The Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility is about to enter into its budget process for the 2020-21 fiscal year.  NORCOR board chair and Hood River County Commissioner Bob Benton says some outside revenue sources are helping to somewhat stabilize the jail’s facility budget picture, including contracts with the federal government and Benton County to house inmates along with lease of a building to Insitu providing about $2 million of revenue.  Benton notes the new federal government contract signed in February is with the U.S. Marshal’s office rather than Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which allows NORCOR to house people in custody of the U.S. Marshal and not necessarily ICE detainees, even though they are taking them at this time.  Benton said at any point they can opt out of the ICE component without invalidating the contract.  Revenue from the outside contracts helps maintain current service levels at NORCOR for the four counties that operate the regional jail.  The NORCOR budget committee will hold its first meeting for developing the 2020-21 fiscal plan on March 19.

Oregon Class 5A Girls Basketball Tournament

First Round

Silverton 53, The Dalles 32:  The top-ranked team in the state took control early and cruised to the victory.  Silverton led 37-12 at halftime.   Truitt Reilly led Silverton with 17 points, while Kilee Hoylman topped the Riverhawks with 10.  The Dalles finishes the season with a 13-12 record.

 

Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association

Hood River Valley’s girls finished fourth in the state alpine skiing championships at Mt. Ashland.  Sarah Davies led the Eagles’ effort by finishing fourth in the combined standings, as Summit won the team title.  HRV’s Aidan Gonzalez-Haynie finished 33^rd in the boys’ giant slalom.

The North Wasco County School District 21 Board will be interviewing the three finalists for the district’s superintendent position this week, with public forums with each candidate a part of the process.  Today (Monday) the district will be interviewing Jose de Jesus Melendez, who is currently the Director of Languages and Equity for the Franklin Pierce School District in Tacoma.  Tuesday they will talk with Hood River Valley High School Principal Rich Polkinghorn, and on Wednesday will wrap up by interviewing Dorie Vickery…who is an educational consultant for Student Investment Account planning for the Philomath School District.  Community forums for each candidate will take place from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center.

Klickitat County Emergency Management, Public Health, and various medical providers held a briefing on preparations to deal with the COVID-19 coronavirus should a case be found in the County.  Jeff King of Klickitat County Emergency Management says they have been working to make sure local providers have the materials they need to deal with a case if it happens.  County Health Officer Dr. Amy Person said the response is similar to how public health dealt with the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, in 2009, making sure hospitals and clinics have the appropriate isolations and precautions they need to take, looking at what their resources are, and what kind of non-pharmaceutical steps can be taken to keep communities safe.  Most people with COVID-19 will only have a mild illness and will recover completely.  Klickitat County Public Health is advising people to stay home that are experiencing mild symptoms, similar to the flu or colds.  These symptoms may include, shortness of breath, runny nose, headache, cough, sore throat, fever, and a general feeling of being unwell.  To help prevent getting the COVID-19/Coronavirus wash hands often with soap and water, or if that’s not available use hand sanitizer.   Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, avoid contact with people who are sick, and cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

The Gorge Technology Alliance announced its 2020 Wind Challenge scheduled for next Saturday at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center has been cancelled due to concerns related to the novel coronavirus.  GTA Executive Director Jessica Metta said they did not take cancellation of the event lightly, but the safety of students and volunteers is their top priority.  She added they felt it was best to cancel the event based on the most up-to-date assessment and in consideration of general public health and safety.  The Wind Challenge put on in conjunction with Google and Columbia Gorge Community College usually sees 200 middle and high school students from the Mid-Columbia compete in a one-day competition to build the best wind turbine.  Metta said the planning team behind the Wind Challenge will reconvene in a few months to consider rescheduling the event for this fall.

Alpine Skiing

Hood River Valley’s girls are in fifth after the giant slalom at the Oregon Interscholastic Ski Racing Association Alpine Championships at Mt. Ashland.  Summit currently holds first place.  Sarah Davies had the best runs of the day for HRV, finishing third.  Columbia’s Madison Swanson finished in seventh.  The girls will run the slalom today.  HRV did not have a finisher in the boys’ slalom.  The boys’ giant slalom is also today.

 

Friday, March 6

Oregon Class 5A Girls Basketball Playoffs

First Round

The Dalles at Silverton, 6 p.m.

A recall effort is emerging against Oregon 26th District State Senator Chuck Thomsen,one of the Republican lawmakers who left the Capitol to protest environmental legislation.  The Portland Tribune reports that the Parkdale lawmaker could face an election to remove him from office if organizers can gather enough signatures.  A Hood River resident, Lara Dunn, launched the recall petition against Thomsen because of his role in the walkout.  The Oregon Secretary of State’s office says in order to force a recall election, the petition effort must gather 9,025 valid signatures by June 2.  Thomsen’s district includes Hood River County, and goes over Mount Hood into Clackamas County to include Sandy, and also contains a portion of Southeast Portland.  The district contains around 7,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans, but non-affiliated voters make up the largest bloc.

Republicans in the Oregon Senate and House are indicating that they are willing to return to the Capitol on Sunday to pass emergency budget bills before the legislative session ends, but one Democrat leader says that’s not acceptable.  Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger, Jr of Grants Pass said in a statement today that his caucus is “willing to attend the Sunday floor session to pass emergency budget bills” and House Minority Leader Christine Drazan of Canby issued a similar statement.  But in a response House Speaker Tina Kotek of Portland says the only deal she will agree to is if Republicans agree to take a floor vote on every bill that has passed out of committee.  Republican 59th District Representative Daniel Bonham said on the Mid-Columbia Today program this morning trust remains a big issue between the two parties.  GOP lawmakers walked out last week to attempt to head off passage of a carbon cap-and-trade bill, denying Democrats a quorum.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife says the Hood River will be open for adult hatchery Chinook from April 15 through June 30 from the mouth to mainstem confluence with the East Fork, and the West Fork from the confluence with the mainstem upstream to the angling deadline 200 feet downstream of Punchbowl Falls.  The catch limit is two adult hatchery salmon per day, and five hatchery jack salmon per day.  All wild Chinook salmon must be released unharmed.  Fishery managers are predicting a relatively strong return of about 1,300 hatchery fish for the Hood River, which is slightly higher than last year’s prediction.  There will be no season on the Deschutes River for 2020 due to another year of predicted poor returns of both hatchery and wild fish.  ODFW fish biologist Rod French says the Hood River fishery is one of the few places a bank angler has a pretty good chance of catching a Columbia River spring Chinook.  While the fishery will open in mid-April, French said the run usually peaks in late May due to colder water temperatures in the Hood River.

The Klickitat County Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan update has been completed in draft form and is now available for public review and comment until March 19.  The purpose of the plan is to reduce the impact of hazards such as floods, landslides, severe weather, wildfire, and drought, on Klickitat County while maintaining appropriate emergency response capabilities and sustainable natural resource management policies.  The plan identifies high risk areas as well as structures and infrastructure that may have an increased potential for loss due to a hazard event, and recommends specific projects that may help prevent disasters from occurring altogether or, at the least, lessen their impact on residents and property.  A committee of elected officials and department heads, emergency response agency heads, land managers, highway district representatives, and others put the plan together.  The plan is available for review at the White Salmon and Goldendale libraries, and online at the County Emergency Management Department website.  The plan will continue to enable Klickitat County and its communities to be eligible for grant dollars to implement the projects and mitigation actions identified by the committee.