LATEST NEWS

CANYON CITY — A Grant County meat processor is one of 14 businesses in the state to receive a grant from the Oregon Department of Agriculture with the aim of increasing meat processing capacity statewide, with an emphasis on livestock raised in Oregon. Funds for the Oregon Meat Processing...

A $40 million stadium is being built for the Dragons.

LONG CREEK –Long Creek School Superintendent Joan Walczyk was on KJDY’s Coffee Time on Tuesday morning, and is ready to hit the ground running after being handed the reigns from former Superintendent Larry Glaze. Walczyk said the district will continue many of their successful features into next school year, including their Artist-In-Residence Program:

This past weekend marked the inaugural flight for a new partnership between the Angeles Wound Care Institute (AWCI), a division of Bend Plastic Surgery, and Angel Flight West, a 501c3 nonprofit that provides free medical transport to people in need. A volunteer pilot with Angel Flight West flew Dr. Adam...

(Photo courtesy of Prairie City Fiber Fest) The Prairie City Fiber Fest is looking for fiber vendors, workshop students and shoppers to descend upon this small eastern Oregon town over the July 27-28 weekend. In its sixth year, the fiber festival is held in Prairie City which is between John Day and Baker City on Hwy. 26. Shopping begins Saturday and goes through Sunday.

JOHN DAY — After weeks of preparation, the Seventh Street Sports Complex is just about ready to welcome around 45 baseball and softball teams to John Day for the 2024 District 3 Little League softball and baseball all-star tournament from June 26 to July 4. The community can expect...

SENECA — Plans to build a novel solar electric project on pasture land in Bear Valley have been put on indefinite hold as the cost to send the power to a utility in Idaho has made the project unfeasible. Last year, Grant County rancher Jack Southworth partnered with Portland-based...

The National Monument to Freedom serves as the focus of a private dedication for the Equal Justice Initiative on June 19, 2024. (Ralph Chapoco/Alabama Reflector)

JOHN DAY – John Day City Manager Melissa Bethel was in EMG Studios recently, and mentioned a few updates to their software system should give John Day residents more options, and also make bill paying a little easier for folks:. “Some pretty cool updates to our software system…will allow...

JOHN DAY, PRAIRIE CITY AND HINES (Released by the US Forest Service)-All Malheur National Forest offices will be closed Wednesday, June 19, 2024, in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. Regular business hours will resume on Thursday, June 20, 2024. Please plan accordingly for any of your Malheur National Forest needs.

History took center stage in Grant County last weekend with two days of festivities commemorating the 19th century gold rush that put the region on the map. Every year in mid-June, the nonprofit Whiskey Gulch Gang puts together the ’62 Days Celebration, marking 1862 as the year gold was discovered in the place that later became Canyon City.

Julie Mansfield Smith likes to say, "God's not making any more land, so the time to buy it is now." The owner of Mossy Oak Properties Cupper Creek Land Company might as well have been talking about her latest listing -- Little Elk Creek -- when she said it because it offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to a buyer.

Reporter Neil Nisperos can be reached at 541-575-0710 or email at nnisperos@bluemountaineagle.com.

Grant County has some of the best class 1A/2A softball and baseball players anywhere in Oregon, with a combined 12 players named to the 1A/2A all-state teams for 2024 and their coaches earning recognition as well. The Grant Union/Prairie City softball team, fresh off back-to-back state titles, had a pair...

JOHN DAY – The City of John Day has a public hearing set for June 25th regarding the city’s budget. City Manager Melissa Bethel was on KJDY’s Coffee Time on Friday, and provided the latest update on the budget:. “It’s pretty bare bones, but at the same...

Charlene Margaret Gardner, 84, passed away June 7, 2024, at her home in Canyon City. She was born June 28, 1939, in Baker City, Oregon to Charles and Margaret Kempfer. Charlene attended St Francis Academy for all 12 years of her education graduating in 1957. She then attended Providence School of Nursing in Portland and became a registered nurse in 1960. After working in Portland for a few years, Charlene moved to John Day to work at Blue Mt Hospital. She was the only nurse on the graveyard shift most of the time and fondly recalled a time when the mortuary’s hearse was also used as the ambulance and the funeral director would check in with the hospital staff to make sure things were going ok during the nighttime hours. Shortly after moving to John Day, Charlene met her future husband, John Gardner, and they were married on December 29, 1963. John and Charlene had 4 children and raised them on approximately 30 acres on Little Pine Creek. Charlene lived on their property until 2017 when she reluctantly moved to Canyon City. Charlene stopped working at Blue Mt Hospital to raise her children but continued to work one day per week for Dr. LC Spaulding in his clinic. Later, she went to work full-time at Gardner Enterprises. She retired in 2001. Charlene was an accomplished pianist from an early age following 13 years of lessons. She was known to provide music for weddings, funerals, weekly mass, and many Grant Union High School musical productions during the 1980’s. She also loved to garden, sew, read, pick fruit in the family’s orchard and to take care of her pets, including many strays. Charlene’s children and grandchildren were the highlight of her life, and she enjoyed nothing more than spending time with them. Holidays were always celebrated at Charlene’s home. She was active in St Elizabeth Catholic Church for over 60 years, was a member of the Old West Federal Credit Union board of directors, a longtime member of the Can Day Garden Club, and for many years was the chair of the parade committees for 62 Days and the Grant County Fair Parade. Charlene is survived by her children Tony Gardner (Carmen) of Canyon City, Andy Gardner (Amber) of Stayton, Jennifer Gardner of Salt Lake City, and Amy Walker (Mike) of John Day; six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and multiple nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, John in 2012, her parents, her brother and her nephew. A rosary will be held Thursday, June 13th at 6 pm at Driskell Memorial Chapel. Funeral mass will be held Friday, June 14th at 10 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church with graveside service at St Andrew’s Catholic Cemetery and reception to follow at St Elizabeth Catholic Church Parish Hall. Memorial contributions in her honor can be made to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church or to Blue Mountain Home Health and Hospice through Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845. Obituary courtesy of Driskill’s Memorial Chapel.

PRAIRIE CITY — The Malheur National Forest has closed several bike trails near Magone Lake while logging is going on in the area. The closures will be effective until Sept. 30 unless rescinded sooner.

DAYVILLE — A local couple were honored for their efforts to create a social event for seniors in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Skip and Cindy Inscore were presented with the Service to Seniors Award on Wednesday, June 12, during a monthly lunch for senior citizens at the Dayville Community Hall.