Lucas Hellberg, 19, of Portland, gets to work July 22, 2025, at the East Oregonian newsroom in Pendleton. A University of Oregon student, Hellberg is the summer news intern through the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism. (Yasser Marte/East Oregonian)

PENDLETON — The East Oregonian welcomed a fresh young voice to its newsroom in July as intern Lucas Hellberg stepped into the reporting bullpen.

Hellberg, 19, of Portland, is a University of Oregon student, who has been out in the field with a pen, notepad and passion for storytelling — diving into assignments, covering major events and already making headlines. Most recently, he reported from Boardman on the region’s wildfire disasters.

Although this is Hellberg’s first summer living in Pendleton, it’s not his first visit to the Let’er Buck town.

He said he’s been to Pendleton a few times before, though he’s never attended the Pendleotn Round-Up. Hellberg has family ties near the area — his relatives are wheat ranchers in Sherman County, and his great-grandmother’s favorite time of year was the Pendleton Round-Up.

“It kind of feels like a full-circle moment,” Hellberg said, smiling.

Hellberg is interning through the Charles Snowden Program for Excellence in Journalism, which connects Oregon college students with news organizations across the state to provide hands-on experience in professional reporting.

After taking a high school newspaper class, Hellberg caught the news bug and has carried his passion for reporting into college. At the U of O, he has developed his craft and sharpened his skills by covering local government for The Daily Emerald, an independent nonprofit student newspaper. He has also freelanced for The Oregonian.

While working for the Emerald, Hellberg uncovered a significant but overlooked development: Lane County increased its budget by $100 million with no press release or public announcement.

“That was really interesting,” he said. “At the time, there weren’t many news sources covering it. Now, with new outlets like ‘Lookout,’ there are more reporters, but back then, nobody was talking about it.”

Hellberg said while some features may be fun to write, holding public officials accountable — especially in rural areas — is what makes journalism essential to him. His interest in transparency and responsible decision-making is what first drew him to the field.

“I covered school closures, police accountability, homelessness, city councils and even a new news outlet coming to town,” he said. “Doing all these things gave me valuable experience and showed people that maybe they could send me out, even though I’m young.”

As a double major in journalism and computer science, Hellberg enjoys using data to inform readers.

“I’m always excited to talk to people about what matters most to them in their community, especially since I’m still getting to know this area,” Hellberg said.

Outside the newsroom,  he said he loves to trek the trails. An avid hiker and backpacker, Hellberg enjoys exploring Oregon’s natural beauty and looks forward to hitting the trails more this summer.

One of his favorite adventures is the Timberline Trail, a 40-mile loop around Mount Hood that he’s backpacked almost every summer. The trek, usually spread over two to three nights, is a highlight of his year and a reflection of his love for the outdoors.

Hellberg encouraged readers to reach out with any questions, concerns or comments about his articles. His work appears in print in the EO and online at eastoregonian.com, hermistonherald.com and related news websites.