The 12th Annual Gorge Artists Open Studios is taking place all weekend throughout the region.  41 studios from Cascade Locks to The Dalles and Parkdale to Trout Lake will be open for visitors to experience and enjoy a wide variety of work by local artists.  The tour is free and self-guided, and detailed maps are available online at gorgeartists.org along with area Chambers of Commerce, Art on Oak in Hood River, and The Dalles Art Center.

North Wasco County School District 21 officials are beginning to go out to the community with its concept of seeking a 235 million dollar bonding authority to replace four of their school buildings over the next 20 years and do other capital upgrades.  D-21 Board Chair Kathy Ursprung says the board has not yet made a decision on whether to put the plan on the November ballot, but they are beginning a process to gauge public opinion.  She says unlike going out for separate bond measures for each project, tax rates would remain consistent.  The first project would be to construct a new high school on the Wahtonka campus.  A town hall meeting on the bond plan is set for Tuesday evening at 6:30 at Mid-Columbia Senior Center.

The Oregon State Marine Board has approved a grant to the South Wasco Parks and Recreation District to repair the south boat ramp at Pine Hollow Reservoir.  The announcement was made at Wednesday’s Wasco County Commission meeting.  The ramp is currently the only public boating access facility on the reservoir, and a Marine Board staff inspection last summer found it was beginning to fail.  The $34,900 grant, with a partial match from the district of $21,500, will replace the upper 75 feet of concrete ramp and extend its life by ten years.  County Commissioner Rod Runyon said he hopes this grant will set the stage to receive funding from the Marine Board for the reservoir’s north boat ramp, which collapsed in 2010 and was later condemned due to safety concerns.

Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden announced Thursday that Oregon will receive over six-point-five million dollars in grants from the Department of Health and Human Services to be used for the prevention of opioid abuse and treatment for those affected.  That matches a similar amount the state received in the first round of grants under the 21st Century Cures Act last April.  During a speech on the floor of the House, the Hood River Republican said opioids are impacting all of America.  Walden called combating the opioid crisis in Oregon and across the country his top priority as Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

The City of The Dalles has completed one phase of its codification program implementation.  That’s the process of organizing and arranging all legislation of a general and permanent nature into a code.  The City has posted a link on its website to the new searchable on-line code.  The code is completely searchable, with a search link on the top and on the side of the page.  There is also a “Code Alert” tab that will list all ordinances that have been passed, but not yet incorporated into the city code.

Baseball Columbia sweeps Stevenson 11-2 and 10-0:  Adam Goodwille pitched a no-hitter in the second game for the Bruins, striking out seven in a game shortened to six innings by the ten-run rule.  Columbia remains tied for first in the Trico League with LaCenter.   Track and Field Two Hood River Valley and two The Dalles athletes won two events each in a three-school meet that also involved Glenwood at Sid White Field.  HRV’s Chad Klaas won the boys’ 100 meters and pole vault while Jonah Tactay was first in the high jump and long jump.  For The Dalles, Philip Dunagan won the boys’ shot put and discus while Mercy Iaululalo won the same events for the Riverhawk girls.   Boys Tennis Hood River Valley 7, The Dalles 1   Boys Soccer King’s Way Christian 1, Stevenson 1

Columbia Gorge Food Bank and a number of other groups are partnering to hold a seminar on Friday in The Dalles focusing on dealing with childhood hunger in the region.  Columbia Gorge Food Bank Rural Communities Liaison Sharon Thornberry says about one in five children in the Mid-Columbia are dealing with food insecurity.  She adds much of the focus will be on discussing programs and tools that attempt to address the problem.  Anyone in interested in helping address childhood hunger in the region is invited to attend the seminar, which will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday at the Wahtonka Community School Cafeteria.  To sign-up call Thornberry at 541-609-8903, or go to eventbrite.com and search for the “Challenging Hunger” event.

There will be intermittent, single lane closures of the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Thursday and Monday.  Port crews will be working to replace aviation and navigation lights, and perform repairs to damaged guardrail.  Flaggers will direct traffic on the bridge, with delays of up to 20 minutes expected.

Klickitat County is establishing a ban on outdoor burning in its burn ban zone one from May 1 to September 30.  Klickitat County Burn Ban Zone One defined as lands East of the Klickitat County Fire District 7 eastern boundary to include but not limited to Klickitat County Fire Districts #2, 9 and 10, except for Yakama Indian Nation and Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission lands.  Residential barbecues will be allowed.  The public should check with the appropriate authorities concerning burning restrictions within the corporate limits of any city or town.  The Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management recently created new County burn ban zone designations.  Maps are available at the Emergency Management Department website.

Baseball Hood River Valley 10, Hermiston 6:  J.J. Mears and Caden Leiblien had three hits apiece while Trenton Hough pitched six solid innings to give the Eagles’ their second win in three games against Hermiston. Pendleton 16, The Dalles 8 Stevenson at Columbia, doubleheader postponed to today at 3 p.m. Sherman 14, Heppner 7 Kittitas sweeps Lyle-Klickitat-Wishram 7-6 and 12-2   Softball Pendleton 10, The Dalles 0 Hermiston at Hood River Valley, postponed to Thursday at 4:30 p.m. Columbia sweeps Riverside 7-2 and 9-2   Track and Field Sherman’s boys and South Wasco’s girls both grabbed third place finishes at the Mustang Invitational in Heppner.  Owen Christiansen had a first in the long jump and two seconds for the Sherman boys, while Ana Popchock won three events and Desiree Winslow two for the South Wasco girls. Isabella Dean and Liz Fink won two events each for Trout Lake as they took part in an SCAC meet in Naches Valley.   Boys Soccer Columbia 10, Stevenson 1   Boys Lacrosse Sherwood 8, Hood River Valley 4   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 15, Oregon Episcopal 12:  Abigail Bartles had five goals and three assists to move their record to 7-1.