White Salmon officials are starting to look at what projects they can start phasing in when the state of Washington begins to loosen some of the restrictions they are operating under.  Mayor Marla Keethler says the City wants to begin to address the construction moratorium in residential zones put in place in January and to plan on how to resume work on the Jewett Boulevard renovation project.  Keethler says Klickitat County officials met with Governor Jay Inslee’s staff last week about what a phased-in approach will look like.  Keethler says the Governor’s office made it clear that coming out of the restrictions will be like turning a dial, not flipping a switch.

The Hood River County Commission has asked staff to prepare a plan to reopen County Forestlands to recreation for local residents without causing an influx of out-of-area visitors to come in.  Commissioners discussed the issue during their Monday evening online meeting, and have scheduled another session on Thursday at 4:30 to receive a plan from staff.  All members of the panel expressed a desire to get the forestlands opened again to local residents, with Bob Benton saying there was an important mental health component.  Karen Joplin noted the County appears to be in the downward trajectory for COVID-19 after participating in a meeting with Governor Kate Brown on the framework for reopening the state with an estimate of a first phase coming on May 4.  Chairman Mike Oates says time was needed to get a plan from staff and to coordinate with local support groups.  It appears a reopening of the forestland would go back to what was first attempted by the County, with staging areas and restrooms remaining closed.  Commissioners also indicated they would want to have a closure of parking on Post Canyon Road, noting that area tends to become congested, something they want to avoid in a trail reopening.

Wasco County reported a new positive test for COVID-19 on Monday evening.  It is the eleventh in Wasco County, and the first in the Mid-Columbia since Wednesday.  Klickitat County remains at 16 positive tests for COVID-19, Hood River County four, Skamania County three, and Sherman County one.  Wasco County has tallied 433 negative COVID-19 tests, Hood River County 372, Klickitat County 308, and Skamania County 77.   The Oregon Health Authority listed 46 new COVID-19 cases in an update of statewide numbers on Tuesday, moving the total to 2,002, 24 percent of which have required hospitalization.   The death count went up by three to 78.   In Washington, the latest statistics reported showed 12,085 cases of COVID-19 have been detected, with 652 deaths.   Oregon reports it has received 39,126 negative tests, while Washington has had 128,926 negative tests.

Many involved in supporting small business are waiting anxiously for a Congressional agreement to be nailed down for a fourth version of the CARES Act to inject another $250 billion into the Payroll Protection Program after the emergency loan program ran out of funds within a week of being rolled out.  The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says Chamber organizations are communicating with Senators and Representatives emphasizing the need for the money to get to small businesses.  ABC reported on Monday afternoon that Congressional leaders and the White House are inching closer to striking a bipartisan deal that will replenish the depleted small business loan program and provide funding to hospitals struggling under the coronavirus public health crisis — with a debate over testing emerging as one of the final areas of dispute.  

No new COVID-19 cases were reported Thursday or Friday in the Mid-Columbia.  Klickitat County remains at 16 positive tests for COVID-19, with ten listed by the County as having recovered, but the County also reported a third death from the disease in Friday’s statistics from the central part of the County.  Wasco County remained at ten positive COVID-19 tests, Hood River County four, Skamania County three, and Sherman County one.  Wasco County has tallied 380 negative COVID-19 tests, Hood River County 338, Klickitat County 285, and Skamania County 70.  The Oregon Health Authority listed 49 new COVID-19 cases in an update of statewide numbers on Friday, moving the total to 1,785, 24 percent of which have required hospitalization.  The death count went up by six to 70.  In Washington, statistics compiled at the end of Thursday showed 11,152 cases of COVID-19 have been detected, with 583 deaths.  Oregon reports it has received 34,536 negative tests, while Washington has had 117,748 negative tests.

The North Wasco County Education Foundation has launched a fundraiser to get technology and basic needs to kids in North Wasco County School District 21.  The COVID Response Special Fund has been established, with a goal of raising $20,000 in the next four weeks for more Chromebooks & internet access so all students can participate in distance learning while the schools are closed due to Stay Home orders.  The fund would also be providing food for the weekend backpack program and gas cards to needy families.  Foundation Director Rebecca Thistlewaite says those were the top needs identified by the school district and its food service director.  To donate go to www.northwascoed.org.

The City of The Dalles is piloting a new prescription medication delivery program for the City’s medically vulnerable population.  Anyone who is 65 years-old or older, or who has any serious underlying medical condition that would put them at higher risk of severe illness due to COVID-19, can contact The Dalles Police Department to arrange for prescription delivery to private residences within The Dalles city limits.  Bi-Mart, Walgreens, Safeway and Fred Meyer have agreed to participate with this program.  To request prescription delivery services, call the Police Department at 541-296-2613 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays.  Before calling the police department, contact the pharmacy to order and pre-pay for the prescription over the phone, and advise the pharmacy a police officer will pick up the prescription in a marked vehicle and uniform.  Have a valid identification document available when the officer delivers the medication.  Officers delivering prescriptions will be in uniform and operating a marked police vehicle, wearing proper personal protective equipment, and maintaining social distancing requirements at all times.  Please allow 24 hours from the time the prescription is ready to be pick up, to when the officer will deliver the medication.

Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden says he expects some kind of agreement to be reached to put more funds into the Payroll Protection Program.  The loan and grant program to help small businesses ran out of its allotted $350 billion on Thursday, and President Donald Trump has asked for another $250 billion dollars, and Walden says talks are continuing.  He says no one objects to the program itself, and he hopes the deal will get done sometime next week.   Walden, who on Thursday was appointed to the White House Economic Task Force, said leadership can come to terms on the funding and some of the issues are being worked out.  But the question is whether a House or Senate member will demand a quorum be present for a vote, which would require members to get on planes and fly back to Washington, D.C. and lead to a 48-hour delay.

Five hikers had to be rescued Thursday night below the closed Lower Falls Recreation Site in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest about 37 miles east of Cougar.  Skamania County Undersheriff Pat Bond says a total of sixteen first responders responded after receiving a report that four of the hikers had waded across the Lewis River, and only one made it back across because they were unsure of the current due to darkness.  First responders devised a rope system to rescue the remaining trio.  The group ranged in age from 17 to 20 years old and were from University Place.  Bond says all were cited and released for violation of the County’s order restricting access.  Bond called it a “perfect example” of first responders having to respond to something unnecessary due to “the complete disregard of well publicized orders” from various governmental agencies.

Klickitat County officials are asking residents to voluntarily refrain from outdoor burning during the COVID-19 pandemic.  While recognizing fire can be a necessary tool to manage lands, they say smoke from fires can result in negative consequences for the public and first responders, including smoke inhalation causing respiratory symptoms that incorrectly appear to be COVID-19 leading to unnecessary testing of self-isolation, and increasing the risk of contracting or worsening respiratory diseases due to exposure to smoke.  In addition, first responders have a limited supply of personal protective equipment, and have limited resources to respond to out of control burns.  Klickitat County officials suggest using alternatives to burning like composting or chipping yard debris on site, or hauling yard debris to a composting site or to the transfer station for disposal.  More information is available at klickitatcounty.org.