All in Wasco County

Commissioners to Transfer Oversight of Klickitat County Jail; Songer Objects

Klickitat County Commissioners have decided to form a new County Department of Corrections which would oversee operational changes and improvement to Klickitat County Jail. Including appointments of a Jail Administrator to run and operate the jail and the establishment of a medical clinic on site. The new Jail Administrator will report directly to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). Klickitat County Sheriff Bob Songer has opposed the decision.

NWSCD21 Proposes Cutting 10 Positions; Union Says Staff are "at the breaking point"

North Wasco County School District 21 and Union leaders are still embroiled in difficult negotiations about next year's contracts. The district faces a $1.5 million to $2 million financial deficit due to a decline in enrollment. During recent bargaining meetings D21 has proposed what they feel is the best solution to the budget shortfall: capitalizing on staff attrition to cut 10 positions without doing any layoffs.

Heights Streetscape Plan Update: Jurisdictional Transfer of HWY 281 to City of Hood River Underway

The Hood River Urban Renewal Agency (URA) has endorsed a letter of support to transfer the jurisdictional transfer of State Highway 281, from Oak Street to Pacific Avenue, in the Heights of Hood River to the City of Hood River. The jurisdictional transfer is a necessary step for the Agency to move forward with The Heights Streetscape Plan.

2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration is June 16th!

Black in the Gorge will host its second annual Juneteenth celebration at Jackson Park from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on June 16, 2024! Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is a day of reflection and celebration of African American freedom and achievements. The free community event will feature an afternoon filled with plenty of music, food, crafts, dancing, and fun with various activities and a community art project celebrating freedom, liberation, community spirit and the contributions of the Black community in the Columbia Gorge.

Living Well: I just dropped in... (On the benefits of support groups)

One evening, as my co-leader and I closed a group meeting for family caregivers, I reminded those in attendance that one of the major benefits of participation in any support group is the opportunity it creates to simply check in with ourselves on a regular basis— to pause, to listen to our own thoughts and feelings and experiences, and to give voice to them— when that is often the one thing there is not time for in the midst of the sometimes all-consuming experience of caregiving itself. “Oh!” said one man in attendance, “It’s like the line in that song: ‘I just dropped in the see what condition my condition was in.’”

Your Gorge Guide to Pride 2024: Speed Friending, Drag Brunch, Game Nights, Dance Parties and more!

The Columbia Gorge Pride Alliance has unveiled their “30 Days of Gay” event schedule for LGBTQIA2S Pride Month, with a variety of events from book clubs to dance parties; game nights to lego builds; trivia to drag shows, there’s something for introverts and extroverts! No matter where you are on the rainbow spectrum. There’s even a “Speed Friending” event for those who want a little help forging new connections with other LGBTQIA2S+ folx in the gorge!