The Oregon Trail Chapter of the American Red Cross recently announced the appointment of an advisory board for its Northeastern Oregon District.

The members of the board will serve as ambassadors, advocates and allies for the work of the American Red Cross in Union, Wallowa, Morrow, Umatilla and Baker counties.

“These respected community leaders will be invaluable to us in consulting on community needs, health and safety training opportunities, public relations issues and new relationships,” said Maree Wacker, chief executive officer of the Oregon Trail Chapter.

THE GREENWOOD GIANTS complete the ceremonial first lap of Saturday’s Drug Free Relay. The team was comprised primarily of Greenwood Elementary School staff members. DICK MASON

From a distance all one could clearly see were about 200 glow sticks circling the track — lights of spirit and hope meant to shine eternally.

The glow sticks were being carried Saturday night during the memory lap of the 12th annual Drug Free Relay. The lap was in remembrance of friends and relatives who have succumbed to the demons of drugs and alcohol or are battling them.

NEW DIGS: The Grande Ronde Child Center’s new classroom at Greenwood Elementary School has about 1,300 square feet of space. - DICK MASON

A historic step by the Grande Ronde Child Center is complete.

The GRCC now has an on-campus presence in the La Grande School District. A new classroom for GRCC at Greenwood Elementary School was formally opened at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday.

“This is an exciting moment,’’ said Jim Sheehy, the GRCC’s executive director.

THE PAYOFF: Daniel Jacobson of La Grande took this Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep on Sept. 12 in the Eagle Caps. - Submitted photos

None of these could prevent Dan Jacobson of La Grande from reaching a hunting pinnacle Sept. 12.

Jacobson converted a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity into wildlife gold, taking a Rocky Mountain bighorn ram 30 minutes after his Hurricane Divide hunt opened.

ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL: Alicia Hayes, left, dispatcher at the 9-1-1 Center, visits with proud and relieved parents Jason and April Simpson one week after Hayes guided them through the delivery of Ava Marie through an emergency 9-1-1 call from their home near Imbler. - CHRIS BAXTER

But the truth is, before Sept. 17, Hayes had never “delivered a baby by phone.” In fact, as

9-1-1 Communications Manager Lola Lathrop attests, Hayes is the first dispatcher in the whole history of Union County 9-1-1 to do it.

“We’ve dispatched ambulances to women in labor, but they all made it to the hospital on time,” Lathrop said.

Kaye Garver added the Joseph United Methodist Church to her list of ministerial duties in Wallowa County earlier this summer. - Photos/KATY NESBITT

Garver initially moved to Wallowa County to serve as director of the Wallowa Lake Methodist Camp and as lay assigned minister of the United Methodist Church in Wallowa. For many years she had spent the majority of her vacation time from her job at a water treatment plant in Washington volunteering at church camps. Garver had a passion for seeing that kids had the same opportunities she enjoyed as a youth attending camp.

The La Grande campus of the OHSU School of Nursing will be hosting an afternoon program and reception marking its 30th year of instruction in La Grande. The celebration is designed to highlight both the School of Nursing’s presence in La Grande for the past 30 years as well as its successful and longstanding collaboration with Eastern Oregon University.

The program will run from 2 to 4:15 p.m. Oct. 1 in McKenzie Theater in Loso Hall on the EOU campus. The featured speaker will be Dr. Michael Bleich, dean of the OHSU School of Nursing, who will speak on the topic of “Nursing’s Response to Health Care Reform.” Also speaking will be former EOU president, David Gilbert and Jeanne Bowden, former associate dean to the School of Nursing on the La Grande campus. A reception will follow in the Loso Hall Foyer beginning at 4:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

The La Grande School District is on the verge of obtaining an interest-free $1 million loan through a federal program.

The district will receive the loan via the federal Qualified Zone Academy Bond program. Final details involving the loan are expected to be worked out by early next week.

“We hope to sign the papers on Monday,’’ said Chris Panike, the La Grande School District’s budget director.

The sister of a woman whose murder set off a worldwide furor in 1994 carried a very clear message to people attending this week’s first Rural Institute on Child Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence: Don’t turn a blind eye to domestic violence.

Denise Brown, the sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, spoke for nearly an hour at the Blue Mountain Conference Center Monday night, ending with a plea for heightened awareness.

“There are people out there who don’t know about the cycle of domestic violence. Let’s teach them,” she said.

Drug Free Relay participants enter the home stretch of the ceremonial opening lap during last year’s event. Observer file photo

The reason? People of all ages and backgrounds will come together Saturday for 12 hours to participate in the 12th annual Drug Free Relay. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the LHS track.

The relay is an annual celebration, bringing people together to make the community a better place.