Vandals inflicted damage to 39 headstones at the Hilltop Memorial Cemetery recently and the hunt by local police for those responsible continues. (The Enterprise/Jayme Fraser). NYSSA – Robert Deleon grew alarmed as he heard about the vandal damage at Hilltop Memorial Cemetery west of Nyssa. He learned the headstone of[Read More…]
Author: Les Zaitz – Malheur Enterprise
Ontario to cut police, fire jobs under budget approved Thursday
The Ontario Police Department loses one officer under a budget approved Thursday. (The Enterprise/Pat Caldwell) ONTARIO ‑ The city of Ontario will lose a police officer, a firefighter and two code enforcement officers under a budget approved Thursday night by the Ontario Budget Committee. The committee threw only a temporary[Read More…]
Rajneesh series generates memories and vow to dust off book plan
Ma Anand Sheela exhorts sannyasins at Rancho Rajneesh outside Madras in the 1980s. (Photo courtesy The Oregonian/OregonLive) Spinning through the documentary “Wild Wild Country” was like watching old home movies. The six-part Netflix series tracks the history of the Rajneeshees and their leader, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh. The guru left his[Read More…]
East coast nonprofit considers Malheur County for new soup business
VALE – Government officials gathered around the table in March to hear details about one of the biggest industrial projects ever proposed for Vale. Among those attending was Vale Mayor Mike McLaughlin, two officials from the Oregon Employment Department, Dana Young, president of Treasure Valley Community College, and one of[Read More…]
All in one place: the Malheur Enterprise series on foster care
This series was published over four weeks in early 2018 in the Malheur Enterprise, the result of several months of interviews and a review of state, county and court records. PART 1: Malheur County system in crisis EXTRA: Volunteers focus on speaking for kids PART 2: Foster parents face state[Read More…]
Citizens with power keep eye on government’s care of foster children
Workers with the Ontario office of the state Department of Human Services monitor a mother’s weekly visit with her children. The supervised visits are one step towards returning children from foster care to their parents. (The Enterprise/Les Zaitz) ONTARIO – Behind closed doors, the four citizens asked probing questions about[Read More…]
Two UO graduates to join Malheur Enterprise news team after successful fund drive
We have terrific news about your Malheur Enterprise to share with you today. Two University of Oregon journalism students will join the staff of the Enterprise for the summer, turning our operation into one of the largest newsrooms in Eastern Oregon. That’s possible because of the success of a fund[Read More…]
She’s 10, she’s adopted, and now she wants to help Malheur County foster children
Anna Weston of Ontario (The Enterprise/Les Zaitz) ONTARIO – Anna Weston, 10, knows what it’s like to move to a strange home with little you can call your own. Now, the Pioneer Elementary School fourth-grader and CASA of Eastern Oregon are teaming up to make sure foster children always have[Read More…]
Still, the Rajneeshees continue to find their way into publisher’s life
Ma Anand Sheela exhorts a crowd of sannyasins at Rancho Rajneesh in the mid-1980s. She talked to film directors recently about those days. (Photo courtesy The Oregonian/OregonLive) Hollywood came calling at my ranch last fall. Chapman and Maclain Way found their way to my remote place from Los Angeles, determined[Read More…]
Former foster child tells of years of abuse, neglect and how she survived
Breanne endured neglect for years before finally moving to a home where she learned what normal parents are like. (The Enterprise/Les Zaitz) The state worker’s directive on a school night shocked the young girl: “Go pack your things.” Breanne went to her room, where she clung to her bunk bed.[Read More…]