Local STEAM professionals hold a panel discussion at the Girls' Tech Day hosted by the Hermiston High School on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023.

All things, good or bad, must come to an end. Unfortunately, something good came to an end here in Hermiston on Thursday – the Desert Rose Ministries closed its doors after 10 years of giving aid to the homeless and addicts with meals and services.

“It’s been 10 years,” said Pastor Jason Estle. “I think we’ve put our time into the community. The Lord is pushing us in a different direction. I’m not going to say what it is, but hopefully we’ll stay in the community. We’re waiting to hear from the Lord.”

We thank Michael Kane of Northeast Oregon Now for sharing his story on the ministries’ closing.

Another sad story comes in the way of Reporter Daneli Atilano’s coverage of a 22-year-old man who was killed in a single-vehicle accident in Hermiston on Monday. Also injured in the crash were two passengers. 

Thankfully though, all of this week’s coverage didn’t focus on the harder side of the news. Daneli also supplied us with a couple of softer stories. One was about Hermiston High School hosting a performance of Portland Opera To Go’s adaptation of Rossini’s La Cenerentola “Cinderella” on Friday, Oct. 13. We know it’s bad luck to say “good luck” in the theater business, so we’re thankful nobody actually broke a leg on Friday the 13th. 

The next day, HHS hosted Eastern Oregon’s second Amazon Web Services Girls’ Tech Day.

More than 150 middle school girls from the surrounding area spent the day learning about science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics while making friends, listening to female STEAM professionals and feeling empowered to dream big for their futures.

And while on the subject of AWS, I reported on the company’s economic impact study it released Oct. 12. The study states the company has invested nearly $23 billion in Umatilla and Morrow counties while adding $6.4 billion to the state’s gross domestic product, all while supporting nearly 5,700 jobs since 2011. 

But if you’re not in the mood to read about economic impact studies, then check out an Oktoberfest story from our intern, McKenzie Rose. She covered the festival in Echo for us on Oct. 14. Read about the German food, drinks, music and fun the town supplied with its sixth rendition of the Bavarian celebration. 

And while it’s good to have a fun time, please keep others who aren’t so fortunate in mind as the days get cooler and nights get colder. If you have the means, please help your fellow humans when you can.

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.