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Judge Cris Patnode and Commissioner Grant Wilkins were sworn in at the Gilliam County Courthouse on Monday. No guests or family members were present, likely because Judge Patnode and Commissioner Wilkins have been on the job for several months. Cris Patnode was appointed to the position over six months ago by Governor Tina Kotek, following the recall election of former Gilliam County Judge Elizabeth Farrar. Commissioner Wilkins joined the court in August. Patnode had served...
Wheeler County welcomed a new County Commissioner and Sheriff this week, swearing in Commissioner Matt Davis and Sheriff Jeremiah Holmes. At a standing-only event at the courthouse in Fossil, Sheriff Holmes took his oath, and then swore in his deputies. Matt Davis, who had been working as the Planning Director at Wheeler County for several years, was elected as the Wheeler County Commissioner #2 position. Davis has said that he is going to focus on long-term planning...
The City of Grass Valley has a new mayor. When nobody filed for the mayor position last spring, some thought that a write-in campaign would be lodged. But that didn't take shape either. A total of 33 votes were cast in the mayoral election in November, but none of the write-ins wanted the job. Ultimately, the council appointed Christian Ayles of Grass Valley as City Mayor. Ayles is employed by the OSU Extension Service in Sherman County and works with the Sherman County 4-H,...
SALEM, OR - In a historic milestone for Oregon Senate District 29, Todd Nash was officially sworn in today as Oregon State Senator, becoming the first senator in state history to hail from Wallowa County. Senator Nash brings decades of practical experience, a steadfast dedication to his constituents, and a deep passion for amplifying the voices of Eastern Oregon in the Oregon State Senate. "It is a true honor and privilege to represent the people of Senate District 29, and I...
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Cliff Bentz (R-OR) has been selected to serve on three subcommittees of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce for the 119th Congress: The Subcommittee on Energy, the Subcommittee on Health, and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade. These subcommittees will play a key role in shaping the upcoming Reconciliation bill and will deal with legislations addressing our nation's energy policies, healthcare systems, and economic...
Governor Tina Kotek has asked the Oregon Attorney General to take charge of the Gilliam County District Attorney's Office. The Attorney General's Office tapped Senior Assistant Attorney Dan Wendel to serve as the interim District Attorney for Gilliam County. Gilliam County's former District Attorney, Kara Davis, vacated the office at the end of December after being elected as Wasco County's District Attorney in the May primary election. Despite having several months to...
Elizabeth Steiner, a Portland Democrat and former state senator, took the oath of office as Oregon's first female state treasurer in front of a crowd packed with legendary state politicians and prominent party figures. Oregon's first female governor, Barbara Roberts, and former Gov. Kate Brown sat front row as Steiner was sworn in Monday night by Gov. Tina Kotek at the Oregon Historical Society in Portland. Roberts, Brown and Kotek are the only three women to have served as... Full story
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...
SALEM, OR – Representative Greg Smith (R-Heppner) is pleased to welcome Calvin Bennett to his legislative team. Bennett succeeds Dawson Quinton, who served in Representative Smith's office for three and a half years. Bennett will continue in Mr. Quinton's footsteps by playing a crucial role in shaping legislative priorities and working on key initiatives for District 57. Calvin Bennett graduated from Mitchell High School and Eastern Oregon University (EOU). While at EOU, B...
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...
State Rep. Jeff Helfrich will not seek reelection as minority leader in the Oregon House. The Hood River Republican, who represents the 52nd House District in the Columbia River Gorge and Mount Hood, made the announcement late Monday in a news release, indicating he wants to spend more time with his family. "This week, as I laid my father to rest, I found myself contemplating what truly matters in life. For me, it's the unwavering love of family," Helfrich said. Helfrich, a... Full story
WASHINGTON, D.C. - On October 9, Subcommittee on Natural Resources Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Chairman Cliff Bentz joined Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer (OR-05) in her district to open a Subcommittee hearing titled, 'It All Depends on Water: Examining Efforts to Improve and Protect Central Oregon's Water Supply.' The hearing emphasized the need to protect water resources, address water shortages for farmers and ranchers in Central Oregon and across the country and...
SALEM, OR - House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich (R-Hood River) and state Representatives Ed Diehl (R-Stayton) and E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls) are calling for legislative action to improve wildfire prevention and suppression efforts next session. Oregon has recently experienced severe wildfires, covering over 1.5 million acres - the largest area in the United States. "Lives, property, and livestock are lost when fires ravage our state. This is the direct consequence...
