The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce is reporting traffic from tourists requesting information about the community.  Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says they are getting ten to 15 people a day coming to the Chamber office for information, but even more are contacting them by phone or e-mail.  Farquharson says The Dalles was busy this weekend with cars lined up on Main Street, and she believes they are seeing increased traffic through the town and at area attractions.

Oregon Little League Baseball Tournament at LaGrande Saturday Sprague 11, The Dalles 8   Sunday The Dalles 10, Del Norte 3   Today The Dalles vs. Wilshire/Riverside (Portland), 2:30 p.m.

Mop up work continues on the Dry Creek Fire north of BZ Corners.  The containment level for the 337 acre fire moved up to 50 percent.  The objective of firefighters is to establish a band of “cold black” within the fire’s perimeter.  “Cold black” is firefighter shorthand for a combination of completely consumed fuel and no flame or heat in the remaining fuels.  That is essential to reasonably reducing the potential for the fire to escape and resume growing.  It is especially important early in the fire season with the expectation of hot, dry conditions intensifying fire danger.  Firefighters are striving to complete the remaining mop up this weekend.  The pilot car is scheduled to be discontinued at 2 p.m. Friday.  Reduced speeds and extra caution while traveling through the fire area are still recommended.

The one-acre fire west of Oneonta Gorge has been controlled, and the Historic Columbia River Highway and the surrounding trails are now open.  The fire started between Oneonta Trail and the cliff west of Oneonta Gorge late Tuesday.  Crews controlled the fire using a hand line, a hose lay, helicopter bucket drops, and sprinklers to create a “raining” effect on the sheer cliffs at the fire’s edge.  The cause of the fire is still under investigation.  A closure remains in effect at Eagle Creek Trail #440 and adjacent trails, starting at the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness Boundary, due to the Indian Creek Fire.  Fire danger levels remain “high” in western Gorge counties and “extremely high” in the east Gorge.

Oregon State 59th District Representative John Huffman says he will not seek re-election in 2018.  The Republican from The Dalles says he is seeking a federal appointment to oversee the state’s U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development programs, and if that happens he will step aside from the House position before his term ends.  But Huffman adds he won’t seek reelection regardless of whether he is appointed or not.  Huffman was appointed to the seat in 2007 and won election for the first time in 2008.

Mid-Columbia Medical Center’s new President and Chief Executive Officer is getting settled in to the job.  Dennis Knox has now been on the job for six weeks.  Knox says in many of his previous jobs he has been brought in as a change agent, and he believes he has a similar role here.  Appearing on Bicoastal Media’s Mid-Columbia Today program Thursday morning, he noted hospitals throughout the country are facing challenges.  Knox also talked about cultural transformation, getting all stakeholders on board from employees to the community, noting that requires being honest, transparent, and making contact with the public.

Washington Department of Natural Resources crews will patrol the area of Monday’s Hartland Fire north of Dallesport for the next three days for any hotspots and smoke.  High Prairie Fire Chief Tim Darland says the DNR strike team Wednesday re-gridded the burned area for any remaining hot spots, and two locations were identified and quickly mopped up.  Later in the day DNR was comfortable with mop up efforts and made the decision to remove the hose lays that were initially placed to fight the fire.  DNR will patrol the area for the next three days for any hot spots or smoke.  If, after that time, no signs of fire are observed, DNR will call the fire “Out”.  The Hartland Fire burned 14 acres.

There will be brief lane closures on the approaches to the Hood River/White Salmon Interstate Bridge on Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. for lane striping.  Port crews will direct traffic and cones will delineate the travel lanes as the paint dries.  Bridge users are cautioned to avoid the wet paint.  Minimal delays are expected.

Fire activity has continued to decrease on the Dry Creek Fire north of BZ Corners, and the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office announced a change in evacuation advisories.  All Level 2 Evacuation notices, have been reduced to Level 1, which advises people to be ready for a potential evacuation.  All Level 1 Evacuation notices remain in effect.  An update from fire officials today showed the amount of acreage burned remained at 322, with the containment level moved up to 28 percent.  Crews are looking to establish a buffer of reduced fuels, either completely consumed or extinguished, within the containment lines to reasonably assure the fire will not escape.  With a warming trend expected to continue through the weekend, fire managers are pressing to complete mop up and secure the lines before conditions become more unfavorable, but are also increasingly confident that they will meet that goal.  There are 544 people assigned to the fire.  Highway 141 reopened on Tuesday, with a pilot car escorting traffic through the fire area.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

A one acre fire on the cliffs west of Oneonta Gorge has the Historic Columbia River Highway through that area and surrounding trails closed until further notice.  The fire started between Oneonta Trail and the cliff west of Oneonta Gorge late Tuesday evening.  Forest Service firefighters are using helicopters bucket drops and a hose lay to suppress it.  The Oregon Department of Transportation has closed the Historic Columbia River Highway between Multnomah Falls and Ainsworth State Park, but both of those facilities remain open.  The Forest Service is closing hiking trails surrounding the fire, including Oneonta Trail #424, Horsetail Falls #438, and Gorge #400, making Horsetail Falls and Triple Falls inaccessible until further notice.   A temporary flight restriction is in effect over the same area from ground surface to 2300 feet above ground level.  The Forest Service is asking people to refrain from flying drones in that area.