Open Gorge: The Skamania Dispatch & Klickitattler

The Hood River White Salmon Bridge Authority is moving forward with a counter-intuitive interchange design that would have you temporarily driving on the left side of the road when you land on the Oregon side. In our recap of the 4/13/26 to 5/11/26 meetings, we break down why engineers love the "Safety Paradox," why cyclists are raising concerns, and how the bi-state agency plans to manage its new sixty-seven million dollar budget.

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A tense day for the Columbia River Gorge Commission as legal counsel issues a stern warning over public records, while state leaders from Oregon and Washington deliver a "cold shower" on the upcoming budget cycle. This episode covers the May 12, 2026, Commission meeting at Elk Ridge Golf Course.

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In this episode, we dive into the April meetings for the White Salmon City Council and the White Salmon Tree Board. We’re looking at a growing push from residents for municipal childcare solutions, the rising costs of our water infrastructure, and why a procedural rule might accidentally doom a historic oak tree.

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This month at the North Bonneville City Council, a long-simmering frustration with failing internet infrastructure escalated into a full-blown life-safety crisis. We break down the stark warnings from residents about disabled fire alarms, and how a regulatory gap leaves the city with limited leverage to fix the problem.

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Bingen's downtown takes a hit as a contractor strikes an unmarked water main, flooding local businesses and forcing month-long closures. We dive into the major flood that swept through town, and our request to help solve the mystery of who is clogging the city’s water system with a distinctive item: red cotton shop rags!

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In this episode, we dive back into the new proposal to fine reckless hikers $1000, including the legal strategy to keep that money local. We also cover the urgent bureaucratic "pinch point" threatening the Forest Youth Success summer program and how local businesses can access federal disaster relief. This episode covers the Skamania County Board of Commissioners meeting held on May 5, 2026.

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 In this episode of the Skamania Dispatch, we dive into the April 16th Stevenson City Council meeting, where residents staged a highly organized pushback against the city's mandatory sewer connection ordinance. We break down the difference between "proximity" and "condition-based" rules, and look at how neighboring cities in Oregon and Washington are softening the financial blow for homeowners.

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Klickitat County is shifting how it views childcare, moving from a private family issue to treating it as critical economic infrastructure. We look at a recent site visit to Boardman, Oregon, to see how public-private partnerships might cure our local "childcare desert." We also break down the county's pushback against state energy codes, and why housing experts are warning that our regional fear of short-term rentals might actually be making the housing crisis worse.

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Did you pack your map and compass? We are diving into the April 21st and April 28th Skamania County Commissioner meetings, where the Sheriff's Office introduced a controversial new proposal: a one-thousand-dollar fine for negligent hikers who trigger Search and Rescue missions. We unpack the county's funding strategy, the pushback from national rescue professionals, and what it could mean for your next weekend on the trail.

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Today marks exactly eighty years since the devastating May 5, 1946 fire that wiped out the bustling riverside village of Old Underwood. In this special anniversary episode, we explore the sheer ambition of the early Gorge fruit growers, the “Sunday conflagration” that changed the town's trajectory, and the new life taking root on the waterfront today.

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At the April 2026 EFSEC meeting, the state is pushing forward on major energy infrastructure, clearing significant pre-construction hurdles for the massive Horse Heaven project, including legally binding plans to track local pronghorn antelope. We're also breaking down averted state budget cuts, new legal rules for authentic tribal consultation, and what the latest environmental scoping means for local transmission lines.

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During the 4/14 Skamania Board of County Commissioners meeting, we learned summer road construction is officially hitting the Wind River Highway, bringing a single-lane bottleneck and detours to Carson starting this May. Plus, we're breaking down a thirty percent drop in projected timber harvests for the county, and looking at why federal food assistance rules are suddenly straining our local support networks.

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On this episode, we unpack the April 14th Klickitat County Board of Commissioners meeting, focusing on the mounting pressure facing our local emergency medical services. With 911 calls steadily rising, we look at how the county is managing the strain and why a dedicated non-emergency "day car" is suddenly on the table.

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Procedural gridlock is freezing Gorge housing policy. The Economic Vitality Committee missed its quorum for the second straight meeting, stalling crucial votes on Accessory Dwelling Units. We unpack the debate over short-term rentals, look at the reality of building on agricultural land, and review the agency's new media rules. This episode covers the April 8 Economic Vitality Committee and April 9 Communications Committee meetings.

