The Klickitat County Commission District 3 election remained close as the County issued updated returns on Monday.  Challenger Dan Christopher saw his lead over incumbent Jim Sizemore reduced slightly again.  Christopher is now at 5,368 votes, and Sizemore is at 5,191.  Washington voters only had to have their ballots postmarked by election day, and the County reports that an estimated 1,287 remain to be counted.  In the Commission District 1 vote, Jacob Anderson is now at 7,021 votes to 4,696 for Joanna Turner.  The two hospital district measures continue to receive majority approval, with the Klickitat Valley Health bond measure receiving 2,795 yes votes to 2,135 no, and the Skyline Hospital levy increase getting 3,446 yes votes to 2,850 no.  Klickitat County will release another set of returns on Tuesday.  Skamania County all but wrapped up its ballot counts, with incumbent County Commissioners winning re-election.  Richard Mahar won the District 1 seat with 3,917 votes to 2,879 for Jeremy Bechtel, and Tom Lannen won the District 2 position with 3,958 votes to 2,803 for Paul Hendricks.

The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s assistance to identify those responsible for the unlawful taking of two buck deer in two separate incidents last week in the White River Unit of the Mount Hood National Forest.  The first occurred on Badger Creek Rd, just above Tygh Valley near the White River Wildlife Area boundary.  An Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife employee located the deer, just off the road, with some meat taken and the head removed.  OSP responded and determined the buck deer was shot and whoever was involved attempted to conceal it by dragging the deer away from the roadway and placing it behind a large rock.  The second was on Forest Service Road 1700 on the 660 spur near Gibson Prairie east of Parkdale.  A citizen driving in the woods located a dead deer about 50 yards off the road and reported it to an OSP Fish and Wildlife trooper who determined the forked horn buck deer was shot and left to waste.  Anyone with information regarding either case is urged to contact the OSP through the Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (mobile).

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce has arranged an official flyover on Veterans Day.  The Chamber said in a statement today that it had worked for months with many levels of the military to arrange the flyover.  It will feature an F-15 Eagle and will fly over The Dalles at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Veterans Day.  Meanwhile the Mid-Columbia Veterans Memorial Committee, Point Man Ministries, Patriot Guard Riders, and the Gorge Gospel Riders will host a brief gathering at Kelly Viewpoint Memorial across from Sorosis Park on Veterans Day at 11:30 a.m.  Masks are required and social distancing is requested.  Bring a chair if you wish.

This is the last full week that the City of the Dalles will be taking applications for a pilot program to rehabilitate deteriorated sidewalks.  The 50/50 Sidewalk Rehabilitation Pilot Program will provide some financial assistance to property owners to meet that responsibility to keep sidewalks in good condition.  The pilot program is focusing on sidewalks located in residential areas within the city limits.  The City will accept applications until next Wednesday, and applications will then be prioritized within the limited funding available to provide the greatest benefit to the community.  The homeowner must pay for half of the cost of sidewalk rehabilitation before the project can be scheduled.  Homeowners can download an application from the City website at thedalles.org/publicworksdocs. If you do not have access to the internet, call (541) 296-5401 to ask for a paper copy.

The Port of The Dalles continues to see inquiries from businesses looking for potential new locations to build in spite of the current pandemic.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says she has been hearing from a variety of businesses seeking new opportunities.  She said one area that both herself and other economic development advocates are looking at is encouraging entrepreneurial businesses.  Klaas says it seems many people who lost their jobs have decided it’s a great time to bring their own business ideas to fruition, and economic development officials would like to reach those people to help get them funding and on their feet.

The Klickitat County Health Department says it was notified of a positive COVID-19 case in the Lyle School District on Friday.  In a press release, the health department said the patient was positively tested for COVID on Friday.  The health department says it is investigating all close contacts or possible exposures related to the case, and at this time it appears to be related to community spread.  The health department added that the Lyle School District has taken all standard precautions during the pandemic including masking for students and educators as well as keeping desks and interactions six feet apart.  The school district has had only the one COVID case to date.

What the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office described as a “multiple vehicle pileup” on Highway 35 near White River tied up traffic on that road for a time on Sunday afternoon.  The Oregon State Police say there was no major crash, but instead multiple slide offs and people getting stuck in some wintry conditions.  There were no injuries.  The OSP is reminding motorists that as snow arrives in the mountains, higher elevation roadways hazardous.  Be prepared and have traction tires or devices, and know road conditions before you go by visiting tripcheck.com.

With the 2020 election in the rear view mirror for many people, Hood River County continues to look at how to establish a ballot drop box somewhere in the mid or upper Hood River Valley.  The County had received request from some citizens prior to the just concluded election to get a new drop box established, but County Administrator Jeff Hecksel noted the security needs for such a box made it difficult to quickly put a location together, especially a temporary one.  That is a less of an issue if they acquire a permanent box.  Hecksel says the Records and Assessment Department has applied for a grant to purchase a new box.

Republican challenger Jeff Helfrich continues to creep closer to incumbent Democrat Anna Williams in the Oregon House District 52 election after another round of election returns were released out of Clackamas County on Friday, but the gains were not as substantial as in updates issued Thursday.  Williams now has 18,219 votes while Helfrich is at 17,439, with Libertarian Stephen Alder now at 919.  That leaves Williams with a 780-vote lead.  Thursday that lead dropped from 1,875 votes to 891 over two updates.  Clackamas County will release another update late today.  

The Hood River County School District announced Thursday evening it intends to reopen elementary schools for hybrid learning for kindergarten through fifth grade students on November 30. The County currently meets the Oregon Department of Education’s metrics to reopen schools for elementary students…but must continue to meet the health criteria that is posted weekly.  Under a weekly hybrid schedule, each student will be assigned to an A Day group or a B day group.  A Day students will receive on-site instruction Mondays and Thursdays, and B Day students on Tuesdays and Fridays.  The school day will align with current comprehensive distance learning schedules…beginning at approximately 7:45 a.m. and ending at about 11:45, with distance learning activities in the afternoon.  The district did set two additional closure days for K-5 students to allow for elementary school staff training and preparation on November 23 and 24.  Students in grades 6-12 will continue to have distance learning on those days.