“Yesterday, crews concluded their last evening of night shift patrol. Crews monitored the fire lines watching for anything smoking or smoldering. Pine Creek had some smoke, but it was well interior of the fire with the fire edge still holding strong,” reported Hannah Cleverly with the SE Washington Inter-Agency Team.

As of July 25, more than 1 million acres are estimated to have burned in Oregon as megafires at more than 100,000 acres are burning in three locations in the eastern part of the state.

Preventing financial stress for rural families was a primary goal of the recent Financial Wellness Fair series put on by Community Enrichment for Klickitat County (CEKC) and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) with the help of area partners. Over 200 people participated.

As of 7/23/2024 at 12:30 PM and most current:  

Level 3 "GO NOW" for North of Alder Creek, West to Crider Valley, East to Peterson; and from East Road to Sand Ridge Rd to the East and Alder Creek south to the  Columbia River.  

Level 2 "GET SET" for Middle Rd to the West, Coleman Rd to the North, Klickitat  County Line to the East; and from Sand Ridge Rd to the Klickitat County Line. 

Level 1 "GET READY" Evacuation for North of Coleman Rd to Stegeman and Van Horn,  West to East Rd, East to Klickitat County Line.

“Sheriff Songer was evaluated at Klickitat Valley Health and was eventually transported to a Portland hospital for further treatment and evaluation. Sheriff Songer will likely be released to come home within the next few days,” said Klickitat Undersheriff Carmen Knopes.

In a move planned nearly two years ago, the Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) Board of Directors announced that Jennifer Pauletto will be the new executive director as of July 1, 2024. Juan Reyes has been selected to join her as the new associate director.

In anticipation of this summer’s dangerously hot temperatures and wildfire smoke events, Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative partners will have free cooling kits available for houseless residents. They have also compiled lists of local sites where people may seek safety when life-threatening conditions set in.

One year after a serious patrol vehicle collision, Washington State Trooper Anthony Maton continues to recover. On May 29, 2024, Washington State Police Chief John R. Batiste presented Life Saving Awards to Deputies Randy Wells, Chance Leroue, Dustin Vorce, and citizen Colby Cain for their swift actions during the incident.

Attention teens! Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries (FVLR) are having a festival of teen-created films! Submissions will be accepted June 15 - August 15, 2024. And a film premiere will be held September 20, 2024 at 6 p.m. at Cascade Park Community Library and online.

Klickitat County Commissioners have decided to form a new County Department of Corrections which would oversee operational changes and improvement to Klickitat County Jail. Including appointments of a Jail Administrator to run and operate the jail and the establishment of a medical clinic on site. The new Jail Administrator will report directly to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer has opposed the decision.

Over 350 students will experience Water Jam 2024 on May 30 & 31 at Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery in Underwood, WA. Water Jam is an annual culminating experience for students rearing salmon in their classrooms on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) recently released an analysis based on Bank Secrecy Act reports that indicate in a one-year period, from 2022 to 2023, financial institutions reported roughly $27 billion in suspicious activity related to elder financial exploitation.

Jim Daniel, a 24-year resident of Goldendale, has joined the crowded primary race for Washington State Governor as a moderate Republican, vying with 27 others for a spot on the general election ballot.

Summit Cedar Mill, located in Dallesport, experienced a significant fire yesterday that started around 3:00 p.m. The fire, initially triggered by one of the mill’s trucks catching fire, quickly spread due to high winds, igniting nearby stacks of wood.

Mauro Faulha, 28, from Portugal, recently made the trip to the United States from the Azore Islands as he and his pit crew are preparing to get this Hyundai Rally Ready for the Oregon Trail Rally set to take place this weekend in and around both Goldendale and The Dalles.

The Skyline Health Foundation has awarded Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) $8,000 as part of its 2024 Community Health Grant, which supports non-profit organizations within the Columbia River Gorge that work to improve the health and well-being of the community within its service area. 

Seeing the Northern Lights this well usually requires a trip to high latitudes in Alaska or Scandinavian countries, and even then might not be so well observed. This was a Bucket List item I hoped I would live long enough to see. And this was in my backyard!

On the morning of Sunday May 5, Klickitat County Sheriff’s Deputy and Undersheriff, Tim Neher was seriously injured after being struck on the head with a hammer by a male subject, identified as Christian Ray Smith, age 31, after responding to reports of a male subject having a psychotic episode at Red Barn RV Park in Dallesport.

The skies over Klickitat County will see a notable absence after May 1, 2024, as Doug Herlihy, also known as "Air-1," has retired from the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office Airwing. For twenty years, Herlihy has piloted his yellow Piper Cub, logging over 1,411 hours of his impressive 19,000 career flight hours in service to the county.

The East Houseless Task Force is hosting a volunteer cleanup of Ekone Park in Goldendale on Saturday, May 11. The event begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at noon, everyone is invited to participate.