100 years ago — 1922

When teams from various schools of Umatilla county meet here this weekend to vie with each other for championships in declamation and track and field events, the folk dance, which was introduced last year, will also be an event over which teams will contend. At present indications are that five teams will participate in the folk dances. A change in plans has been made and this year the teams will stage their dances on the courthouse lawn. This part of the program will be held Saturday morning and will be free to the public.

50 years ago — 1972Irrigation from wells in some areas of the dry desert country of Eastern Oregon may be restricted before long. In fact, this was done in the Ordnance area in 1966 in a strip 12 miles wide and 15 miles deep. This was the word given Heppner-Morrow County Chamber of Commerce this week by State Engineer Chris Wheeler. Under discussion was the Butter Creek area, which extends some 18 miles south from Ordnance, and three miles east. The only shallow wells are along the creek bed. In other areas deep wells have recently been drilled, bringing much of this land under irrigation. But studies show the water level is dropping 30 feet per year. “Development started faster and went further here than in any other area in the state,” Wheeler said in explaining why it was being watched so carefully by his department. “This may be one of our most critical areas.” Restrictions might require only that no irrigation be carried out except during the growing season. But they may also require closure of some wells now in use.

25 years ago — 1997The lightning that rattled windows all across town Saturday evening struck a tree at Pendleton High School. The strike scorched the tree, ripping bark off most of the tree trunk, and also damaged a cement sidewalk at the school. The lightning bolt apparently traveled down the tree and through the ground a few feet before blowing out a portion of the sidewalk near the high school shop. Trisha Olson, secretary for PHS principal Jim Krout, said the strike also caused some electrical problems, such as clocks not running and computers malfunctioning. The high school was remodeled and expanded over the past year, with work finishing at the start of the school year. Olson said the school is in the process of finding out how much damage was caused by the lightning strike so the school could inform its insurance company.