State, federal and local dignitaries celebrate following the ribbon-cutting July 12, 2023, marking the transfer of the former Umatilla Chemical Depot property to the Columbia Development Authority. The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 8 approved the annexation of CDA property into Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 to provide fire protection on 5,600 acres.

HERMISTON — Coming up with a list of top news stories is never easy.

We started weeks ago looking at the news we reported in 2023 and made a big list, enough to have a story a week.

We then used data from our website to see what stories drew the most readers. We weeded out quick hits, such as interstate closures and stories that blew up because of the subject matter, such as crime reports that made few waves beyond the event itself.

From there, we complied of the biggest stores that ran in 2023 in the Hermiston Herald. Here are the top stories of the year in no particular order:

Hat Rock Fire blows up to 17,000 acres

HERMISTON — What started as a small grass fire June 13 near Hat Rock State Park in northern Umatilla County progressed to a massive wildfire requiring help from virtually all local fire departments and more.

The blaze grew to almost 17,000 acres.

The Hat Rock Fire prompted the closure of Highway 730 near the state park, and the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office would issue an evacuation notice for areas in Juniper Canyon along Hartle, Wallula and Hatchgrade roads.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek the evening of June 13 invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act in response to the Hat Rock fire burning east of Hermiston and the Mount Hebron fire burning northeast of Pendleton. That fire, however, would spread to approximately 500 acres.

The State Fire Marshal mobilized six task forces and the OSFM Green Incident Management Team to the Hat Rock Fire as well as the Mount Hebron Fire in Pendleton.

The Hat Rock Fire at its height threatened 243 structures, 65 of those being homes, the state fire marshal reported, but no structures were damaged or lost.The state agency announced its task force turned over management of the fire to local authorities at 7 a.m. June 17.

Umatilla police sergeant didn’t investigate girl’s sexual assault

UMATILLA — A former Umatilla Police Department sergeant remains on the hook in a $26 million federal civil rights lawsuit accusing him of gender discrimination for his failure to investigate the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew Hallman in October ruled the discrimination claim can go to trial and qualified immunity offers no protection to former Sgt. Bill Wright. Hallman also dismissed suits claiming discrimination, negligence and due process against Umatilla police Chief Darla Huxel, police Lt. Keith Kennedy and the city.

Huxel retired after 26 years on the job. She joined Umatilla police in 1996, becoming the first female officer in the department’s history. The city hired Ronald Bridge as the new police chief. He stepped into the role Dec. 27 and takes his oath of office Jan. 2.

Wright did little to investigate the crime in 2018, leading the victim’s mother to call the FBI. The federal investigation led to the arrest of Michael Wayne Lyon, 39, of Florida, and in 2022 a jury found Lyon, 39, guilty of using a minor to produce a visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct. He is serving a 25-year sentence in federal prison.

Project PATH opens its doors

HERMISTON — A little more than a year since its groundbreaking, Project PATH — a transitional shelter for the homeless — had its grand opening Dec. 7 at its location on Lind Road, Hermiston.

“This is a project that we’ve been working on for a long time,” Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann said. “I’m super excited to see the community rally around the people who have the least among us.”

The shelter is designed to provide Practical Assistance through Transitional Housing. The intent is to bring together services to assist individuals and families facing homelessness with the objective of moving them into and through transitional housing to permanent housing.

Project PATH is one of eight pilot projects selected by the state to develop services for the homeless. Each pilot project is receiving $1 million from the state to develop the program. Another project partner, Stepping Stones Alliance, has also received an additional $1.1 million in private and state funds for the project.

Stepping Stones Alliance, a Hermiston-based nonprofit, is managing the facilities and will provide 24-hour, seven-days a week onsite staffing to support the project.

Hansell not seeking

fourth Senate term

SALEM — Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, announced March 2, he would not seek a fourth term in 2024.

“I did not realize it at the time, but in the fall of 1981, Margaret and I made a decision that would set the course of my life for the next 42 years,” Hansell said. “Now we are making another decision that will set another course for us.”

