La Grande Observer

LA GRANDE — The city of La Grande is looking to get a helping hand with future grants. The city announced in a press release on Wednesday, July 1, it is seeking a contractor to assist with identifying and evaluating grant opportunities aligned with La Grande’s strategic priorities, capital projects, programs, infrastructure needs and upcoming initiatives.

PENDLETON — A new cast of characters is set to bring a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious version of “Mary Poppins” to the Vert Auditorium later this month. The performance, put on by Pendleton Theater Co., features more than 50 actors of all ages, including an ensemble of children and one of teens and adults. The theater company is the local branch of the Elgin Opera House and is in its second season hosting shows in Pendleton.

BAKER CITY — Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative announced on Thursday, July 2, that it will not pursue a proposed purchase of PacifiCorp’s service territory in Wallowa County. OTEC, the Baker City-based cooperative, announced March 19 that it had a non-binding agreement with PacifiCorp for the acquisition.

The Oregon Health Authority advises people visiting Thief Valley Reservoir due to levels of cyanotoxins in the water. The reservoir is in southern Union County, several miles east of North Powder. OHA issued a health precaution for the reservoir on June 12 due to a visible bloom of blue-green algae, which can indicated higher than usual levels of cynanotoxins.

VILNIUS, Lithuania, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AI-driven visits to retail sites grew 4,700% last year, and 76% of Gen Z already discover products on social media. As ecommerce spreads across new platforms and channels, small sellers need a store that can move as fast as their customers do. Hostinger Ecommerce, launching today, is built for exactly that. It starts with the business itself: products, inventory, orders, payments, shipping, and customer data.

NEW YORK, July 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RentRedi, the rental management software that improves cash flow for rental owners, announced the launch of the Portfolio Performance dashboard that gives rental owners a real-time, aggregated view of their entire portfolio's financial health at a glance.

LA GRANDE — A La Grande man faces criminal sentencing for sex crimes against a minor. La Grande police in 2024 arrested Walker Adam Hackett, 24, on felony sex crimes. Hackett waived his right to trial by jury, according to court records, opting instead for a bench-trial. Union County Circuit Judge Thomas Powers oversaw the trial June 25 and found Hackett guilty of second-degree sexual abuse, contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor and sexual misconduct. The first charge is a felony.

The Oregon Wildlife Foundation’s campaign to reduce collisions between vehicles and animals such as deer and elk includes three projects in Northeastern Oregon.

LA GRANDE — The Northeast Area Commission on Transportation at its meeting meeting Thursday, July 9, in La Grande hears two presentations and regional updates. The meeting is 9 a.m. to noon at the Oregon Department of Transportation Region 5 Headquarters, 3012 Island Ave., in La Grande. The meeting is open to the public and includes time for public comments. ODOT senior transportation planner Mary McGowan is presenting on the transportation safety action plan.

Release of draft environmental impact statement starts 90-day public comment period The U.S. Forest Service on Thursday, July 2, will release a draft environmental impact statement for the revised long-term management plans for the three national forests in the Blue Mountains — Wallowa-Whitman, Umatilla and Malheur. The release starts a 90-day public comment period.