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In this episode, we unpack the April 7th meeting of the Trout Lake Community Council (with lots of relevant updates for all Klickitat county residents) where Skyline Hospital executives made an urgent, last-minute plea for a property tax hike. But with recent school levies already squeezing wallets across the region, local councilors are warning of serious "tax fatigue" ahead of the April ballot.

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Klickitat County hit a massive infrastructure roadblock during the weeks of 3/31 and 4/7. The county was forced to legally reject every single bid across four major public works projects, hitting the reset button on thousands of dollars of deferred maintenance. And, STR regulations are finally updated, with an implementation schedule hitting the calendar. Finally, could trash contracts with bigger cities save the county budget?

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 In this episode, we break down the Skamania County Board of Commissioners meeting from Tuesday, April 7th. We’re diving into the Columbia River Gorge Commission's updates on disaster rebuilding, the debate over Accessory Dwelling Units, and why the strict rules around "temporary" workforce housing are putting a massive financial squeeze on local farmers and families.

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Imagine qualifying for essential developmental disability services, only to be told the waitlist just to get an assessment is over a year long. That's the reality uncovered at the April 1st meeting of the Klickitat-Skamania Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board. We're breaking down what's causing this massive structural bottleneck and what local advocates are doing to help families bridge the gap.

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In this episode, we are looking at the Goldendale City Council's March 2026 meetings, and unpacking a major financial threat quietly draining the city's public safety budget. We break down how a cascade of controversies and ongoing mismanagement at the Klickitat County jail, including a recent two-million-dollar wrongful death settlement, is forcing local municipalities to foot the bill for extreme medical clearances just to process standard arrests.

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In this March round-up for Stevenson, we cover the growing friction over mandatory sewer connections and the emergency repairs needed for the city's failing water intake. We also dive into the Planning Commission's heated debate over a proposed hop-farm campground that has Skamania Lodge threatening legal action.

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This month, White Salmon is wrestling with the real-world costs of rapid regional growth. We’re breaking down the latest moves from the White Salmon City Council, the Planning Commission, and the Tree Board, covering everything from a massive tree removal plan for the new bridge to the surprisingly fierce debate over shared sewer lines for new housing.

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We wrap up a busy March 2026 in North Bonneville, covering recent City Council actions and a critical Planning Commission meeting. We discuss the city’s proactive mapping of underground utilities, the ongoing regional environmental friction spilling into local comment periods, and a massive 71-page update to the Critical Areas Ordinance that could impact riverfront property owners.

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Skamania County is bracing for the financial fallout of a state-level budget mistake that threatens local public health services. We also dive into the aging infrastructure of our temporary homeless shelters and a culturally charged interview for the regional library board. This episode covers the Skamania County Board of Commissioners meetings from March 17 and March 24, 2026.

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Governor Ferguson approved the massive Carriger Solar project in December, but a major judicial review petition from the Yakama Nation has brought development to a grinding halt. Today, we break down the legal and cultural friction at play, and explain why this Klickitat County lawsuit matters for the entire Gorge. Plus, we touch on updates from the Cascade Renewable Transmission project, and look at a new state mapping tool that brings a huge win for public transparency.

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In today's episode, we dive into the Klickitat County Board of Commissioners meeting from March 24th. We look at a massive emergency contract extension needed to cover medical leaves at the 911 dispatch center, exposing the hidden vulnerabilities in our rural emergency networks. We also cover traffic safety and the continuing discussion over Accessory Dwelling Units. 

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The replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon bridge is accelerating, but a multimillion-dollar land dispute with Oregon State Parks threatens to drain local funds. Today, we cover the 3/9 & 3/23 HRWS Bridge Authority meetings, break down the creative cross-border strategies local leaders are using to fight back, the logistical nightmare of dismantling the old toll booths, and the ticking clock on federal funding.

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Klickitat Board of County Commissioners is shifting into an offensive legislative posture as local budgets get squeezed by Olympia and Washington D.C. This week, we break down a massive seventeen-year accounting error by the state that shorted the county two million dollars, the data privacy risks of the new federal SAVE Act, and what you can do right now to protect the White Salmon Library from future budget cuts. Catch up on the 3/17 Klickitat BOCC meeting.

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At the March 10th 2026 Skamania County Board of Health Meeting, our unique geographic location is creating a "blind spot" for local health data, making it harder to track viruses like the flu and RSV in our community. Plus, the health department is teaming up with the Prosecutor's office to ramp up crackdowns on severe nuisance properties to protect our groundwater and prevent major fire hazards.

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