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The Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) has been awarded $21.2 million for the Greater Waterman area. The project area encompasses private land along the northern border of the Ochoco National Forest, and the Waterman Flats area along the eastern county border between Highways 19 and 207 South. The five-year project will kickoff in 2026 and will cover a sprawling 338,596 acres. The priorities are to conserve, restore, and enhance critical range and forest lands...
Pendleton, OR - The Condon and Heppner combined cross-country team proved their grit last Friday at the 1A/2A boys and 1A/2A/3A girls district meet in Pendleton. The course was soaked by relentless rain leading up to race day, though the skies cleared just in time for the runners to take to the muddy, slick trails. In the boys' 1A/2A varsity race, Jake Wilson of Condon earned an individual spot at the State Championship with a strong fourth-place finish, clocking in at...
As Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative members gather this week for the annual meeting at the Condon Elks Lodge, they will celebrate the coop's eighth decade in operation. September 18, 1940, marked a significant milestone for residents across our rural communities. On that day, the Directors of Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative, Inc. gathered to sign the Articles of Association, laying the foundation for an essential new service: electric power in our homes, farms, and busi...
The Ione/Arlington Volleyball team battled in the second round of the OSAA State Championships but fell short to Umpqua Valley Christian on November 2nd. After defeating Elkton in straight sets (25-17, 25-19, 25-17) in Ione on October 30 to open the 1A State Playoffs, the Cardinals were put away in straight sets by Umpqua Valley (19-25, 11-25, 12-25). South Wasco County was also eliminated on Nov. 2nd, falling to Crane in straight sets (11-25, 18-25, 13-25). S. Wasco looked...
The Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) has approved over $14 million in grants to support environmental restoration projects across the state, with a significant portion directed toward organizations in the John Day River Territory. At its October board meeting in North Bend, OWEB allocated $1.4 million to projects led by soil and water conservation districts and watershed councils in the region. The funding supports habitat restoration, technical assistance, and planni...
On Oct. 13th, Arlington Jackpot Rodeo crowned the 2025 Queen, 15-year-old Calli Sovince, From Helix Oregon. Calli will be working hard in 2025 to be an ambassador for Arlington and the sport of Rodeo. May 3, 4th is annual rodeo, held at the Arlington Saddle Club Arena in Arlington. The Arlington School hosted a Trades Fair last Thursday and hosted a number of unions from the region who met with students and spoke about emerging jobs. The event was organized by Arlington's...
Trick or Treat Main Street in Condon. Kids walk Main Street in costume and trick or treat at Main Street businesses from 3 PM to 5 PM on Halloween. Arlington Trunk or Treat, an annual favorite at the Bank of Eastern Oregon parking lot. Cars are decked out in Halloween décor and kids get their fill of candy. From 6 PM to 8 PM on Halloween. The Arlington Family Healthcare Clinic will also have a haunted house on Halloween. 6 PM to 8 PM. Halloween Neighborhood Night...
The Big Sky District Volleyball Championship was held last Saturday, and the Ione/Arlington Cardinals took the trophy at the Dalles High School gymnasium. The Cardinals came into the conference ranked second in the East Division, behind the Wheeler County Rattlers and struggled at times during the season, falling to Wheeler County and shutout 0-3 by South Wasco County. The Lady Cardinals played the #3 seed Lyle/Wishram in the League Playoff, or Play-in game on October 23,...
We were saddened to hear about Jon Bowerman's death on October 19th at his ranch near Antelope. He was 86 years old. Saddened might not be the right word - surprised is probably the emotion I'm looking for. I just saw Jon at a volleyball game in Fossil a couple of weeks ago. Of course, he was sitting courtside in his cowboy hat, conversing with a couple of locals. Jon was one of a kind. His advocacy for youth rodeo and sports in the area will be remembered fondly. Jon was an e...
The Wheeler Co. Rattlers Volleyball Team has earned a number-one seed for the Big Sky East Division and will head into the district tournament this week as a team to beat. The Rattlers will get a bye after finishing the season at 20-3 overall, and 11-2 in league play. The Rattlers, a combined team of the Wheeler County schools of Spray High School, Mitchell High School, and Wheeler High School (Fossil), are ranked as the 18th best team in the state by OSAA. The Rattlers have...
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) hopes that state legislators will approve its budget request in the upcoming 2025 legislative session. If they refuse, ODOT is prepared to cut more than 1,000 jobs, including several positions that oversee roads in Gilliam, Wheeler, and Sherman counties. The Oregon Transportation Commission reluctantly approved ODOT's budget request for 2025-2027 in August, but a battle with the Oregon Legislature is brewing. Ongoing concerns abou...
Oregon's wildfire season is still not over. The Crazy Creek Fire, burning in Crook County and a small section of southern Wheeler County, is nearing containment. However, several small fires were started over the past two weeks after deer hunters sparked small blazes in Gilliam and Wheeler counties. Local volunteer fire departments quickly put out the fires, but the risk remains high, and locals remain on edge. But with moisture on the way this week and fall temperatures...
