The City of Hood River is embarking on an effort to refine and prioritize a construction plan to repair or replace clay sewer pipes and lead-jointed water lines.  The City Council this evening will receive a proposal to contract with a firm to conduct an infiltration and inflow study within the clay pipe locations of the City’s sewer system.  City Manager Rachael Fuller explains the clay pipes are past their useful life, and can cause problems when it rains or in the spring when there is a large amount of groundwater.  That can lead to overflows at the municipal wastewater treatment plant.  A project manager and administrative support has been hired for the project, and Fuller says there are grant opportunities to help pay for the replacement.  

Two area legislators will introduce a bill in the Oregon Legislature 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.  The bill defines as a permanent injury one that “permanently and significantly impairs” the victim’s cognitive functioning, vision, hearing or ability to walk breathe, eat or move their limbs, with the attacker at least at the age of 18 and convicted of first- or second-degree assault or attempted murder.  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.  The man received a 12-year sentence after being convicted of attempted murder and criminal mistreatment.  The bill gets a public hearing on Tuesday in the House Judiciary Committee.

A hiker was rescued on Friday, apparently three days after he fell down a 50-foot cliff in the Gorge.  The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office says rescuers got 43-year-old Morgan Bailey of Milwaukie to safety on Friday night after he was discovered by two other hikers at the base of the cliff, about a mile from the start of the Gorton Creek Trail.  He was conscious but injured, disoriented and possibly hypothermic, and a Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Coordinator Chris Guertin says he likely would not have survived the night.  The first responders who arrived were unable to transport the man to safety due to the difficult terrain, but a Coast Guard helicopter crew extracted him and brought him to a Portland hospital in stable condition.  Hood River Crag Rats, Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue, Cascade Locks Fire, the U.S. Coast Guard, Oregon State Police and the U.S. Forest Service were all involved in the rescue effort.

The North Wasco County School District 21 board decided unanimously to continue to vet candidates for Superintendent through a second round of interviews.  That after conducting interviews with three candidates on Thursday and holding an executive session on Friday evening to discuss a hiring decision.  The vote to continue the process came in a very brief return to an open session on Friday, with no comment offered as to why they decided to continue the process.  The three finalists the board had selected included current interim superintendent Theresa Peters, Carolyn Bernal, who is an assistant superintendent at Rio School District in Oxnard, California, and Jeff Dillon, superintendent of the Wilder School District in Idaho.  Last year, the D-21 board decided to re-start its search after interviewing three other candidates.  Former superintendent Candy Armstrong retired last summer, and Peters, who has been principal at Dry Hollow Elementary School, was selected for the interim role.

The Hood River County School District started offering limited in-person instruction to eligible students on Monday.  Oregon Department of Education metrics and guidance allow the district to provide the in-person instruction to a small group of students who are experiencing significant challenges with distance learning, and the district indicated it plans to expand the program over the coming weeks to provide more in-person instructional opportunities to students.  The district has prioritized students to participate in the limited in-person program based on attendance, behavior and academics.  Participation is voluntary.  The district says it will follow all safety protocols outlined in its operational blueprints, and has the support of the Hood River County Health Department.

Wasco County District Attorney Matthew Ellis says his office is investigating a City of The Dalles police officer and starting a significant case review after a 2011 disciplinary letter regarding the officer was recently discovered and “questions the officer’s credibility as a truthful witness.”  Ellis, who just became District Attorney this month, says in a statement the “Notice of Discipline” was found buried in former D.A. Eric Nisley’s desk.  It was signed by former The Dalles Police Chief Jay Waterbury, and stated the officer was demoted because he had violated the police department’s policy for truthfulness.  Ellis says the notice is clear discoverable evidence for any case investigated by the officer, adding the scope of the investigation will inquire into why the letter regarding the officer was not included in the former District Attorney’s disclosure index, and review any open matter where the officer was an essential witness and file motions for dismissal.  In addition Wasco County, City Police, and the D.A.’s office are conducting a ten-year review of any and all cases involving the officer for what Ellis called “conviction integrity.”  Ellis says current The Dalles Police Chief Pat Ashmore has been supportive of the investigation, and the decisions made ten years ago do not reflect upon practices and individuals that currently work in the police department or District Attorney’s office.  Ellis states his office has been informed that the officer was placed on administrative leave by the City on Sunday.  

Felling of diseased Ponderosa Pines in Sorosis Park that were infested with pine bark beetles is complete, and now North Wasco Parks and Recreation District officials are waiting for spring to assess potential damage to the irrigation system before continuing rehabilitation efforts. District Executive Director Scott Baker says they will be putting stump removal and grinding out for bid in February, but they won’t evaluate the irrigation system for damage from the tree felling process until the threat of frost passes and the system can be turned on.  Irrigation repairs will take place as the budget allows, and Baker says they are making preparations to use an above-ground watering system if necessary.  

The Oregon Health Authority’s weekly COVID-19 report issued on Thursday shows a slight decline in daily cases and a sharp decline in positive tests.  The OHA reported 7,860 new daily cases during the week that ended January 17, a 4% decrease from the previous week.  There were 332 persons hospitalized for COVID-19.  COVID-19 related deaths surged to 195, the highest weekly toll to date, following a previous pandemic high from the prior week. There were 129,723 tests for COVID-19 for the week of January 10 through January 16.  The percentage of positive tests dropped to 5.9%.  People age 20 to 49 have accounted for 54% of COVID-19 cases, while people 70 and older have accounted for 77% of deaths associated with the virus.  Thursday’s COVID-19 outbreak report shows 208 active COVID-19 outbreaks in senior living communities and congregate living settings, with three or more confirmed cases and one or more COVID-19 related deaths.

Oregon State University Extension is offering a free monthly statewide gardening instructional series on Zoom called “Growing Oregon Gardeners: Level Up Series.”  Wasco County Master Gardener Program Coordinator Andrea Stith says in January they talked about seeds, and in February the topic will be hedge rows.  The presentations will be live on Zoom the second Tuesday of each month at 3 p.m., but all sessions are recorded for viewing on-demand.  To access the series, go to the Wasco County Master Gardeners Facebook page, facebook.com/wascomg.

The Klickitat County Health Department says a 71-year-old White Salmon resident who had tested positive for COVID-19 died on Tuesday, the fifth death associated with COVID in the County.  In a statement, the health department says the individual had tested positive for COVID on December 21 and was admitted to a Portland-area hospital in early January.  It is unknown if this person had underlying health issues.  All of the close contacts were identified and notified at the time the individual tested positive.  The health department says at this time it appears the case was related to community transmission.