White Salmon Valley Schools on Monday will be able to increase the days students can be in classrooms from two days to four.  That’s because of the updated guidance allowing the space between students at their desks to drop from six feet to three.  District Superintendent Jerry Lewis says the new spacing is close to what they would have normally.  Lewis pointed out that the actual hours each day in school will remain the same, and that the six-foot distancing rule still applies in other settings like lunch.

Baseball Hood River Valley 9, Crook County 3:  Harrison Howell drove in three runs with a triple and a double, while Mason Spellecy gave up just four hits in five strong innings on the mound. The Dalles 13, Ridgeview 8:  The Riverhawks get their first win of the season in Central Oregon.   Softball Crook County 15, Hood River Valley 12:  The Cowgirls scored eight runs in the fifth inning to grab the win.  HRV’s Jessa Nickelsen and Marina Castaneda drove in four runs apiece. Ridgeview 15, The Dalles 0

The North Central Public Health District says an 82-year-old resident of Sherman County tested positive for COVID-19 on January 11 and passed away on January 27 in another state.  The Oregon Health Authority recently received that information from Arizona.  North Central Public Health District confirmed the information late last week.  According to the OHA, the man died at Yuma Regional Medical Center.  The presence of underlying conditions is being determined.

A Pasco man died in a motor vehicle accident Monday on Highway 97 in Wasco County.  According to the Oregon State Police, troopers and emergency personnel were called to the crash on Highway 97 near milepost 52 between Shaniko and Kent at about 6 p.m.  A preliminary investigation revealed a car driven by 39-year-old Jesus Lopez was northbound when it left the roadway and struck a tree.  The OSP says Lopez sustained fatal injuries.  The OSP adds it believes the crash happened sometime around 4:00 a.m. Monday, but was not reported until about 14 hours later.

Hood River County Health Department Director Trish Elliott told County Commissioners on Monday that with 40 COVID cases in the County for the two week period that ended Friday, she anticipates the County will be moved up to the moderate risk category by the state.  But she also noted the County is second in Oregon in percentage of residents vaccinated, with 8,479 people fully vaccinated and 3,192 in progress.  Elliott says moving forward, county health officials plan to stick with their current plans, but also emphasize smaller scale vaccination events.  Elliott said the increasing case numbers are a product of large social gatherings.  She added there is a possibility the Oregon Health Authority may start to use hospitalization numbers in their metrics, and pointed out that Hood River County has had only one COVID related hospitalization in the last month.

Through last week, over 15,200 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in North Central Public Health District’s three-county service area of Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam counties.  Wasco County has vaccinated 34.95 percent of its population; Sherman County 33.63 percent and Gilliam County 27.82 percent.  Through April 10, entities in the district have administered 15,284 vaccines, including first and second doses.  NCPHD has multiple Moderna appointments open.  To book a vaccine appointment, visit ncphd.org or call 541-506-2600.

The Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals has reversed Hood River County’s extension of a permit for an amphitheater on the former Dee Mill site.  An extension for Apollo Land Holdings’ permit was granted at the administrative level in September of 2019, and upheld by both the County Planning Commission and the County Commission.  It was the fourth such extension for the project, but LUBA found that the Board of Commissioners’ decision to grant the extension was inconsistent with Hood River’s zoning code and that their decision “violated a provision of applicable law and was prohibited as a matter of law.”  Thrive Hood River filed the appeal.  Apollo Land Holdings and the County have the right to appeal this decision to the Oregon Court of Appeals.

The Dalles Police Department arrested a man last week in connection with a drive-by shooting at the Police Department headquarters during the early morning hours of March 28 that resulted in two marked police vehicles being struck by bullets.  A 40-year-old man was arrested when a search warrant was executed at 1126 East 8th in The Dalles.  The man was lodged at NORCOR on the charges of attempted assault in the first degree, unlawful use of a weapon, and criminal mischief in the first degree.  Evidence seized at the scene is still being processed and further charges are expected.  The case has been referred to the Wasco County District Attorney.  No one was injured in the shooting incident.  

A bill authored by Oregon State Senator Bill Hansell to allow telepharmacy in Oregon passed the Senate on a 29-1 vote and is headed to the House.  Hansell says the bill would expand access to pharmaceutical services to rural, elderly, and disabled Oregonians.  The 29th District Senator says in small cities that cannot support a full-time pharmacist, many residents must travel considerable distances to pick up their prescriptions or depend on others to pick them up for them, leading many to either go without their needed medication or have their treatment delayed.  SB 629 would allow a pharmacist to consult over electronic means with pharmacy techs to fill prescriptions and communicate with patients.

The Hood River County Health Department says it is seeing a significant increase in COVID-19 cases associated with local schools.  According to a statement from the Health Department, children could be required to quarantine at home for 14 days if another child in their school cohort tests positive for the virus.  The health department is asking parents to keep their kids home from school when they are not feeling well in order for schools to remain open.  The department also says it has received confirmation the Oregon Health Authority that the County will receive 550 doses of Pfizer vaccine to be distributed to those age 16 and 17.  The Pfizer vaccine is the only one approved for that age group.  Plans are in the works for One Community Health to conduct clinics for those doses at the Hood River Valley High School Health Center, and those will be announced when they are finalized.  The Hood River County Health Department will hold its next vaccination clinic on Thursday at River of Live Assembly in Hood River using the Moderna vaccine, and it’s open to anyone 18 or older.  Appointments are recommended and can be made through hrccovid19.org.  Walk-ins will be welcomed as vaccine supplies allow.