The Hood River County School District Board adopted a budget for the 2017-18 school year, and also discussed what may still happen in the Oregon Legislature.  Superintendent Dan Goldman says the latest estimate from Salem has 400 million dollars more going into the state school fund than the number the district used to develop the budget.  But there are still a number of unknowns, so Goldman says the board felt they needed to more forward and the district will adjust as they learn more from the Legislature.  He adds the first priority is to maintain as much staff as possible, and he says they have been able to do that through attrition rather than layoffs.  If the Legislature can move the state school fund number up another 200 million dollars, Goldman says the district can avoid spending reserve funds, which is currently called for in the district budget.

The Klickitat PUD says there will be a planned power outage taking place late Saturday night and early Sunday morning to allow the Bonneville Power Administration to perform critical line maintenance to the Lyle substation.  The outage will begin at 11 p.m. on Saturday, and is expected to continue until 8 a.m. on Sunday.  It will affect all customers in Lyle, High Prairie, Timber Valley and Appleton.  This includes Old Highway 8, Highway 142 to milepost 6, Lyle-Snowden Road, Canyon Road, McGowan Road, Appleton Road, Fisher Hill Road, the Centerville Highway to milepost 12, High Prairie Road, Struck Road, Hartland Road, Schilling Road, and surrounding areas.  Klickitat PUD does say the times stated for the planned outage are based on the best information they have available ahead of time, and the power could come back on at any time without prior notice.

Drivers traveling between North Bonneville and Bingen on Washington Highway 14 should prepare for daytime delays beginning Monday.  Washington State Department of Transportation maintenance crews will work to repair several sections of damaged pavement along the highway through the end of the month.  On Monday and Tuesday both directions of Highway 14, between East Steuben and Courtney Road will alternate through a single-lane daily, from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.  On Wednesday and Thursday work moves to between North Bonneville and Rock Creek Drive, with traffic again alternating through a single-lane from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.   Additional work will occur the week of June 26, between Skamania County and North Bonneville.  During construction, drivers should watch for flaggers and a pilot car and expect delays through the work zone.  

Northern Wasco PUD says a vendor’s machine malfunction has led to some customers not receiving bills, and others finding multiple bills in their envelopes.  The PUD says they were made aware of an issue with bills mailed last week.  The PUD adds if you have not received your bill yet, and should have, or if you received other customers’ bills with yours, contact them at 541-296-2226, or e-mail to billing@nwasco.com.  The PUD also says the vendor has assured them the machine in question has been repaired.

Klickitat County Commissioners have approved a burn ban to take effect on July 1 and continue through the end of September.  The move will ban outdoor burning in unincorporated areas of Klickitat County, the jurisdiction of the Yakama Indian Nation, and Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.  It also prohibits the issuance of burning permits except for authorized agricultural burning.  County officials advise people to check with appropriate fire districts on burn restrictions within the limits of any city or town.

The Columbia River Gorge Commission voted to uphold Wasco County’s decision to deny Union Pacific a permit to build a second track through the Mosier area.  In a series of motions, the Gorge Commission did not agree with Union Pacific contentions the County erred in a number of different ways, including finding the National Scenic Area ordinance was not pre-empted by the Federal Railroad Act, and that the project would violate tribal treaty rights and impact treaty fishing rights.  The treaty rights issue generated the most discussion among Gorge Commissioners, with some questioning whether the County had established in its findings that treaty rights would actually be impacted, but others saying the evidence showed it would. with Chairman Bowen Blair noting the record indicated eight lakes and wetlands would be disturbed by the rail expansion.  The vote on that particular topic was 9-3 to uphold the Wasco County decision with Dan Ericksen, Keith Chamberlain, and Damon Webster voting against the motion.  Commissioners voted 10-2 to rule a Friends of the Gorge appeal on conditions for the project had it been approved was moot with the denial of Union Pacific’s appeal, but also indicated Friends did have standing in the case should there be a remand in future appeals.  Chamberlain and Ericksen voted against that motion.  Blair indicated findings of the Gorge Commission decision would be finalized by September 1, and Union Pacific would have 60 days to appeal to the Oregon State Court of Appeals.

Hood River Valley High School drama teacher Rachel Harry received the Excellence in Theatre Education Award at the Tony Awards in New York City on Sunday evening.  The award is presented by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University, recognizing a K-12 theatre educator in the U.S. who has demonstrated monumental impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession.  In her acceptance speech, Harry said by acknowledging her work all theater teachers are honored.  Harry thanked her students at HRV, where she has taught for 30 years, her family, the school, and her community, noting without their support she would not have been receiving the award.

The Port of The Dalles and City officials have begun talks with Union Pacific to make the railroad crossing on the north side of the Northwest Aluminum site off Hostetler Street a public crossing rather than a private crossing.  In its current status, Union Pacific has the ability to close that crossing with 30 day notice to the property owner.  Port Executive Director Andrea Klaas says they approached the railroad a week ago about the subject.  Klaas says additional access into the property off River Road has been looked at, but that involves a number of challenges.

The Hood River County Commission will hold a public hearing June 19 on a proposed one percent construction excise tax to provide funds to assist in creating more affordable housing.  The tax would be on new residential, commercial, and industrial construction.  County Administrator Jeff Hecksel says he wants to make sure people realize the tax is being discussed.  The County developed the proposed excise tax after the Oregon Legislature approved a bill to make it possible.  A task force made up of County officials, housing advocates, and members of the construction industry developed the proposal.  The June 19 meeting will be at 6 p.m. in the County Administration Building.

The Columbia River Gorge Commission will hold its hearing on the Union Pacific’s appeal of the Wasco County Commission decision to deny an application to construct a second track through the Mosier area.  The County denied a permit for the project based on its National Scenic Area ordinance which calls for denial when area tribes do not concur with an application.  Union Pacific promptly appealed to the Gorge Commission, contending they have the right to proceed under federal interstate commerce laws.  Tuesday morning’s hearing begins at 9:10 in the Fort Dalles Readiness Center.  There will be no public testimony taken, but the public may attend the oral argument and deliberation.