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden will be in Condon this Sunday, August 25 to meet with constituents. Senator Wyden is coming from the Democratic National Convention and will also make a stop in Enterprise on August 24th. Recently, Senator Wyden has been working on several issues that could impact the region – particularly on support for those impacted by wildfires. In addition, Sen. Wyden has been working across the aisle with Senator Mike Crapo to take on pharmacy benefit managers, m...
Washington, D.C. - Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced today he will be holding six in-person town halls for Oregon communities in June: Coos and Curry counties on Friday, June 7; Klamath and Lake counties on Saturday, June 8; and Crook and Wheeler counties on Sunday, June 9. The events continue Merkley's 2024 town hall tour of Oregon, where he is holding a community conversation for each of the state's 36 counties. "I hold a town hall for every Oregon county every...
Cris Patnode has emerged victorious in the Primary Election for Gilliam County Judge and will be the county's next executive officer, capturing more than 61% of the vote. Patnode defeated Commissioner Leah Watkins and Condon Mayor Jim Hassing to win outright, with no need to hold a general election in the fall. Patnode, who was raised outside of Condon and now lives in Arlington, has served as the Gilliam Co. Justice of the Peace for 24 years. The Gilliam County Court is curre...
Cris Patnode has emerged victorious in the Primary Election for Gilliam County Judge and will be the county's next executive officer, capturing more than 61% of the vote. The Primary Election was held on May 21 and garnered 57% participation from registered voters. Patnode defeated Commissioner Leah Watkins and Condon Mayor Jim Hassing. By eclipsing 51% of the vote, Patnode won the election outright, with no need to hold a general election in the fall. In all three precincts,...
Matt Davis will be the next Wheeler County Commissioner. Davis won the primary election in Wheeler County, with 61.6% of the vote. By eclipsing 51%, Davis wins the election outright and will be sworn into office in January. Matt Davis is a graduate of Spray High School and later attended the University of Oregon. Davis returned to Wheeler County with his wife, Coco, and their two daughters in 2018. Davis began working as the county's Planning Director that year, but later...
Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley swept through Eastern Oregon on a three-day tour, holding townhalls in nine counties. Starting on Friday, May 17, Oregon's junior Senator started his townhall tour in Malheur County, and then went to Harney, and Grant County. On Saturday, Merkley held townhalls in Baker County, Union County, and Wallowa County. On Sunday, he met with constituents in Umatilla County, Morrow County, and in Gilliam County. At the Gronquist Building in Arlington,...
It's election season and people in the tri-county area must finalize their primary ballots and have them mailed or submitted by May 21. County Clerks in Wheeler, Gilliam, and Sherman are preparing for the primary elections and several pivotal races will determine the future of each county. In Gilliam County, voters will cast ballots for County Judge and Commissioner #2. This comes on the heels of the recall election that was held on April 30, which ousted Judge Elizbeth...
Washington, D.C. – Oregon's U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley announced today he will be holding nine in-person town halls for Eastern Oregon counties in May: Malheur, Harney, and Grant counties on Friday, May 17; Baker, Union, and Wallowa counties on Saturday, May 18; and Umatilla, Morrow, and Gilliam counties on Sunday, May 19. The events continue Merkley's 2024 town hall tour of Oregon, where he is holding a community conversation for each of the state's 36 counties....
Wheeler County will hold primary elections on May 21 and ballots will be mailed out next week. The race for Wheeler County Commissioner is one of the best in the region. Three candidates with diverse experiences and who are deeply invested in Wheeler County are vying to become the next county commissioner. The three candidates are Matt Davis, Candy Humphreys, and Zach Bruce. We asked each of them five questions – here are their responses. MATT DAVIS TJ: Please tell us about y...
WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman Cliff Bentz (OR-02) has announced that on May 3rd in Minnesota, the Congressional Subcommittee of Natural Resources on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries will convene a field hearing addressing the growing harm being done by the gray wolf to elk, deer, moose, farmers, ranchers, and outdoorsmen. This hearing will provide a platform for expert testimony on the multifaceted implications of the gray wolf surge, including its economic, ecological, and...
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Cliff Bentz, (OR-2) released the following statement regarding his vote in favor of the "The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act" (FCAA): "This was a difficult vote. There is much I dislike in this bill, but when we Republicans barely control only one of the three branches of government (House, Senate, White House), the results our team obtained after months of work and thousands of amendments are deserving of serious respect. Additionally,...
The deadline to file for Gilliam County elections is approaching. Anyone wishing to be a candidate must file with the Gilliam County Clerk by 5 PM on March 12. Residents will cast their votes for key positions that will shape the county's future. Among the contested positions is that of County Judge – a nonpartisan role with a significant six-year term. The candidates so far are: Cris Patnode, Jim Hassing, and Leah Watkins. In the nonpartisan race for County Commissioner P...