Hansell has served more than four decades in local and state government positions, with eight terms as a Umatilla County commissioner and is finishing his third term in the Oregon Senate, representing a large rural district in Eastern Oregon

So far, four Republicans and one Democrat have declared they are seeking the open Senate District 29 seat.

The first to declare were cattle ranchers with county government experience — Wallowa County Commissioner Todd Nash and former Morrow County Commissioner Jim Doherty. Hermiston Mayor Dave Drotzmann entered next, then came Wallowa County resident Andy Huwe. Each is seeking the Republican Party nomination.

The latest entry is Democrat Tania Wildbill of Pendleton.

Drotzmann’s move set changes in motion for Hermiston city government.

Hermiston City Councilors Nancy Peterson and Jackie Linton declared their candidacies to succeed Drotzmann as mayor. If either one of them is elected, the winner will make history in more than one way.

Both would be the first female mayor in Hermiston’s history. If Peterson wins, they also will make history as the first mayor who identifies as nonbinary, as well as the first mayor who is disabled. If Linton wins, she would be Hermiston’s first mayor who is Black.

Feds fund investigation

of contaminated wells

BOARDMAN — Umatilla and Morrow county officials learned in October the Environmental Protection Agency was awarding $1.7 million in aid to address nitrate contamination in private wells.

As of Dec. 21, the counties were ready to accept bids for a contract to develop and carry out a work plan.

Oregon’s U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, both Democrats, announced the funding. Kristin Anderson Ostrom, Oregon Rural Action executive director, said she was pleased the senators delivered on a promise to fund long-term solutions for safe water in the Lower Umatilla Basin Groundwater Management Area. But she also said it’s shameful taxpayers are left with the bill instead of agribusiness and industry that have profited while initially contaminating the groundwater.

Water for Eastern Oregon Chairman Michael Graham said seeing federal, state and local leaders working together for solutions gives him and other H2OEO officials hope.

Earlier this year, the Oregon Health Authority and Department of Human Services, along with public health departments and community organizations, teamed to alert domestic-well households in the two counties about nitrate levels and free water testing.

The state-led coalition attempted to reach the identified 3,300 domestic homes in the LUBGWMA for well testing. According to the OHA, 1,001 wells were tested, while 1,200 households were deemed inaccessible. However, the latter residences were identified for follow-up via specialized mailing campaigns.

The OHA said about 500 households refused the outreach services and the coalition made about 5,400 overall attempts to reach the 3,300 households with domestic wells.

According to the OHA, drinking water of 235 homes tested above 10 milligrams of nitrates per liter, and treatment systems have been installed in 28 homes while 341 households receive water delivery.

Oregon Rural Action also continued to draw attention to the crisis, and in late November three Oregon House Democrats who are members of the House Black, Indigenous and People of Color Caucus visited the community to view the crisis firsthand.

Former Umatilla Chemical Depot now in local control

HERMISTON — The former Umatilla Chemical Depot officially became the property of the Columbia Development Authority in March. A ceremony July 12 highlighted the many collaborations that made the landmark transfer event possible.

“The deed of trust to the Army depot is signed and it’s official,” CDA Project Manager Greg Smith said.

Port of Umatilla General Manager Kim Puzey is the chair of the CDA board. He said reaching this goal is an exciting moment.

“Some of us have been working for three decades for this,” he said.

Puzey also credited the five entities that make up the Columbia Development Authority: the ports of Umatilla and Morrow, Umatilla and Morrow counties and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.

“We’re just glad to see the finish line is coming up on us,” he said.

The Pentagon on March 20 held a ceremonial signing.

And in another move to boost the attractiveness of the former Army lands, the Umatilla County Board of Commissioners at its meeting Nov. 8 approved annexing 5,600 acres of the site into Umatilla County Fire District No. 1.

That move gave the fire district full authority to take on blazes on Columbia Development Authority property.

The CDA requested the annexation, and during the public hearing at the board meeting, Scott Stanton, chief of the fire district, said the annexation is key to providing fire protection and helps with economic development of the site. Businesses looking to locate there know there is fire protection, he said, and the fire district’s nearest station to the site is less than 2 miles.