are going door to door in The Dalles to spread the word about the mobile COVID-19 vaccine clinic at St. Mary’s Academy that is entering its final week.  The clinic is open daily through Wednesday, except for Monday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.  The volunteers work in teams of two, and they concentrate on apartment complexes, so they can reach the most people in the quickest time.   They have identified some 500 affordable housing units to visit.  Peace Corps team coordinator Max Sullivan says most of the volunteers are working at the vaccine clinic, while others will knock on doors and hand out flyers about the clinic.  They distribute flyers at businesses in the mornings, and start visiting apartments at around noon.  Vaccines are free, and no appointments, insurance or ID are needed at the drive-up or walk-in clinic.  Wasco County residents get a $50 VISA gift card for getting the vaccine.  Offered is the Pfizer vaccine, for those 12 and older, and the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  Those who need a free ride to the clinic can call the LINK bus at 541-296-7595.

Klickitat Valley Health is putting a bond measure before Klickitat County Hospital District 1 voters on the August 3 ballot that is similar to one that received over 56 percent approval in November, but short of the 60 percent mark required for passage.  KVH Chief Executive Officer Leslie Hiebert says if approved, the 25-year bond will provide facility and service improvements, including a new acute care and inpatient unit, additional long-term care beds, a new surgery unit with expanded capabilities and growth space to meet future community healthcare needs.  Hiebert noted this is meant to take the hospital through the next two decades.  The proposed property tax levy is 68 cents per thousand dollars of assessed value.  A community information night is scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Goldendale Grange, and more information is available at kvhealth.net.      

Both of Oregon’s senators and the bulk of the state’s congressional delegation wrote a letter to federal officials pushing for federal wildfire response preparedness efforts for the 2021 season be stepped up.  Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley were joined by Representatives Cliff Bentz, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, and Suzanne Bonamici in writing the letter to the secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture departments.  In it, the lawmakers highlighted the devastation caused by last year’s wildfires, and the expectation of a similar season or worse this year.  The delegation asked for detailed plans for preparation, including personnel, resources, and coordination among agencies.

The Mid-Columbia Health Foundation is in the midst of a fundraising effort to replace Celilo Cancer Center’s linear accelerator.  Foundation executive director David Warden says the typical shelf life of the accelerator is seven to ten years, and the one the Center currently has is 11 years old.  He says without updating this equipment, Gorge patients would have to travel outside of the area for treatments.  Warden says the goal is to raise over two million dollars to purchase and install a new linear accelerator.  For information on the project, go to mcmc.net/linac.

Washington 14th District State Representative Gina Mosbrucker has been appointed by House Speaker Laurie Jinkins to serve on the Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission.   The commission, which consists of 20 voting members and four non-voting members, advises the governor and the Legislature on issues relating to adult and juvenile sentencing policies and practices and recommends modifications as necessary.  The four legislators serving on the commission are non-voting members.  Two are appointed from the Senate, two from the House, with one from each party in each chamber.  The commission meets monthly.

Crews and contractors in The Dalles will apply fog seal early next week to all streets that received chip seal treatment last month.   The Dalles Public Works Department says these fog seal projects will require short duration road closures between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at each location.  Detours will be in place during work hours.  Work is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, with a full list of locations and a 2021 The Dalles Pavement Preservation Program map available at thedalles.org/transportation.  Motorists are asked to proceed with caution on those streets during construction times and observe all temporary traffic control devices.

Fire crews this afternoon were getting the upper hand on a brush fire in White Salmon in the vicinity of Spring Street and Champion Lane.   Mayor Marla Keethler announced at 4:30 that the fire is contained, but mop-up work will continue throughout the evening.  Main Street has been reopened to traffic.  The fire started around 2:25 this afternoon and grew quickly…and there were some Level 3 evacuations as a result of the fire.  Keethler said as of 4 p.m. that all evacuation advisories were now at Level 1 Get Ready…including from Champion Lane east on Spring Street, north to Snowden Road near Posse Grounds (Rebel Lane), west along Snowden Road, Simmons Road, and back south across NW Loop Road to NW Spring Street, and from Posse Grounds north to Larson Ranch Road along Snowden.  Klickitat PUD de-energized power lines for a time in order to allow for safe firefighting along Champion Lane.  Trout Lake and Glenwood fire crews assisted the White Salmon Fire Department in dealing with this fire.

Wasco County Commissioners on Wednesday held their first in-person meeting since the pandemic began over a year ago, and at the same time reminded people who have not gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 to do so.  Commissioner Kathy Schwartz pointed out even though 62.4% of County residents age 16 and over have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine there is still a need to do more to reach “herd immunity.”  The mobile vaccine clinic at St. Mary’s Academy on 1112 Cherry Heights Road in The Dalles will be available through July 14.  It’s open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day except Monday.

Hood River Police arrested a man suspected in a number of thefts in the Hood River area in the days before.  A statement from the department says an officer located a vehicle identified in connection with the thefts on Saturday and arrested the driver, 50-year-old Brian Eugene Wilkey, who the department described as a transient.  The department says several pieces of equipment and tools were stolen on June 27 from CenturyLink vehicles on Wasco Street, along with a theft from Wal-Mart in the same time frame, and surveillance video revealed both thefts were committed by the same individual.  The statement also says a mountain bike valued at $4,000 that had been stolen from the Cascade Locks area was recovered during the traffic stop.  Wilkey was booked and lodged at NORCOR on several charges including aggravated theft, identity theft, false information, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle.   Anyone with information relating to the thefts are asked to contact Hood River Police Detective Erin Mason at 541-387-5256.