From aerospace engineer to craft brewing pioneer, Matt Swihart’s path to founding Double Mountain Brewery was anything but ordinary. In a recent appearance on the CCC News Podcast, Swihart shared his story of how passion, persistence, and a touch of rebellion shaped one of Hood River’s most beloved breweries and pubs.

It is the end of an era for Second Hand Rose, the community thrift store in Bingen operated by Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP). The store, which was already undergoing a remodel to downsize, has officially received notice from the WAGAP Board of Directors, which voted unanimously in June to permanently close the space.

Fed creates new $16 billion fund for Local farmers and ranchers impacted by wildfires, drought and other natural disasters in 2023 and 2024. You can now apply for federal assistance through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Disaster Relief Program.

Oregon State University Extension Service has launched a new Columbia Gorge Food Security Survey to better understand community needs and guide future food-related programs across the region.

Thoughts from the Tractor Seat: Labor in Limbo

From early-morning runs to late-night fireworks over the Columbia, Gorge communities are celebrating Independence Day with full-day schedules of family-friendly festivities on Thursday, July 4. Whether you're in The Dalles or Stevenson, there’s a celebration nearby for everyone.

Today we speak with "Burton," a 25-year military veteran living with severe PTSD, about his powerful healing journey with psilocybin. Burton shares his transformation—from an angry, unstable, and deeply struggling existence to becoming a calmer, more peaceful version of himself. The psilocybin sessions he experienced at Vital Reset in Hood River reshaped his life in ways that pharmaceuticals and traditional therapy could not. Join us for a deep dive into this raw and profound story of trauma, hope, and healing.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the American dollar. Not the paper itself, but the worth behind it. What should a dollar really be? What should it buy? What does it stand for? From where I sit—on a tractor seat in the cherry orchards of The Dalles—there’s a growing sense that a dollar just doesn’t stretch like it used to. Inputs are up. Groceries are up. Fuel is up. And while prices climb, the value of hard work seems to shrink.

Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is launching the Driving Leadership Scholarship, a new opportunity designed to support young leaders from low-income households in Klickitat and Skamania Counties by removing transportation as a key barrier to growth.

As I sit here on my tractor seat, the view stretches far beyond my orchard rows. These days, the pressures on family farms stretch just as far—across state lines, trade routes, and policy halls.

The Conservation Fund preserved more than five miles of vital riparian habitat along the White Salmon River by purchasing 174 acres of land above the former Condit Dam from PacifiCorp.

Seven new lots appeared on paper—no hearings, no public notice, just a survey tied to a 1954 map. For decades, Klickitat County may have quietly redrawn its landscape one boundary at a time, raising questions about oversight, legality, and the future of rural development

Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) has connected with the Weatherization Assistance Program through the Northwest Community Action Center (NCAC), a division of the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, to help households improve energy efficiency. 

Curt Gray is ending his working career on a high note, after stepping down this month from his role as the Skamania County Housing Department Coordinator for Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP). 

Klickitat County Sheriff’s Deputy Vehicle Collision on Hwy 14, May 21

When the U.S. government slapped tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum in 2018—25% on steel and 10% on aluminum—it didn’t take long for the blowback to hit American farmers.

Curious about the ever-expanding alphabet that describes the queer community? Feel shy about asking a sensitive question? Concerned about the safety of people in your life with diverse identities? Just want to know more? This is the event for you.

Nearly 40 percent of residents in Klickitat and Skamania counties are served by Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP). While poverty has been on the decline since 2015, rates are still higher than the rest of the state, and gaps in income inequality are increasing.

Starting this August, residents around the Columbia River Gorge will have a unique opportunity to learn whitewater hard-shell kayaking for no cost this summer, thanks to a kayak progression program aimed at diversifying paddle sports in the region.

Join us for a conversation with Erinn Quinn & Leah Becknell as they talk with us about the switch to 988, accessing mental health services in Klickitat County and keeping your head space out of the gutter. For more information or to chat with mental health support, call 988 or visit: https://988lifeline.org/