Mid-Columbia Fire & Rescue Chief set to retire in December. Bob Palmer started with The Dalles Fire Department in 1980 and was an integral player in merging two districts into the fire service we have today that serves 120 square miles and takes some 3,500 calls for help annually.

The 51-year-old man accused of starting the Larch Creek Fire near Dufur is currently wanted on an arrest warrant after he failed to show up at Wasco County Circuit Court on Monday, Sept. 16.

Four Rivers Family Early Learning & Parenting Hub filled and delivered over 75 backpacks with school supplies for local children graduating from Preschool Promise sites. Preschool Promise sites are located throughout Four Rivers Family  5 county region,  Gilliam, Hood River, Sherman, Wasco, and Wheeler counties.

Before every season as a coach, I do a mental inventory of what worked last time and what to keep for the next. Sharpies for labeling hoodies that will otherwise end in a jumble at the end of a race: check. More water than you think you need on hot days: check. Extra rolls of tape. Double-checking bus availability. Olive oil for brownies. 

Cantwell led a high-speed chase after fleeing detention during a traffic stop near Shaniko in 2021.  After one of Cantwell’s tires blew out, Sergeant Matt Tuia pulled his patrol vehicle in behind Cantwell’s vehicle along the highway.  Cantwell got out of his vehicle and fired multiple rounds at Tuia, striking the driver’s side of the windshield and the hood of Sergeant Tuia’s vehicle. One of the rounds barely missed striking Tuia’s left side.

A 33-year-old former jail guard at NORCOR was sentenced to 60 days jail time and three years probation after pleading guilty to having sex with a female prisoner in April 2023. 

The Oak Canyon Fire, burning east of Tygh Valley in Wasco County, has prompted Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation orders, the Wasco County Sheriff's Office reported. The fire has burned thousands of acres and has prompted the Bureau of Land Managment to close public lands within the vicinity of the fire.

In partnership with Columbia Gorge Community College, Cardinal Glass Industries, and Oregon STEM, a handful of youth participated in career-connected learning experiences during the summer as interns.

Hundreds of local youth stay grounded through 4-H activities throughout the year and all of their hard work recently paid off at the Wasco County Fair - check out all the results right here and be sure to give some congrat pats on the backs of your friends and neighbors.

The Dalles Kiwanis Club hosts its annual Steak Feed Thursday after Labor Day, this year Sept. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sorosis Park.

As a dark storm brewed over The Dalles on Thursday evening, Aug. 22, the thunder seemed to carry an ominous warning for those gathered at the Wasco County Public Library: a murder was about to unfold. 

Dr. Kathleen Wilder has become North Central Public Health District’s (NCPHD) Public Health Officer, replacing Dr. Christopher Van Tilburg, who has served as the Health Officer for both Hood River County Health Department and NCPHD since May 2023.

Today, crews will patrol the northeast edge of the fire, looking for hot spots near containment lines. Mop up and strengthening of containment lines on the east side of the fire is ongoing. South of the fire near Wahtum Lake, mastication operations along roads will continue.

Pacific Northwest Team 10 is taking over the incident today as Northern Rockies Team 2 prepares to head home. Both teams will be working hard today to ensure a smooth transition of command. Weather remains mild and crews continue to establish more direct handline around both fires resulting in increased containment.

The upcoming Wasco County Fair is set to shine even brighter this weekend, thanks to a drone light show sponsored by Google. The high-tech spectacle, accompanied by music, will take place on both Friday and Saturday nights, offering a stunning and safe alternative to traditional fireworks.

Heavy focus remains on the southeast edge of the Whisky Creek Fire where crews have been able to perform fire suppression activities more directly. The Dozer line has been completed and firefighters are continuing to construct the handline.

Today, on both the Whiskey Creek Fire and Sandstone Fire, crews will continue holding and securing line. On the Whisky Creek Fire, construction of indirect line around spot fires in the southeast corner of the fire is ongoing and mop up is happening to the northeast and southeast of the fire.

The Wasco County Fairgrounds will be hopping today as check-in for 4-H animals begins. Local kids have been working and learning for months in preparation for showing and selling their animals at the fair, which opens to the public on Thursday, Aug. 15 with Family Free Day. Temps are looking favorable, in the 80s the rest of the week, as the fair runs Aug. 15-18 in Tygh Valley.

The City of The Dalles is launching the second round of its Residential Tree Grant Program, offering grants to residents for planting trees and enhancing property beautification. Managed by the Beautification and Tree Committee (BTC), this program aims to improve the urban forest, increase property values, and provide essential environmental benefits.