Last day of the summer tourist season at the Original Wasco County Courthouse is Saturday, Sept. 26. The 1859 building at 410 West Second Place, The Dalles, welcomes visitors from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Edited to include comments from NWASCO School Board Chair John Nelson on September 21st, 2020 12:00 PM

Colonel Wright Elementary School may be getting a new name! And it's about time, as many former students will tell you learning to spell “Colonel” correctly at any age is difficult. But even worse for many community members is the history attached to the name of the elementary school. For years community members have expressed discomfort over the name of the school, saying it honors a legacy of bloodshed instead of learning, growth, and community.

Pine trees make up 80% of the tree species in Sorosis Park. But sadly they soon will all be cut down. The Ips Beetle is to blame for this destruction, quickly taking over the pine trees in the park and killing all of them in a short 3-year span. Columbia Community Connection serving Wasco, Gilliam and Sherman Counties, The Dalles, Dufur, Tygh Valley, Maupin, Goldendale, Wishram, Dallesport, Lyle, White Salmon, Hood River

The Ruins: News Update from facebook and Friends

Dianne Espy informed CCC News that her friend, Steve Curtiss, was the gentleman who carved his initials into the stone foundation. Look for an updated story on Monday once we get the chance to sit down and chat with Steve. Many folks on facebook also had the following interesting facts to add about the ruins.

On Wednesday the 16th the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded $2 million in grants to improve the ecology of the Columbia River Basin. Locally, Columbia Riverkeepers received $91,991 for projects to improve water quality and fish habitat in Hood River and Wasco counties.

The smoke is so bad? How bad is it?

It’s so bad that it broke the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality’s Air Quality Monitoring Station on Cherry Heights in The Dalles.

Lindsay LeBreton is a long-time resident of The Dalles where she lives with her husband Ryan and is raising her family. But she grew up in the small town of Estacada where her parents, Jon and Debbie Kling still reside. The ongoing heartbreak of the Oregon wildfires has recently made way into her hometown of Estacada. CCC News spoke with Lindsey regarding her family’s struggle to leave behind their home and flee to safety.

The Dalles Wasco County Public Library is raffling off Book Boxes for Latinx Heritage month.

The Dalles City Council reaffirmed their decision to deny the 80-unit Grove subdivision in East The Dalles at their meeting on Monday night, Sept. 14, 2020. Councilor Darcy Long-Curtis provided the lone dissenting vote, noting she believed the developer had met planning criteria.

The injection of millions of dollars, improved fueling, and a push to provide more facilities, maintenance and avionics has the Columbia Gorge Regional Airport on a roll for 2020 as more pilots are opting to land.

A wild Hop plant caught growing alongside Mill Creek. Hops are typically used in beer making, these little nodes are used primarily as a bittering, flavoring, and stability agent. Most of the floral and citrus flavors found in beer are due to hops. Beer making isn’t the only use for these little green puff balls, when steeped as a tea, hops can aid in digestion, due to their anti-inflammatory effects. The oils from hops also make a great agent in soaps, and candles due to their pleasant aromas they give off!

With firefighters being overwhelmed throughout the state and heavy winds and low humidity expected to continue, Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill asked local residents to use extreme caution. We cannot afford any more fires, he said.

“GRD is a family.”

Gorge Roller Derby is more than just a roller derby league, it’s a family. So when their very own Kung Fu Lu (known off the track as Jen Hart) and Pitbull (Sarah Breeze) lost their homes in the Mosier Creek Fire- GRD didn’t waste time springing into action to support their team mates.

Columbia Gorge Motors and The Dalles beautification Committee have teamed up in efforts of organizing cleanup events within the community of The Dalles. Volunteers will have their first opportunity to join in the effort this Saturday at Thompson Park, at 10 a.m.

Updated September 9th, 2020 10:00 AM

Fires continue to burn in Oregon and Washington blanketing the PNW in smoke. Eastern winds will carry smoke into the Willamette Valley and new fires to the south may bring smoke into the Eastern Cascades today.

The NORCOR Board of Directors voted unanimously on Friday, August 20th, 2020 to discontinue housing immigration detainees for the Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) due to a decrease in profitability. But what started as a celebration on behalf of activists who worked for years to get to this moment may be only one step in a bigger battle.

The Dalles Main Street is hosting a virtual raffle this fall 2020, with the raffle being a 25%/75% split with one grand prize winner taking home up to $5,000 . Five Second place winners will receive a limited edition, 2020 The Dalles Main Street hoodie, designed by local artist Denae Manion

It’s likely to be a hazy day. Smoke from Californian and Washington wildfires will be rolling over western Oregon and Washington Friday, and possibly into Saturday. And areas local to the White River Creek Fire will continue to be impacted.

The following is an email from Cameron Curtis addressing the recent decision by The Dalles City Council to uphold an appeal by local residents that stopped progress on Legacy Development’s 80-unit subdivision. I asked Cameron and Emily if they intended to move forward on their development.