A former marine and a holder of three black belts is putting a family spin on the former Pastime Saloon & Restaurant in Dufur. “This will be a family place,” said new owner Russell Niemeyer. “No hanky-panky going on. And it’s my job to see that it stays that way.”

Dry Canyon Electric’s Chuck Rystedt watched as his son, Zack dug into a 24-foot pole with his spikes on Thursday morning on Highway 197 near 5-Mile Road. Meanwhile, Zach Reid used a “lasher” to entwine two cables as they were finishing a fiber optic line that runs 15 miles from Dufur School to the Columbia Gorge ESD at the Columbia Gorge Community College Campus in The Dalles.

The Dalles City Council is pushing ahead on creating a temporary shelter for the local houseless population. The village of six units is to be located at the end of Terminal Way in a gravel lot between Northwest Natural and Oregon Cherry Growers.

Dawn LeMieux is the program coordinator with The Next Door, through the organization she supports the native families and individuals within our community. Since the pandemic hit, community members in the Celilo Village have faced loss and hardships. With the help of LeMieux The Next Door has supplied an abundance of hope and support for the Celilo Village community in the midst of the pandemic.

Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) will be hosting the 2020 Columbia Gorge Economic Symposium virtually on Friday, November 6. Considering recent impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic on our regional economy and community, this year’s event will focus on economic and employment trends, as well as the road ahead for recovery and resilience.

Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) and the Klickitat County Senior Services are assisting seniors to apply for two programs, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Klickitat PUD Senior Discount. Application processes will primarily be handled over the phone this year, rather than in person.

Virginia McKay, a 25- plus year veteran with Windy River Gleaners was at it again this morning, Wednesday, Oct. 28. Food boxes were prepared for some 950 people in East The Dalles. Cars were lined up past the overpass on Old Highway 30.

The ability to monitor and house people with mental imbalances has been “ripped out of the communities at a local level by the state and never been restored.” As a result, people are breaking down on city streets. They’re breaking laws, impacting the economy, and have local leaders flummoxed as the State of Oregon has failed to fund their treatment.

Taxpayers within the Northern Wasco County School District 21 may have seen a decline in their property tax bills this year. Wasco County Tax Assessor Jill Amery points this out in the following document detailing the tax roll, and the retirement of the Middle-School bond.

The Next Door is holding its annual Stories of Hope event to raise money and spread awareness to support over two dozen programs aimed at supporting and empowering people with health promotion services, family services, youth services, economic development services, and treatment services in Wasco, Hood River, Skamania, Klickitat, Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler counties.

As of this morning, 7,560 of 18,403 ballots for the Nov. 3 general election had been returned in Wasco County, according to Wasco County Clerk Lisa Gambee. These numbers include ballots dropped off over the weekend but not all of the mail, she said.

Are you thinking of knitting a Christmas stocking for the holidays, but haven’t quite mastered the skills? Columbia Gorge Community College has just the answer. “Knitting a Basic Christmas Stocking” is a series of CGCC Community Education classes, starting Wednesday, Nov. 4, and continuing each Wednesday through Dec. 9.

On Sep. 10th state officials and food providers released a statement saying food insecurity has been increasing statewide in Washington and Oregon. Due to the pandemic, this trend is expected to carry on for months ahead. The Lyle Good Food Pantry teamed up with Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) to provide meals to local families and community members. Their efforts in curbing the food insecurity in our region have supplied an average of 50 local families with a food box each month.

The Parade must go on! The Starlight Parade will look a little different this year with a little role reversal. Floats will be parked on 3rd street and the public will drive past to view the decorated floats.

Almost a third of ballots had already been returned to Wasco County this morning, Friday, Oct. 23, according to Wasco County Clerk Lisa Gambee.

Clinics in Wasco, Sherman and Gilliam counties, and Mid-Columbia Medical Center in The Dalles, have recently received rapid COVID-19 tests that produce results in just 15 minutes./ Las clínicas en los condados de Wasco, Sherman y Gilliam, y el Centro Médico Mid-Columbia en The Dalles, han recibido recientemente pruebas rápidas de COVID-19 que producen resultados en solo 15 minutos.

Columbia Community Connection News presents a new weekly roundup of honest local news. Featuring The Dalles' own Yahaira Alvarez, CCC's newest video journalist.

Oregon reports 373 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 11 new deaths.

Whispering Pines Estates is requesting City approval to re-plat lots 27, 28, and 29 at 2428, 2434, and 2440 W. 14th Street, The Dalles. in the Whispering Pines Subdivision Phase 3. The re-plat will combine the three lots and divide the combined lot into two separate lots of 9,648 SF and 10,297 Square Feet respectively.