News in brief, July 29 edition: Single-lane closures on July 30 for guardrail repairs on HR Bridge, more

CGCC pre-college department wins grant from HECC

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), which is the State of Oregon agency that oversees all higher ed in the state, has awarded a grant to Columbia Gorge Community College’s Pre-college department.

The grant funding will primarily focus on outreach, recruitment and improving GED graduation rates for potential students in the Tri-Counties: Gilliam, Sherman and Wheeler. Specifically, funding will be used to upgrade the Pre-college website, procure technology and childcare resources for eligible students, award GED scholarships and create an educational outreach position.

Public hearing scheduled

The Dalles Planning Commission will conduct a public hearing Aug. 6, 6 p.m. via Zoom to consider a variance to allow a six ft. fence in the front and side yards of a property located at 1420 Oregon Ave., The Dalles. The fence is proposed to address privacy and security concerns. Property owner and applicant is Shanelle Smith.

CGCC’s Alpha Sigma Xi wins at Phi Theta Kappa spring convention

Alpha Sigma Xi, CGCC’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, won nine awards at the Rocky Mountain Cascade Virtual Spring Convention, according to a report from CGCC. Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society of two-year colleges. The region consists of 24 chapters in Oregon, Idaho, and Utah.

In most years, CGCC’s student representatives travel to the convention, but due to the pandemic, this year’s event was held virtually instead. The awards brought home by CGCC officers and staff were:

• Reach Reward — The chapter had a 21.6 percent increase in membership during 2019, compared to 2018. The minimum membership increase to receive this award is 15 percent.

• Distinguished Chapter — 4th in the region

• Distinguished Honors in Action Project — 4th in the region, for “Unplug to Connect: Bringing the Community back into Community College”

• 5 Star Continued Excellence — Recognition for being a five star chapter for the 10th year in a row. Only one other chapter has been five star for the same length of time.

• Distinguished Chapter Officer Team — 2nd in the region

• Most Distinguished Chapter Officer — Ida Ghramm

• Distinguished Chapter Officer — Kendra Bettelyoun (2nd in the region)

• Most Distinguished Chapter Advisor — Michelle Gietl

• Chapter Officer Superhero of the Year - Alexis Montavon

If you’d like to learn more about supporting PTK, see their page at cgcc.edu.