The driver who hit a power pole and rolled over in an SUV, was released from the hospital after being taken to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center by LifeFlight on Sunday, Sept. 20. He is doing well, according to his father.

Edited to include comments from NWASCO School Board Chair John Nelson on September 21st, 2020 12:00 PM

Colonel Wright Elementary School may be getting a new name! And it's about time, as many former students will tell you learning to spell “Colonel” correctly at any age is difficult. But even worse for many community members is the history attached to the name of the elementary school. For years community members have expressed discomfort over the name of the school, saying it honors a legacy of bloodshed instead of learning, growth, and community.

A slight rain on Friday in The Dalles and a steady dropping of suspended particulate matter have helped both visibility and air quality to some extent. The Air Quality Index put the Dalles at 74 this afternoon at 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 18, according to the World Air Quality Project website.Columbia Community Connection serving Wasco, Gilliam and Sherman Counties, The Dalles, Dufur, Tygh Valley, Maupin, Goldendale, Wishram, Dallesport, Lyle, White Salmon, Hood River

Pine trees make up 80% of the tree species in Sorosis Park. But sadly they soon will all be cut down. The Ips Beetle is to blame for this destruction, quickly taking over the pine trees in the park and killing all of them in a short 3-year span. Columbia Community Connection serving Wasco, Gilliam and Sherman Counties, The Dalles, Dufur, Tygh Valley, Maupin, Goldendale, Wishram, Dallesport, Lyle, White Salmon, Hood River

The Ruins: News Update from facebook and Friends

Dianne Espy informed CCC News that her friend, Steve Curtiss, was the gentleman who carved his initials into the stone foundation. Look for an updated story on Monday once we get the chance to sit down and chat with Steve. Many folks on facebook also had the following interesting facts to add about the ruins.

Overgrown and dilapidated stone buildings sit in the hills of Brewery Grade - they are at the front entrance to The Dalles when taking the Interstate 84 exit near the Sunshine Mill. What were they? Columbia Community Connection serving Wasco, Gilliam and Sherman Counties, The Dalles, Dufur, Tygh Valley, Maupin, Goldendale, Wishram, Dallesport, Lyle, White Salmon, Hood River

On Wednesday the 16th the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $2 million in grants to improve the ecology of the Columbia River Basin. Locally, Columbia Riverkeepers received $91,991 for projects to improve water quality and fish habitat in Hood River and Wasco counties.

Lindsay LeBreton is a long-time resident of The Dalles where she lives with her husband Ryan and is raising her family. But she grew up in the small town of Estacada where her parents, Jon and Debbie Kling still reside. The ongoing heartbreak of the Oregon wildfires has recently made way into her hometown of Estacada. CCC News spoke with Lindsey regarding her family’s struggle to leave behind their home and flee to safety.

Starting to exercise or beginning a healthy meal plan can be challenging. It’s easy to slip up and go back to your old ways if you don’t have people to hold you accountable. The best way to get started is to have someone, or a group of people, who are ready and excited to start on their health journey with you.

The Dalles Wasco County Public Library is raffling off Book Boxes for Latinx Heritage month.

The Dalles City Council reaffirmed their decision to deny the 80-unit Grove subdivision in East The Dalles at their meeting on Monday night, Sept. 14, 2020. Councilor Darcy Long-Curtis provided the lone dissenting vote, noting she believed the developer had met planning criteria.

Larry Clark and Bill Mauldin enjoyed a donut together outside of the Bakitchen Bakery on Court Street this morning, Tues., Sept. 15.

The injection of millions of dollars, improved fueling, and a push to provide more facilities, maintenance and avionics has the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport on a roll for 2020 as more pilots are opting to land.

Wildfires are a part of nature; they play a key role in shaping ecosystems by serving as an agent of renewal and change. But the fires we are currently seeing burning in Oregon shouldn’t be reaching their current size and severity, according to a wildfire management student researcher Sima Safavi-Bayat.

A westerly flow of wind is developing which will transport smoke from the wildfires along and west of the Cascades back over eastern Oregon and Washington through at least the weekend. Air Quality Advisories and alerts are in effect.

Our first priority is the health and safety of our students and staff. We ask staff to return to their homes and not be in district buildings at this time.

Despite the many difficulties that have already faced teachers due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, Erin Peter’s says her teaching team is doing their best to make the best of it for their students.

“Even though this year looks completely different, I love getting to ‘see’ my students get excited about learning on Zoom.”

City officials were just advised by the County Emergency Operations Center that the fire has become too difficult to control and therefore too dangerous to fight right now. They have pulled all firefighters off the fire-lines and out of Estacada.