Columbia Gorge Community College’s fall semester get underway on Monday.  CGCC Vice-President of Instructional Services Jarett Gilbert says they are looking forward to seeing students back in classrooms after spending the last academic year in a completely virtual mode.  He says this fall they are offering both face-to-face and virtual courses.  Gilbert says enrollment is looking good as they near the start of the term.  Those who would like to take courses at CGCC this fall can still do so.  Go to cgcc.edu for information.

The Oregon Health Authority’s latest COVID-19 Weekly Report shows decreases in daily cases and hospitalizations and an increase in deaths.  OHA reported 11,655 new cases of COVID-19 during the week ending September 19.  That represents a 10% decrease from the previous week.  There were 579 new COVID-19 hospitalizations, down slightly from 592 last week.  There were 148 reported COVID-19 related deaths, up from 120 reported the previous week.  There were 140,538 tests for COVID-19 for the week of Sept. 12 through Sept. 18.   The percentage of positive tests was 10.5%, down from 12% the previous week and the lowest level of test positivity in six weeks.

As of Monday, the Bridge of the Gods across the Columbia River at Cascade Locks will be restricted to loads no heavier than 11 tons, 22,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.  The Port of Cascade Locks and the Oregon Department of Transportation say the restriction will be in place while crews strengthen the bridge to comply with new requirements.  The work is scheduled to conclude by October 31, when the standard load limit of 40 tons will return.  The nearest alternative Columbia River crossings for larger trucks are Interstate 205 in Portland and the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge.

Senators Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Tim Kaine of Virginia have introduced legislation aimed at changing how the debt ceiling is raised, enabling the executive branch to initiate a process to raise the debt ceiling subject to a congressional override.  The Senators believe the legislation would help prevent political brinksmanship like that of standoffs in 2011 and 2013, when some in Congress threatened to force the United States to default on its debt unless separate political demands were met.  Senate Republicans are currently vowing to filibuster House-passed legislation that would raise the debt limit.  The two Senators say the idea of having the President increase the debt ceiling, subject to a vote of congressional disapproval, was originally proposed by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2011 to allow a debt limit increase to go forward without requiring Republicans to take an affirmative vote.  McConnell’s proposal was incorporated into the Budget Control Act of 2011, which passed in August, and the two Democrat senators are looking to make the process permanent to end what they called using the debt ceiling as a “tool for political blackmail.”

The U.S. Farm Service Agency is now accepting applications for the Department of Agriculture’s pandemic assistance for timber harvesters and haulers program.  It provides financial relief to logging and log trucking businesses who experienced losses due to COVID-19.  Applications are being accepted from timber harvesting and hauling businesses who had a gross revenue loss of at least ten percent between 2019 and 2020.  To be eligible, 50 percent or more of the businesses’ gross revenue must be from cutting or transporting timber, or processing wood on-site on forest land.  Interested producers can call 877-508-8364 or contact their local Farm Service Agency office for information, or go to farmers.gov.  Applications will be accepted through October 15.

Volleyball Ridgeview def. The Dalles 24-26, 25-12, 25-16, 25-15   Girls Soccer Adna 11, Stevenson 0

A two-year effort by the Hood River Basin Partnership has resulted in completion of a 20-year strategic action plan to continue work to restore aquatic habitat.  Watershed 2040 encompasses a scope of work for restoring fish habitat, streamflow, and water quality over the next 20 years.  Hood River Watershed Group coordinator Cindy Thieman says the nine groups involved have worked together on these issues for two decades, but it’s the first time they’ve put together a long-range plan. The partnership includes the Watershed Group, Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, East Fork, Middle Fork, and Farmers Irrigation Districts, the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.  The plan can be seen at hoodriverwatershed.org.

Klickitat County Public Health Director Erinn Quinn told County Commissioners and the Board of Health on Tuesday that the County saw more COVID-19 cases in August than from March to July combined, and there may be even more in September.  Quinn did say the last couple of weeks have provided what she hopes is the start of a positive trend:  a slight decrease in the number of cases they are seeing.  Representatives of both Skyline and Klickitat Valley hospitals reported no one was currently hospitalized due to COVID at their facilities.  But Skyline’s Jenna Newcomb pointed out it remains a challenge to transfer patients to Portland area hospitals for a higher level of care for any reason because of the strain COVID has brought to those facilities.

Maryhill Museum of Art says Stonehenge Memorial, the iconic replica of England’s ancient original, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.  Located three miles east of the museum on a bluff above the Columbia River, Stonehenge Memorial was constructed by Maryhill Museum of Art’s founder Samuel Hill between 1918 and 1929.   Stonehenge Memorial is significant as both a close replica of ancient Stonehenge and as a memorial to Klickitat County men who died in World War I.  Although he clearly supported the Allied cause, Hill was a Quaker and a pacifist.  In constructing the memorial, he wished to honor soldiers who gave their lives to what he saw as the folly of war and make a public statement about the tragedy and futility of the events that led to their deaths.  With its altar stone dedicated on July 4, 1918, more than four months prior to armistice, Stonehenge Memorial is among the earliest World War I memorials in the country.

Mt. Hood National Forest has lifted its fire restrictions effective Thursday due to increased moisture as well as cooler and shorter days.  Industrial Fire Precaution Levels (IFPL) across the Forest were ecently downgraded to Level II east of Highway 26 & Highway 35, and Level I across the rest of the Forest. This allows firewood cutting and other activities requiring chainsaws and equipment to resume, although Level II restricts hours of use to minimize fire risk.  Forest officials caution that fire danger remains high. After months of drought, vegetation remains dry and is susceptible to sparks.  Remember to have plenty of water and a shovel on hand when maintaining a campfire, and make sure your campfire is cold to the touch before you leave it unattended.  Fireworks and explosive materials are always prohibited on all national forests.