The Port of Hood River Commission will reschedule its retreat after it was postponed from last weekend due to weather conditions.  It will probably be held sometime next week.  One of the topics to be discussed is what the Port will become after a new Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge is constructed.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says the bridge represents two-thirds of its total revenue, even though much of it goes back into the bridge it provides funding for other needs.  McElwee points out only two percent of the Port’s revenue comes from its property tax base.

School boards across Oregon are urging lawmakers to invest more in education.  At least 28 boards have passed resolutions calling on the Legislature to make big increases in funding.  State funding for schools is about nine percent below the national average and Oregon’s graduation rate is 78 percent – second-worst in the nation.  Carrie Douglass with the Bend-LaPine School Board says the lack of adequate funds stretches schools thin, with teachers sometimes buying their own supplies or doing tasks outside of their already demanding jobs.  The Joint Committee on Student Success released a report last month laying out education priorities and fixes that would cost an estimated three-billion dollars.  Governor Kate Brown also outlined a two-billion-dollar boost in funding.  The state’s public pension program is likely on the agenda as well, but Douglass hopes that conversation doesn’t derail the push for education funding at the Capitol.

YouthThink of Wasco County is planning a series of presentations by four nationally known speakers to talk about promoting the safety of children and increasing the effectiveness of parents and others.  Debby Jones of YouthThink says this is the highest level group of speakers they’ve ever brought into the area, and it’s titled Protecting Young Minds and Bodies.  Topics will include screen time, online predators, pornography, and the influence of alcohol and drugs on performance.  The series will begin on Monday, March 18 with Dr. Dimitri Christakis of Seattle Children’s Hospital on “Screen Time and the Developing Brain.”  It will begin at 6 p.m. at The Dalles Middle School.  For more information, go to youththink.net.

Southwest Washington Class 1A Girls Basketball Tournament

Elma 73, Stevenson 40

LaCenter 52, Stevenson 37

Big Sky Conference Basketball Tournament at Madras

Boys

Semi-Finals

Horizon Christian 53,  Arlington 48

Sherman 38, Dufur 30

Finals

Third Place:  Dufur 41, Arlington 38….The Rangers visit Joseph in a first round state playoff game on Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Championship:  Horizon Christian 45, Sherman 35…The Hawks get a first round bye in the state playoffs and will play at home on Friday after beating the Huskies for the first time in three meetings this season.  Sherman will host North Clackamas Christian in the first round on Tuesday.

Girls

Semi-Finals

South Wasco 50, Dufur 29

Echo 47, Ione 32

Finals

Third Place:  Ione 45, Dufur 29

Championship:  South Wasco 44, Echo 41:  The Redsides will host a second round game in the Oregon Class 1A playoffs on Saturday.

Wrestling

Friday and Saturday

Goldendale’s Dustin Dodge finished 2^nd in the Class 1A 160 pound division to highlight the area effort at the Washington Mat Classic in Tacoma.  Dodge won four straight by fall, including coming out on top of Erik Acala of Chelan in 1:10 in the semi-final, before losing to Trevor Morrison of Colville 6-0 in the final

Hailey Johnson of Columbia reached the semi-finals before finishing fourth in the girls’ 120 pound division.

Swimming

Hood River Valley’s Chad Klaas and Sarah Arpag each placed in two events at the Oregon Class 5A Swimming Championship at Tualatin Hills.  Klaas was third in the boys’ 50 freestyle and fourth in the 100 butterfly.  Arpag was fourth in the girls’ 100 backstroke and fifth in the girls’ 100 butterfly.  Faith Ocheskey was fourth in the girls’ 100 freestyle, and HRV’s girls were fifth in the girls’ 400 freestyle relay.

Greater Columbia League Basketball Tournament at Goldendale

Boys Semi-Final

Yakama Tribal 79, Trout Lake 67

Girls Semi-Final

Yakama Tribal 75, Trout Lake 73

Southwest Washington Class 1A Girls Basketball Tournament

First Round

Stevenson 61, Tenino 53:  The Bulldogs play Elma at Hoquiam February 15 at 6 p.m.

