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Asher Community Health Center CEO Albert Pacheco has given his resignation to the board and will depart by Christmas. Pacheco joined Asher Clinic in 2021 after serving as the leader of a federally qualified health center near Los Angeles for several years. Pacheco helped to navigate through the choppy waters of COVID, and oversaw an expansion of services in his tenure at Asher Health. As a federally qualified health center (FQHC), Asher Community Health gets a majority of its...
“Like I told ya, what I said. Steal your face right off your head.” — Robert Hunter Few things horrify me. I’m not afraid of snakes or spiders. Not bats, rats, or feral cats. But increasingly, technology is giving me the fear. Last week, a friend sent me an OPB article about the Ashland Daily Tidings and how an artificial intelligence (AI) ghost hacker company had coopted the defunct publication. It was enough to make the skin crawl. The small newspaper out of Ashland...
There were high hopes when the Royal Stag opened in 2022. Owner Shawn Hawkins put a considerable amount of time and money into the venture. As co-owner of Tiger Town Brewing in Mitchell, Hawkins brought experience in the restaurant industry and a track record of boosting the profile of a small Wheeler County community. But just over two years later, Hawkins had to pull the plug on the venture. Employees of The Royal Stag were notified last week that the establishment was...
A respected population study from Portland State University (PSU) was released last week and shows that Gilliam County had the fifth-highest growth rate in Oregon over the past four years. Sherman County grew, but at a slower rate, and Wheeler County's population decreased at the third highest percentage statewide. The study's estimates show that several counties in Oregon are experiencing growth while others are seeing population declines. Gilliam County grew at a rate of 2.1...
The Woolery Project, a 501c3 nonprofit organization with an all-volunteer board, led by Olex's Rod McGuire and Arlington's Julius Courtney, has been fundraising for several years in an effort to build an events and community center above Arlington. The Woolery has held events in Arlington and Ione in recent years, with auctions and dinners provided by McGuire's Paradise Rose Chuckwagon. Land was donated to the Woolery by the City of Arlington. Engineering plans were developed...
The Northern Oregon Regional Corrections (NORCOR) facility is grappling with significant funding and maintenance issues, Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt informed the county court last Wednesday. Opened in 1999, the NORCOR facility has seen its infrastructure deteriorate over the years, with the roof requiring repairs for several years. The facility houses both adult and juvenile detainees, but operational and financial hurdles have sparked debates over its future....
President-elect Trump has tapped the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, and another billionaire entrepreneur, Vivek Ramaswamy, to target waste and spending in the U.S. Government. The U.S. spent a sprawling $6.75 trillion in the 2024 fiscal year and the national debt has climbed successively with each administration since 2000. Now, with Republicans in control of all three branches of government, conservatives are looking to make cuts and reshape government. Elon Musk’s mot...
After being closed for six months, the Arlington Community Childcare Center has reopened. Temporary licensing is in place until December 31st, and permanent licensure is expected soon. Director Ashley Bayliss told the Gilliam County Court that after considerable work, the center has had its inspections and is now a certified center, not just a certified family home, as it was previously. "The daycare has its own status and is not dependent on a director," Ashley Bayliss told...
Gilliam County is taking steps to bolster its emergency response and wildfire management efforts, with updates on a promising grant opportunity shared during a recent county court session. Herb Winters, Manager of the Gilliam Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), informed the court about a FEMA grant that could reshape the county's approach to emergency preparedness. The court plans to apply for the grant, with Gilliam SWCD serving as the sub-grantee. A pre-application...
Democrats struggled in reliably blue states in the November election – and nationally, Republicans made solid gains. From the Presidential election, US Congressional races, and statewide elections, Republican candidates outperformed their Democratic opponents across the country. In states like California and New York, longtime bastions for liberals, Republicans gained seats in state houses. But in Oregon, Democrats not only held the line, but regained supermajorities in the H...
The cold weather has ushered in basketball season and area youth are encouraged to participate in the annual Elks Hoop Shoot at the Condon High School gymnasium on Sunday, December 8th. The Condon Elks Lodge is calling all kids ages 8-13 from the surrounding area to the contest. Kids will shoot free throws and the winner will go onto the regional competition. The Elks has been putting on the annual Hoop Shoot event for nearly 50 years. Bring gym shoes and your competitive...
Thanksgiving has come and gone. America’s uniquely stand-alone holiday is meant to bring us together, so we’ve been told. A time to let bygones be bygones. To mend fences. Sounds nice. But it can be a hard one. The first Thanksgiving as a national holiday was established by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 in the midst of the Civil War. The country was on the brink, and Lincoln thought it was a good time to officially recognize the holiday – which was first floated by Presi...
Gilliam County is looking for a new DA. With the election of sitting DA Kara Davis to the Wasco County District Attorney's Office in November, Governor Kotek will appoint a new DA for Gilliam County in January. Davis is set to resign on December 31st. Two applicants have thrown their names into the hat. Ryan Rodighiero, Deputy District Attorney for Union County, has applied for the job. As has Dean Morgan, who hails from Hershey, Pennsylvania. Oregon law requires that at the t...
