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WEATHER
HIGHS IN 80S-90S IN THE
DALLES, COOLER IN HOOD
RIVER
Mask sale supports Mid-Columbia Senior
Center, community.
page A12
Kids receive free
books, see "kid's
Space"
page B1
Columbia Gorge News
HOOD RIVER | THE DALLES | WHITE SALMON
Wednesday,August26,2020 Volume1,Issue21 $1.00
Regional jail to end ICE contracts
within contractual requirements to
terminate the housing agreements.”
They will give the board an update
The Northern Oregon Regional
Correctional Facility (NORCOR) will at their September meeting, said a
terminate its housing contracts with NORCOR press release.
While the regional jail has faced
the U.S. Immigration and Customs
public pressure to terminate their
Enforcement agency (ICE), the jail
ICE contracts for years, the decision
announced Thursday.
The NORCOR Board of Directors to terminate the contracts “comes
voted unanimously during an Aug. as the overall numbers of in custody
20 meeting to discontinue housing episodes has declined over the past
year, decreasing the reliance of
all custodies for ICE, and the jail
management will “initiate the steps revenue for the NORCOR budget,”
according to a press release.
■ By Emily Fitzgerald
Columbia Gorge News
NORCOR’s federal inmate
housing contract is expected to
contribute $268,000 to the jail’s total
revenue for both adult and juvenile
detention facilities in the 2020/21
fiscal year — compared to $820,000
in the 2019/20 fiscal year and
$913,872 in the 2018/19 fiscal year
— according to NORCOR budget
proposal documents.
While NORCOR’s ICE contract
has seen a significant reduction
in revenue, NORCOR’s housing
contract with the U.S. Marshals saw
Foiling the Wind
a significant increase in the 2020/21
budget jumping from $23,200 and
$18,000 in 2018/19 and 2019/20,
respectively, to $891,500 in the pro-
posed budget for the 2020/21 fiscal
year. Funds from this contract go
exclusively to the Adult Corrections
facility in the 2020/21 budget,
while ICE funds are split between
Adult Corrections and the Juvenile
Detention Facility.
NORCOR Board President Bob
Benton could not be reached for
comment by press time.
Gorge ICE Resistance, a coali-
tion of organizations that supports
detainees on hunger strike and calls
for the removal of the immigration
detention center in The Dalles, said
that they will “monitor closely” as
NORCOR goes through the process
of canceling its contracts with ICE.
“While we celebrate this victory
for the Gorge community, we recog-
nize the fight for justice continues,”
said Solea Kabakov, an organizer
SeeNORCOR,page3
Wash. seeks
broadband
information
special purpose districts and tribal
governments. According to Jacob
Anderson, project coordinator with
In accordance with recently
the Klickitat County Economic
passed legislation, the state of
Development Department, the
Washington has been working
county’s role will be mainly to work
to achieve the goal of providing
with local providers to expand
broadband access to every resi-
dent by 2024. One critical piece to services to the outlying rural areas
of Klickitat County, where he says
puzzle requires public participa-
residents are reporting speeds of 1
tion: Taking a one-minute speed
mbps upload speeds and 2 mbps
survey from your computer.
download speeds, while paying for
By responding to the survey
10 mbps up and 20 mbps down.
at www.commerce.wa.gov/
Because investments have been
building-infrastructure/washing-
made in Klickitat County for pre-
ton-statewide-broadband-act/
vious upgrades to the broadband
speedtestsurvey, the Governor’s
services, Anderson said the county
Statewide Broadband Office,
is ineligible for the grant and loan
an organization under the state
program, so they are looking for
Department of Commerce, will
collect data about your broadband alternatives to consider.
Acknowledging the predicament
speed to identify gaps in the ser-
vices provided to the community. residents will be in as school starts
soon in a virtual format, Anderson
The broadband office is also
said the best thing the public can
responsible for the collaboration
hope for right now is the ability
between the public and broad-
for local providers to expand and
band providers.
upgrade their systems as residents
Another crucial part to the
legislation is the establishment of a adjust to remote living.
