Consumer groups are warning people to watch out for COVID-19 vaccine scams.  Oregon Attorney General’s office director of consumer outreach and education Ellen Klem says she is grateful there hasn’t been a significant number of scams reported to her office yet, but there are some things folks should watch out for.  She says “If somebody contacts you out of the blue and makes promises, says things like they can ‘get you to the head of the line for a small fee,’ that is a big red flag that it is a scam.” Klem notes people don’t have to pay for the vaccine, and it’s only being offered through federal and state partners, and was recently expanded to certain pharmacies. Scams took their toll on consumers last year.  The Federal Trade Commission reports Americans lost three-point-three billion dollars to fraud in 2020.

North Central Public Health District announced a sharp decrease in COVID-19 cases will drop Wasco County all the way to the state’s “Lower Risk” category beginning on Friday.  Wasco County recorded just 27 COVID cases for the 14-day period that ended Saturday, which will make the County just the second to drop by three categories at once since Oregon’s four-category risk framework was introduced last November.  NCPHD Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell said there were a number of factors involved in the move, including vaccinations in high-risk populations, less traveling coming out of the holidays, and people practicing public health measures.  McDonell emphasizes that people still need to wear masks and practice social distancing.  When the category change takes effect on Friday, in-person dining at restaurants and bars in Wasco County can resume at 50 percent capacity with a closing time of midnight.  Churches in Wasco County can operate at 75 percent capacity indoors, theaters, museums, and gyms can operate at 50 percent capacity, long-term care facilities can have inside visitation, offices can have limited in-person work, retail stores can operate at 75 percent capacity, and indoor social gatherings can have up to ten people with a recommended limit from up to four households.

Hood River County will move from “high risk” to “moderate risk” as Oregon does its every two-week update of COVID-19 guidelines that will take effect on Friday.  Oregon Health Authority statistics show Hood River County had 30 COVID-19 cases during the time period that ended on Saturday, just short of the number needed to drop to “lower risk.”  When the category change takes effect on Friday, in-person dining at restaurants and bars in Hood River County can resume at 50 percent capacity with a closing time of 11 p.m.  Churches in Hood River County can operate at 50 percent capacity indoors…theaters, museums, and gyms can operate at 50 percent capacity, retail stores can operate at 75 percent capacity, and indoor social gatherings can have up to eight people with a recommended limit from up to two households.

The Secretary of Agriculture has given concurrence that the revised Gorge 2020 Management Plan for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is consistent with the National Scenic Area Act.  In approving the revised plan in October, the Columbia River Gorge Commission focused on updates to increase protections in the Scenic and Natural Resources chapters, as well as Economic Development, Land Uses, Urban Area Boundary revisions, and Recreation chapters.  There is also a new Climate Change Chapter, and the Gorge Commission will begin developing a climate change action plan in 2021.  With the concurrence determination, the Gorge Commission will now formally transmit the revised Management Plan to the counties in the National Scenic Area to incorporate into their county ordinances.

Oregon and Washington fishery managers adopted recreational spring Chinook salmon and steelhead seasons for the Columbia River Tuesday during a joint state hearing.   The season from Bonneville Dam to the Oregon/Washington border will run from March 16 to May 5, with a bag limit of two adult hatchery Chinook or Steelhead per day, but only one may be a Chinook.  Below Bonneville Dam the season will run from March 1 to April 4, with the same bag limit.  The overall forecasted return of adult spring Chinook to the Columbia River mouth of 143,200 fish is similar to last year’s actual return of 142,500.  However, the season-setting process is driven by the forecast for upriver-origin spring Chinook of 75,200 fish, which is lower than last year’s actual return of 81,300.

The Oregon State Police is requesting the public’s assistance to help identify those responsible for unlawfully shooting and killing a cow elk in Wheeler County.  According to the OSP, troopers on Thursday discovered the remains of an unlawfully killed cow elk in the northern Fossil Unit, on Forest Service Road 25.  The kill was fresh and was believed to have been shot and taken last Wednesday night.  Additionally, an ATV or UTV was utilized to transport the elk upon Henry Creek Road traveling down to the junction with Kahler Basin Road, north of the town of Spray.  If you have any information regarding this incident please contact the OSP through the Turn In Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or 541-980-6081.

Hood River County Health Department Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg says the County received about 1,600 doses of COVID-19 vaccine this week.  He says they received several weeks worth because of transit delays caused by winter storms across the country, and many of the doses are designated for seniors.  He says right now the County’s aim is to complete vaccination of those 80 and older, then move through the age groups.  The Health Department itself is just doing second doses to health care workers, educators, and those in congregate care settings.  Other doses are being administered at primary care clinics.  Van Tilburg says Hood River County has the capability of vaccinating 10 percent of the population in a week, once they have the supply to do it.

As The Dalles City Council took testimony on Monday night on the proposed Strategic Investment Plan agreement with Google for two new facilities on the former aluminum plant and rodeo grounds, there were some questions asked surrounding water usage that would be required for a new data center.  Water issues are not a part of the SIP agreement, but they are being discussed by the City and Google representatives, and will eventually come before the City Council.  Mayor Rich Mays says they are currently negotiating with Google to build water facilities to accommodate both the company and the rest of the City, adding municipal residents won’t be impacted, adding the water system Google will use may generate excess capacity outside of their facility.  The water plans for the project are expected to come before the Council in a couple of months, if the Strategic Investment Plan agreement is approved by both the City and Wasco County.

The Hood River County Library District is planning to offer “grab and go” appointments in their main downtown Hood River location starting March 10.  Library Director Rachael Fox says the appointments will be the first step in bringing people back inside the building.  The appointments will allow 15 to 20 minutes to browse, gather materials, and check them out.  Fox says people were be able to sign-up for appointments at hoodriverlibrary.org beginning on March 2.  They will start out offering appointments on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  Fox adds they will also be offering times to use library computers for 30 minutes.

Klickitat County Commissioners will take a trip on Thursday to the Prineville area to take a look at a pair of solar farms as they look to learn more about them as the County anticipates seeing proposals for them in the near future.  Commissioner Dan Christopher says the Central Oregon locations are not necessarily what Klickitat County might see, including one in the Knight Road area near Goldendale.  He adds the companies that own the projects they will look at in the Prineville area are interested in Klickitat County, but their Central Oregon developments are not of the scale or in the proximity to residential areas that Klickitat County could see.  Christopher adds the tour will give them a chance to talk to the operators, and hopefully local governmental officials to get a sense of the kind of steps the County should consider as it receives applications for solar farms.