REGION
Saturday, November 14, 2020
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Bryce Dole joins
the East Oregonian,
while Alex Castle
departs
PENDLETON — Read-
ers of the East Oregonian
will see a new byline in the
paper starting next week
as Bryce Dole joins the
newspaper.
Dole will cover public
safety, county government
and public health for the
newspaper starting Mon-
day, Nov. 16.
Dole grew up in Grants
Pass in Southern Oregon
and majored in journalism
and environmental sciences
at University of Oregon.
While there he wrote for the
university’s student publica-
tions, covering everything
from track and fi eld to cli-
mate change. He interned
for the Oregonian (no rela-
tion to the East Oregonian)
over the past summer as
Dole
Castle
part of the Snowden intern-
ship program.
“We are excited about
having Bryce joining the
staff,” said Andrew Cutler,
publisher/editor of the East
Oregonian. “He did some
amazing work for the Ore-
gonian over the summer and
I think he’ll continue that
here in Umatilla County.”
While the internship was
a whirlwind that included
reporting on the pandemic
and protests in Portland,
Dole said he also realized
the limitations of working
for a larger publication.
“I would call people in
small towns and say, ‘I’m
with the Oregonian,’ and
people would say, ‘We don’t
know you. We know our
own local reporters, but
why would we trust you?
Goodbye,’” he said.
The opportunity to get to
know a community and be
one of those trusted local
reporters was one thing that
drew him to the East Ore-
gonian, he said, along with
his respect for the quality
of work at the paper. He is
also excited about getting
to explore hiking and other
outdoor recreation in a new
part of the state.
Dole said he is look-
ing forward to covering
his assigned beats, and is
also interested in continu-
ing to pursue environmen-
tal reporting, particularly
around agriculture in East-
ern Oregon. He emphasized
he wants to get to know the
communities the paper cov-
ers and that he hopes peo-
ple will reach out with story
ideas or just to introduce
themselves.
Dole replaces reporter
Alex Castle, who interned
for the EO in the summer
of 2019, freelanced for the
paper that fall, and then per-
manently joined the staff
at the end of the year. He
was integral to the paper’s
coverage of the fl ooding
of February 2020 and has
been at the forefront of the
paper’s pandemic coverage.
He said he is headed back
to the Willamette Valley to
be closer to family and take
some time off before explor-
ing new options in indepen-
dent media and journalism.
“My experience with the
East Oregonian has been
the most important and
enlightening of my life so
far,” he said. “I’m thank-
ful for all the opportunities
I had to tell stories about
the Umatilla County com-
munity and for the people
who trusted me with those
stories.”
Cutler said the Univer-
sity of Oregon graduate will
be missed.
“Alex’s attitude never
wavered. He jumped on
every story as though it was
the biggest one he’d ever
write,” Cutler said. “We’re
sorry to see him leave, but
grateful for the time he was
here and we look forward to
seeing what’s next for him.”
Umatilla Electric receives $3 million from USDA
Money will help
cooperative
customers make
their homes
energy effi cient
By KATY NESBITT
For the East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Uma-
tilla Electric Cooperative
received a $3 million federal
loan to fi nance major energy
effi ciency upgrades that will
reduce energy waste and cut
costs for residents of Uma-
tilla County.
Steve Meyers, Member
Services Administrator for
Umatilla Electric, said the
loan will further the co-op’s
existing energy effi ciency
program.
“In 2018, we received a
$1.5 million no-interest loan
to begin our Energy Saver
Loan program, in which we
offer 1.99% loans for res-
idential heat pumps, win-
dows and insulation,” Mey-
ers said.
Well received by Umatilla
Electric members and instal-
lation contractors, Meyers
said the co-op has made 60
loans since January 2019.
Meyers said the program’s
intention is that the monthly
energy savings from these
improvements will help off-
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Umatilla Electric Cooperative, of Hermiston, received a $3
million federal loan to fi nance energy effi ciency upgrades
for residents of Umatilla County.
set all or part of the home-
owner’s loan. The $3 million
the co-op just received from
the federal government will
pay for the development of a
manufactured home replace-
ment program.
