Work will begin soon to replace the existing Tree Top Playground at Sorosis Park in The Dalles. The last day for public access to the playground is Wednesday, September 25. On Thursday, September 26, temporary fencing will be installed around the perimeter of the playground site to promote safety and limit access to the site.

Studies show that children who learn to read early have a much more likely chance of achieving greater success in their later education as well as in the workforce. Local nonprofit Books for Kids Columbia Gorge is on a mission to increase education equity by providing children in Hood River, Wasco, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties with books to keep as their own and is now embarking on a goal to raise $15,000.

The event will be held at Sorosis Park in The Dalles. Nancy Richardson reports that more than 80 players will be competing on Saturday, Sept. 21. Action starts at 8 a.m.

Maisy Smith, 5, of The Dalles, lands on her feet to chase after her sister Audrey, 9, this morning at Tree Top Play Park at Sorosis Park. The park will be dismantled in days to come to make way for a brand new play park that will be constructed this fall.

The Former Director of Haven accused of stealing more than $96,000 from the shelter for domestic and sexual violence is asking 10 of her 26 charges be dismissed because she did not try to hide the theft on credit cards and checks.

Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue Chief set to retire in December. Bob Palmer started with The Dalles Fire Department in 1980 and was an integral player in merging two districts into the fire service we have today that serves 120 square miles and takes some 3,500 calls for help annually.

The ‘Learning to Leads’ program will continue for a third year due to a Career Connected Learning grant awarded to the Columbia Gorge STEM Hub from the Oregon Community Foundation. The grant will continue to allow the Columbia Gorge STEM Hub, in partnership with Oregon State University and Wasco County 4-H, to hire high school students in Hood River, Gilliam, and Wasco Counties to serve as Teen STEM Leaders for the 2024-2025 school year.

Jason Alford, 45, said he and his grandfather and former TD Mayor Donnell Smith began talking about the property overlooking the Adventist Health Hospital in East The Dalles about 15 years ago. Plans for the “high-quality subdivision” with 2,000—to 2,500-square-foot homes are now just falling into place.

The 51-year-old man accused of starting the Larch Creek Fire near Dufur is currently wanted on an arrest warrant after he failed to show up at Wasco County Circuit Court on Monday, Sept. 16.

This work will impact East 15th Street between Kelly Avenue and Terrace Drive/Jefferson Street on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. Work hours are anticipated to be 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Four Rivers Family Early Learning & Parenting Hub filled and delivered over 75 backpacks with school supplies for local children graduating from Preschool Promise sites. Preschool Promise sites are located throughout Four Rivers Family  5 county region,  Gilliam, Hood River, Sherman, Wasco, and Wheeler counties.

The City of The Dalles invites the community to participate in a Virtual Open House and survey for the Housing Production Strategy (HPS). This initiative, driven by a new state requirement, aims to develop a comprehensive plan to guide and support housing development in our city.

Before every season as a coach, I do a mental inventory of what worked last time and what to keep for the next. Sharpies for labeling hoodies that will otherwise end in a jumble at the end of a race: check. More water than you think you need on hot days: check. Extra rolls of tape. Double-checking bus availability. Olive oil for brownies. 

Policy aligns with research suggesting that limited cell phone use can improve students’ academic performance, mental health, and overall behavior. Students caught using their phones during the school day will have them confiscated and phones will be returned to a parent or guardian. Accommodations have been made for students who rely on their phones for medical reasons.

A 33-year-old former jail guard at NORCOR was sentenced to 60 days jail time and three years probation after pleading guilty to having sex with a female prisoner in April 2023. 

In partnership with Columbia Gorge Community College, Cardinal Glass Industries, and Oregon STEM, a handful of youth participated in career-connected learning experiences during the summer as interns.

Hundreds of local youth stay grounded through 4-H activities throughout the year and all of their hard work recently paid off at the Wasco County Fair - check out all the results right here and be sure to give some congrat pats on the backs of your friends and neighbors.

The Dalles Kiwanis Club hosts its annual Steak Feed Thursday after Labor Day, this year Sept. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sorosis Park.

As a dark storm brewed over The Dalles on Thursday evening, Aug. 22, the thunder seemed to carry an ominous warning for those gathered at the Wasco County Public Library: a murder was about to unfold. 

Noel Betanzos Cruz, Antonio Betanzos Cruz, and Jesus Ayala paint the Pioneer Building at 301 E. Second Street this morning, Aug. 22. The building was purchased in September 2022 for $750,000 and the owners Brandon Rush and Anthony McNamara of Vancouver, Wash., applied for and received approval from the city to convert the second-floor office space into “residential apartment units of varying size” in Jan. 2023.