The Rock Creek Bridge, which is being rebuilt on Oregon Highway 206, known as the Condon/Heppner Highway, will continue to be fully closed until October 27. Both sides of the bridge are closed as construction enters final stages of the project. The ninety-year-old bridge was identified by ODOT as needing to be replaced due to age and ongoing wear and tear from debris that moves downstream with rapid thaws in the late winter and early spring. ODOT said that during high water...
Homecoming was held at the Condon School last week, with volleyball games taking place on Tuesday the 8th, and Thursday the 10th. Youth dressed up each day of the week, with polos or college clothing on Monday. High schoolers wore their nicest clothes on Tuesday, as the school hosted the Wheeler Co. Rattlers Volleyball Team. On Wednesday, kids in each class were given a decade – with seniors having the 2000s, juniors in the 1990s, sophomores in the 1980s, and freshman in t...
Upland game bird hunters will find abundant populations across the state, with some exceptions. Upland bird populations can vary greatly from year to year depending on weather and habitat conditions. Summer surveys indicate improvements in abundance from the previous year for chukar, pheasant, and wild turkey and increases in chick production from the previous year for chukar, California quail, mountain quail, gray partridge, and wild turkey. Forest grouse populations are...
A string of mysterious cattle deaths in Oregon are the focus of a new Unsolved Mysteries documentary on Netflix. The Netflix reboot of the classic Unsolved Mysteries, which began in the late 1980s, is one of the top five shows currently streaming on Netflix. It has been viewed by millions of people worldwide. Beginning in 2019 and continuing until 2022, cattle were found mutilated in Wheeler, Gilliam, Grant, Morrow, Harney, and Umatilla counties. Wheeler Co. Sheriff's Deputy...
Every high school team has one. Or at least, they should. The superfan. Someone who is so invested in the team that win or lose, their devotion is undaunted. While the sporting events change with the season, the superfan is never a fair-weathered follower. So it goes for Fossil's Zach Sperry. If you've been to a Rattlers volleyball or basketball game, you've seen Zach sitting courtside, full of nerves, and cheering the boys and girls teams on. Ready to chase down a loose ball...
This is part 3 of a series that explores the challenges and potential solutions for ambulatory services in Wheeler, Gilliam, and Sherman counties. The global pandemic shook longtime emergency medical service volunteers and healthcare professionals. Increased demand for ambulance services, coupled with a decline in responders has created a crisis in many communities. As we've looked at in this series, the slow erosion of volunteers and an increasing reliance on their services...
A community meeting has been scheduled at the Isobel Edwards Hall for October 24 at 5:30 PM. The goal is to recruit new volunteers in the community with a focus on EMTs. Fossil's Volunteer Ambulance was suspended in July due to a lack of active volunteers. Healthcare emergencies in Fossil have been handled by LifeFlight and by the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office. Finding a path forward is of upmost importance to the Fossil City Council and the Wheeler County Court. Mayor...
The Wheeler County Rattlers – a combined team of students from Wheeler High School, Mitchell High School, and Spray High School, hosted the Ione/Arlington volleyball and football teams last Friday in Fossil for the 2024 Homecoming. The Rattlers prevailed in both sports and gave the Wheeler County faithful something to cheer about. Starting with the volleyball game, the Rattlers had their backs against the wall inside of the Wheeler High School gymnasium. The Ione/Arlington t...
Keith Baker, 73, is a Vietnam Veteran and was a highly experienced search and rescue team member with the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Baker did two tours in Vietnam, where he was trained to be a sniper and a tunnel rat. Whether in the jungles of Southeast Asia or in the pine and juniper trees of Central Oregon, Baker could see a story unfold when tracking people or animals in remote areas. From a young age, Baker would follow his father into the woods and learn how to tra...
Pianist Jim-Isaac Chua will perform at the Spray General Store from 6-8 PM on October 2, in what promises to be an intimate performance. In 2009, Chua had his solo debuts at Carnegie Hall. Over the years, he has captivated audiences the world over – from Austria and Italy to Myanmar and Indonesia. A Filipino-American, Chua currently lives in Poland and studies with the renowned Maria Szwajger-Kulakowska. Chua has played in concert halls of great luxury, and at small n...
Road crews with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) provide essential services in the region. Winter conditions require local ODOT crews to manage remote and dangerous state highways. But recently, ODOT leadership released preliminary plans to close maintenance facilities in Spray and Condon. Those plans are now under scrutiny and are getting pushback. During the Gilliam County Court meeting on September 4, Gilliam County Judge Cris Patnode said that ODOT's...
Cooler temperatures and favorable weather are on the way for Wheeler County, giving hope to firefighters and locals who have confronted multiple wildfires this summer. More than 10 fires are burning in parts of Wheeler County as of press time. Nearly 160,000 acres have burned in Wheeler County, starting with the Lone Rock Fire in July. New fires, including the Buckhorn Fire which began on Monday, have sprung up and fires from neighboring counties have spread into Wheeler...
Cattle producers in Gilliam County got a show of support from the Gilliam County Court, which has pledged $150,000 to help pilot a virtual fencing technology for producers impacted by the Lone Rock Fire. More than 300 miles of fence burned during the Lone Rock Fire. Cattle ranchers have had to move livestock to other areas and to buy extra feed. The Natural Resource Conservation Service district is working with the federal government to get funds to those impacted by fires...
