With continued hot temperatures and the potential for stronger winds later in the week, fire officials continue to emphasize the need to be careful in regard to fire, even in urban areas.  Hood River Fire Chief Leonard Damian points out there are a number of wildland-urban interface areas in Hood River and other local communities.  Damian notes topography is another element that adds to fire danger in the Gorge.

Washington 14th District State Representative Gina Mosbrucker has been named to the state’s new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People Task Force.  Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins made the appointment.  The 21-member task force within the Washington attorney general’s office will assess causes behind the high rate of disappearances and murders of Indigenous women and people.  The task force will include tribes and tribal organizations, as well as policymakers at local, state, and federal levels.  Mosbrucker introduced House Bill 2951 in 2018, which created a study to increase state resources for reporting and identifying missing Native American women throughout Washington, and in 2019 the Legislature passed and the governor signed Mosbrucker’s House Bill 1713 to establish two tribal liaison positions within the Washington State Patrol to build relationships between governmental organizations and native communities.    

Wrestling Two Hood River Valley wrestlers earned second place finishes in the Oregon high school girls’ wrestling tournament in Cottage Grove over the weekend.  Emily Sullenger was second at 120 pounds, and Lauraine Smith also finished second at 155 pounds. Both won two out of three matches in the tournament.   Carson Farlow of Hood River Valley had a fourth place finish at 132 pounds to lead the local effort at the Oregon Class 5A high school boys’ wrestling tournament in Cottage Grove.  HRV’s Abraham Tinajero finished sixth at 195 pounds.  Jamie Rodriguez of HRV split four matches at 126 pounds, as did Taylor Morehouse of The Dalles at 185.     American Legion Baseball The Columbia Gorge Hustlers had a great weekend at a tournament in Pendleton, winning all five games they played.  The Hustlers finished the weekend with a 9-1 win over the Walla Walla Bears, as Hunter Hough and Diego Gonzalez drove in two runs apiece, and Riley Brock pitched a three-hitter.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown Friday signed an executive order lifting all remaining COVID-19 health and safety restrictions issued under Oregon’s emergency statutes by Wednesday at the latest.  Restrictions could be lifted earlier if Oregon achieves a 70% first dose adult vaccination rate before Wednesday, which the state as of Thursday was just over 35,000 people away from.  Brown signed the order during a press conference Friday morning.  With restrictions lifted, Brown says the state will shift to a focus on helping Oregonians and communities recover from the impacts and the economic toll of the pandemic.  The Governor’s remaining emergency authority will be limited in focus to COVID-19 recovery efforts, similar to what is currently in place for 2020 wildfire season recovery.  Brown says emergency authority continues to be necessary to provide flexibility and resources for vaccination efforts, health system response to COVID-19, Oregon’s access to federal aid, to allow the continued operation of certain emergency child care providers through the summer, unemployment insurance claim processing, and more.  The recovery order does not provide authorization for agencies to renew restrictions based on emergency authorities.  Some statewide mask requirements may stay in place in specialized settings following federal guidance, including airports, public transit, and health care settings.  The Governor’s office says the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority will be issuing updated advisory guidance for the upcoming school year, but added the lifting of the state’s restrictions will mean a shift to the more traditional local decision-making model in regard to schools.

Air support helped to knock down a brush fire along Interstate 84 at milepost 76 near Rowena.  A helicopter and water dropper based in Dallesport and two air tankers out of Redmond made significant progress on the fire detected around 10:45 Friday morning.  The fire led to traffic delays through the area on Interstate 84, and the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation advisories in the area of the Historic Columbia River Highway, Rowena River Road, and Mayer State Park.  As of early this afternoon the aerial support were returning to their bases, while firefighters from numerous area agencies were doing mop-up.  There was the potential for more freeway delays while that work takes place.  

Mid-Columbia Community Action Council has partnered with the City of Hood River, St. Vincent DePaul of The Dalles, Hood River Shelter Services, the City of Hood River, Hood River County Emergency Management, Hood River Public Health, Columbia Area Transit, and LINK Public Transit to offer cooling centers for those who need them.  Hood River County’s cooling center will be the Hood River Fire Station Community Room behind the Hood River Aquatic Center on 1785 Meyer Parkway.  In Wasco County, it will be St. Vincent DePaul on 315 West 3rd in The Dalles.  Both locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today through Tuesday.  Guests of the Cooling Centers will be required to comply with COVID-19 guidelines and face covering requirements.  Transportation to and from cooling centers will be offered by Columbia Area Transit.  The City of White Salmon will operate a cooling shelter in its Fire Hall at 220 NE Church from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Tuesday.  Washington Gorge Action Programs will have a cooling center open Saturday through Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hegewald Center in Stevenson.

Crews continue to report good progress on the S-503 Fire on the Warm Springs Reservation, with containment Thursday evening moved up to 50 percent.  No growth was reported, with the fire remaining listed at 6,679 acres in size and remaining in its current footprint.  Kurt Solomon of Northwest Interagency Team 8 says the fire perimeter is completely lined.  Two hotshot crews, three engines, and miscellaneous overhead resources from the S-503 Fire responded to assist the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation with a 600 acre fire in Warm Springs. Solomon said that fire was in mop-up.

Northern Wasco Parks and Recreation District says it has been able to source enough liquid chlorine to be open the Northern Wasco Aquatic Center for the next four days on a modified schedule.   Open swims are scheduled Friday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day.  The district says the rest of the week is still to be determined, as it hunts for chlorine during the current shortage to be open as much as possible.  Issues at a major chlorine production facility in Longview has led to a liquid chlorine shortage throughout the Northwest.

With temperatures in the triple digits forecast for the weekend, local health officials are reminding people to stay cool and hydrated.  Find air-conditioned shelter, avoid direct sunlight, wear lightweight and light-colored clothing, take cool showers or baths, and do not rely a on a fan as your primary cooling device.  Drink more water than usual, even if you’re not thirsty, avoid alcohol or liquids containing high amounts of sugar, and remind others to drink enough water.  Also remember that you should never leave children or pets alone in a vehicle.

Crews continue to report good progress on the S-503 Fire on the Warm Springs Reservation.  No growth was reported this morning, with the fire listed as 6,679 acres in size with 30% containment.  Kurt Solomon of Northwest Interagency Management Team 8 says they now have lined placed on the northern and eastern flanks of the fire with a cold black edge, and mop up continues today.  He says most of the work today will focus on the southern and western ends of the fire.  There are 472 personnel currently involved in the firefighting effort.