Wasco County has downgraded Level 1 and Level 2 evacuation notices as the 93,972-acre Grasshopper Fire remains 83% contained and crews prepare for substantial rain.

This Week The Gorge Giggin’ Guide is all about The Labor of Music - You’ve Worked Hard and Now We Get to Celebrate - Make Sure You Put The Guide to Work - So You Don’t Have to! Have Fun and Get Out There!

MCCAC released its annual report today, with a highlight of helping 221 people move from houselessness into permanent housing while expanding shelter, eviction prevention and case management efforts across Wasco, Hood River and Sherman counties in fiscal year 2024-25.

The Dalles Public Library opens September with crafts, music, family programs, Pilates, gaming, improv and more, offering activities for children, teens and adults Sept. 1-5.

Containment of the 93,961-acre Grasshopper Fire has climbed from 76% to 83% as crews secure active areas and prepare for cooler, wetter weather.

After a month of soft openings and training, the D’Avonzos are ready to bring their Goldendale Italian restaurant to the much larger location in downtown The Dalles. Grand opening is set for Tuesday.

Five sun-faded murals at The Dalles roundabout will be refreshed beginning the week of Aug. 31, with new tile work also planned.

Morgan points to years of elected-board experience and collaboration, while Sheppard emphasizes his emergency-services background, affordability and a ground-level approach to representing residents.

A 20-year-old Goldendale man was flown by LifeFlight to OHSU on Aug. 26 after a serious crash on Interstate 84 near The Dalles that blocked the highway for about 2½ hours.

Wasco County commissioners will weigh a long-term endowment Wednesday as residents question whether potentially tens of millions in data center revenue should be locked away for 15 years or partly invested in infrastructure now.

Nine acres donated to the Indian Creek Trail will connect two trail sections, creating more than four miles of continuous pedestrian and bicycle access through Hood River.

The Grasshopper Fire remains at 76% containment and 93,886 acres as crews make progress in the southwest corner and forecasters eye possible rain by Wednesday.

Columbia Center for the Arts will open two exhibitions Friday, Sept. 4, that converge around identity, ecology, and the layered histories of the American West as well as the geological, cultural, and political story of the Columbia River. Both run through Oct. 30 and open with a First Friday reception from 5 to 7 p.m. at the center, located at 215 Cascade Ave.

For residents scattered across roughly 1,000 square miles of south Wasco County, getting to a doctor can mean a long drive. Deschutes Rim Health Clinic is working to make that trip a lot shorter.

Mosier officials update residents on major projects, including a new water well, wastewater plant improvements, the Jacobs Park skatepark, Rock Creek Park and Union Pacific construction.

Ajax Northwest is continuing construction activities for the First Street Streetscape Project on Union Street between West 1st Street and East 2nd Street. Due to unforeseen water utility work encountered during construction, the road closure on Union Street will be extended through Friday, September 4.

Dufur is mourning Cameron Bostick, 21, a former Ranger athlete and beloved football announcer whose passion for sports and community touched those around him.

Critically dry fuels, falling humidity and gusty winds are challenging crews on the 93,794-acre Grasshopper Fire, with worsening fire weather expected Wednesday.

The Summer is Flying by and The Gorge Giggin’ Guide is Keeping Your Music Schedule in Top Gear with Festivals, a Barge-a-Palooza, Summer Nights in the Park, special performances and benefit shows - and more - Have Fun and Get Out There!

If your garden is overflowing, donate your surplus! Food insecurity is at historic highs, and local food banks urgently need fresh, nutritious produce. Whether you donate, glean, help a neighbor, or give financially, your generosity helps nourish our community and keeps good food from going to waste.