A $25 raffle ticket could win a Costa Rica getaway while helping fund a Kenya community center supporting young mothers working toward education, job skills and independence.

From the tractor seat, agriculture often comes down to a very simple equation: costs on one side, returns on the other. For many farmers today, that equation is becoming harder and harder to balance.

High above the Columbia River Gorge, on a remote bluff in southern Washington, stands one of the most improbable museums in the world. The story behind it is even more surprising.

Parenthood can be overwhelming and challenging for many, especially for those without access to the basic necessities every child and parent deserves.

Labor costs bend upward like a branch in the wind, while cherry prices whip back and forth. Farmers can only take so much strain before something snaps.

A 35-year-old man was arrested and accused of setting fire to a Klickitat County sheriff’s deputy’s barn in an alleged arson incident Feb. 17 near Lyle, according to the Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office.

Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) today announced the departure of Executive Director Jennifer Pauletto after years of dedicated leadership and service to communities throughout the Columbia River Gorge region. The organization’s Board of Directors has initiated a comprehensive recruitment process to identify the agency’s next Executive Director.

From the wreckage of a ship tossed by a mighty storm, a magical adventure lifts into the air. Through playful aerial movement and imaginative theater, performers swing, climb, and soar as they explore a strange new world shaped by the sea. 

Rye Development, a leading U.S. developer of pumped storage hydropower, and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), on behalf of its Flagship Fund CI V, today announced that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued a 40-year license for the Goldendale Energy Storage Project.

Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) and Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) are preparing for the 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, scheduled for January 28, with surveys being collected between Monday, January 26 and Friday, January 30.

Affordable Housing is a complicated topic, especially in a region like the Columbia River Gorge, where development opportunities are limited.

For many people, FFA is easy to misunderstand. Some still think it’s just about farming or kids who plan to stay in agriculture. That view misses the point — especially here in our county, where we see firsthand what FFA really does.

This week’s CCS News Podcast features a conversation with three of the leaders behind the new Community Roots Wellness Hub in White Salmon, a collaborative mental health and community-services center that opened earlier this fall.

Nearly 75 percent of children in Washington under age five are cared for by parents, family, friends, and neighbors who may be eligible to apply for subsidies. This is according to the Child Care Aware of Washington website.

Insitu, Washington Federal Bank, Columbia Gorge Education Service District, Washington Gorge Action Programs, Mid-Columbia Community Action Council, and The Next Door Inc. are teaming up to host a winter coat drive for local area youth! As we approach the cold winter months, you can donate new and like-new coats for all ages now through the end of December. 

If you’ve walked through a supermarket lately, you’ve probably noticed produce prices that feel too high. Meanwhile, farmers like me are getting paid prices that are too low — often far below the cost of growing the food in the first place.

Get outdoors with friends and family and enjoy free fishing, crabbing, and clamming on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 28 and 29. Statewide free-fishing days are a great chance to take someone new fishing and celebrate Oregon’s natural resources.

Every dollar counts. That is the message being shared as nonprofits like Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) prepare for what is traditionally a joyful period of the year. 

The Hood River-White Salmon Bridge Authority today announced that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has formally issued its Record of Decision (ROD), marking a major milestone in the effort to replace the century-old Hood River-White Salmon Interstate Bridge. 

This year started out optimistic and full of hope. New opportunities, new goals, and the kind of early-season promise that makes a farmer stand a little taller. But if life — and agriculture — have taught me anything, it’s this: don’t count your chickens before they’re hatched.