Jeremiah Jerome Mauer (left), Warren Browning (center) and Gregory Tinnell (right) are all serving time in prison for their criminal involvement in a white supremacist gang.

The East Oregonian covered countless stories this year, but ten of them made more of an impression than the rest.

They range from natural disasters and public policy to crime and economic development.

Staff were asked to rank their most important stories of 2015, and these received the most votes:

1. Wildfires rage in Eastern Oregon

Wildfire season took a devastating toll on Eastern Oregon in 2015, as historically low winter snowpack combined with summer drought created ideal conditions for bigger, hotter fires.

Three major complexes — Canyon Creek, Windy Ridge and Grizzly Bear — stole the headlines, burning nearly 300,000 acres combined. The Canyon Creek Complex destroyed more than 40 homes near John Day, prompting a visit from Gov. Kate Brown, who activated the Oregon National Guard.

Other fires, including Phillips Creek and Sugarloaf, came uncomfortably close to more destruction. Local fire departments had their hands full chasing field fires around the area, including one blaze in July that charred roughly half the Coyote Springs Wildlife Area near Boardman.

The Oregon Department of Forestry formed a fire program review committee that began meeting in December to help improve fire response for next year.

2. Marijuana goes public

House Bill 3400 changed the way cities and counties in Eastern Oregon approached marijuana sales as the drug became legal to use on July 1.

For counties where 65 percent of voters voted against legalization, local governments would be given the temporary option to “opt out” of legal medical and recreational marijuana sales.

Umatilla County was the first domino to fall in the area, with Morrow County and the region’s smaller cities soon to follow, choosing either to opt out of sales indefinitely or take other legal measures to effectively ban marijuana retailers.

The decision was debated more thoroughly in Umatilla County’s biggest cities — Hermiston, Pendleton and Milton-Freewater. Pendleton and Milton-Freewater briefly flirted with allowing medical marijuana dispensaries in their cities before backing off.

Facing an end-of-the-year deadline from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission and divided public comments, all three cities decided to refer marijuana sales bans to the ballot for voters to decide in the November 2016 election. Until then, no marijuana business of any kind will operate in Morrow and Umatilla counties.

3. Old Pendleton city hall burns

An explosion the morning of July 21 rocked downtown Pendleton and took the life of one man.

Eduardo Quezada, 25, was on the second floor at the old Pendleton City Hall, 34 S.E. Dorion Ave., when the explosion happened. Others who tried to save him suffered minor injuries.

Fire crews with Pendleton and surrounding agencies spent hours dumping water on the towers of flames that threatened to leap to adjacent roofs. Their work contained the blaze to the century-old building.

An official statement on the cause came three days later: Quezada was creating flash powder for homemade — and illegal — fireworks.

The East Oregonian in August paid for the full report on the fire from office of the state fire marshal, which has yet to be completed and delivered.

4. EOTEC begins construction, fair move delayed

Work on the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center picked up during the first half of the year. Heather Cannell was hired on as business manager, a design for the event center was completed and G2 Construction was selected to construct the center.

Good news came in July, when the Legislature approved an additional $1.5 million for the project, and in September construction went vertical with the skeleton of the event center.

A few days later the EOTEC board pulled together the project’s stakeholders, however, to tell them that there wasn’t the time or money to complete the facility the community envisioned in time for the 2016 Umatilla County Fair and Farm-City Pro Rodeo.

The announcement kicked off a flurry of fundraising with an eye on a 2017 completion date. The city of Hermiston agreed to kick in $600,000 and the county followed suit, tapping into both operation funds and county tourism dollars to meet the request. Local hoteliers agreed to double the per-room tourism promotion assessment to raise an additional $1 million.

And in December a fundraising committee launched a four-month campaign with a goal of raising $2 million in private donations by March 1, 2016.

5. PGG to sell grain division

The news just keeps getting worse for Pendleton Grain Growers.

Coming off a 2014 year in which the co-op lost $7.9 million and closed all six retail stores, PGG announced in October it will try to sell or lease its grain division to an outside company.

Increased competition and a disappointing 2015 wheat harvest played a significant role in the decision, which could force PGG to dump its Columbia River terminal, Feedville piles and 19 grain elevators.

