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Helping early learning centers and ensuring that quality childcare is available to people in Gilliam County is a key goal for the Gilliam County Court. The previous Gilliam County Court created a resolution to create an investment fund for childcare centers in the county. At last week's Gilliam County Court meeting, the court discussed how this effort would be structured and what role the county should play in managing the funds. In 2022, the Gilliam County Court began...
Gilliam County is moving ahead with a deflection program in partnership with Community Counseling Solutions – but Sherman and Wheeler County have opted out of this new program. After Measure 110 was rescinded and hard drugs were recriminalized under HB 4002 – funds that were dedicated to drug treatment were kept in place. The structure outlined in HB 4002 gave counties the option to participate in deflection programs, which would provide treatment options in lieu of jail tim...
Wheeler County's only cold-case murder is approaching another grim milestone, as the 30th anniversary of Phil Brook's murder approaches. Killed on September 20, 1994 – the last day of summer – Phil Brooks was out riding his sister's horse on his day off when he was shot through the heart with a high-powered rifle. The assailant was never convicted, and while there are strong suspicions that a couple who had secured hunting rights on the Fopiano could be to blame, the cri...
The Condon Community Pool has provided people from Condon and the surrounding area with a quality source of entertainment and exercise for many years. But after several years of climbing costs to maintain the pool, the Condon City Council is asking for significant upgrades to be made. The Condon swimming pool was built sometime in the late 1950s or early 1960s. It is owned by the Condon School District. In 2011, the City of Condon established a partnership with the Condon...
The summer of 2024 is shaping out to be one of the worst wildfire years in Wheeler County's history. After local volunteers and firefighters from around the country worked to fight more than 118,000 acres of wildfire from the Lone Rock Fire in the northern part of Wheeler County, the Shoe Fly Fire is now burning at more than 20,000 acres as of press time, with 0% containment. On Tuesday, the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office ordered Level 3 – Go Now – Evacuations for areas jus...
The Times-Journal building in Condon is in the midst of a large renovation project, and a significant amount of work was done over the Labor Day weekend. Demolition on the building's front façade began last Friday, and framing commenced over the holiday weekend. Builder Ken Carpenter, owner of Shellback Interiors, LLC and local jack of all trades Mike Durfey worked on the historic building, which was constructed by Fred Wilson in 1903. The front façade has been remodeled s...
The Sherman Co. / Condon High School DevilDawgs fell in their season opener to Cove on Friday, 14-16. The game was played as part of the Dufur Classic – but due to restrictions at the Dufur School, the game was held in Condon. Cove High School is in District 2, and will look to compete with league-rival Adrian for a top spot in the 1A State Football standings. The DevilDawgs played well in spurts, but struggled to gain momentum against the Cove team. The DevilDawgs will l...
Oregon State Representative Greg Smith (R-Heppner) has organized a meeting with the leaders of Blue Mountain Community College and Columbia Gorge Community College to discuss the growing crisis with EMS Services in the area. The two community colleges are the primary institutions in the region that provide training and testing for Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs). Gilliam County and Wheeler County are not in tax-paying districts for...
As Oregon faces a record-breaking wildfire season, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has reached out to hunters, expressing concerns about the significant impacts on wildlife, habitats, and the upcoming fall hunting opportunities. In a recent communication to current hunting license holders, ODFW acknowledged the challenges posed by the fires and outlined steps being taken to address them. For many hunters, the anticipation of the fall hunting season is the...
School is back in session in Arlington, Fossil, Spray, Mitchell, and in Sherman County – and will start in Condon next week. Parents and kids are getting back into the routine, and many kids are starting in their first year of Kindergarten. Enrollment numbers for the schools are fairly consistent with those in previous years. Sherman County, which is a combined school for all students in the county, eclipsed 200 students in the grade school and junior high this year – wit...
Is there anything better than a "coffee" sign for the weary driver or sleep deprived worker or parent? Coffee drive-through huts are seemingly everywhere in cities like Bend and in thoroughfares like Sisters. Throughout the Northwest, motorists que up in their cars, waiting to place their order. Now, folks looking to get a caffeine fix in Condon can do so at Conaway Coffee, located just off of Main Street and Highway 206 by Oregon Street. Sarah Conaway has thought about...
Senator Ron Wyden returned from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week to hold townhalls in Enterprise on Friday and in Condon on Saturday. Senator Wyden, who started his career in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1981, and was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, was introduced by Condon City Councilman Tom Fatland. Wyden began by saying that he has been committed to visiting every county in Oregon and that holding townhalls to engage with constituents...
Gilliam County Sheriff Gary Bettencourt attended the Sheriffs' Association of Texas 2024 Conference in Fort Worth over July 22-23rd. Sheriff Bettencourt was elected as the Western States Sheriffs' Association President this spring. While at the conference in Texas, Sheriff Bettencourt gave an award to Texas Governor Greg Abbott to recognize his work on border security. In addition to highlighting issues at the southern border, the conference also worked on a number of...
