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POMEROY–The Pomeroy Ranger District announced closure of all United States Forest Service land, roads and trails in the Umatilla National Forest, as well as several Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife units, including W.T. Wooten, 4-0 Ranch, Grouse Flats, Asotin Creek, and Weatherly units, at a community meeting on July 13. All persons without property in the Forest are urged to stay out of the firefighters' way. The Cloverland cabins have been placed on a level-three evacuation, S...
POMEROY–Registered voters in Garfield County will notice the absence of a primary ballot for this election cycle, due to no oppositional races for any one position. Voters can expect to receive a ballot for the upcoming General Election Tuesday, November 2, 2021. All positions but one, Garfield County Hospital District Commissioner No. 1 position, are unopposed, defeating the purpose of holding a primary election. All who are running will appear on the general election ballot including Sherry L...
POMEROY–Plans to upgrade electrical and HVAC systems were terminated and adequate cash-on-hand reserves will fend off any need for a 2021 levy, Hospital Commissioners decided recently. The Garfield County Hospital District Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 2021-02 at their meeting on July 12, essentially abandoning the plan approved in Resolution 2021-01, and upgrade of electrical and HVAC systems in the hospital, as well construction of a CT scanning facility. The decision to t...
POMEROY–The Blue Mountain Artisan Guild (BMAG) have changed the date for the Fun in the Sun/Wonderful Wood Show and grand opening to July 23 at 5-7 p.m. Besides featured artists Doug Roe and Elizabeth Ruchert, one of two quilts made by local quilter will be on display. The other quilt will be displayed at the Bank of Eastern Washington. A group of Pomeroy Quilting ladies made squares from the same pattern for the first quilt, then put it together and will be on display at the BMAG for the n...
POMEROY–Garfield County Transportation Authority (CTA) announced their busses are back to 100% occupancy at their meeting on July 19. The Washington State Department of Transportation grant cycle began on July 1. The CTA is currently in the second year of a four-year-cycle grant from WSDOT, which totals $803,500 for the four years, including a 20% match. Also discussed was the upcoming budget decisions for 2022. An area that needs to be addressed is the payroll. Washington's minimum wage is s...
Hiring strengthens in June OLYMPIA–Washington’s economy added 24,100 jobs in June and the state’s preliminary seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment rate stayed constant 5.2 percent from May to June, according to the Employment Security Department (ESD). Get on board with safety during Paddle Safe Week July 18-24 OLYMPIA–The Washington State Parks Boating Program wants paddlers to have fun – and be safe - on the water. Paddle Safe Week runs from July 18 through July 24. The campaign encourages people to learn about safe paddling practices and...
POMEROY–Garfield County Engineer Grant Morgan presented the 6-year-plan amendment 2021-07 at the Garfield County Commissioners meeting July 19. The amendment reallocates $100,000 that was not used on the Bell Plain Road guardrail project to the Preservation Project, a plan to fix specific paved county roads. Due to rising asphalt prices, the planned overlay will have to become a patching job. The American Rescue Plan provides Garfield County with $435,000 that comes with a requirement to o...
POMEROY––A local resident was injured and taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston after a single-car rollover east of here Monday afternoon, July 19. Faith L. Norris, 56, of Pomeroy, received injuries when the vehicle in which she was a passenger, a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe, was westbound on Highway 12 ten miles east of Pomeroy at 12:46 p.m., left the roadway to the right and rolled, according to the Washington State Patrol. Driver James D. Scott, 70, also of Pomeroy, did not receive injuries and was cited for Negligent Dri...
PENDLETON, Ore.–Firefighters continue battling the Green Ridge Fire burning on the Pomeroy Ranger District, approximately 30 miles east of Walla Walla, Wash., with some containment at Turkey Tail as of 11 a.m. July 12. In addition, all Umatilla National Forest lands managed by the Pomeroy Ranger District were closed in an early morning closure order issued July 12. Fires were started when from lightning activity July 7. The objective of the closure is to proactively protect public and f...
POMEROY–The Board of Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) announced at their meeting on July 12 that the County Road crew and public works will be assisting with water hauling to the Asotin Creek Fire in the Umatilla National Forest. Commissioner Justin Dixon and County Engineer Grant Morgan attended a meeting to discuss the logistics directly following the Commissioners meeting. The Garfield County Fairgrounds hay crop totaled 15.55 tons. The price was $90 a ton, equaling $1,399.50 for the e...
POMEROY–Jack Peasley of Southeast Washington Economic Development Association (SEWEDA) advised the Council that Tracy Murray with Evergreen Rural Water will give Pomeroy "one more shot" at the Low-to-Moderate Income Survey to see if a qualifying percentage can be reached. He asked the Council for a date or time of day to do the survey. Peasley said it would involve homes on Columbia Street and State Street. The last time the survey was done at 2 p.m.; this time the group recommended beginning a...
POMEROY–Fiber optic internet in Pomeroy, classified as Phase 1, has been hooked up to most of the homes, Port of Garfield County Manager Diana Ruchert announced at the Port Commissioner meeting on July 6. A deadline has been established for drop payment by the Port, set for the end of the year. Beginning in 2022, drop costs in Pomeroy will be charged to the customer. Manager Ruchert will be traveling to Lacey Wash., to testify for a Department of Commerce grant to extend fiber internet to P...
Ballots are on the way for the Aug. 3 Primary Election OLYMPIA–Registered voters across Washington will soon receive ballots for the upcoming Primary Election, Tuesday, Aug. 3. The Primary Election’s 18-day voting period begins Friday, July 16, and lasts through election day. Ballots include a prepaid-postage return envelope, so people who return their ballots via U.S. mail do not have to pay for a stamp. Voters who place their ballots in an official drop box must do so by 8 p.m. on election day. Drop box locations may be found at Vot...