Southwest Washington Class 1A Boys Basketball Tournament

Second Round

Hoquiam 68, Stevenson 57

Big Sky Conference Basketball Tournament at Madras

Friday

Boys

Horizon Christian vs. Arlington, 4:30 p.m.

Dufur vs. Sherman, 7:30 p.m.

Girls

Dufur vs. South Wasco, 3 p.m.

Echo vs. Ione, 6 p.m.

Wrestling

Friday and Saturday

Columbia, Goldendale, and Stevenson at Washington 1A Mat Classic in Tacoma.

Swimming

Friday and Saturday

Hood River Valley at Oregon 5A Championships at Tualatin Hills

South Wasco County School District on two-hour delay.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is warning travelers on Interstate 84 through the Gorge to be ready for a wintery mix of weather over the next week and have supplies with them in case of major delays.  ODOT crews have been treating I-84 with deicer and salt both before and after a series of crashes on the icy, snow-packed road that closed the westbound lanes between Hood River and Cascade Locks from Tuesday night until Wednesday afternoon.  The crashes delayed the arrival of the equipment that could clear the road, leading to a buildup of ice and snow.  ODOT says with more severe weather expected in the days ahead, travelers should avoid I-84 in the Gorge. If you go, check tripcheck.com or call 5-1-1 for the latest road and weather conditions, give yourself extra time, slow down, and drive for conditions, carry chains and know how to use them, and carry supplies like blankets, food, water, and medications.  Commercial vehicles are required to carry chains in snow zones under Oregon law and to put them in use when weather conditions require them for travel.  Extra tire chain enforcement is in effect around the state.

Hood River County Public Works Director Mikal Diwan says they are clearing roads on a priority basis, and asking people to be aware that many local roads may not get plowed for up to 1-2 days depending on the intensity of the storm.  Sand is being applied in severe cases but not upon request.  He adds county crews do not shovel driveways, regardless if they are filled by a county plow truck, and they apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.  Diwan also says that until road conditions return to normal it’s recommended people do not travel unless absolutely necessary.  If you do travel, please carry traction chains in your vehicle.

The Oregon Department of Transportation announced this evening that westbound Interstate 84 between Hood River and Cascade Locks has reopened, but westbound traffic will move slowly for several hours as trucks that have been holding make their way. ODOT suggests avoiding driving in the Gorge if at all possible. Extreme caution is advised tonight and into the morning, as freezing rain may cause icy conditions. You are required to carry chains and know how to use them. Visit www.TripCheck.com or call 5-1-1 for the latest. 

The freeway was closed early Wednesday morning, with numerous vehicles stranded for hours behind several wrecks, many involving semi-trucks. ODOT officials indicated at 1;30 p.m. that vehicles that had been stranded had been cleared, but crews plowed, sanded, and salted the roadway to break up and remove the snow and ice before reopening the road  But one of the issues ODOT faces is when the Gorge experiences snow, freezing rain, ice, and quickly falling and rising temperatures it can wash away salt and deicer faster than they can lay it down.  Coupled with vehicles traveling without traction devices crashing and blocking all lanes of traffic, it becomes difficult to keep the freeway open.  ODOT officials advise people who travel during the winter to carry blankets or some kind of warming device, food, and something to keep kids occupied, and to make sure to have a full tank of gas before heading out.  They also say the Oregon State Police will be stepping up tire chain enforcement.  Motorists are also urged to use tripcheck.com to get the latest on road conditions in Oregon.

Mt. Hood National Forest officials say they will develop options for retrieving a plane that crashed into Mt. Hood near Elliot Glacier in the spring.  In a written statement, forest officials say risks to personnel outweigh the benefits for recovery of the aircraft during winter weather.  The downed plane is on extremely steep and snow-covered terrain in the Mt. Hood Wilderness, which complicates any removal operation.  The Forest, which has been working with the National Transportation Safety Board, Federal Aviation Administration, and the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office in the aftermath of the crash, plans to form a team in the spring to assess the situation and develop options to retrieve the aircraft.