The Dalles Middle School choir left an indelible impression on the audience during its spring choir concert at Old St. Peter's Landmark Church on Tuesday, March 7, 2023. The event was a resounding success, and attendees couldn't stop raving about the exceptional performance of the choir. The music selections were nothing short of amazing, and the students' hard work and dedication shone through in every note.

After asking me if I knew anyone from a variety of states in the US he then asked if I had been on a Chinese gambling site. Then, what about Russia? The answer was no and no. He then informed me that in fact the Chinese Gambling Site had already tried to compromise my checking account, and when deflected, used my personal email to gain access to my checking account in the amount of $5,000.

The soup is boiling over in this edition of Gorge Entertainment. Drag shows, history, culture, literature, acrobatics, Irish music, bubbles, author talks, Rock-n-Roll, symphony, movies and plays are on tap. Jim Drake takes us on his most epic dive yet into all things entertaining in the Gorge. Just looking for something this weekend or tonight? Check out our events calendar. EZ Peasy.

“The board is committed to conducting an equitable, inclusive, and transparent national search that will attract a strong and diverse pool of candidates from throughout Oregon and the nation,” said board chair Tim Arbogast.

Zoe Dunn, a senior at The Dalles High School, with aspirations in dentistry was signed by Eastern Washington University yesterday February 28th, 2023. Dunn’s coaches, parents, friends and teammates all attended the signing.

Choice is huge this week as Jim Drake brings us the latest, greatest in entertainment happenings throughout the Gorge. Music, Literature, and Comedy, are springing up like wildflowers as we tilt closer to the sun. Check out this week’s most comprehensive listing here. There is something happening near you. Looking for a show tonight - check out our community calendar. It’s got it all.

The roundtable group was created for the purpose of opening the lines of communication and facilitating ongoing conversations between D21 students and the school administration, and also to empower students to drive their own learning and discuss ways to enhance the student experience.

Mar. 2 speaker is Deidre Baumgarten on opportunities to serve through Scouting programs. Mar. 9 speaker is Amanda Lawrence from Next Door. Feb. 16 Kevin Greenwood from Port of Hood River will address the H.R. Bridge project. Mar. 23 Columbia Bank managers Carmen Myers and Rod Cole will talk about what’s happening in banking and their bank’s merger with Umpqua Bank.

CCCNews’ Jim Drake interviews Erin and David from the world-traveling classical crossover group Empire Trio, coming to The Dalles Civic Auditorium on March 7. Drake talks with the band about the show, what it’s like making your way in the classical music world, and what opera you should be listening to!

The Oregon Dept of Education, Early Learning Division (ELD) is conducting a community engagement initiative called Raise Up Oregon, aimed at improving support for families with children, prenatal to age five, locally here in the Mid-Columbia and across the state.

Kids participating in SMART Reading programs have the opportunity to read each book and cast their vote in person. This year, for the first time ever, SMART is opening up the contest to all children in Oregon. Kids can read the selected titles and cast their votes at https://bit.ly/BookAward2023 until midnight on Sunday, Feb. 26. 

There will be a public reception to present the awards on Friday, March 3 at 6:00 pm at The Dalles Art Center, 220 E. 4th Street.  The public is welcome to attend and learn about this year’s grant recipients, their projects, the WCCTC, and the Oregon Cultural Trust. Find out who received grants here.

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.

On February 14th, 2023, Klickitat County held a special election. The ballot included four school levies including Trout Lake School District # 400, White Salmon School District # 405-17 Propositions 1 and 2, and Lyle School District # 406 which all appear to have been passed by Klickitat County voters according to the uncertified results.

We’ve all had them - that teacher that made us work harder, think deeper and push for something more than we thought we could achieve. That person not only taught us numbers but character, respect and understanding that the system can be changed from within by embracing the rebelliousness of our ideas and applying them with a thoughtful and strategic approach. Honor Them. Name Them. Nominate Them.

Jim Drake takes us on an interview with Cody Johnson, a young composer featured in award-winning video games. His collaboration piece “Vanitas” embraces the social turmoil that many experienced in the last five years. He will be live in concert with three other composers of note this Sunday, Feb. 19 at Wyeast Middle School at 2 p.m. Find out what the younger generation has to say with Jim Drake’s interview here.

This Week in Gorge Entertainment: Musician Tony Furtado and Comedian Adam Pasi give locals two great picks this weekend in TD. Furtado plays multiple instruments including some phenomenal slide guitar and banjo hits The Dalles Art Center on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. And just down the street, comedian Adam Pasi will bring his unique flavor of humor to The Granada on the same night. Check out this week’s most comprehensive listing of local entertainment here.

Congratulations to our cheer team, for bringing home a 3rd place finish at the State Cheer Championships in Oregon City this past weekend! We also want to congratulate the Riverhawks swim team on a phenomenal showing at the District Swim Meet in LaGrande this past weekend!

The Columbia Gorge wine region grew from one winery in 1980 to 40 in a 20-year period.  Much of the credit for this growth is due to the work of Saturday’s speaker, Lonnie Wright.

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.