HOOD RIVER — Seven out of 100 is not a high score. That’s the current “sufficiency rating” for the Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge — but engineers assured Hood River Port commissioners that doesn’t mean the bridge is unsafe.

FREE NEWS: The Rowena Long Term Recovery Group, in partnership with Wasco County and Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, has launched a new website to serve as a central hub for information and resources for residents impacted by the Rowena Fire. 

ROWENA — The process of distributing fundraised money and materials to people impacted by the Rowena Fire is set to begin on Oct. 6, officials from the county and nonprofit organizations announced, marking a transition from immediate to long-term recovery.

OREGON — When Courtney Eggleston gave birth to her son, she knew she would have to rely on friends and family to help care for him when she went back to work. That’s because Hines, the Eastern Oregon town in Harney County where Eggleston lives, has few licensed childcare providers.

OREGON — Spending by international travelers to Oregon this summer has dropped sharply, down 21% this July compared with July 2024, according to an analysis of Visa card spending prepared for Travel Oregon. 

OREGON — As about 5 million migrating birds are predicted to fly through Oregon between Sept. 22-24, Bird Alliance Oregon is asking cities and homeowners to turn off night-time lights.

THE DALLES — A search warrant in West The Dalles uncovered illegal guns, ammunition, body armor and drugs on Sept. 5, for which 50-year-old resident Anthony Hithe is charged.

HOOD RIVER — Local and state health officials say an investigation into three recent cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), a rare brain disorder, found no connection between them.

FREE NEWS: Today, Sept. 22, the partial remains of a woman known only as “Oak Grove Jane Doe” were exhumed at Mountain View Cemetery in Oregon City. The case is Oregon’s oldest unidentified person case and a nearly 80-year-old unsolved homicide.

OREGON — Carla Mundt, volunteer coordinator with hosts at the Criterion School, reports nearly 1,800 visitors at its Open House during the duration of the 2025 Oregon State Fair.

FREE NEWS: Mt. Adams Institute’s Sense of Place event  series returns this fall with its 16th season. The season will launch with Woven in Place: A Rancher’s Journey from Sheep to Fashion and the Olympics on Oct. 8 at Columbia Center for the Arts. 

FREE NEWS: The local event is sponsored by the American Legion Post 19 and the Mid-Columbia Veterans Memorial Committee. All are welcome.

WHITE SALMON — The White Salmon Valley Education Foundation hosts the annual Gorge Grape Escape from 4-6 p.m. on Oct. 4 at the Best Western Plus Hood River Inn.

FREE NEWS: The Klickitat County Department of Emergency Management is collecting information from survivors and business owners affected by the Burdoin wildfire this summer. 

$7,500 match available supporting local and international service projects

THE GORGE — The CASA Fall Family Run is back for a second year, Columbia Gorge CASA has announced. 

FREE NEWS from Uplift Local: Wasco County wants to change the way it contracts for ambulance service providers. But current providers don’t like the draft plan, describing it as concerning, a disaster, and flat out unacceptable. They also say it was developed without their input and away from public view.

FREE NEWS: On Friday, Sept. 19, Dutch Bros in Hood River and The Dalles will donate $1 for every drink sold to The Next Door Inc. (TNDI) as part of their Buck for Kids Day fundraiser.

FREE COMMENTARY: “Enough. This madness must stop here, and it must stop now. First, they tried to kill a former president. Then they murdered sitting legislators in Minnesota." — Rep. Jeffrey Helfrich

FREE NEWS: Meet Columbia Gorge News' two new reporters!

FREE NEWS: Community members gathered Sept. 11 at the Fort Dalles Readiness Center for the 2025 Distinguished Citizens Awards Banquet, an annual celebration hosted by The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce.

FREE COMMENTARY: After passing in the Oregon House, the State’s Transportation Funding Bill HB 3991 will now go before the Oregon Senate on Sept. 17. This bill addresses major transportation-related funding issues and aims to resolve the imminent shortfall facing the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), counties, and cities.

FREE COMMENTARY: For years, our community has worked towards the vision of a revitalized community pool where kids can learn to swim safely, seniors can stay active, and families can gather. Today, I’m excited to share that this dream is within reach — funding is nearly 70% — and now is the time to jump in together and build the pool.

FREE NEWS: The Hood River Valley High School (HRVHS) Hall of Fame inducted seven former student athletes, a retired coach and athletic director, and a boys’ state championship soccer team into its 2025 class.

FREE NEWS: At a recent public meeting about the financial health of OPERF, the $100 billion Oregon Public Employees Retirement System Fund, an activist criticized the Oregon State Treasury for losing money when it recently sold $4.5 billion in private equity holdings from the fund.

Theodore Fletcher, a volunteer for Turning Point USA in The Dalles, led a vigil for slain right-wing political activist, author, and media personality Charlie Kirk on Sept. 14 at Lewis and Clark Park. Several hundred people participated. “Folks made signs, prayers were given and folks stood …

Volunteer instructor key to success

FREE COMMENTARY: In his Sept. 5 press release, Rep. Cliff Bentz claims to have attended hundreds of meetings with various civic groups. Most of his constituents, however, were excluded from those meetings.

FREE NEWS: In July, the Wy’East fire district, serving Odell, Pine Grove and the area east of Hood River in the lower valley, got hit by a check-washing thief. Now protection will cost the district $1,020 a year.

FREE NEWS: A body was discovered inside a van parked in the Edward Jones parking lot on Wood Court after the vehicle had reportedly remained in the same spot for approximately two weeks.

FREE NEWS: Ticket W192 was the winner of the Columbia Gorge Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) playhouse raffle, drawn on Aug. 29.

FREE NEWS: Each week, customers can shop online at www.gorgefarmers.com and choose between local pickup or home delivery. GFC’s farmer-to-customer model prioritizes freshness, sustainability, and transparency.