Hood River County School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn has sent a letter to parents outlining a framework for starting school in September, including an option for students to use a completely on-line instruction model aligned with the Hood River Options Academy.  The other option would involve on-site learning that would probably start with a hybrid of in-classroom and on-line learning with the ability to go to full distance learning on a short-term basis if necessary.  Polkinghorn says in upcoming weeks the district will present parents with details about how and when families can make their choice.  Online forums are planned in English on July 28 and 29, and in Spanish this coming Thursday and July 30.  Times and details will be available, along with the information Polkinghorn sent to parents, at the district’s website at hoodriver.k12.or.us.  

An interagency management team says the Bertschi Road Fire south of Glenwood is nearly 75% contained.  With minimal activity seen on the fire Monday, crews were able to remove remaining areas of heat near the perimeters while increasing levels of containment.  Crews have placed hose lines around the perimeter of the fire and a handheld heat sensing tool is being used to search for heat sources within the containment lines where crews will focus on mopping up.   Eight water tenders are located on site to support hose lines as crews are tasked to achieve 100% mop up along and within the fire perimeter.  In some areas around the perimeter of the fire, up to 300 feet of mop up has been achieved.  The fire started on July 16 and remains under investigation.

Hood River County Commissioners approved a change in the new 10-year average revenue formula for the timber deposit fund to help avoid potential shortfalls in the future.  County Forester Doug Thiesies made the proposal to make the formula the ten year average revenue from allowable cut harvested plus the average revenue from mortality sales, saying it will reconnect the transfer to the timber deposit fund balance, changing in the allowable cut, and actual revenue, rather than based on a constant that’s not based on actual revenue.  The budget for the current fiscal year reflects the new formula.  It results in an increase of $135,513 in the County’s general fund for 2020-21.

North Central Public Health District officials say a Hood River resident who was at the Northern Wasco County Aquatic Center in The Dalles last Thursdaytested positive for COVID-19 the next day.  Local health officials are stressing that as long as pool patrons abide by guidance, they are not at increased risk for contracting COVID-19.  The pool allows groups of up to 10 people, but requires that they keep at least six feet away from other parties.  Any close contacts of the Hood River resident will be identified by the Hood River County Health Department and contacted by them.  Modified rules at the North Wasco Aquatic Center include allowing only smaller groups of swimmers to attend any of four 90-minute sessions per day.  The facility is thoroughly cleaned between sessions and the lobby and locker rooms are closed, as is the concession stand.

A 27-year-old Carson woman has been taken into custody on a charge related to a hit and run that left a pedestrian injured.  The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says Ellis Scrivens was lodged at the county jail on a felony hit and run charge, and her vehicle impounded.  According to the Sheriff’s Office, emergency personnel arrived at the scene of the accident in the 1400 block of Wind River Road in Carson on Sunday evening.  First responders confirmed that 57-year-old Tammy Sweeney of Carson was walking northbound on the shoulder of the road with a 12-year-old family friend when she was struck by a northbound sedan that did not stop.  Sweeney was transported to PeaceHealth Southwest Washington Medical Center in Vancouver with critical injuries to her head, arm, and torso, while the 12-year-old was not injured.  The Sheriff’s Office says officers on Monday canvassed the neighborhood and were able to identify the suspect vehicle and driver.

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley say the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs will receive a $269,000 federal grant to repair its main water line.  The $269,000 federal Housing and Urban Development’s Indian Community Development Block Grant from its Imminent Threat program assists tribes and Alaska Native villages with activities to improve, repair or restore safe and healthy environments in response to imminent threats.  Wyden says the funds will help restore a dependable and safe water supply for the Warm Springs tribes.  He also said he would continue to work to pass the Western Tribal Water Infrastructure Act to direct federal funds to tribes for their water infrastructure.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce says an additional contribution from Google allowed every business that applied to its small business relief fund to receive monies.  53 businesses applied for the original $35,000 made available by the Google Data Center in The Dalles, and the company contributed an additional $16,000 to get grants to all the businesses in the 9-7-0-5-8 zip code that applied.  The Chamber then chose to cover the remaining businesses from outside the zip code that applied.  The relief grant was open to all small businesses in The Dalles area.  Businesses had to be “brick and mortar” businesses, with a current business license.  Applicants had to demonstrate a negative financial impact due to COVID-19, and could only employ 10 or fewer employees.  The grants were a collaborative effort between The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, and Google.  Funds will be distributed from the Chamber this week.

Klickitat County officials say public messaging in regards to COVID-19 case activity, and public health matters specifically, will now come directly from its public health department.  Klickitat County’s Emergency Operations Center and the Public Health Department have been working in Unified Command since the beginning of the pandemic, due to the significant amount of information, tasks, updates and public messaging that was needed on a daily basis.  The health department has been providing data on its webpage since the beginning, and officials say that will continue.  The EOC will continue operating the logistics involved in the pandemic.

Hood River County had two more positive or presumed COVID-19 cases added to its totals by the Oregon Health Authority on Monday, and Wasco County had one.  That moved Hood River County’s pandemic total to 132, and Wasco County to 131.  Over the weekend Hood River County said 107 of its cases have been released from isolation.  Sherman County remained at eight total cases.  Statewide the OHA on Monday added 277 new confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 cases, and reported two deaths to run the toll to 262.  In Washington, Skamania County Monday said it was at 40 total COVID-19 cases.  Klickitat County is at 85, with 78 listed as recovered.

After taking a number of steps to reduce crowding at the Waterfront Event Site this weekend, Port of Hood River Executive Director Michael McElwee said they only had to close the Event Site parking lot one time on Sunday, but other Port locations on the waterfront experienced crowding.  McElwee says the Sandbar, Hook, Spit, Frog Beach, and the swim beach all experienced crowding over the weekend, and the Port will be evaluating to determine other steps they can take next weekend. He did say closures of some locations was an option.  McElwee noted it would be difficult to close Frog Beach, as it is accessible via a public street.  He said the Port hasn’t seen similar problems on weekdays.  McElwee added Port commissioners will be consulted in any decisions they make.