The Dalles City Council decided not to send a measure to voters to opt out of the state’s recreational marijuana sales and processing laws, electing instead to have municipal staff prepare a time, place, and manner ordinance for marijuana businesses and a ballot measure for the City to tax sales of marijuana.  Councilor Dan Spatz did move to put an opt-out measure on the November ballot, which was seconded by Taner Elliott, but the other three councilors voted against the motion.  Russ Brown said he felt the decision needed to be made at the Council level, noting marijuana possession would be legal regardless of what the City did with the other elements, and the panel should focus on dealing with the consequences of that instead.  Spatz did express concern that the City could have some federal funding endangered, noting marijuana remains illegal at the federal level.

Reorganization of The Dalles City Manager’s office in the wake of Julie Krueger moving into the position is underway.  Krueger announced that Izetta Grossman has been moved up to the City Clerk/Administrative Assistant position that Krueger formerly held.  Krueger says she is reorganizing the City Manager’s office personnel to allow Grossman to take on City Clerk duties in addition to some of her former duties as Executive Secretary to the City Manager.  Krueger adds that during the 2016-17 budget process the City will be proposing to add a Human Resources position which will take those duties out of the City Clerk’s office.

Klickitat County is embarking on a revision of its strategic plan for economic development.  The plan was first put together in the mid-1990’s, and has not been reviewed since 2003.  County Economic Development Director Dave McClure says so much has changed since those efforts, including the emergence of the high-tech industry and wineries in the region, that it makes the revision necessary.  He notes the plan is to divide the County into three region…West, Central, and East…to go through the review.  McClure says they would like to get the plan work finished in about six months.

Hood River Mayor Paul Blackburn has established a Latino Advisory Council for the City.  Blackburn says he came up with the idea during his election campaign after receiving favorable response for making a couple of speeches in Spanish.  He says the group will meet about once a month with a goal of providing him and other civic leaders a different perspective on various issues.  The next meeting of the group will take place on Wednesday, March 2 at 4:30 p.m. in Hood River City Hall.

Swimming Hood River Valley’s Dhani Freeland won the girls’ 100 yard freestyle at the Oregon Class 5A high school swimming championships at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham.  Freeland won in a time of 52.83 seconds.  She also finished second in the 200 freestyle, and helped HRV to a sixth place finish in the girls’ 400 freestyle relay.  HRV’s David Walker finished sixth in the boys’ 200 individual medley.   Wrestling Hood River Valley qualified five wrestlers to this coming weekend’s state 5A wrestling tournament as the result of top four finishes at the Special District 4 tournament at Mountain View.  Jason Shaner, Noah Waschsmuth, and Oscar Villegas all finished second in their weight class, while Trystan Fisher and Adrian Ramirez had fourth place finishes.  HRV finished fourth in the team standings behind champion Hermiston.  The Dalles qualified one wrestler to state, with Joe Linebarger taking second at 220 pounds.  The Riverhawks were ninth in the tournament.   Stevenson’s Cody Miller finished second at 120 pounds to highlight the Mid-Columbia effort at the Washington Class 1-A Mat Classic in Tacoma.  Miller won three straight matches, two by fall, before losing the final to Dalton Young of Lakeside by fall at 3:36.  Other area placers included Goldendale’s Bryce Wilkins in sixth and Stevenson’s Colton VanPelt in seventh at 170 pounds, Columbia’s Paul Demchuk in seventh at 195 pounds, and Mark Briggs of Goldendale in eighth at 160 pounds.   Skiing Hood River Valley again registered dominant team performances in a Mt. Hood League Giant Slalom at Mt. Hood Meadows.  The Eagles had four of the top six finishes in race won by Columbia’s Colin Howe.  Charles Sutherland was the top HRV placer in second, while Preston Klindt finished eighth for The Dalles.  In the girls’ race Hood River earned six of the top 11 spots, paced by Josie Peterson in second behind winner Caroline Mueller of Madison.  Robin Pashek was top finisher for The Dalles in 26^th.   Basketball Columbia River Conference Boys Basketball Regular Season Hermiston 69, Hood River Valley 46 Pendleton 88, The Dalles 43   Columbia River Conference Girls Basketball Regular Season The Dalles 57, Pendleton 47 Hermiston 87, Hood River Valley 36   Big Sky Conference Tournament at Madras Boys Semi-Finals South Wasco 70, Dufur44 Sherman 72, Horizon Christian 48   Boys Championship Sherman 37, South Wasco 33:  Sherman gets a bye into round two of the Oregon Class 1-A basketball tournament, while South Wasco will host Powder Valley on Wednesday.   Boys Third Place Horizon Christian 59, Dufur 56:  Horizon advances to the first round of the state tournament, and will visit Damascus Christian on Wednesday.   Girls Semi-Finals Condon-Wheeler 49, Horizon Christian 28   Girls Third Place Arlington 46, Horizon Christian 21   Greater Columbia League Girls Basketball Tournament Final Sunnyside Christian 73, Lyle-Wishram 40

