Voters in Wasco and Hood River County are slow to the polls this year. “This year we’re dragging behind in voter turnout and I’m not sure why,” said Lisa Gambee, Wasco County Clerk. “There’s a fair amount of candidates in the Governor’s race, so maybe it’s voters fatigue but still it’s been a little bit surprising.”

Two The Dalles High School robotics teams battled it out at the Vex Robotics World Championship on May 5th, 6th, and 7th in Dallas, TX. Competition was fierce as 818 teams battled it out to become the Vex Robotics world champion. “Eleven teams from Oregon had qualified for the tournament but only three made it to the elimination round and our teams made up two of those three,” said Webber.

“There is no way you can do this without coming out completely changed,” she said, repeating a mantra she has heard on trail. “They’re right,” she said.

On Monday May, 9th, Yakama Nation Fisheries and Glenwood High School’s Zoology class released twenty tagged adult lamprey into the White Salmon River at the BZ Corner launch site for the first time ever. The tags will enable biologists to track the fish's movements up and down stream.

This is the Youth Empowerment Shelter or YES House, and it's making a comeback after the pandemic temporarily closed its doors. We are the only ones to have a shelter like that east of Multnomah County and East of Deschutes County all the way to the Idaho border. The YES house is our number one diversion from the juvenile justice system.” said Molly Rogers, Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facilities Director.

Thanks to Raices (the Spanish word for roots), Juan and Monika found the strong, supportive community they were looking for, with the added bonus of being able to grow their own vegetables and fruits.

Country Insurance and Arturos Jewelry Repair as well as multiple other shop spaces near Sahara Pizza in The Dalles were destroyed in a heavy blaze that started around 1 p.m. this morning, May 11. It was the second fire at the location in the past 3 and a half months.

Through the mud and pouring rain in Milwaukie on May 7, the team got to see the view from the podium several times, racing tough while anticipating districts next week. Both men’s and women’s teams placed second. Riverhawks are headed to Prineville for the Intermountain Conference District Meet on Friday, May 13, and Saturday, May 14.

Just a fledgling business some 12 years ago, Dirt Hugger now boasts 32 employees, a retail and industrial site, and it is pulling 55,000 tons of green waste from local landfills, providing major reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions through a reduction in methane in the Gorge. If you’re not buying their products, maybe, you should be.

Samantha Wageman and Tavita Seufalemua had nine lives and then some when it came to the egg they were tossing on Monday, May 9th. The pair pulled off some miraculous bounces and epic rolls to the roar of a crowd that celebrated them as much as each other during National Skilled Nursing Care Week.

Read the poetry of Stud Walker in this week’s local poetry spotlight.

If you could send a message to aliens/extraterrestrials what message would you send?

Columbia Riverkeeper’s Board of Directors unanimously named Lauren Goldberg the organization’s new Executive Director starting August 1. Over the last two decades, the $3.5M organization has grown ten-fold while defeating over a dozen new fossil fuel terminals, reducing toxic pollution, and protecting salmon.

Lyle School District has announced a new last day of school, pre-k and kindergarten round-ups, and new student registration dates.

Flor makes an extremely rare appearance at Hood River’s River City Saloon on Saturday, May 7 after punching concert tickets in New York and L.A. RollingStone dishes on the band in a recent article.

More than 30 downtown businesses in The Dalles are pairing up with food and beverage businesses tonight, May 6, to bring locals a Taste of the Gorge. Beer, wine, meats, cheese, guitars and even hat contests are on tap as TD comes alive for First Friday in its second rendition. Grab your appetite and a lust for fun. And see you there!

The 8th annual Oregon STEM Week is happening from May 14-22, 2022. STEM week is a week-long celebration of all things STE(A)M happening across Oregon and throughout the Columbia River Gorge!

Billy Bob Thornton is just the tip of the iceberg this week in local entertainment. TD kicks of its First Friday tonight at 5 p.m. with more than 20 businesses participating and music events abound in the Gorge. Read about all your choices here as well as upcoming shows. They include Bingen Theatre, Discovery Center, Bargeway Pub, Maupin Daze, Zim’s, The Pines, Red Carpet, River City Saloon, Ruins, Everybody’s Brewing, Double Mountain, TD Civic, Working Hands Beer, White Salmon Library, Goldendale.