THE GORGE — Don Mobley, former manager of The Dalles Airport and the Madras Airport, received the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Wright Brothers Mater Pilot Award during the 26th annual Airshow of the Cascades, held Aug. 28-29 in Madras.

THE DALLES — Police officers and firefighters will duke it out on the gridiron Sept. 26, as the annual Pig Bowl fundraiser returns to Sid White Field on the Wahtonka campus for its 23rd year.

THE GORGE — Chef Kesh Akinsanya grew up in a small town in Liberia about 300 feet from the Atlantic Ocean.

HOOD RIVER — Two new art exhibitions, each confronting the history, humanity, and meaning of place, debuted at Columbia Center for the Arts (CCA) on Sept. 4 and will run through the end of October.

THE GORGE — “She never quits,” Jim Jones said, describing his beloved hound and veteran Search and Rescue (SAR) K9 Ellie May. “She’s my best friend.”

ODELL — For over 20 years, conductor Mark Steighner has graciously led the Gorge Sinfonietta, a principal ensemble within the Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association (CGOA). That storied tenure reached its final chapter at Wy’East Middle School on June 21, where flittering piano melodies, booming horns, and elegant strings rounded out CGOA’s epic 2025-2026 season finale, “Piano Summit.”

HOOD RIVER — From a warm early afternoon and well into a breezy evening, people of all ages gathered in the name of freedom and community, dancing their way through Black in the Gorge’s (B.I.G.) fourth annual Juneteenth celebration at Jackson Park.

HOOD RIVER — Adapted by detailed paint strokes, sculpture, and ceramics, the Columbia River Gorge’s striking landscapes and biodiverse inhabitants adorned the walls of 301 Gallery on June 5.

SKAMANIA CO. — The 2026 Columbia Gorge Pride Festival is coming to Stevenson on June 13-14.