HOOD RIVER — COVID-19, and the fast-moving omicron variant, was the focus of Hood River County School District Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn’s opening communication at the Jan. 12 school board meeting.

HOOD RIVER ­— Victoria Kohner-Flanagan has been named Red Bull’s Emerging by Black Diamond’s photography contest winner for her picture of Jack Nugent climbing “Queen of Heartbreaks” route in Pine Creek Canyon near Bishop, Calif. Kohner-Flanagan was a 2016 graduate of Hood River Valley High …

The Hood River Lions Club has been serving the Hood River Valley for 84 years. During that period, there has been no shortage of community needs — and more volunteers to address those needs is an ongoing opportunity.

Eighteen downtown businesses participated in this year’s Visit Hood River window display contest, part of the annual Hood River Holidays festivities.

On Nov. 15 President Joe Biden signed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill into law that will address climate change and improve the country’s framework. Almost half — $567.46 billion — will go to The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to revive Americas roads, bridges, airports, and b…

There’s a new E-Bike owner in the Gorge! The winning ticket for a 2021 Cube Town Sport Hybrid One 400 E-Bike was drawn on Nov. 1 at the Hood River Valley Adult Center. And the winner is … David Meriwether of Hood River. After winning this E-Bike, Meriwether gave it to his grandson, Dash Meri…

After a brief setback, the Hood River Shelter Services (HRSS) opened their warming shelters on Dec. 1 at a new location, with a brand-new service model.

Hood River County School District is working to strengthen partnerships with families and community members — as well as reopen district sites, a challenging task in this time of COVID.

HOOD RIVER — Sustainability is at the forefront of every farmer’s mind in the Columbia River Gorge. A new Gorge-based Agricultural-Technology Education Alliance (ATEA) is being organized engage the next generation of farmers using new technologies in the agricultural field. The project’s aim…

Gladys Rivera, director of preventative health, One Community Health, has been awarded the prestigious Health Equity and Social Justice Award from Oregon Primary Care Association.

Electric bicycle wine tours recognized for sustainability

Comprehensive distance learning expands job requirements for Sheri Holloway

Hood River Rotary demonstrated its ongoing support with a new sign on the front of the FISH Food Bank. Volunteers from the Rotary Club have been working since March 18, 2020, to help their community. Paul Crowley and a team of 14 volunteers work three days a week to organize and distribute f…

When Hood River Valley High School English teacher Hunter Scholtz saw a student walking home in the rain, he wanted to offer a ride to the student, but rules against giving students a ride home from school made him hesitate. The student had to walk a couple miles from home to school each way…

HOOD RIVER — It wasn’t until Gisela Ayala Echeverria started kindergarten about two decades ago that her family realized she needed glasses.

Her parents are farmworkers and didn’t know where they could receive eye care. While they were eventually referred to a local doctor’s office, the provider didn’t speak Spanish. Despite her young age, she had to provide unofficial interpretation services between her parents and the provider as she had her vision checked.

Now, Ayala Echeverria is determined to ensure others have better — and more culturally appropriate — access to eye care so other families don’t have to go through what hers did.

She is among nine community health workers from Hood River’s One Community Health who were the first to receive training on the basics of eye health in November as part of a statewide effort to improve eye care access for the state’s under-served and under-insured residents.

Called the Oregon Vision Health Network, the effort involves OHSU’s Casey Community Outreach Program growing partnerships with community clinics across the state. OHSU will train local community health workers and clinical staff as vision health navigators who will help local residents determine if they need glasses or if they might have common sight-threatening diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. In addition, OHSU will provide its partner community clinics and their navigators ongoing support and resources, with the ultimate goal of addressing Oregon’s vision health inequities.

“This statewide network provides local health leaders with the knowledge they need to prevent eye issues and preserve vision in their community,” said Mitchel Brinks, M.D., M.P.H., medical director of the OHSU outreach program and associate professor of ophthalmology in the OHSU School of Medicine. “We’re honored to work alongside community health clinics to better meet underserved Oregonians’ eye health needs right in their own backyards.”

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Ayala Echeverria is part of One Community Health’s preventative health team, which offers education and support for patients living with chronic illness. At least 500 of the clinic’s patients have diabetes, which can lead to vision-threatening issues if it isn’t controlled. She plans to use the information she learned at the training to help her fellow community members better understand their eye health risks and prevent conditions such as diabetic retinopathy.

