One former Shearer’s Foods employee called his former workplace a “time bomb.”

As 40 investigators searched the remains of the food processing plant that was destroyed in a fire, Stephen Dean said he was not surprised by what happened. When he worked there, he was a safety manager. He said he quit because the plant was unsafe and unwilling to prioritize safety.

For the latest issue of the Hermiston Herald, we spoke with Dean, as well as OSHA and Umatilla Fire District No. 1.

The investigation into the explosion is set to wrap up soon, and we will hear those results as soon as they are made public.

For over a month, the Shearer’s fire has been a big story, but it is not the only thing covered in the paper.

We reported on Irrigon and plans for a new police department, a Umatilla Trails project and the Stanfield city manager being in the running for a job elsewhere. And that was only the front page.

Overall, it was a big week for the Herald and our entire coverage area. Next week is shaping to be just as big, if not bigger, so keep an eye on hermistonherald.com for new developments.