Alex Wittwer
East Oregonian
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Past articles by Alex:
HIV testing campaign ramps up in Eastern Oregon
PENDLETON — A campaign to raise awareness about HIV testing is underway in Eastern Oregon. Eastern Oregon Center for Independent Living, based in Pendleton, has partnered with End HIV Oregon for a new advertising campaign between April and July that will focus on Pendleton, Hermiston, La Grande, Ontario and their surrounding towns. “We’ve seen an uptick in HIV-positive cases in rural Eastern… → Read More
Controversial animal rights measure won't make November ballot
A controversial proposal on animal cruelty laws appears to be off the table this year, but proponents say their campaign isn’t over yet. → Read More
Trucker convoy heads through Eastern Oregon
PENDLETON — A nationwide protest will make its way through Eastern Oregon beginning Tuesday, March 1. → Read More
'Please donate blood. Now' — Nationwide blood shortage hits Eastern Oregon
EASTERN OREGON — Blood doesn’t last long. Platelets last only five days, according to the American Red Cross, while red blood cells will last up to 42 days. Plasma can last up to one year if frozen. Nor can blood be manufactured; the supply of blood relies entirely on donors rolling up their sleeves. The American Red Cross, which held a nationwide blood drive in January including several blood… → Read More
Paralegals to the rescue?
SALEM — The Oregon State Bar is seeking public input on a new proposal that would introduce a new legal career path for paralegals — and allow paralegals to take on more responsibilities when it comes to family and tenant/landlord law. That public comment period will run until Feb. 18. The Bar put forth the proposal for a new program to allow paralegals to provide certain limited services to… → Read More
Deputy district attorneys in short supply in Northeastern Oregon
LA GRANDE — Counties across Eastern Oregon have struggled over the past few years to hire attorneys to prosecute criminal charges, and officials believe a variety of factors, including uncompetitive → Read More
Cold weather will continue to blast Eastern Oregon through New Year's
LA GRANDE, Ore. — Thermometer mercury has made quite a journey this year, from heat waves breaking records in June to a cold front bringing a rare snowstorm to Seattle and Portland and chilly temperatures that might break records on New Year’s Eve. “What is bringing this in is a low-pressure troughing pattern — a series of lows that are originating as continental air masses rather than marine… → Read More
Drought scorches trees, affects Christmas tradition in years to come
LA GRANDE — A scorching summer and persistent drought in Oregon has stressed young saplings and seedlings of Christmas trees from the Willamette Valley to Eastern Oregon. Those environmental conditions have exacerbated an already strained industry that was just starting to recover from a Christmas tree shortage that was decades in the making. Due to a large surplus in trees in the early to mid… → Read More
Coho salmon run shatters record as steelhead numbers flop
LOSTINE — A record shattering number of coho salmon have made the long journey from their home streams to the Pacific Ocean and back. Nearly 24,000 coho salmon have passed through Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River — the last dam between the ocean and the Grande Ronde and Wallowa rivers. The prior record, set in 2014, saw 18,098 coho make their way past the Lower Granite Dam. In recent years,… → Read More
Law enforcement not spared from hiring woes
BAKER CITY — Add law enforcement officers to the growing list of professions feeling the brunt of a labor shortage and facing hiring woes. Police departments in Pendleton, La Grande and Baker City have had little luck finding applicants for their open positions recently, and the police chiefs are flummoxed about the reasons why. “We’ve had zero applicants,” said Ty Duby, Baker City Police chief.… → Read More
Regional grocery stores ready for Thanksgiving despite supply chain woes
Supply chain issues gripping the nation have led to shortages in everything from semiconductors to paper trays at school cafeterias, but Thanksgiving looks to be running smoothly and on time, → Read More
CDC votes to recommend booster shots, mix-and-match vaccinations
LA GRANDE — The Centers for Disease Control met virtually on Thursday, Oct. 21, and debated what guidelines will be in place regarding who gets priority in receiving the booster shots, and whether or not Americans even need the vaccine. With unanimous consent, the organization voted to recommend booster shots to Americans in the fight against COVID-19, even as data on booster doses — and… → Read More
Eastern Oregon Film Festival partners with Liberty Theatre
LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon Film Festival plans to light up the screen at one of La Grande’s seminal landmarks. → Read More