Columbia Community Connection was established in 2020 as a local, honest and digital news source providing meaningful stories and articles. CCC News’ primary goal is to inform and elevate all the residents and businesses of the Mid-Columbia Region. A rising tide lifts all boats, hop in!
All in Skamania County
Skamania County Sheriff's Office dive team recovered a dumpster from Little Spearfish Lake near Dallesport on Sunday, April 14.
In the heart of the Columbia River Gorge where the big river carves its path through the landscape, local musician Joe Slowik, also known as Vibrant Ways, is on a mission to transform the world one beat at a time. His music—a blend of hip-hop, lo-fi, and acoustic is not just an auditory experience; it's a movement towards love, understanding, and a higher consciousness.
Friends of the Columbia Gorge (Friends) is inviting the community to embrace the spring season with volunteer stewardship projects designed to nurture the land, your mind, and your spirit.
“Building Connected Communities” is the 2024 theme for Sexual Assault Awareness Month in April. The focus this year is addressing social and structural factors that are essential to improving the way people live, learn, work, and play.
Radio Tierra, the non-profit Spanish radio station which has been a voice for the Latino community in the Columbia River Gorge since 2004 is getting a new frequency thanks to the installation of a new antenna.
Residents of The Dalles and the Columbia River Gorge were treated to a stunning and rare celestial phenomenon on March 21st: a lunar halo.
Columbia Gorge Roller Derby All Stars and Blood-n-Gorge both won their first bout of the season on Feb. 24 raising nearly $400 for Culture Seed in the process.
State Road 14 is closed east of Lyle due to an accident involving a logging truck.
The Washington State Department of Commerce 2023-25 Housing Trust Fund 2024 Supplemental budget includes three million dollars ($3m) in direct appropriation to Columbia Cascade Housing Corporation’s (CCHC) Assisted Living Facility in Western Klickitat County. This $3M award is intended to leverage additional federal, state, and local resources to construct the facility.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s recreation report includes updates to fishing, crabbing and clamming, hunting, and wildlife viewing.
Possibly the last chance to get free COVID-19 tests mailed to your home from the U.S. government is coming to an end later this week. This Friday, March 8, is the last day to order the free tests. The program is being suspended after Friday.
The March 17 deadline to enter your best photos into Friends of The Gorge’s ninth annual photo contest, "GorgeGram: Framed in Beauty," is quickly approaching!
What happens when people are treated for mental health conditions and then discharged but have no place to call home? In Skamania and Klickitat counties, the Community Behavioral Health Rental Assistance Program (CBRA) is in place to help people transition from care facilities back to their communities.
“Give for the Gorge was created to help ensure that the Columbia River Gorge and its communities are preserved for future generations of visitors and residents,” said founder and project manager, Sandi Scheinberg. “It will provide a much-needed, ongoing source of funding to eight incredible Gorge-area nonprofits focused on the three areas of greatest need in the Gorge: housing, food security and the environment.”
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the Columbia River Gorge including the cities of The Dalles, Dufur, Maupin, Hood River, Underwood, Stevenson, Carson, Corbett, and Cascade Locks. The warning remains in effect from 8 a.m. on February 14 until 10 p.m. on Thursday the 15th. A weather advisory has also been issued for the Simcoe Highlands from Feb. 14-16.
On January 29, 2024, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office contacted an abandoned vehicle stuck in a snow berm in Stevenson, Washington. The Sheriff’s Office was later notified by Portland Police Bureau the abandoned vehicle was involved with a missing person, Jeannie Enyeart, 47, from Portland.
Have you been a victim of a crime in Skamania County? Need help? Skamania County Council on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCDVSA) has begun offering crime victim services thanks to a $125,000 grant from the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy (OCVA).
With winter in full force, partners throughout the region have been pooling resources together to help houseless community members cope with potentially life-threatening conditions. To keep this and other efforts going, Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative is extending an open invitation for individuals and organizations to learn more about its members’ work over the past year and their plans for 2024 at its next quarterly meeting from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. on February 13 via Zoom.
The annual PIT Count is a federally mandated survey of people experiencing houselessness in communities across the country. The count, which occurs in late January of every year, plays a critical role in determining the level of state and federal funding communities receive to address houselessness. It also provides key insight into the needs of those impacted by houselessness.
As the Bridge of the Gods reaches its 98th year in service connecting the Oregon community of Cascade Locks with Stevenson and North Bonneville in Washington, the Port of Cascade Locks is thinking about its future. Despite its age, the bridge is in good working order and not in need of a full replacement like the Hood River Bridge and the I-5 Interstate Bridge. However, as with any aging piece of infrastructure, the bridge would benefit from a few key upgrades to improve safety and resilience and extend its usable life.
