Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 304
Sherman Kids Zone received a high honor last weekend at a town hall for Sen. Jeff Merkley in Rufus. Board members attended the town hall to accept a flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol in recognition of their hard work and dedication to the nonprofit organization. Sherman Kids Zone was launched in spring 2021 by a small group of parents who hoped to create a free indoor play space for children and families. Three years later, the organization is deemed a remarkable...
A group of Arlington High School and Middle School students were given an opportunity unlike anything that had been done before. Last week, the school brought in Arlington resident Peka Tutuvanu to lead a seminar on Polynesian cooking and culture. The seminar is the latest in a series of out-of-classroom career and technical education classes designed to broaden horizons and learn new skills. Arlington Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher Alan Cunningham - with the...
The community of Arlington was devastated this month when news of Tiffany A. Booth, a long time Arlington resident, had gone missing in Nevada. Tiffany was an Arlington High School class of 2003 Alumni. Reports indicate that Tiffany spoke daily with her mother, Judy but there had been no verbal communication between them since September 27. Tiffany and her mom then began communicating through text messages until October 8th when all communication stopped. Early reports said...
Wheeler County was one of only four counties in the United States to be totally free of COVID-19. But on Sunday, Oregon Health Authority reported the first case in Oregon's least populated county. A longtime holdout, many were hoping that the county would avoid the disease entirely as the world anxiously awaits a vaccine. But it was only a matter of time until the pandemic, which has infected 37.3 million and killed 1.07 million people around the world, made its way into Orego...
Members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force with assistance from the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office located a suspect in Fossil on Wednesday afternoon who was wanted for murder. US Marshals setup a stakeout at the high school to surveil the suspect, who was wanted in connection with a recent shooting in the Portland area. According to Sheriff Mike, the suspect was taken into custody without incident and there is no danger to the public. Fossil Charter School...
A Gilliam Co. Sheriff's Deputy fought with a suspect for approximately 10 minutes on I-84 after a high-speed chase Wednesday night. The suspect, Erick Douglas Switzer, was driving in excess of 100 miles an hour and attempted to crash his car into the deputy's. After a 14 mile chase that crossed into Sherman County, Mr. Switzer crashed his car. The suspect then refused to comply with the Deputy's commands. As law enforcement backup was en route, the suspect rushed the deputy an...
CONDON, OR - Andrew Kell, 30, entered guilty pleas last Wednesday, August 5, in Gilliam County Circuit Court to Assault in the Third Degree, a Class C Felony and Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, a Class C Felony. Kell was sentenced by Judge John A. Wolf to 65 months in prison with two years Post-Prison Supervision. As a result of these new crimes, his probation for a prior burglary conviction in Hood River County was also revoked. In that case he received a 55-month...
Following guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and state and local public health authorities, John Day Fossil Beds National Monumentis increasing facilities access. The National Park Service (NPS) is working service wide with federal, state, and local public health authorities to closely monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and using a phased approach to increase access on a park-by-park basis. Starting on Friday July 17, 2020 the Thomas...
The Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce (formerly the Condon Chamber of Commerce) has been on a roll. Last year, the chamber expanded beyond Condon to become a tri-county chamber. This year, the chamber received the coveted Business Oregon Technical Assistance grant in addition to the Rural Opportunity Initiative (ROI) grant. Only one other organization in Oregon received both grants. To seize this opportunity, the Oregon Frontier Chamber is hosting staff from Rural...
Pioneering new territory, the Condon Chamber of Commerce is rebranding to Oregon Frontier Chamber of Commerce. Focused on the Tri-County Region, the organization supports 11 rural communities in Gilliam, Sherman, and Wheeler counties which covers 3,400 square miles and a population of 5,100. The regional strategy will enhance economic prosperity, community livability and tourism. A new logo and website are underway and will be launching later in 2022. Your Oregon Frontier...
Painted Hills Natural Beef, the pride of Wheeler County and a well-known business throughout the Pacific Northwest, is eying an expansion in Gilliam County. On Wednesday February 24th, an impressive group of people joined an online call to hear of the company's aspirations. On the call was: Kathleen Cathey, Regional Representative for Senator Ron Wyden's Office Nate Stice, Governor Brown's representative with Regional Solutions Ryan DeGrofft with Business Oregon Dawsin...
The Gilliam County Court adopted the proposed Rural Renewable Energy Development (RRED) zone in its session on January 6th. The special enterprise zone will establish incentives for renewable energy projects in Gilliam County worth up to $250 million. The RRED zone designation is good for 10 years. A push to create the RRED zone came from Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Iberdrola – one of the largest renewable energy companies in the world. Headquartered in Spain, the c...
When people think of Oregon, many think of fermented drinks. The State was an early pioneer in craft beer brewing, which began with a handful of homebrewers and hobbyists that were looking to take their products to market. Now, Oregon's beer industry is estimated to contribute $6.6 billion to the state's economy and provides more than 43,000 jobs statewide. Oregon's wine industry has also seen significant growth. Oregon wine is now generating $5.7 billion in wine-related and...
