Wasco County Medical Reserve Corps will host their 9th Annual Blanket Drive on January 15th, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the corner of Federal and E. 3rd St. in The Dalles. Blanket Drive donations benefit The Warming Place in The Dalles.

Get a sneak peek at the upcoming Dec. 15th Wasco County Commission Meeting without having to scroll through 230 pages of agendas and board packets.

Wasco County has donated the deed to Home At Last Humane Society to Central Oregon Animal Friends. Owning the property would allow them to pursue more diverse grant funding for renovations. “It's easier when you own the building to receive grants. It's going to allow us to go after grants that we couldn't have otherwise gone after,” said Stephen Drynan, Chief Executive Director of Home at Last.

Dufur puts a unique twist on its Christmas Parade. There’s cocoa, yeah. There’s Santa, sure. But you have not seen anything until you’ve seen tractors festooned in lights and adorned with the trappings of Yuletide joy come rumbling down the street in a blaze of glory.

The 15 Days of Dogs and Cats Holiday Auction is up to $11,000 but still short of its $30,000 goal to cover costs incurred due to COVID. Good news - there is time left to support the shelter. The Auction was recently extended to Wednesday, Dec. 15. Learn more here.

The Wasco County Cultural Trust Coalition is now accepting grant applications for 2022 projects. Grants are available to individuals and organizations for projects in the arts, humanities, and heritage.

The owl pellet dissection was the kick-off competition for the group this year and drew a room full of interested students.

Now is the time for more cities and states to extend and expand cash support programs. We can’t deny that economics is a part of well-being. If we want to achieve a Culture of Health and promote wellbeing for all, financial support needs to be part of the equation.

Helen Mendoza urges friends to get the vaccine after getting it herself and now struggles daily with fatigue and breathing.

The City of Dufur has a boil water notice in effect for local residents after receiving a positive test for E. coli at a single testing site according to Public Works Superintendent Brandon Beauchamp. Beauchamp said today, Nov. 2, at 1:45 p.m. that they had shocked the well with chlorine and were flushing pipes to kill and remove the bacteria from the system.

Columbia Community Connection is Thrilled to present the 2021 Halloween Event Roundup! Think of it as a One Stop Trick or Treat for All Things Halloween, whether you’re a Ghost, Ghoul, or Goblin.

Total Wasco County Property Tax Assessments increased $1.2 million when compared to the 20-21 tax season, according to the latest report from the Assessor’s Office. Real market values continue to trend upward for most residential properties in Wasco County. Many commercial properties saw a correction and downturn in real property values.

The 2020 crop year is one to be celebrated by the 37,200 farms and ranches that make up Oregon’s diverse agricultural community. Oregon is home to more than 225 commodities, everything from cattle to cherries to hazelnuts and wheat. And Production was great in 2020, according to the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

The Dalles Main Street’s volunteer Walldogs subcommittee will be hosting a voting and public input event* at The National Neon Sign Museum on Oct. 15th from 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. The group is seeking votes and public input in deciding 15 new themes for historical murals to be painted in downtown The Dalles next summer. The recent release of themes, images and descriptions of proposed murals has led to an outpouring of concerns from local organizations and community members. Concerned citizens pointed to a lack of diversity in the mural topics and the inclusion of individuals and enterprises that were directly responsible for the murder of hundreds of indigenous peoples. Also brought up was the omission of marginalized community members voices in the mural topic selection process and a lack of collaboration with local organizations and artists.

LPSCC has submitted a $50,000 grant proposal to the Oregon Health Authority to pay planning costs of a Columbia Gorge Resolution Center. The Resolution Center would lower mental and behavioral health related incarcerations and improve access to mental and behavioral health services in the Wasco, Sherman, and Hood River Counties.

How much water does Google need to cool two new data plants in The Dalles? They're not spilling any details, "trade secrets," they say. But their request, which could be in the billions of gallons, has City Councilors looking at a massive potable water infrastructure upgrade that would increase water production capacity by 75 percent in the near future - billions of gallons per year.

The Dufur Rangers play their second game of the season tonight at 7PM.

Over Labor Day weekend trees and brush were clear-cut from Port of The Dalles property between Riverfront Trail and the Columbia River just north of Klindt Cove Park.

COVID Schmovid! Girl Scout Leader Chrissy Zaugg and her troop persevered to produce a video on free elections and transparency last fall when the pandemic killed social gatherings. The video got rave reviews. And last week, the Oregon Secretary of State awarded Zaugg the John Lewis Youth Leadership Award for her efforts.

With a rise of COVID cases and the return of masks in public places, shoppers in The Dalles sounded off on Tuesday, Aug. 17 about having to strap one back on over their ears. Love ‘em, hate ‘em, the embrace and the chafe. Read what they said about it here.