A glut of sweet cherries on the market has sent the prices growers can get for their fruit downward, and some smaller cherries won’t be picked at all.  Underwood Fruit fieldman Jeff Heater says the entire Northwest is picking a record cherry crop, and they have been shipping a record number of boxes out every day for the last five weeks.  He says export prices have been good, but domestic prices have not.  Heater says growers who had pruned aggressively and have much bigger size of cherries that can be exported were able to pick them without a problem.  He adds they are trying to find alternative markets for the smaller cherries, including the frozen market, but Heater points out there is some carryover from last year so those buyers are reluctant to purchase more fruit.

Hood River County Elections Supervisor Kim Kean says they are getting calls from people worried about their voter information being sent to the federal government, and she is reassuring them that the state of Oregon is not turning over information to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Intergrity.  Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson wrote a letter to the panel’s vice-chair Kris Kobach saying that state law prohibits disclosure of much of the information they requested, including social security and drivers’ license numbers.  Kean adds county clerks and the state have a number of security measures in place to protect, and keep current, voter records.  In his letter to the federal advisory commission Richardson said there is very little evidence of voter fraud in the state, adding he believes the federal government should not be involved in dictating how states conduct their elections.

Klickitat County Commissioners voted to concur with the City of The Dalles and terminate the contracts for management of the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport in Dallesport with six months notice.  Klickitat County Commissioner David Sauter says the airport board, which administers the facility on behalf of the City and the County, had made that recommendation.  He adds there was no specific issue that could be cited for termination, but they are looking at new management as the airport grows in the near future.  The contracts were with Aeronautical Management, which managed airport operations, and fixed based operator Gorge Aviation Services.  Sauter says both could respond to Requests For Proposals as the City and County look for a new management agreement.

What the education budget passed this month by the Washington Legislature means for the White Salmon Valley School District is unclear.  District Superintendent Jerry Lewis says they have a rough understanding of the changes included in the budget which is to address the McCleary decision from the Washington State Supreme Court calling for the state to meet its constitutional obligation to fund basic education, but won’t get real numbers from the state Superintendent’s Office of Public Instruction until December.  He adds his focus has been on equity for all schools in the state.  Lewis says the White Salmon district will be passing a budget for the upcoming school year this month.

Two regional landmarks are providing the cover photos for the new official Oregon State map.  One is of Celestial Falls near Maupin, which the Oregon Department of Transportation says is appropriately named for this year with the solar eclipse on August 21.  The other is a sunrise photo of Vista House and the Columbia River Gorge.  The map includes updates to state highways, interchanges and other roadways as a result of construction projects completed since the last publication of the map in the summer of 2015.  Maps are free and available at visitor centers, DMV offices, chambers of commerce and other outlets.

Hood River County Commissioners are asking for more input before deciding whether to establish an overnight no parking zone at the west end of Post Canyon Drive.  Indefinite parking has become a safety concern on the west end of Post Canyon Drive.  During the winter several cars used the area for camping, which was a hindrance for snow removal, and some cars have continued to use it since.  County Public Works proposed signage for prohibiting parking from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. on 1,400 feet of Post Canyon Drive, but County Commission Chair Ron Rivers says the Commission wants to determine if they need to go further up Post Canyon on the gravel roads where the Forestry Department has jurisdiction.  In other business, the Commission in its role as the Windmaster Urban Renewal Agency Board approved distributing $200,000 in Urban Renewal funds to the Port of Hood River as a match for state funding for the construction work on the north apron at the Ken Jernstedt Airfield.

Oregon’s unemployment rate was little changed at 3.7 percent in June. The rate remained near its all time low of 3.6 percent reached in May.   Oregon’s rate was significantly below its year-ago rate of 5.1 percent in June 2016 and well below the U.S. unemployment rate of 4.4 percent in June 2017 the largest gain since February 2016.  Oregon Employment Department economist Nick Beleciks says job gains continued a pattern of the past year.  Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment grew by 8,500 jobs, following a gain of 2,600 in May. The June increase was the largest gain since February 2016.  Gains were widespread among the major industries, with 11 of the 14 industries adding jobs.  Leisure and hospitality added the most, increasing by 2,100 jobs.  In addition, strong hiring occurred in construction and manufacturing.

Containment of the Dry Creek Fire north of BZ Corners is now at 94 percent, as a full transfer of command of the fire from a Northwest Incident Management Team to a local Washington team took place this morning.  Activities on the fire line will continue to focus on mop up and completing the remaining tasks to secure this fire within its existing perimeter.  Highway 141 is open without restrictions, but motorists are strongly advised to reduce speeds and be vigilant for firefighters and equipment as they pass through the fire area between mileposts 14 and 17.  Officials say people passing by could still see some smoke within the fire perimeter.  Fire crews are monitoring any remaining hot spots.  The fire that started on July 8 burned 337 acres, and the cause remains under investigation.

The Oregon Department of Transportation says motorists should expect delays of up to 20 minute Monday through Wednesday this week and up to an hour Thursday and Friday at the Chenoweth Creek Bridge on the Historic Columbia River Highway.  The delays will take place between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. as crews begin work to replace the bridge about a quarter mile west of The Dalles city limits.  The Chenoweth Creek Bridge will require a full closure for about three weeks in August while the bridge is being replaced.  When that occurs, traffic on the Historic Columbia River Highway near The Dalles will be detoured through the Rowena Exit on Interstate 84.  Crews with Wildish Standard Paving, under contract with ODOT, are continuing work on the $7.4 million project to repair and replace three bridges on the Historic Columbia River Highway between Mosier and The Dalles.

The Port of Hood River will begin getting ready to put together a final environmental impact statement for a project to replace the Interstate Bridge with the inclusion of five million dollars in funding for bridge replacement planning work as part of the transportation package approved earlier this month by the Oregon Legislature.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says the EIS is a crucial step in moving forward.  Engineering will be taken to a 20% level, which will provide understanding of where the bridge will be located in the river and on the shore, becoming the basis of a thorough evaluation.  The state funding will also help pay for some additional geotechnical work and doing alternative financial feasibility models.  McElwee does add the state has not indicated when the Port will receive the funding so they can proceed with the work.