Momiji Express Gourmet Japanese & Chinese Cuisine next to Coastal in The Dalles is set to open on Wednesday, June 24. The 2500-square foot restaurant, 2632 W. Sixth St., offers both sushi and Chinese food.  Yakisoba, Lo-Mein, Chow mein, Lunch combos, sushi, nigiri, rolls and bento are all on the menu. Go to momijitd.com to see the menu.

Belle Webb Beatie had no time for whiners or crying. She drove a red Pontiac Firebird when she was in her 80’s. And if not for her, you would have never heard of the Hi-Way House.

Several homemade banners promoting social justice and Black Lives Matter were put up this morning starting in Cascade Locks and ending at Rowena Loops. The banners come on Juneteenth, the oldest commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

The Dalles Planning Commission will continue to take comments tonight, Thursday, June 18, at 6 p.m., in an appeal against a high-density housing project on 6.92 acres on Richmond Street, a former orchard previously owned by John Geiger.

Ajay Rundell has been selected as the Interim Principal of Dry Hollow Elementary School for the 2020-2021 school year. Kara Flath has been selected as the new Chief Financial Officer for North Wasco School District. Learn more about them here.

Mark Angel, 76, of Redmond, is a white water salvage man and Pacific Northwest icon in search and rescue circles, known for his ability to salvage boats in the worst of currents during the past five decades. A lineman by trade, he has taken troubleshooting to the next level when it comes to white water, utilizing lineman tools to recover boats and people silenced by rushing water.

Details for The Dalles High School graduation have the ceremony starting at 9:15 a.m. at Sorosis Park. Learn more about it here.

“We’re Not going to back down,” said Rosie Strange this morning. The Dalles organizer of Gorge-wide protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death said there is one goal. “We need to get people of color in those communities to come out and feel safe. We need to create a safe Gorge that is anti-racist - Cascade locks to The Dalles.”

Cascade Singers has begun searching for a new director even as the community choir takes a break for coronavirus precautions. The 2020-’21 season will proceed as restrictions are lifted and gatherings for rehearsals and performances are permitted.

The death of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 brought eleven protestors to the streets of The Dalles on Saturday evening at 5:30 p.m. Protests around the country, marred by burning vehicles and broken windows, were into their third and fourth days.

“I had to remind myself that I was not dying or crying,” said Jill Pearson after crossing the finish line in her homemade marathon on Saturday morning. The 29-year-old high school teacher said running the 26.2 miles was her way of celebrating her birthday that occurred several weeks ago.

As spring fades to summer and the days spent in quarantine are literally getting longer, I think it’s important to take the time to adjust our perspectives and recognize the beauty and power in what humans do best: change.

Migrant Education Director Jonathon Fost with the Columbia Gorge Education Service District is working with orchardists and the Oregon Department of Education to reshape the migrant education program offered during cherry harvest in Wasco County.

When it comes to their yard, Gale and Ty Wenzel are swinging for the fences at 104 W. 13th Street in The Dalles. Their roses? Blooming. Their lawn? Manicured. Their planters? Homemade. “Your yard and home are always so well-cared-for- a lovely spot in the neighborhood! Thank You! City Beautification Committee,” read a postcard the couple recently received in the mail.

We are excited to inform you that all launches, take-outs, campgrounds and facilities for the John Day River will reopen beginning May 21, 2020.

“We thought it was going to ruin us,” LaRoque said. “But then I thought about it, and it is going to make us stronger. Being a business owner, it’s like a marriage. There is always a rough patch. But you just say, Alright, this is what we’re going to do.”

Jenna Miller and Sam Alvarez of The Dalles High School, seen here in their prom photo from 2019, will be engaging in the Social Distant Prom set for Saturday, May 16, 7p.m. - 10p.m. Live streaming from Immense Imagery at gorge prom.com in combination with KACI Radio 93.5 FM will broadcast the event for seniors and juniors at high schools throughout the Gorge.

Stuart and Cyndi Reitz recently moved back to The Dalles from North Carolina to purchase a home. They are finding a sellers market with an increasing price tag, despite COVID-19.