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Social media has been something of a boon for many of us during the coronavirus outbreak. In our efforts to stay home and save lives, Facebook and other platforms have helped us, well, be social.
Between 100,000-240,000 Americans will die from COVID-19 unless there is an immediate nationwide stay home/stay healthy/save lives order. More than 10 million Americans have lost their jobs. A…
Every four years as a voter you have the duty and responsibility to select the person who will serve as county sheriff — "the chief executive officer and conservator of the peace of the county…
Here come all the "vote for my pal" letters. Happens every time there's an election.
When my wife, Edel, a teacher, developed a cough after working with a woman who came to the elementary school slightly sick, we assumed it was just that, a cough.
Last week was a tough one for the crew at The Observer.
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My name is Nick Pallis. You may know me for the time I spent as a patrol officer in Elgin, or you may know me as a deputy and patrol sergeant with the Union County Sheriff’s Office. I retired …
Norma Paulus would be proud. And she would be amazed. As secretary of state from 1977 until 1985, Paulus was the prime mover of Oregon’s voting by mail. Other states have been slow to follow O…
Boyd Rasmussen is running for re-election as Union County sheriff. Unfortunately, his own actions show him to be the worst candidate for the job.
It is urgent and imperative to provide for Oregon students' educational needs while protecting their health and that of their teachers and communities. Let's use a 21st century tool to avoid a…
I hope I am not writing this letter too soon, as I am still very angry. A couple hours before this writing, as I drove down N Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets, I saw what I first took…
I'm writing this letter in support of Mike Barry for Union County Commissioner. I've known Mike Barry for quite awhile now and I couldn't be happier that he is running for county commissioner.
Citizens of Union County, I urge you to go about choosing who to vote for as if you own your own company and you are trying to hire someone to manage it for you. I'm certain your company will …
We’ll have something more to say Tuesday. But for now, two words about sum up the COVID-19 outbreak, the path all of us have to take to “flatten the curve,” the consequences for us, our commun…
The current primary race for Union County sheriff has four individuals competing for the most important job in Union County government. The citizens of Union County need to take heed of the se…
One of my many bosses in TV news once told me the media’s job is to reassure the public. I can’t remember the context, though I do remember dutifully nodding my head.
At a recent event I had the pleasure of meeting Union County sheriff candidate Bill Miller. I found him to be competent and genuine.
I am supporting Bill Miller for Union County sheriff. I first met Bill when we attended Search and Rescue initial training about 25 years ago. I believe he is the only candidate who has attend…
One of my first jobs in public health was to manage 25 emergency treatment centers during a cholera epidemic in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Gov. Kate Brown has ordered Oregonians to stay put as much as possible to curtail the spread of COVID-19.
I'm going to do it again, like so many times before. With spring comes bird chirping, with bird chirping comes baseball and softball, with baseball and softball comes me. And there I'll be aga…
In response to the coronavirus crisis, city councilors and county commissioners in Union County must make the difficult decision to require all persons except those providing essential public …
We support Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen for re-election as Union County Sheriff. His 26 years of law enforcement experience make him the best candidate for this position. However, it is not just the…
Running a small business can be a challenge in the most normal of times.
Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen is a man to be respected. He is a man to be trusted. Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen is a man to be reelected.
I am writing on behalf of Bill Miller. Bill and I attended Eastern Oregon University together. We often had the same courses and were members of the Speel Ya Club at the university. Bill alway…
On page 2A of the March 10, 2020, edition of The Observer, we saw the headline "Hospital leader peddles conspiracy." The writer is Emily Cureton of Oregon Public Broadcasting. The article (eve…
Long before I was a newspaper guy, I was a fan of science fiction and I was an English major.
Big changes are happening at the Blue Mountain Humane Association shelter, also known in the community as the Animal Rescue and Adoption Center of Eastern Oregon. Just over a month ago, the pr…
The Observer is taking a break from sports coverage.
There has been a whirlwind of dramatic developments this week at every level to curtail the spread of COVID-19, or coronavirus.
I am a retired chief of police with 42 years of law enforcement experience and 50-plus years in public safety. For the past 17 years I have been an observer of the Union County Sheriff’s Offic…
I was recently at a local coffee shop when a mother and her small child entered. Having worked in an early childhood program, I was looking forward to seeing them interact with each other.
In my youth, I was a wanderer, working in outdoors wherever I went. That’s included ranching in Australia, farming in Israel, working in fishing and forestry in Norway, and forest and wildlife…
Gov. Kate Brown has shown some real leadership over the past 10 days or so, helping get flood relief to Umatilla County and acting decisively regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.
The EPA report from 1990-2018 on U.S. emissions shows an overall increase of 3.7%, but a decline of 12.3% since 2005. Oregon fares well because our vast agricultural and forest land need carbo…
The Democrats botched the legislative short session.
We’ve said it would be a bad idea to breech the dams on the Lower Snake River. A report commissioned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration and Bureau of Reclamat…
Catherine Mater's My Voice column of Feb. 22 spoke eloquently of "inconvenient truths" regarding Senate Bill 1530. She proposes that Oregon's climate change strategy should reduce the calculat…
Others responded to the recent My Voice column by Idaho Power's Mitch Colburn. They pointed out the minor economic benefits of the Board-to-Hemingway power line if it's built, and how those be…
Republican lawmakers remain on the lam as the last day for the legislative short session draws near to prevent Democrats from having a quorum so they can pass sweeping regulations on Oregon’s …
Because my family didn't have television on the farm for most of my growing up years, it was a special treat to watch TV when I would stay with my grandparents in Walla Walla during the summer…
The Blue Mountain Humane Association in La Grande has been a troubled nonprofit for years. The organization recently has undergone major changes to its board, adding more members, electing a n…
After nearly 30 years of working in law enforcement, I retired as the lieutenant from the La Grande Police Department in 2017. I have lived and served in this community my entire career, and I…
Here we go again.
With cap-and-trade legislation moving toward a vote, I hope our legislators reflect on why they asked constituents to provide them the opportunity to make a difference in the future of Oregon.
Fads come and go. Just ask the makers of Rubik's Cubes, Pet Rocks and Beanie Babies.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown last week threw her weight behind the effort to remove the dams on the lower Snake River.
Selfless sacrifice isn’t common, but during the recent flooding across the county, numerous agencies and people stepped up to help in an uncommon way.
Valentine’s Day should be presented in a positive way. It is a day for displaying appreciation and love. How could a journalist turn that into a negative thing worthy of the front page of the …
Oregon lawmakers are being asked to set a goal for Oregon State Police. Senate Bill 1545 would require the state police to have at least 15 patrol troopers per 100,000 Oregonians. Today, there…
Well, it's that time again when the citizens of Union County get to elect a new county sheriff. This time we have four choices.
If a hearing before the Oregon Senate’s Committee on Housing and Development Thursday, Feb. 6, was any indication, the current legislative session may feel both long and ugly to those trapped …
McClatchy, owner of the second-largest chain of local newspapers in the United States, including the Tri-City Herald and the Idaho Statesman, filed on Thursday for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
The Associated Press fact-checked President Trump’s State of the Union speech the day before he gave it. The newsgathering organization, of which EO Media Group is a member, didn’t have an adv…
It seems there are as many ways to interpret this question as there are to answer it. The word "fully" calls for a measurement we would likely never agree upon. "Participate" requires we ask w…