Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative Prepares for Annual Houselessness Count
Members of the Mid-Columbia Houseless Collaborative are preparing for the 2023 Point in Time (PIT) Count, which will take place in Hood River, Wasco, Sherman, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties between Monday, January 23rd—Friday, January 27th.
RV Park plan in West TD reduced from 26 to 9 sites; Developer may not build
A recent TD Planning decision to reduce a proposed RV park from 26 spaces to 9 in West The Dalles has developers reconsidering whether the project is still financially viable.
WAGAP Mobile Food Bank expands service area
Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) is expanding operations of the Mobile Food Bank in Klickitat County with a new route to Roosevelt from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on the 4th Thursday of the month.
Good day for journalism: The Dalles, Google abdicate in water fight with Oregonian
In the settlement, announced by The Oregonian on Dec. 14, The Dalles agreed to provide public access to 10 years of data on Google’s water use and to honor future records requests.
New training program at CGCC offers cannabis certificates
If you’re considering a cannabis career, or your profession involves the emerging cannabis industry in other ways, Columbia Gorge Community College now offers the skills for success.
Senator Merkley Recognizes MCCAC, Talks Housing, January 6th Insurrection at Wasco County Town Hall
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley held an in-person town hall at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center in The Dalles, OR on Friday, January 13th, from 1-2 p.m. Many community members were in attendance and asked questions on a number of topics including housing, healthcare, minimum wage, the disappearance of town halls across the nation, the January 6th insurrection and more.
The Dalles Dam Visitor Center hosts 13th annual Eagle Watch
The eagles have landed! Join U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) park rangers at The Dalles Dam Visitor Center Jan. 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., to catch a glimpse of bald eagles that congregate near the dam every winter in search of food.
Wasco County DA Announces Policy To Not Pursue Monetary Sanctions; Minimize Consequences of Court Debt
The Wasco County District Attorney's office will no longer seek “harmful” and “discriminatory” monetary sanctions such as court fees, and fines, and will work to minimize the collateral consequences of legal system involvement.
And the winner is....Dancing With The Gorge Stars Delivers on Big Laughs; Big Talent
Pattie Blagg said that the Dancing with the Gorge Stars had “its best crowd ever” on Friday January 13th, 2023. Now in its 9th season this production from Mid-Columbia Community Concert Association has really mastered that art of putting the ‘fun’ in fun-draising with an opening dance routine by The Dalles Dazzling Dancers, seven competitors of varying levels of skill, and professional dance performances from the Utah Ballroom Dance Company.
COVID Emergency funding coming to end; OR Health Plan Coverage, food benefits to change
Federal funding to stabilize people during the COVID-19 public health emergency is set to run out. This reduction will affect some 300,000 people utilizing the Oregon Health Plan who will no longer qualify. In addition, extended long-term support, providing extra food benefits are also coming to an end. Find out what to do here.
Rural Residents of Klickitat County: Verify your internet service before Jan 13th.
The Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) and the Snowden Community Council (SCC) are asking rural residents of Klickitat County to visit the FCC Broadband Map and verify their residential internet service information before Friday, January 13th, 2023. The FCC Broadband Map information will help determine which areas get included in federal broadband funding worth over $42 million.
Oregon Veteran Home Loan Max Loan Limit Increases in 2023
The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) will increase the maximum loan limit for the Oregon Veteran Home Loan for 2023, conforming to loan limits for mortgages set by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). ODVA will now accept loans up to the new maximum loan amount of $726,200, an increase of $79,000 from $647,200 in 2022, for funding on or after January 1, 2023.
Merkley Announces Jan. 13th Town Halls for Sherman, Wasco and Hood River County
Senator Jeff Merkley has announced in-person town halls for Wasco, Hood River, Sherman, Gilliam, Morrow, Lincoln, Tillamook, and Clatsop counties.
STEM 2022-2023 Educator Microgrant Recipients Announced
This year's winning grant recipients demonstrated a commitment to equity, expanding access to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) or STEAM (STEM plus Arts) opportunities, cost-effectiveness, and the potential to create a lasting impact for local students.
Interview: Kalos Irish Roots Band; The trio plays The Ruins Jan. 13
CCCNew’s Jim Drake interviews Irish Roots Band Kalos. The trio goes deep into how they make their music and what influences them and most importantly who gets to carry the accordion.
Poker night for Luis Flores
Poker Tournament and Silent Auction on tap at Bargeway Pub as locals pull together to fundraise for Luis Flores who has been stricken with debilitating medical issues. The event is set for Saturday, Jan. 14 at the Bargeway event site on the west side of the restaurant and pub. Read here for more details.
The Gorge is Gaming it: Music, Scrabble, Poker, Pool all options this week in entertainment
Games abound in this week’s round-up of local social events, music offerings and local shows. Scrabble, pool and poker options sit along side productions such as Dancing with the Gorge Stars at The Dalles High School Auditorium or “Ripchord” at the Bingen Theater.
January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Awareness Month
People are being trafficked every day throughout the world and even here in your own home town. Do you know how to identify a trafficked victim? Read this story to learn the signs.
Original Courthouse Regional History Forum Series for 2023
This year’s regional history forum series includes presentations on the geology of the Columbia River Gorge, local vineyards and wineries, Eleanor Borg, and Fort Dalles.
Movie Review: 'M3gan' Unsettling; Embodies unhinged gleefulness of '80s Horror
At its best, M3gan embodies the unhinged gleefulness of 80’s horror movies like Child’s Play, while keeping it fresh by inverting old tropes and subtly infusing the movie with a critique of our dependence on technology for our emotional needs. And while, for me, there could have been a little more gore, to its credit the movie actually manages to still create thrills while maintaining a PG-13 rating.