Knifing suspect gets new charge
Benefit May 25 will help with victim's costs
Wasco County District Attorney Eric Nisley has been successful in his bid to increase the potential prison sentence for a man accused of fatally stabbing his roommate. The Wasco County Grand Jury, after reviewing evidence in the death of Josh Davitt, 23, has indicted Scott Olenick, 26, of first-degree manslaughter. During the time Davitt was hospitalized at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Olenick faced prosecution for first-degree assault.
Hanks father and son make their marks in ink
Tatto artists are racking up the accolades
Jacob Hanks has won 14 competition trophies in the two years since he opened a studio at 508 B Washington Street in The Dalles. His father, Larry, has become a respected legend in Hawaii after 45 years of painting exquisite designs on living canvases.
Korean vets honored
Officials mark 60th year end to Asian war
Thirty Korean War veterans who reside at the Oregon Veterans’ Home in The Dalles were honored last week at a special ceremony that also served as a cultural enrichment experience.
Bookkeeper back to jail
Judge: Sheriff cannot rewrite inmate’s sentence
A former bookkeeper at Columbia Gorge Discovery Center who was convicted of embezzlement is headed back to jail after an early release that sparked a court discussion about the sheriff’s authority in Wasco County.
District Attorney fights inmate release
Sheriff frees bookkeeper sentenced for stealing funds Wasco County District Attorney Eric Nisley is taking steps to put an inmate freed by the sheriff back in jail.
Columbia Gorge Community College nears accreditation
Columbia Gorge Community College officials hope the last hurdle has been cleared to achieve independent status after five years of a rigorous self-examination process.
City eyes pay increases
The Dalles City Council will consider a 2 percent raise for non-union employees at Monday’s regular meeting. Nolan Young, city manager, is recommending approval of the pay increase that will be effective July 1. His staff report states that 33 non-union workers have received a much smaller cost of living adjustment in recent years than 47 employees in two unions.
City council chastised at town hall
Lot partition fees called unfair The Dalles City Council was chastised Monday for driving citizens to seek help from the legislature to lower the “unfair” cost of partitioning a lot.
Knifing victim Davitt dies
Alleged attacker faces Measure 11 violence charge The victim of a stabbing, Josh Davitt, 23, of The Dalles, died Tuesday evening — three days after he was taken off life support at the Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
Cinco de Mayo: A tale of two countries
The annual Cinco de Mayo — May 5 — celebration across the U.S. is more than just a tribute to Mexican heritage — it is a reminder about the important role the neighboring country played in ending America’s Civil War.
House OKs charge limiting bill
Monday The Dalles town hall looks at charges, other issues The Oregon House of Representatives approved a bill Thursday to limit the amount of money The Dalles can charge for a lot partition.
Victim struggles after attack
Riter wants to move to escape memories of hammer attack Kathryn Riter is trying to heal — both physically and emotionally — after being viciously attacked by an ex-boyfriend wielding a hammer in January.
Roommate dispute ends in stabbing
Victim of April 29 knife attack remains in critical condition A man from The Dalles was arrested early Monday morning for allegedly stabbing his roommate following a verbal dispute that turned into a physical altercation.
State tackles The Dalles city fees: No other Oregon city charges so much
No other Oregon city charges so much for lot partitioning John and Gerry Dennee could not afford the $52,111 bill levied by the City of The Dalles if they partitioned their East 10th Street property to create two lots instead of one.
Hilton eyes Granada block
Franchise needs deal to move A representative of Hilton Hotels and Resorts told city officials Monday that the company is interested in siting a Hampton Inn in downtown The Dalles.
Oregon gun bills go to vote
Ferrioli doesn’t expect any to survive Sen. Ted Ferrioli, R-John Day, said four gun control bills are headed for a vote in the Oregon Legislature but he doesn’t expect any to become law.
Convicted coach returns to court
Angela Lindell violates probation tied to 2012 sex offender sentence Angela Lindell, a former athletic coach at Dufur School District, was back in court Monday for her second probation violation involving alcohol consumption.
Pipe bomb found in The Dalles house
Device lacked explosives A pipe bomb that turned out to be empty of explosives was found Sunday morning by renters at 1083 Irvine Street and authorities in The Dalles are seeking the person who left it there.
New development charges on The Dalles city agenda
Increase would apply to $17M plant upgrades The Dalles City Council will consider Monday whether to raise the charge for sanitary service provided to new or expanding development from the current maximum of $1,789 to $2,572 or somewhere in between.
Renewal keys other changes
Renovations at The Vault intended to compliment new hotel Michael Leash plans to turn The Vault Bistro and Lounge into “the largest sports bar in the Columbia Gorge” as part of the redevelopment of the Granada block in downtown The Dalles.
Coal foes sue BNSF: Clean Water Act is suit basis
Columbia Riverkeeper and several other conservation groups have issued an ultimatum to Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad: Clean up coal debris along the tracks or face a lawsuit.
Walmart signs The Dalles lease
Conditions filed for 150,000-square-foot center Walmart has signed a 99-year lease for property at the west end of The Dalles to house a 150,000 square foot super center.
Coal-fired controversy in the Gorge
Bid to factor climate change into exports raises concern over lost jobs Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege has joined the ranks of Northwest business leaders concerned that the political battle over coal exports could result in further erosion of U.S. jobs.
Vet claims bottlenecked
The wait time for U.S. combat veterans to get a claim processed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has jumped by more than 2,000 percent in the past four years.
Number of waiting veterans rise dramatically
The number of veterans waiting longer than 240 days to get disability claims processed by the U.S. Department of Veterans has jumped to 800,000 in the past four years.
