Harvest is officially underway in Wasco County as combines got the reels spinning today.

We walk by it all the time at Sorosis Park. It’s part of our iconography in The Dalles. But what do you know about Max and his gift - a fountain that still runs after more than a hundred years. Find out in this week’s Flashback.

Wight said it was a tough year fishing for pikeminnow so far, noting he has to avoid a lot more pelicans with his fishing line when tossing his imitation bate off The Dalles bridge. Good days bring 20 to 30 fish. His best is 48 so far this season. Past years brought double that in a day’s plunking. At $5 to $8 a fish, it’s still worthwhile.

Orchardists have several weeks left of harvesting as picking has moved to higher elevations such as 8-Mile Road and Dufur as they pluck away at the some 10,000 acres of cherries planted in Wasco County. “It’s been about an average harvest across the board.”

Robert Wells-Clark, 34, and his one-year-old daughter Isla took to the Columbia River below Water’s Edge fly fishing in search of wily bass on Thursday morning.

The Dalles is among a small group of communities that will enjoy a fireworks show this Fourth of July. And it’s going to be big - think comets, bursts, strobes and glitter. Set to go off at around 10 p.m., the display expects to rival some of the largest had in The Dalles with an estimated run of about 20 minutes, said Doug Kirchhofer, member of the Fort Dalles Fourth committee.

The trail has been resealed from the bridge over Chenoweth Creek to The Dalles Marina, according to Northern Wasco County Parks and Recreation Executive Director Scott Baker. Additional repairs and sealing are set to occur on the section between Chenoweth Creek and the Discovery center in weeks to come.

While cotton masks are not a silver bullet against the disease, the vast majority of healthcare providers agree they do much to protect the spread of the disease when people are in close contact - less than 6 feet. “Why don’t we all get together and not have COVID.”

Momiji Express Gourmet Japanese & Chinese Cuisine next to Coastal in The Dalles is set to open on Wednesday, June 24. The 2500-square foot restaurant, 2632 W. Sixth St., offers both sushi and Chinese food.  Yakisoba, Lo-Mein, Chow mein, Lunch combos, sushi, nigiri, rolls and bento are all on the menu. Go to momijitd.com to see the menu.

Large and primarily white, the American white pelican has the longest wingspan of any bird in Oregon. It also has an enormous orange bill, and flies with neck withdrawn. This pelican makes unusually long flights for feeding and migration, and at great distances, soaring flocks have been reported as UFOs.

Belle Webb Beatie had no time for whiners or crying. She drove a red Pontiac Firebird when she was in her 80’s. And if not for her, you would have never heard of the Hi-Way House.

Several homemade banners promoting social justice and Black Lives Matter were put up this morning starting in Cascade Locks and ending at Rowena Loops. The banners come on Juneteenth, the oldest commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

The Dalles Planning Commission will continue to take comments tonight, Thursday, June 18, at 6 p.m., in an appeal against a high-density housing project on 6.92 acres on Richmond Street, a former orchard previously owned by John Geiger.

Ajay Rundell has been selected as the Interim Principal of Dry Hollow Elementary School for the 2020-2021 school year. Kara Flath has been selected as the new Chief Financial Officer for North Wasco School District. Learn more about them here.

Mark Angel, 76, of Redmond, is a white water salvage man and Pacific Northwest icon in search and rescue circles, known for his ability to salvage boats in the worst of currents during the past five decades. A lineman by trade, he has taken troubleshooting to the next level when it comes to white water, utilizing lineman tools to recover boats and people silenced by rushing water.

Details for The Dalles High School graduation have the ceremony starting at 9:15 a.m. at Sorosis Park. Learn more about it here.