Sheppard’s digs in

A new Sheppard’s locale on the waterfront is coming to life. The Hood River orchard equipment retailer broke ground this month on a new facility at the corner of North Second Street and Riverside Drive. Workers with Crestline Construction were hard at work Thursday morning digging a tunnel on the east border of the property to install water mains, subject to an Oregon Department of Transportation permit. (A sculpture by CJ Rench that had been placed at Second and Riverside as part of the Art of Community outdoor art gallery was removed to make way for utility excavations. Art of Community organizers are working with the Port of Hood River, which owns the property, to find a new location in the area.)