On Tuesday, Feb. 28, Debra Klaviter hugged her clients and thanked them as they came into her Farmers Insurance agency at the corner of Fourth and Washington Streets. Farmers took a chance on her 22 years after she worked for years with Steve Hudson at State Farm. “They said they were going to make me a star. I jumped in a fast-running river running and I had to swim to shore,” she said of her first few years in business. 

The roundtable group was created for the purpose of opening the lines of communication and facilitating ongoing conversations between D21 students and the school administration, and also to empower students to drive their own learning and discuss ways to enhance the student experience.

The annual Northwest Cherry Festival is set to take place in The Dalles, Oregon, from Friday, April 21st through Sunday, April 23rd, 2023 This year's festival, is themed "Homegrown Happiness."

The Oregon Dept of Education, Early Learning Division (ELD) is conducting a community engagement initiative called Raise Up Oregon, aimed at improving support for families with children, prenatal to age five, locally here in the Mid-Columbia and across the state.

Van Nevel Concrete & Curb, Inc. will be installing ADA ramps in various area's throughout the City of The Dalles from March 1st to June 1st, Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m. 

A new bipartisan bill, Oregon Senate Bill 431, has been introduced to provide $125 million in state funding for the construction of a new Hood River-White Salmon Bridge. If the bill passes, the bridge replacement project will reach 42.3% of its funding goal in July of 2023.

Our Klickitat Prevention Coalition and its partners are hosting an opioid panel in Trout Lake on March 14, 2023, from 6-8 p.m. at Trout Lake School. Teens and adults are encouraged to attend, and childcare will be provided.

In September of 2021, an illegal tree and brush clear-cut took place along the Riverfront Trail on Port of The Dalles Property, resulting in a criminal case being brought to the Wasco County Circuit Court. This month, Judge Marion T. Weatherford passed judgment on the case, convicting a local man of criminal mischief in the second degree.

The flakes outside are real. Don’t become one. Take a moment to look at all the live entertainment and opportunities to grab a libation, see friends and hear some music or even get into writing your own book. It’s all here in this week’s most-inclusive guide to all things musical and artful in the gorge.

“When you lie to me, I look at the person that is supposed to be a leader of our officers and wonder, where did I fail? Disappointment is huge.”  - Former TD Police Chief Jay Waterbury to Former Police Officer Jeff Kienlen in 2011. Oregon State Bar’s recent opinion dismissing the ethical violation complaint against Eric Nisley and Leslie Wolf also notes that Nisley should have disclosed the above statement in its entirety in regard to former TD police officer Jeff Kienlen.

We’ve all had them - that teacher that made us work harder, think deeper and push for something more than we thought we could achieve. That person not only taught us numbers but character, respect and understanding that the system can be changed from within by embracing the rebelliousness of our ideas and applying them with a thoughtful and strategic approach. Honor Them. Name Them. Nominate Them.

Neal Creek Forest Products, a local provider of premium firewood, landscaping materials, and snow removal services, has announced the opening of its second location in The Dalles, Oregon. The grand opening celebration will take place on Friday, March 3, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST, with ribbon cutting festivities with The Dalles Chamber of Commerce taking place from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. PST.

Two members of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative (MCHC) have been awarded nearly $2 million in support of the effort to address houselessness. Over the next three years, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) will receive $969,600, and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) will receive $809,603.

The Wasco County Commissioners have declared a state of emergency to address the growing issue of homelessness in the region. The decision was made during a meeting on February 15th, 2023, after the presentation of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative's five-year strategic plan to address houselessness in the area. The declaration has been sent to The Office of Emergency Management for further processing.

This Week in Gorge Entertainment: Musician Tony Furtado and Comedian Adam Pasi give locals two great picks this weekend in TD. Furtado plays multiple instruments including some phenomenal slide guitar and banjo hits The Dalles Art Center on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. And just down the street, comedian Adam Pasi will bring his unique flavor of humor to The Granada on the same night. Check out this week’s most comprehensive listing of local entertainment here.

Congratulations to our cheer team, for bringing home a 3rd place finish at the State Cheer Championships in Oregon City this past weekend! We also want to congratulate the Riverhawks swim team on a phenomenal showing at the District Swim Meet in LaGrande this past weekend!

The stolen Dodge Charger from The Dalles traveled more than 60 miles and was pursued for about a half hour on the backroads off Wasco County and then through The Dalles before spikes were deployed to blow the front tires on Sunday, Feb. 12.

If you haven’t gotten your booster yet, but are interested, there’s a free, walk-in, 3-day vaccine clinic. It runs from Thursday, Feb. 16 through Saturday, Feb. 18. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day, and it will be held at 523 E. 3rd St., which is the former Griffith Motors building, across from Sawyer’s and Grinders Coffee.

Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative has released their 2022 report which offers a snapshot of the affordable housing and houselessness situation in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Skamania, and Klickitat Counties.