Not long ago, we talked about how fragile America’s food system has become. Farmers and ranchers face growing challenges — from water regulations and rising input costs to corporate consolidation and uncertain markets. Yet one thing hasn’t changed: when farmers and rural communities stand together, we are stronger.

Youth programs are the focus of White Salmon-Bingen Rotary Club Foundation’s fourth annual Koroga fundraiser. The event will be held on Sunday, October 5, at a private residence on top of Strawberry Mountain overlooking the Columbia River Gorge from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The club hopes to raise $15,000.

Mt. Adams Institute’s Sense of Place event  series returns this fall with its 16th season. The season will launch with Woven in Place: A Rancher’s Journey from Sheep to Fashion and the Olympics on October 8 at Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River, OR. 

Not long ago, America was the breadbasket of the world. Our fields and orchards fed not only our own people, but millions overseas. When ships left the Pacific Northwest loaded with cherries, apples, wheat, and pears, we knew the world was waiting for what we grew.

On 9/6/2025 Deputies responded to a “psychotic episode” call. It was reported to them that the subject of the call, a 27-year-old male, had kicked his mother and was allegedly high on drugs including LSD, Ketamine and a large amount of Marijuana.

Not that long ago—within the lifetime of folks still living in Wasco and Sherman Counties—the farm fields echoed with the steady clop of draft horses. Harness jingled at dawn, sweat darkened their hides by noon, and at day’s end the team pulled the wagon home. It was the rhythm of farm life.

The much-anticipated Stevenson Mushroom Festival returns for its second year, promising a weekend of mushroom-themed adventure, culinary delights, and community celebration in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge.

Prevention organizations in Klickitat County are coming together to host free events for parents, focusing on creating tech-healthy families. K-Link Collaborative, Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition, and the Coalition Preventing Abuse in Klickitat County (CPAKC) work to create safe teen cultures, safe spaces, and community education in efforts to reduce youth access to substances throughout Klickitat County.

The Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office announced the addition of new staff members and the upcoming swearing-in of its newest K-9, marking a period of growth and expanded services for the department.

Columbia River Gorge, OR & WA. Born during the early days of the pandemic, the Gorge Farmer Collective (GFC) has become a trusted local food source for hundreds of families, allowing customers to source local foods from dozens of farms online with one easy click.

Thoughts from the Tractor Seat: A Timeline of Trouble, How Our Farms Got Here

For the fourth year in a row, the Washington side of the Gorge will kick off Hispanic Heritage Month with El Grito, a cultural celebration open to all community members. Admission is free and the event will be held on Sunday, September 14, from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Rheingarten Park in White Salmon. 

It pains me to read about people starving in countries in Africa and in Gaza. News is overwhelming. Besides human suffering, many pets are devastated. Local posts on Facebook and other social media do a noble job of alerting us to lost pets or those needing new homes.

Construction is set to begin the week of August 18 (delayed from the intended start day of July 28) on critical water infrastructure upgrades along Spring Street and North Main Avenue. This work marks the start of the North Main Booster Pump Station Project, a major investment in White Salmon’s water system designed to improve both everyday water service and emergency fire flow capacity for residents in the North Main/Simmons Road pressure zone.

With temperatures expected to exceed 100 degrees this week, we encourage the public to take steps to avoid heat-related illness. During severe weather events, supply bundles are available for those in need at The Gloria Center in The Dalles at 2505 W. 7th St. during regular business hours.

Operations at the City of The Dalles Wastewater Treatment Plant are improving, but are not yet back in compliance after a recent plant upset that resulted in discharge to the Columbia River of treated wastewater exceeding the plant’s limit for E. coli. Wastewater treatment staff are working hard to restore the biological balance so that the plant can quickly return to normal operations.

The 2025 Northwest cherry harvest is wrapping up. The trees gave us some of the best fruit we’ve seen in years—firm, sweet, and picture-perfect. But once again, growers across the region are left shaking their heads and tightening their belts. Because what came in the paycheck didn’t reflect the quality of the crop.

For the last several months, The Next Door Inc.’s (TNDI) bilingual Marketing Coordinator and staff members have collaborated to develop TNDI’s first fully translated website in Spanish. TNDI is proud to announce that Spanish-speaking community members and partners can now learn more about The Next Door and its programs at www.nextdoorincespanol.org! 

Empty Bowls fundraiser returns Sept. 26 to fight hunger in the Gorge The event will be held at the CGFB warehouse, 3525 Crates Way in The Dalles. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 7 p.m.

Firefighters continued to gain ground Tuesday on the Burdoin Fire, which is now 69% contained and measured at 11,192 acres following more accurate mapping. Crews are reinforcing firelines across rugged terrain and have begun shifting to patrol, repair, and recovery work in several divisions. Meanwhile, the Snyder Canyon Fire remains fully contained at 53 acres and is under regular patrol.