The latest two-week average for COVID-19 cases and positive test rates still put the Hood River County School District as eligible to bring K-5 students back to classrooms in a hybrid of on-site and distance learning, but a number of parents and teachers told the district board they questioned bringing them back on November 30 as virus cases rise in Oregon.  District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn said the metrics are trending in the wrong direction, but added that while distance learning has worked for some, it doesn’t meet the need of all students.  He also made an impassioned plea for the community to prioritize health and safety, and wear face coverings and practice social distancing.  Some elementary teachers told the board that reducing them from 20 hours of student contact in distance learning to eight hours of in-classroom contact is detrimental to their efforts.  Polkinghorn said the district has tentatively scheduled a community forum with Hood River County Health Officer Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg this Monday at 6 p.m. to talk about a school reopening.  

The new warming shelters in The Dalles went up late last week, and while they don’t have electricity yet they are being occupied.  City Councilor Darcy Long-Curtiss said during Monday night’s brief Council meeting that the pallet-style shelters placed on City right-of-way on Bargeway Road have occupants and will be fully inhabited soon.  They have six shelters that can be occupied by two people apiece.  Long-Curtiss says portable toilets have been installed, and electricity was to be hooked up on Tuesday for heaters, adding wet and cold conditions over the weekend led to the decision to allow the shelters to be used while waiting for the power.  The City is providing infrastructure but is not operating the shelters.  Long-Curtiss says procedures for the shelters are being developed.

The North Central Public Health District say there has been a 14th death as a result of the mid-September COVID-19 outbreak at Flagstone Senior Living in The Dalles.   A statement from the district on Monday said that one of the memory care residents that contracted COVID in the outbreak passed away on November 1.  Under Oregon Health Authority guidelines, a death is considered to be related to COVID-19 if it occurs within 60 days of exposure to a confirmed case, onset of symptoms, or date of a person’s first positive test.  The outbreak at Flagstone began in mid-September, involved 51 COVID cases, and was resolved late last month.  Outbreaks are considered resolved when two incubation periods have passed after the onset of symptoms in the last reported case.  For COVID-19, the time frame is 28 days.  The last case at Flagstone was reported on October 1.  Wasco County has had 17 deaths related to COVID-19 during the pandemic.

With revisions to Wasco County’s comprehensive land use plan having been finished, now work turns towards updating the County’s Land Use and Development Ordinance.  County Commissioner Scott Hege says the comprehensive plan sets general policies for land use planning that line up with state requirements.  But Hege says the LUDO ordinance sets the specific rules for land use in the County.  Work on the LUDO is expected to take two years.

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.