Wonderworks Children’s Museum is up and running again and the agencies future is looking brighter than ever thanks to multiple grant awards totaling $110,000.  

This year more children in Hood River and Wasco Counties will start the year with books thanks to First Book of Hood River and Wasco County. Keep reading to find out how to recieve books or particpate in this years challenge for local book clubs.

The couple had been searching for the right spot for more than two years when the former Pho Saigon restaurant space in The Dalles came up for rent. “We saw this location through social media,” Deepak Bamba said. The restaurant is centrally located in town and has excellent visibility in the business core in the retail level of the Commodore II apartments. The building is inviting with easy pedestrian access. “We very much liked it, right away.”

Did you know that when you hear something negative, your brain is wired to react to it even if it affects you negatively later? Donna Henderson offers us some interesting insight into this completely normal human response and then shows us a way to own it.

Lloyd DeKay of White Salmon will concentrate on the Ice Age Floods that developed some of the geologic wonders and beauty we marvel at today. The History forum will take place Feb. 4, at the Original Courthouse in The Dalles at 1:30 p.m. The stunning beauty of the Columbia River Gorge is the result of 50 million years of volcanic arc eruptions, massive fissure eruptions of flood basalts, catastrophic sediment-saturated Ice Age Floods, huge landslides, and massive earthquakes.  

Chunks of ice and snow could be seen floating out into the Columbia River from the mouth of the Klickitat River this morning.

For two decades, the Celilo Center’s oncology service has been a game changer for locals staring down a fight with cancer. That will end on Feb. 28 as MCMC is stopping oncology treatment due to staffing issues. Locals seeking chemotherapy and immunotherapy will now have to find treatment elsewhere, which will require the sick to travel to Portland, Vancouver, Wash., Yakima, Tri-Cities, or Bend.

The Next Door Inc. is pleased to announce its 2023 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) workshops! A selection of popular ‘foundational’ DEI workshops are back, including: Latino Outreach, LGBTQIA2S+ Outreach, and Plain Language.

Gregory “Greg” Payne was awarded a Quilt of Valor by the Wasco County Sheriff’s Office on behalf of The Quilts of Valor Foundation on January 23rd, 2022 at the Oregon Veterans Home in The Dalles, Oregon. Several OVH staff, officers, and servicemen from the community gathered to witness the presentation. 

Meet some of the members of MCHTTF and learn more about the vital work they perform to ensure the protection of victims, prosecution of offenders, and prevention of all forms of human trafficking through effective coordinated partnerships in the Mid-Columbia.

Mark Connelly, 60, of Portland operates a backhoe while crews break up a cinderblock building, removing metal from the block in The Dalles on Jan. 24. The demolition of the burned-out structure is at 1002, 1004 and 1006, W. 6th Street. It is across the street from Habitat for Humanities ReStore.

FLP’s report documenting its investigation of former TD Police Officer Jeffrey Kienlen includes accounts from and about people harmed by him over the years. Their stories feature descriptions of disproportionate aggression by Kienlen, hostility toward people he engaged with, and a disregard for City of The Dalles Police Department policies, including policies on the use of force, encounters with people in mental health crisis, unholstering firearms, and using Tasers.

My predictions for Best Picture? It’s a tough call. While Everything Everywhere All at Once leads the pack in the number of nominations (11 in total), this is, historically, an uneven indicator as to whether it will win, and in the last few years, results have actually gone the other direction. So we can’t count out Banshees of Inisherin, The Fabelmans, Triangle of Sadness, or even Tár for that matter–though.

Take your pick. From Pink Martini to Nerve Damage. From Lord of the Rings to Saturday Night Fever. Fun facts, bad movie jokes and secret salsa are all part of the gamut this week in the Gorge’s most inclusive listing of entertainment options, including country and western. You can’t go if you don’t know. Check it all out here.

Hydro agreed to plead guilty to negligent endangerment when it melted scrap aluminum coated in a mineral-oil-based mixture that, when combusted, produced hazardous smoke to its employees and the community. It occurred between 2018 and 2019. As part of its plea agreement, Hydro has agreed to pay $550,125 prior to sentencing in April.

Food is a global issue with local impact. During the pandemic, emergency allotments helped keep households and 42 million Americans afloat by providing a 15% increase in food benefits. Now that those allotments are ending experts warn that the decrease in food benefits, climate change and international conflict will exacerbate the issues of hunger, food shortages, and food costs both locally and around the world.

The Mendoza family is working toward a dream with Columbia Gorge Habitat For Humanity. The 3-bedroom, 2-bath Habitat home in The Dalles is nearing completion, and Rey Mendoza and Veronica Gonzalez are looking forward to move-in day.

The Lyle School District is asking voters to approve a three-year replacement levy that would maintain current funding levels while reducing the proposed rate per $1,000. The levy, which would be in effect from 2024 to 2026, would fund staff positions, athletics, music, art, classroom supplies, coaches, and bus service outside of what the state funds.

This is the second time the Pioneer Building has sold in the past 17 months. The latest price for the 13,374-square-foot building was $750,000 according to Wasco County property records dated September 23, 2022. That’s up $250,000 from the last sale in April 2021 to Wise Rentals LLC. 

Dr. Marta Yera Cronin, president of Columbia Gorge Community College announced her resignation effective June 30, 2023. CCCNews learned of the resignation earlier this week through rumors and requested an interview to discuss her departure and the current status of the college in regard to transition, enrollment and finances. No dice.