We are down to the final hours for those interested in running for a municipal office in Hood River and The Dalles.  The deadline to file is at 5 p.m. Tuesday in both cities.  In both communities…the mayoral and three City Council positions will be on the November ballot.  For information on those positions and the requirements and qualifications for running, go to city websites for both Hood River and The Dalles.  

Work on a street cut for a manhole connection will take place just east of the West 2nd and Mount Hood Street intersection in The Dalles Tuesday through Friday.  Work will take place from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on those days.  The east and west bound lanes will be reduced to one lane in each direction.  The lanes will be shifted to the north and south sides of the street as construction progresses, but will remain open and coned during construction hours.  Traffic signs will be posted in the immediate work areas.

The Port of Hood River Commission identified four properties as priorities for future development after reviewing a recently completely analysis of the Port’s real estate holdings.  Port Commissioners gave staff direction to follow the recommendation of the analysis to the east portion of the Maritime site adjacent to Waterfront Park…property south of the Jensen Building on Portway Avenue, the Barman property adjacent to the Valero gas station on the waterfront, and a lot at the Lower Hanel Mill site.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says their current budget calls for taking steps to develop one or two of those locations.  These properties were identified in part because they were considered prominent in places that can facilitate other development, has the potential for job development with higher-wage jobs, and within the Port’s financial capability to carry out.

The North Wasco County School District 21 Board has filled the vacant zone 1 position on the panel.  D-21 Superintendent Candy Armstrong says Rebecca Thistlewaite was chosen for the seat.  She had previously served on the Mosier Community School board.  Thistlewaite will fill the remainder of the current term for that position, which ends on June 30 of 2019.

Hood River County Sheriff’s deputies are asking for help in locating a 22 year old woman who has been reported as missing.  Alicia Galvez was last seen the evening of July 24 near the area of Tucker Road and Barrett Drive.  Galvez is described as about 5-foot-tall with a slender build.  If you see her or know her whereabouts, contact the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office dispatch at (541) 387-2711 or the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office tipline at (541)-387-7077

In Gilliam County, the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal Incident Management Team will be returning to their home jurisdictions today due to the diminished risk to homes as a result of a set of fires.  The Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office has reduced all Level 3 evacuations to Level 2, and Level 2 evacuations were reduced to Level 1.  A wildland incident management team will continue to work with local structural firefighters, as needed, to manage the fires.  On Wednesday night firefighters continued to mop up and patrol the firelines around the Stubblefield Fire, which is now 70%  contained.  The Stubblefield Fire is at 57,703 acres, including the Seale Fire that merged into it.  The fire was active yesterday on the far western flank, crossing Buckskin Canyon, and currently is holding at the ridge above Buckskin Canyon where there is a containment line.  The fire remains on the east side of the John Day River.  The 39,000 acre Jennie’s Peak Fire is 65% contained, and continues to hold along the John Day River, staying north and east of the river.  The Lonerock Fire is now 75% contained and did not grow yesterday, remaining at 5,056 acres.

A small grass fire Thursday morning on Hood River’s Heights was quelled quickly.  Westside Fire District Chief Jim Trammell says crews arrived to find four power lines going down from the Experiment Station/Tucker Road intersection to the Mid-Columbia Experiment Station.  The grass fire was about 100 feet by 200 feet in size, and two engine crews extinguished it quickly.  Trammell says crews were not sure why the lines were going down.  A blown transformer occurred as result, causing a power outage throughout the Heights that Pacific Power indicated for most customers lasted for about 20 minutes.  A handful of customers were without power as of late this morning.

Three different county fairs are underway in the region.  The Wasco County Fair opened Thursday in Tygh Valley, with Kids’ Day events planned for 2 p.m.  Friday will include Farmers’ Fun Day events beginning at noon and the first night of rodeo competition at 7:30, with a dance featuring Blue City Diesel to follow at 9 p.m.  The Klickitat County Fair has started in Goldendale, with the popular County Products Kick-Off Barbecue beginning at 5 p.m. Thursday.  And the Sherman County Fair continues in Moro, with the Down on the Farm Chore Course Thursday at 7 p.m.

The pear harvest in the Mid-Columbia is underway.  Craig Mallon of Duckwall Pooley Fruit Company said the harvest started a week earlier than usual, and the picking of Bartlett pears is beginning to wrap up.  He says the volume of that crop is one of the largest on record.  Mallon says the larger winter pear crop that will start to be picked next week, led by green Anjou, is off a bit in many parts of the Hood River Valley, but adds that may dovetail well with the Bartlett crop.  He adds the fruit size of those Anjou’s are a bit larger than normal.

Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District and utility contractors today are inspecting electric system infrastructure impacted by recent wildfires in the Dufur and Tygh Valley areas.  The inspections are part of a mandatory pre-bid process for contractors prior to submitting final bids to perform work for the district.  The PUD says contractors performing work on the system will be clearly identified with placards displaying “PUD CONTRACTOR”, as well as individual forms of identification.  Northern Wasco PUD has a substantial capital investment and renewal program which includes making repairs after disasters such as wildfires.  Contract resources are sometimes utilized to complete that type of work.