The Klickitat County Health Department says there were three positive COVID-19 cases associated with Goldendale High School reported over the course of the weekend.   The health department says the school has taken all standard precautions during the pandemic, and the Goldendale School District is actively working with the health district to identify and notify anyone who may have been exposed to COVID-19.  The district says there are a large number of identified close contacts associated with this case.  Students and staff who do not experience any symptoms five days after their last known exposure may return to school on day seven with proof of a negative COVID-19 test.  Students and staff without proof of a negative COVID-19 test, and who do not have symptoms of COVID-19 may return to school ten days after their last known exposure.  

Following a run upgrade, Oregon and Washington fishery managers added fishing days for recreational spring Chinook salmon in the Columbia River during a joint state hearing.  The move is based on a projected return of 87,000 adult upriver spring Chinook to the Columbia River mouth, which exceeds the preseason forecast of 75,200 adults.  Below Bonneville Dam, the season will be this Friday through Sunday, and also the first 15 days in June, with a bag limit of one Chinook and one steelhead.  From Bonneville to the Oregon/Washington border, the season will the next two Saturdays and Sundays, with the same bag limit.  Given the low passage of Skamania stock steelhead over Bonneville Dam to-date, managers elected to reduce the steelhead bag limit to one fish starting this Friday and continuing through the spring management period which ends June 15

Baseball Dufur 16, Portland Christian 0:  The Rangers advance to visit Kennedy on Thursday in the 1A/2A Title Week series.   Boys Basketball Ione-Arlington 59, Sherman 49   Girls Basketball Toledo 53, Stevenson 24 Ione-Arlington 46, Sherman 27 Goldendale 61, Seton Catholic 23   Girls Lacrosse Summit 10, Hood River Valley 9

Hood River County: https://results.oregonvotes.gov/ResultsSW.aspx?type=CTYALL&cty=25&map=CTY

  Wasco County: https://results.oregonvotes.gov/ResultsSW.aspx?type=CTYALL&cty=24&map=CTY

  Sherman County: https://results.oregonvotes.gov/ResultsSW.aspx?type=CTYALL&cty=27&map=CTY

 

The Oregon Department of Human Services Child Welfare Division is asking the public for help in finding a 15-year-old child in foster care who went missing in Portland about two months ago and is believed to be in danger.  ODHS says Payton Brazell Smith is known to frequent Goodwill stores in The Dalles and Portland, and may be at a hotel or motel in the area near where Portland borders Gresham.  She is suspected to be in the company of two to three adults.  Payton is described by ODHS as being five-feet-six inches tall and weighing 140 pounds, with hazel green eyes and brown hair that is frequently dyed purple, red, or other colors.  She also has a tattoo on her right inner arm that says “Hati.”  Anyone who suspects they have information about Payton’s location should call 911 or local law enforcement.  

Hood River County Commissioners have agreed to place a letter of support in the City of Hood River’s packet soliciting developers interested in pursuing an affordable housing project on over seven acres on Rand Road.  The County has two acres to the west of that property, and the letter indicates a willingness to include that land in the project along with a possible contribution of $300,000 of County construction excise taxes.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel said the Commission did make some wording changes to the letter to give them more flexibility as they review the project moving forward.  Hecksel noted the County does see the potential for this project to help address the area’s housing issues.  Much like the City, Hood River County officials have for many years considered affordable housing to be a vital issue to address.  

North Central Public Health District is hosting multiple vaccine clinics this week.  Pfizer clinics for students 12 and older and their families will be held Wednesday at Dufur School and Saturday at The Dalles Middle School, and for an appointment go to ncphd.org.  Thursday, the district will take walk-ins for the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine at our clinic at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.  On Friday, NCPHD will be at the Bargeway Pub from 5-7 p.m. for its second “Take a Bite Out of COVID” event.  Get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and $10 in tokens toward your food bill, with no appointment needed.  And on Saturday there will be a walk-in Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson clinic at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. with ice cream and live bluegrass music.  Appointments can also be made for that clinic by calling the senior center at 541-296-4788 or the health district at 541-506- 2600.  

The change in mask wearing guidance last week from the Center for Disease Control won’t lead to any operational changes for the Hood River County School District for the remainder of this school year.  District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn says the Oregon Department of Education has indicated it won’t be making any operational guidance changes until the end of this school year.  Polkinghorn says the impact of the CDC guidance change is more impactful on planning for next school year, when he believes they will definitely have full days of classes.  Polkinghorn says at this time, the district is planning to have high school graduation ceremonies this year at Henderson Stadium by invitation only on June 11, with all graduating students together and receiving four tickets for admission.

Community input has led the City of White Salmon to move a joint City Council and Planning Commission meeting on comprehensive plan revisions back to the end of June and planned adoption to July.  Mayor Marla Keethler was happy to see the community engagement, and much of it centered around the perception of changes in the land use designation map means there would be zone changes.  She noted they are not saying they will take an established single-family neighborhood and making it an R-2 zone, but rather indicating there is a flexibility for medium density development where appropriate.  Keethler said the City needs to do a better job of communicating how the land use designation map actually works with the comprehensive plan and informs zoning.

Intermountain Conference Baseball Tournament First Round Ridgeview 4, The Dalles 2:  Riley Brock struck out seven over six innings on the mound for the Riverhawks, while also driving in a run at the plate. Redmond 11, Crook County 5:  Redmond advances to play Hood River Valley in the semi-finals tomorrow at 4:30 at Traner Field.   Intermountain Conference Softball Tournament First Round Hood River Valley 17, Redmond 3:  Molly Routson homered, doubled, and drove in three runs, while Reese Leiblien had three hits and also had three RBI.  The Eagles visit Ridgeview for an IMC semi-final tomorrow. Crook County 13, The Dalles 5:  The Cowgirls jumped out to an early lead, and the Riverhawks could not catch up.  Jeliane Stewart and Amyrah Hill drove in two runs apiece for The Dalles.   Boys Basketball Open Door 58, Horizon Christian 47 Mitchell-Spray 57, Trout Lake 51