HOOD RIVER — Sense of Place concludes its 16th official season on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, with “Crag Rats Turn 100: A Century of Service with the Oldest Mountain Search & Rescue Team in America.”

Fiona Wylde, founder of Wylde Wind & Water, accepted the Oregon Tourism Rising Star Award at the Travel Oregon Banquet on March 9. Presented by Travel Oregon, the award is given to an individual who is new to the tourism industry and has shown exemplary leadership, commitment and passion…

HOOD RIVER — pFriem Family Brewers, Oregon’s second-largest independent beer producer with 120 employees in the Gorge, is eyeing the development of a 5,280 square foot, purpose-built metal building on the south side of its Port of Hood River property to support packaging operations. The preliminary construction estimate is approximately $2.1 million, with potential for minor value engineering reductions.

THE GORGE — An historic, deteriorating bridge with narrow, outmoded lanes and frequent traffic closures still provides an important crossing point for Columbia Gorge travelers, and it’s going to be expensive to replace.

TROUT LAKE — Lights, camera, action … and whitewater! For a second year in a row, the Columbia Gorge Junior Kayak Club (CGJKC) hosted its annual film fundraiser at Trout Lake Hall on Jan. 29, with all proceeds going towards their 2026 programming.

HOOD RIVER — The second Indian Creek Trail Poetry Walk will launch on April 1 with a Poetry Reading and slideshow at the Hood River County Library from 6-8 p.m. The reading is free and open to the public.

Max Gamboa-Sanchez with his newly acquired ride: a refurbished bike from Anson’s Bike Buddies, a Hood River nonprofit that repairs and redistributes donated bikes to Mid-Columbia children who may not otherwise have access.

HOOD RIVER — The fifth installment of Mt. Adams Institute’s Sense of Place Season 16 will arrive at Columbia Center for the Arts on Feb. 18. Titled “Going Out on a Limb: Life on the Family Farms of Lisa Perry & Ricardo Galvez,” the evening will welcome Perry for a conversation rooted in the agricultural landscape and lived experience of a family farm in the Columbia River Gorge.

HOOD RIVER — Winter in the Gorge brings short days, cold nights and, if we’re lucky, a fresh dusting of snow across the valley and mountains. While the season can make outdoor recreation feel out of reach to some, local organizations are offering outdoor programs for youth to get out and enjoy the snow.

HOOD RIVER — A momentous celebration took place Jan. 8 at the Hood River Valley Adult Center as Scout Troop 282 held its Eagle Court of Honor for Kelsey Jacobson, the 48th Eagle Scout from the troop and the first female Eagle Scout in the Mid-Columbia.

MOUNT HOOD — After a particularly slow start to the season, winter fun is officially a go on Mount Hood.