And, while General Manager Rick Jacobson said total earnings in June were $4 million better than last year, he is not certain whether grain handling will continue under a co-op model.

PGG’s agronomy division has already sold to Crop Production Services, based in Colorado. Jacobson said the seed, energy and precision irrigation businesses are still in good shape.

6. Pendleton finances street fixes

Following widespread public demand for road repair, the Pendleton City Council spent the first half of 2015 discussing ways to bolster the city’s anemically funded street system.

The council elected to pursue a two-pronged approach — a 5-cent gas tax and a $5 street utility fee.

The gas tax was ultimately defeated by a well-heeled anti-gas tax campaign from a political action committee associated with the Oregon Fuels Association.

Sixty four percent of voters rejected the gas tax in November, although the council was able to salvage some street funding by passing the street utility fee Dec. 15. The utility fee, however, didn’t need voter support.

7. Aryan gang broken up

A white supremacist Pendleton gang, active in 2014, was busted in January by police. Four members were given prison sentences.

The United Aryan Empire purported to rid the community of methamphetamine dealers, according to Pendleton police, but was responsible for shootings, bloody fights and attempted killings. Police brought an end to the violence Jan. 10 with a raid and the arrest of Jeremiah Jerome Mauer, 31.

Police tagged Mauer as the gang’s founder. Arrests of other core members followed.

Umatilla County deputy prosecutor Jackie Jenkins charged gang members with conspiracy to murder, assault and more, and took the novel approach to charge racketeering, which threatened to add years onto prison sentences.

Member after member pleaded out. Mauer is at the Oregon State Penitentiary, Salem, doing 13 years for conspiracy to murder and two counts of assault. Warren Browning, 36, pleaded guilty to racketeering, attempted assault and felon in possession of a firearm. He got almost eight years in prison. Steven Grangood, 23, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder and is serving five years, and Gregory Tinnell is serving six years for attempted assault.

8. BMCC passes $23 million bond

The second time was the charm for Blue Mountain Community College.

Umatilla and Morrow County voters supported a $23 million bond measure in May after soundly defeating another version in November 2013 by a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent.

Proceeds from the 15-year capital improvement bond will launch a precision agriculture program in Hermiston, a Workforce Training Center in Boardman and the renovation of the Agricultural Center at the main campus in Pendleton. Four campuses and centers — Pendleton, Boardman, Hermiston and Milton-Freewater — will receive campus security and technology updates.

All projects are expected to be constructed concurrently and be finished by fall 2017.

The college benefited from good timing when the bond offering reaped an extra $1.8 million after being sold at a premium. Vice President of Finance & Business Operations Celeste Insko attributed the success to an unstable international financial scene and a favorable S&P rating.

Frew Development Group, headquartered in Denver and heading up EOTEC construction, will serve as project manager.

9. Stanfield police under investigation

Stanfield Police Department wrapped up 2015 with only one on-duty police officer after the department’s chief and lieutenant were placed on paid administrative leave in November.

Chief Bryon Zumwalt and Lt. Monty Toombs are still on leave pending the results of an Oregon Department of Justice investigation. The investigation came after Zumwalt fired officer Ryan McBride in October and McBride alleged the move was retaliation for complaining about Toombs to Zumwalt.

In a letter to the city stating his intent to sue for wrongful termination, McBride alleged that Toombs had not properly logged marijuana plants seized during a traffic stop into evidence and had possibly taken them for personal use. He also alleged that Toombs had engaged in unprofessional behavior, including asking married couples in the area to engage in sexual acts with him and his wife.

The Oregonian also reported it had documents alleging that Zumwalt had failed to log a revolver he seized at a traffic stop into evidence. The case remains under investigation.

10. UAS Range gets a boost

Kate Brown’s first trip to Eastern Oregon as governor was centered around her announcement that the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Range would receive a $1.7 million financial package from the state to build hangars.

While the city is technically on the hook to pay back the entire package, more than $1 million is forgivable if the city meets certain job creation, promotional and timeline requirements.

The governor’s visit was a high point for what has been a generally quiet year for the range, with the city still looking to sign its first contract with a drone company.

— The top 10 stories were voted on by East Oregonian staff.