The Port of Hood River is seeing crowds returning to recreate on the waterfront.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says the number of parking passes sold for the Waterfront Event Site are on a record pace, up by 30 percent from prior years.  McElwee says July 1 remains the target date for returning most of their waterfront operations to normal status, but there is a hurdle:  finding a sufficient number of employees to maintain the facilities.  McElwee does say that by July 1 everything will be open on the Hood River Waterfront except a couple of restroom blocks in the Marina area.

Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District is launching another round of their COVID-19 Small Business Assistance Program to support businesses in Wasco County that have faced adverse business impacts as a result of COVID-19.  The program will offer a temporary discount to Northern Wasco PUD business customers based on their business type and financial need.  The program assistance is limited to $800 per business, for businesses with one to twenty employees, and will run for three consecutive months after reopening between June and December of this year.  The PUD is partnering with the Wasco County Economic Development Commission to support the program.  Businesses who received this assistance during 2020 and 2021 are eligible for another round of support but must reapply.  For more information on eligibility, and to apply, go to nwascopud.org.

The Gorge Community Foundation has announced a new scholarship program that will help Hood River Valley High School seniors pursue skilled vocational training.  The Sohler Scholarship Fund has been established by the family of the late George “Larry” Sohler, who passed away in March.  Larry Sohler had a long career in the Gorge as a heavy equipment owner and operator working with local orchardists.  Scholarships will be available starting with the class of 2022.

A 55-year-old Hermiston man was taken to a Vancouver hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in single-vehicle accident on Highway 14 at Home Valley on Sunday.  According to the Washington State Patrol, a car driven by Mark Buckner was eastbound on Highway 14 at milepost 50 around 11:30 Sunday morning when it drifted off the roadway.  The car overcorrected, crossed both lanes of traffic, and came to rest in the westbound ditch.  Buckner was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver with undisclosed injuries.  There were no passengers in the car.

There will be single lane closures at the north and south approach ramps to the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge on Tuesday morning.  The closures will begin at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, and continue until noon.  Flaggers will direct traffic around the moving work zone, as surveying crews perform surveys related to future asphalt overlay repairs.  Motorists should expect delays of 15-20 minutes during these hours, depending on traffic volume.  

Boys Basketball Hood River Valley 62, Pendleton 55 Ione-Arlington 57, South Wasco 55   Girls Basketball Pendleton 50, Hood River Valley 33   Girls Wrestling Hood River Valley finished fourth at the North Oregon Regionals in Tillamook.  Emily Sullenger at 120 pounds and Lauraine Smith at 155 pounds both earned second place finishes. For The Dalles, Maisie Bandal-Ramirez was second at 125.   Boys Wrestling Hood River Valley finished fifth and The Dalles sixth at the Intermountain Conference tournament in Redmond.  HRV’s Abraham Tinajero had the best local finish, winning the 195 pound division.  He won four straight matches, finishing with a win by fall in 24 seconds over Kenyth Kettle of Redmond.

Klickitat County is seeing a downward trend in COVID-19 cases over the last few weeks.  Public Health Director Erinn Quinn says they currently have 19 active cases, and that has been decreasing over the last month.  Quinn said the Klickitat County vaccination rate isn’t as high as the Washington statewide number or for neighboring Oregon counties, with 46 percent of those age 12 and over in the County having initiated vaccination, but she believes they are headed in the right direction. Quinn says the County Health Department has been getting requests from various groups and businesses to bring vaccines to them, adding they continue to have people seeking to get the shot.  Around the region, Hood River County reports 71% of those 16 and over have been vaccinated, Wasco County 60.4%, Sherman County 51.7%, Gilliam County 41.2%, and Skamania County 34.6%.

Boys Basketball Crook County 82, Hood River Valley 50:  The Cowboys complete an unbeaten regular season.   Girls Basketball Crook County 56, Hood River Valley 32:  Ryann Roselle led the Eagles with 12 points, as foul trouble hampered HRV in the second half. Ridgeview 69, The Dalles 41

Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation District Executive Director Scott Baker says he doesn’t know when they will be able to reopen the Northern Wasco Aquatic Center.  The swimming pool in The Dalles was closed to the public as of today due to a region-wide liquid chlorine shortage that has led suppliers to ration distribution to municipal water systems and cancel deliveries to non-essential customers, including public swimming pools.  Baker explains the manufacturer in Longview encountered problems two weeks ago, and that has led to the shortage.  He adds they are sourcing other liquid chlorine suppliers.  Baker added that liquid chlorine has a shelf-life similar to milk, so the district could not buy a summer’s worth of it all at once.

Klickitat County Commissioners discussed in executive session but did not announce a decision on whether to proceed with an appeal of Friday’s reaffirmation by three Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals judges that the Glenwood Valley is part of the Yakama reservation.  Commission Chair David Sauter said after the meeting that they have three options:  let the decision stand, petition for the full Ninth Circuit to hear the case, or petition the Supreme Court to consider it.  Sauter says there are many factors to consider in the decision, including their relationship with the Yakama Nation.  The Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals reaffirmed on Friday an August 2019 U.S. District Court decision that the 121,466 acre Tract D is within the reservation.  Klickitat County has 14 days from the ruling on Friday to make a decision on petitioning for review.