Football LaSalle 36, Hood River Valley 16 Gladstone 42, The Dalles 21 Columbia 19, Castle Rock 14 Stevenson 28, Seton Catholic 19 Dufur 54, Ione 8 South Wasco 73, Huntington 12 Goldendale 48, Cle Elum-Roslyn 27   Boys Soccer Horizon Christian 5, Willamette Valley Christian 0   Volleyball Hood River Valley won its own tournament, topping The Dalles 25-10, 25-14, then defeating Seaside 25-18, 25-22.   Cross Country Hood River Valley’s girls won the Division 1 varsity title at the Nike Invitational at Portland Meadows.  Frances Dickinson finished fifth to lead a group of four HRV runners in the top 15.  The Dalles finished fifth in girls’ Division 2, headed by a fifth place finish by Emma Mullins.  In the boys’ races, The Dalles’ boys finished sixth in Division 2 topped by a 20^th place effort by Sam Alvarez, and HRV’s Josh Haynes finished 16^th in Division 1,   Stevenson’s boys were fourth at the Toutle Lake Invitational.  Julio Ramos finished fourth for the Bulldogs.  Sydney Cole finished eighth in the girls’ race for Stevenson.   Goldendale’s Ellie Rising was eighth in the girls’ elite flight at the Sunfair Invitational in Yakima, while the Timberwolves’ Lucas Anderson was 18^th in the boys’ elite flight.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says Columbia River levels between John Day and McNary dams could be higher during the next three months.  From October through December, Lake Umatilla, the section of the Columbia River above John Day Dam, will be operated in a broader and higher range.  That means river users could see river levels 2.5 feet higher than in the spring and summer.  The operation is to meet requirements spelled out in a biological opinion to support juvenile fish migration, maintain minimum water levels for irrigation withdrawals, and to accommodate tribal treaty fishing operations.  In addition to the higher levels, users may also see more variability than in recent months.

Arborists will continue removing hazard trees near Multnomah Falls Monday and Tuesday, triggering up to two days of limited access to the lower viewing platform and trail to Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls.  The efforts will protect facilities and improve public safety by removing trees near the falls that were burned and damaged by the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire.  About 50 dead or dying trees surrounding Multnomah Falls were cleared last week, but about 40 more trees need to be removed from the site.  This week’s work includes hazard tree removal from the cliff east of the Lodge, in order to mitigate safety concerns on the Historic Columbia River Highway.  They are working Monday until around sunset, with work set to resume on Tuesday at 8 a.m.  During the work opportunities to get scenic photographs of the falls will be limited.  Multnomah Falls Lodge will remain open during the work.  

Six miles of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail have re-opened between the John B. Yeon Trailhead and Cascade Locks.  It had been closed since last year’s Eagle Creek Fire.  The Historic Columbia River Highway itself remains closed between Bridal Veil and Ainsworth, a six mile section, with no timeline yet for re-opening.  Also opening Friday are National Forest System lands north of Interstate 84 near Eagle Creek Overlook Campground, the parking lot at the Toothrock Trailhead, and the parking lot at the John B. Yeon Trailhead.  Unpaved hiking trails at John B. Yeon remain closed as does the trail to Elowah Falls.  The U.S. Forest Service parking lot and day use/picnic area at the Eagle Creek Recreation Site opened Friday, but the trailhead area and trail itself remain closed with no timeline for reopening.

Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley joined with Governor Kate Brown to ask the U.S. Agriculture Department to allow emergency haying and grazing on Conservation Reserve Program land in Gilliam County, and extend the emergency haying and grazing period in Wasco, Sherman and Wheeler counties.  In a letter this week to Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the trio asked federal officials to help north central Oregon farmers and ranchers continue their wildfire recovery efforts by allowing them increased opportunities for emergency haying and grazing.  They told Perdue the loss of grazing land in particular presents an ongoing concern for producers in the area.  They asked for an extension from the September 30 authorization to February 28, 2019.

The Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management has been named Washington’s “2017 Team of the Year” by the Washington State Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials and the National Emergency Number Association.  The recognized team of Klickitat County Communications Officers were nominated for the exceptional efforts they displayed during the Underwood Fruit fire at the west end of Bingen on October 18 of last year.  This award recognizes handling an unforeseen or unusually challenging situation causing each nominee to handle additional responsibilities in addition to their regularly assigned duties.

Volleyball Hood River Valley def. The Dalles 25-18, 14-25, 25-21, 25-17:  Katie Kennedy had 20 kills and Emily Curtis added 16 to get the Eagles back above the .500 mark in the Intermountain Conference. Sherman def. Mitchell-Spray 25-11, 25-23, 25-17 Dufur def. Condon-Wheeler 25-11, 25-7, 25-16 King’s Way Christian def. Stevenson 25-18, 25-10, 25-21 LaCenter def. Columbia 25-19, 25-18, 25-14 Trout Lake def. Bickleton 25-7, 28-26, 25-17 Sunnyside Christian def. Klickitat-Glenwood 18-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-27, 15-12   Boys Soccer Hood River Valley 5, Redmond 1 The Dalles 3, Ridgeview 3   Girls Soccer Hood River Valley 6, Redmond 0 Ridgeview 2, The Dalles 1 Columbia 2, LaCenter 2 Naches Valley 4, Goldendale 1   Cross Country Goldendale won the girls’ team competition and was second in the boys at a four-school SCAC West meet at Kiona-Benton.  Ellie Rising won the girls’ race, as the Timberwolves took the top four places.  Lucas Anderson was third for Goldendale in the boys’ race.   Boys Water Polo Hood River Valley 14, Sandy 7   Girls Water Polo Hood River Valley 14, Sandy 5

Hood River city officials will take some time before deciding what steps they will take in response to Wednesday’s Oregon Court of Appeals decision to reverse and remand an Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals decision that originally upheld the City’s rezoning of Morrison Park for affordable housing,  In a statement issued Thursday, the City indicated it has several legal options, and City Councilors, staff, and legal counsel will review them over the next few weeks before deciding on a course of action  In the statement Hood River Mayor Paul Blackburn said he was disappointed by the ruling, adding it will now be a longer wait to build an “important source of affordable housing.”  Susan Garrett Crowley, who had appealed the City’s decision, said in a statement she hoped the City will now protect Morrison Park and its other parks.

Two Goldendale residents died in a motor vehicle accident on Interstate 84 near Baker City on Wednesday.  According to the Oregon State Police, a preliminary investigation showed that a pickup pulling a trailer driven by 65-year-old Eugene Rowley of Goldendale was westbound on I-84 near milepost 301 and was passing a commercial semi-truck operated by 58-year-old Alexandr Ciubuc of Tumwater when the two vehicles collided, went through the median, and came to rest adjacent to the eastbound lanes.  The OSP says Rowley and his passenger, 63-year-old Ellen Rowley, were pronounced deceased at the scene.  Ciubuc was transported to St. Alphonsus Medical Center in Baker City with non-life threatening injuries.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area plans to conduct prescribed burns in the eastern Gorge this fall and winter.  This year’s activities will focus on select areas in Klickitat County east of Bingen and White Salmon, generally between Courtney Road and Tracy Hill.   Both underburns and pile burning are planned between mid-September to January as part of an ongoing fire fuels management program.  The actual times of the burns will be selected based on weather and wind factors, and only on days when the Washington State Smoke Management Office approves that weather conditions will aid in smoke dispersal.  Once specific dates for burning are confirmed, details will be posted on the Scenic Area’s Facebook and Twitter pages.  Those with asthma can request to be on a special call list for advance notifications by contacting the National Scenic Area office at 541-308-1700.