Play & Learn at Home has installed a free children’s lending library to promote literacy, parent engagement, community and family well-being at 409 Lincoln St in downtown The Dalles

Wasco County Commissioners declared April 2- 8, 2024 as dark sky week in Wasco County, in honor of International Dark Sky Week. The proclamation calls Oregon’s dark skies a “significant natural resource” and draws attention to the importance of mitigating light pollution. 

The Dalles High schoolers got half the day off of school on Feb 23 to accommodate TD’s Middle School Fly Up Day and some of those high schoolers chose to spend the day volunteering to better their community.

On March 13, 2024, the City of The Dalles and Wasco County will host a free Disaster Movie Marathon at Columbia Cinema, located at 2727 W 7th St. in The Dalles. Members of the public are invited to watch a variety of disaster-themed movies, enjoy free snacks, prizes and take part in a community survey on disaster prepardeness.

After being closed since October 1, 2023, due to financial challenges, Wonderworks Children's Museum has announced that it will reopen to the public on March 27, 2024. The museum is still in search of additional donations, funding, and volunteers to help with daily operations, so the museum will be reopened in phases.

The Dalles Wasco County Public Library will host a “Treasure Island” community read this March 2024. Community members can pick up a free copy of the book and enjoy a month of pirate themed events celebrating Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel.

ODFW’s recreation report shows steelhead being caught on the Hood River and also announced initial dates for the Columbia River Spring Chinook season.

Columbia Gorge Tech Alliance will host “3-2-1 LIFTOFF!” a presentation from NASA Astronaut Col. Jeffrey Williams on Thursday, March 21, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hood River Middle School, located at 1602 May Street, Hood River, Oregon, 

The March 17 deadline to enter your best photos into Friends of The Gorge’s ninth annual photo contest, "GorgeGram: Framed in Beauty," is quickly approaching!

Mid-Columbia Community Concert Association is pleased to present Nic + Desi, on Thursday, March 7th at The Dalles Civic Auditorium. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. with the Civic’s Club 22 providing food and drinks for purchase. The show begins at 7:00 pm. 

Nearly 80 individuals joined a Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative meeting on February 13 to learn about progress made toward its goals during 2023, review strategic plan updates, and get an overview of key activities and projects planned for 2024. One highlight was the connections the group is making in the region.

This March, Gorge residents can satisfy their cravings for delicious grilled cheese and support a worthy cause with Columbia Gorge Food Bank’s first annual Great Gorge Melt! Participating restaurants in Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman Counties are teaming up to offer delicious grilled cheese sandwiches, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Columbia Gorge Food Bank to aid hunger relief efforts throughout the Gorge. 

This weekend, Hood River did something pretty cool — literally. For the first time, many folks took the Polar Plunge into the Columbia River, to raise over $6,500 for the Special Olympics. It was all hands on deck, with the local program coordinator leading the charge, getting everyone excited to dive into the freezing water for a great reason.

Arturo Leyva is back with his second El Sabor del Gorge column to talk tortas, the slang meaning of the word torta, and his high school days in Michoacán.

The first days of spring are starting to show here in the Dalles and it was a perfect day to spend outside. It was a warm day at the skate park on Feb. 23, when Landon Haynes, 15, Dufur was spotted grinding and flipping on his skateboard. There were many other kids there, but Landon was the most excited to show off his tricks.

Now in its 14th season, the popular Sense of Place series has announced the launch of Sense of Place Pop-Ups. These events will bring the unique Sense of Place programs to locations throughout the Gorge, beginning with a Pop-Up at The Columbia Gorge Discovery Center on March 21, 2024, with wildlife biologist, Dr. Jocelyn Akins.

Get ready for an epic roller derby showdown at the Gorge Roller Derby Double Header on February 24, 2024!

“Give for the Gorge was created to help ensure that the Columbia River Gorge and its communities are preserved for future generations of visitors and residents,” said founder and project manager, Sandi Scheinberg. “It will provide a much-needed, ongoing source of funding to eight incredible Gorge-area nonprofits focused on the three areas of greatest need in the Gorge: housing, food security and the environment.”

Artists are invited to compete in one or all three of ODFW's 2025 stamp art competitions. The winning artist in each contest receives a $2,000 award and winning artwork is used to produce collector's stamps and other promotional items with sale proceeds benefitting Oregon's fish, wildlife, and their habitats.

Ana Rivera owns and operates two childcare sites in The Dalles, one site is for infants and toddlers age 2-3 while the other is for preschoolers age 3-5 and she’s working to expand her services in the coming months.