Malheur County Judge Dan Joyce, asked about the performance of Gregory Smith & Company in running the county economic development effort, said he hasn’t had any complaints. (The Enterprise/FILE PHOTO) Greg Smith couldn’t remember much about the audit he said was conducted of the county department he runs. Audits are[Read More…]
Special Reports
Delays and missed deadlines: the history leading up to TVRC and Americold’s lease agreement
Greg Smith, Malheur County economic development director, has led contract negotiations between Americold and the economic development corporation. (The Enterprise/FILE) The Malheur County Development Corp., owner of the Treasure Valley Reload Center, is 19 months behind on closing a deal with Americold to operate the rail center in Nyssa, according[Read More…]
WATCHDOG: Nyssa rail center, public money, and a most unusual deal
An aerial view of the site of the rail shipping center north of Nyssa, planned by the county and funded by taxpayer dollars. (The Enterprise/Austin Johnson) NYSSA – A lease to run the Treasure Valley Reload Center favors a corporate giant and its local onion partners while providing little return[Read More…]
CUT SHORT: A troubled Ontario teen’s path to recovery ends in fentanyl overdose
Family members recall the struggles that faced Juan Lopez-Robles. His hope for a better life ended in tragedy, his ashes coming home in an urn. (Eugene Weekly) An 18-year-old young man from Ontario, Oregon, died of a fentanyl overdose while in the care of an Oregon Youth Authority (OYA)-operated home[Read More…]
WATCHDOG: Construction of Malheur County rail center on hold as key contract talks drag on
Construction was expected to begin in March on the Malheur County rail reload facility but continuing delays in finishing agreements have put the work on hold for now. (Enterprise file) Malheur County officials got the state in January to turn loose approximately $25 million for a new rail center by[Read More…]
SOLUTIONS: Experiences elsewhere seek to quell abuse, providing lessons for Malheur County
Scott Miller, the Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs executive director at the Duluth Project in Minnesota says one key to solving domestic violence is changing the climate of tolerance for the crime. (Submitted photo). [ EDITOR’S NOTE: This project was produced in partnership with the Solutions Journalism Network as part of[Read More…]
State to pour millions more into addiction treatment despite little proof it works
A hallway leads to patient bedrooms for the medically managed withdrawal program at Bridgeway, where patients can detox from drugs and alcohol, on Thursday, Jan. 28. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Oregon is poised to dramatically expand an addiction treatment system that already consumes millions of dollars each year with no clear[Read More…]
SPECIAL REPORT Domestic violence is a familiar and persistent crime in Malheur County
Jacqueline Cuevas, a victim’s advocate for the Malheur County District Attorney’s Office, said there isn’t an easy answer to domestic violence. Cuevas said the district attorney’s office handles four to six domestic violence cases a week. (The Enterprise/Pat Caldwell) VALE – At night when their dad began to beat their[Read More…]
SOLUTIONS: As Malheur County struggles with pandemic, other rural counties provide clues to control
Bear Lake Memorial Hospital in Montpelier, Idaho, serves an Idaho county that has recorded only 15 cases of Covid. The county is situated in southeast Idaho. (Bear Lake County News-Examiner photo) [ EDITOR’S NOTE: This project was produced in partnership with the Solutions Journalism Network as part of the Enterprise’s[Read More…]
BREAKING THE SILENCE: Rural areas have higher suicide rates
Oregon’s suicide rate has been higher than the national average for the past three decades. More than 800 people killed themselves last year in Oregon. The problem affects everyone. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people, but 90 percent of Oregon’s suicides are by people older[Read More…]