Open Gorge: The Skamania Dispatch & Klickitattler
Welcome to Open Gorge, your audio bridge to local government, infrastructure, and community news in the Columbia River Gorge.
Hosted by the founder of Open Gorge, Kate Bertash, this podcast brings the in-depth, civic-minded reporting of The Skamania Dispatch and The Klickitattler newsletters straight to your headphones. We break down the public meetings you didn't have time to attend, track local infrastructure projects, and decode the regional policy decisions that directly impact your daily life.
Whether you are a Columbia Gorge resident commuting across the river, following local elections, or tracking where your tax dollars are going, we provide clear, factual summaries of what’s changing and what’s coming next.
Our unified feed covers the entire Gorge. Check the title of each episode to see if we are covering Skamania County, Klickitat County, or regional issues that impact us all. Listen to what matters most to your neighborhood, or stay tuned for the full regional picture.
Subscribe to the written newsletters and join the community at SkamaniaDispatch.com.
Episodes
15 episodes
[All-Gorge] 🛑 Missing Members Stall Housing Votes - Gorge Commission 4/8 & 4/9
Procedural gridlock is freezing Gorge housing policy. The Economic Vitality Committee missed its quorum for the second straight meeting, stalling crucial votes on Accessory Dwelling Units. We unpack the debate over short-term rentals, look at t...
[Klickitat] 🚑 Tax Fatigue vs. Local Care - 4/7 Trout Lake Council
In this episode, we unpack the April 7th meeting of the Trout Lake Community Council (with lots of relevant updates for all Klickitat county residents) where Skyline Hospital executives made an urgent, last-minute plea for a property tax hike. ...
[Klickitat] 🗑️Could Portland's Trash be Klickitat's Treasure? - BOCC 3/31 & 4/7
Klickitat County hit a massive infrastructure roadblock during the weeks of 3/31 and 4/7. The county was forced to legally reject every single bid across four major public works projects, hitting the reset button on thousands of dollars of defe...
🏘️ [Skamania] Easing ADU Rules & Navigating Federal Red Tape - Skamania BOCC 4/7
In this episode, we break down the Skamania County Board of Commissioners meeting from Tuesday, April 7th. We’re diving into the Columbia River Gorge Commission's updates on disaster rebuilding, the debate over Accessory Dwelling Units, a...
[All-Gorge] ⏳ The 2-Year Wait for Disability Services - 4/1 Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board
Imagine qualifying for essential developmental disability services, only to be told the waitlist just to get an assessment is over a year long. That's the reality uncovered at the April 1st meeting of the Klickitat-Skamania Developmental Disabi...
[Klickitat] 🚨 The High Cost of the County Jail - Goldendale March '26 Round-Up
In this episode, we are looking at the Goldendale City Council's March 2026 meetings, and unpacking a major financial threat quietly draining the city's public safety budget. We break down how a cascade of controversies and ongoing mismanagemen...
[Skamania] 💩 Stevenson March ‘26 Round-Up - Sewer Frustrations & Campground Clashes
In this March round-up for Stevenson, we cover the growing friction over mandatory sewer connections and the emergency repairs needed for the city's failing water intake. We also dive into the Planning Commission's heated debate over a proposed...
[Klickitat] 📬 White Salmon Mar ‘26 - Treefest, Mail Stalemates & Middle Housing
This month, White Salmon is wrestling with the real-world costs of rapid regional growth. We’re breaking down the latest moves from the White Salmon City Council, the Planning Commission, and the Tree Board, covering everything from a massive t...
[Skamania] 🚧 North Bonneville March 2026 Round-up - What Lies Beneath
We wrap up a busy March 2026 in North Bonneville, covering recent City Council actions and a critical Planning Commission meeting. We discuss the city’s proactive mapping of underground utilities, the ongoing regional environmental friction spi...
[Skamania] ❤️🩹 Aging Shelters and Public Health Cuts - Skamania BOCC 3/17 & 3/24
Skamania County is bracing for the financial fallout of a state-level budget mistake that threatens local public health services. We also dive into the aging infrastructure of our temporary homeless shelters and a culturally charged interview f...
[All-Gorge] ☀️ Carriger Solar Delays and CRT Updates - EFSEC March 2026
Governor Ferguson approved the massive Carriger Solar project in December, but a major judicial review petition from the Yakama Nation has brought development to a grinding halt. Today, we break down the legal and cultural friction at play, and...
[Klickitat] 🗣️ Neighborhood Pushback Leads to Lower Speed Limits - Klickitat BOCC 3/24
In today's episode, we dive into the Klickitat County Board of Commissioners meeting from March 24th. We look at a massive emergency contract extension needed to cover medical leaves at the 911 dispatch center, exposing the hidden vulnerabiliti...
[All-Gorge] 🏞️ The $3.4 Million Park Land vs New Bridge Standoff, HRWSBA - 3/9 & 3/23
The replacement of the Hood River-White Salmon bridge is accelerating, but a multimillion-dollar land dispute with Oregon State Parks threatens to drain local funds. Today, we cover the 3/9 & 3/23 HRWS Bridge Authority meetings, break down ...
[Klickitat] 🛑 Missing Millions & The Library Squeeze - 3/17
Klickitat Board of County Commissioners is shifting into an offensive legislative posture as local budgets get squeezed by Olympia and Washington D.C. This week, we break down a massive seventeen-year accounting error by the state that shorted ...
[Skamania] 🩺 The Health Data Blind Spot - BOH 3/10
At the March 10th 2026 Skamania County Board of Health Meeting, our unique geographic location is creating a "blind spot" for local health data, making it harder to track viruses like the flu and RSV in our community. Plus, the health departmen...