Mid-Columbia Community Action Council has helped Colton Perry, a shelter guest at MCCAC shelter get access to employment and healthcare services and Colton says he couldn’t be happier to be back on his feet. “I’ve been able to stand tall again.” said Colton Perry.

State laws protecting victims of sexual assault vary but are improving. In the past few years, Washington State has had several bills signed into law and funding included in the budget that supports victims and survivors of sexual violence. One example includes dealing with a backlog of over 6,000 untested sexual assault kits and reducing the time it takes to process kits to 45 days.

Many stopped by the “Love Where You Live” First Friday event to meet local artists, bakers, musicians, jewelry makers, artisan foods and photographers who “popped up” inside downtown shops, restaurants, and bars for the evening to sell their goods and chat with customers.

Across the state and in the Columbia Gorge, boys outnumber girls roughly three to one in engineering-related courses. Students of color are similarly underrepresented in those courses. Now over $200,000 of investment is headed to Hood River County and South Wasco County school districts in the Gorge to diversify access to engineering, computer science, and advanced manufacturing courses.

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.