Anderson said the county is also
competitive loan program through
the Washington State Public Works willing to entertain co-location on
Board, to “assist in funding acqui- county-owned emergency commu-
nications towers to boost signals
sition, installation, and construc-
across the area.
tion of middle mile and last mile
The county has also spent
infrastructure and promote the
expansion of access to broadband money boosting posts on Facebook
advertising the survey online. The
service in unserved areas of the
public can view survey results at
state,” according to the website.
Eligible participants of the loan www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdash-
board/index.html#/4bcf7c77eca-
program include cities, counties,
c475eb467e9df0028d05b.
■ By Jacob Burtram
Columbia Gorge News
Two people from the Bay Area were trying the new wind sport “Windfoiling” last week off the beach of The Fish Hatchery,
located off Highway 14 in Washington along the Columbia River west of White Salmon. Above, Chris MacDonald from
Fairfax, Calif., is captured making “moves” that adults haven't managed, yet. “The lighting was extremely good,” said pho-
tographer Stephen Datnoff. Chuck Patterson (NAISH rider), a world-renowned extreme skier and paddle boarder, was also
exploring the Gorge winds on a Windfoil.
Photo courtesy of Stephen Datnoff
COVID-19
Workplace outbreaks
reported in HR county
Oregon Health Authority (OHA)
will release this information in their
weekly report.
Hood River County has the
second highest rate of testing per
capita in the state, according to the
Hood River County currently
press release. Hood River County
has more than 15 active COVID-19 is currently approved for "Phase 2"
workplace outbreaks, including one reopening, but is on a state "watch
at the Hood River County Health
list" as an area of concern regarding
Department (HRCHD).
community spread of the virus.
“The health department will
remain staffed to take calls and pro-
Wasco County
vide essential services by appoint-
Wasco
County is also approved
ment,” said a HRCHD press release.
for
"Phase
2" reopening, but was
“Staff working here in the building
removed
from
the watch list Aug.
are not on isolation or quarantine.”
20,
according
to
an announcement
Facility types range from agri-
by
Governor
Kate
Brown.
cultural processing, fruit packing,
On
Sunday,
Aug.
23, the Oregon
and restaurants, to office and retail
Health Authority reported 417
facilities that have been identified
new confirmed and presumptive
as having workplace outbreaks of
cases in the state, for a state total of
COVID-19 cases.
24,937. No new cases were reported
An outbreak is defined as a
in Hood River, Wasco or Sherman
worksite with two or more cases
counties at that time.
that are not household contacts.
On Sunday, OHA reported cases,
Once five or more cases are identi-
deaths
and negative test results for
fied and connected to one facility,
Wasco County
removed from
state watch list
COVID-19 to date. At that time,
Hood River County had a total of
225 cases, no deaths, and 4,237
negative tests; Wasco County had
207 cases, three deaths and 4,144
negative test results; Sherman
County had 16 cases, no deaths
and 2,421 negative test results; and
Gilliam County had four cases,
no deaths and 236 negative test
results.
In Washington, Klickitat County
reported a total of 180 positive cas-
es, three active, and three deaths
to date in 13 cities.
Health departments in all
counties are urging residents to
take precautions, which include
following proper guidance for:
■ Social distancing
■ Mask use both at work and
during personal time outside of
work
■ Washing of hands frequently
■ Staying home when ill and
calling your doctor even if you
think you just have allergies
Old Dalles Road
fire contained
■ By Kirby Neumann-Rea
Columbia Gorge News
On Monday night, Aug. 17, near
Pine Grove in Hood River County,
a four-helicopter rotation came to
the rescue when fire broke out just
east of Old Dalles Road.
The fire burned timber starting
around 6 p.m. off Oak Ridge Road,
in the Pine Grove area.
The fire was kept to about 1.5
acres (smaller than a published
post) thanks to rapid action by
air and ground responders, and
is contained, Chief Greg Borton
of Wy’East Fire District said Aug.
18 at 9:30 a.m. No structures were
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damaged, though flames did come
close to one outbuilding.
“If not for the aerial attack get-
ting to it when it did, the fire would
have been much bigger,” Borton
said. “They had water on it before
we were there on the ground,” he
said. On Friday, Aug. 21, the fire
was fully contained and firefighters
remained on patrol given that hot
spots were found Aug. 18-19.
At about 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17 after
the fire line was in place and most
of the flames had been knocked
down, a pair of tall firs erupted in
SeeFIRE,page2
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