Mid-Columbia Community Action Council has helped Colton Perry, a shelter guest at MCCAC shelter get access to employment and healthcare services and Colton says he couldn’t be happier to be back on his feet. “I’ve been able to stand tall again.” said Colton Perry.

Across the state and in the Columbia Gorge, boys outnumber girls roughly three to one in engineering-related courses. Students of color are similarly underrepresented in those courses. Now over $200,000 of investment is headed to Hood River County and South Wasco County school districts in the Gorge to diversify access to engineering, computer science, and advanced manufacturing courses.

“Making the Final Four of the U.S. Open is definitely something to be proud of and there will be some new hardware for the trophy case at TDHS on Friday.”

Whether you are new to the Columbia River Gorge, or have been here for a long while, you have probably heard about the Columbia River Gorge Commission and wondered who they are. This is the first of a series of columns to bring you up to speed and keep you connected with the Gorge Commission’s plans and actions and how they affect communities and lands within the National Scenic Area (NSA).

For a decade local volunteers have been reaching out to D21 students with offerings of food to help them during the weekend and better prepare them for school come Monday morning. It’s a well-oiled machine and one that The Dalles can point to with pride. Learn about some of the people that make it happen.

The Next Door’s Youth Drop-In Center is now open at its location in The Dalles at 1113 Kelly Avenue. What started as an idea to help young people in the Gorge who are experiencing or are at risk of houselessness, or who just don’t feel safe at home, has become a beautiful and hope-filled reality.

The Oregon Department of Transportation has announced that The Dalles Bridge repair project is behind schedule and will not be completed by May 30th as originally planned. In light of this, ODOT has assured the public that there will be no weekend closures of the bridge during peak season for cherry harvest in June and July.

The City of Maupin and more specifically several rafting guides from competing rafting companies will be featured in a new series on Discovery Plus, slated to air on Wednesday, March 30. And it looks raucous from the trailer. Check it out here.

“We recognize that food insecurity is a big issue in our town and we’re more than happy to do our part to help alleviate that in any way we can,” said Rachel Carter, Marketing Coordinator for Columbia Gorge Toyota.

Gorge robotics students from The Dalles took top honors at the Oregon State VEX Robotics Championships recently and will advance to the World Finals in Dallas, Texas, May 5-7.

The Gorge Youth Mentoring program at The Next Door has persevered through the pandemic and is changing youths lives for the better.

CyberMind Gaming is exactly what it sounds like… a haven for PC gamers from around the Gorge. “I wanted to have a safe place where my kids, and other youth in our community can play games together, have fun, and stay out of trouble,” said Tyler Smith, Owner.

“I went from making fifty grand plus a year and taking care of my kids just fine, to having nothing,” said Jaime Gehrig, a guest at Mid-Columbia Community Action Council shelter in The Dalles. In 2018 Jaime got sick, lost her leg and her ability to work. Then, last October, doctors told Jaime she had one year to live. But she’s still kicking. And thanks to MCCAC she’s getting connected to the services she needs to move forward.

Recycling cans and bottles may not be the most glamorous work. Especially when you lift a garbage bag full into a truck and the accumulated liquid of old beer soda, and who knows what, leaks down your arm or hits you in the face. But, darn, if it doesn’t pay well for our furry friends

The Wasco County Commissioners Meeting held their regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on March 16th, 2022. Highlights from the meeting included a presentation by Mid-Columbia Community Action Council on rates of houselessness in Wasco County, and public comments on MCACC’s Navigation Center.

City and County Officials must come to terms with Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue as time is running out on brokering a deal on how to split future Google Community Service Fees that could be worth $37.5 million over 20 years. Locals could lose control to the state if negotiations fail. They are slated to meet again tonight, March 17.

“This would be a commercial facility,” said Dan Spatz, Capitol Project Director for Columbia Community College. “Such a facility would provide an essential service for test runs and small batches for mid- and large-sized brewers. In concert with the AA in Food Science & Fermentation, this facility could also provide students with valuable and necessary hands-on experience.”

In response to climate change, local governments in the Columbia River Gorge are passing resolutions to decrease carbon emissions. It’s a start.

The grant will go toward increasing water levels of Fifteenmile Creek which intends to better regulate the stream’s temperatures, protect aquatic species and ensure consistent water flow for area farmers.

Michael Springston said that intimidation caused him to withdraw his candidacy for Wasco County Commissioner on Tuesday, March 8. Members of his own Party, the Wasco County Republicans, led him to the decision, he said.