North Wasco County School District 21 remains outside of the state’s advisory metrics to move toward in-person instruction, even with recent changes.  In a letter to parents, D-21 interim superintendent Theresa Peters says the latest two-week Wasco County case count is 143, well above the 90 cutoff for considering moving toward on-site and hybrid models.  Peters did say the district is consulting with North Central Public Health officials to review required safety protocols.  She says D-21 will follow the advisory metrics, and when they allow will begin a careful phasing in of in-person learning starting at the early elementary grades and adding grade levels incrementally.  The district has shared prioritized lists of educators to be vaccinated with the local health department to facilitate that process.   Once Wasco County meets the metrics, a two-week notice will be given to allow staff planning, family communication, and a gradual opening with one grade at a time, starting at the kindergarten level.  Extra-curricular sports conditioning and strength training activities continue for high school students and will begin February 1 for middle school students.  Individual evaluations for specific students are taking place to prepare for some individual student testing at The Dalles High School to begin in February.  Peters said D-21’s next update will be the week of February 15.

A free COVID-19 testing event is planned on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the North Wasco County Aquatic Center in The Dalles.  Appointments are required and individuals need to register for an appointment online at www.doineedacovid19test.com.  No insurance is required.  The tests are a self-administered nasal swab.  The event is managed by the Oregon Health Authority.  At a similar event last Thursday, 76 people were tested.

At its first weekend mass vaccination clinic on Saturday, North Central Public Health District, with assistance from Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue and Medical Reserve Corps members, vaccinated 290 people.  The district says many were intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals and their caregivers.  Educators and childcare providers will be the main focus on another large vaccination clinic this coming Saturday that will serve 400 people.  Some educators already got their vaccines last Saturday.  The invitation-only events are held at The Dalles Readiness Center.  Sherman County educators and childcare providers have been vaccinated, and Gilliam County childcare providers were vaccinated last Friday and educators will be vaccinated this Friday.  Educators in Wasco County are being contacted by their schools with information about the vaccination clinic.  All who work for school districts qualify for vaccines, as well as those who contract with the district, such as coaches.  Childcare providers will be contacted by Childcare Partners.  Seniors over 80 will be eligible for vaccines starting Feburary 8.  Those 75 and older are eligible February 15, those 70 and older are eligible on February 22, and those 65 and older are eligible March 1.  The health district would like to hear from anyone in Phase 1a who has not yet received a vaccine, call 541-506-2600.  The phase broadly includes any healthcare workers, mental health workers, workers in group homes, and emergency responders.

The Hood River County Library District is going to go “fine free” starting on February 1.  “Fine free” means that patrons will not be fined daily for overdue materials.  The change is a part of an institutional movement from libraries nationwide, guided by the recommendations of the American Library Association in an effort to increase free public access to library services.  A statement from the district says studies in libraries that have eliminated fines show that there has been no impact on return rates, and the step can even increase use of library materials.  The District will also erase all past overdue fines for patrons.  This does not include past fees for lost or damaged items.  Items will still have a due date and materials will still need to be returned.  Last fiscal year the amount collected from fines was less than 1% of the Hood River County Library District’s budget.

Klickitat County is beginning to discuss how to deal with short-term rentals in their codes.  New County Commissioner Jacob Anderson says the first step is to determine how many STR’s there are in the County outside of incorporated areas.  Anderson points out that the state of Washington has adopted new regulations for short-term rentals, so they will need to follow those and tailor them to their local needs.  Anderson says the Commission is planning workshops in February to discuss the topic.

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.