The Oregon House will vote on a three-tier system for a minimum wage today, but talks behind the scenes involving Republicans and moderate Democrats could lead to a new proposal.  52nd District Representative Mark Johnson has been a part of those discussions, and says there is a lot of interest to find something that could find bipartisan support.  He said such a package would continue to allow Portland metro area to head towards a minimum wage of 15-dollars-an-hour, while the rest of the state would top out at 11 dollars.  The Hood River Republican added there could also be consideration of adding a training wage.  Johnson did say he expects the current package before the House to pass today, and it has already been approved in the Senate.  House leaders earlier this week said they wouldn’t consider changes until the current package is passed.  Senate and House Democrats have pushed for the three-tiered minimum wage jump, saying they believe a November ballot measure that would increase the wage to 15 dollars an hour across the state would pass.

The application period for Columbia Gorge Community College Foundation scholarships for fall has been moved up.  Applications are being taken now, with awards to be made in May.  CGCC Foundation Manager Steph Hoppe says they used to make the awards just a couple of weeks before school started, but after talking to students and staff decided an earlier process would give students a better chance to plan for what to expect for financial support.  Scholarship application information is available on line at cgcc.edu.

Columbia Gorge Discovery Center will open a new traveling exhibit this weekend that follows the 1843-44 travels of Lt. John Fremont on his expedition to map the Pacific Northwest.  Discovery Center Marketing Manager Susan Buce says Fremont was an unlikely hero and colorful character who eventually made a bid for President,  and he stopped in The Dalles along with Kit Carson at the Wascopam Mission.  The exhibit opens to the public on Saturday, and will be at the Center at least through the early summer.  Saturday’s opening will feature a 1 p.m. presentation by Bill Cossitt, who will talk about the search for Fremont’s howitzer believed abandoned in the Sierra Mountains in January 1844.

Southwest Washington Class 1A Girls Basketball District Tournament at Kelso Montesano 56, Columbia 27 Elma 68, Stevenson 34   Big Sky Conference Boys Basketball Tournament Play-In Games Dufur 45, Ione 30:  The Rangers will meet South Wasco in the tournament semi-finals on Friday in Madras. Horizon Christian 53, Condon-Wheeler 32:  The Hawks advance to play Sherman on Friday in Madras.

Wasco County Sheriff Rick Eiesland told County Commissioners on Wednesday he will be retiring effective April 30.  Eiesland had previously announced he would not run for re-election for the job he moved into in 2004.  He served the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office for a total of 28 years.  After submitting his retirement letter today, Eiesland said he is turning 65 next month, adding law enforcement is a young man’s game, and he feels it’s a good time for a transition.  Eiesland recommended County Commissioners appoint Chief Deputy Lane Magill to fill the remainder of his term.  Magill has already announced he will run for Sheriff in the upcoming election.  Commissioners will act on that at a later date.