The past 12 months were filled with attention-grabbing headlines ranging from highway pileups, the Shearer’s explosion, new construction projects, acts of kindess and generosity, and dozens more.
Mother Nature got into the act as 2022 got under way with freezing temperatures and snow storms that caused havoc on the roads and highways. The cold weather didn’t stop a boat from catching fire and sinking into the Columbia River early in January.
Port of Morrow Executive Director Ryan Neal died in January from complications due to COVID-19. Neal had succeeded his father, Gary Neal, as head of the port. In May, the port commission named Lisa Mittelsdorf as the new port executive director.
Like many hospitals around the country, Good Shepherd Medical Center experienced a blood shortage. The Red Cross said it was facing its worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing a risk to patient care. Officials at Good Shepherd urged people to donate blood at upcoming blood drives.
A quiet afternoon was rocked on Feb. 22 when a massive fire at Shearer’s sent seven people to the hospital and resulted in the loss of 231 jobs. The cause of the fire was a boiler explosion. A total of 73 people were evacuated and several roads were shut down. Umatilla County Fire District #1 called it the “largest fire our district has seen in the last decade.”
The city of Hermiston unveiled its South Hermiston Industrial Park or SHIP in February. “What a great day to celebrate the growth and future of Hermiston,” said Mayor Dave Drotzmann. The development of SHIP, located west of Highway 395 near the Walmart Distribution Center, has created more than a dozen shovel-ready parcels of light industrial property.
More bad weather was to blame for a massive pileup on Interstate 84 in February. Nearly 100 vehicles were involved in the pileup between Pendleton and La Grande, causing numerous injuries and closing down the interstate. The OSP said the initial scene showed multiple vehicle crashes along an approximately one-mile stretch, involving both passenger and commercial vehicles. The largest crash, according to the OSP, involved between 15-20 cars and trucks.
In March, the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce held its Distinguished Services Awards banquet and celebrated Man of the Year Steve Williams and Woman of the Year Alberta Wilkerson. The Hermiston Police Department’s Christmas Express was the winner of the Award of Merit.
Also in March, the Hermiston Urban Renewal Agency, made up of members of the Hermiston City Council, gave the go-ahead for city staff to begin development plans for a new urban renewal district along Feedville Road that could result in 1,300 new housing units. The development, known as Prairie Meadows, is located at the old C&B Livestock and will include plenty of amenities such as a large public park and trail system along with a proposed food truck pod and taphouse. The development would also include land set aside for the city for a potential new school and fire station.
The city also announced plans to construct a new skate park in Hermiston. Construction was originally scheduled to begin in 2022, but has been pushed back to 2023.
In April, the community of Hermiston showed how big its heart is when a family needed help with their home. The house belongs to Heather Spinden and her son, Ben. Heather is legally blind and Ben is autistic. They both work full time (and both walk to work) but didn’t have the resources to make needed repairs to their home. They lost their home insurance when their chimney collapsed. Friends like Josh Ross and Holly Woods stepped in and recruited dozens of volunteers to completely renovate the home.
Umatilla Electric Cooperative held its Annual Meeting in April – the first in-person meeting since the start of the pandemic. General Manager and CEO Robert Echenrode highlighted the work of the co-op during the past year, and illusionist Hart Keene entertained the large crowd with some impressive mind-reading abilities.
Sen. Ron Wyden came to Hermiston in April to honor the employees of Shearer’s. Wyden presented a flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol to Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann.
Stanfield mourned the April 16 death of longtime Mayor Tom McCann, who had served as the city’s mayor since 1995.
May was a busy news month as voters elected Jackie Linton to the Hermiston City Council and returned David McCarthy to the council. Incumbents Jackie Myers and Roy Barron were re-elected to new four-year terms.
In late May, the community came out to celebrate Hermiston High School graduates as they took part in a walking parade a few days before the graduation ceremonies.
That same month, Hermiston officials, along with other local and state leaders, broke ground on the Moorehouse Apartments, a 60-unit income-restricted complex, located at N.W. 11th and Madrona Avenue.
Also in May, Good Shepherd Health Care System re-opened its gift shop and welcomed back its volunteers. The gift shop had been closed down since the start of the pandemic.
In Morrow County, Commissioner Jim Doherty raised the issue of nitrate contamination in the drinking water in private wells. Earlier in the year, state officials declared that the Port of Morrow had been violating its wastewater permit for three years. In January, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fined the port a record $1.3 million for allowing more than 165 tons of excess nitrogen in the form of recycled wastewater to be piped onto area farm fields. That fine was raised to $2.1 million in May. The issue remained in the news throughout the spring and summer months.
In June, the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit convened in Hermiston for two days. Lawmakers, political candidates and state officials toured the area, and held panel discussions at Hermiston High School on topics ranging from water, economic development and legislative issues that impact the region.
In July, Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency in much of the state – including Umatilla and Morrow counties – due to the heat wave. The temperature reached 115 degrees in Hermiston during the heat wave’s peak. There were a reported 14 deaths due to the excessive heat, including one in Umatilla County.
August brought the Farm-City Pro Rodeo and Umatilla County Fair to the Eastern Oregon Trade & Event Center. There were also two new elementary school openings in Hermiston – one for the new Rocky Heights Elementary School and another a day later for Loma Vista Elementary School. Each school is 69,000 square feet with student capacity of 600.
Fire crews from around the area battled a large fire at the Pendleton Flour Mill. The structure was a total loss. In October, the cause of the fire was ruled accidental.
Also in August, Umatilla-Morrow Head Start opened its new Cathy Wamsley Early Learning Center on Second Street in Hermiston. Walmsley had served as Head Start’s executive director from 1986 until her retirement in 2014.
In September, a large brush fire burned 500 acres near Highway 730. Nearly a dozen agencies provided assistance in putting out the blaze which caused damage to fences, power poles and the nearby wildlife refuge.
The city of Hermiston celebrated the opening of the new city hall in October. The old city hall was abandoned after a furnace fire broke out in December 2019. During the October opening, the American flag presented to the city by Sen. Wyden was raised by Boy Scout Troop 654.
Ground was broken in October for HEROS or Hermiston Oregon Sportsplex, a multi-field complex at the Eastern Oregon Trade & Event Center. It will be home to soccer, lacrosse, football and other sports with the goal of having it ready for the spring of 2023.
Ground was also broken in November for Project PATH (Practical Assistance through Transitional Housing). PATH is a collaborative effort between Umatilla County, the cities of Hermiston, Umatilla, Echo and Stanfield and the local nonprofit Stepping Stones Alliance to build a homeless shelter. The goal of Project PATH is to bring together services to assist individuals and families in west Umatilla County who are experiencing homelessness and help them transition to permanent housing.
The year wrapped up with holiday spirit on display as the city of Hermiston put on a lighted Christmas parade through Main Street just prior to the annual tree-lighting ceremony.