In addition to training local clinic staff, the Oregon Vision Health Network will bring advanced eye imaging equipment that uses a technology called Optical Coherence Tomography, or OCT, to up to eight partner clinics. OCT, which takes a quick cross-dimensional scan of the eye’s interior, provides a non-invasive way to diagnose and inform the treatment of eye diseases such as macular degeneration.

Community clinic staff will operate the OCT equipment locally, and send the resulting images to OHSU Casey Eye Institute ophthalmologists in Portland, who will then review and provide recommendations for the clinics’ patients.

In December, One Community Health in Hood River is expected to become the first partner clinic to receive this equipment.

Being a network partner allows One Community Health to expand the services it offers its 18,000 patients, about 64% of whom are on Medicaid or uninsured and about 40% of whom speak Spanish. The federally qualified health center currently offers behavioral health, primary medical care and dental services. Soon, it will also offer some basic eye health services at its Hood River clinic as well as at its mobile health clinics.

Although they won’t provide advanced eye care in house, they will help connect their patients with local eye providers if needed. One Community Health aims to help its patients understand their risks and take preventative steps now, so specialized care isn’t needed later.

“This creates a new level of access for our community,” said Gladys Rivera, One Community Health’s director of preventative health. “When you screen a patient ahead of time, you can treat eye issues early and prevent blindness.”

Throughout the Oregon Vision Health Network’s first five years, patients will receive care for free. The equipment and infrastructure needed to make this possible is supported by two generous gifts, totaling $3.25 million, that were jointly given to the OHSU Casey Community Outreach Program by philanthropist Heather Killough and the Roundhouse Foundation in early 2021.

The Oregon Vision Health Network expands the OHSU Casey Eye Institute’s efforts to end preventable blindness. The OHSU Casey Community Outreach Program’s mobile eye clinic has provided free eye exams to more than 10,000 Oregonians in every corner of the state since 2010. But while the OHSU mobile clinic can only visit each community about every 1.5-2 years, trained community health workers and clinical staff can screen local residents for eye diseases year-round.

Above, from left to right, sophomores Jennevee Grajeda-Morales, Kimberley Esparza-Avalos and freshman Zanna Diffin, center, leads a walkout in support of sexual assault survivors around Hood River Valley High School (HRVHS) on Nov. 15. Small blue ribbons were given to students and staff who …

HOOD RIVER — County Chair Mike Oates announced that he will not seek re-election in 2022. Near the end of the Nov. 15 County commissions meeting, Oates declared his intention to step away from the chair position. Oates has been in his current position since December 2019. He hoped his announ…

HOOD RIVER — Newly hired City Manager Abigail Elder, and Community Engagement Coordinator Nubia Sánchez-Contreras jumped right into the swing of things on Nov. 1 when they were given guided tours around City Hall and other departments.

Coming into a brand-new position is always difficult. However, doing so during a global pandemic is even more difficult.

Do you live in Hood River County and need a photo identification? Get or renew your Hood River County (HRC) Community ID card through Dec. 31. The program ends at the end of this year. The card is valid for two years.

HOOD RIVER — During the Nov. 10 meeting of the Hood River County School District Board of Directors, special recognition was given to military veterans who now work for HRCSD.

Horizon Christian senior Augustina Decker was recently selected as a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist. Decker, a resident of The Dalles, is an exceptional young lady well-deserving of such a prestigious accolade.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and classes were suddenly online, a lot of teachers found themselves thrust into different roles. Though many just went from teaching their subject in-person to teaching it in an online format, Jen Hart found herself teaching a new subject entirely.

Hood River County School District held its virtual board meeting Nov. 10. District personnel and board members made the switch from in person to virtual meetings due to safety concerns starting with the Oct. 27 meeting.

Gorge Translink has launched the 2022 Annual GOrge Pass, offering an easy way to travel to and from Portland/Vancouver and around the Columbia Gorge on both sides of the river. Four Gorge transit providers have teamed up to offer the unlimited, fixed route rides with a GOrge Pass:

HOOD RIVER — Hood River County School District Board Members approved an Oregon Department of Education Re-engagement Opportunity Grant of $240,000, received by Hood River Valley High School, at its Oct. 27 virtual board meeting.

When Zulma Ramirez was in middle school, she was at a rough period in her life. Her parents worked in the orchard from sunrise to sunset to provide for their family, and though she was grateful for all they did, it was hard never having them around. She was struggling to adjust and needed so…

HOOD RIVER — On Wednesday, Nov. 10, Sen. Chuck Thomsen (R-Hood River) announced he will not seek re-election in 2022.