Entries are being taken for a pair of Northwest Cherry Festival events.  The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce is once again conducting the Northwest Cherry Idol singing contest.  The preliminary round is underway with competitors uploading their videos to our Cherry Idol Facebook event page.   After the preliminary round concludes on April 13th, judges will select the top five adult and kid contestants to move on to sing live at the Cherry Festival.  This contest is open to all ages, with minors under the age of 18 needing written parent consent.  Audio or video clip submissions may be delivered to The Dalles Chamber or uploaded to the Cherry Idol Facebook event page by April 13.  Meanwhile…entries for Little Miss Royal Ann and Little Mr. Royal Andy are being taken at Rivermark Community Credit Union on 1240 West 6th Street in The Dalles.  Drop off a 5 by 7 photo of your child and fill out an application to enter.  Public voting will run from April 9th to the 20th.

Baseball Gresham 11, The Dalles 3:  The Gophers scored four runs in the first inning and built an 8-1 lead after three innings, as the Riverhawks fall to 1-1 on the season.   Softball Hood River Valley 9, Barlow 3 Liberty 6, The Dalles 5   Boys Lacrosse Hood River Valley 10, Westview 6   Girls Lacrosse Hood River Valley 9, St. Mary’s 4:  Kathryn Koenig scored four goals for the Eagles as they won their season opener.

Some area high school students took part in 17-minute walkouts Wednesday morning protesting gun violence.  They took part in a nationwide call to honor the 17 students killed in a shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school and demand stricter gun laws.  A large number of students took part at Hood River Valley High School, gathering near the flagpole at the school’s front entrance.  Hood River County School District Superintendent Dan Goldman estimated about two-thirds of the students at the school took part, noting everything was orderly and students returned to classes after it was over. White Salmon Valley School District Superintendent Jerry Lewis said about 100 students at Columbia High School walked out, adding the event was very peaceful and orderly.

Track and Field Hood River Valley won 11 different events in a season-opening warm-up meet with Hermiston on Tuesday at Henderson Stadium.  The HRV girls won six events, while the boys won five.   Softball Hood River Valley at Barlow, postponed to today River View 19, Goldendale 6   Baseball Dufur 14, Riverside 10 Goldendale 2, River View 1

Wasco County officials are getting ready to jump into their budget process for the 2018-19 fiscal year.  Steve Kramer is representing the County Commission on the budget committee this year, and he says they will be talking next week with department directors about their fiscal plans, noting county staff has been doing preparatory work.  Kramer says the County will again take a conservative approach to the budget.  Kramer adds the County is in “decent” fiscal shape thanks to some hard work over the last decade.

Hood River City Councilors appointed one new member to the municipal budget committee, but there are three more spots available to interested citizens.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says to apply just go to City Hall at 211 2nd Street or call 541-386-1488.  There will be three to four committee meetings during the upcoming budget process.  In other business, the City of Hood River has awarded a contract to Wastewater Solids Management of Yachats to do a cleanout of the south digester of the municipal wastewater treatment plant.  Wheeler said the work has needed to be done for some time, but they had difficulty finding a contractor because of the small size of the digester compared to other similar plants.

Baseball Barlow 4, Hood River Valley 1:  Jaren Hunter drove in three runs with a tiebreaking bases loaded double in the sixth inning while giving up only one hit over six innings on the mound.  Connor Coerper had a good first start on the mound for HRV, giving up only one unearned run on one hit while striking out nine and walking none over five innings. The Dalles 5, Reynolds 0 Stanfield 12, Columbia 2 Washougal sweeps Stevenson 13-3 and 8-0  

Hood River County officials are indicating they will have a list of proposed cuts to close a one-point-six million dollar budget deficit for the 2018-19 fiscal year at the first meeting of the County’s budget committee on April 5.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says he expects to bring to the panel a list of potential reductions, with some in the budget and others that could possibly be enacted to give the committee options.  The budget committee includes five members appointed by the County Commission, along with the Commission itself.  County Commissioners are looking at revenue generating possibilities to place on the November ballot.

It’s going to a busy spring at the Port of The Dalles.  Four construction projects are planned and will get underway soon.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klass says one will be right across from the Port office.  It’s a 14,000 square foot commercial spec building.  The Port is going to be working with the Northern Wasco Parks and Recreation District on an Oregon State Parks grant funded project to expand the Klindt Cove park area. Also, the Bonneville Power Administration acquired land near the new Google project for substation expansion, and a veterinary hospital will be building a new facility by the Columbia River.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew Sunday morning rescued an injured hiker from the Wind River Canyon above the Carson Hot Springs Resort.  The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office says 29-year-old Angel Vaillencort was hiking in the Wind River drainage searching for the natural hot springs, but slipped and fell about 30 feet, landing on her back.  Her hiking companion, 25-year-old Anthony Casario of Battle Ground, called 9-1-1, where emergency crews found Vaillencourt to be conscious but seriously injured.  Because of the difficult terrain a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew from Astoria was called in to conduct a hoist operation over 200 feet, and took her to Emanuel Hospital in Portland.  Vaillencort told Coast Guard crew members she had consumed methamphetamine prior to the fall, and Casario was taken into custody and booked into the Skamania County Jail on charges of criminal trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia.