The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District, including lands it protects in Hood River and Wasco counties, will enter into a Regulated-Use Closure beginning Wednesday in an effort to prevent fires in dry wildland fuels.  Open fires are prohibited except in designated areas, chainsaw use and the mowing of dried grass with power driven equipment is prohibited from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., use of motor vehicles is prohibited except on improved roads or by landowners and their employees, smoking is prohibited while traveling except in vehicles on improved roads, and the use of fireworks and blasting is prohibited.  So far ODF’s Central Oregon District has seen 35 fires, 10 started by lightning and 25 human caused, burning a total of 33 acres.  Recent precipitation has helped keep fires small, but the weather is transitioning into warm and dry summer conditions/  For additional information go to ODFcentraloregon.com.

Containment was up to 90 percent at the end of Monday on a 14-acre fire near Rowena.  On Monday firefighters focused on mopping up interior hot spots and extinguishing visible smokes.  Crews also worked to grid within the fire area, exposing the trapped heat, and then dousing with water.  Firefighters from the Oregon Department of Forestry’s The Dalles Unit will complete the remaining mop-up work Tuesday then place the fire in patrol status.  The fire was initially reported Sunday afternoon burning in grass, scrub oak and ponderosa pine near Rowena.  Sandy soils and light flashy fuel conditions in the fire area allowed it to burn through quickly and trap minimal heat.  Air resources were critical in slowing the spread of the fire in difficult terrain.  The fire was human caused and under investigation.

A 73-year-old Welches woman died in a two-vehicle accident on Highway 26 in Wasco County on Monday morning.  According to the Oregon State Police, a preliminary investigation showed an SUV operated by Kathy Rayborn was traveling eastbound when it crossed into the westbound lanes and collided with a motor home operated by 76-year-old Richard Rydman of Vancouver.  The OSP says Rayborn suffered fatal injuries.  Rydman and his passenger, 73-year-old Janice Rydman of Vancouver, were taken to St. Charles Hospital in Madras.  The OSP says the accident happened at about 11:40 a.m. on Highway 26 near milepost 85.

High winds are just adding to concerns about fireworks safety.  Jay Wood of Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue says the strong winds that can blow embers long distances makes it more important than ever for Oregonians to use legal fireworks, which in Oregon are those that cannot fly in the air.  Wood adds if people are going to use fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday period, they need to do it safely, remembering to not be in the vicinity of flammable materials and to have water or a fire extinguisher on hand.  Wood points out statistics show fireworks in Oregon over the last five years have led to 573 fires with five million dollars in losses, 36 injuries, and one death.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has awarded a $90,000 grant for improvements to the Granada Theatre in The Dalles.  The Dalles Main Street program had applied for the funds.  The grant will help install new fire doors, a new heating and air conditioning system, and new awnings.  There is a $22,500 match required for the grant.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced Monday that people throughout Oregon will be required to wear face coverings in indoor public spaces starting Wednesday to slow the spread of the coronavirus.  She said in a news release the guidance applies to businesses and members of the public visiting indoor public spaces. Face covering requirements were mandated in eight counties last week, including Hood River County.  Brown said the disease has spread at an alarming rate in both urban and rural counties over the last month.  She says face coverings that cover the nose and mouth play a critical role in reducing the spread of the disease because droplets from people’s breath can carry the virus to others without people realizing it.  She said she did not want to close businesses again as has happened in other states that are seeing a spike in cases. She said Oregon Occupational Safety and Health will take the lead in enforcing face covering requirements for all covered Oregon businesses.  She also urged people to keep July 4 celebrations small and local, saying the state saw a lot of new cases following Memorial Day.  

North Central Public Health District officials announced five more positive COVID-19 cases in Wasco County on Monday, running the County’s total for the pandemic up to 68.  The Oregon Health Authority had reported five new positive COVID-19 cases in Wasco County over the weekend, two on Saturday and three on Sunday.  There were no new cases reported in Hood River County during the weekend on Monday, leaving that number at 88.  Statewide, the OHA reported 146 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases on Monday, running Oregon’s total to 8,485, with two deaths, moving that number to 204.  The OHA says epidemiologists are using a new method for reporting daily cases.  The new method assigns a date to each case when the case is first known to the state or to local health department as confirmed or presumptive.  The agency says it is a better representation of the number of cases reported on any given day.  The Washington Department of Health reported that as of Sunday Klickitat County was at 59 positive cases and Skamania County four.  The statewide total for Washington is now at 31,752 cases.

Firefighters were able to complete a line around a fire near Rowena overnight and begin mop-up on its interior.  Mop-up continues today, with a focus on some rugged terrain in the fire area that could not be accessed safely during the night.  Christie Shaw of the Oregon Department of Forestry says there was a limited amount of visible smoke and flames this morning.  The fire has been mapped at fourteen acres and has 50% containment.  The fire was initially reported Sunday afternoon burning in grass, scrub oak and ponderosa pine near Rowena, and overhead support from two Washington Department of Natural Resources air tankers and a federal helicopter helped slow its spread.  The Oregon Department of Forestry is being assisted by resources from the Mt. Hood National Forest, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue.  The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office cancelled the Level 1 evacuation advisory for residences in the area Monday morning.  Mayer State Park is being used to fill fire engines and for other support activities.  Please be cautious in the area.  Officials say the fire is human caused and under investigation.  

Wasco County has seen 38 positive COVID-19 cases during the month of June, up significantly from previous months.  North Central Public Health District Director Dr. Mimi McDonell says the County had eight cases in March, five in April, and 11 in May.  McDonell said 58 percent of the cases either could be traced to outbreaks at congregate workplace settings or close contacts of those people.  But she adds 26 percent of the cases in June they termed sporadic, and they aren’t sure where they originated.  The remaining 16 percent of cases were close contacts of the sporadic cases.

Businesses still face significant challenges as they operate during the pandemic.  Gregory Price of the Columbia Gorge Community College Small Business Development Center says he still hears from business owners about confusion on requirements from various state agencies and the governor’s office. He also still fields questions about leveraging business assistance funds from both the federal and state level.  Price said the recently passed extension for paying back Paycheck Protection Program funds has been helpful.  But Price does caution that the reporting aspect of the PPP can be complicated, adding many people have to hire a CPA to do it.