The windows at the Waldron Schoolhouse were vandalized earlier this month. Toney Ryno and a group of local residents jumped into action and raised funds to make repairs. The historic Waldron Schoolhouse near Mitchell, built in 1874 for pioneer children, was vandalized this spring. The windows were broken, subjecting the school's interior to birds, yellow jackets and dust. Toney Ryno of Mitchell learned of the damage and leapt into action. Toney's family (Paul) moved to the...
THE DALLES - Columbia Gorge Community College will receive $1.2 million in federal CARES Act Recovery funding to expand healthcare workforce training across the region. US Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo announced the award Tuesday. "Healthcare workers are a critical force in our region and CGCC is fortunate to be part of the solution," said Dr. Marta Yera Cronin, CGCC president. "These funds will allow us to increase our capacity to train more highly-qualified...
SALEM, OR - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund (OCRF) encourage all Oregonians to celebrate April 7 as Nature of Oregon Day. The Nature of Oregon Day represents a new opportunity for all Oregonians to bring awareness to critical conservation goals and reduce barriers for underserved communities to connect with the outdoors. "Oregon is renowned for its natural beauty, bounty, and unique places from our iconic forests to o...
The Sherman County School Board of Directors met in a special meeting Thursday night to discuss new guidelines announced by Oregon Department of Education this week. Several changes were made to ODE's Ready Schools, Safe Learners Resiliency Framework for the 2021-22 school year, most notably the end of the indoor mask requirement for Oregon students. ODE is following Centers for Disease Control community level guidelines, which as of March 12 will recommend, but not require,...
PRINEVILLE, OR - The Prineville District BLM is requesting your comments and concerns regarding a proposed project to consider potential future land acquisitions within the Lower John Day Basin. The John Day Basin Resource Management Plan (RMP) mapped a zone of lands suitable for acquisition and identified criteria to prioritize lands for acquisition. The zone generally surrounds the John Day River and adjacent larger blocks of public land. Lands considered for acquisition...
A local search and rescue mission is underway for Autumn Rose Jones, 22 of Boardman. Jones has been missing since November 28th. Autumn Rose Jones has been missing since November 28th. (Facebook photo) On Wednesday, hunters discovered Jones's red 2014 Volkswagen Jetta in a canyon approximately three miles northeast of Condon. The following day, a multi-agency search party was assembled and together with local volunteers, began searching an area off of Cook Road near the...
he Wheeler County Sheriff's Office is once again seeking the public's help as another bull has been found dead under mysterious circumstances. The bull was discovered in a remote area, south of the John Day River on April 30th. Ten cattle have been found mutilated in Central Oregon in recent months. Wheeler Co. Sheriff's Deputy Jeremiah Holmes said that the bull had been "mutilated" and that foul-play is suspected in the crime. Deputy Holmes would not give additional details a...
The first person to die from COVID-19 in Gilliam County has been reported by Gilliam County Court Judge Elizabeth Farrar. In a PSA to media, a statement read "It is with great sadness that we report the death of a beloved Gilliam County resident to COVID-19. We extend our deepest sympathy to the family members, friends and all others affected by this tragic loss." Gilliam County was one of just a handful of counties in the state of Oregon that had avoided a fatality from the...
The Condon School Board is pleased to announce and welcome Brian Schimel as the new Superintendent/Principal of the Condon School District effective July 1, 2022. According to board chair, Ms. Schott, "We are very excited Mr. Brian Schimel will be joining the Condon School District as Superintendent/Principle in July. He's highly qualified to continue and expand upon the projects and programs established by Mrs. Michelle Geer. Best of all, Mr. Schimel really likes our...
SALEM, OR - At their April 1, 2022 meeting, the Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC or Commission) appointed Dr. Brenda Ortizoga Bateman to serve as the next director for the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). DLCD's Directors are appointed by the Commission. Dr. Bateman will begin on May 2, 2022. Dr. Bateman replaces Director Jim Rue, who has served as DLCD's longest-tenured Director for eleven years. Following the appointment, LCDC...
Frontier Regional 911 issued an emergency Level 3 evacuation order for residents of Grass Valley on November 20, 2022 at 3:30 PM. Grass Valley residents were told to go to the Fire Hall in Moro. The explosion stemmed from a fire at the bio plant in Grass Valley - a hemp production facility. There have been no reports of injury. Evergreen State Holdings / GVB Biopharma has operated a hemp facility in Grass Valley since 2017. The company was recently acquired by 22nd Century...
When a man stole a rifle and began threatening people at the Jefferson County Fair in Madras on July 23, a 911 call was made. Inside the Frontier Regional 911 Dispatch Center in Condon, some 85 miles away, a dispatch operator took the call and within 21 seconds, informed law enforcement personnel. The suspect tried to evade the police and aimed the rifle at bystanders, motorists and law enforcement officers before being shot and taken into custody. Few know the demands that...
