Identifying land and buildings to help businesses grow will be a priority of the Port of The Dalles during 2021.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says the agency has a University of Oregon RARE project planner working on redevelopment of Brownsfields properties in The Dalles.  Klaas says those are properties that probably had a historical use that caused environmental contamination.  Klaas notes The Dalles has a $600,000 federal grant to help property owners identify the level of contamination and help them put together a plan to clean up those sites.

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden held a virtual town hall meeting on Monday morning for Sherman, Wheeler, Gilliam, and Grant counties.  Wyden received a variety of questions, and one was how to ensure rural communities are a priority in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.  He says the country won’t recover from the virus until everyone who wants a vaccination gets one, .adding while Operation Warp Speed officials told him supply would be proportional to population, he doesn’t think that has been the case in the early rollout.  Wyden also said he is not convinced that there is a need for more laws to deal with domestic terrorism in the aftermath of Wednesday’s breach of the nation’s capital, but rather more transparency and disclosure of the information the government has on the subject.  Wyden is on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Hood River County Sheriff Matt English has been was recognized as Oregon’s Sheriff of the Year for 2020 by the Oregon State Sheriffs Association.  Lincoln County Sheriff Curtis Landers said during a ceremony for the award that English is a “forward- and critical-thinking individual who exemplifies the professionalism that all elected sheriffs should display.”  Active with the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association (OSSA) since he took office in 2013, Sheriff English has served the organization in a variety of capacities, including Secretary, Vice-President, and President.  English said the award was “humbling” and it was “an honor to be recognized.”  English was sworn in for his third term as Hood River County Sheriff last week.

The Hood River County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is starting the search for permanent executive director to lead that organization.  In a statement the Chamber, doing business as Visit Hood River, indicated interim executive director Ashley Huckaby May declined an offer from the board to serve in the permanent position to pursue new personal and professional endeavors in February.  May will continue to support the board of directors and the organization through the executive search and transition process.  The board plans to take applications through January 25, interview finalists in February, and fill the position as soon as possible.  

Vintage neon signs are being installed on four buildings in downtown The Dalles.  The signs were restored by David Benko of the National Neon Sign Museum and are being installed by Ramsay Signs of Portland at no cost to the City.  The vintage signs are going up on the 110th anniversary of both the arrival of the neon tube to the United States and the start of the Ramsay Signs company.  Signs are being installed on the Court Street side of the Guild Mortgage office, on the alley side of the The Last Stop building, which is visible from Interstate 84, on the northeast corner of the Mid-Columbia Medical Center billing office, and the southwest corner of the main building of Sunshine Mill.  The project is funded by a National Main Street grant.

A fifth-generation Wasco County resident and Columbia Gorge Community College instructor has received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award, the Federal Aviation Administration’s highest honor.  Mike Davis is a professor of autonomous flight at CGCC and life-long pilot.   The FAA based its decision on nominations from commercial airline pilots and others who have worked with Davis through the years.  The award recognizes professionalism, skill and aviation expertise spanning at least a half-century of civilian and military service.  Davis has a Commercial Pilot’s Certificate, with instrument rating for single and multi-engine aircraft.  In addition to his faculty roles at Columbia Gorge Community College as an Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and business instructor, Davis directs Aero Drone Corporation, a UAS training center, from his family ranch near Tygh Valley.  Davis is on the Wasco County Planning Commission.

The City of Hood River has contracted with a licensed clinical social worker to provide direct outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness.  Alisa Fowler was lead program coordinator for Gorge Outreach, which began in the early days of the pandemic to provide temporary housing to the houseless community through hotel vouchers.  Working in the Mid-Columbia region since 2017, Fowler has two decades of professional, educational and volunteer experience as a therapist and service provider, specializing in mental health and housing.  Following the success of the initial Gorge Outreach program, the City is using grant funds to continue providing the service part-time.  Fowler says in the first six weeks of the City’s program, 33 individuals have been contacted by referral or street outreach. Ten households are actively engaged in housing placement and case management services.  Hood River County residents experiencing homelessness and community partners seeking basic needs and housing assistance can contact Gorge Outreach by leaving a message or text at 971-238-4438 or emailing gorgeoutreach@gmail.com.  

North Central Public Health District is temporarily reducing its walk-in clinic hours and reproductive health clinic hours as it focuses on dispensing the COVID-19 vaccine.  Starting this coming week, the walk-in clinic will temporarily be offered on Wednesdays only, rather than Wednesday through Friday.  The reproductive health clinic will be offered on Mondays only, rather than Mondays and Tuesdays.  The Wednesday walk-in-clinic is open from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.  Though it is walk-in, the public is asked to call ahead, at 541-506-2600.  The reproductive health clinic is available by appointment by calling 541-506-2600.

The History Museum of Hood River County has a new executive director.  The County Heritage Council has tabbed Anna Goodwin for the position.  According to a statement from the museum, Goodwin most recently was collections manager for Maryhill Museum of Art.  Over the last 17 years Goodwin has held positions around the country working in most aspects of museum administration.  She has a Masters’ degree in Historical Administration from Eastern Illinois University and a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, Classics, and Museum Studies from Beloit College.

Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said he thinks fall is a reasonable target for getting to the point where enough people in the state are vaccinated against COVID-19 to get to reach a degree of herd immunity.  During a press conference with Governor Kate Brown today, Allen says he thinks the more optimistic messaging from the federal level has misled people, and that unless supply numbers pick up, it’s going to take longer than what the federal government believes.  Brown has set a goal of vaccinating 12,000 people per day by the end of next week.   Allen said they are actively working towards reaching the goal, but added there have been data reporting issues, and the OHA talked to 100 sites yesterday to clarify those and to adjust vaccine allocations, prioritizing those who can deliver more.