Columbia Gorge Community College’s enrollment was up by 47 percent this summer from 2019, and their fall numbers are currently up by 14 percent.  CGCC President Marta Yera-Cronin says anecdotal evidence indicates that students who normally would have taken the summer off from their educational pursuits decided not to with the pandemic going on and the school doing on-line classes.  Yera-Cronin says if last fall is any indication, the current enrollment pace they are on should stay about the same.  CGCC will continue with all classes being offered on-line this fall, but Yera-Cronin said the school has not made a decision about winter.

North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell says the lag time to receive COVID-19 test results back can hinder contact tracing efforts.  McDonell points out that when it takes seven to ten days to get test results back, it makes it difficult to find close contacts.  McDonell did say the district has been able to hire people to help with contact tracing, so they are in a good position in that regard.  McDonell said Wasco County was now at 152 positive COVID-19 cases as of Thursday morning, up two from yesterday’s count.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is advising people that if they receive an unsolicited package of seed from China, don’t open it.  Anyone who receives an unsolicited package of seeds from China should immediately contact their state department of agriculture.  Save the seeds and the package they came in, including the mailing label, and contact the state ag department for instructions on mailing them.  Do not open the seed packets or plant them.  If the packets are already opened, place all materials into a zip lock bag and seal it.  If the seeds have been planted, leave the seeds/plants in the ground until you receive further instruction after contacting the Oregon Department of Agriculture.  The goal is to collect the seeds and test them to determine if they are a concern to agriculture or the environment.

Hood River County Health Department Director Trish Elliott said they received notice of 11 new positive COVID-19 tests Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.  Elliott says they have been doing large amounts of testing dealing with potential locations of outbreaks, and combined with slowdowns in receiving testing results is leading to getting results back in large batches.  That would up the total for Hood River County to 162 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.  She did expect the number of cases that are now out of isolation, which was 134 in an update released by the County on Tuesday, to also go up.

If schools in Wasco County were trying to open tomorrow, they wouldn’t be able to have in-person classes for students, but North Central Public Health District Health Officer Dr. Mimi McDonell says that doesn’t mean the County can’t reach the metrics to reopen schools released by the state on Tuesday in the near future.  State officials are requiring counties have their weekly rate of positive COVID-19 tests under five percent and the new case rate at less than 10 per 100,000 residents for three straight weeks for in-person learning to take place.  McDonell told the Wasco County Commission that the County can get there if people do their part by wearing face coverings and avoiding large gatherings.  In addition to the local metrics, the state’s weekly rate of positive COVID-19 tests needs to be under five percent over three weeks for schools to reopen.

On a day when the Oregon Health Authority released the largest number of COVID-19 related deaths for the pandemic, state epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger did provide some upbeat words.  During a press conference Tuesday on metrics that need to be reached to open schools in the state, he said there are signs may start to trend in the right direction.  He says the total number of COVID-19 cases began to decrease in Oregon in the last week, hospitalizations are leveling off, and test positivity is declining.  He added models indicate transmission rates are beginning to decline, and could reach a point with “the continued cooperation of all Oregonians” where the virus cannot reproduce enough to sustain itself at current levels.  But Sidelinger also said for that to happen, Oregonians must continue to follow state guidelines currently in effect.

Those who manage public recreation lands in the region are reminding people to pack out what you take in when they visit those locations.  Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area recreation officer Stan Hinatsu says it’s important to recreate responsibly and leave no trace so others can experience the outdoors the way you did.  In addition, be safe by wearing the proper gear and be aware of fire danger, and avoid crowding by considering alternate locations to recreate should your first choice be heavily populated.  Information on locations that are open is available at readysetgorge.com.

Governor Kate Brown said on Tuesday that if Oregon sees a statewide positive coronavirus testing rate of 5% or less for three consecutive weeks, none of the state’s public school students will be allowed to return to classrooms.  Brown and Oregon health officials announced metrics for county-wide school re-openings, including the possibility of children from kindergarten to third grade receiving in-person instruction while other students used distance learning.  State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger outlined the metrics that would allow for a return to classrooms, which at a statewide level requires a positive COVID-19 test rate drop below 5% each week for three consecutive weeks, while at the county level the number of cases needs to drop below 10 per 100,000 residents in a week for three consecutive weeks.  Sidelinger did point out that evidence indicates children under the age of 10 get the COVID-19 virus and transmit it at a lower rate, so there are exceptions to the metrics for that age group, along with districts with less than 100 total students and provisions for limited on-site learning to those with disabilities.  Sidelinger said the state isn’t where it needs to be right now to open schools, but there are signs of transmission rates beginning to decline.  Brown said she was establishing a $28 million emergency relief fund for school districts to help with costs related to COVID-19.

The Dalles City Council looked at plans for a public gathering place on Federal Street at their Monday meeting.  The public plaza would be between East 2nd and an alleyway, and a consultant’s presentation showed it as using stamped concrete and include seating and some trees and planters.  Mayor Rich Mays feels it would be an asset to downtown.  But it also came with a price tag about $150,000 over what is in the City and Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency budgets for the project, and some Councilors expressed concern with that along with the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic and the future of the nearby former Tony’s Town and Country building.  Councilors will look at it again at a meeting in late September.

Mid-Columbia Economic Development District is encouraging small businesses to apply for COVID-19 Emergency Business Assistance Grants in Hood River, Sherman and Wasco Counties, as a large chunk of $250,000 in funds from Business Oregon have gone unclaimed.  MCEDD’s Marla Harvey says the money is intended to fill in the gaps for businesses that have not been able to receive federal funds.  The main requirement is that the business was negatively impacted by COVID-19, including businesses that were officially told by the state they could not operate or had a 50 percent decline in revenue during March and April.  Harvey adds that MCEDD is asking businesses to apply by August 14.  If the money goes unclaimed, it gets returned to the state.  For application information go to mcedd.org.