Preparatory work leading to replacement of the Hood River Bridge is under way this month, as contractors conduct riverbed borings from barges anchored near the Oregon shore.

Hood River’s Sean FitzSimons competed in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, representing the United States on snowboarding’s biggest stage for the second time in his career.

HOOD RIVER — After working on mega projects worldwide, including Chernobyl, replacing the Hood River Bridge doesn’t daunt Mike Fox.

HOOD RIVER & WASCO CO. — On Friday, Feb. 6, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley held two well-attended, wide-ranging town halls in Mt. Hood and The Dalles. Just off Highway 35 south of Parkdale, the first question raised touched on immigration enforcement.

With no dedicated funding for the new U.S. Wildland Fire Service, how are those in land management reacting?

THE DALLES — On Jan. 15, Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) published an investigative article detailing The Dalles’ push to expand its water reservoir capacity in the Mount Hood National Forest through a bill sponsored by U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz.

Councilors then began a conversation about what the city can do and is doing around immigration enforcement work, and how that work is being communicated to the public.

The board received good news from Kyle Janiki, certified public accountant (CPA), Clear Trails CPAs, and HRCSD’s audit manager, on the district’s 2024-2025 audit report: an unmodified, or “clean,” opinion, on its financial statement and federal awards audits.

HOOD RIVER — Around 300 Hood River Valley High School (HRVHS) students walked out of second period last Friday morning, gathering by the campus flagpole in protest of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity.

Councilors unanimously voted to approve Resolution 2026-02, which declares that Hood River is safe “for all persons, regardless of race, national origin, immigration or refugee status,” at the Jan. 12 meeting.

With little deliberation, The Dalles City Council unanimously passed resolution 26-002, formally acknowledging community impacts associated with heightened Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and directing City Manager Matthew Klebes to pursue certain community support actions.

HOOD RIVER — Hood River Planning Commissioners denied Line 29 Architecture’s application for a 135-room Marriott hotel on the former Hood River News site in a 3-2 vote Jan. 5.