Biannual bridge deck maintenance welding on the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge will begin Monday at 9 a.m. and continue until the work is complete.  While the work is weather dependent, bridge users should plan for delays or seek alternate routes on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the next two weeks.  Flaggers will direct traffic around the moving work zone throughout the week.  Expect delays and drive slowly for worker safety.  For more information, contact the Port of Hood River via email to porthr@gorge.net.

Boys Soccer

Ridgeview 1, Hood River Valley 0:  The Ravens scored the game’s only goal to move into a share of first place in the Intermountain Conference with HRV.

 

Girls Soccer

Ridgeview 2, Hood River Valley 1:  The Ravens handed the Eagles their first conference loss of the season, and now the two teams are tied for first in the IMC.

Castle Rock 4, Stevenson 0

King’s Way Christian 2, Columbia 0

 

Volleyball

Ridgeview def. The Dalles 25-18, 25-6, 25-12

Redmond def. Hood River Valley 14-25, 25-11, 25-21, 25-15

King’s Way Christian def. Columbia 25-8, 25-13, 25-18

Castle Rock def. Stevenson 25-5, 25-3, 25-10

South Wasco def. Mitchell-Spray 25-20, 25-16, 25-20

Sherman def. Condon 25-20, 25-19, 25-18

Yakama Tribal def. Klickitat-Glenwood 25-21, 25-19, 25-22

Goldendale def. Zillah 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 17-25, 15-11…The Timberwolves stay unbeaten in the SCAC West.

 

Cross Country

The Dalles boys were second to Baker, and the girls second to Enterprise at the Wildhorse Invitational in Pendleton.  Justin Peck of Trout Lake finished second in the boys race, while Hanna Ziegenhagen of The Dalles took fifth in the girls’ run.

Ellie Rising and Kimberly Chestnut had a one-two finish to lead the Goldendale girls to the win a four-school SCAC meet.  The Timberwolf boys finished third, topped by a seventh place finish by Corbin Riley.

 

Boys Water Polo

Grant 13, Hood River Valley 8

 

The White Salmon City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to override Mayor David Poucher’s veto of a single-use plastic bag ban ordinance.  Poucher says he is in favor of the plastic bag ban, but he was opposed to a mandatory ten-cent charge for paper bags included in the ordinance.  Councilor Marla Keethler noted the City went through a long process to reach this ordinance, and the issue may well come up again.  Keethler also said the emphasis of the ordinance wasn’t necessarily to ban plastic bags but to require a higher level of plastic bag as an option and to make the fee for paper bags more transparent.  Poucher felt government should not be telling businesses what to charge for any item.

Skyline Hospital is asking voters in west Klickitat County for a levy lid lift for the first time since 1997.  Klickitat County Public Hospital District #2 is asking taxpayers to raise the lid from 31 cents to 68 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value.  District board member Jonathan Blake says they are looking to create a more consistent revenue stream to prepare for future needs.  Nearly 71 percent of Skyline’s charges were billed to Medicare and Medicaid insurances, which only reimburse for associated costs with caring for patients, so hospital CEO Robb Kimmes says they will never do better than break even on more than 70 percent of the patients it cares for.

Cross Country

Columbia defeated Stevenson in a Trico League dual meet on Strawberry Island.  The Bruins’ Jacob Lockman won the boys’ race, and Joules Hope of CHS was the girls’ winner.

The White Salmon Valley School District is working on a new communication plan in the aftermath of last month’s situation where social media rumors about a threat to the Columbia High School campus led to a number of parents pulling students out of school.  Superintendent Jerry Lewis says they are taking what they learned from going through the experience and the input they received at a later public forum to put together a mass communication protocol.  Lewis hopes the communication plan is finished by next month.

Municipal voters in Hood River are being asked to vote on an initiative that would amend the City Charter to require a public vote before the City can “dispose” of a City park, including a sale, lease, or transfer of property rights unless it is to enhance recreation for the public.  One of the proponents, Tracy Tomahspool, believes changing the charter is the only sure protection for parks.  Opponents believe the measure hinders the City Council’s ability to manage municipal assets.  The measure is on the November 5 ballot.

The Dalles City Council received a downtown visioning plan that was developed through discussions with the public and stakeholders over the course of this year.  Community Development Director Steve Harris presented the plan, which includes four vision statements that calls for addressing the past and welcoming new ideas and people, and providing various opportunities while at the same time being a place to provide the essentials for a growing community.  The plan divides the downtown area into four improvement areas including industrial along the freeway, a makers area as the backbone of retail in the Second Street corridor, a service business area in the Third Street corridor, and a landmark district as downtown transitions into neighborhoods.  It also includes a map of “opportunity sites,” identifying land that is vacant, used for parking, or considered underutilized.  Councilors were generally supportive of the plan.  Harris noted the Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency board will also review the document, and a strategic plan will be drafted based on the vision statements.

 

The White Salmon City Council on Wednesday evening will consider Mayor David Poucher’s veto of a single-use plastic bag ban ordinance over the inclusion of requiring retailers to charge ten cents per paper bag.  Poucher says he is in favor of the plastic bag ban, but he also doesn’t believe the citizens need the charge to encourage them to do what is best for the environment, adding he doesn’t think government should tell businesses what to charge for any item.  Proponents of the charge say it is necessary to encourage people to switch to reusable bags.  Poucher has suggested alternate wording for the ordinance to encourage retailers to charge the fee, and requiring the Council to review that each year and allowing it to adopt a bag fee by resolution after 2020, which would not be subject to a veto.  The Council had passed the ordinance on a 4-0 vote two weeks ago, and can overturn the veto with four votes.  The meeting will be at 6 p.m.

Court Street between East 8th St. and East 7th Place in The Dalles will be closed to thru traffic Wednesday through Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.  to allow for installation of a new water main vault.  No parking within the work area will be allowed during work hours due to heavy equipment use and the location of the trench.   Court Street will be open for through traffic during non-working hours.   Through traffic on East 8^th Street will remain open throughout work on the project. and access to businesses and residences will remain open.  Motorists are encouraged to use alternate routes around the closure on Court Street.