While supplies last, home and property owners in select wildfire-vulnerable communities may be eligible to receive a $250 payment following a defensible space assessment by the agency or a participating fire agency.

Residents of Mission, other EO communities may qualify for $250 defensible space incentives

MISSION –Residents of Mission and other Eastern Oregon communities may be eligible for up to $250 to help pay for defensible space projects thanks to the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM). Defensible space is the area around homes and buildings managed to keep embers from having a place to land and catch fire. Creating and maintaining defensible spaces is one…

Pendleton volleyball players Nicole Somnis (from left), Josie Jenness, Avery Brown and Finley Evans were named to the Greater Oregon League first team by the league coaches. COURTESY PHOTO

Pendleton’s Brown named Great Oregon League MVP

By ANNIE FOWLER, The CUJ PENDLETON — Pendleton had four players named to the Greater Oregon League first team for volleyball, including player of the year Avery Brown, a junior middle blocker. The honors, voted on by the league coaches, also saw three La Grande players land on the first team. Pendleton’s Jodi Primus was named coach of the year…

Pendleton’s Landon VanPelt grins as he shakes off part of a banner the team burst through before playing Weiser on Sept. 20 at Pendleton High School. KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ ARCHIVE

Pendleton braces for showdown with No. 2 Cascade

By ANNIE FOWLER, The CUJ PENDLETON — It’s that time of year where every football team left in the playoff bracket is good and each week the competition gets tougher. Pendleton/Nixyáawii will take on second-ranked Cascade in the 4A state quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Friday night at Willamette University. “We are excited,”Pendleton coach Erik Davis said. “I will be honest,…

As scammers find new ways to steal money and personal information, consumers should be more vigilant about who they trust, especially online.

This holiday season, learn to protect yourself from online scams

By ADRIANA MORGA, Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — With the holiday giving season upon us, it’s the perfect time to learn how to protect yourself from online scams. “Scams have become so sophisticated now. Phishing emails, texts, spoofing caller ID, all of this technology gives scammers that edge,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource…

Clean Air Task Force Executive Director Armond Cohen said on Nov. 6 that states, cities, utilities and businesses that have committed to net zero emissions will keep working toward those goals, driving record installations of wind and solar energy. CUJ | STOCK PHOTO

In new term, Trump set to go after measures that are doing the most to fight climate change

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The election of Donald Trump as president for a second time and the Republican takeback of the U.S. Senate could undo many of the national climate policies that are most reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, according to climate solutions experts. When they list measures that are making the most…

Former UTPD officer sentenced for possessing child pornography, abuse of child

By CHRIS AADLAND, The CUJ PORTLAND – A former Umatilla Tribal Police Department (UTPD) officer has been sentenced to more than 7 years in prison after admitting to possessing child pornography and repeatedly sexually abusing a child beginning in the 1990s. Cameron Jacob Sheoships, 57, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release on…

Pendleton’s Tugg McQuinn exults after a touchdown run during a state playoff game against Mazama on Nov. 8 at the Round-Up Grounds. KATHY ANEY | THE CUJ

Hats off to defense

Pendleton shuts out Mazama in first round By ANNIE FOWLER, The CUJ PENDLETON — Tugg McQuinn had four touchdowns and Pendleton had a strong opening-round showing with a 41-0 win over Mazama in the 4A state playoffs at the Pendleton Round-Up Grounds. “This is a big win for us,” Pendleton coach Erik Davis said. “This is our best team win…