The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District has made the 90% draft Mid-Columbia River Regional Master Plan and Integrated Environmental Assessment available for public review.  Master plans for the mid-Columbia River projects date back to the 1970s.  The purpose of the plan is to serve as the overall strategic management document guiding the Corps’ comprehensive administration and development of recreational, natural and cultural resources on Corps-owned lands associated with projects at Bonneville Lock & Dam, The Dalles Lock & Dam, John Day Lock & Dam and Willow Creek Dam.  The master plan would provide an overall land use management plan, including objectives and concepts for the efficient and cost-effective management, development and use of project lands for the next twenty years.  Public comment on the draft plan will be taken for 30 days.  The plan is available on line at the Corps’ Portland District website.

Development of the Environmental Impact Statement for replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge continues.  Port of Hood River executive director Michael McElwee says progress is being made, estimating they are about 45% complete, noting a lot of the work is being done by specialists and experts.  He says they are heading into the next phase which will culminate in a community meeting in the fall where they can provide an update on how far they are from completing the EIS and if there are any foreseeable hurdles.  McElwee said it is likely the four treaty tribes interested in the project will ask for funding for specific analysis relating to each tribe, and the Port of Hood River Commission has budgeted some funds for that.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson is hoping to help people make their events successful, and one way is to think about when an event is scheduled.  Farquharson says they want to get all local events onto the Chamber’s community calendar, and then have people planning events to look at the date they are thinking of holding it from the previous year to see what is already going on before finalizing plans.  Farquharson is going to talk about event promotion at the “Wired With The Chamber” drop-in gathering Wednesday morning from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Kaino’s Coffee on 418 East 2nd in The Dalles.

The Mount Hood National Forest has given the go-ahead to allow the installation of four volcano monitoring stations on the upper flanks of Mount Hood.  Forest Supervisor Richard Periman signed the Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact last week.  The unmanned remote monitoring stations will be located in the Mt. Hood Wilderness area, occupying a total of 105 square feet of land.  The proposed stations will be constructed with minimal impact on the environment, located away from trails, and painted to blend in with the surroundings.  The Forest Service may now issue a 30-year special use permit to U.S. Geological Survey-Cascades Volcano Observatory who will be responsible for installing and maintaining all monitoring equipment.  Seismic, GPS and volcanic gas data collected from the stations will be used as the basis for public communications and early warnings.

Columbia Area Transit is offering free service on the Hood River City bus route for downtown employees while a street improvement project is taking place on Sherman Avenue between 2nd and 6th Streets over the next two weeks.  That area of Sherman Avenue is utilized by downtown employees to preserve metered parking for customers, but parking will be restricted in that area on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during construction.  CAT’s Hood River City bus will run for free during the construction, expected to continue through August 30. Employees and residents who utilize Sherman Avenue parking can park on nearby streets and catch CAT’s Hood River City bus at a formal stop or flag it down along the route which runs from the Heights to the Port via downtown.  Those using the service can get off the bus at downtown stops which include 4^th & State or 4^th & Columbia streets.   For CAT’s complete route and schedule, visit ridecatbus.org.

The nation’s largest free tax-aid program is looking for volunteers in Oregon.  The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program assists people with low and moderate incomes file their taxes.  More than a thousand volunteers helped 45,000 Oregonians file their 2018 returns this year.   AARP Oregon Tax-Aide coordinator Bob Bruce says they’re looking to fill a variety of roles, including people with computer expertise, management of clients, and translators.   While there were nearly 130 sites across Oregon this year, Bruce says there’s still a need for more workers.  Volunteers complete tax-preparation training and IRS certification.   Those interested in volunteering can head to AARP’s website.

The Dalles Police Department says as it does every year, there will be extra officers assigned for tonight’s Neon Cruise in downtown The Dalles, with no tolerance for any reckless or dangerous behavior in the wake of an accident last year that resulted in injuries to some onlookers.  Officers will be focusing their enforcement efforts on children not in car seats or riding in the back of trucks, drinking in public, open containers in vehicles, speed violations, burnouts, and DUII.  Roads will be closed at 2nd and Taylor and 3rd and Pentland from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., with only vehicles registered and displaying assigned placards for the event allowed on to the closed streets.  Vehicles will not be allowed to enter the closed roads after 6:30 p.m. even if they are registered for the event.  Earlier this week, 54-year-old Ronald Madorin was sentenced to 45 days in jail, ordered to pay $71,000 in restitution, and had his driver’s license suspended after pleading guilty to charges related to an accident just after the Cruise near East Second and Washington after he hit a parked vehicle trying to do a burnout, sending the parked vehicle into crowd and causing a number of injuries.

Cruise The Gorge Weekend will take over The Dalles beginning Friday night.  The annual Neon Cruise takes place Friday evening, bringing classic cars from throughout the Northwest into downtown The Dalles.  A closed cruise will take place on 2^nd and 3^rd Streets between Lincoln and Monroe from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Those who would like to register for the cruise can do so at Burgerville Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.  Newsradio 1300 and 103.9 FM and K-C 93.5 will play music to cruise with from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.  Saturday features the Show in the Shade at Sorosis Park, with registration from 9 a.m. to noon, judging from noon to 2 p.m., and the Parade of Champions begins at 3 p.m.  Sunday includes the Dallesport Drags at the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport beginning at 8 a.m., and the Vintage Dufur Days Car Show in Dufur City Park runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hood River Mayor Paul Blackburn says he was mildly surprised that Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation announced this week it was discontinuing efforts towards an affordable housing project in Hood River’s Morrison Park, otherwise known as Lot 700, but understands their decision to step away.  The not-for-profit affordable housing developer said because the agency had not been successful in securing the necessary funding to advance in the face of legal opposition.to the project, it would not pursue it further.  The Hood River City Council’s latest affirmation of a zone change for the property is currently before the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, and Blackburn says the Council will discuss how to proceed in that area during an executive session in their meeting on Monday.  Blackburn says there currently is no viable second option available to partner on a housing project on the property.  He noted while they do have other possible locations to consider, none are free and clear for such a use.