ODFW confirms Grant County wolf depredation

JOHN DAY — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has confirmed the first wolf depredation of 2025 in Grant County.

The incident occurred on privately owned land in Bear Valley on Jan. 2 and resulted in the injury of a 10-month-old calf. ODFW investigated and found the Bear Valley Pack was responsible for the calf’s injuries.

The Bear Valley Pack has been responsible for four livestock depredations in Grant County since August of last year, which resulted in the deaths of two adult ewes along with injuries to an adult ewe and a 3-month-old calf.

Ryan Torland, a district wildlife biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, said the livestock producer had been using nonlethal methods to deter the wolves prior to the depredation incident.

Torland said ODFW authorized a lethal take in response to the latest depredation incident. U.S. Wildlife Services personnel killed a 93-pound male wolf on Jan. 28 to fulfill the lethal take authorization.

Registration open for business series

ENTERPRISE — A 10-session business class workshop series that aims to equip entrepreneurs with the insights, relationships and tools needed to turn business ideas into action takes place in La Grande and Enterprise.

The series, called Co.Starters is presented by the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District and will launch the last week of February on Monday nights in La Grande and Tuesday nights in Enterprise. Sessions will run 6-9 p.m. for 10 weeks.

Small-business entrepreneurs interested in successfully launching a small-business idea are encouraged to visit the website and RSVP for a space in the class at neoedd.org/co-starters-core/.

Co.Starters walks small business owners or those with a business idea through business modeling methods while connecting them to a supportive community of peers and mentors.

Participants are encouraged to build and test small models first. In the process, participants receive real-time customer feedback, update their models to meet customer needs and avoid creating businesses based on incorrect assumptions.

NEOEDD Executive Director Lisa Dawson will facilitate the program. Anyone with questions can contact her at lisadawson@neoedd.org or 541-426-3598, ext. 1.

Small-business grants available soon

NORTHEASTERN OREGON — Businesses in Wallowa and Union counties can apply for a small grant funded by Business Oregon’s Economic Equity Investment Program.

The grants through the Northeast Oregon Economic Development District make $48,000 available for business grants.

Learn more about the two-step application process, deadlines, requirements and more at shorturl.at/xYis7.

The application period opened Monday, Feb. 17, and runs through March 16.

Apply for up to $4,000 for existing registered businesses and up to $2,000 for new registered businesses or existing businesses that received the EEIP grant in 2024. Grant funds may be used for business assets, working capital and marketing. Funds may not be used to repay debt, for travel, owner’s salary, or multilevel marketing businesses.

General qualifications include being approved for Reinventing Rural’s EEIP and participating either in NEOEDD’s free 10-week business planning class, starting Feb. 24 in La Grande and Feb. 25 in Enterprise, or other business planning classes or assistance.

Visit Reinventing Rural to create an account and establish eligibility at tinyurl.com/mswn55rk.

Once notified of eligibility for a grant, business owners can apply at tinyurl.com/mrytyjys.

For more information about the program, contact Chantal Ivenso at chantalivenso@neoedd.org or 541-426-3598, ext 4.

Free series coming on digital marketing

EASTERN OREGON — The Blue Mountain Community College Small Business Development Center is offering training on digital marketing for businesses.

The first of four free online sessions will be Feb. 28 at 10:30 a.m. The series, Digital Marketing Essentials: Everything You Need to Know to Increase Visibility for Your Business, will provide business owners with tools to increase their business’s exposure online.

Session one will go over major social media platforms — including Facebook, LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) — and what each one can do for a business.

The session includes tips to set up or reinvigorate social media accounts and how to add a business to Google with accurate information.

Future sessions will cover setting up a website on standard and e-commerce platforms and will go through the basic steps to build a following online, engage with an audience and understand how to integrate social media, a website, paid ads and selling a product or service.

Builders group offers scholarships

EASTERN OREGON — Students in Baker, Morrow, Umatilla, Union or Wallowa counties planning to pursue a career in the residential building industry are invited to apply for financial assistance.

The Northeast Oregon Home Builders Association will award two $1,500 scholarships to help educate and train individuals. This may include welding, heating and ventilation, heavy equipment operator, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, concrete, construction management, architecture and engineering, such as civil, landscape, mechanical or electrical.

Applicants must be a high school senior or enrolled in college or a qualified apprenticeship program. For the scholarship application and requirements, visit www.neohba.com.

The deadline to apply is April 12. Scholarship winners will be requested to attend the annual NEOHBA Golf Tournament on June 28. For questions, email admin@neohba.

— East Oregonian