We at the Hermiston Herald spent the week covering lots of local stories. The big one was the Bensel Fire that started Sunday, Sept. 3, and continued into Labor Day. The fire required state and local fire crews to help extinguish the blaze.

This wasn’t the only fire that week. The day after the Bensel Fire was declared extinguished, the Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 dealt with a structure fire on Northwest 11th St. that delayed bus routes taking students home for the day.

The sirens in town didn’t end there unfortunately. Reporter Daneli Atilano wrote a story about police responding to a shooting on Monday night and another one on Tuesday night. In one incident, a 15-year-old boy received non-life-threatening wounds and was taken to a hospital. Investigations are underway.

Thankfully, not all news we reported this week was hard news. Community Editor Tammy Malgesini gave us a story on adults reliving their childhood days of playing Hasbro’s “Operation” during a hands-on event with Good Shepherd Health Care System during a Family Health & Fitness Day.

Tammy also informed us that not all local farmers markets are closed now that Labor Day has passed. Several are still up and running in the region and she let us know where.

Daneli also gave us some news on the lighter side this week. She recapped a UCFD1 graduation in which the district recently recognized 13 people during its 2023-02 Academy Graduation and Pinning Ceremony at the Hermiston Community Center.

She also told us about a group of women who come together twice a year to raise funds for nonprofits. The women of 100 (or more) gather and donate at least $100 and then decide which nonprofit will receive the funds.

We also covered 11 Umatilla High School softball players from the 2022-23 season getting named to the Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American Scholar Athlete honors list.

It’s all part of the Hermiston Herald’s efforts, both in print and online, to keep you informed about the latest happenings throughout Umatilla and Morrow counties. As always, if you have a news tip to share or want to ask a question about our news coverage, drop a note to me at tsnell@hermistonherald.com.

And, finally, let me take this opportunity to thank our subscribers: We simply would be unable to do this vital work without your support.

Travis Snell is the editor for the Hermiston Herald.