Many of EOU’s classified staff employees are breathing a sigh of relief today.

Representatives of the 4,000 classified staff employees at Oregon’s seven public universities reached a tentative agreement Friday with the Oregon University System on a two-year contract.

This was welcome news to the 120 to 130 non-faculty classified staff at EOU.

INDIANAPOLIS — Seven members of the Union FFA Chapter have earned the American FFA Degree.

Anthony George, AJ Clark, Megan Tanaka, Jadon Herron, Shelbi Williams, Scott Kausler and Corey Bennett were notified by the National FFA Organization that they will receive the highest National FFA Organization degree during a ceremony Oct. 24 at the 82nd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.

Earning the degree means they are a select group of individuals to be recognized for years of academic and professional excellence. The American FFA Degree recognizes demonstrated leadership ability and outstanding achievements in agricultural business, production, processing or service programs.

A computer glitch is providing a break for people who missed the original early sign up deadline for the 12th annual Drug Free Relay.

The early registration deadline has been extended to Sept. 10. All teams registering by then will receive a $25 discount from the standard $350 entry fee. The previous deadline was Sept. 1 but is being extended because of minor problems with the Drug Free Relay’s website, www.drugfreerelay.org. The web site is now running smoothly, said Don Kellogg, co-chair of the relay.

ENTERPRISE — Health care continued to dominate the hearts and minds of Wallowa County residents as they met with Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, for the first time Thursday night.

Merkley, sans tie, rolled up the sleeves of his blue button-down shirt and quickly dove into a question and answer session that lasted more than an hour and a half at the Wallowa County Fairgrounds’ Cloverleaf Hall.

Liz Powers, a local physician, addressed Merkley about health care. “I am wanting to hear what your stand is,” she said.

AMID the populace: U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley fields a question during Thursday’s town hall meeting at the Union County Senior Center. A huge crowd attended, expressing concerns on issues ranging from health care reform to immigration and plenty more. The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER

As at the well-attended town hall held last Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden, the crowd was mostly civil and respectful, though boisterous at times.

And like the Friday event, the issue of health care reform dominated talk.

FREE CLOTHES: Amy Jones, one of the founders of Clothes for Kids, talks with Mackenzie Trainer, left, and Kebin Chrusoskie Wednesday night. The children, whose parents are Clothes for Kids volunteers, are showing Jones some of items being arranged for giveaways this weekend. - The Observer/DICK MASON

What visitors will find is everything children need to keep in step with back-to-school fashion — for free.

Introducing the new Clothes for Kids program, one helping buffer the impact of the recession for local families.

Gary Fletcher's climbing prowess took him to the top of Borah Peak in Idaho at 12,665 feet elevation with Fred Barstad, Don Swart and Lowell Euhus. - Submitted photo

“‘Do you have a degree in journalism?’ No. ‘Do you have experience writing news?’ No. Every question they asked me, I had to answer no,” Fletcher said.

The Daughters of the American Revolution, known locally as the Lone Pine Tree Chapter, has been around for many years.

The Lone Pine Tree Chapter of DAR was not the first chapter in the valley, for in 1926 the Grande Ronde Chapter of DAR was organized with Nellie Bohnenkamp as organizing regent. That chapter disbanded in 1981. The new chapter came into being in more recent years. However, until recently, it has remained a rather obscure organization, holding its meetings alternately between Baker City and La Grande.

Its inception began in Baker City by a group of dedicated ladies wishing to recognize their lineage to the freedom seekers in the early years of the formation of the United States.

A motion-sensing camera took this photograph of two wolves about 3 a.m., April 13, inside the fenced sheep pen on the Jacobs Ranch in Keating Valley, about 15 miles northeast of Baker City. Photo/ODFW

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy said extensive efforts were made to persuade the wolves to leave livestock alone in the Keating Valley of Baker County, but haven’t worked. The two wolves have killed 29 animals in five incidents, including last week, when three sheep and a pet goat were killed.

Federal hunters have been given a permit to kill the pair, and the rancher has permission to shoot them to protect his stock, Dennehy added.

La Grande, 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Senior Center
Enterprise, 7 p.m. Thursday, Cloverleaf Hall

For the second time in less than a week, Union County and Wallowa County residents have a chance to meet with a U.S. senator in a town hall meeting.

Thursday, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore) will hold meetings in Enterprise and La Grande. Merkley’s visits closely follow town halls convened in Enterprise and La Grande last Friday by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore).

Merkley’s La Grande town hall is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Union County Senior Center, 1504 Albany St. The Enterprise event is slated for 7 p.m. at Cloverleaf Hall, 668 NW First St.