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

[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].

[All-Gorge] 🚨 Driving on the "Wrong" Side of the Bridge? - HRWS Bridge Authority 4/13 to 5/11

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. In This Episode: * Unanimous approval of the Authority's $66.9 million annual budget. * The cash-flow friction keeping pressure on the Port of Hood River loan. * A brewing regulatory standoff over replacing protected parkland. * Federal lobbying efforts and the push for Bridge Investment Program (BIP) funding. Resources & Links: * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com * Review agendas, packets, and public comment forms at the Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority Website [https://hoodriverbridge.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 [https://www.google.com/search?q=https://facebook.com/OpenGorge].

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

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. In This Episode: * The ADU Debate: A new working group is formed to look at Accessory Dwelling Units. * Climate Crosswalks: How the Gorge is aligning with new Executive Orders from Governor Kotek. * Vital Signs: Why the Deschutes River is losing its status as a cold-water refuge for salmon. * The "Data Center" Rhetoric: Residents and tribes push back against new transmission lines. Resources & Links: * Read the full written Dispatch at skamaniadispatch.com * Official Meeting Materials & Video [https://gorgecommission.org/meeting/may-2026-monthly-crgc-meeting-5-12-2026/] * The Vital Signs Data Hub [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/fd1a793d0f2d495cb92514df52dcb783/] 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].