Beginning next fall the nursing program at Columbia Gorge Community College will begin using a statewide curriculum developed through the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education.  It is being used by several consortium partner schools as well as the Oregon Health & Science University School of Nursing.  CGCC nursing program director Doris Jepson says with the move they will be working with faculty from ten other Oregon community college nursing programs along with OHSU, and will streamline the path for nurses to achieve a bachelor’s degree.  Students admitted to the CGCC Nursing Program beginning in Fall 2018 will also be co-admitted to OHSU School of Nursing, and after getting an associate’s degree at CGCC and obtaining an RN license can continue their studies with OHU To complete a bachelor’s degree.

The Gifford Pinchot National Forest is accepting proposals for new organized recreation events to occur in 2018 and add to existing events already occurring throughout the year.  A total of twenty-five permits will be available, with a lottery system to be used if there are more applications than permits available.  All new proposals will be reviewed under specific criteria intended to diversify recreation opportunities, reduce overlap with existing events, and increase opportunities for youth-focused events.  All events under existing permits must also submit applications during this period.  Detailed information and applications are available on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest website.  Proposals will be accepted through November 1.

The preliminary assessment for the Crystal Clear Restoration Project on the Barlow and Hood River Ranger Districts of the Mt. Hood National Forest has been released. The project aims to thin forest stands within approximately 12,725 acres, and would provide forest products where there is an opportunity to restore resiliency to forested areas, and reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire behavior and effects from insects and disease.  Barlow District Ranger Kameron Sam said he believes they have achieved a workable balance between threatened and endangered species and providing forest products to support local communities.  The preliminary assessment provides a detailed description of the proposed activities and environmental effects analysis and is available on the Mt. Hood National Forest website.  A 30-day public comment period is underway.

The 75th edition of the Roy Webster Cross Channel Swim will take place on Labor Day morning in Hood River.  The swim originated in 1942 when local orchardist Roy Webster challenged himself to swim across the Columbia River.  Participants board the famous Sternwheeler paddleboat at the Port of Hood River and are ferried across the river to the Washington shore to jump in and swim back across.  Kate Schroder of the Hood River County Chamber of Commerce says they sold out the swim in June, and the over 500 participants are coming from all over the country.  Swimmers will jump in the river at 8 a.m. Monday.  A special swim lane lined with volunteers in sailboats, kayaks and paddleboards will be there to guide, encourage, and protect swimmers as they cross the channel.

The Sherman County Sheriff’s Office says a $3,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for starting fires in Sherman and Wasco counties in recent weeks.  Sherman County Sheriff’s Sergeant Jeremy Shull says a pair of fires reported in Sherman County Wednesday evening came after there were seven fires reported between Sherman County and the Dufur area on Tuesday.  The largest of the fires burned 300 acres on Wednesday evening.  No structures have been damaged in the fires.  Shull says there were also two suspicious fires on July 23.  The State Fire Marshal and arson investigators have been notified and are investigating.  Anyone with information on the fires is asked to contact the Sherman County Sheriff’s Office at 541-565-3622.  The Sheriff’s Office added the reward is possible because of a $2,500 contribution from North Sherman Fire.

A draft decision for the Polallie Cooper Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project released this week divides the proposal into two phases. Mount Hood National Forest District Ranger Janeen Tervo said the decision is based on threats to neighboring communities within and adjacent to the wildland-urban interface and concerns over the pending designation of the Crystal Springs Watershed Special Resources Management Unit.  The first phase will be a 1,200 acre fuels reduction treatment outside of the Crystal Springs Watershed and the East Fork Hood River Wild and Scenic River corridor.  Tervo says given strong public and congressional interest to wait until the Cooper Spur-Government Camp Land Exchange is complete, much of the wildland urban interface will not be treated in this first phase.  She does add reducing the risk of fire continues to be a high priority for that area, which is the last untreated wildland urban interface area in Hood River County.  The second phase will address those concerns, which will be delayed until land exchange is finished and the East Fork Hood River Wild and Scenic River management plan is adopted.

The Port of Hood River will hold a public meeting Thursday evening on operations and development of the Ken Jernstedt Airfield.  It’s the second meeting held on this subject, following up on input received at the first meeting in June.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says the airport has seen increased usage over the past couple of years, and that has had an impact on some nearby residents.  He notes TechAero, a business operating at the airport, has taken some steps to help reduce noise impacts, and there are other options as well.  A Fly Friendly program to inform pilots flying into the airport about the surrounding area is being instituted.  But he does point out the Port is limited on what it can do because of Federal Aviation Administration regulations.  The meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum adjacent to the airport.

With the Mid-Columbia Council of Governments board deciding to divest itself of the four remaining services it offers, now the process of where those services go will begin.  MCCOG interim executive director David Meriwether is emphasizing those services will not be interrupted while that process take place, however long that takes.  In the case of three of MCCOG’s service areas, senior services, workforce development, and transportation, the state of Oregon will be involved in putting out requests for proposals to find new entities to be providers.  The cities and counties involved will make the determination on how they want to handle building code services.  Hood River County has not used MCCOG for building code operations.

The Columbia Gorge Community College Board of Education will be talking about finding an interim president for the school at their next meeting on September 12.  Two weeks ago the college reached a separation with current CGCC President Frank Toda in which he will leave the position on September 29.  Board Chair Stu Watson says they will be looking at different options, noting they have received a number of inquiries about the interim position and the college’s executive leadership team will also have suggestions for moving forward.  The interim selection will fill the president’s chair until a permanent replacement is selected.  That search is also getting underway.  The September 12 meeting will be at 6 p.m. at the CGCC campus in The Dalles.

The Indian Creek Fire in the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness has grown by 21 acres since Monday to 356 acres.  The growth has occurred on the southwest edge of the fire.  On Tuesday smoke from other fires in the region made visibility too poor for Super Scoopers to fly and drop water on the Indian Creek Fire.   Helicopters were able to work on the fire part of the day.  The smoky conditions also kept the fire quiet, with little acreage gain.  Two firefighters hiked fourteen miles of the Eagle Creek Trail from the Indian Springs Campground down to the trailhead near Interstate 84.  They took photos for documentation, checked fire activity on the parts of Indian Creek Fire visible from the trail, and watched for spot fires on the eastern side of Eagle Creek.  With the smoke limiting visibility and fire activity, the fire was not showing many signs of heat.