GIFFORD PINCHOT — For the second year in a row, the United States Forest Service (USFS) will not permit commercial picking of huckleberries near Sawtooth Mountain, off Twin Buttes Road or anywhere else in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, officials announced on April 21. 

Artists from across the region united at the Columbia Gorge Museum (CGM) in Stevenson on April 17, where a diverse assortment of locally resonant works — oil paintings, sculptures and beyond — graced the Encircle Technology Community Gallery.

ODELL — For the Columbia River Gorge’s 150-plus community health workers (CHWs), helping people isn’t a job, but a necessity. Every client, every mission, is part of a broad, decades-long movement to bridge the divide between underserved communities and institutionalized health care. 

THE DALLES — The Dalles City Council voted 4-1 to approve a $3.4 million contract with Ajax Northwest LLC at its April 13 meeting, advancing the Federal Street Plaza project — water feature included — toward development.

Wasco County Commissioners unanimously renewed a state grant for transitional housing that helps reduce jail use and stabilize residents cycling through emergency services, which the board framed as a rare and increasingly critical piece of the region’s housing and behavioral health system.

By Aziza Cooper-Hovland

Local roasters feel the squeeze as global markets, tariffs and climate disruptions drive up costs

CASCADE LOCKS — What do Breckenridge, Colorado; Big Bear Lake, California; and Cascade Locks have in common? They’re all recognized “Mountain Bike Trail Towns” by the International Mountain Bike Association.

HOOD RIVER — City council had several items to work through at its April 13 meeting. But one they didn’t was the Marriott Hotel appeal that was slated to go before council that night, but was withdrawn by developers the week prior.

Two people fly fishing last Friday morning on the Deschutes River below Sherars Falls successfully land a trout. Have a nature photo to share? Send it to news@gorgenews.com with a short description.