Question of the week: How do you give back to your community? Locals are giving in a lot of ways we found out. From sharing fruits and vegetables from their gardens to providing good conversation at parties. We were amazed at how many different ways we can give back to our communities. Check out what your neighbors had to say.

Joli Kirk and Kerry Hyde are picking up the pieces after an alleged arson fire destroyed Aubrey Stacy’s antique business and left all three of them houseless. A sale of the salvaged antiques is occurring at the parking lot on Sixth Street in The Dalles through Sunday. David John Daniels, 66, has been indicted on first-degree arson.

Because of thoughtful and caring people like you, The Next Door’s year-end fundraising campaign had its most successful year yet, surpassing the $200,000 goal and raising over $217,000 to support The Next Door’s many programs!

Locals want to see an upgraded high school in The Dalles and at the same time want to see more affordable housing, according to a City of The Dalles local survey recently completed for the 2040 visioning process. Find out what else people thought here.

During the years 1825-’26 Douglas explored the Columbia River and its tributaries, wintering over at Fort Vancouver. His journeys on the river included an overnight in The Dalles. Later explorations took him to California and eventually to Hawaii where he met an untimely death.

The Dalles’ Megan Kirchhofer, a TDHS graduate of 2019, has released her first book of poetry. "If Butterflies Could Talk" comes together as a collage of interconnected reflections, anecdotes, dreams, love notes, and detours from reality.

A man arrested on suspicion of stealing a car at knifepoint on Jan. 24 at a restaurant in The Dalles had appeared in Wasco County Circuit Court earlier the same day requesting to enter into a mental health commitment.

Get the highlights from the recent Wasco County Commission Meeting without having to watch two and a half hours of public meetings. The Wasco County Commissioners Meeting held their regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on February 2nd, 2022 and encompassed topics such as a COVID update from NCPHD, Phase D of Lone Pine Development Approved, NCPHD to get new ADA ramp, MCEDD Awarded $25k from the County, Clean Audits for the County, Library and 4-H Extension, donated public art and more.

The Dalles School Teachers offer up some of the lessons and activities going on in their classrooms of late. Learn about middle school wrestling, Chinese New Year, Martin Luther King, Jr., TDHS scholarships and what love looks like.

Join Mt. Adams Institute for a Sense of Place lecture on, A Model of Health: A History of Community Health Workers in the Gorge featuring Maria Antonia “Toña” Sanchez and Joel Pelayo on February 9th, 2022, at 7 p.m.

Speakers for Kiwanis programs in February will focus on history, local news media, and what’s new in City of The Dalles government.

Sarah Cook takes us back to the Futurism with Art Teacher Kerry Cobb. The 10-year art movement starting in 1901 had “an edge that borders on being almost menacing,” and Cobb mapped out the absurdity and, at times, explicit aggressiveness of the movement alongside the mounting tensions of the pre-WWI state in which it emerged.

The smell of oil and metal fill the air as students clatter underneath a 1982 El Camino sitting on the lift. Students are hard at work, hoods are up and hands are busy. While it may not look like your typical classroom, it's just another day for Taylor Alsheimer in his Advanced Mechanics class. Nestled in the basement of The Dalles High School, Alsheimer’s room has the feel and function of a real repair shop.

When it comes to live music, Jim Drake can get you plugged in. Our local columnist for entertainment Gorge-wide has a good sampling of coming shows and events, including Pigs on the Wing, R.A.P. Ferreira, Lowest Pair, Swindler, Lost Ox, Slapjack Casualty, Rich Wilkins, Junebug Boys, Kenny O3, Logan Kalsch, and Chic Preston.

The Dalles High School Athletic Director Billy Brost brings us up to date on all things Riverhawk in this weekly Column. Find out how teams did in last week’s competition and get all the times and dates for basketball, wrestling, swimming, skiing in the week to come.

North Wasco County School District 21 is pleased to announce the selection of Kimberly Cutting Tyskiewicz as the new Director of Educational Success and Innovative Programming with the district. Her hiring comes at a crucial time as the need for innovative programs has grown as a greater number of students are in need of well-suited educational paths that fall outside of the traditional classroom.

The Weatherbees worked their magic this morning, Jan. 31, as they brought in the most sunshine we have seen in days along the Columbia River in The Dalles.

The Wasco County Commissioners Meeting will hold their regularly scheduled meeting at 9 a.m. on February 2nd, 2022 to discuss an emergency ramp replacement at NCPHD, phase D of the Lone Pine Subdivision, multiple audits, a transit grant for enhanced mobility of seniors and individuals with disabilities and more.

Welcome to Question of the Week, a weekly news column that poses timely questions about life, politics, culture, economics, health, and more to people out and about in our communities. Our hope at CCC News is that having this space dedicated to being curious about other people’s experiences can help us to deepen our understanding of people from all walks of life. This week's question is: If you could have any superpower what would it be and why?

We are surrounded by some truly amazing people here in the Mid-Columbia. And The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce recognized a few on Thursday, Jan. 27 at its annual Distinguished Citizen Awards. Find out who was recognized and read about their efforts to make our communities a better place to live.