[Klickitat] 🧸 The Childcare Zoning Crisis - White Salmon April '26 Round-Up

[All-Gorge] ⚡ Scoping Deadlines & Tribal Consults - EFSEC May '26

The state's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council hit a major procedural bottleneck this month regarding the proposed Cascade Renewable Transmission line. We break down the May 20, 2026, meeting where local leaders and state officials debated how to balance rigid public comment deadlines with expanding, sovereign tribal consultations. In This Episode * Following the money: Corporate reshuffling and upstream financial accountability for Columbia Solar and Goose Prairie Solar. * Ostrea Solar wrapping up its final construction obligations and pushing for full grid integration. * A rare vandalism incident and subsequent physical security repairs at the Kittitas Valley Wind facility. * A massive leadership transition and strategic overhaul inside EFSEC itself. Resources & Links * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com * Cascade Renewable Transmission SEPA Scoping Portal [https://efsec.wa.gov/hearings-and-meetings/2026/cascade-renewable-transmission-sepa-scoping-public-comment-hearing] * EFSEC Meeting Agendas and Complete Packets (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] 🐟 Fish Windows & Budget Trapdoors - Klickitat BOCC 5/26 & 6/2

Summer is bringing a wave of mandatory infrastructure repairs to Klickitat County, threatening to temporarily sever key recreational and emergency routes. Plus, we look at how statewide mandates and national labor trends are compounding severe local workforce shortages in public defense and 911 emergency dispatch. This episode covers the May 26 and June 2 Klickitat County Board of County Commissioners meetings. In This Episode * The formal creation of the new Community Development Department * The purchase of a new motor grader for the East End * A local resident's push to name "Schoolhouse Creek" and flag illegal fill dumping * Upcoming deadlines for fire districts on a potential fireworks ban Resources & Links * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com * Review the raw agendas and minutes at the Klickitat County Website [https://www.klickitatcounty.org] * Learn more about the Washington State Supreme Court Caseload Caps [https://www.courts.wa.gov/] driving the public defense crisis * Read up on the national push to reclassify 911 Dispatchers from "clerical workers" to first responders 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] 🏗️ The Multiplex Fight - White Salmon May '26 Round-Up

In this episode, we dive into the growing friction between statewide housing mandates and local zoning codes playing out over a four-unit multiplex on Wyers Street. Plus, we cover infrastructure headaches for Snohomish Place residents, and how the City of White Salmon is pushing to modernize heritage months and establish a brand new tree fund. This episode covers the May meetings of the White Salmon City Council, Planning Commission, Community Development Committee, and Tree Board. In This Episode: * City Council: Communication delays on major water line replacements, committee rule updates, and public frustration over Republic Services' waste management. * Planning Commission: The Wyers Street multiplex debate, the push to review short-term rental policies, and a hard line from the city on shared water utilities. * Community Development: Phasing out park reservation fees and revamping the city's approach to heritage month calendars. * Tree Board: Drafting new fee-in-lieu ordinances for developers and planting the U.S. 250th Liberty Tree. Resources & Links: * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com for deep-dive context boxes and full meeting logistics. * View all White Salmon meeting agendas, packets, and Zoom links at https://www.whitesalmonwa.govwhitesalmonwa.gov [http://whitesalmonwa.gov]. * 2023 White Salmon Housing Needs Analysis [https://www.whitesalmonwa.gov/sites/default/files/fileattachments/city_council/page/10978/white_salmon_housing_needs_analysis_-_final_june_22_2023.pdf] * 2024 WAGAP Community Needs Assessment [https://www.wagap.org/newsfeed/community-needs-2024] * Visit the new Wildfire Ready Hub at wildfirereadyklickitat.org [https://wildfirereadyklickitat.org]. Documenter notes are available for republishing under Creative Commons license CC by 4.0. With thanks to theColumbia 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].

[Skamania] 🗣 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].