More than 300 people packed into the Heppner Elks Lodge on Saturday, August 24, to celebrate Pat and Trisha Sweeney's retirement. Every chair in the place was occupied, and the line for tri-tip sirloin and side dishes snaked around the venue. The open bar was a test for the Elks staff and volunteers, as well-wishers and longtime friends gathered to celebrate one of the region's most beloved families. Pat and Trisha, owners of Sweeney Mortuary, capped 46 years in business and...
Oregon State University's Extension Service in Gilliam County has welcomed a new addition: Skyler Palmer, who was hired as the new Agriculture Outreach Coordinator earlier this summer. But Palmer is not a newcomer to the area. Skyler, who grew up between Condon and Heppner near Hardman, was raised on a cattle ranch and wheat farm. He worked with his dad and learned about agriculture. After graduating from Heppner High School, Skyler moved to Idaho and received a bachelor's deg...
Part 2 of a series that explores the challenges and potential solutions for ambulatory services in Wheeler, Gilliam, and Sherman counties Last week we covered the crisis unfolding in Fossil with its volunteer ambulance crew. In Fossil, the two remaining Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) resigned in July. The Fossil City Council oversees the volunteer ambulance and has been searching for answers. Similarly, in Spray, fewer people have stepped up to volunteer with Emergency...
A beloved boat thought to have been built in 1938, sank quickly in Arlington on August 14. "The Mermaid" had been docked in the Port of Arlington's Marina for about eight years. Its owner, who lives in Goldendale, is thought to have taken it out the day before. Local residents first noticed that the wooden boat was taking on water early on August 14th. Within hours, the ship had noticeably dipped below the water's surface. The boat hung onto the side of the marina's boardwalk,...
Grant Wilkins has been juggling a lot of things in the past couple of months. In May, Wilkins won the primary election for Gilliam County Commissioner #2. Just weeks before the primary, a recall election ousted Pat Shannon from office. Wilkins knew that he'd be pushed to start his term before January of 2024. This came to fruition when he was appointed to the role in mid-June. As a Control Operator with Portland General Electric, where he has worked for the last 24 years, Wilk...
At a public hearing at Arlington City Hall last week, the Arlington City Council shared that a buyer had offered $10.1 million to purchase approximately 375 acres of land near the airport, at the Mesa above Arlington. The property, located at 801 Airport Road, has been zoned for industrial use, but no information about the potential buyer was offered at the hearing or at the city council meeting that followed. The council sat tight-lipped as several members of the public...
The Arlington City Council met on Wednesday, August 7, 2024. In addition to the public hearing for the proposed sale of property at the Arlington Mesa Industrial Park, several other topics were discussed by the council. Marta Mikkalo shared that the Arlington Public Library is considering moving under the umbrella of the county, and potentially calling itself the Gilliam Co. North End Library. Mikkalo noted that the Gilliam County Library budget in Condon got $48K more for...
TONED OUT: Emergency Medical Services Part 1 of a series that explores the challenges and potential solutions for ambulatory services in Wheeler, Gilliam, and Sherman counties. The Wheeler Co. Fair and Rodeo was held last week in Fossil, and people throughout the area traveled to the Wheeler County Fairgrounds for the time-honored tradition. By all appearances, everything went off without a hitch. But behind the scenes, volunteers with the fair board were scrambling to find an...
The Lone Rock Fire is one of the largest wildfires to ever burn in Central Oregon. It burned 137,222 acres and required support from local volunteers, fire districts, and state and federal fire agencies. The heroism of local volunteers prevented the destruction of Lonerock and Spray. Dozens of homes and ranches were saved as a result. In the coming weeks, the impacted areas will continue to be monitored for flare-ups. Although most firefighters have left the area, the work for...
Volunteers with the Condon Food Pantry are celebrating this week as they have moved to a new location in Condon. For about 30 years, the Condon Food Pantry has been housed inside St. John Catholic Church's parish. Due to an increasing demand for food for families in the area, the food bank has struggled with limited space inside the parish hall. Kolona Martin, President of the Condon Food Pantry Board, was smiling ear to ear on Monday of this week, as volunteers helped to...
An Emergency Medical Technician with North Gilliam Medic was tragically killed in a car accident on July 16. Richard Hernandez, a 34 year old man from Boardman, was on his way to work at his second job in Morrow County when he was in a head-on collision on Bombing Range Road near Boardman. He passed away at the site of the crash. Hernandez had been with North Gilliam Medic for about eight months. Hernandez grew up in Boardman and graduated from Riverside High School. North...
The Wheeler County Fair kicked off this week in Fossil and people near and far are turning out to celebrate. The fair began in 1914 and is now a hallmark of North Central Oregon. This year's them is Growing Generation to Generation. The 2024 Grand Marshal is Painted Hills Natural Beef. Now one of the most recognizable brands in Oregon, Painted Hills Natural Beef started in the mid-1990's in living rooms of area cattle ranchers who were concerned about their livelihood....
