Washington State House Republicans have introduced a package of legislation to address a recent State Supreme Court decision that ruled the state’s drug possession law is unconstitutional.  14th District Representative Gina Mosbrucker is the ranking Republican on the House Public Safety Committee.  She says the decision is retroactive and could affect thousands of convictions, so the Republicans on the committee introduced five bills to help counter fallout from the ruling.  Proposed legislation would increase behavioral health system responses to individuals on drugs, help youth with substance abuse problems, allow local governments to enact laws and ordinances relating to possession of controlled substances, and expand offenses and penalties for manufacture, sale and distribution of hard drugs.    

Northern Wasco County PUD has earned a Reliable Public Power Provider designation from the American Public Power Association for providing reliable and safe electric service.  The designation, which lasts for three years, recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement.   Criteria include sound business practices and a utility-wide commitment to safe and reliable delivery of electricity.  Northern Wasco County PUD joins more than 275 public power utilities nationwide that hold the RP3 designation.  The American Public Power Association is the voice of not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that power 49 million people in 2,000 towns and cities nationwide, advocating and advising on electricity policy, technology, trends, training, and operations.

Boys Soccer The Dalles 3, Pendleton 1   Girls Soccer The Dalles 3, Pendleton 1:  The Riverhawks received goals from Lyris Voodre, Amyrah Hill, and Courtney Hert.   Volleyball Crook County def. Hood River Valley 25-13, 25-7, 25-11 St. Paul def. Dufur 25-12, 25-11, 25-23 Days Creek def. Dufur 25-20, 25-16, 25-17

State, federal and nonprofit groups are encouraging people to plan before venturing out to recreate in the Gorge.  Winter trail damage, COVID-19-related modifications, along with a closure of the Historic Columbia River Highway between Bridal Veil and Ainsworth State Park, have the agencies urging people to prepare by having backup plans if they find their initial destination is already full with people.  Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Recreation Staff Officer Stan Hinatsu says they are already seeing usage at some sites at levels normally associated with summer.  ReadySetGorge.com includes an interactive map of recreational trails, boat launches, picnic sites and more.  Also included are packing lists and other helpful tips, such as suggestions for lesser-known but equally beautiful trails.

The pallet shelters located on Bargeway Drive in The Dalles will be closing at the end of the month.  City Councilors discussed requests to keep them open, but Mayor Rich Mays says they were allowed on an emergency basis and municipal zoning ordinances currently don’t allow a homeless shelter except at the St. Vincent dePaul location.  Mays does say they are hoping legislation at the state level will pass soon to allow the shelters to reopen.  House Bill 2006 would allow cities to declare emergencies to be able to place any homeless shelter on certain properties.  Mays adds City staff is working on changes to the municipal land use and development ordinance to allow the shelter, but he expects the state law would be approved first.

As part of the City of Hood River’s effort to encourage development of affordable workforce housing, municipal officials will be looking at a housing production strategy.  City Planning Director Dustin Nilsen says such a plan would target creation of affordable housing, and look at levers and options the City has to encourage or make available housing product that is not delivered by the market.  Hood River City Councilors are working on refining codes to allow for more middle housing options like duplexes, triplexes, and cottages.  Another task is to determine what kind of development is possible on land adjacent to Rand Road the City purchased with the intention of the property being used for housing.

The Mid-Columbia Community Action Council says it has been awarded $3,123,616 to support regional efforts to address houselessness and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.  With funding from Oregon Housing and Community Services through the federal Emergency Solutions Grant COVID-19 (ESG-CV) program, Community Action brought multiple organizations together to build a collaborative application for the funding.  The funds will help provide housing stability through regional shelters, housing payment assistance and culturally specific services to communities of color and native community members.  The community-based organizations participating in the collaborative include The Next Door, Nch’i Wana Housing, the Oregon Human Development Corporation, Hood River Shelter Services, Bridges to Health and the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority.

Two million dollars in grant funds have been made available to Washington Gorge Action Programs to help prevent evictions of low income households affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Skamania and Klickitat Counties. Funds come from the Federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. The Treasury Rental Assistance Program is being administered by Washington State Department of Commerce, and are intended to prevent evictions that would contribute to the spread of the virus by paying past due, current due, future rent, and utilities, targeting limited resources to those who have experienced financial hardship due to the COVID-19 outbreak and are at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Households must meet three criteria: Have income that is at or below 80% of Area Median Income, be experiencing a financial hardship directly or indirectly due to the COVID-19 outbreak that threatens the household’s ability to pay the costs of the rental property when due, and be at risk of experiencing homelessness or currently experiencing housing instability. The program also provides assistance with rental payments that are past due, and with unpaid utility and home energy costs, including electricity, gas, water and sewer, trash removal and energy costs, such as fuel oil. To learn if you are eligible or to request an application contact WAGAP at (509) 493-2662 or email info@wagap.org.

Girls Soccer

LaSalle 8, Hood River Valley 0

  Baseball

Rainier 12, Stevenson 2

With Hood River City Councilors expected to wrap up work at a meeting next Monday on codes to allow for more middle housing options like duplexes, triplexes, and cottages, there will be more work to come on trying to create more affordable workforce housing.  City Planning Director Dustin Nilsen says next up is looking at what can be done with seven acres the City purchased on Rand Road to develop housing.  In addition, Nilsen says the City will look at a housing production strategy this year to consider levers and options the City may have to help incentivize or make available housing products not delivered by the market.