Tuesday is the final day to register to vote in the November election in Oregon.  People can register at their county elections’ office, or online at oregonvotes.org.  Ballots will be mailed out on Wednesday, and should arrive in mailboxes within two to three days after being sent out.  Elections officials recommends those who plan to mail their ballots back in to do so by October 31.  After that date ballots should be brought to a County election office or an official drop box.  Ballots must arrive in County election offices by 8 p.m. on November 6.  Wasco County is reporting a 34 percent jump in registered voters for the upcoming election.

The Oregon Farm Bureau’s fire relief fund has raised over $27,000.  An advisory committee made up of local farmers and ranchers from Wasco and Sherman Counties with two staff from OFB will review applications for aid.  The task force chair is Wasco County Farm Bureau president and The Dalles-area fruit grower Ken Polehn.  The current intent is to provide approximately $2,000-$2,500 amounts of help to those who demonstrate losses not covered by insurance, or other public or private relief funds.  That range may be adjusted once requests for funds are received and evaluated.  Any Wasco or Sherman County resident who makes a substantial amount of their livelihood from agriculture whose agricultural operation suffered uncompensated loss from the 2018 fires may apply.  Applications are available at www.oregonfb.org/fire.   All applications received prior to November 1 will be considered.  The task force intends to make funding decisions and distribute funds by Thanksgiving.

States, tribes and three federal agencies will continue to work side by side for the good of endangered salmon and steelhead as they extended the Columbia Basin Fish Accords for up to four more years.  The original agreements, signed in 2008, provided states and tribes more than $900 million to implement projects benefiting salmon, steelhead, and other fish and wildlife, and $50 million for Pacific lamprey passage improvements at federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers.  The Accords partnerships over the past 10 years balanced the agencies’ needs to perform their missions of navigation, flood risk management, hydropower production, fish and wildlife mitigation, recreation, water supply and irrigation in a manner consistent with tribal trust and treaty rights.  The new Accords extensions could run through September 2022 and will set aside more than $400 million for fish and wildlife mitigation and protection.  

The Hood River/White Salmon Interstate Bridge will be closed to all traffic beginning at 2 a.m. Tuesday for centerline striping of the entire bridge and lift span.  The closure is expected to continue until 5:30 a.m.  Motorists are encouraged to seek alternate routes during these hours.

Football Forest Grove 22, Hood River Valley 21 South Wasco 77, Monument/Dayville 19 Columbia 34, King’s Way Christian 14 Stevenson 27, Castle Rock 14 Riverview 35, Goldendale 16 Lyle-Wishram 46, Adrian 22   Cross Country Hood River Valley won the girls’ team title at the Champoeg Invitational with three finishers in the top nine.  Frances Dickinson won in a course record 18:07.39, while Evelyn Nunez was sixth and Brinna Weiseth ninth.  The Dalles finished eighth, with Emma Mullins taking eleventh.  In the boys’ race The Dalles was third, with Sam Alvarez running sixth individually, and Hood River Valley was ninth, led by Josh Haynes in third.   Columbia’s boys were fifth and girls sixth in the Varsity Silver division at the Warner Pacific Classic.  Joules Hope was the top CHS finisher in the girls’ race in 12^th while Jacob Lockman was 13^th in the boys’ run.  Stevenson’s Isabella Spencer was sixth in the girls’ Varsity Bronze race.   Boys Soccer Trout Lake 4, Walla Walla Valley Academy 0   Volleyball South Wasco def. Dufur 25-20, 21-25, 25-16, 25-12 Sherman def. Condon-Wheeler 25-17, 25-15, 25-16

Football Estacada 44, The Dalles 22:  Estacada ran for 427 yards and held the Riverhawks scoreless in the second half to take over sole possession of second place in Class 4A Special District 2.  Riverhawk quarterback Gabe Helseth threw for 272 yards in the game.  Estacada moved to 3-1 in district, while The Dalles falls to 2-2 and a tie for third with Woodburn. Dufur 46, Pilot Rock 8:  Cole Kortge scored three touchdowns and Tanner Masterson two as the Rangers jumped out to a 46-0 halftime lead and rolled to the win and take over sole possession of first place in Class 1A Special District 3’s West Division.   Volleyball Hood River Valley def. Redmond 25-15, 25-8, 25-6 Ridgeview def. The Dalles 25-21, 25-13, 25-5 Castle Rock def. Stevenson 25-20, 25-4, 25-18 King’s Way Christian def. Columbia 25-14, 25-12, 25-19 Sherman def. South Wasco 26-24, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23   Boys Soccer Ridgeview 2, Hood River Valley 1 North Clackamas Christian 2, Horizon Christian 1   Girls Soccer Ridgeview 2, Hood River Valley 0 The Dalles 5, Crook County 0 King’s Way Christian 8, Columbia 1 Castle Rock 1, Stevenson 0

The Hood River Valley Harvest Festival starts Friday and runs through Sunday at the Hood River Event Site.  The good news this year is that the weather forecast is good for the event, and Hood River County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michael Glover says just as importantly for people who come from the Portland area the weather will be sunny to the west as well.  He notes Portland weather is a factor in attendance at the festival.  Harvest Fest will be open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.  Admission is six dollars for adults, free for children under 12, and seniors admitted for three dollars on Friday and five dollars on Saturday and Sunday.  For a complete schedule go to hoodriver.org.

The Oregon Department of Forestry says the seasonal burn ban in Wasco and Hood River counties will terminate on Monday.  The ODF announced that fire season in its Central Oregon District will terminate fire season on Friday.  Continued cool moist weather over the last few weeks has significantly reduced the fire danger within the district, but officials add while the risk is diminished erratic winds and lack of precipitation can quickly cause a rise in fire danger.  Monitoring weather forecasts, following prevention tips such as having a shovel and water available when burning, and being aware of fire risk will help limit wildfires this fall.  The ODF is asking people to wait to burn until after the seasonal burn ban is terminated on Monday.  Check with local fire departments to determine if a burn permit is needed before burning.  Logging debris and slash burning requires a burn permit from the local ODF office in The Dalles.

Small nonfarm businesses in Skamania, Klickitat, Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties are now eligible to apply for low‑interest federal disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration.  These loans offset economic losses because of reduced revenues caused by drought that began July 24.  Small nonfarm businesses, agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses which could have been met had the disaster not occurred.  Businesses primarily engaged in farming or ranching are not eligible for SBA disaster assistance.  Agricultural enterprises should contact the Farm Services Agency about U.S. Department of Agriculture assistance.  Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at disasterloan.sba.gov or call 800-659-2955.

Cross Country Columbia topped Stevenson in a dual cross country meet on Strawberry Island.   The Bruins’ Jacob Lockman, Tommy Ziegler, and Gerald Hoff topped the boys’ race with a 1-2-3 finish, while Joules Hope and Lillian Nelson ran 1-2 for CHS in the girls’ race, with Isabella Spencer of Stevenson finishing third.   Volleyball Lyle-Wishram def. Liberty Christian 25-20, 25-20, 25-11