With several key aspects of the renovation now complete, the vision of a true Community Food Center is finally coming to fruition — offering a significant boost to efforts to end hunger and its root causes throughout Sherman, Wasco and Hood River counties.

Columbia Gorge Community College board members agreed Tuesday, Jan. 31, to engage a professional search firm as the college prepares for the departure of Dr. Marta Yera Cronin, CGCC’s president in June.

We are coming down the home stretch for the Winter Sports season, as we have teams preparing for the postseason as early as this week, while other programs are finishing their final couple of weeks of regular season play with the hopes of qualifying for state competition!

When an active shooter incident began in Hood River this past week, Hood River County School District was ready to respond immediately to maintain student safety. While the threat was on Cascade street, one mile from the closest public school, the district immediately placed lower valley schools in “secure status” and notified parents via email and text messages.

Did you know that when you hear something negative, your brain is wired to react to it even if it affects you negatively later? Donna Henderson offers us some interesting insight into this completely normal human response and then shows us a way to own it.

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.

If you’re considering a cannabis career, or your profession involves the emerging cannabis industry in other ways, Columbia Gorge Community College now offers the skills for success.

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.

This year's winning grant recipients demonstrated a commitment to equity, expanding access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) or STEAM (STEM plus Arts) opportunities, cost-effectiveness, and the potential to create a lasting impact for local students. 

CCCNew’s Jim Drake interviews Irish Roots Band Kalos. The trio goes deep into how they make their music and what influences them and most importantly who gets to carry the accordion.

Games abound in this week’s round-up of local social events, music offerings and local shows. Scrabble, pool and poker options sit along side productions such as Dancing with the Gorge Stars at The Dalles High School Auditorium or “Ripchord” at the Bingen Theater.

Columbia Gorge Community College distributed 75 Dell laptops to 10 public libraries in the college’s service area thanks to funding from the US Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

Comedy, music, a fundraiser for a friend. It’s all happening in the Gorge. Check out our latest listings here.

The Four Rivers Early Learning Hub is excited to announce its new Director, Shira Skybinskyy. Shira has served as Interim Director since July 2022 and was named Director of Four Rivers Early Learning Hub last month.

Community Advisory members and the North Wasco County School District in The Dalles met for the fourth time on Wednesday, Dec. 14 as they consider building a new high school to replace the current 1940 facility. 

The discussions have been ongoing since June as community stakeholders advise the School District on the matter of a bond measure for school facilities.

There are some tough decisions to make.  

Santa has sent us letters and drawings from local 2nd and 3rd graders to help us rekindle the magic of this holiday season through these innocent and hopeful writings. Santa has quite a group of pen pals from The Dalles, Dufur, Mosier and Lyle. Check them out here.

With a major uptick in flu cases, the U.S. Center for Disease Control has sent out a Health Advisory to healthcare providers regarding the importance of prescribing antiviral medications for patients with the flu this year. Flu shots are available. Click here to find out more.

All that shopping and sweating the little stuff needs to take a break. Find a live show or a movie in this week’s roundup of Gorge Entertainment. Jim Drake also offers a little New Year’s Eve Planner to get you thinking.

Grants are available to individuals and organizations for projects in the arts, humanities and heritage. Applications and guidelines can be found on the website. The deadline for applications is February 17, 2023. Click here for the link and more information.