There will be intermittent single-lane closures at the Washington-side approach to the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday for seasonal street sweeping and debris removal.  Flaggers will direct traffic around the work zone.   Motorists should expect delays of approximately 20-30 minutes depending on traffic volume.  For more information, contact the Port of Hood River via email to porthr@gorge.net.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce has been in discussion with public health officials on a possible way to have a holiday celebration.  Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says they have come up with some unique ideas, but aren’t ready to announce anything until health officials sign off on a plan.  Farquharson said they do know the annual lighting of the Christmas tree outside the Chamber office will be virtual, but they are working with the City’s Beautification Committee to have some community-wide activity in conjunction with that.

The Port of Hood River is considering holding two lots on the former Lower Hanel Mill property as it tries to determine whether to construct its own buildings there.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee likens the current situation to the 2008 recession, when the Port decided to move ahead with building the Halyard Building on the waterfront in spite of an economic downturn.  McElwee said the Port has been in negotiations with one potential purchaser for a Lower Mill lot, but those talks have been slowed down by the pandemic.

A 34-year-old Hood River man died Friday night after the motorcycle he was driving crashed into a pickup on Toll Bridge Road shortly after attempting to elude a Sheriff’s officer who was trying to contact him for a traffic violation.  According to the Oregon State Police, the officer reported the motorcycle operated by 34-year-old Lyle Halverson was southbound on Baseline Road at about 8 p.m. on Friday, and upon the officer’s attempt to contact him the motorcycle accelerated and turned northbound onto Toll Bridge Road.  About one minute after that, the officer came upon the motorcycle crashed on Toll Bridge Road south of the Highway 35 intersection.  A preliminary investigation by the OSP found Halverson was traveling at high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a right-hand corner, entered the southbound lane, and crashed into a pickup.  The OSP says Halverson sustained fatal injuries.  The driver of the pickup was not injured.  The OSP was assisted by Parkdale Fire and Rescue.

The Stevenson-Carson School District says its entire sixth grade class will make their return to Wind River Middle School with full-time school starting on November 4.  The district recently made the decision to reopen the school, which had been closed since 2012, after determining the need for additional space and a dedicated facility for sixth to eighth grade students outweighed the financial savings stemming from its closure.  The district says when the sixth graders return to in-person classes…it will be among the first in Washington State to see the return of all students in grades K-6 to full-time in-person learning.  The district says to meet health department guidelines staff designed a plan separating the middle school’s gymnasium into sixth grade class “pods” using dividers to allow for appropriate social distancing.  Wind River will reopen on a reduced daily schedule similar to the one planned for use by Carson Elementary in order to provide custodial staff with additional time to ensure deep and thorough cleaning of the facility following each school day.  Families with sixth grade students who prefer to remain with distance learning can opt to stay with Stevenson-Carson Learning Link, the district’s distance learning program.

Total enrollment in the Hood River County School District is down by over 300 students from last year.  District Human Resources Director Catherine Dalbey says as of last week 3,769 students were attending the district’s virtual classes.  She told the district board the reductions were centered in three areas.  Nearly 100 expected kindergarten students not enrolling probably due to comprehensive distance learning and COVID that will probably return next year, the Columbia Gorge Educational Service District put the estimate on registered home school students up from the usual 120 to over 200, and the remaining students have chosen other virtual schools.  State school funding is based on a two-year average enrollment, but Dalbey noted many districts are seeing similar trends, so that formula may be changed.

Klickitat Valley Health is asking voters in Public Hospital District #1 of Klickitat County to approve a $14.3 million bond measure to expand the facility in Goldendale.  A $20 million bond measure was narrowly defeated in 2019, and KVH Chief Executive Officer Leslie Hiebert says they listened to community input to narrow the project to focus on adding 15 long-term care beds, establishing new and expanded acute care space, and creating new operating rooms.  The proposed tax levy is 67 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.  KVH’s current 20 year bond that expires in 2021 was passed at a rate of $1.29 per $1,000, but it has over time been reduced to 44 cents per $1,000 thanks to increases in assessed property values around the hospital district.

A Friday morning press briefing from Oregon Health Authority officials continued a trend of recent weeks, a message that COVID-19 cases continue to rise and social gatherings are the main reason for it.  OHA Director Patrick Allen said reported COVID cases went up 18 percent this week, with the positive test rate nudging up to 6.4 percent and hospitalizations up as well.  Allen says as they study data, they find social gatherings are driving this surge.  He noted in particular results of a survey released last week finding the people who attend the most social gatherings are those the least likely to take COVID threats seriously.  Allen said they are recommending people not have social gatherings or trick-or-treating for Halloween.  OHA officials did say they are submitting plans to the Centers for Disease Control for distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine once one is available.

Medicare’s annual open enrollment period got underway yesterday, and continues through December 7.  Sue Ann Arguelles is the coordinator for the Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance program sponsored by Mid-Columbia Senior Center that serves Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler counties.  She explains the open enrollment period involves the extra plans that those on Medicare may purchase, and they change every year.  The SHIBA program offers counseling to Medicare clients.  In the five-county area in Oregon, call 541-288-8341.  In Klickitat County, in White Salmon call 509-493-3068, and in Goldendale call 509-773-3757.

Road and utility work will have traffic impacts in White Salmon on Monday.  Crestline Construction will be paving on Jewett Bouleverd the entire week.  In addition, Klickitat PUD will be replacing power poles on Jewett between Skyline Drive and Fireman’s Park at the same time.  Motorists should expect lane closures with long delays.