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) announced this week that the City of Condon will receive $250,000 for street improvements. The Small City Allotment Advisory Committee and ODOT staff have announced the 2025 grant recipients. After evaluating 74 projects requesting a total of $17,226,108, the committee selected 24 projects totaling $5,735,959. Condon is among the cities selected. According to Gibb Wilkins, Public Works Superintendent for the City of Condon, the...
ARLINGTON, OR (December 4, 2024) – The Gilliam County Court approved a Capital Investment Grant request from the Arlington School District for $825,000 today, supporting the school's commitment to housing for its staff. Superintendent Larry Johnson, who addressed the court before they voted on the funding package, said that the school is well positioned for the future, with the exception of housing. "We have fourteen teachers in our district, six of whom will be retiring s...
Two elite runners from Condon competed in the National Cross-Country Meet for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in Columbia, Missouri last weekend. Grady Greenwood, the son of Shellie Johnson, attends Eastern Oregon University in La Grande and Kallyn Wilkins, daughter of Chet and Natalie Wilkins, attends Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. Both athletes have become leaders on their Cross-Country teams. Kallyn Wilkins, a junior at Rocky...
The City of Arlington has paved the way for the first data center to come to Gilliam County. A purchase agreement between the city and Amazon Data Services, Inc. was first discussed in a public hearing on August 7, 2024. After meeting in executive session on August 7, the Arlington City Council agreed to sell 375.605 acres of property to Amazon Data Services, Inc. for $10,111,000 - with a deposit of $250,000. The data center will be constructed at 801 Airport Road, at the...
The Oregon Paleo Lands Institute (OPLI), a public benefit non-profit organization founded in 2001, announced that it is preparing to cease operations after its board voted for dissolution at its last meeting. The board voted to dissolve the organization by May of 2025. The OPLI started in 2001 with support from congressional funding and an initiative by Regional Solutions, a program from the State of Oregon that helps with initiatives of strategic importance to the Governor....
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Eastern Oregon University has been permanently closed. Now, residents of Wheeler County will be served at Columbia Gorge Community College in The Dalles. The SBDC in The Dalles has long served residents of Gilliam and Sherman counties. For sixteen years, Greg Smith was the Director of the SBDC at Eastern Oregon University. Smith's company, Gregory Smith and Company, LLC, was a subcontractor with Eastern Oregon University. His...
In March of 1994, a group of local citizens completed the long journey of establishing a retirement center in Condon. Summit Springs Village was established thirty years ago and to commemorate the groundbreaking, the retirement center held a party for the residents and the community on Friday, November 15th. Director Hanna Bass and staff decorated the center with balloons and a festive spirit was in the air. A large charcuterie spread and wine greeted the thirty-plus visitors...
In August, a family in Fossil was thrown into grief when Tino Espinoza, a husband and father of three, died unexpectedly. Catherine Espinoza and her three children left to stay with family and friends – uncertain of the future. Earl and Jennifer Mortimore of Twickenham, who had employed Tino, felt the need to help the family in their time of need. Jennifer worked tirelessly over the next three months to fight for Catherine and her kids. Jennifer began by contacting an a...
The Gilliam County Historical Society celebrated its 50th annual meeting and dinner at the Hotel Condon last Saturday. At an overflow capacity, the event was well attended. Board president Eileen Potter welcomed members and guests of the Historical Society. Potter informed those in attendance that this would be her final year as the board's president, as she was spending more time with her new grandson Bodie in Walla Walla. Potter will remain on the board, and outlined a...
Jeremiah Holmes wins election for Wheeler Co. Sheriff Wheeler County Deputy Sheriff, Sgt. Jeremiah Holmes, has been elected Sheriff of Wheeler County. Sgt. Holmes received 76.9% of the vote over Undersheriff Mitch Elliott, who received 16.8% respectfully. With nearly 77% of the vote, Holmes outperformed other local, state, and federal candidates in the 2024 election – with the exception of those who ran unopposed. Sgt. Holmes joined the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office in 2...
The Gilliam County Historical Society will hold its annual meeting this Saturday at 6:30 PM at the Historic Hotel Condon. This year, the Historic Graffiti Society, a non-profit organization based in Washington, will share its findings on hobo markings discovered inside Condon's 1899 City Hall and Jail. The Historical Society moved the old City Hall and Jail to its museum complex several years ago, and have preserved the building. Small symbols, etchings, and drawings were...
Condon native Clabe Widner moved back home last year with his wife, Hailey, and her best friend, Katie Mae. The three came with a dream-to start their own business and take over the café in Condon that had been shuttered for nearly four years. Clabe grew up in Condon and is a 2011 graduate of Condon High School. His parents are the Cathcart's, who have owned the café building since 2001. Clabe says that some of his earliest memories go back to the café, where he first st...
