Adventist Health is in the process of purchasing Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles with promises of investing $100 million over the next ten years. Fierce Healthcare Just reported Adventist is laying off 59 administrators at its headquarters in Roseville, Calif. The money will be reinvested into its hospitals and clinics “to help realign directly where care is delivered.” Meanwhile, the buyout of MCMC is awaiting regulatory approvals from both the Oregon Health Authority and the Department of Justice.

The flakes outside are real. Don’t become one. Take a moment to look at all the live entertainment and opportunities to grab a libation, see friends and hear some music or even get into writing your own book. It’s all here in this week’s most-inclusive guide to all things musical and artful in the gorge.

The menu was small but deep offering a host of different sandwiches, two soups, chips and cookies. Modestly priced between $8 and $10 a sandwich these bad boys delivered up some satisfaction without breaking the bank.   All four of us salivated over differing items, and we took off our gloves and knocked out a sandwich superfecta to make a New York deli person salivate.

Neal Creek Forest Products, a local provider of premium firewood, landscaping materials, and snow removal services, has announced the opening of its second location in The Dalles, Oregon. The grand opening celebration will take place on Friday, March 3, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, with ribbon cutting festivities with The Dalles Chamber of Commerce taking place from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. PST.

Montira’s Thai Cuisine at 302 W. Second Street in The Dalles is currently closed due to labor shortages, according to its owners. “We’re closed for now. We just don’t have the people to work,” said owner Ken Sommerfelt this afternoon, Feb. 13. Sommerfelt was unable to comment further. 

The Dalles City Council will hear more about the recent purchase of the Oregon Motor Motel and plans for it to be converted to transitional housing for houseless people living in The Dalles.  Mid-Columbia Community Action Council Exec. Director Kenny LaPoint will provide information on Project Turnkey 2.0 at their regular meeting scheduled for 5:30 p.m. tonight, Monday, Feb. 13. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 313 Court Street.

Cupid has nothing on Claudia Leash, who lays claim to being one of the oldest working business owners downtown at the age of 80. And she is keeping busy at her Sigman’s Flowers. Leash said they had some 250 deliveries set for Valentine’s Day as their walk-in cooler was filled with fresh bouquets.

“Through this business deal, Adventist will become the new owner of MCMC,”  according to the notice summary  posted by the Oregon Health Authority “...Adventist says that MCMC will continue to provide its existing health care services, including reproductive health care.”

Pearls abound in this week’s most inclusive listing of music, entertainment, comedy and literature in the Mid-Columbia as more shows have been announced and a bevy of Cupid-inspired activities are on tap.

CyberMind Gaming, a PC gaming and eSports center in The Dalles, which opened it’s doors in March of 2022 will close it’s doors on February 17th, 2023.

Travis Fox of Springfield, Oregon, is just one of the dozens of workers brought into The Dalles to work indirectly or directly on projects related to Google’s new data center. The site at 3500 River Road is being prepped for construction and City Planning says they are expecting a building permit any day now.

The couple had been searching for the right spot for more than two years when the former Pho Saigon restaurant space in The Dalles came up for rent. “We saw this location through social media,” Deepak Bamba said. The restaurant is centrally located in town and has excellent visibility in the business core in the retail level of the Commodore II apartments. The building is inviting with easy pedestrian access. “We very much liked it, right away.”

For two decades, the Celilo Center’s oncology service has been a game changer for locals staring down a fight with cancer. That will end on Feb. 28 as MCMC is stopping oncology treatment due to staffing issues. Locals seeking chemotherapy and immunotherapy will now have to find treatment elsewhere, which will require the sick to travel to Portland, Vancouver, Wash., Yakima, Tri-Cities, or Bend.

The Next Door Inc. is pleased to announce its 2023 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workshops! A selection of popular ‘foundational’ DEI workshops are back, including: Latino Outreach, LGBTQIA2S+ Outreach, and Plain Language.

Take your pick. From Pink Martini to Nerve Damage. From Lord of the Rings to Saturday Night Fever. Fun facts, bad movie jokes and secret salsa are all part of the gamut this week in the Gorge’s most inclusive listing of entertainment options, including country and western. You can’t go if you don’t know. Check it all out here.

Hydro agreed to plead guilty to negligent endangerment when it melted scrap aluminum coated in a mineral-oil-based mixture that, when combusted, produced hazardous smoke to its employees and the community. It occurred between 2018 and 2019. As part of its plea agreement, Hydro has agreed to pay $550,125 prior to sentencing in April.

This is the second time the Pioneer Building has sold in the past 17 months. The latest price for the 13,374-square-foot building was $750,000 according to Wasco County property records dated September 23, 2022. That’s up $250,000 from the last sale in April 2021 to Wise Rentals LLC. 

A recent TD Planning decision to reduce a proposed RV park from 26 spaces to 9 in West The Dalles has developers reconsidering whether the project is still financially viable.

Federal funding to stabilize people during the COVID-19 public health emergency is set to run out. This reduction will affect some 300,000 people utilizing the Oregon Health Plan who will no longer qualify. In addition, extended long-term support, providing extra food benefits are also coming to an end. Find out what to do here.

Poker Tournament and Silent Auction on tap at Bargeway Pub as locals pull together to fundraise for Luis Flores who has been stricken with debilitating medical issues. The event is set for Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Bargeway event site on the west side of the restaurant and pub. Read here for more details.