The Oregon Air National Guard is scheduled to fly multiple F-15 Eagle flyovers over hospitals and other locations throughout the state Friday to salute Oregonians on the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic and lift morale during a time of severe health and economic impact.  The tribute is scheduled to be conducted by Oregon’s 142nd Fighter Wing out of Portland and the 173rd Wing based in Klamath Falls.  Flyovers will take place locally between 8:58 and 9:01 Friday morning, going over Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, the Oregon Veterans Home, and Mid-Columbia Medical Center.  Anyone living in and around those locations should see and hear the jets.  People are encouraged to view the flights from the safety of their own homes and practice physical distancing.  

The Hood River County Commission will consider a reopening plan for the County at a virtual meeting Thursday afternoon.  A task force represented by a number of County agencies, hospitals, and the cities of Hood River and Cascade Locks put together the plan before commissioners.  The County plan requests the Governor allow Phase 1 reopening of Hood River next Friday.  Reopening plans are specific to how the County meets or exceeds the Governor’s reopening health care metrics, using the State reopening model.  The Governor’s Reopening Framework requires County plans address “gateway criteria” for three-phased reopening, such as access to personal protective equipment for health care providers, adequacy of COVID testing, and contact tracing of those that come in contact with COVID positive cases, and other measures to limit spread of the disease.   Hood River County Public Health Department Medical Officer Christopher Van Tilburg and Providence Hood River CEO Jeanie Vieira drafted letters supporting the County’s Reopening Plan as it is submitted.  The County’s plan is the first step required before closed businesses can reopen, pending changes and approval by the Governor.  The meeting is at 4 p.m., for log-in or phone-in information go to the Hood River County website.

A 29-year-old Culver man was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release for a yearlong identity theft and fraud spree that spanned seven Oregon counties and cheated more than 100 individuals, businesses, financial institutions, and communities out of $190,000 until he was apprehended by police in Hood River.  According federal court documents, Garrett Luke Pruitt Rexroad’s conduct from April 2017 to May 2018 covered counties from the Willamette Valley to Central Oregon, including Hood River County.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland says he was repeatedly released from custody only to commit further crimes.   But on May 25, 2018, Hood River Police found Pruitt Rexroad and three others at the side of a road removing tires from a stolen vehicle.  The officers arrested him after a short foot chase, and Pruitt-Rexroad has been in custody ever since.        Pruitt Rexroad pleaded guilty in October to one count each of access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, and possession of unauthorized access devices.  During sentencing, U.S. District Court Judge Michael W. Mosman ordered Pruitt Rexroad to pay $55,824 in restitution.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is relaxing restrictions at some day-use recreation sites Thursday as the first phase in a gradual relaxing of closures at Corps locations.  Sites relaxing restrictions in the region include Fort Cascades, Hamilton Island, North Shore Recreation Area, and Tanner Creek Recreation Area at Bonneville Lock and Dam, Avery Park, Hess Park, and Spearfish Park at The Dalles Dam, and Cliffs Park, Giles French Park, Railroad Island Park, Rock Creek Park, Roosevelt Park, Sundale Park, and Threemile Canyon Park at John Day Dam.  The sites listed above are only open for day-use, with camping and overnight use not permitted at this time.  All visitor centers, playgrounds and group picnic sites remain closed.  Visitors must comply with all park and vehicle rules and recreate responsibly by following safety guidelines to lessen the spread of COVID-19.  In addition, boat ramps at Celilo Park, Lepage Park, and Plymouth Park are open while those parks remain closed.

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Manager Lynn Burditt says the Scenic Area would like to coordinate with other agencies in opening recreational opportunities in the Gorge.  Burditt spoke with the Wasco County Commission on Wednesday.  She says the Scenic Area is in the process of identifying locations that will need significant adjustments in order to be opened for access, citing the Waterfall Corridor to the Eagle Creek closure, Cape Horn, and Dog Mountain as examples.  Burditt added her hope is that various agencies in issuing a unified statement on how and when restrictions would be eased.  She also said if local governments feel they shouldn’t ease restrictions, they want to know that.

North Central Public Health District Health Officer Mimi McDonell told Wasco County Commissioners about the updated guidelines from the Oregon Health Authority about COVID-19 contact tracing.  McDonell says the new guidelines define close contact as being within six feet of an infected person for a minimum of fifteen minutes.  She says if a close contact is symptomatic they will recommend testing and isolation, and if they are asymptomatic to go into quarantine for 14 days.  McDonell acknowledged the burden that places on people, but said doing that means others who are healthy and have not been exposed can get out more.  McDonell told commissioners the District feels confident it has the resources to do the testing.  District Director Teri Thalofer told the Commission the hope is to have a draft reopening plan for Wasco County for the panel to review by the end of the week.

Wasco County is now at 14 reported COVID-19 cases and Hood River County 11.  Numbers are expected to increase as the Oregon Health Authority now includes what are called presumptive cases rather than only positive tests.  The OHA defines as presumptive cases as those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case.  Sherman County remains at one reported COVID-19 case and Gilliam County has none.  In Washington, Klickitat County is at 17 cases and Skamania County three.  Statewide, numbers released Wednesday show Oregon with 70 new confirmed cases reported and seven presumptive cases, moving the total to 2,916, and two deaths were reported to run that number to 115.  Washington is at 15,594 confirmed cases, and 862 deaths.

The Environmental Protection Agency has selected the City of The Dalles for a $600,000 Brownfields Assessment Coalition Grant.  The funds will be used to conduct environmental site assessments, develop five cleanup plans and one area-wide plan, and support community engagement activities.  Assessment activities will focus on the 318-acre Columbia Gateway/Downtown urban renewal area of The Dalles.  A brownfield site is property whose expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant.  Priority sites include a former auto wrecking yard, a bulk oil plant, a heating oil distributor, a dry cleaner, and several former automotive service stations.  The city is partnering with the Port of The Dalles and Wasco County in the effort.

The Dalles City Budget Committee has forwarded a budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year for the City Council to consider for adoption.  City staff presented a budget revised downward by about $637,000 to account for expected revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in transient room taxes.  And City Manager Julie Krueger noted with so many unknowns, more changes will probably have to be discussed over the course of the year.  Among the changes:  putting off plans to hire a new police officer, reducing about $148,000 in expenses when acquisition of a new vehicle was included.  Expenses were reduced in numerous areas, including travel and training, and community grants were also cut back.  An economic recovery fund of $510,000 was established to help with community needs resulting from the pandemic, with the Council to establish guidelines for how it will be used.  The City Council will consider the budget at an upcoming meeting.

Officials say outdoor gear maker Dakine is closing its Hood River office and laying off 39 employees.  In a letter to state workforce officials, Dakine human resources director Raeanne Norberg wrote the current health crisis along with the state’s stay at home order made it financially unfeasible to continue operating.  In a letter to retailers obtained by the website Shop-Eat-Surf outlining its plans, the company said it is moving to its new home in Southern California to further pursue global opportunities in lifestyle, travel, and accessories while maintaining its core sport equipment categories of surf, snow, and bike.  The company indicated it will be transitioning operations and a number of employees to Southern California.  Dakine moved to Hood River in 1986 after being founded in Hawaii seven years earlier and became one of the Oregon’s signature brands for outdoor gear selling backpacks, luggage, and ski and snowboarding gear.