The state of Washington has announced that Jewett Boulevard in White Salmon will be resurfaced in 2018, and that has White Salmon officials planning for replacement of utilities underneath the street.  Mayor David Poucher says they are planning for replacement of aging water and sewer lines, which will probably cost around one million dollars.  Poucher says they would probably finance it through a low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Poucher added they had originally been planning for the street resurfacing to occur in 2030, but the state decided to move the project up on its timeline.

It appears it was a good summer for the tourism industry in The Dalles.  The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce CEO Lisa Farquharson says they have had more visitors in the Chamber office and more events in the community than in previous years, and she noted more cars in the downtown area on weekends.  Farquharson says reports from Travel Oregon has shown increases in transient room taxes in Wasco County every month this year.  She adds the City of The Dalles has not yet issued its TRT reports for the summer.

Volleyball Columbia def. Washougal 25-14, 25-22, 15-25, 16-25, 15-8 Stevenson def. Hudson’s Bay 251-16, 25-15, 23-25, 25-20:  Tekoko Kurth was 26 for 27 serving with three aces while delivering 18 assists.   Boys Soccer Horizon Christian 1, Damascus Christian 0 Trout Lake 2, North Clackamas Christian 2

The Port of Hood River has installed new cameras around the toll booth at the Interstate Bridge.  Port Executive Director Michael McElwee says they replaced cameras installed nearly a decade ago, and he notes the technology is vastly different, with higher resolution, able to move and swivel, and for the most part read license plates.  McElwee added there will be at least two new cameras installed that can keep a good view on the lift span and the north end of the bridge.  He said that is a result of lessons learned during last September’s alleged allision in which some kind of vessel is believed to have hit one of the bridge piers.

The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has voted unanimously to oppose Measure 97 on the Oregon ballot.  That is the measure that would increase the corporate minimum tax when sales exceed 25 million dollars.  Chamber CEO Lisa Farquharson says the board doesn’t like the concept of a gross sales tax, but also questioned whether revenues raised from it would get to education, public safety, or senior services.  Farquharson added the board feels the cost of those taxes will trickle down to small businesses and the consumer.  A coalition of organizations including the Oregon Education Association, Oregon AFSCME, and the Service Employees International Union are in favor of the measure, saying it’s the first real opportunity in decades to make critical investments in Oregon’s schools, healthcare, and senior services.

A segment of West 4^th Street in The Dalles between Lincoln Street and West 3^rd Place will be closed to thru traffic on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.   The City of The Dalles Public Works Department will be installing new water service lines in front of 313 West 4^th Street.  Businesses and residences on the 300 block of West 4^th Street will have vehicle and pedestrian access during the project. Some on street parking will be restricted.  All other Motorists are encouraged to use West 3^rd or West 6^th Street as alternate routes travelling east and west.

Football The Dalles 36, Mac-Hi 0 Ridgeview 12, Hood River Valley 6, overtime Tenino 15, Columbia 14 Hoquiam 35, Stevenson 14 Dufur 50, Adrian 0 Sherman 50, Ione 0 Arlington 60, South Wasco 0 Lyle-Wishram 22, Goldendale 0   Volleyball Ione def. Sherman 25-19, 22-25, 27-25, 25-23 St. Paul def. Dufur 25-12, 25-23, 22-25, 25-13 Culver def. Dufur 25-10, 25-11, 25-12   Girls Soccer Hood River Valley 4, West Albany 3   Boys Soccer Riverdale 3, Trout Lake 1   Cross Country The Dalles boys finished third and girls finished fourth at the Coeur d’Alene Invitational.  The Riverhawks’ Ezekiel Stelzer finished sixth in the boys’ race while Emma Mullins of The Dalles was seventh in the girls’ run.  

Boys Soccer Hood River Valley 5, Wilsonville 1:  The Eagles scored four second half goals as they won for the fifth straight time to begin the season, and handed the Wildcats their first loss this year.  HRV’s unbeaten streak is now up to 41 games over three years, with 38 wins and three ties in that span. Madras 2, The Dalles 0 Horizon Christian 1, Livingstone Adventist 1   Girls Soccer The Dalles 2, Madras 0:  The Riverhawks recorded their third shutout of the season to grab their third win in five games. Granger 10, Goldendale 0   Volleyball Hermiston def. The Dalles 11-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-13 Lyle-Wishram def. Mabton 25-18, 25-21, 25-19:  Iris Gatti had 20 assists, two aces, and seven service points to lead the Cougars to the victory. Dufur def. Ione 23-25, 25-21, 14-25, 25-8, 25-11 South Wasco def. Condon-Wheeler 25-18, 25-9, 25-17 Arlington def. Sherman 3 games to 0 Zillah def. Goldendale 3 games to 2

The Columbia Gorge region is one of seven winners of the 2016 Culture of Health Prize awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  The Prize honors communities for their efforts to ensure all residents have the opportunity to live longer, healthier, and more productive lives.  The Gorge region is being nationally recognized for bringing partners together to rally around a shared vision of health.  Chosen from nearly 200 applicant communities across the country, the Columbia Gorge’s award winning efforts include its broad definition of health which includes social determinants of health, efforts to give voice to the region’s Latino population, and expanding the scope and role of community health workers.

Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced that the Columbia River Restoration Act is moving forward as part of the Water Resources Development Act, which is expected to pass the Senate as soon as this week.  The legislation was added to the act as part of a broader amendment agreed to by Democratic and Republican leaders on the Environment and Public Works Committee.  The legislation would authorize the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a voluntary, competitive Columbia Basin grants program for projects that assist in eliminating or reducing pollution, cleaning up contaminated sites, improving water quality, monitoring the basin, and promoting citizen engagement.  The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest, and the only large aquatic ecosystem in the United States that currently receives no dedicated funding to clean up and monitor toxic chemicals.