Hood River County reopened its forestlands for all recreational uses on Monday, with the exception of those prohibited under Oregon Department of Forestry regulations.  The County closed the forest on September 11 in the midst of extreme fire danger.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel said County Forester Doug Thiesies made the recommendation to reopen, based on cooling weather patterns and forecasts for precipitation this week.  Hecksel did emphasize a fire ban remains in effect for the County forestlands.

The Oregon Health Authority is planning a trio of COVID-19 testing community events in Hood River County next week.  County Health Director Trish Elliott told County Commissioners during a report on COVID testing that the events are planned for September 29 in Cascade Locks, September 30 in Parkdale, and on October 1 at River of Life Assembly in Hood River.  Some Commissioners have pushed for more testing, even though on a per-capita basis Hood River County has some of the highest testing rates in Oregon.  County Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg said as far as the availability of tests, the County is in a good place, but added while testing asymptomatic patients is a good thing, it’s not his top priority, saying ideally you have to test people after they’ve been infected and replicating the virus, which is about four to six days after exposure.  Elliott pointed out there is work taking place on a statewide level on a regular testing framework.

The Washington State Department of Transportation says travelers who use Washington Highway 14 near Carson may experience delays with the start of work to improve the stability of two roadside slopes.  Work began Monday to stabilize two separate slopes located alongside SR 14, just west of Wind River Road, in Skamania County.  A large rock about three feet in size fell from one of the slopes in December 2013, blocking both lanes of the highway.  Crews will perform debris and tree removal, rock scaling, and installation of rock dowels into the hillside to secure the face of the rock slopes.   Once the rock dowels are in place, crews will add a layer of a concrete material against the surface of the slope.  There will be daytime, single lane closures on both directions of Highway 14 throughout the project, which is to be completed this fall.  During late September, there will be full roadway closures of about 45 minutes from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for rock scaling work, beginning at the top of each hour, with a 15-minute window to clear stacked up traffic.  

Tuesday is National Voter Registration Day, as people are encouraged to vote in the upcoming election.  Wasco County Clerk Lisa Gambee says one of the easiest ways in Oregon to register to vote is going to the state’s election website, oregonvotes.gov.  Deadline to register for this year’s election is October 13.  Gambee is emphasizing people should check their registration and make sure they have the correct address.

Fire crews in The Dalles area dealt with a pair of fires on Saturday afternoon.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, Mosier Fire District, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area firefighters dealt with a brush fire on Seven Mile Hill near Mountain View.  Forward progress of the fire was stopped fairly quickly.  The fire was under investigation, but MCFR said it is not considered suspicious in origin.  Meanwhile, MCFR and Dallesport-Murdock firefighters responded to a reported structure fire on West 10th near Walnut.  Crews attacked the fire from both 9th and 10th Streets to suppress it.  MCFR says neighbors helped evacuated the home before firefighters arrived, and no injuries were reported.

The City of The Dalles is addressing properties with dry vegetation issues that could be a fire hazard. City codes enforcement officer Nikki Lesich says they will continue to send compliance letters to property owners within 24-hours of properties identified with overgrown, dry vegetation that are a fire hazard on both commercial and residential properties.  When removing weed vegetation, property owners should remove the vegetation first and then apply chemicals for weed control, as spraying chemicals on tall, dry vegetation prior to cutting increases fire hazards.  Puncture vine, also known as goat head, also is a problem.  Property owners are asked not to mow or use a weed trimmer to remove puncture vine as it will spread seeds and increase growth of this noxious vegetation.  When removing puncture vine dig up and bag plants carefully, dispose of them, and then spray with a chemical control for puncture vine to reduce spreading.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce and a number of community partners have completed a Historic Walking Tour Brochure.  The Historic Walking Tour Brochure focuses on The Dalles as a historic hub for trade and travel.  Guests can take a self-guided tour of the Historic Downtown The Dalles area and learn history about its historic buildings.  The brochure features nine historic trails.  The Historic Landmarks Commission developed an app that is a digital self-guided tour of the historic landmarks that can be accessed on a handheld device or a smart phone.  The project was created through a $3500 grant from the Oregon Community Fund and a matching grant from the Chamber.  Historic Walking Tour brochures are available at The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce office.

North Central Public Health District says thirty cases of COVID-19 were reported Sunday among residents and staff at Flagstone Senior Living in The Dalles.  District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell said in a statement that most of the cases are mild or asymptomatic, and no one has had to be hospitalized.  Tests were given to 119 residents and staff late last week and results came back Sunday from the Oregon State Public Health Laboratory.  The district says all positive cases, and identified family members and close contacts have been notified.  McDonell indicated Flagstone administration responded immediately to the initial positive case, rapidly completed testing of all residents and staff, and has increased cleaning schedules, enhanced usage of personal protective equipment, and initiated other measures to reduce the risk of further transmission.  Under Oregoj Health Authority guidelines, everyone at Flagstone who has tested negative will be re-tested on a weekly basis until the facility has gone without a positive case for two consecutive weeks.  McDonell said outbreaks at long term care facilities do not affect school metrics that determine when schools can return to in-person learning.    

Columbia Gorge Community College is re-opening to the public this week.  CGCC President Dr. Marta Yera-Cronin said in a school newsletter that areas such as the Bookstore, The Hook Café, Library, Business Office, and Student Services will be available to students.  Members of the public who come to the college on official college business will also be welcome on both The Dalles and Hood River campuses.  Yera-Cronin emphasized this is a partial reopening.   Specific hours for each area that will be accessible can be found at cgcc.edu.  Yera-Cronin recommended checking their hours each time you plan to visit, as hours could shift based on need.  Masks (or face shields) will be required everywhere on campus, and social distancing guidelines will be adhered to strictly.  

Industrial Fire Precaution Levels for Oregon Department of Forestry lands in Hood River and Wasco counties were reduced to Level 3 Monday morning.  That allows industrial operations to resume, but operators must follow restrictions including suspension of most activities between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. and conducting a firewatch following daily operations.  ODF The Dalles Unit Wildland Fire Supervisor Kiel Nairns says some rain over the weekend was welcome, but it was not a fire season-ending event.  A regulated-use closure remains in effect for activities such as mowing of dry grass, chainsaw use, and open fire restrictions.  The closure also requires those traveling on forest roads to carry a shovel and a fire extinguisher, or one gallon of water.  Visit www.odfcentraloregon.com for full details.  The public is asked to be aware of any actions which could cause a wildfire.