Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 246
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...
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,...
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...
