FREE NEWS: FISH is celebrating Billie‘s retirement on Oct. 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.at the FISH meeting room, 1130 Tucker Road, Hood River. The FISH Board will be providing soup, salad, bread, and side dishes. Clients, current and past volunteers, and community members are invited to attend. 

COMMENTARY: The U.S. Constitution grants states the authority to conduct federal elections, and Congress sets certain minimum standards. Here in Washington, our legislature has determined that vote-at-home is the official method of conducting elections — and that’s not just the law, it’s a system that works.

COMMENTARY: Recent findings from an OSU Extension survey show that 41% of Gorge residents ran out of food at least once last month, a sobering reminder of the growing food insecurity in our region. One another front, regional wildfires continue to displace families, damage habitat, and strain emergency and relief resources.

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 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 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.