CHENEY–A Pomeroy High School grad was named to the Eastern Washington University Dean's List for Spring Quarter, 2021. An undergraduate student who earns 12 quality hours and receives a GPA of 3.5 or better is placed on the Dean's List. Named was Evan Bartels of Pomeroy....
POMEROY–Garfield County Fire District No. 1 (GCFD) responded to a Ford pickup fire which had extended into the grass at mile post 415 on SR 12 at approximately 10 a.m. First to arrive at the scene was GCFD Brush truck 5 followed by Brush trucks 1, 2, 3, 7, 9 and Command 8-1 that responded and contained the 20-acre secondary fire. Fortunately, the crews were able to extinguished the grass fire relatively quick. "While we were successful in quickly containing this fire, we would like to remind e...
POMEROY–The Pomeroy School District (PSD) board voted to change students’ community service requirements at their meeting on June 28. Students are now required to accumulate 40 hours of service between their freshman and senior years, with a minimum of five and a maximum of 15 hours per year. The earlier requirements were 60 hours, with 10 required their freshman and sophomore years and 20 required their junior and senior years. The PSD board also set parameters for qualifying work, to avo...
POMEROY–The Garfield County Fire District No. 1 Commissioners approved a budget addendum resolution for $22,000 at a special meeting on June 29. The Fire District has so far received $22,000 in grant funds this year, and the budget addendum is to shuffle the grant money into budget line items depleted by non-planned expenses. These expenses include a three-year audit, purchase of new power cot and two stair chairs, and the purchase of a LUCAS device for the back-up ambulance. The budget a...
Lovlett Corral Fire Update PENDLETON, Ore.–Firefighters continued securing containment lines on the Lovlett Corral Fire last Friday, July 3, which is located approximately 10 miles northwest of Monument, Oregon on the Heppner Ranger District. The Lovlett Corral Fire is approximately 137 acres and is now 65% contained. Public Use Restrictions increase to Phase B on the Umatilla National Forest PENDLETON, Ore.–Umatilla National Forest officials has implemented Phase B Public Use Restrictions as of Thursday, July 1, 2021, due to high fire danger,...
DAYTON–Columbia Pulp, LLC has engaged Dr. Phil Harding as the new Director of Business Innovation, who has taken his place with the company Tuesday, July 6, 2021. He will center his focus in different and user markets expanding on featured targeted products such as paper, tissue, molded fiber–such as clams shells, and thin board used for cosmetics and cereal box packaging plus much more. “Sustainability doesn’t just happen” says Harding, “It requires viable business and technology strategies to complement consumer interest and market forc...
PENDLETON, ORE.–The Umatilla National Forest will host a field trip to the proposed Turkey Tail Insect and Disease Project (Turkey Tail) on July 29, 2021. It will begin at 10 a.m. at the Eckler Mountain SnoPark, located on County Road 9124 (Eckler Mountain Road) approximately 11 miles east of Dayton, Wash. Those interested in attending the public field trip are asked to bring water and a lunch. The field trip format will follow current Columbia County COVID-19 protocols for outdoor meetings. The purpose of the field trip is to share i...
PENDLETON, Ore.-Due to high fire danger, the Umatilla National Forest officials have implemented Phase B Public Use Restrictions as of Thursday, July 1, 2021. The increased restrictions pertain to the use of campfires, smoking, chainsaws, internal combustion engines, and generators. Because of the present conditions, the potential for human-caused fires and public safety has become an issue. Beginning Thursday, campfires will ONLY be allowed in designated campgrounds and recreation sites....
PENDLETON, Ore. (July 7, 2021) – Fire crews on the Pomeroy Ranger District are responding to reports of smoke and fire following passing thunderstorms this morning. So far, six new incidents on the Umatilla National Forest have been reported to the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch Center. Local initial attack resources have been busy responding to these incidents. Additional smoke reports are likely to be detected throughout the next few days as weather conditions continue to stay hot and dry. The largest of these fires, the Lick Creek F...
INLAND NORTHWEST–An upper-level ridge with easterly winds is contributing to very high temperatures, especially west of the Cascades, according to Meteorologist Matt Callihan with the National Weather Service in Pendleton. The ridge of high pressure will remain over parts of Garfield County, Columbia and Walla Walla counties over the next several days into next week, Callihan said. At the time of this writing Monday evening June 28, the highest temperature in Pomeroy on Monday was 106° F. Te...
POMEROY–Rachel Gwinn, Pomeroy School District Superintendent, presented Community Leadership awards from the Washington Association of School Administrators to the Garfield County Hospital and Health districts at the Garfield County Commissioners meeting June 28. She expressed her sincere thanks for the Hospital and Health districts' leadership in keeping the elementary and Jr./Sr. high schools open during the past school year. The Garfield County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) approved a State E...
Umatilla National Forest moves to Phase A Public Use Restrictions PENDLETON, Ore.–Due to increased fire danger and dry weather conditions, Phase A of the Public Use Restrictions (PURS) for smoking, off-road travel, and chainsaw use will go into effect on the Umatilla National Forest at 12:01 a.m. (pacific time) on Friday, June 25, 2021. Turkey Tail field trip DAYTON–The Umatilla National Forest will host a field trip to the proposed Turkey Tail Insect and Disease Project (Turkey Tail) on July 29, 2021. The purpose of the field trip is to sha...