For a third straight year, the Hood River County School District is seeing a slight decline in enrollment.  Superintendent Dan Goldman says they are down about 50 to 60 students from last school year, coming off decreases of 20 to 30 the previous two years, and the reductions are at the younger grades.  Goldman says at this point they have to consider it a trend, noting while the Hood River Valley continues to see housing starts that is not bringing corresponding increases in students.  Funding levels for school districts in Oregon are determined on a per student allocation.

The City of White Salmon is asking its voters in the November election to extend a one-year levy lid lift to cover swimming pool operating costs in 2018.  The levy lid lift is for 18 cents per thousand dollars of assessed property value, and has been in effect for the last five years.  Mayor David Poucher says they are seeking to keep the levy in effect for one final year of pool operation before a new facility is constructed to open in 2019.  Poucher says they currently have $700,000 in donations to put toward construction of a new pool.  Poucher said a construction bond for the remaining cost of a new pool will go to the ballot box early next year.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge presented Hood River County officials with a check for $46,140 in donations from its members and the public in appreciation of the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Division aid to hikers threatened by the Eagle Creek Fire.  Over 150 hikers were trapped at the onset of the wildfire in the Gorge.  Friends Executive Director Kevin Gorman and board member David Michalek made the presentation at Monday evening’s County Commission meeting.  Friends launched the special appeal on September 3 as a way for members of the public to thank the County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Division for the work they did to help lead the hikers out of the fire area and reunite them with their families.  The appeal was quickly answered, taking only four days to raise the money.  Sheriff Matt English said the donations will help Search and Rescue enhance safety measures and bolster the effectiveness of its response.  In total, the Friends public appeal received gifts from 523 donors.

For a third straight Thursday, there will be rolling slowdowns and delays on Interstate 84 between 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. for rock blasting necessary to build the latest segment of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.  The up to hour-long delays will be the result of the third in a series of as many as seven blasts in the coming weeks near milepost 53 in the Lindsey Creek area.  The Oregon Department of Transportation says the blasting is necessary for construction of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail segment connecting Wyeth and Lindsey Creek.   At Lindsey Creek, blasting will create room for the new segment of trail in the existing rock slope.  This work is located in the same area where eastbound traffic is temporarily diverted into one lane of westbound I-84 due to fire debris removal activity from the Eagle Creek Fire.

The Port of Hood River Commission on Tuesday will hold the first of two public hearings on a proposed toll increase for the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge.  Under the proposal the cash toll for automobiles would go up from $1 to $2, while Breeze-By rates will go from 80 cents to $1.  Port Communications Specialist Genevieve Scholl points out it’s a similar structure to what the Port of Cascade Locks uses for the Bridge of the Gods.  She adds they are lowering the cost of Breeze-By transponders, which are now free for the first vehicle and $5 for each subsequent vehicle.  Scholl says they will also soon be launching an on-line portal for Breeze-By customers to manage their account.  The toll increase hearing will start at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Port office in Port Marina Park.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce usually holds ribbon cuttings for new businesses in the area.  This Thursday they will hold one for themselves.  The Chamber will hold a ribbon cutting for its new building façade.  Chamber President Lisa Farquharson says a number of groups took part in making their building improvement happen.  The ribbon cutting takes place at 5:15 p.m. Thursday.

Among the public meetings scheduled for Monday, The Dalles City Council will hold a work session at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall.  It’s the second such session in the past month to discuss tourism.  Tonight a focus will be on the use of the City’s transient room tax revenues.  Meanwhile the Hood River County Commission will hold a work session at 4:30 p.m. and regular meeting at 6 p.m. in the County Administration Building.  On the agenda is a discussion on whether Hood River County has the ability or desire to serve as the Area Agency on Aging provider for a five-county service area.  The AAA is leaving the Mid-Columbia Council of Governments umbrella.

Football Pendleton 32, Hood River Valley 6 Woodburn 14, The Dalles 6 King’s Way Christian 27, Columbia 21, overtime Castle Rock 24, Stevenson 15 South Wasco 82, Huntington 39 Lyle-Wishram 44, Liberty Christian 14 Granger 56, Goldendale 0   Boys Soccer Tualatin 7, The Dalles 1 Horizon Christian 4, C.S. Lewis Academy 0   Girls Soccer Hood River Valley 9, Reynolds 0 South Wasco def. Monument/Dayville 3 sets to 0   Volleyball Putnam def. The Dalles 25-20, 25-13, 19-25, 25-17   Cross Country Hood River Valley’s boys were tenth and the girls 15th at the George Fox Classic.  Josh Haynes had the top finish for the HRV boys in 33rd, while Frances Dickenson was 35th for the Eagle girls.

The Eagle Creek Fire Recovery Council met for the first time Thursday.  The group appointed by Oregon Governor Kate Brown is made up of government and business representatives with advisors representing the public safety, natural resource recovery, economic development, and transportation sectors.  Oregon State 52nd District Representative Mark Johnson is the convener of the group.  He says the group is to assess both the natural resource and economic impact of the fire and make assistance recommendations to the Governor by the end of the year.  The panel heard reports from the U.S. Forest Service, Oregon State Parks, and Oregon Department of Transportation noting the situation in the fire area will be fluid for a long time, with heavy precipitation bringing the danger of flooding and debris flows in creek drainages, and rock and landslides on hills.

The Columbia Gorge Community College Board of Education has assembled a 17-member search committee to take part in the school’s effort to find a new president.  The volunteer committee represents various public sectors as well as college students, faculty and staff.  The national search firm Gold Hill Associates led by CEO and former Portland Community College president Dr. Preston Pulliams is conducting the search that started this week with open forums for the public and campus constituencies to gather comments on professional and personal characteristics to seek in a new president.  Pulliams told board members the marketplace for community college presidents is competitive, but said the college’s location should prove attractive.  College directors hope to select the institution’s next president in the spring.