The Hood River Police Department has again seized a large amount of fentanyl after a traffic stop. According to a Facebook post on Wednesday, an officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by a man and a woman. During the investigation in excess of 10,000 fentanyl-laced pills were seized, along with three ounces of methamphetamine and two ounces of heroin. The police statement said that at roughly $20 per pill, the estimated street value of the seized fentanyl is around $200,000.

Boys Basketball

Hood River Valley 82, Milwaukie 71:  The Eagles made 16 three-pointers on the way to the victory.  Emanuel Romero scored 25 points and Tommy Ziegler 19 to lead HRV.  Logan Law tallied 23 for the Mustangs.

The Dalles 80, Centennial 75

South Wasco 83, Dayville-Monument 18

Sherman 67, Damascus Christian 53

Cle Elum-Roslyn 88, Goldendale 55

  Girls Basketball

Woodburn 55, Hood River Valley 34

Damascus Christian 54, Sherman 20

Stevenson 50, Lyle-Wishram 14

Goldendale 54, Cle Elum-Roslyn 23

The Dalles City Council reached consensus to have staff bring back an ordinance allowing shelter housing facilities in both general commercial and commercial light industrial zones to the panel’s January 10 meeting.  Councilors decided to remove a clause recommended by the municipal planning commission calling for projects in the general commercial zone to be subjected to receiving a conditional use permit.  Kenny LaPoint of Mid-Columbia Community Action, which is working on developing a navigation center for the homeless that would include a shelter, said the CUP requirement could cause delays and risk funding losses.  Councilors also decided to remove language calling for bathing facilities, noting state law already has provisions for those in place.

The Dalles City Council held another chapter in the long-running discussion on the future of the Gitchell-Waldron Building, the oldest existing commercial building in the city.  Mayor Rich Mays had asked for it to be placed on the agenda, noting the subject has been on-going for years.  Eric Gleason, representing the group that has been advocating for its preservation, once again said there is a path forward to reuse the building and make it a vibrant part of the community.  The Council reached consensus to give interim City Manager Daniel Hunter the authority to get an evaluation done, probably involving KPFF, the firm that did a similar study in 2015.

The Hood River County School District is preparing for forecasted winter weather Wednesday morning.  Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn outlines the factors involved in determining whether to simply delay school or cancel outright, which mainly is whether the roads are clear enough to run the buses and what the weather is projected to do through the day.  Polkinghorn noted the district’s buses are built for rugged weather, and chains can be placed on all of them.  Some of them have drop down chains built in.

Washington Gorge Action Programs WAGAP warming shelter services are officially open as of Monday and will include extended service during Hazardous Weather Events as they arise over the winter.  WAGAP officials say the program will operate differently this year, moving to a lodging facilities model rather than having one physical location.  WAGAP’s warming shelter phone line will be staffed daily from 3 to 6 p.m. at 509-281-1129, but clients must arrive in person each day to receive services.   For clients in Skamania County, registration must occur daily from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the WAGAP office at 683 Rock Creek Drive in Stevenson.  A one-night lodging voucher will be provided for redemption that evening at a local participating facility.  The next day’s check-out time will be according to each facility’s check-out policy.  For clients in Klickitat County, call the WAGAP Warming Shelter phone line at 509-281-1129 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day to receive a referral to services that may be provided through Klickitat or Hood River County lodging facilities.  

Boys Basketball

Corbett 68, Columbia 52

  Girls Basketball

Dayton 41, The Dalles 39

Corbett 71, Columbia 30

The Oregon School Activities Association Executive Board on Tuesday approved the final recommendation from its redistricting committee that will see Hood River Valley move to the Class 5A Northwest Oregon Conference and The Dalles move from Class 5A to the Class 4A Tri-Valley Conference in September of 2022.  For HRV, it’s a move to play in a Portland-metro area based league for the first time in a number of years, joining a Northwest Conference that will include Canby, Centennial, Hillsboro, LaSalle, Milwaukie, Parkrose, Putnam, and Wilsonville.  The Dalles joins the Tri-Valley Conference made up of Gladstone, Estacada, Madras, Molalla, and Crook County.  These leagues are for most sports but does not include football.  A separate committee will meet to determine Oregon’s high school football leagues starting early in the new year.

With cold winter weather in the forecast, including ice and snow, work to construct the new Highway 97 located between Indian Service Road and Wilson Charley Road, in Klickitat County, is on hold until next year.  On Wednesday, the Washington State Department of Transportation’s contractor, Cascade Bridge, will pause work to replace the existing two-lane concrete slab bridge with a new concrete structure that will meet current bridge safety and functionality standards.  The work will resume next spring when warm, dry weather returns.  This $7.5 million dollar project is now scheduled for completion in fall 2022.

The Port of The Dalles was part of an eight-month effort looking at what needs to be done for The Dalles to be attractive for technology companies and how to support entrepreneurs in that sector.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says the group will begin early next year taking action, and one of the big needs is to help develop the workforce companies in the region require to fill their employment needs within the community.  Google helped fund the study that was done in conjunction with the Center for Rural Innovation.