“Through this year, UEC
has been working with state
and community action agen-
cies as guidance is devel-
oped for manufactured home
replacement
legislation
signed by the governor in
January 2020,” Meyers said.
To the extent possible, as
a community service, Meyer
said the co-op wants to com-
bine its no-interest loan with
related programs and incen-
tives offered by state and
federal agencies and Bonne-
ville Power Administration.
Meyer said Sens. Jeff
Merkley and Ron Wyden
and the USDA were help-
ful in making changes to the
Rural Energy Savings Pro-
gram to make it more expan-
sive and useful for commu-
nities, and this loan approval
is a good example.
The Umatilla Elec-
tric’s general manager and
CEO, Robert Echenrode,
expressed his gratitude for
what he called the hard work
and dedication of Oregon’s
senators to help co-op mem-
bers with their energy needs.
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New reporter to join EO staff
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
A3
¢
East Oregonian
“We have experience
with the RESP program and
this additional federal loan
bolsters what we can offer to
our members for energy effi -
ciency,” Echenrode said.
The 20-year loan, admin-
istered through the USDA’s
Rural Energy Savings Pro-
gram, was designed to allow
rural electric co-ops to offer
their customers low-interest
loans to provide affordable
fi nancing for energy effi -
ciency improvements. Cus-
tomers then pay back the
loans through the savings on
their electric bills.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Foundation
grants $1,500 for
health programs
and focuses on teaching
how to apply “fi rst aid” and
connect people with appro-
priate care.
LAKEVIEW — The
Eastern Oregon Healthy
Living
Alliance
has
received a $1,500 from the
Wildhorse Foundation to
support dental and mental
health programs in East-
ern Oregon, the organiza-
tion announced in a press
release.
“This funding supports
the work EOHLA, Advan-
tage Dental from Den-
taQuest,
InterMountain
Education Service District,
and community partners
carry out in providing den-
tal services, dental educa-
tion, and mental health fi rst
aid training,” the release
stated.
Funding to support den-
tal programs is being dis-
tributed to Healthy, Happy
Smiles (HHS) and Every-
body Brush! in partnership
with Advantage Dental and
the IMESD. The programs
include free dental screen-
ings, fl uoride varnish, fol-
low-up for students identi-
fi ed to have urgent dental
care needs and more, in
addition to education out-
reach events that include
materials on brushing,
fl ossing, fl uoride, orthodon-
tics, tobacco’s effect on the
mouth, sugary foods and
drinks, and more.
The support for mental
health programs is being
distributed to Mental Health
First Aid, which according
to the release is “a nationally
evidence-based program
that gives people the skills
to identify, understand, and
respond to individuals who
may be experiencing signs
of a mental health problem
or experiencing a mental
health crisis.”
Training sessions are
available for adults, youth
and teens, the release stated,
Free fl u shot clinic
slated for Weston
WESTON — Uma-
tilla County Public Health
department hosts a fl u vac-
cine clinic, 3:30-6 p.m.,
Monday at Smith Frozen
Foods, 101 Depot St. in
Weston.
The shots are free to
anyone who comes, offi -
cials said, noting that every-
one age 6 months and older
can get vaccinated against
infl uenza.
Slide-offs close
Interstate 84
LA GRANDE — The
Oregon Department of
Transportation closed the
eastbound lanes of Interstate
84 eastbound lanes from
milepost 287 to 289 and put
the gate up at exit 265 in La
Grande on Friday, Nov. 13,
due to multiple semitrailers
sliding off the road.
ODOT
spokesperson
Tom Strandberg said icy
roads and high winds may
be contributing to poor road
conditions.
“Numerous
slide-offs
that indicate that folks are
not able to maintain control
of the vehicles on the road,
and that means it’s time for
us to close them until condi-
tions improve,” Strandberg
said.
ODOT closed the inter-
state around 8:30 a.m. before
reopening around noon.
ODOT crews also are
using salt, sand or using
other tools to help de-ice the
roads. Strandberg advised
to avoid driving as much
as possible until conditions
improve.
— EO Media Group and
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
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