Oregon Senator Ron Wyden and Idaho Senator Mike Crapo were joined at a Wednesday news conference by other legislators and Forest Service officials to hail the recent passage of legislation to permit disaster relief funds to be used when fire suppression expenditures exceed their 2015 ten-year average.  The bill doesn’t go into effect until 2020, when the federal Budget Control Act expires, but the legislators say there are additional expenditures in the bill to achieve the same result in the next two fiscal years.  Wyden says they had to do that with the constraints currently in place.  The group also says the law expanded the Good Neighbor Authority program to allow for needed road reconstruction and improve on the ability for the federal government to partner with state foresters on restoration projects across state-federal boundaries.

Hood River County Commissioners talked revenue options during a worksession Tuesday evening as they continue to grapple with the County budget shortfall.  A number of different options were discussed, including a public safety levy, targeted tourist taxes, a food and beverage tax, a gas tax, and service districts.  Commission Chair Ron Rivers says whatever direction they decide to go in, making it clear what the revenue for will be critical.  The Commission is planning to move ahead with establishing focus groups to examine various aspects of the County’s budget and revenue options.

The Oregon Health Authority released a report Tuesday that concludes exposure to air pollutants near the AmeriTies facility in The Dalles did not pose chronic public health risks.  But the “AmeriTies-West Letter Health Consultation” report, authored by the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, cautions that strong odors could still trigger physical symptoms.  The report was prepared at the request of the North Central Public Health District.  The district requested help in understanding if exposure to outdoor air pollutants—naphthalene and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—posed long-term health risks to residents near the AmeriTies West facility, which treats wooden railroad ties.  The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality signed a mutual agreement and order with AmeriTies in April 2016 to reduce odors, including the company using a different wood preservative with less naphthalene.  That change was made in late 2016.   An air quality open house is planned for May 15 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles.  To read a summary of the report and the full report findings and recommendations, visit the OHA AmeriTies webpage at www.healthoregon.org.  It is also available at The Dalles-Wasco County Library.

Baseball Hood River Valley 19, The Dalles 3:  Caden Leiblien had four hits and five runs batted in and J.J. Mears drove in three runs as the Eagles used three big innings to finish a three-game sweep of the Riverhawks.  HRV scored six runs in the first inning, five in the fourth, and eight in the sixth as the Eagles stayed within a game of Pendleton atop the Columbia River Conference.   Sherman 5, Culver 4:  The Huskies moved into first place in Special District 6, with a doubleheader at Culver on Saturday.   Heppner 15, Dufur 5 Columbia sweeps Castle Rock 17-4 and 12-2. Irrigon 14, Stevenson 2 Lyle-Wishram sweeps White Swan 13-0 and 11-0. Goldendale sweeps LaSalle 6-1 and 6-4.   Softball Hood River Valley 10, The Dalles 6:  HRV jumped out to an early lead and held off a pesky Riverhawk squad to move a game in front of Hermiston for second in the Columbia River Conference.   Castle Rock sweeps Columbia 14-4 and 7-1 LaCenter sweeps Stevenson 24-0 and 15-0   Boys Soccer Columbia 4, King’s Way Christian 0   Girls Tennis Montesano 3, Stevenson 2    

Today marks the beginning of this year’s Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Fishery in the Columbia and Snake rivers, running through September 30.  State fish and wildlife biologists have specially tagged and released up to 1,000 or more northern pikeminnow into the Columbia and Snake rivers, each worth $500.  The program also pays registered anglers $5 to $8 per fish that is nine inches or longer.  The more fish an angler catches, the more each pikeminnow is worth.  Last year the top fisherman in the program earned more than $83,000 in just five-months of fishing.  Northern pikeminnow experts say the best place to fish early in the season may be near The Dalles.  That registration station also showed the highest number of catches last season.  Northern pikeminnow are voracious eaters, consuming millions of young salmon and steelhead each year.  The program is administered by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission and is funded by the Bonneville Power Administration.  For more information about the program call 800-858-9015.

The Dalles Community Clean Up is scheduled for this Saturday, but there is already some picking up going on.  Cindy Keever of The Dalles Public Works says some of the schools participate by doing clean-up around their campuses, and civic groups are encouraged to adopt an area of town to spruce up.  Friends and neighbors are encouraged to help the elderly or handicapped dispose of unwanted items.  The Dalles Community Clean-Up will be on Saturday, with the drop off site at the old Wasco County maintenance yard open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. that day.

The Hood River County Prevention Department and the Hood River Valley High School health media club surveyed middle school parents on what they think about teen substance use.  Many of the questions were based on surveys given to middle and high school students, and in most cases parents thought the number of children using various substances from cigarettes to prescription drugs without a doctor’s order was significantly higher than what the students indicated.  Belinda Ballah of the Hood River County Prevention Department hopes the data can spark conversation.  The complete survey results are available at the Hood River Prevents Facebook page.

The Dalles Public Works Department is continuing its preparation for chip sealing activities next month.  Wednesday crews will be on West 10th Street between Cherry Heights Road and Vey Way.  No parking zone signs will be placed Tuesday ahead of rolling road closures on Wednesday that will move from east to west, from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Thursday work on West 10th moves to between Vey Way and Blakely Drive, with rolling road closures again from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Motorists are asked to park vehicles outside of work zones during those hours.

Boys Golf The Dalles finished seventh in the Crook County Invitational at Meadow Lakes in Prineville.  The Riverhawks’ Aiden Telles had a sixth place finish individually, while Tyler Vassar finished in a tie for seventh.   Boys Lacrosse Central Catholic 14, Hood River Valley 6

Hood River County Sheriff Matt English has put a five-year public safety levy on the table as an option to help the County deal with its budget shortfall.  English has maintained for some time that his department has fallen behind in many areas because of funding issues and growth of the County both in terms of general population and visitor counts.  English says a five-year levy with a tax rate of between $1 and $1.50 per thousand dollars of assessed property value can get the department where it needs to be, adding going with a five-year levy adds a level of accountability.  English made a presentation on the concept to the County Budget Committee, and the County Commission will have the final say on whether any revenue measure goes to the ballot.  The Sheriff’s Department has planned a series of community meetings on the subject over the next month, starting this Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Mt. Hood Town Hall.