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🌱 How the UAS testing pause threatens Pendleton’s airport and local jobs

Pendleton, Oregon Patch AM: a 4 min read

Good morning Pendleton! We're back again in your inbox, keeping you updated with what's happening in and around town. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How the UAS testing pause threatens Pendleton’s airport and local jobs
  • Weston man who traveled through Pendleton found safe, sheriff says
  • Meet the Pendleton volunteers quietly keeping your favorite wilderness trails open

Also on today's calendar: AAUW 24th Annual Kitchen Tour and 3 more events.

Today's riddle: What has a cap but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Plenty of sunshine, with a high of 80 and low of 47 degrees.
  • Sunday: Plenty of sunshine, temps: high: 81, low: 51.
  • Monday: Mostly sunny and very warm, with a high of 83 and low of 48 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Wyden, Merkley Press Officials for Answers on UAS Testing Pauses in Pendleton, McMinnville and Tillamook (senate.gov) — Pendleton’s UAS test range, a major revenue source for Eastern Oregon Regional Airport, is shut down while the FAA reviews safety and oversight issues tied to its Alaska-based administrator. Oregon Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley are pressing federal officials for answers and a quick resolution, warning that the pause is disrupting aerospace testing and creating serious economic uncertainty in Pendleton and other Oregon communities.
   

2. Missing Weston man found unharmed (elkhornmediagroup.com) — A Weston resident who recently traveled by bus to Pendleton with an unidentified man has been found safe, according to the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say 72-year-old Michael Hugh Jones, last seen leaving Weston after a Pendleton trip and later spotted on Walmart surveillance in Warrenton and Chehalis, is unharmed, though no further details were released.
   

3. Toiling on the trails: Volunteers play key role in maintaining wilderness paths (eastoregonian.com) — Pendleton retirees Dan Long and John Groupe are pouring their energy into keeping remote wilderness trails open in the North Fork John Day and North Fork Umatilla areas. Using only hand tools, pack mules, and plenty of stamina, they’ve cleared hundreds of downed trees and brush, improving access for hikers and riders while highlighting how much local trails now depend on aging volunteers from Pendleton and beyond.
   

4. The quiet grain revolution brewing in the Skagit Valley (cascadiadaily.com) — A fast-growing Washington flour company plans to open its new Blue Mountain Mill in Pendleton in late 2026, dramatically boosting regional flour production and partnering with Eastern Oregon farmers. For local residents, that means new jobs, more than $2 million annually to grower businesses, and a stronger role for Pendleton in the Northwest’s emerging craft grain economy.
   

📸 Around Pendleton

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

  • Burger King posted a job opening for Crew Member in Pendleton. Apply here.
  • Hallmark posted a job opening for Hallmark Merchandiser (part-time) Pendleton, OR 97801 in Pendleton. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Pendleton here.

Ok Pendleton! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What has a cap but no head?" — A bottle (Thank you Glo M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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Stay in the loop with what's happening in Pendleton

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.

Stay in the loop with what's happening in Pendleton

Never miss out on local news and events that matter to you.