Hood River — Hood River residents have until May 20 to participate in a survey about plans to build affordable homes and apartments on the city-owned seven-acre site along Rand Road, at the west end. The city will include community comments in its development plans, due for completion in June.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden chatted live online with Wasco County residents May 2, offering to help with problems that ranged from supporting clinics by attracting professionals and replacing expensive medical equipment to housing for low and middle-income residents. The problems — and the solutions…

Licensed child care providers who operate in-person services throughout Washington have an opportunity to apply for grant funding through the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) to help them stay open during continued COVID-19 conditions, according to a press release from Washi…

Wasco County has updated and reopened its COVID-19 Emergency Business Grant program to support businesses impacted by the county's move to the Extreme Risk Category on April 30. Funds were provided by the State of Oregon. Grants will be made based on the number of employees between 0 and 50,…

Discussions regarding the administration of the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area planning ordinance over the past month resulted in threats of violence being made against all three members of the Wasco County board of commissioners prior to their May 5 meeting.

Wasco County dropped a level to “high risk” for COVID-19 due to a change in state guidelines, but infection numbers remain high and without a change in the state metrics, the county would still be in the “extreme risk” category, according to information provided by the North Central Public H…

Last Stop Saloon in The Dalles was one of six plaintiffs in a lawsuit filed against the Oregon Lottery in Marion County Circuit Court on April 19, 2021, according to the plaintiffs’ petition for judicial review.

White Salmon — A public hearing will continue next month for the Klickitat County Board of Commissioners to decide whether to approve a rezoning proposal to redesignate an 80-acre forestry parcel in the Trout Lake Valley as a General Rural zone.

Archaeological survey reveals modern refuse; Port budget includes same tax rate; Next Door launches free workshop series for Klickitat County; Google seeks land division; Tree pruning planned May 11-13 in HR

Hood River County

APRIL 27 — On Friday, April 23, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) moved to lift the pause on administering Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine.

Governor Kate Brown has announced the latest update to Oregon's county risk levels. Starting on April 23 through May 6, 23 counties will be in the High Risk level, three at the Moderate Risk level and 10 at the Lower Risk level.

Tuesday, April 27 is the last day to register to vote in the May 18 special district election.

Oregon businesses, business lobbyists and lawmakers from both parties blessed a bill that would let some businesses defer part of their unemployment payroll taxes and pay a little less to a reduced state trust fund in future years.

Goldendale, April 13 – All Klickitat County Providers administering Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine will pause administration of the vaccine until further notice following the guidance of the CDC, FDA, and Washington State Department of Health. Approximately 450 doses of Johnson and Joh…

All adults in Oregon will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations as of May 1 under a binding order from the Biden administration.

Jim Wilcox, who works in real estate and is a landlord in The Dalles, spoke before the city council March 8 regarding the city’s water billing and notification practice in regards to the unpaid utility bills of renters, and the landowners ultimate responsibility to pay unpaid bills.

The city councils of White Salmon and Mosier each approved a resolution declaring a global climate crisis earlier in the month. The resolutions declare the councils' intentions to reduce their impact on climate change.

WHITE SALMON — The White Salmon Planning Commission is continuing discussion on the city’s draft update to its 2012 comprehensive plan this week, the fourth workshop of its kind to occur since the review process began in January.

Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) was named the ranking member on the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife Feb. 17. This places Oregon’s freshman Republican congressman front and center on matters concerning America’s water resources, federal irrigation projects…

It is necessary for the City of White Salmon to shut down its water system beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 4, according to a city press release.

The Washington State House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 1199, sponsored by District 14 Representative Chris Corry (R-Yakima), which seeks to compensate ranchers and farmers for financial losses when their state-owned land leases are terminated early.

About 1.6 million people’s personal data may have been compromised by a “security incident” at a company hired by the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO) for services including temporary data storage, according to a press release from SAO.

Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3) took center stage last week in the U.S. Senate impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump after the 3rd District Republican came forward with an account of the former president’s actions during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. She was among 10 R…

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced on Jan. 20 that the city of Cascade Locks has earned a $2.4 million federal investment to make power supply infrastructure improvements that will help support business growth in Hood River County.

As Congress starts work on President Joe Biden’s proposals to extend pandemic unemployment benefits, the acting director of the Oregon Employment Department says straightforward extensions that are on the table will be easier to manage.

Wasco and Hood River counties are both on track to meet state in-person school metrics, and closer to moving from Extreme Risk to the High Risk category of pandemic restrictions.

The Klickitat County Board of County Commissioners is making a return to remote meetings this week, according to Board Chairman Dave Sauter.

The Dalles — The City of The Dalles has sufficient “employment buildable lands” to meet state growth requirements despite those lands being owned in large parcels by Google and Walmart and not readily available for use, according to an inventory presented to the council Jan. 25.

The Wasco County District Attorney’s office has dismissed “a handful” of cases and released one defendant from Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility in The Dalles — the latest update to an ongoing two-pronged case review and investigation into a The Dalles police officer’s credibili…

A total of five positions on the Hood River County Transportation District board will be up for election in May.

PORTLAND — NW Natural customers in Oregon can expect a credit on their February bill, as the company issues $9.1 million in bill credits for services provided at the company’s underground natural gas storage facility at Mist, Ore., as well as from efficient pipeline capacity management.