The Dalles First Friday events will be in full swing on Sept. 2 as local merchants find ways to give back to local schools and stay open until 8 p.m. Kaahreena Ochoco will hit her four-month mark at the event and will be giving to kindergarten teacher Courtney Middleton, while showing off her resale and consignment store, Per Diem Thrifts.

Day two of the Northwest Mural Fest brought a lot of vivid colors and exciting detail as 15 new murals are transforming the downtown corridor in The Dalles. Walldogs - artists and skilled sign painters were hard at it in the extreme heat on Thursday, Aug. 25, as works of art took shape and beads of sweat rolled.

Artists and sign painters from all over the country have made their pilgrimage to The Dalles. The Walldogs are out in full force with local volunteers as they are changing TD’s downtown with a host of new murals celebrating local legends that have influenced the town that we live in today. This is just part one of a series of articles.

Entertainment abounds this week with a Muralfest in The Dalles and pubs and bars knocking out the jams all over the Gorge for the next several days. There are also a whole lot of other nuggets here in the Gorge’s most comprehensive entertainment listing.

The residents of Shaniko got a wake-up call on Sunday night, Aug. 21, when a semi truck ran into the local ice cream shop and bashed its way through the entirety of the building.

Most of the work - 88 percent - will be performed in Bingen, according to the announcement.

Local developers received a conditional-use permit to design a building that would exceed the city’s building height limitation by 5 feet, taking it to 60 feet tall in downtown The Dalles. It would be the same height as the Commodore Building. However, developers, proposing a mixed-use building of retail and housing, must now submit a site plan and undergo a full review before construction could start.

Downtown activities for The Dalles First Friday got a real boost from local artist Todd Simmler who displayed 30 of his metal sculptures created from found objects at the scrapyard. The creations seemed to set a curious tone for the evening. It was like people were discovering new creatures as they perused Simmler’s pieces.

MoCo will locally source their music for the 5-year Anniversary on Saturday, Aug. 6. The Wasco Brothers are headlining the show. The fun begins at 4 p.m. But first, you might want to know something about the family-run operation. Meet Nate Stranz in this quick Q & A.

Teodolinda Tapia has dreamed of being the owner and cook of her own restaurant for decades. Well, it’s finally coming true as she will bring new life to the defunct Tijuana Restaurant near Dinty’s in east downtown The Dalles. The native of Michoacan, Mexico, intends to enchant locals with her Chili Rellenos in weeks to come.

Some locals in The Dalles may think they’ve had enough cherries to last a lifetime. But the Baldwin Saloon is breathing new life into this familiar fruit. The result? A loving celebration of local foods that satisfies your summer cravings.

"Two years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, Oregonians and the ag industry came to us when they couldn’t move their meat products due to a shortage of inspection services,” said ODA Director Alexis Taylor. “After much hard work, collaboration, and determination, we designed a program that creates additional opportunities for producers and processors to grow and satisfy local demand.”

More than a dozen wheat trucks were lined up this morning, July 27, at Mid-Columbia Producers as the soft white wheat harvest is underway locally and regionally. First glances are noting that yields in some fields are bringing a crop that is 25 to 40 percent above average likely due to the extra rains in May and June.

U.S. Army Corps technicians found the damage to a lower guide wheel July 25, and closed the lock to river traffic. Engineers and operations staff initiated limited lockages on July 26 in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard. “At this point, we’re unsure of what caused the damage to the guide wheel, but our main focus will be getting the lock back into full service,” said Col. Mike Helton

Crews were out early this morning excavating and setting the forms for the foundation on the 33rd Columbia Gorge Habitat for Humanity home at 800 E. 13th Street in The Dalles.

Employees at Mid Columbia Forest Products have been back to work since July 11 after a fire shut the mill down on West Second Street on June 23. “We were down 12 (business) days,” said Owner Matt McCall today, July 19. “The vacuum system is up and going, but it still needs a few modifications.”

Chenowith Water district has lifted its boil water order after receiving a negative result for the presence of E. coli bacteria in its water system today, July 19. The PUD tested positive for the bacteria on July 14 and 15. E. coli can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting. PUD operators added chlorine to the water system over the weekend to kill bacteria.

Pfits Services LLC will be conducting tree trimming and removal services along W. 2nd Street next to the United States Post Office in The Dalles on Wednesday, July 20 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Right lane of W. 2nd Street as well as the sidewalk on the Post Office side of the road will be closed during the process of cutting and removing some trees next to the road.

“There was such an outpouring of responses about impacts of the bridge closure, as well as questions and feedback about the bridge project itself,” said White Salmon Mayor Marla Keethler on her Facebook page. “We're hoping to address some of those concerns and give you an idea of where things stand…