The Hood River County Christmas Project says it needs donations from the public more than ever after the first two weeks of on-line registration of assistance has resulted in enrollment already up by more than 100 families from last year, and there’s still three weeks of signups remaining.  The project’s Bruce Holmson says they may see family registrations go above the 700 mark by the time the reach the December 7 deadline.  Families who register receive a food gift card from their choice of four local grocery stores and a toy gift card for each child up to 18-years-old.  To support the 2020 Hood River County Christmas Project, go to hoodrivercountychristmasproject.com, or mail a check to the organization at P.O. Box 872 in Hood River, zip code 97031.  All donations are tax deductible.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s limitation of 75 percent capacity at retail stores for at least the next two weeks may not be ideal, but it’s not a closure.  That’s the message from The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson.  She’s advising those retail businesses to be creative to keep busy, and keep pushing out their messages on safe shopping in their establishments.  Farquharson says she is reaching out to restaurants to find out who is doing take out, so the public can be informed so they can help support them while they are limited to that service.

The supplemental draft Environmental Impact Statement for replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge should be released to the public next week.  Project Manager Kevin Greenwood of the Port of Hood River says it’s the culmination of over two years of work to update an EIS that was first done over ten years ago, calling it a huge milestone for the project.  Greenwood says the 200-page document covers every environmental impact a new bridge would have on the region.  A virtual public meeting on the EIS is planned for Thursday, December 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., including an opportunity for public comment.  Log-in information will be available at portofhoodriver.com.

The White Salmon Valley School District pushed back its reopening dates for in-person instruction for at least two weeks after an increase in COVID-19 cases in Klickitat County pushed the district over the metrics established by the Washington State Department of Health.  In a letter to parents, district administrators said when the numbers fall back within the state guidelines, they will continue with its phased-in hybrid reopening plans.  Tentative reopening dates now include November 30 for kindergarteners and first and fourth graders, December 7 for grades two, three, five, and six, and January 4 for secondary grades.  The increases in cases has also led the district to pause individualized instruction and support to a prioritized small group of students until further notice.  The district will re-evaluate the metrics next Monday.  

The City of the Dalles will be taking applications for a pilot program to rehabilitate deteriorated residential sidewalks for only a few more days.  The 50/50 Sidewalk Rehabilitation Pilot Program will provide some financial assistance to property owners to meet that responsibility.  The City will accept applications until Wednesday.  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 Dalles Public Works Department will be flushing fire hydrants throughout the city over the next few weeks, weather permitting.  Fire hydrants are flushed in order to clean out deposits, sediments and rust from distribution pipelines, minimize water quality problems, test fire protection water pressures, exercise hydrant valve, and Identify hydrants needing repair or replacement.  Motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid driving or walking through the water coming directly from a hydrant while it is being flushed.  Occasionally main flushing causes water flowing from a tap to be discolored from stirred up sediment or milky white caused by tiny air bubbles.  Although discolored water won’t make you sick, you might want to flush the pipe by running the water for several minutes before drinking or washing.  If the water does not clear, contact the Public Works office at 541-296-5401.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown today announced a statewide two-week “freeze” starting on Wednesday through December 2 which will limit restaurants and bars to take-out only and close gyms and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities.  The aim is to limit group activities and slow the spread of COVID-19.  The state is experiencing a spike in coronavirus infections and has reached record high positivity rates so far in November.  As part of the freeze, grocery stores, pharmacies and retail stores are limited to a maximum capacity of 75%. Faith-based organizations will also have their capacity reduced to 25 people indoors and 50 people outdoors.  However, other facilities including gyms and fitness centers, museums, pools, sports courts, movie theaters, zoos, gardens, aquariums and venues, will have to close their doors completely.  Restaurants and bars, which had a capacity limit of 50-100 people depending on the county and curfew of 10 p.m., will now be limited to take-out only.  Brown said all businesses will be required to close their offices to the public and mandate work-from-home “to the greatest extent possible.”  And indoor and outdoor social get-togethers are limited to six people, total, from no more than two households.  In the past, Brown has described social get-together measures as “self-enforced,” but today she alluded to law enforcement action, saying she has asked Oregon State Police Superintendent to being to work with local law enforcement to enforce the social gathering orders.  Oregon State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger says social gatherings are the reason for the increased virus spread.  The freeze does not apply to barber shops, hair salons, congregate homeless sheltering, outdoor recreation and sports, youth programs, childcare, and K-12 schools that are currently open.  Brown and the governors of California and Washington issued travel advisories Friday urging residents to avoid non-essential out-of-state travel and asking people to self-quarantine for 14 days after arriving from another state or country.  For the past two weeks, officials have expressed concerns about nearing hospital capacity in the state.  Oregon Health Authority chief medical officer Dana Hargunani said there are limitations to what Oregon’s healthcare system can handle.  The OHA reported a record of 303 coronavirus patients in hospitals Friday, an increase of 81% since the end of October.  Several major hospitals in Portland have begun curtailing elective surgeries this week amid the surge.  The National Federation of Independent Business immediately denounced Brown’s new order, noting that Oregon health officials are blaming social gatherings, not businesses, for precipitating the unprecedented surge in cases.

The Hood River County School District announced Thursday it is postponing reopening elementary schools for in-person instruction that had been planned for November 30, and no timeline for reopening will be announced until January at the earliest.  Hood River County’s latest numbers in new COVID-19 metrics adopted by the state two weeks ago would allow them to continue with the reopening plans, but increasing COVID rates concern district officials.  In its statement, the district says school administrators and staff will begin to prioritize students that may return to school for limited in-person instruction where the district can bring a small number of students on campus for a limited amount of time to receive academic and social-emotional support.  The district will contact specific families to invite their students to participate.  The district and the Hood River County Health Department will host a family information session on Monday at 6 p.m. via Google Meet.  For more information, visit the Hood River County School District website.

The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division is asking for the public’s assistance with identifying the person(s) responsible for the unlawful taking of a buck deer in Hood River County.  On Thursday, a citizen reported finding a fresh deer carcass and buck head that had been dumped over a rock embankment near Cascade Locks on Herman Creek Rd.  Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Troopers responded and found a freshly killed 3X3 buck head with a broken point and a cleaned carcass dumped over an embankment in an attempt to conceal its location.  Due to the condition of the carcass left at the dump site it is believed that the buck was recently taken.  It is estimated that the incident occurred between Tuesday and Thursday.  Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact OSP Trooper Brent Ocheskey through the Turn in Poachers (TIP) hotline at 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (mobile).

Washington Gorge Action Programs will take calls from residents of Klickitat and Skamania counties looking for an appointment to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program starting on Monday morning.  Those looking to apply are asked to call 509-493-2662, ext. 202 or 800-755-1192, ext. 202 where they will asked to leave a message including their name, phone number, and the community they live in.  Appointments will be scheduled beginning in December.  Applications will be handled by phone this year rather than in person due to the pandemic.  To qualify for this program participants must earn less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.