Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden today announced new Section 811 Housing Choice Vouchers that will assist people with disabilities in accessing affordable housing and an array of supportive services, with over $170,000 earmarked for the Mid-Columbia Housing Authority.  The vouchers, also known as mainstream vouchers, enable people with disabilities to access both affordable housing and supportive services—provided though partnership agreements between public housing authorities and local agencies—in an effort to enable individuals to live independently in the community.  Mid-Columbia Housing Authority executive director Joel Madsen says the federal investment will help create a better culture of health by housing some of the most vulnerable citizens.  Nationally, 285 public housing authorities received 11,931 Housing Choice Vouchers, totaling more than $98.5 million this year.  The Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2018 made an additional $385 million available for new Housing Choice Vouchers.

The Roy Webster Cross-Channel Swim was cancelled Monday morning by the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office due to high winds, which created unsafe water conditions for both the swimmers and the watercrafts that form the safety corridor.  This was the second year in a row that the 75th version of the swim had to be cancelled.  Last year, Hood River emergency support services were diverted to the Eagle Creek Fire, which caused the event to be cancelled.  Hood River County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mike Glover said calling off the swim was the last thing anyone wanted to do, but added safety is of paramount importance.  Glover says they look forward to holding the 75^th swim next year.  It was only the fourth cancellation in the swim’s history.  Each year, the event attracts 500 participants.

As the school year gets underway, North Wasco County School District 21 talked last week with residents in the Dry Hollow Elementary School area about attempts to relieve traffic congestion when school starts and ends each day.  A trial of various options took place at the end of the last school year.  D-21 Superintendent Candy Armstrong says the “tear drop” design on school property has been kept for parents to drop off and pick up students.  The roundabout that was placed on 19th Street last spring will not be brought back.  Armstrong says everything being done is taking place on the south side of the street, which is the side the school is on.  

The Hood River County Prevention Department is embarking on a parental survey on what they are most concerned about.  The Department’s Belinda Ballah said last year they focused on middle school parents, but this year they are expanding to elementary schools and Hood River Valley High School.  The surveys are being given to parents during open house and registration events at area schools.  Ballah noted last year’s survey results led the Prevention Department to seek a grant to focus on anti-bullying efforts.  

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is seeking to expand opportunities for organized recreation events on the forest.  This fall the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is accepting proposals for new, organized recreation events to occur in 2019 and add to existing events already scheduled throughout the year.  A total of twenty-five permits will be available.  If there are more applications than permits available, the forest will use a lottery system to identify proposals for further consideration.  Proposals will be accepted through November 1.  Detailed information and applications are available on the Pinchot forest website.  Call 360-449-7806 with questions about criteria and the permitting process.

A grand opening celebration for a new education center and four cabins at Cottonwood Canyon State Park on the John Day River about 50 miles southeast of The Dalles is set for September 18.  The grand opening celebration will include presentations, a ribbon cutting and a tour of the new facilities, which include a 1,500-square foot Experience Center that will serve as a classroom for outdoor education and a reservable event space.  The $2.5 million project also includes four cabins and a new restroom facility with showers.  The Experience Center was designed in part to support Eastern Oregon University’s Cottonwood Crossing Summer Institute, a week-long residential field study course for high school students held each June.  It was largely built thanks to donors and fundraising by the private nonprofit Oregon State Parks Foundation, which contributed $600,000 in money and donated products.  The grand opening event will be from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on September 18.

The Roy Webster Columbia River Cross Channel Swim returns on Labor Day in Hood River.  Last year’s event had to be cancelled due to smoky conditions resulting from the Eagle Creek Fire.  Ashley Huckaby-May of the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce said they had expected registration to slow down this year as a result of that cancellation, but that didn’t happen.  The swim is sold out again, and Huckaby-May says participants are coming out from throughout the region and the country.  Participants board the Sternwheeler paddleboat at the Port of Hood River early Monday morning, and are ferried across the river to the Washington shore, where they will jump in and swim back to the Oregon side.

Football Dufur 70, Triad 32   Volleyball Sheldon def. The Dalles 25-13, 25-16, 25-16 Joseph def. South Wasco 25-15, 25-21, 25-21

Sheriffs and juvenile directors in the four counties that utilize the Northern Oregon Regional Corrections Facility have presented a new management concept for the facility to the NORCOR board.  Sherman County Sheriff Brad Lohrey says for the adult portion of the jail, it’s based on the traditional structure for individual county jails in which the sheriff handles administration with a jail commander in charge of day-to-day operations.  In this case a jail commander would report to one of the four county sheriffs, who would then report to the other sheriffs.  The concept would have a similar structure for the juvenile corrections facility at NORCOR, with the four county juvenile directors having oversight.  Currently, NORCOR employs an administrator plus administrative and operations lieutenants for the adult jail, with the administrator also involved with the juvenile side assisted by a manager.  The NORCOR board, made up of representatives from each of the four counties, is currently mulling its options as administrator Bryan Brandenburg prepares to retire.  Its next meeting to discuss the issue is on September 12.

Installation of a new field turf surface at Hood River Valley High School’s Henderson Stadium is set to begin Thursday, and school officials are asking for the public’s cooperation to ensure the project can be completed without delay.  HRV athletic director Trent Kroll says people are asked to stay off the turf on the field once they begin installation, as spikes holding the turf down and stretched material that are disturbed may delay completion.  People are also asked to stay out of the fenced off parking lot area until construction is done, and to stay off the track until that portion of the project is completed, as a need to clean asphalt could delay progress.  Kroll says the field project is still on track to allow the stadium to reopen in time for a home football game on October 5.