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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...
OSU Extension is coordinating with local response efforts to help farmers, ranchers and communities deal with the consequences of the wildfires currently affecting Oregon. Their role includes sharing information and resources, supporting producers to access disaster relief programs, coordinating hay/grain needs and donation pledges and N95 mask distribution. Current Ask: OSU Extension has a donor in Mulino who has pledged ~20 tons of grass blend hay (55#, 2 sting bales), and...
Tualatin, OR - Agricultural operations in Oregon have been significantly impacted by recent wildfires. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from these adverse weather events. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and...
THE DALLES – A group of eight middle and high school educators from the Gorge region recently delved into the world of Advanced Manufacturing and Electro-Mechanics during the 3rd annual Educator Externship organized by the Columbia Gorge STEM Hub, a program of the Columbia Gorge Education Service District (CGESD). Educators from five local school districts, Hood River, North Wasco, South Wasco, Spray, and Condon, engaged in a 3-day, immersive learning experience. The p...
Mid-Columbia Economic Development District (MCEDD) is seeking interested candidates for openings on the MCEDD Board of Directors, particularly those involved with Agriculture, or the Food and Beverage Industry. MCEDD promotes the creation of family-wage jobs, the diversification of the economic base, and the growth, development and retention of business and industry. MCEDD was established in 1969 by Klickitat, Skamania, Hood River, Wasco, and Sherman counties to benefit from b...
Do you have comments about local healthcare and medical services? What do you think is working well, and what is lacking? Asher Community Health Center (ACHC) invites you to share your comments in the 2024 ACHC Community Healthcare Needs Survey. The submission deadline is August 15, 2024. The residents of Wheeler County (along with the communities of Condon, Monument and Kimberly) have begun receiving the survey in the mail, and the survey can also be taken online at:...
CONDON – Planning for "Harvest the Memories!" is well underway. The County Fair will feature exhibits, animals, a Children's Fair, and fun activities in the arena for everyone. The fair will be held August 29th through August 31, 2024, Labor Day weekend, at the Gilliam County Fairgrounds in Condon, Oregon. Registration for the 2024 Gilliam County Fair is now open. Go to the Gilliam County website, click on "Government Directory" then "Fairgrounds." Scroll down to 2024 Fair R...
One of the largest responses to wildfires in the region is winding down. Firefighters and logistics personnel from the Lonerock Fire are moving on to other fires that are ravaging Oregon and the West. The U.S. Forest Service Incident Management Team will be demobilizing the Incident Command Post in Condon over the next few days. The Gilliam County Fairgrounds has served as the command center for the Lonerock Fire since it burned out of control on July 13. At one point, more...
THE DALLES, OR - The popular Lower Deschutes River will remain open by permanent rule for steelhead fishing. More than 21,000 unmarked summer steelhead have passed Bonneville Dam since July 1. The run to date is the highest in nearly 10 years, though still well below the 20-year average as the upriver summer steelhead run has been at historically low levels for much of the last decade. The John Day, Umatilla, Grand Ronde and Imnaha Rivers are also on track to be open under...
Deschutes River to remain open to summer steelhead fishing THE DALLES, Ore.—The popular Lower Deschutes River will remain open by permanent rule for steelhead fishing. More than 21,000 unmarked summer steelhead have passed Bonneville Dam since July 1. The run to date is the highest in nearly 10 years, though still well below the 20-year average as the upriver summer steelhead run has been at historically low levels for much of the last decade. The John Day, Umatilla, Grand R...
The Lonerock Fire was brought under control after a harrowing two weeks that tested federal, state, and local fire response. As of press time, the fire is at 77% containment and has burned 137,221 acres. For many local volunteers who worked days on end to protect homes and property, some much-needed sleep and time with family awaits. For firefighters, it is off to the next blaze – as Oregon and Washington are now using half of the nation's firefighting crews. As of July 28, t...
Organizers of the 50th Annual Shaniko Days are excited to welcome people to Oregon's favorite ghost town this Friday through Sunday – August 2nd – 4th. But maybe it's time to drop the "ghost town" title – as the town has seen a significant amount of investment and cultural developments in recent years. There's no doubt that Shaniko used to be a big deal. The little town that sits just off of Highway 97 north of Madras was once a boom town and was positioned to be one of the la...
The old Condon Baseball field housing development saw a burst of activity in July – as foundations for two more developments were poured and a duplex completed framing and roofing work. A sidewalk was also finished on Jefferson Street. The old baseball field was gifted to the City of Condon from the Condon School District in 2021. The city sold the property, six lots in total, to developer Amy Coy, who built one house and sold the other five lots. The city required d...
