HOOD RIVER — After months of frustration and urgent pleas from growers throughout the valley, including a packed listening session June 30 at the Pine Grove Grange, Governor Tina Kotek signed a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture July 2 requesting federal disaster designation for Hood River, Wasco, and contiguous counties affected by a catastrophic 2025 pear crop. 

At the July 1 county board meeting, Commission Chair Scott Hege and Commissioner Jeff Justesen opted to defer their decision until the July 15 meeting.

THE GORGE — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested at least four people in Hood River and The Dalles last month.

Jails have become the dumping grounds for people with mental health problems. He cited one recent resident who suffered from dementia and was not capable of taking care of themself.

City council approved a zone change to accommodate a planned unit development (PUD) on Wasco Street during a public hearing June 22 by a vote of 6-1.

THE DALLES — Between an absent Mayor Rich Mays and another lengthy executive session to cap the evening, The Dalles City Council Meeting on June 22 largely centered on public comment, including demands for higher wages from the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

At least two sites in Klickitat County may host a data center sometime in the future, and a little-noticed decision by the planning commission over three years ago made those proposals easier to realize.

The 20-year plan will cover infrastructure needs, transportation programs, city policy, and address state and federal standards. A priority list was suggested in which the city’s focus is on pinch points, and high auto and pedestrian traffic patterns.

GOLDENDALE — Budget tightening at the state level is cutting even deeper into her department’s funds, Public Health Director Erinn Quinn reported at the June 23 Klickitat County Board of Commissioners meeting. The state has determined the county needs to return $147,000 from specific programs.

Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn laid out the expected bond-funded, unified campus project timeline at the June 25 White Salmon Valley School District (WSVSD) board meeting.