Local veterinarian braves tundra for Iditarod
Moose, not bears, are the biggest threat to sled dogs racing almost 1,000 miles across the frozen Alaskan wilderness. That was one of the many interesting aspects of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race that Sterling Thomas of The Dalles learned when he recently volunteered as a veterinarian.
House votes for early voter registration at 16
The Oregon House of Representatives voted Tuesday in favor of allowing 16-year-olds to register to vote when they obtain a driver’s license.
Main Street plan hits petitioners’ roadblock: signatures likely to end funding plan
A downtown business owner appears to have turned in enough signatures of opposition to stop The Dalles City Council from moving forward with a tax to aid The Dalles Main Street.
Two offenders sentenced for sex crimes against teens
Two men from The Dalles — one over the age of 30 and the other more than 40 — were sentenced this week in separate cases for using positions of authority to gain the trust of teenage girls they then molested.
Vets plan memorial expansion: Addition will be placed behind existing monument
The Mid-Columbia Veterans Memorial Committee is gearing up to add a granite wall to the existing monument at Kelly Viewpoint.
Sunshine Mill gets approval: Board votes to sell property
Discover Development was given the go-ahead Monday to purchase the Sunshine Mill Winery property on the eastern edge of town and continue with improvement plans.
City continues EID process
The Dalles City Council is moving ahead with formation of an Economic Improvement District that will be funded by taxing downtown properties.
Sunshine preps for growth: Martins want to purchase site soon
The 12 silos at the historic Sunshine Mill in The Dalles could be converted into seven floors of hotel rooms within the next five
Sims Make it Real: simulation labs, training help students connect the dots
Nursing students at Columbia Gorge Community College had a tough time going against their healing instincts Tuesday to help a terminally ill “patient” die with dignity. “This doesn’t feel like a very successful simulation,” said Shayla in a debriefing session that followed the death of “Alice Nyman,” the name given the mannequin patient. The last names of students have been withheld to protect their privacy.
Rapoza seeks extension: Panel members want developer to commit funds
Four members of the Columbia Gateway Urban Renewal Advisory Committee believe it is time for the Rapoza Development Group to show they are serious about revitalizing the Granada block by putting $20,000 into a performance bond
Local soldiers in court: One arrested for beating child, another pleads guilty to sex abuse
One National Guard soldier from Alpha Company in The Dalles has recently been sentenced for sex abuse and another is awaiting prosecution for assaulting a child. Private First Class Trask Kuhn, 21, is lodged in the regional jail unless he or a family member comes up with a $75,000 cash bail. He has been accused by Wasco County District Attorney Eric Nisley of physically abusing a child in his household who was less than three years of age.
County gets Smith’s medical bills
Wasco County Commissioner Scott Hege was “astounded” to learn that almost $250,000 in medical bills for a deceased murder suspect’s brain surgery might have to be paid by local taxpayers. “When I heard that, my jaw hit the floor and I thought, ‘Are you kidding me?’” he said.
Local veterans may face burn pile risks
Thousands of U.S. combat troops exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits at military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan could end up with potentially deadly health problems.
Air Guard F-15s to train more in Eastern Oregon
Two Wasco County officials recently caught a ride to an Oregon Air National Guard base in Portland but their mode of transport wasn’t a car or van, it was a C-23B+ Super Sherpa, a military plane that transports personnel and cargo.
Brophy helps veterans with the aftermath
Disabled at 29, Marine has experience to share
US Marine Corps Capt. Daniel Brophy walked for the last time on Feb. 23, 1969, the day his body was broken by a .50 caliber bullet — but the warrior spirit that took him to Vietnam has enabled him to continue living with purpose from a wheelchair.
City eyes stabilization of East Scenic Drive roadway
The City of The Dalles is taking steps to shore up an unstable embankment along the ridge of East Scenic Drive that is in a landslide zone.
DA focuses on sole murder case
Wasco County District Attorney Eric Nisley was able to clear a large stack of files off the left corner of his desk with the unexpected fatal heart attack of murder suspect Roark David Smith in mid-January.
Hongs reflect on tragedy
The family of Patti Hong, 46, and her son Randy Hong, 23, slain Feb. 25, 2009, at their own west The Dalles home, were not emotionally ready in January to comment on the death of the accused killer but issued written statements Wednesday.
Mayor eyes role and goals for City of The Dalles
The Dalles Mayor Steve Lawrence asked city attorney Gene Parker for a point of clarification about his new role at Monday’s goal setting session.
Main Street revises plan to fund marketing
The Dalles Main Street Steering Committee has revised its proposal to generate funding for marketing purposes by taxing downtown properties.
NORCOR trial dismissed
A U.S. District Court judge abruptly dismissed a trial last week that involved abuse allegations at the regional jail because the plaintiff, Chadwick Yancey, 32, exhibited a “blatant disrespect for the process.”
Sewer rate hike gains OK in The Dalles
The Dalles City Council approved a series of 3.44 percent rate increases in the sewer bill Monday with two dissenting votes.
Walmart scores victory
Marion County Circuit Judge Dale Penn issued a ruling Monday that moved the proposal to site a Walmart Super Center in The Dalles another step closer to reality. Citizens for Responsible Development in The Dalles had challenged the Department of Environmental Quality’s approval of the company’s development plan for the 150,000 square foot store on a 21-acre property near the Chenoweth Interchange.
DePriest charged in court
Brian DePriest made his first appearance in Wasco County Circuit Court since being charged Jan. 23 for kidnapping a 5-year-old boy from the mother’s home in The Dalles.
‘He was terrorizing me,’ says court document
The Dalles man accused of kidnapping a 5-year-old boy from his home early Wednesday morning had tried the same tactic before, according to a court report filed by the child’s mother.
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