Columbia Community Connection was established in 2020 as a local, honest and digital news source providing meaningful stories and articles. CCC News’ primary goal is to inform and elevate all the residents and businesses of the Mid-Columbia Region. A rising tide lifts all boats, hop in!
All in Klickitat County
Despite cool and moist weather yesterday, the fire continued to creep in surface fuels and deep duff layers in the east fork of Herman Creek. Gusty winds and fog prevented aircraft from reconnaissance flights and long-line external cargo missions for equipment backhaul. Water tenders, a hand crew, and a group of sawyers successfully secured the nearby Knebal Fire and returned to the Whisky Creek Fire.
The Sense of Place program announces the Bingen Centennial Gameshow, an interactive event to celebrate a century of history, community spirit, and Bingen locals. Hosted by Sarah Fox of Sense of Place, the event swaps traditional festivities for a lively mix of storytelling, trivia, and friendly competition.
The Greater Goldendale Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to announce a pivotal Townhall meeting aimed at achieving the aspiration of having Goldendale officially recognized and certified by the State of Washington as a Creative District.
“We’re so excited to finally have this project in place and ready for our families to start using!” said Mayor Marla Keethler. “The splash pad was a park improvement that was included in the city’s 2022 Park System Plan update and received broad community support."
Complex Incident Management Team Northwest 13, which has been managing the Williams Mine Fire since August 9th, will transfer command of the incident tonight at 6:00 p.m. The fire will be managed by a local Type 3 Incident Management organization predominantly assembled from the local area.
All direct lines are now established and in place around the southern fire perimeter. Mop-up operations will continue until these lines no longer pose a threat to perimeter security. Significant operational effort has been put in on the south end of the fire protecting values at risk and fire managers feel great progress has been made in meeting these community objectives.
Returning for a third year, El Grito will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month on the Washington side of the Gorge on Sunday, September 15, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Rhinegarten Park in White Salmon. Admission is free, and the event is open to all.
North of Trout Lake, crews and equipment continue to strengthen primary direct containment lines, and additional resources are on the scene to assist with secondary alternate lines, in the event they are needed. Ongoing mop-up operations, where firefighters search, dig out, and extinguish hotspots, will continue through the next several days on the southern perimeter.
The lightning-caused fire has been burning since Monday in heavy timber and took off on Tuesday, Aug. 6 when winds sent embers ahead spotting new fires.
Today, efforts to manage the fire will transition back to local agencies. Line crews and equipment will start being released. Many resources will be reassigned to support other fires in the area, while others will return to their home units.
“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.
