Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is as emotionally captivating as it is breathtaking to behold. The singing, dancing, acting, and direction all come together in a nearly perfect union to bring an old story into the present.

Alright, you jokers. What do you got? Find out in this installment of Question of The Week: What’s your best April Fool’s Joke. Looks like we got a lot of people getting smart out there. Keep it up TD!

Imma Royal and Theo Ward cut the ribbon at Nana I Ke Kumu today, Friday, April 1st. It was long-awaited. But given the flow of things, they waited on their ribbon cutting until the downtown was bubbling with energy once again. And boy is it bubbling. It’s easy to name a half dozen new businesses in town.

This April 1st, downtown will be alive after five for their very first FIRST FRIDAY! Thirty small businesses in downtown The Dalles have teamed up with their favorite makers and artisans for a night of local art, shopping, wine, food, connection and more. Over 60 small businesses open extended hours this Friday night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Things are popping this weekend as live music and First Friday events in both The Dalles and Hood River offer up some fun entertainment and dance opportunities. So, no singing the blues; put on your dancing shoes.

Plywood now covers the front entrance of the Safeway snack store at the fueling station in The Dalles after a Toyota Highlander ran through the front entrance on Thursday, March 31. The Toyota also hit a 2011 Ford during the incident.

What started as an idea to help young people in the Gorge who are experiencing or at risk of houselessness, or who just don’t feel safe at home, has become a beautiful and hope-filled reality.

Whether you are new to the Columbia River Gorge, or have been here for a long while, you have probably heard about the Columbia River Gorge Commission and wondered who they are. This is the first of a series of columns to bring you up to speed and keep you connected with the Gorge Commission’s plans and actions and how they affect communities and lands within the National Scenic Area (NSA).

For a decade local volunteers have been reaching out to D21 students with offerings of food to help them during the weekend and better prepare them for school come Monday morning. It’s a well-oiled machine and one that The Dalles can point to with pride. Learn about some of the people that make it happen.

Happy Trans Day of Visibility from all of us at CCCNews! This Trans Day of Visibility we’re showcasing five poems from local transgender poet Keath Silva’s latest book of poetry, Lady Death, and other poems venerating change.

“I wrote this book to save myself.” said Keath Silva, transgender herbalist, bodyworker, medium, and writer from Hood River, OR. Keath’s moving and down-to-earth collection of poems titled Lady Death, and other poems venerating change is a window into the transgender experience, and can be a companion to anyone who may be on a journey of coping with loss, letting go of falsity and embracing authenticity. It’s also the perfect read for trans day of visibility.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has announced that The Dalles Bridge repair project is behind schedule and will not be completed by May 30th as originally planned. In light of this, ODOT has assured the public that there will be no weekend closures of the bridge during peak season for cherry harvest in June and July.

THE DALLES, OR — The Columbia Basin Care Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications for students pursuing healthcare careers. Offering empowerment through education, the $2,500 scholarships support health-related studies in a variety of areas, such as nursing, food and nutrition, public health, social services, and more.

Varsity baseball plays host to Forest Grove Tuesday, March 29, at Bob Williams Field at the Q, first pitch is slated for 5 p.m. We’d also like to welcome our new volunteers to the Riverhawks’ baseball family, as Ray Bustos is serving as our PA announcer, and TDHS Ski Coach Dane Klindt will be running scoreboard.

The Dalles City Council will hear an update on the City’s buildable lands inventory at its regular meeting this evening, Monday, March 28, starting at 5:30 p.m. The buildable lands inventory is used in guiding decisions and requests affecting local employment and the economy.

The City of Maupin and more specifically several rafting guides from competing rafting companies will be featured in a new series on Discovery Plus, slated to air on Wednesday, March 30. And it looks raucous from the trailer. Check it out here.

“Oh!” exclaimed Karen Murphy, laughing, when I asked her what her and Steve Murray are planting this year. “How much time do you have?”

On March 25th, 2022 protesters gathered in Hood River, OR, and cities across the world to denounce government inaction on fighting climate change. The protests were inspired by Fridays for Future, a youth lead environmentalist movement founded by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The Hood River protest was led, in part, by several youth activists who said they wanted to do something “other than tweet and retweet” about climate change.

“We recognize that food insecurity is a big issue in our town and we’re more than happy to do our part to help alleviate that in any way we can,” said Rachel Carter, Marketing Coordinator for Columbia Gorge Toyota.

Gorge robotics students from The Dalles took top honors at the Oregon State VEX Robotics Championships recently and will advance to the World Finals in Dallas, Texas, May 5-7.