The Klickitat County Health Department says it has been notified of three recent community member deaths classified as related to COVID-19.  In a statement, the department said all three individuals had underlying health issues that affected their health in addition to having COVID-19.  Two of the individuals had recovered from COVID-19, however, their deaths were classified as COVID-related based on national standards.  Two were from White Salmon, a 90 year old who tested positive on December 8 and passed away on January 15 while under hospice care, and a 77 year old who tested positive on December 12 and passed away on January 8.  The third was a 71-year-old Glenwood resident who tested positive for COVID-19 on November 9, was admitted to a Portland area hospital in mid-January, and passed away on January 20.  Klickitat County has had a total of 717 COVID-19 cases to date and eight deaths.

Still hoping for changes in contact sports guidance from state officials this week, the Oregon Schools Activities Association executive board on Monday made provisions for football and volleyball as the start date for both sports approaches.  The state classifies both as contact sports, so under current guidance, football in all counties and volleyball in extreme-risk counties would be prohibited from joining soccer and cross country to start their seasons on March 1.  Volleyball outside of extreme-risk counties is permitted.  OSAA executive director Peter Weber did say they anticipated new guidance in the next couple of days that could allow for football and volleyball.  Football teams could begin non-contact practices Monday, but without changes to state guidance, contact practices and games would not be allowed.  In that event, the board approved potential football activities such as 7-on-7, flag, virtual lineman challenge and virtual combine.  The board voted to proceed with soccer and cross country. Both sports can begin practicing Feb. 22 and start contests March 1.  The board also voted to proceed with volleyball for the 47 schools located in the 12 lower, moderate and high-risk counties.  For the schools in the 24 extreme-risk counties, the board approved outdoor volleyball as an option.  Volleyball teams also could benefit from the board approving a “change of season request form.”  Schools, leagues and regions not currently permitted to participate in an activity can request to shift their seasons to a later date, when they would be allowed to participate.  The board voted to table the discussion on culminating week events until its next meeting, a Feb. 17 work session.    

North Central Public Health District is now providing COVID-19 vaccines to those 80 and older.  District officials say this may be the hardest vaccine group to reach, since older Oregonians may not have email and their vaccine booking system is email-based.  Mid-Columbia Senior Center is partnering with NCPHD in assisting those seniors who don’t have email, or need help to sign up for vaccines.  The Senior Center can be reached at 541-296-4788.  Mid-Columbia Medical Center will be calling its patients who are 80 and older to provide assistance if required.  All those who are able to sign themselves up are urged to do so.  The practice of Valerie Hiveley-Blatz will also reach out to its patients to offer help if needed.  For information on how to sign up for the COVID vaccine in Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties, go to ncphd.org.  People are asked to talk with older family members, neighbors, and friends and ask if they need help.

The Washington House Children, Youth and Families Committee is expected to take action later this week on a bill by 14th District Reprsentative Gina Mosbrucker that would create a team of experts to look into the reason for suicides of young people up to the age of 25.  The committee held a public hearing on House Bill 1354 last week.  Under the bill, the Washington Youth Suicide Review Team is instructed to perform an in-depth review of each instance where a person under age 25 has died by suicide during the 2020 calendar year, excluding suicides on tribal reservations if the trial government opposes the review.  The measure has been scheduled for committee action either Wednesday or Thursday.

The Hood River County Commission has developed a draft strategic plan to guide the County’s decision making over the next few years.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says there are seven goals identified in the plan.   At the top of the list is to modernize the County’s organization and align services with community needs.  Hecksel feels that emphasizes reinvesting in the County to make it more efficient in providing service to the public.  Other goals include fostering financial stability and strength, increasing housing diversity and affordability, enhancing communication internally and externally, reinforcing support of the agricultural industry, adapting the forest management plan to current and future needs, and supporting economic growth and high quality job generation.  Commissioners will examine the draft again at their February 16 meeting.      

North Wasco County School District 21 is continuing to move forward with planning for returning students back to the classroom in a hybrid format.  In a letter to district parents, interim superintendent Theresa Peters says with the number of COVID-19 cases in Wasco County trending downward, the district has a tentative plan for beginning in-person learning in early March, starting with kindergarten.  First and second grades would be added a week later, with additional grades to follow.  Peters plans to issue another update next week.  Limited in-person instruction at The Dalles Middle School for identified students in need of assistance will begin next Tuesday.  The letter gave the results of a parent survey showing 80% of respondents want to go to hybrid in-person learning at the elementary level, 71% at the middle school level, and 75% in the high school grades.

North Central Public Health District is asking anyone who attempted to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine notifications at its website at ncphd.org between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. this past Thursday to do so again.  The district says due to a technical difficulty, forms submitted in that time period were not received in the database.  Those who sign up through the site will be notified once their group is eligible to get the vaccine, and they will be sent a link to sign-up for an appointment.  The district does emphasize vaccine supplies are still limited and slots fill up quickly.  People are encouraged to check at ncphd.org regularly to find available appointments as new vaccine clinics are added to the schedule.  NCPHD says through January 29, there were 3,426 vaccines administered in Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties.  

The White Salmon Planning Commission is taking public comment on the draft of the municipal comprehensive plan in advance of its Wednesday meeting.  Public comment can be submitted via email to janb@ci.white-salmon.wa.us by Wednesday at 5 p.m.  All public comment received will be read into the record at the meeting.  Copies of the plan elements are available on the city website at white-salmon.net.  The meeting will be Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and can be accessed via Zoom.

Port of The Dalles Executive Director Andrea Klaas says they are getting inquiries from local businesses about possible locations to expand.  Klaas says the requests cut across various business sectors, adding low interest rates could be helping drive them.  Klaas adds other Ports have told her they are finding the cost of construction to be fairly low at this time.  She says most of the businesses she is talking to are looking for a one to one-and-a-half acre sites, which The Dalles can accommodate.

Hood River County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg says the County has completed the majority of Phase 1A and Phase 1B group 1 COVID-19 vaccinations.  That means around 5,000 vaccines have been given in Hood River County to healthcare workers and educators, and Van Tilburg says they have started on second dosing.  Van Tilburg says they will start vaccinations for Phase 1B group 2 next week, those who are 80 years of age and older.  But he does point out they will receive only 200 doses for that group for next week, and asked in a Facebook video for people not to call the health department or their doctor inquiring about vaccine availability at this stage.  Van Tilburg says they will be using primary care providers to distribute the vaccine, and they will contact their own patients.  Hood River County does have a website with COVID-19 vaccine information at hrccovid19.org.