Despite the loss of track meets, basketball, volleyball, and football games, athletes in The Dalles are digging in, attending grueling training, and working out for when the competition will reboot.

Doug West and his bird dog, Wej, who live on west 13th St., washed away the weekend fun this morning, Monday, Oct. 12. West went deer hunting with friend Larry and niece Kamrie in Eastern Oregon near Harper. He said he helped them both get a deer, and he filled his Can-Am all-terrain vehicle with mud in the process. Hunting is just starting for West, who likes to go after the elusive Chucker. This will be Wej’s first season sniffing out the birds in steep canyons.

“Friends, Family, Columbia Gorge Community & Extended Relations! Let's watch a movie together~ Gather up your quaran-team and pass around the popcorn!” reads the posting of a facebook event being hosted here in the Gorge.

On October 12th, 2020 a free online screening of GATHER, a powerful documentary about the reclamation of Native Food Sovereignty is being hosted by Kenji Stasiewicz and Sullivan Mackintoch in honor of Indigenous People’s Day.

Dreaming of epic pow turns? Well, it's that time of year to pull your skis and boards out of the closet. The resorts on Mount Hood have been working to create a fun and safe season ahead for guests and staff alike. Be prepared for what’s to come this year before driving up to your favorite ski resort.

The Forest Service in collaboration with Oregon Department of Forestry and Washington Department of Natural Resources will continue with controlled burn efforts today in area of Courtney Road between Lyle and Bingen. Crews spent the last two days working in the Catherine Creek and Courtney road areas to create fuel line breaks to prevent large forest fires and to restore Oregon White Oak habitat.

We have a chance to be a good neighbor in the next couple weeks! Folks have lost everything in Southern Oregon due to wildfire and are asking for our help. Find out how to help here.

My son, K.C. Miller, 15, got this three point buck opening morning. I spotted it, pointed it out, and he brought it down. We were hunting on land owned by a wheat farmer in Dufur - Autumn Loyd.

Join All Together The Dalles for its monthly clean at Thompson Park next to the Northern Wasco County Aquatic Center at 10 a.m. Bring gloves and a mask and be prepared to help beautify our town. Columbia Gorge Toyota, Honda, and The Dalles Beautification Committee are leading the effort. For more information, contact Rachel Carter at 1-208-757-3632.

Donald C. Carpenter

The Sunshine Mill Winery will be hosting film festivals and 3 nights of Halloween themed movies for the month of October. They have converted their gavel lot into a drive-in movie theater equipped with a gigantic viewing screen. The drive up movies at the mill can host around 40 cars, tickets run about $30 a car for each day or each night session of the film festivals and $20 a car for the Halloween movie nights. Add on Snack packages are available for the Halloween movies, costing $10 which includes a soda, popcorn, candy, and a hotdog.

We are now seven months into a global pandemic and you may have figured out ways to cope and process. We are also at the point where maybe your coping mechanism is starting to lose its effectiveness. Getting out to enjoy nature or tending to a garden can be a new way for you to prioritize your wellness and shift your focus. It can also help you prevent bad energy in your life.

The Dalles City Council Seat Position # 4 is up for grabs with the retirement of Councilor Linda Miller. F. John Ercole, John Grant and Dan Richardson are all vying for the seat. Read there candidate profiles here at Columbia Community Connection.

Challenger Tiffany Prince is challenging incumbent Rod Runyon for The Dalles City Council Position # 5. Read their candidate profiles here at Columbia Community Connection.

Incumbent Rich Mays finds himself up against two challengers in the race for The Dalles City Mayor. Challengers Solea Kabakov and Jason Garrett Gibson are seeking the position. Read their candidate profiles here at Columbia Community Connection.

Dr. John Willer is challenging incumbent Darcy Long-Curtiss for the The Dalles City Council Seat Position #2. Read all about them in these candidate profiles at Columbia Community Connection.

The Nov. 3 general election races for The Dalles City Council and Mayor have a multitude of candidates from which to choose. Each position is contested. And they are all nonpartisan positions. We have candidate profiles on our website.

Sponsored by David Rogers at Seal Kote Plus Inc. - Rowena wildlife clinic has been dedicated to helping injured animals for 20 years. Nestled in Rowena, OR, this non-profit clinic is ready to assist and help native animals of the Columbia River Gorge. Injured animals brought to Rowena are gracefully cared for and released back into their natural habitat after being cared for.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Forest Service (CRGNSA) has announced that it will be conducting several prescribed burns in the Courtney Road and Tracy Hill area between Lyle and Bingen in Klickitat County, Washington.

The Beautification Committee for the city of The Dalles awarded Julie and Harley Newland of 419 E. 10th Street the homeowner the beautification award in partnership with Columbia Gorge Real Estate. Columbia Community Connection serving Wasco, Gilliam and Sherman Counties, The Dalles, Dufur, Tygh Valley, Maupin, Goldendale, Wishram, Dallesport, Lyle, White Salmon & Hood River.

Les Kipper got this four-point buck last weekend in Gilliam County. Dave Adams and Michelle Adams spotted the buck while scouting separate sides of a draw and alerted Kipper to its location. Kipper said he got a clear shot at it in the stubble field.