INDEX
Adopt A Pet
Classifieds
History
KidScoop
Obituaries
Opinion
PoliceLogs
PublicNotices
SeniorLiving
Sports
What’sHappening
Former DA files lawsuit
against county — A8
A16
B8-9
B5
B1
A7
A4
B4
B7
B3
A10-13
B4
Armed subject shoots out
lamps — A6
Former police officer to sue
city — A9
Weather
Mid-80stolow-90sthrough
theweekintheGorge.Sunnyand
pleasantweather.
Maupin to receive new state-of-the-
art athletic track— A12
Columbia Gorge News
HOOD RIVER | THE DALLES | WHITE SALMON
Wednesday,July21,2021 Volume2,Issue16
$1.00
Granddaughter of Hood River residents
named to U.S. Olympic Swim Team
Bella Sims qualifies for
Team USA Swimming
former school district administra-
tor, James retired in 2005. He now
spends most of his days hunting
and watching golf.
By Noah Noteboom
Columbia Gorge News
Bella holds numerous club and
Southern California Swimming
(SCS) records in both short and
Watching from their home in
long distance races. She currently
Odell, James and Dodie Sims saw
holds the SCS records for the 500
their 16-year-old granddaughter,
meter and 200 meter freestyle for
Arabella Sims — who also goes by
girls aged 15-16, which is impres-
Bella — qualify for the 2020 Tokyo
Olympics as a member of Team
sive considering she started swim-
U.S.A. Swimming.
ming six years ago.
Training and competing at
During the preliminary races
the Sandpiper Swim Club in
Bella placed second in the 800
Henderson, Nev., Bella qualified
meter freestyle, right behind
to race in 11 different events at the arguably the best female swimmer
U.S. Olympic Trials.
of all-time, Katie Ledecky. In the
“I like to think of her as an all-
final heat of the 200 meter freestyle
around swimmer,” said her grand- race that would determine spots
on the U.S.A. roster, Sims set a new
father, James. “She does the races
personal-record, placing fifth. She
most people don’t want to swim.”
missed qualification for the solo
Dodie and James live in Odell
outside of the winter months, then event by less than half of a second.
migrate to Henderson, Nev., to see Fortunately, her time of 1:57.53 was
family and enjoy the warm weather. fast enough to claim a spot on the
Dodie has lived in the upper valley 4x200 meter relay team.
That race, which will send her to
most of her life. She graduated from
the Olympics, placed Bella as the
Hood River Valley High School
third best of all-time in the 200 me-
in 1976 and worked in the area
until her retirement in 2017. Also a ter freestyle behind Missy Franklin
■
Eyes
to the
Fallen
Bella Sims looks up at the scoreboard to check times after a Team U.S.A. qual-
ifying race. An all-around swimmer, Sims qualified for 11 events at the Team
U.S.A. Olympic Trials.
Contributed Photo from Dodie Sims
and Ledecky.
Now, she will share a locker
room and compete with some of
the best swimmers from around the
world.
The women’s 4x200 meter
freestyle relay races are scheduled
to begin on July 28 and the finals
will take place the following day,
July 29.
Two men
indicted
following
pursuit
Suspects held on
kidnapping, forgery
following fraud check
scam in The Dalles
Jacob Bertram
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
Agents from Skamania County
Sheriff’s Office arrested two men
in connection with a kidnapping
and forgery case that arose out of
The Dalles last week.
Following a grand jury inves-
tigation, Wasco County District
Attorney Matthew Ellis said the
suspects, 20-year-old Jalyn Brown
and 21-year-old Sincere Nasir
Demarja Mullins, were indicted
on multiple charges, including
first-degree forgery, second-de-
gree kidnapping, identity theft,
and attempted theft, while one
received additional charges on at-
tempt to elude police and reckless
driving. The suspects are being
held at Northern Oregon Regional
Hood River filmmakers
tell story of Anthony
Marquez and his
effort to remember
fallen comrades
Noah Noteboom
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
Hood River filmmakers Manny
Marquez and Jesse Larvick are on
a mission. Armed with lights and
cameras, the duo is setting out on
a five week tour of America, to tell
the stories of 17 families who have
lost loved ones in the line of active
duty. July 12, 2011, is a day that
Anthony Marquez, Manny’s young-
er brother, will never forget. In the
desert of Sangin, Afghanistan, one
of Anthony’s best friends in the 1st
Battalion 5th infantry unit, Robert
Greniger, was killed in action.
Anthony watched as the helicopter
transporting Greniger flew over the
horizon. The next time he would re-
unite with his brother in arms, was
in Fort Snelling National Cemetery
in Minnesota.
By the time Anthony’s tour had
come to an end, more than 190
Marines were wounded and anoth-
er 17 — including Greniger — had
lost their lives. Battlefield crosses
are common among the military to
pay tribute to those who have made
the ultimate sacrifice and lost their
lives while serving their country.
Using the Marine’s boots, helmet
and rifle a memorial is constructed
by hanging the helmet on the rifle
that is configured between his boots
forming a makeshift cross. Anthony
decided in order to honor his fallen
comrades he will carve a battlefield
cross out of wood for each of the
17 members lost during his tour in
Afghanistan. Of course, there was
the challenge of learning how to
carve with a chainsaw. Learning
the craft from renowned Oklahoma
artist, Clayton Coss, Anthony quick-
ly mastered the art of chainsaw
carving. He completed all 17 statues
and delivered them to each of the
An officer sets a spike strip in hopes of
disabling a vehicle fleeing westbound
on Interstate 84 in Hood River. The ve-
hicle instead fled into Washington.
Jody Thompson photo
See PURSUIT,page5
Suspect
charged in
July 4 Fire
Manny Marquez, above, sits behind
his desk pondering the next move in
filming his second feature length film:
“XVII Carvings.” His first feature film
was called “Psychopath” that featured
a man who setup a haunted house
theme park in Oklahoma. At right,
Jesse Larvick will be co-directing his
first feature film. Larvick will also be
utilizing his talents as a professional
photographer to create a book.
Noah Noteboom photos
families who had lost their son.
Since 2016, Anthony has created
— from scratch — nearly 70 bat-
tlefield cross carvings. Most honor
fallen Marines and oftentimes his
carvings will generate thousands of
dollars. His works have been sold
for $25,000, with proceeds going to
veteran charities and organizations.
Larvick and Manny, Anthony’s
brother, are going to be joining
Anthony for a road trip around the
country visiting the families while
producing a full length documenta-
ry titled “XVII Carvings.” As a co-di-
rector and cinematographer, Manny
has produced other films such as
“Operation Allie” which depicts
See FILM,page5
Jacob Bertram
■ By Columbia
Gorge News
LYLE — An 18-year-old man
received a criminal citation for
using illegal fireworks near the Lyle
sandbar, which investigators are
pointing to as the cause of the fire
that sparked on the west side of
town on Independence Day.
Multiple witnesses saw the
fireworks discharge and caught
the act on video, Klickitat
County Undersheriff Tim Neher
said, which helped sheriff’s
See FIRE,page5
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