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 — 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.

The June 5 Hood River Valley High School commencement brought to a close, perhaps, Tracks to ‘26, a simple concept that yielded a complex product.

THE GORGE — Columbia Gorge CASA’s 2026 raffle features a playhouse built by students in the Career & Technical Education (CTE) program at South Wasco County High School. Proceeds from the raffle support Columbia Gorge CASA’s advocacy for abused and neglected children.

A few days before Memorial Day weekend, Glenwood High School students turned out to assist Glenwood Women’s Club president Carla Dillenburg and club member Becky Branson to place flags on all the veterans’ graves.

Lifelong Glenwood resident Steve Hoodenpyl recently passed away peacefully at his home here, surrounded by his beloved wife Kay, their children and grandchildren. Many knew Steve from his many decades as the “H” in C & H Logging Company.

MILL A — On May 16-17, Friends of the Mill A Little Free Library will be holding their annual plant sale at the Gallery at 3632 Cook-Underwood Road. Follow the bright yellow signs.

MOSIER — Edi Schmidt, 6, of Mosier, is currently in the running to become a 2026 Jr. Ranger through a nationwide campaign from The National Wildlife Federation.

WHITE SALMON — On May 14, a trio of Columbia High School juniors will travel to San Francisco to pitch their months-long, user-centered engineering project, which converts color into sound.

STEVENSON — Artists from across the region united at the Columbia Gorge Museum (CGM) in Stevenson on April 17, where a diverse assortment of locally resonant works — oil paintings, sculptures and beyond — graced the Encircle Technology Community Gallery.

ODELL — For the Columbia River Gorge’s 150-plus community health workers (CHWs), helping people isn’t a job, but a necessity. Every client, every mission, is part of a broad, decades-long movement to bridge the divide between underserved communities and institutionalized health care. 

THE DALLES — Plant lovers united at The Coffee Shop on April 4 for its monthly community plant swap, which invites familiar faces and newcomers alike to trade and chat about their botanical belongings.

The weather on Easter weekend was beautiful. The tiny calves dotting the pastures around Glenwood are loving being able to romp and lounge in warm sunshine for a change. On Saturday, April 4, the Women’s Club hosted the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the county park.

Dark skies are spreading throughout the Gorge — or at least a love for them. And that love has now jumped the river and is blooming in both Oregon and Washington.

THE DALLES — Nearly two thousand people, including visitors from across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, populated downtown The Dalles March 6-8 for the inaugural “The Hoot” community music festival, a free, three-day celebration of arts and local culture presented by the all-volunteer nonp…

BINGEN — Grab your nightgown, slide in those dentures, and enter the antique heart of Magnolia Place Assisted Living, where four spirited senior ladies with Caribbean dreams find themselves tangled in a facility-wide deceit. In its final for-profit show, Big Britches Productions (BBP) presents Leslie Kimbell’s “Four Old Broads,” which debuts at The Bingen Theater on March 13 and will run for three weekends. 

THE GORGE — The Great Gorge Melt is back for the third year, and it’s even bigger than before. This year, it’s expanded from just grilled cheese to any melty cheesy item. At the 26 participating restaurants spread from Tygh Valley to Cascade Locks, a portion of the sales for this special dur…

HOOD RIVER — The History Museum of Hood River County, in partnership with RGE Travels is hosting an Alaskan cruise, July 17-27.

HOOD RIVER — Foul play is afoot in the cozy confines of Monkswell Manor, also known as the Bowe Theater, where two ensembles from Hood River Valley High School (HRVHS) will perform Agatha Christie’s classic stage whodunnit “The Mousetrap” for two weeks, opening on Feb. 20.

HOOD RIVER — On Aug. 6, 2025 Sushi Okalani celebrated its 20-year anniversary. The celebration took place at The Ruins, the same location where they held their 10-year anniversary, while being “easily twice as big,” according to owner Justin Williams.

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 — Join the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum (WAAAM) for a special presentation by author Martin Middlewood on Feb. 14 at 2 pm. Middlewood’s talk will focus on the history of Pearson Field and the early days of Pacific Northwest aviation.