North Central Public Health District is preparing its plans for getting vaccines to seniors as they become eligible to receive them.  District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell says they are finishing up Phase 1B group 1 this week, but in the background has been preparing for the age groups that will become eligible over the next month, determining how they will get the word out, schedule, and safely transport older residents for vaccines.  McDonell says they are working with Mid-Columbia Senior Center, Age Plus, Mid-Columbia Medical Center, and volunteers.  She expects e-mail and phone calls will be used for sign-ups.  North Central Public Health District provides updated information through its website at ncphd.org.  

The Oregon Department of Transportation will impose a lower load rating on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge effective March 3.  ODOT’s structural evaluation identified deficiencies in some components of the nearly 100 year old bridge that required the lower load rating.  The updated load rating will affect most classes of trucks.  It will range from 22 to 32 tons, depending on the type of vehicle.  The current maximum vehicle weight for the bridge is 40 tons.  The Port of Hood River’s bridge engineering firm, HDR, will begin a detailed analysis of ODOT’s structural evaluation to identify strengthening measures needed to restore the current weight limit, and the potential cost of such measures, but Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says that will take several months.  The Port says it has been in contact with local commodity haulers and shippers.

North Central Public Health District is working on the logistics that will be involved in vaccinating older adults as they become eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine in Oregon.  District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell told the Wasco County Commission this week that they have completed giving shots to those in phase 1A, and they are targeting completion for phase 1B group 1, primarily educators, for the end of this week.  She adds the district is preparing for the next group, which will be those 80 and older who haven’t already been vaccinated in earlier groups.  McDonell did point out that once someone is in a group that is eligible to receive the vaccine, they will always remain eligible to receive the shot should they turn down the first opportunity but then reconsider.  

The latest snowpack statistics for the Hood, Sandy, and Lower Deschutes basin show snow water equivalent numbers about one-third lower than normal.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service snowpack survey shows the basin at 69% of normal as of Thursday.  Survey supervisor Scott Oviatt said the figure had been above 80 percent early in January, but storms this month have been in the form of rain at higher elevations.  Oviatt does point out that we still have about two months left in the snow season, with late March to early April snowpack the determinant for what kind of water year the area will have.

Wasco County Commissioners gave consensus approval to allow a bench to be installed in the County Courthouse in honor of former County Judge Bill Hulse.  A group of volunteers have raised funds to purchase three benches and have them engraved in his honor to be placed at the Courthouse, the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, and in Dufur.  County Commission Chair Scott Hege expressed his approval.  The volunteers are looking into each bench having a QR code that would allow people to use their mobile devices to link to a website with information about Hulse and his autobiography, Read It and Sleep.

Carolyn Bernal has been selected to be the next Superintendent of North Wasco County School District 21.  Bernal was one of two finalists the district board had decided on January 22 to bring in for an in-person interview, but soon after current interim superintendent Theresa Peters withdrew from consideration.  A statement from the board indicated Bernal was selected pending successful contract negotiations.  Bernal comes to D-21 from Oxnard, California, where she is currently an assistant superintendent in the Rio School District overseeing school and system improvements.  Bernal’s background includes experience as a human resources director and elementary school teacher and principal.  She also has helped established dual language immersion programs.  Bernal will officially begin in her new position on July 1.  

A Washington State Department of Health official said during a Facebook Live forum for Skamania, Clark, and Cowlitz county residents that the state is hearing from federal officials they should soon start receiving estimates of how much COVID-19 vaccine the state will receive over a period of a few weeks.  Lauren Jenks of the Washington Deparment of Health said that should help with planning vaccine distribution.  Jenks says the state already has the plans in place to ramp up vaccine distribution. She said they are only receiving about a third of the amount of vaccine they could deliver in a given week.

There will be road closures in downtown The Dalles this week as repairs to broken water main and damaged roadway that occurred late Saturday night take place.  A full road closure will be in place on East 3rd Street between Jefferson and Laughlin streets.  A detour to East 1st is in place for eastbound traffic.  The intersection of Jefferson and East 2nd is closed.  Jefferson Street is closed at the alley between East 3rd and East 4^th.  The alley will remain open to through traffic.  Some downtown businesses have been notified that water service will be shut off during the water main repair.  Other downtown area customers may experience water flowing from a tap to be discolored from stirred up sediment or milky white caused by tiny air bubbles.  Although discolored water won’t make people sick, customers can flush the pipe by running the water for several minutes before drinking or washing.  If the water does not clear, contact the Public Works office at 541-296-5401.

The North Wasco County School District 21 Education Foundation is looking to be more active in 2021.  Foundation administrative director Rebecca Thistlethwaite says in 2020 the organization raised more money from individual donors than they ever have, adopted a new strategic plan, launched a website, and is committing to be more transparent about what they are.  She adds in 2021 the foundation wants to continue to assist the district as it sees students return to classrooms.      Information on the foundation is available at northwascoed.org.  

Klickitat and Skamania counties will be in phase 1 of Washington’s Roadmap to Recovery plan for at least two more weeks after the region they are in fell short of metrics to move up in three of four categories, and that has some local officials frustrated.  Klickitat County Public Health Director Erinn Quinn says some of the statistics used were dated, and she remains concerned about her county being attached to Clark, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties.  The region has gotten under the average 7-day percentage of Intensive Care Unit staffed bed occupancy needed for moving to phase 2, but did not meet metrics for the 14-day trend in COVID cases, new COVID hospital admissions, and the seven-day percentage of positive COVID tests.