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Upland game bird hunters will find abundant populations across the state, with some exceptions. Upland bird populations can vary greatly from year to year depending on weather and habitat conditions. Summer surveys indicate improvements in abundance from the previous year for chukar, pheasant, and wild turkey and increases in chick production from the previous year for chukar, California quail, mountain quail, gray partridge, and wild turkey. Forest grouse populations are...
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...
Every high school team has one. Or at least, they should. The superfan. Someone who is so invested in the team that win or lose, their devotion is undaunted. While the sporting events change with the season, the superfan is never a fair-weathered follower. So it goes for Fossil's Zach Sperry. If you've been to a Rattlers volleyball or basketball game, you've seen Zach sitting courtside, full of nerves, and cheering the boys and girls teams on. Ready to chase down a loose ball... Full story
This is part 3 of a series that explores the challenges and potential solutions for ambulatory services in Wheeler, Gilliam, and Sherman counties. The global pandemic shook longtime emergency medical service volunteers and healthcare professionals. Increased demand for ambulance services, coupled with a decline in responders has created a crisis in many communities. As we've looked at in this series, the slow erosion of volunteers and an increasing reliance on their services...
A community meeting has been scheduled at the Isobel Edwards Hall for October 24 at 5:30 PM. The goal is to recruit new volunteers in the community with a focus on EMTs. Fossil's Volunteer Ambulance was suspended in July due to a lack of active volunteers. Healthcare emergencies in Fossil have been handled by LifeFlight and by the Wheeler County Sheriff's Office. Finding a path forward is of upmost importance to the Fossil City Council and the Wheeler County Court. Mayor...
The Wheeler County Rattlers – a combined team of students from Wheeler High School, Mitchell High School, and Spray High School, hosted the Ione/Arlington volleyball and football teams last Friday in Fossil for the 2024 Homecoming. The Rattlers prevailed in both sports and gave the Wheeler County faithful something to cheer about. Starting with the volleyball game, the Rattlers had their backs against the wall inside of the Wheeler High School gymnasium. The Ione/Arlington t...
Keith Baker, 73, is a Vietnam Veteran and was a highly experienced search and rescue team member with the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. Baker did two tours in Vietnam, where he was trained to be a sniper and a tunnel rat. Whether in the jungles of Southeast Asia or in the pine and juniper trees of Central Oregon, Baker could see a story unfold when tracking people or animals in remote areas. From a young age, Baker would follow his father into the woods and learn how to tra...
Pianist Jim-Isaac Chua will perform at the Spray General Store from 6-8 PM on October 2, in what promises to be an intimate performance. In 2009, Chua had his solo debuts at Carnegie Hall. Over the years, he has captivated audiences the world over – from Austria and Italy to Myanmar and Indonesia. A Filipino-American, Chua currently lives in Poland and studies with the renowned Maria Szwajger-Kulakowska. Chua has played in concert halls of great luxury, and at small n...
Road crews with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) provide essential services in the region. Winter conditions require local ODOT crews to manage remote and dangerous state highways. But recently, ODOT leadership released preliminary plans to close maintenance facilities in Spray and Condon. Those plans are now under scrutiny and are getting pushback. During the Gilliam County Court meeting on September 4, Gilliam County Judge Cris Patnode said that ODOT's...
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...
Cooler temperatures and favorable weather are on the way for Wheeler County, giving hope to firefighters and locals who have confronted multiple wildfires this summer. More than 10 fires are burning in parts of Wheeler County as of press time. Nearly 160,000 acres have burned in Wheeler County, starting with the Lone Rock Fire in July. New fires, including the Buckhorn Fire which began on Monday, have sprung up and fires from neighboring counties have spread into Wheeler...
Cattle producers in Gilliam County got a show of support from the Gilliam County Court, which has pledged $150,000 to help pilot a virtual fencing technology for producers impacted by the Lone Rock Fire. More than 300 miles of fence burned during the Lone Rock Fire. Cattle ranchers have had to move livestock to other areas and to buy extra feed. The Natural Resource Conservation Service district is working with the federal government to get funds to those impacted by fires...
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...
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...
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,...
