The November 3rd, 2020 General Election is 20 days away and in the next few days, Oregonians will start seeing ballots arriving in their mailboxes.

The North Wasco County School District Board of Directors is seeking qualified applicants to fill the Zone 7 vacant position on the school board left by Michael Sullivan.

Mt. Adams Institute is excited to announce the line-up for the popular Sense of Place Lecture Series. Now in its 11th season, the series will feature virtual lectures rather than in-person events as a way to mitigate risks associated with Covid-19. Sense of Place features presenters with a unique knowledge of the Columbia River Gorge and who consider the natural, cultural, and political history that has shaped this place. The presenters can include scientists, tribal members, authors, farmers, and many others from throughout the Pacific Northwest

Anthony Lozano, 36, works on setting up a temporary power service on East 12th St., The Dalles this morning, Tuesday, Oct. 13. The Journeyman Lineman for Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District was making the power available for Joson Singh, who is rehabilitating a building for a new Century Market at 1615 E. 12th Street.

Despite the loss of track meets, basketball, volleyball, and football games, athletes in The Dalles are digging in, attending grueling training, and working out for when the competition will reboot.

Doug West and his bird dog, Wej, who live on west 13th St., washed away the weekend fun this morning, Monday, Oct. 12. West went deer hunting with friend Larry and niece Kamrie in Eastern Oregon near Harper. He said he helped them both get a deer, and he filled his Can-Am all-terrain vehicle with mud in the process. Hunting is just starting for West, who likes to go after the elusive Chucker. This will be Wej’s first season sniffing out the birds in steep canyons.

Dreaming of epic pow turns? Well, it's that time of year to pull your skis and boards out of the closet. The resorts on Mount Hood have been working to create a fun and safe season ahead for guests and staff alike. Be prepared for what’s to come this year before driving up to your favorite ski resort.

The Forest Service in collaboration with Oregon Department of Forestry and Washington Department of Natural Resources will continue with controlled burn efforts today in area of Courtney Road between Lyle and Bingen. Crews spent the last two days working in the Catherine Creek and Courtney road areas to create fuel line breaks to prevent large forest fires and to restore Oregon White Oak habitat.

The Sunshine Mill Winery will be hosting film festivals and 3 nights of Halloween themed movies for the month of October. They have converted their gavel lot into a drive-in movie theater equipped with a gigantic viewing screen. The drive up movies at the mill can host around 40 cars, tickets run about $30 a car for each day or each night session of the film festivals and $20 a car for the Halloween movie nights. Add on Snack packages are available for the Halloween movies, costing $10 which includes a soda, popcorn, candy, and a hotdog.

We are now seven months into a global pandemic and you may have figured out ways to cope and process. We are also at the point where maybe your coping mechanism is starting to lose its effectiveness. Getting out to enjoy nature or tending to a garden can be a new way for you to prioritize your wellness and shift your focus. It can also help you prevent bad energy in your life.

The Dalles City Council Seat Position # 4 is up for grabs with the retirement of Councilor Linda Miller. F. John Ercole, John Grant and Dan Richardson are all vying for the seat. Read there candidate profiles here at Columbia Community Connection.

Challenger Tiffany Prince is challenging incumbent Rod Runyon for The Dalles City Council Position # 5. Read their candidate profiles here at Columbia Community Connection.

Incumbent Rich Mays finds himself up against two challengers in the race for The Dalles City Mayor. Challengers Solea Kabakov and Jason Garrett Gibson are seeking the position. Read their candidate profiles here at Columbia Community Connection.

Dr. John Willer is challenging incumbent Darcy Long-Curtiss for the The Dalles City Council Seat Position #2. Read all about them in these candidate profiles at Columbia Community Connection.

The Nov. 3 general election races for The Dalles City Council and Mayor have a multitude of candidates from which to choose. Each position is contested. And they are all nonpartisan positions. We have candidate profiles on our website.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Forest Service (CRGNSA) has announced that it will be conducting several prescribed burns in the Courtney Road and Tracy Hill area between Lyle and Bingen in Klickitat County, Washington.

Les Kipper got this four-point buck last weekend in Gilliam County. Dave Adams and Michelle Adams spotted the buck while scouting separate sides of a draw and alerted Kipper to its location. Kipper said he got a clear shot at it in the stubble field.

We are deeply saddened to report the passing of three additional residents at Flagstone Senior Living during the COVID 19 outbreak at the facility, bringing the total death there to 10. Two residents passed on Oct. 5 and one died today, Oct. 6

Randonneé carries local roasts made with beans from many different countries including Guatemala, Ethiopia and Mexico.

“I’ve owned 10 Speed Coffee for 15 years,” said McGeeney. “10 Speed Coffee has gone on more of a wholesale route.” Wholesaling coffee requires a lot of consistency as opposed to creativity. For McGeeney there was a strong desire to get to engage with new beans, new roasts and create some truly delicious flavors right here in the gorge. And so Randoneé was born!

Audrey Stephens, a bus driver for District 21 for the past 32 years, enjoyed a little gardening detail this morning, Tuesday, Oct. 6. She and fellow bus driver, Cathy Parke, 23 years a bus driver, said they were working on the flowerbed at the entrance of Dry Hollow Elementary.