Do you pressure can low acid foods like vegetables, meat, fish, poultry or wild game? Testing pressure canner dial gauges for accuracy annually or when they are dropped or bumped is recommended to help prevent under-processing of low acid foods that could cause serious illness. Weighted gauges do not need testing. OSU Extension Master Food Preservers will be available to test dial gauges on Saturday, August 10 at the Wheeler County Fair. The staffed display will be in the...
With the recent wildfires in Oregon, many livestock owners do not have enough feed to provide for their animals throughout this crisis. Oregon State University Extension is partnering with state and local emergency operations, county fairgrounds, and individuals across the state to solicit hay, livestock feed, and monetary donations. We are also helping to coordinate the transportation of donations to the affected areas in partnership with Oregon Cattleman Association. Hay...
The cool temperatures provided relief to fire-stricken communities last week, but the hot weather is set to return, starting this Thursday. The National Weather Service issued excessive heat warnings for the region on Tuesday, and temperatures will hover near 100 degrees by Friday. In Spray, temperatures will climb to 102 degrees on Thursday and 104 degrees on Friday, before dipping back to the mid 90s on Saturday and Sunday. In Fossil, forecasts call for temperatures around...
We thought we were out of danger when the fire came up to the field just across from our mailbox and we all breathed a sigh of relief. We had spent the week prepping after which my good friend and forest fighter Alan Thornton drove out from Portland to further prep my property. Steve Stebbins from Spray and he spent all night watering, cutting down a couple of trees, dragging portions of the tree into the field and digging trenches. They spent the night in my cabin with flames...
What began as a small fire on grassland just outside of Lonerock in Gilliam County has become one of the largest wildfires in Oregon's history. The Lonerock Fire has now burned more than 130,000 acres of grassland, pastures, timber, and structures – carving a swath of destruction through Gilliam, Wheeler, and Morrow counties. The fire has surpassed the Archie Creek Fire from 2020 and is Oregon's 20th largest wildfire. As of press time, the Lonerock Fire has burned 131,407 a...
The Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office says that the cause of the Lonerock Fire is still under investigation and would not comment on leads or theories. However, three reliable sources told The Times-Journal that the fire was started by a group of men riding four-wheelers and ATVs in high grasses outside of Lonerock on Saturday, July 13. Three sources, which have asked to remain anonymous, said that a group of men from out of state were visiting the area and were riding on...
The Gilliam County Court surprised attendees at the July 17 court session in Arlington by awarding grant requests in full. During the June 26 court session, members of the Gilliam County Grants Committee recommended to partially fund operations grants to several non-profit organizations and the South Gilliam Co. Health District. The Gilliam Co. Operations Grant is one of several special grants available to non-profit organizations, special districts, and schools in the...
We are lucky to live in such a beautiful, remote, and quiet area away from the problems of the city. Living here has many advantages but also some disadvantages; one being medical care. We have been fortunate to have dedicated volunteers to run our ambulance, but those volunteers can only do so much. For reasons cited as burnout and lack of back up, our only two active EMTs resigned effective July 31, 2024. That leaves us with no ambulance service after that date. This is a...
FOSSIL, OR - The US Forest Service has awarded $300,000 to the Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District for the Wheeler SWCD Mass Timber Facility Project through the Wood Innovation Program. The award was one of 123 projects nationwide totaling more than $43 million through Community Wood Grants and Wood Innovations Grants - longstanding Forest Service grant programs that promote innovation in wood products and renewable wood energy economies. Since 2015, the Wood...
The little town of Lonerock escaped destruction this year but was not so lucky in the past. According to the Lebanon Express and The Fossil Journal, on the hottest day of the year in 1896, 106 degrees in the shade, a fire was started in a hotel by the 6-year-old son of the hotel keeper, Jack Andrews. The young boy allegedly set fire to a pile of clothes in a back room at 2:00pm. The hotel and furniture were consumed and due to a brisk wind flames carried to four other...
Some people are at their best when in a pinch. When the going got tough in the hours and days following the outbreak of the Lonerock Fire, dozens of men and women lept into action. In Lonerock, locals brought CATs and water tanks to save the town. With the South Gilliam Fire crew, volunteers responded quickly and helped stave off disaster. And even after fire crews arrived from around the country, these volunteers kept after it. There was no quit in these guys. The...
The Eastern Oregon Pioneers Association has canceled the annual Pioneer Picnic, which was scheduled for this Saturday, July 27. The annual event was established in 1900 by a group of pioneers and their descendants. Due to the wildfires in Wheeler County, organizers decided to cancel this year's picnic. Held at the Julia Henderson Pioneer Park in Wheeler County, the Pioneer Picnic is steeped in tradition and history. In its early years, the Pioneer Picnic was also a sleepover....
