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Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden announced today that a total of $6,150,000 is heading to Polk, Wheeler, and Wasco counties for the development of safety action plans to improve road safety and to Metro for the identification of Safe Routes to School in Portland. "Whether walking, driving, or biking, Oregonians in every corner of the state deserve safe streets and roads in their communities to get where they need to go," said Merkley. "Th...
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....
According to the USDA, there were 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork in Oregon, down from 5.5 days the previous week. Columbia, Multnomah, and Washington Counties saw a continuance of the rain cycle, which hampered some grain and grass seed field activities such as weed and slug management. The constant rain also slowed some horticulture crop work. In addition to rain, Clatsop and Tillamook Counties had near freezing nighttime temperatures. Field activities were hampered by...
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...
ARLINGTON, VA - U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) and the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) today praised the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) for submitting a counter-notification to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on India's domestic support, input subsidies, and market support prices for wheat and rice. This is the latest in a series of U.S. counter-notifications showing India is not transparent about the true level of wheat and rice support i...
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...
SALEM, OR - With migratory waterfowl back in Oregon for the winter, the state is again seeing an increase in cases of avian flu and mortality in wild birds, especially among cackling geese congregating in the Willamette Valley. Oregon is the first state to report a new spike in detections this fall. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) was first detected in wild birds in North American in December 2021 and in Oregon in May 2022. Unlike previous outbreaks of HPAI in 2005...
According to the USDA Crop Progress and Condition Report, there were 4.9 days suitable for fieldwork in Oregon, down from 6.3 days the previous week. Agronomic crops in Columbia, Multnomah, and Washington Counties were supported by adequate rainfall as horticulture crops rolled into winter dormancy. Clatsop and Tillamook Counties reported constant rain throughout the week, and cool autumn conditions. Field activities consisted of fertilizer and manure applications, and most...
THE DALLES, OR - Hatchery steelhead fishing will be open on the Columbia River mainstem from Buoy 10 to the Hwy 395 bridge at Pasco, Wash. from Nov. 1-Dec. 31 this year. In recent years, steelhead fishing has been closed in various sections of the river during late summer and fall to protect very low returns of upriver summer steelhead. By November, summer steelhead have migrated above The Dalles Dam. So, while the area upstream has been closed to hatchery steelhead retention...
PENDLETON, OR - Umatilla National Forest officials ask forest visitors to use caution, plan ahead and know the weather and forest conditions before heading out into the woods. The freezing temperatures have started to develop and can cause unexpected issues especially in terrain that has experienced fires. Fall weather can be unpredictable and is a busy time of year on the Umatilla National Forest. Hunting is a primary activity during this time. Prior to heading to the woods,...
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...
SALEM, OR - As elk hunting seasons get underway, hunters should make plans to get any elk they harvest tested for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). ODFW will be testing elk (and deer) at the following check station locations from Nov. 2-4 (note the Ukiah location is open Nov. 2-3 only): • Celilo Park (exit 97 off I-84 west of Biggs Junction), Nov. 2-4, 2024, 9 a.m. to dusk. (Google map coordinates) • Elgin Stampede Grounds, 790 S 8th Ave, Nov. 2-4, 2024, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Go...
Pendleton, OR - Carpenter Media Group announced on Oct. 23 that a preliminary agreement has been reached to acquire the assets of EO Media Group, a respected family-owned media company with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. The acquisition includes EO Media Group's portfolio of more than two dozen newspapers and magazines across Oregon and Washington. Titles include EO Media Group's flagship newspaper, the East Oregonian (OR), GO! Eastern Oregon (OR), The Astorian (OR), Chi...
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's entire congressional delegation today urged President Biden to grant Governor Kotek's request that Oregon receive a major disaster declaration in response to record-setting wildfires that burned about three times the average acreage this year. "The 2024 wildfire season has been one of the most devastating and costly fire seasons on record," U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as well as U.S. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Cliff Bentz,...
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...
BEND, OR – The prestigious Herman Kehrli Award was presented Friday evening to Condon City Administrator Kathryn Greiner during the League of Oregon Cities' 99th Annual Conference in Bend. The award is given to a city employee who has made exceptional contributions to city government in Oregon, producing lasting benefits for their community. A dedicated, proactive public servant who goes well beyond her job description, Kathryn Greiner has an uncanny ability to seamlessly u...
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...
According to an action alert issued by the Oregon Cattleman's Association, ranchers are experiencing a hay shortage due to wildfire activity in Wheeler, Baker, Grant and Malheur counties. OSU Extension has been assisting with gathering available hay and has advised of a shortage of 774 tons (roughly 50% in Wheeler, 25% in Baker, 20% in Grant, and 5% in Malheur). According to OSU staff, as of October 3rd, there were 13 family-run ranches caring for a total of at least 4,385...
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...
THE DALLES, OR - North Central Public Health District's (NCPHD) Board of Health has appointed Martha McInnes, BSN, RN, as the organization's new director. NCPHD has been seeking to fill the role since outgoing director Shellie Campbell announced her retirement in July this year. With Campbell staying on until her replacement was found, NCPHD has maintained continuous strong leadership. Campbell said, "Martha has been with NPCHD over three years, joining our team during a very...
According to the USDA, there were 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork in Oregon, down from 6.8 days from the previous week. Columbia, Multnomah, and Washington Counties welcomed small, scattered showers as many growers held off on fall plantings and lacked consistent soil moisture. Nursery crops, vegetables, and fruits continued to thrive with adequate irrigation. Clatsop and Tillamook Counties experienced colder evenings and mornings which gave way to daytime warmth. Corn was...
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...
Sherman County residents filled Grass Valley Pavilion on Oct. 1 to raise questions about a proposed solar power generating facility planned near the existing Buckley substation in the southwest corner of the county. Oregon Department of Energy officials met with representatives from Clenera, a Northwest-based alternative energy company, to host a public meeting and discuss the details of the proposed project as well as take questions from the audience. Clenera is based in...
