A non-partisan political action committee (PAC) concerned with crime called Save Wasco County has formed in The Dalles, OR. Two people, including the Mayor of The Dalles, said the PAC was to fund a campaign to bring a challenger against District Attorney Matthew Ellis in next year’s May primary election.

“It is with mixed emotions that I am writing to you today. After much contemplation and consideration, I have made the decision not to seek re-election as the Sherman County Sheriff in the upcoming 2024 election year.”

With the recent and forecasted cool wet weather, local Fire Districts, Wasco County, and the Oregon Department of Forestry have agreed to lift the seasonal burn ban on Monday, October 16, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. This will allow for burning in barrels and small debris piles. Larger slash pile burning is not included in this lifting of the ban.

The Sorosis Park rehabilitation project has hit a new milestone today. The North Wasco County Parks and Recreation District (NWPRD) has successfully secured an Oregon State Parks grant amounting to $420,000, which will cover 60% of the estimated $700,000 replacement cost for the TreeTop playground structure at Sorosis Park. NWPRD will cover the remaining 40% of the cost, meaning the project to replace the TreeTop play structure is now fully funded.

On October 30, 1938, Halloween, The Mercury Theater on the Air presented a radio show in the format of newscasts and musical entertainment. Most listeners tuning in missed the introductory presentation and thus believed that they were indeed listening to emergency newscasts about cylinders from Mars falling on the Earth.

Gabriel Prado has made a career of serving others both in his service in the Marine Corps and now as a nurse. The lifelong learner spent his seminal years in The Dalles Schools and graduated from TDHS in 2000. It was from this foundation he developed compassion for others and decided The Dalles was a great place to call home.

The Rocky Horror Show played their preview show last night at the Bingen Theater, located at 210 Oak St to the great delight of the audience. Big Britches Rocky Horror Picture Show is everything fans could hope for: It's dark, funny, raunchy, and queer as can be. 

At the heart of The Next Door, Inc. (TNDI) is our Therapeutic Schooling program. Our two alternative schools in Hood River and The Dalles are staffed by incredible, empathetic, and hard-working educators, led by a phenomenal School Administrator, who collectively make the success of our therapeutic schooling program possible.

This week’s question of the week is what does Hispanic Heritage month mean to you? We asked locals and ourselves, what it means to celebrate hispanic heritage and resiliency, while also grieving what’s been lost to assimilation and oppression.

The City of White Salmon is excited to announce its NEW Online Permit Center!

Introducing Brightly SmartGov: Revolutionizing Governance for the modern age with Brightly SmartGov, we aim to streamline government operations, enhance public services, and foster a deeper connection between citizens and their government. The NEW online portal allows a variety of building and development projects to be submitted entirely online.

Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) invites everyone to attend the 2023 Columbia Gorge Annual Economic Symposium on Friday, November 3rd at the Pavilion at the Port of Cascade Locks Marine Park from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The event brings together leaders across the region in the areas of government, economic development, workforce development, and business to learn together and network.

The Dalles, Ore., Oct. 3, 2023 - JJ Castro and his crew of Ramiro and Jorge were working the concrete along a new sidewalk out front of Cascade Square near Dutch Bros this morning.

Wasco County Sheriff Lane Magill has thrown his hat in the ring for the primary election on May 21, 2024. Thus far Magill and County Assessor Jill Amery are the only two incumbents that have committed to running for their respective positions. However, Chrissy Zaugg is looking to step up into County Clerk Lisa Gambee’s shoes as she will not run again.

At the Baker Meet on Sept. 28 - Like the boys’ race, the Riverhawk girls ran consistently, with few personal records- but a notable one-minute improvement for freshman Riley Elliot, who was sporting her mom’s cross country hoodie after the race.

Josh Konell, seen above maneuvering the Caterpillar Excavator weighing in at around 55,000 pounds made its way into the staging area behind Tony’s Town and Country off of First Street. Demolition of the building at 401-407 E. Second Street will begin shortly.

Sense of Place is excited to announce the line-up for the 14th annual Sense of Place Series. This season will feature a wide range of topics from beavers to wildfires and pears to insects. All events will be offered in person at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River, Oregon, and via livestream. 

The public is invited to attend the 2023 Wasco County Historical Society’s Annual Meeting. The program comes with a fantastic show of living history. The society welcomes Frontier Living History with the Sons of the Union Veterans of The Civil War. This will include swords, muskets, uniforms, currency, rations, tents and black powder demonstrations.

Yvonne Pepin-Wakefield of The Dalles has released her third book, Path of Totality, about living in a log cabin in Oregon’s Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. She will be visiting communities throughout the gorge as well as Condon.

When you feel sorry for yourself, your heart is closed to the love and wisdom that is within you and all around you; when you choose to be kind to yourself and gentle with yourself, your heart opens to the love, wisdom and power of spirit.