A public hearing will be held Thursday in a Washington House committee on a bill sponsored by 14th District Representative Gina Mosbrucker that would require the Secretary of State’s office to distribute a voters’ pamphlet, along with ballots, to each registered Washington voter overseas.  Mosbrucker says the bill would require the voters’ pamphlet to be sent at the same time as the ballots so that voters and military servicemen and women have the information to decide how to vote.  The measure is scheduled for a public hearing Thursday morning in the State Government and Tribal Relations Committee.  Citizens who wish to testify online remotely or submit written testimony can do so on a special page of the Legislature’s website, titled “Participating in Committee Hearings.”

Republican lawmakers are accusing Democrat Governor Kate Brown of prioritizing urban over rural residents for vaccine distribution.  Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said during a Friday press conference that doses are being redirected this week to the Portland Metro area and 12 other counties who have a significant amount of eligible people not vaccinated.  Allen says the reduction is for this coming week only.  Republican legislative leaders Rep. Christine Drazan and Sen. Fred Girod said the governor’s decision to send additional vaccines to the Metro area is “prioritizing urban Oregon over the needs of rural Oregon.”  Allen said counties that received higher allocations or that believe they’ve vaccinated their eligible populations will get fewer vaccines next week, while others will get more to accelerate their progress.  According to numbers released at the press conference, Wasco, Sherman, and Gilliam counties will receive around 100 fewer vaccines this coming week than planned, while no details were given for Hood River County.

Columbia Gorge Community College is preparing to continue to operate with on-line classes when spring term starts, but also getting ready to possibly offer some courses in person when the situation allows it.  CGCC President Dr. Marta Yera-Cronin says once a class starts online it will stay that way, but if they can offer some classes later in the spring in-person, they want to do it.  Cronin says enrollment has been steady through the pandemic, with some losses in non-credit community education but that has been made up for in for-credit classes.  CGCC’s spring term class offerings will be announced soon.  

A 27-year-old Washougal man was arrested on drug charges by Hood River Police after a traffic stop on Interstate 84 near milepost 62 on Wednesday.  According to Hood River Police Chief Neal Holste, Cody Bliss was discovered to have a nationwide warrant for his arrest after the vehicle he was driving was pulled over.  Officers found heroin, methamphetamine, and morphine along with drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.  Bliss was booked and lodged at the Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facility in The Dalles on charges of possession and delivery of methamphetamine, possession of heroin, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, carrying a concealed weapon, fail to carry and present a license, tampering with drug records, and the outstanding warrant.  

The City of Hood River has contracted with a licensed clinical social worker to provide direct outreach to those experiencing homelessness.  Alisa Fowler has two decades of professional, educational, and volunteer experience as a therapist service provider, and she specializes in mental health and housing with a commitment to the model of “housing as healthcare.”  Fowler says many think those experiencing homelessness are from outside of the community, but that’s usually not the case.  She says usually they are from within the community.  Hood River residents experiencing homelessness and seeking basic needs and assistance can call Fowler at 971-238-4438.  The City of Hood River’s homelessness stakeholder group will discuss long-term options for homeless services in February.

Two area legislators introduced a bill in the Oregon Legislature this week that would create longer sentences for criminals who cause permanent physical injury to their victim.  59th District Representative Daniel Bonham first introduced Ezra’s Law during the 2020 session, and is being joined by 30th District Senator Lynn Findley in sponsoring the bill.  Bonham says while he had been disappointed that the bill didn’t move last year, since then the bill has been refined, including tightening the definition of permanent disability.  Judicial review for significant mitigating circumstances is also built into the bill.  The bill got a public hearing on Tuesday in the House Judiciary Committee.  The bill is named after four-year-old Ezra Thomas of Madras, who three years ago suffered severe injuries that left him in a wheelchair and unable to breath on his own after being beaten by his mother’s then-boyfriend.  

An Oregon Department of Human Services foster parent recruiter says numbers of available homes in the Wasco, Hood River, Gilliam, Sherman, and Wheeler counties are all right in spite of the pandemic, but they can always use more.  Marvin Hamilton of DHS says they currently have 49 parents in the five county area, with 46 children currently in care.  Hamilton says when looking at prospective foster homes, DHS is simply looking for a good home for the youth.  Those interested in being a foster parent in Oregon can go online to fosteroradopt.com, or call 800-331-0503.

The Hood River County School District is targeting the beginning of March to return K-3 students to their classrooms.  That after the Oregon Health Authority’s released the latest county health data for the past two-weeks showing Hood River County met state metrics allows for a transition to on-site and hybrid instruction in elementary schools.  In a video statement released Tuesday night, Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn said March aligns with the start of the third trimester for elementary students, but going into the classroom still depends on a few things, including remaining in alignment with the advisory metrics, stable and downward trends of COVID in the community, and staff access to COVID vaccinations.  Polkinghorn said bringing back upper grade levels is complicated by physical space requirements and cohort limitations from the state.  He said the district will continue to provide limited in-person instruction and co-curricular activities for secondary students.

The Dalles City Council will conduct a goal-setting worksession on Friday.  Councilors will hear presentations from all City departments, and then discuss what their goals should be for 2021.  Mayor Rich Mays says downtown will be one of his focuses, noting he felt that before the pandemic they were on the cusp of a rejuvenation of that area.  The goal-setting session will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday on Zoom, and log-in information is available at the City of The Dalles website.

Oregon Second District Congressman Cliff Bentz has been selected to serve on the House Natural Resources Committee.  The committee oversees federal lands, wildlife, water, energy and mineral resources, oversight and investigations, and affairs with indigenous peoples.   Bentz says his experience as a water rights attorney, rancher, and member of the Oregon Water Resource Commission will help him advocate for what he called “more balanced use” of federal lands, forests, and water.  Bentz added he will continue to focus on communities hard hit by natural disasters, especially those in Oregon struggling to rebuild after wildfires last September.