As the coronavirus COVID-19 continues to be in the headlines…health officials have been reminding people one of their best defenses against it is the same as for a number of other potential illnesses:  wash your hands.  Lauren Kraemer from OSU Extension in Wasco and Hood River counties says the important thing is to use soap and water, do it for 20 seconds, and to be thorough.  If soap and water is 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 Mt. Hood National Forest is one of 16 forests selected to receive funding for a Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration project.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Service awarded the forest over $560,000 for work in 2020 on public and private lands in Wasco County near Rock Creek Reservoir west of Highway 197.  The completed work on nearly will improve forest resiliency to insects and disease, restore pine and oak habitat and riparian areas, improve conditions for wildlife, and reduce the risk of fires spreading from public lands to neighboring non-federal lands.  The local project was developed by the All-Lands Committee of the Wasco County Forest Collaborative.  It is a partnership between the forest, the collaborative, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and Wasco County Soil and Water District.  It will encompass over 27,000 acres of Forest Service-managed land, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s White River Wildlife Area, and over 12,000 acres of private land.

A Wasco County Commission Town Hall scheduled for Mosier Wednesday evening has been cancelled.  County officials say a Mosier City Council meeting that was to be held in conjunction with the town hall was cancelled, leading to the town hall being scrubbed as well.  The County says those interested should check the Commission’s upcoming agendas for a new date.

The Wasco County Economic Development Commission is accepting applications for an open position on that panel representing Central Wasco County with a focus on the Dufur area.   The Commission consists of eleven members representing geographic and economic interests in the County.  It keeps the Wasco County Commission apprised of economic development opportunities and needs throughout the County, collaborates with local entities to accomplish projects focused on job creation, community capacity and bringing further investment into Wasco County, and provides leadership on countywide economic development efforts.  Interest forms are available on the Economic Development Commission page at the Wasco County website, or at the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District office on 802 Chenowith Loop Road in The Dalles.  Deadline to apply is March 26.

Mid-Columbia Medical Center says one of its patients has tested negative for the coronavirus.  In a statement, hospital spokesperson Stephanie Bowen said the patient had arrived at MCMC on Sunday with coronavirus-like symptoms and was placed in an isolation unit, and staff members who came in contact with the patient were asked to self-quarantine under the guidance of the North Central Public Health District.  The patient’s lab results were returned from the Oregon State Lab on Monday, which found the patient did not have the COVID-19 virus, and the patient and staff have been informed.  Bowen indicated MCMC leadership has been meeting on a weekly basis to prepare for possible COVID-19 patients, and nurses and physicians have been kept up to date on screening and identification as well as safety protocols.

Long-time Hood River County District Attorney John Sewell has announced he will not seek re-election to an eighth term.  Sewell has been in the position since winning election in 1992, unseating then-D.A. Sally Tebbet.  Sewell is retiring from a 40-year career as a prosecutor at the end of his current term, which expires at the conclusion of the year.  Prior to winning the D.A. position, he spent 12 years as a deputy district attorney, first in Coos and Lincoln counties before coming to Hood River County in 1984.  In his statement, Sewell says he will continue to work for the citizens of the County through the end of his term in office, and will do all he can to ensure a smooth transition to his successor.  Two people have filed to seek the position, with one week remaining before the filing deadline.  They include Marion County Deputy District Attorney and Hood River resident Sean Kallery and Hood River County Deputy District Attorney Carrie Rasmussen.  In his statement, Sewell says he supports Kallery to succeed him.

After the Washington State Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources, and Parks Committee had killed a bill by 14th District Representative Chris Corry to require the Department of Natural Resources to reimburse farmers and ranchers when the agency cancels their land lease before it expires, the concept has been tacked on to another bill to get it through.  Corry said a member of the committee thought the money to pay out to the farmers would come from DNR’s school trust account, when it will actually come from the general fund.  Corry says with that straightened out, the language was inserted into another bill.  Corry said that the worst case scenario would be if the current bill was not to pass this session, he has a budget proviso that earmarks money to the termination language, and he would run a bill in the 2021 session to get it through.

Oregon health officials have identified a third presumptive positive case of COVID-19 among state residents.  The third case is an adult Umatilla County resident who is hospitalized in Walla Walla.  State and local health officials are moving quickly to contact people who may have been in close contact with the individual who tested as a presumptive positive case.  The third case is not linked to travel to a part of the world with known cases of COVID-19.  It is considered a case of community transmission.  Preliminary reports indicate the person attended a youth basketball game at a gymnasium at Weston Middle School in Weston on Saturday.  Under federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention guidelines, other spectators who may have been in a closed environment with the individual would be considered “low-risk” exposures.  Athena-Weston School District officials have closed the gym and will conduct a deep cleaning out of an abundance of caution.  The gym is physically detached from the rest of the school, and health officials do not consider the separate school building to pose any risk of exposure.

The Wasco Forest Collaborative has secured $4.78 million in grant funding from the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley made the announcement, saying the funds will help forests recover from wildfire damage and boost resilience to future fires.  The Wasco Forest Collaborative project’s primary objectives are to improve landscape resilience and to restore ecological function.  Wasco County Forest Collaborative Facilitiator Andrew Spaeth says the group represents diverse interests from the timber industry to environmental groups that have developed consensus recommendations the Forest Service is working to implement.  Implementation began last year.  The collaborative will receive one-third of their total funding allotment each year for three consecutive years.

Beginning this week, work on the Jewett Boulevard Water Main Improvement Project in White Salmon moves into the downtown core between Estes and Main.  The eastbound, or downhill, lane will be closed, including parking, with marked detours in place.  The westbound, or uphill, lane will be open to one lane of travel in the west bound direction with parking available on the north side.  Public parking lots have been marked and are available west of City Hall, both lower and upper parking lots and north of the fire station on Church Street.  Once work is completed between Estes and Main, the contractor will be moving crews to the area between Main and Garfield.  For more information regarding this project, check the city’s webpage or call City Hall at 509-493-1133.