Open Gorge: The Skamania Dispatch & Klickitattler

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.

In This Episode:

• FEMA relief is finally unlocked for December's winter storm damage.
• WAGAP leadership transitions and a new tribal housing partnership.
• Commissioners voice frustration over a stagnant Homeless Housing Council.
• An early noxious weed season brings temporary staff to the county.
• Celebrating twenty-five years of service from Chief Deputy Clerk Paula Diaz.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com
• View the BOCC agendas and Zoom links at the Skamania County Website
• SNAP Cuts in OBBBA/H.R. 1: Billionaires Win, Working Families Lose
• 2024 Columbia Gorge Community Health Assessment

Documenter notes are available for republishing under Creative Commons license CC by 4.0. With thanks to the Columbia Gorge Documenters, powered by Uplift Local: https://upliftlocal.news/columbia-gorge/columbia-gorge-documenters/

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

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.

In This Episode:

• Addressing the severe childcare and preschool shortages in rural areas like Wishram and Bickleton.
• Debunking local rumors about billionaire land buyouts and identifying the county's actual major landholders.
• Construction funding updates for the Columbia Gorge Community College advanced manufacturing facility.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com
• Klickitat County BOCC Portal & Meeting Agendas
• Columbia Gorge Community College Facilities Updates

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

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.

In This Episode:

• Discussing ADUs and whether the fear of illegal use is just a "red herring"
• Testing the "Ag Income" Rule: Is it a filter for farmland, or a wall against development?
• The Rules of "Strategic Silence": New media protocols and social media limits for Commissioners.
• Permitting Delays: Why Klickitat County's new online portal is stuck waiting on the Oregon state budget.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com
• View raw agendas and videos for the Economic Vitality Committee and the Communications Committee.

Documenter notes are available for republishing under Creative Commons license CC by 4.0. With thanks to the Columbia Gorge Documenters, powered by Uplift Local: https://upliftlocal.news/columbia-gorge/columbia-gorge-documenters/

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

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.

In This Episode:

• Skyline hospital looks to lift its tax levy lid to bring critical medical services closer to home, but will "tax fatigue" be a barrier?
• Trout Lake's affordable housing survey reveals a massive demographic blind spot and confirms a total lack of rental inventory.
• Why missing data from young, working families could cost Klickitat County vital state parks funding.
• Community radar: Rumors of DNR logging near the airfield and a church's new local land purchase.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com
• View the Skyline Hospital Value Report & Levy Info here
• Documenter notes are available for republishing under Creative Commons license CC by 4.0. With thanks to Columbia Gorge Documenters, powered by Uplift Local: https://upliftlocal.news/columbia-gorge/columbia-gorge-documenters/

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

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?

In This Episode

• The finalized 2027 timeline for Short-Term Rental enforcement.
• Chasing regional trash contracts to boost county revenue.
• Legacy stormwater challenges and private easements on Adams Slope.
• A major triage upgrade for the county's 911 dispatchers.

Resources & Links

• Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com
• April 7, 2026 Agenda Packet

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

 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.

In This Episode:

• State lawmakers sweep the Public Works Assistance Account, replacing local grant dollars with higher-interest loans.
• Title III emergency funds are officially approved for local fire and EMS.
• Federal bureaucratic delays threaten the upcoming Forest Youth Success summer season.
• New state SNAP benefit rules mandate eighty hours of work or volunteering, raising concerns for rural residents.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com
• Find full agendas, audio recordings, and meeting minutes at skamaniacounty.org.

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

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.

In This Episode:

• Why recent testing data from the White Salmon School District is raising alarms for special education students.
• The critical childcare deserts in rural Klickitat County and the severe impact on respite care for families.
• Klickitat Valley Health's funding push to get Medicated Assisted Treatment directly into the county jail.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com
• Klickitat-Skamania Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board Official Site: https://www.ksddab.org/
• Documenter notes are available for republishing under Creative Commons license CC by 4.0. Please credit Columbia Gorge Documenters, powered by Uplift Local, and link in show notes to https://upliftlocal.news/columbia-gorge/columbia-gorge-documenters/

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

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.

In This Episode:

• Escalating issues with the county jail contract
• The tightrope of state road funding: why the city used stop signs instead of lowering the speed limit on twenty-first street.
• Distributing over one hundred thousand dollars in lodging tax grants for local tourism.
• Securing multi-year contracts for the city's police and municipal employees.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written Klickitattler at skamaniadispatch.com 
• Review the full March 2 and March 16 Council Packets at the City of Goldendale Website.

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

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.

In This Episode:

• An emergency, quarter-million-dollar fix for the Rock Creek water intake.
• The defeat of a "Sanctuary City for Gender Diverse Peoples" resolution.
• New City Council appointments and upcoming Planning Commission vacancies.
• Municipal tourism funding for the CAT Dog Mountain shuttle.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com
• https://upliftlocal.news/with-recall-efforts-resolved-stevenson-council-member-lucy-lauser-resigns/
• City of Stevenson Agendas & Zoom links: ci.stevenson.wa.us
• Watch the full meeting recordings on the City of Stevenson YouTube Channel

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.

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.

In This Episode:

• The Cost of Density: Why local developers and the city's Public Works department are clashing over shared utilities and trenching costs.
• Speed Zones: The Pucker Huddle Coalition's push for slower traffic on State Route 141, and why the city is hitting the brakes on their support letter.
• Mail Stalemates: The latest (or lack thereof) on White Salmon's fight with the USPS over at-home delivery.
• Free Blueprints: The Planning Commission's pitch for pre-approved housing plans to cut red tape.

Resources & Links:

• Read the full written version of the newsletter at skamaniadispatch.com.
• Access raw agendas, Zoom links, and public comment forms for upcoming municipal meetings at the city's official portal: whitesalmonwa.gov.
• Explore policy solutions for urban infrastructure at Strong Towns and the Incremental Development Alliance.
• Documenter notes are available for republishing under Creative Commons license CC by 4.0. thanks to Columbia Gorge Documenters, powered by Uplift Local: https://upliftlocal.news/columbia-gorge/columbia-gorge-documenters/

Stay Connected with the Gorge

The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler are community-led projects of OpenGorge.org.

To stay updated on local news, governance, and community events across the region, you can sign up for both newsletters at SkamaniaDispatch.com. For real-time updates and to join the conversation, follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/OpenGorge.