Oregon Second District Congressman Greg Walden hopes some kind of answer to ensuring area orchards have a legal workforce can be found in spite of the climate surrounding immigration issues.  Walden says he has had conversations with area orchards about the issue, and has told Trump Administration officials the lack of a legal workforce for the agriculture sector is a real problem.  Walden says there is work being done behind the scenes in the House on legislation to address agricultural workforce concerns, and he’s urging the administration to participate in that.  He does add he believes border security must be addressed as well.

Baseball Ridgewood, Illinois 6, Hood River Valley 5:  The Eagles hurt themselves with four errors as they dropped a second straight game at the Coach Bob Invitational in Phoenix.  Greyson Losee had two hits and two runs batted in for HRV, who play Lake Oswego today in Arizona. Columbia sweeps  Corbett 18-2 and 11-5 Lyle-Wishram-Klickitat 7, Goldendale 4   Softball Hood River Valley 15, Katella 3:  Lauren Decker had four hits, drove in two runs and scored three as the Eagles won their first game of their Southern California trip.  Haylee Baker had three hits for HRV while Kaylin Winans drove in three runs. Garden Grove 6, Hood Rvier Valley 1:  The Eagles were limited to one hit in game two of the day.   Boys Soccer Toledo 2, Columbia 0:  Toledo stayed unbeaten in the Trico League while handing the Bruins their first loss. Stevenson 2, Castle Rock 1

City of The Dalles and Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Agency officials will formally hand over the keys to the Granada Theatre to purchasers Chuck Gomez and Debra Liddell at a ceremony on Friday afternoon.  The pair own a similar theatre in Watseka, Illinois, and plan on a full historic restoration of the Granada.  Urban Renewal purchased the property for $365,410 dollars in 2010, and City Manager Julie Krueger says Gomez and Liddell are paying $60,000 and promising to make $300,000 in improvements over the next three years.  Mayor Steve Lawrence says it is a positive move for downtown.  The ownership change ceremony will take place on Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. in front of the Granada.  

The Hood River City Council has decided to revise its bag ordinance, including removal of the requirement to charge a nickel per paper bag.  The Council also directed staff to prepare revisions that will relax the requirement for decorative bags to be recyclable and contain 40 percent post-consumer waste content, and a mandate for reusable bags to be available for sale at every retail store that uses bags will be removed.  City Manager Steve Wheeler says the revisions came from feedback the Council received, noting the real purpose of the ordinance was to eliminate single-use plastic bags.  Wheeler says staff will prepare a revised ordinance to give to Council at a future meeting.  He noted the ordinance was not scheduled to go into effect at smaller retail outlets until July 1.  It is in effect for larger grocery stores.

Klickitat County will be making some decisions on reordering of prioritization of public works projects for this spring and summer with winter damage creating new needs to make repairs, particularly to roads.  Commissioner David Sauter says they will get the pot holes created by the severe winter conditions fixed, but some other planned projects might have to be delayed.  Sauter notes the big issue is the capacity the County road crews can handle.  He says they do have money in reserves to handle the increased costs that resulted from the winter, adding they don’t want to defer too much maintenance.  Sauter adds the County public works department will be submitting recommendations to the Commission.

Hood River Police say they are continuing to look for a 27 year old who has been missing since March 16.  Holly Kristen Lester was last seen near the Port of Hood River, and was said to have been distraught and has a history of depression.  Lester is approximately 5’6″ tall with curly brown hair and a nose piercing.  She was last seen wearing a black Carhartt style jacket, black long sleeve dress, black pants and oversized boots. She was also wearing blue glasses.  Lester has spent the last several months hitch hiking and may possibly be traveling to the Seattle area.  Anyone who may have information on Lester’s whereabouts should call Hood River Police at 541-387-5256.

Baseball Boulder Creek, Arizona 8, Hood River Valley 6:  The Eagles lose their first game at the Coach Bob Invitational in Phoenix, and will play Ridgewood, Illinois today. Roseburg 16, The Dalles 0

The recreational sturgeon season in the John Day Pool will close effective at 12:01 a.m. Thursday under rules announced by fishery managers from Oregon and Washington.  The states decided to close this fishery based on recent harvest data that indicated anglers will reach their 105-fish harvest guideline by that time.  The entire Columbia River downstream of McNary Dam will now be closed to sturgeon retention, however catch and release fishing continues to be allowed except in the sturgeon spawning sanctuaries defined in the 2017 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations.

Fire damaged a home at the intersection of Summit and Bartlett Drive in Odell early Sunday morning.  Wy’east Fire District Chief Greg Borton says the fire that occurred at about midnight Sunday appears to have started in the west end of the structure, and people inside at the time got out safely.  He said 60 percent of the single-family wood frame dwelling was damaged by fire, and the rest suffered extreme smoke and water damage.  He said the house had one full-time resident.  The cause of the fire is under investigation.  Hood River, Westside, and Parkdale fire crews assisted Wy’east firefighters in battling the blaze.

Steve Castagnoli has been named the new director of the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Hood River.  Castagnoli has been an Oregon State University Extension faculty member at MCAREC for almost 17 years, conducting outreach and applied research in pear horticulture and integrated pest management.  Castagnoli will oversee 11 research and administrative employees and several temporary employees during the growing season, and will direct operations on the station’s 55-acre experimental farm south of Hood River.  Castagnoli has served as MCAREC’s interim director since last November, following the resignation of Brian Tuck, who served as MCAREC Director for six years.  Tuck currently serves as regional administrator for OSU Extension in Wasco and Hood River counties.