It ain’t over, ‘til it’s over. Come on people, dig in grab that pen and get after it. It’s election day! A day that people in autocratic nations can only dream about. Choice - you get to make a choice - you get to have power over the future of how things will turn out by putting the power in the hands of those you prefer. It’s unusual, and it’s awesome. Grab that pen. Feel that power!

Do you still need some information on candidates? Read CCCNews Meet the Candidates by clicking here.

Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance has announced that they’ll be kicking off LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Month 2023 with 30 Days of Gay events throughout the Columbia River Gorge.

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office and Hood River City Police responded to a drowning at the Hood River Marina on Friday, May 12th, 2023. The remains of a Hood River man were recovered from the Marina the following day.

When officers arrived, Troopers estimated that a crowd of more than 100 were gathered in the Rowena Crest Parking lot as 50 sports cars and their drivers were “racing and burning out their tires on US 30 and in the parking lot.”

Downtown White Salmon was filled with energy and excitement on May 13th, 2023, as local businesses, winemakers, and the White Salmon Arts Council joined forces to organize the White Salmon Wine Walk. The event was held in celebration of the White Salmon Wildflower Festival, and it attracted a bustling crowd from 3 to 8 p.m.

Have you seen them? They wear a lot of chartreuse and they have long handles with thumbs. They’re pretty cool, and they’re keeping it clean.

Hood River Library’s First Comic Con event, organized by the Teen Council, Rachel Timmons, Teen Librarian and other library staff brought nearly 70 people out to participate in costume contests, performance, a zine making workshop, a free comic giveaway, button making, game playing, a photo booth and more!

Writer/director James Gunn understands what makes these kinds of comic book stories compelling and what gives them stakes: a group of misfits comes together to form a kind of family, where each member is stronger together, and their concern for each other is their strength. They’re kind of losers, and that’s great!

“Award Winning Artist Trent Beaver is known as one of the Pacific Northwest’s premier singer-songwriters and he is playing the Bargeway Pub in TD tonight, May 12 starting at 7:00 p.m. It’s just one of many jams to happen this weekend as temps tip into the 90s calling for cutoffs, tanktops and margaritas. Check it all out here with the Gorge’s Prolific One Jim Drake.

The Dalles Art Center has hired a new executive director, Sally Johnson. Volunteering since March 2023 as interim director and leading a successful financial sustainability plan for The Dalles Art Center with the board of directors, Johnson moves into the permanent role.

The City of Hood River, in collaboration with the Urban Renewal Agency Board (URAB), is making progress in refining the design for the Heights Streetscapes project. Following feedback from community partners and public input, a hybrid design has been selected as the preferred alternative. This design entails a new roundabout, a new traffic light, the closing of Belmont between 12th and 13th, one-way traffic and a bike path on 12th Street, and two-way traffic on 13th Street.

The Dalles Middle School Music and Theater Department presents Disney’s Moana JR. at The Dalles Middle School on Friday and Saturday, May 12-13, 2023 and Friday and Saturday, May 19-20, 2023. The 90-minute musical adventure, designed for middle school-aged performers, is based on the 2016 Disney film Moana. The seventh and eighth grade cast and crew includes 45 students led by TDMS Music Teacher, Leslie Sullivan.

Set in an old car-wash, in downtown White Salmon, this newly repurposed space may just become your new go-to destination for all things home goods and furniture.

The driver of a white Chevrolet pickup was reported driving westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-84 east of The Dalles at 4:11 a.m. The log states that the pickup was traveling at 40 to 45 miles per hour.

Multiple threats in rural Eastern Washington sent schools into lockdowns this afternoon, including schools in White Salmon and Stevenson. While the threat was debunked, lockdown procedures were followed including alerts to parents which created a brief but horrifying panic.

We tip our hats to all who have thrown their hat in the ring or are continuing to serve on a board to support their neighbors and lift up their communities. Thank you. Contested races are for positions in North Wasco County School District, Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue, Dufur School District, South Wasco County School District, Mosier Fire District and Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation. Election day is May 16.

The meeting held at City Hall drew about 25 audience members, 19 in person, and brought comments from seven different neighbors. Some were concerned The Dalles was going the way of Hood River who logged numerous complaints about short-term rentals until changes were made in their codes. 

With 16 races, 61 candidates, and a school levy to research, there is much to weigh before the Hood River County Special Election on May 16th.

The Wasco County Pioneer Association held a successful gathering in The Dalles at St. Mary’s Academy on Saturday, May 6, complete with a salmon and ham lunch and the announcement of its top volunteers. Want to know what follow-through and commitment and cool old photos look like, click here.