Bringing Jennifer Batten, lead guitarist for Michael Jackson for four world tours, to The Dalles for a fundraiser. That’s just being a Smooth Criminal. Doing it all in the Backyard of the Bargeway Pub this Friday night while supporting The United Way of the Columbia Gorge? Cue the pyrotechnics. And that’s a go on the guitar solo!

Oregon businesses sent a letter asking Oregon elected officials to help remove Lower Snake River dams. The letter signed by close to 70 businesses—addressed to Representative DeFazio, Senator Merkley, Senator Wyden and others—calls on them to support an ongoing collaboration between Tribes, state and federal policymakers, and the Biden Administration to remove the Lower Snake River dams and re-invest in river communities and infrastructure.

White River Falls is a vision of beauty and brute strength, and one that has taken multiple lives over the years for those that choose to swim illegally or are enticed to hike past the safety boundaries into its upper reaches. Saturday, July 9th, was slightly different. It came with a much happier ending. And it highlights the need for those exploring the park to use their best judgment.

"On June 14, 2022, at about 6:30 p.m., Officer Reams, with his field training officer, Perez responded to a report of a swimmer in distress in the Columbia River near the ferry dock,” said The Dalles Police Chief Tom Worthy. “The Columbia River was extremely high due to continual rains, and there were areas of flooding in the city. Water temperature was 56 degrees in the river.”

St. Vincent de Paul Society’s downtown location is undergoing a beautification process. Volunteer painters Lance Pardee and Galen Ballinger have painted the once gray building a sky colored blue and brightened up the entrance with a mural of a friendly and welcoming sun.

HAVEN from Domestic and Sexual Violence, in The Dalles released an official statement today about the secret indictment of former HAVEN Executive Director, Tara Koch. Koch was arrested Thursday, July 7th, 2022 in Washington County on 26 counts including theft, identity theft and forgery. HAVEN alleges that Koch stole more than $96,200* from HAVEN. Koch will be tried in Wasco County on all 26 charges.

Tara Koch, former Executive Director of HAVEN from Domestic and Sexual Violence in The Dalles was arrested Thursday, July 7th, 2022 in Washington County on 26 counts including theft, identity theft and forgery.

Oregon Tradeswomen’s Mary Ann Naylor said it is a perfect time for women and people of color to enter the trade industry. Major projects in the gorge could call for huge demand from skilled professionals. A recent $150,000 grant from Google is opening up opportunities at both state and local levels. “Tell them to be tough-skinned to get through their apprenticeship and the world is your oyster, said local Electrician Brennah Miller, “and you can go anywhere.”

The Climate Resiliency Committee held their first official meeting at The Dalles City Hall at 9 a.m. on July 8th to finalize a regular meeting schedule, elect a chair and finalize the committee’s mission statement.

Clackamas County Sheriff's Office deputies launched a search-and-rescue mission after a climber fell several hundred feet near the Old Chute area of Mt. Hood. The climber was transported off the mountain with serious injuries to an area hospital.

Goldendale Community Days will kick off on Friday night July 8th at 6:30 p.m. on the Klickitat County Courthouse lawn with a celebration of Goldendale’s Sesquicentennial, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of Goldendale’s founding.

State policymakers agreed to fund $2.1 million in drug treatment and behavioral health resources in Wasco County, according to an Oregon Health Authority news release issued today. The policy and money allocations were born out of voter-approved Measure 110, which to date, has allocated approximately $134 million and includes Access to Care (ATC) grant funding.

Columbia Gorge Community College has a new club for students interested in social equality: the EQUAL Club.

On February 9, 2022, Dakota Glenn and another person violently confronted a victim at gunpoint in The Dalles. They ransacked his home, stealing some of the few possessions he had. They took him from his home by threatening him with a gun and forced the victim to accompany them across town.

TD Grad Emily Peterson, AKA Zombie, has surpassed 950 miles on the Pacific Crest Trail but not without some major effort. These past 13 days, she has been through big elevation gains and losses covering 7 mountain passes in six days in just one stretch.

Shoes were poppin’ on the Fourth of July in The Dalles as runners lined up for the Rocket Run at Lewis Clark Festival Park at 7 a.m. Harriers put up some good numbers on a picture-perfect morning against the backdrop of the Columbia River along the Riverfront Trail.

Hundreds gathered for The Dalles Fourth of July parade today at 10 a.m. with a host of events to follow. The celebration will culminate with the fireworks display launched from the center of the Columbia River between the Union Street boat dock and The Dalles Dam tonight at 10 p.m.

“This is the largest show in Oregon,” Horvath said, noting the Blues Festival in downtown Portland would rival it, but not in the size of mortars. “They have more shots but they are not as big as these.”

Alex age 5 and Poppy age 3 participate in First Friday fun in front of Beau Toi Day Spa and Salon on 2nd street downtown The Dalles on July 1st. The theme of this First Friday was Hometown Fourth of July. The event kicked off a weekend of fun leading up to the fireworks display on Monday at 10:00 pm.

A new report from Great Lakes Stakes analyzes UFO and ghost sightings in all 50 states has revealed that Washington is the 3rd most likely state in which supernatural sightings occur.