Country Insurance and Arturos Jewelry Repair as well as multiple other shop spaces near Sahara Pizza in The Dalles were destroyed in a heavy blaze that started around 1 p.m. this morning, May 11. It was the second fire at the location in the past 3 and a half months.

Through the mud and pouring rain in Milwaukie on May 7, the team got to see the view from the podium several times, racing tough while anticipating districts next week. Both men’s and women’s teams placed second. Riverhawks are headed to Prineville for the Intermountain Conference District Meet on Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14.

Just a fledgling business some 12 years ago, Dirt Hugger now boasts 32 employees, a retail and industrial site, and it is pulling 55,000 tons of green waste from local landfills, providing major reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions through a reduction in methane in the Gorge. If you’re not buying their products, maybe, you should be.

Read the poetry of Stud Walker in this week’s local poetry spotlight.

More than 30 downtown businesses in The Dalles are pairing up with food and beverage businesses tonight, May 6, to bring locals a Taste of the Gorge. Beer, wine, meats, cheese, guitars and even hat contests are on tap as TD comes alive for First Friday in its second rendition. Grab your appetite and a lust for fun. And see you there!

The 8th annual Oregon STEM Week is happening from May 14-22, 2022. STEM week is a week-long celebration of all things STE(A)M happening across Oregon and throughout the Columbia River Gorge!

Billy Bob Thornton is just the tip of the iceberg this week in local entertainment. TD kicks of its First Friday tonight at 5 p.m. with more than 20 businesses participating and music events abound in the Gorge. Read about all your choices here as well as upcoming shows. They include Bingen Theatre, Discovery Center, Bargeway Pub, Maupin Daze, Zim’s, The Pines, Red Carpet, River City Saloon, Ruins, Everybody’s Brewing, Double Mountain, TD Civic, Working Hands Beer, White Salmon Library, Goldendale.

TDHS Girls Soccer kicking some philanthropy into gear. Recent goals include donation of jerseys to Rwanda children and preparing for a free soccer camp in The Dalles for this summer. These photos of Rwandan children playing soccer in TDHS jerseys are priceless. Nice work girls and hats off to coach Colby Tonn!

KIWANIS PROGRAMS: Kiwanis meetings are held every Thursday at noon at Spooky’s and visitors are welcome. This week’s events include:

The Dalles Booster Club will hold its 2nd Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on May 14th at The Dalles Civic Auditorium. Athletes from several generations will be inducted. From Donita Huskey to Johnny Lundell. Read about them all here.

TDHS grad Emily Peterson, Class of 2017, is off and hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail. The 23-year-old went alone but has already fallen in with a fast group of friends and encountered trail angels with spaghetti and Gatorade at the end of a hot 10-mile day that turned her water the temperature of hot tea.

On April 28, 2022, Judge John Wolf and attorney Caleb Berthelsen spoke before the Hood River Rotary Club at a forum moderated by Senior Judge Paul Crowley. Both are candidates for judicial position 4 in Oregon’s Seventh Judicial District, a position held by Wolf since 2011.

To help you select our future community leaders, CCCNews has reached out to all candidates to get the inside scoop on who is best suited to serve our communities.

The 33rd Annual Community Clean Up will take place the first Saturday of May. The Dalles residents are encouraged to join in our annual spring cleaning event on Saturday, May 7, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Wasco County Commissioners Meeting will hold their regularly scheduled meeting on May 4th, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. in person and online. This weeks meeting will include a presentation of MCEDD’s 2022-2023 economic goals, Center for Living’s request for services, and a 4-H Service District meeting to discuss google dollars.

Last week, however, at The Dalles’ final home meet and at the Dean Nice invitational in Gresham on April 29 - all eyes were on Zoe Dunn’s outstanding triple jump, which smashed her personal record by nearly three feet and obliterated the school record set by Sharon Engle in 1998.

Collectively, this group will meet to discuss issues and needs such as safety, security, accessibility, capacity and overall facility needs to help identify and prioritize capital improvement projects.

Read the poetry of Beth Slowick in this week’s local poetry spotlight.

The Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance, once a standalone organization, is now a program of The Next Door.