Grasshopper Fire Crews Expand Containment Strategy as Battle Shifts to Long-Term Control

Firefighters battling the Grasshopper Fire are shifting from direct attack to a broader containment strategy, constructing backup fire lines while strengthening defenses around Pine Hollow and Sportsmans Park as the wildfire remains more than 21,000 acres and 0% contained.

Read More
Home Page, Wasco County, The Dalles Columbia Community Connection Home Page, Wasco County, The Dalles Columbia Community Connection

Adventist Health Columbia Gorge Completes Water’s Edge Reopening

Adventist Health Columbia Gorge has finished reopening clinics in the Water’s Edge building, located at 551 NE Lone Pine Blvd in The Dalles, Oregon. The most recent reopenings include Rehabilitation Services, Cardiology, and Orthopedics. Columbia Gorge ENT, Internal Medicine, and the Sleep Clinic already reopened in the space in June.

Read More
Home Page, The Dalles, Wasco County, Hood River County Columbia Community Connection Home Page, The Dalles, Wasco County, Hood River County Columbia Community Connection

Grasshopper Fire grows to more than 18,000 acres as crews hold lines protecting Pine Hollow

The Grasshopper Fire expanded to 18,136 acres Tuesday, but firefighters successfully held containment lines protecting Pine Hollow and Sportsman's Park as more than 230 personnel continued battling the blaze under gusty afternoon winds.

Read More
Home Page, Wasco County, The Dalles Tom Peterson Home Page, Wasco County, The Dalles Tom Peterson

Fire Updates: July 28, 1 p.m.: Grasshopper Fire grows by 3,000 acres south of Dufur

Fire activity intensified across Wasco County on Tuesday as the Grasshopper Fire expanded to 13,612 acres, prompting continued Level 3 evacuations near Wamic, Pine Hollow and Sportsman's Park. Meanwhile, FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to help cover firefighting costs, while improving conditions on several other regional wildfires allowed evacuation levels to be reduced or lifted in parts of southern Wasco County and the Hay Creek Complex.

Read More
Home Page, Wasco County, The Dalles, Hood River County, Podcast Columbia Community Connection Home Page, Wasco County, The Dalles, Hood River County, Podcast Columbia Community Connection

CCCNews Podcast: Banks-Vernonia Advocate Says Passion, Persistence Fuel Oregon's Rails-to-Trails Success

A Banks-Vernonia trail advocate says community persistence, partnerships and historic preservation transformed an abandoned railroad into an economic asset, offering lessons for the Deschutes railbed.

Read More
Home Page, Business, Wasco County Robin Home Page, Business, Wasco County Robin

The Realities of Importing Portland’s Superfund Waste to Wasco County: Toxic Cargo and Tight Turns

Imagine 200,000 truckloads of toxic Superfund waste moving from the Portland Harbor to a rural hillside perched 1,000 feet above The Dalles. As the EPA moves toward a cleanup plan, our community is facing a massive logistical and environmental test. Our latest investigation dives into the reality of the "Driveline",the treacherous, steep route these convoys would take, and exposes critical gaps in current PCB (and other superfund toxin’s) monitoring and local oversight. How prepared is Wasco County for the industrial reality of this cleanup? Read the full story to understand the timeline, the financial dependencies, and the urgent need for a modernized approach to public safety before the first truck arrives.

Read More
Home Page, Klickitat County, Wasco County, The Dalles Columbia Community Connection Home Page, Klickitat County, Wasco County, The Dalles Columbia Community Connection

Benefit Concert Planned After Gorge Musician Seriously Injured in SR 14 Motorcycle Crash

A 28-year-old motorcyclist was airlifted to a Vancouver hospital after crashing along State Route 14 near the Chamberlain Rest Area in Klickitat County. Washington State Patrol said the crash remains under investigation.

Read More
The Dalles, Wasco County, Hood River County, Home Page Columbia Community Connection The Dalles, Wasco County, Hood River County, Home Page Columbia Community Connection

Columbia Gorge Community College Manufacturing Program Named Center of the Year by U.S. Department of Energy

National Industrial Training and Assessment Centers network honors CGCC with the Manufacturing Outcomes Award for outstanding real-world support and engagement with small and mid-sized manufacturers

Read More
Home Page, Wasco County, The Dalles Columbia Community Connection Home Page, Wasco County, The Dalles Columbia Community Connection

The Dalles City Council to Consider Annexation, Q-Life Telecommunications Franchise

The Dalles City Council is scheduled to consider two special ordinances at its July 27 meeting, including the annexation of property within the city's urban growth boundary and the approval of a non-exclusive telecommunications franchise for Q-Life Intergovernmental Agency. The proposed ordinances will be available for public review in the council agenda packet beginning July 20, and members of the public may register to testify before the meeting.

Read More