The Skamania Dispatch

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Latest — 16 Jan 2026

🏡 Gorge Commission Debates "Cheater ADUs" & Looks Ahead on Tribal Consultation - Dec 2025 Committee Meetings Round-up

From debating “cheater ADUs” to navigating tribal consultations, here’s what happened across three December Gorge Commission committee meetings, and what it means for housing, transparency, and the next Gorge Management Plan.

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🪏Who’s In Charge, What’s Funded, and When We Break Ground - Jan 2026 Bridge Meeting

The Bridge Authority kicked off 2026 with updates on federal grant delays, tribal agreements, and stormwater design. Monitoring equipment is going online, and all commissioners were reappointed. The decision on new co-chairs was postponed to a future meeting.

🚨Public Safety & Stabilization: Klickitat BOCC 1/6–1/13

Klickitat County’s early-January BOCC meetings focused on stabilizing public safety staffing, restructuring Emergency Management, approving routine infrastructure work, and setting priorities for a cautious 2026. Here’s what changed, what escalated, and what’s next.

🏔 New Year for Skamania BOCC, WSU Updates, & Dog Mountain Shuttle Uncertainty - 1/6

Skamania commissioners kicked off 2026 with routine approvals, leadership assignments, and early warning signs to watch this year, including uncertainty around Dog Mountain shuttle funding, public safety concerns, and long-term planning tied to the Gorge Management Plan 2030 Update.

🧭 2025 Year-end Pathfinding for Klickitat BOCC: 12/30-31 recap

Klickitat County closed out 2025 with a hiring freeze, budget adjustments, public defense contracts, and groundwork for major 2026 decisions on housing, energy, infrastructure, and emergency systems. Here’s what changed, and what to watch next.

📬 Letter from the Editor: On Local Journalism, Power, Tech, and What Comes Next

Why does this newsletter exist? In a time of shrinking local papers and growing news deserts, I reflect on how new tools, shared skills, and peer learning can help rural communities like ours reclaim accountability, transparency, and our right to timely local journalism.

🏗 Gorge Bridge Project Cleared to Build, Transit Planning, and Board Members Needed - Winter 2025 Updates

The billion-dollar Hood River–White Salmon bridge replacement project reached a major milestone this winter with federal approval to proceed. Final design is underway, drilling begins in January, and both counties are seeking new volunteer board members to help guide it forward.

🎄 Final Budgets, Fabulous Trees & Final Transitions - Klickitat Cities Round-up Dec '25

From heritage trees to holiday farewells, see what your city councils accomplished to close out 2025. Bingen and White Salmon passed new budgets and safety taxes, Goldendale updated RV rules and weed codes, and TreeFest planning is already in full bloom.

🍝 From Short-Term Rentals to Spaghetti - Dec 2025 Skamania Cities Civic Recap

From million-dollar city reserves and farewell speeches to vacation rental rules and recreation court upgrades, December saw big moves from local leaders across Skamania. Here’s your detailed roundup from Stevenson, North Bonneville, Underwood, and the PUD.

🚤 1% Levy Vote, Winter Emergency, and Boat Launch Changes - Skamania BOCC 12/16-12/17

Skamania commissioners adopted the 2026 county budget (2–1) with a 1% levy increase, approved year-end Supplemental Budget #4, and declared a winter-storm emergency. Earlier in the week they passed a new boat launch ordinance raising fees and limiting out-of-county guide permits.