Members of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative are preparing for the 2023 Point in Time (PIT) Count, which will take place in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties between Monday, January 23rd—Friday, January 27th. 

A recent TD Planning decision to reduce a proposed RV park from 26 spaces to 9 in West The Dalles has developers reconsidering whether the project is still financially viable.

In the settlement, announced by The Oregonian on Dec. 14, The Dalles agreed to provide public access to 10 years of data on Google’s water use and to honor future records requests.

If you’re considering a cannabis career, or your profession involves the emerging cannabis industry in other ways, Columbia Gorge Community College now offers the skills for success.

U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley held an in-person town hall at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center in The Dalles, OR on Friday, January 13th, from 1-2 p.m. Many community members were in attendance and asked questions on a number of topics including housing, healthcare, minimum wage, the disappearance of town halls across the nation, the January 6th insurrection and more.

The eagles have landed! Join U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) park rangers at The Dalles Dam Visitor Center Jan. 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to catch a glimpse of bald eagles that congregate near the dam every winter in search of food.

The Wasco County District Attorney's office will no longer seek “harmful” and “discriminatory” monetary sanctions such as court fees, and fines, and will work to minimize the collateral consequences of legal system involvement.

Federal funding to stabilize people during the COVID-19 public health emergency is set to run out. This reduction will affect some 300,000 people utilizing the Oregon Health Plan who will no longer qualify. In addition, extended long-term support, providing extra food benefits are also coming to an end. Find out what to do here.

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) will increase the maximum loan limit for the Oregon Veteran Home Loan for 2023, conforming to loan limits for mortgages set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). ODVA will now accept loans up to the new maximum loan amount of $726,200, an increase of $79,000 from $647,200 in 2022, for funding on or after January 1, 2023. 

Senator Jeff Merkley has announced in-person town halls for Wasco, Hood River, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow, Lincoln, Tillamook, and Clatsop counties.

Poker Tournament and Silent Auction on tap at Bargeway Pub as locals pull together to fundraise for Luis Flores who has been stricken with debilitating medical issues. The event is set for Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Bargeway event site on the west side of the restaurant and pub. Read here for more details.

Games abound in this week’s round-up of local social events, music offerings and local shows. Scrabble, pool and poker options sit along side productions such as Dancing with the Gorge Stars at The Dalles High School Auditorium or “Ripchord” at the Bingen Theater.

People are being trafficked every day throughout the world and even here in your own home town. Do you know how to identify a trafficked victim? Read this story to learn the signs.

This year’s regional history forum series includes presentations on the geology of the Columbia River Gorge, local vineyards and wineries, Eleanor Borg, and Fort Dalles.

In this edition of her column Living Well, Donna Henderson, LCSW, psychotherapist, artist and writer based in Maupin, South Wasco County shares the downlow on how shame might be holding you back from success and tips on how to set successful New Year’s Resolutions.

Goldendale City Council approved $1,700 in tourism funding for Goldendale’s 3rd annual LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration which has drawn hundreds of people from around the region two years in a row. But not before one councilor called the Pride event an attempt to erode and destroy traditional values and morals. 

I hit 183 pounds this winter, and I thought a fight with my stomach might help me out. Well, kinda. But I’m still 183 pounds. Oh, and 5’5. I lost a few inches over the years. It got me thinking. Not about the extra weight, but why?  I came up with this, Move. It’s my one-word anthem for the year - move. Anyways, the thought prompted this question of the week as we are six days into the new year. What is your focus for 2023? In one word. 

Comedy, music, a fundraiser for a friend. It’s all happening in the Gorge. Check out our latest listings here.

Winter sports are underway at The Dalles High School. Senior Wrestler Maisie Bandel Ramirez won the 130 lb. title at Girls Pendleton Red Lion Invitational on the December 21st and TDHS’s girls and boys varsity basketball teams both won their games against Pendleton yesterday, January 4th.

Another move downtown has the commercial district shaking. The Salvation Army is headed east to a leased building on Second Street and their old digs are up for sale for $1.65 million. The 0.29-acre lot with 24,000 square feet of building space and 10,000 square feet of parking provides a lot of potential to a would-be investor. Housing, restaurants, food carts? Who knows. Time will tell.