[All-Gorge] 🍫 A Craving for "Snickers" - Gorge Commission May ‘26

🗣 Public Pushback Pauses $1,000 Rescue Fine - Skamania BOCC 5/27

The Skamania County Commissioners pumped the brakes on a controversial ordinance that would have fined negligent hikers a thousand dollars. We look at why local search and rescue veterans pushed back during the May 27th meeting. In This Episode: * Skamania joins a multi-county lawsuit against the state over new stream buffer logging rules. * Bureaucratic red tape delays the Sheriff’s new radio equipment. * The county transitions to a new financial system this July while keeping the 2027 budget process analog. * Drone flight testing is headed to the Wind River Business Park. Resources & Links: * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com * View the May 27th BOCC meeting materials [https://www.skamaniacounty.org/departments-offices/commissioners/agendas-minutes-meeting-audio/-folder-35#widget_2924_1241_328] * Submit written public comment to the BOCC: emerson@co.skamania.wa.us 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 [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://facebook.com/OpenGorge].

[Skamania] 🌶️A Spicy Mayorial Email - North Bonneville May ‘26 Round-Up

Welcome to the May municipal round-up for the North Bonneville City Council and Planning Commission. In this episode, we unpack a highly misspelled email reprimand from the Mayor that exposes deep friction over meeting decorum, and we look at a massive new energy infrastructure project making waves at the state level. In This Episode: * A clash of operational styles on the City Council * Updates on the Cascade Renewable Transmission (CRT) project * A "hard reset" on city finances following state audits * The Planning Commission advances the Critical Areas Ordinance Resources & Links: * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com * View meeting agendas and minutes at the North Bonneville City Website [https://northbonneville.net/] * Track the CRT project at the Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) Active Projects page [https://www.efsec.wa.gov/] 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 [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://facebook.com/OpenGorge].

[Klickitat] 🐓 More Clucking, Less Honking - Bingen May '26 Round-up

In this episode, we break down the Bingen City Council meetings from May 5th and May 19th. We look at how the city is moving forward with a massive 2.2 million-dollar grant to silence train horns downtown, and why a recent water main strike has triggered new digging mandates for construction crews. In This Episode: * The new "potholing" mandate for utility verification. * The city exempts small backyard chicken coops from setback rules. * Upcoming night shifts at the Bingen Point roundabout. * A massive drop in the city's water system leakage rates. Resources & Links: * Read the full written newsletter at SkamaniaDispatch.com. * Read the raw agendas and minutes at the City of Bingen Website [https://www.bingenwashington.org/AgendaCenter]. 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 [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://facebook.com/OpenGorge].

[Skamania] 📧 The "Idiots" Email & Rec Parking Chaos - Skamania BOCC 5/19

In this episode, we dive into a tense Skamania County Board of Commissioners meeting from May 19th. What was supposed to be a standard leadership handoff with the Friends of the Columbia Gorge quickly turned into a public confrontation over leaked emails, aggressive public relations tactics, and the ongoing struggle for our local tax base. In This Episode: * A severe 21% cut to local public health funding handed down from the state. * Exploding recreational traffic and dangerous, unsanctioned parking at Highway 14 boat launches. * A major missing detail in the environmental review for the Storedahl Quarry expansion. * The finalization of redline updates for county zoning rules under the Gorge Management Plan. Resources & Links: * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com * Skamania County Agendas and Zoom Information: https://www.skamaniacounty.org/ [https://www.skamaniacounty.org/] * Skamania school district hails long-awaited reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools fund [https://www.columbian.com/news/2025/dec/11/this-is-great-news-skamania-school-district-hails-long-awaited-reauthorization-of-secure-rural-schools-fund/] 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/ [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 [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://facebook.com/OpenGorge].

[Klickitat] 🛑 RV Evictions & Unfunded Parks - Klickitat BOCC 5/12 & 5/19

In this episode, we unpack the growing friction in Klickitat County over code enforcement and the reality of RV living in a housing-strained region. Plus, we look at why a federal grant for Dallesport Park was denied and what it means for future county projects. In This Episode: * The upcoming June 18th workshop on code enforcement and RV fines. * Why federal funders passed on the Dallesport Park project. * Department consolidation: creating a unified Community Development Department. * Sheriff's department tactical upgrades and jail maintenance contracts. * The start of Burn Ban Zone 3. Resources & Links: * WAGAP Community Needs [https://www.wagap.org/newsfeed/community-needs-2024] Report * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com * Review agendas and minutes on the Klickitat County website [https://www.klickitatcounty.org/AgendaCenter]. 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 [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://facebook.com/OpenGorge].