Sheila Hagar

3 weeks ago | eastoregonian.com | Sheila Hagar

Published 7:00 am Monday, March 31, 2025 Rural communities lack veterinarians; suicide rates, clinical depression high in the professionSpice was not very happy to be at the Animal Urgent Care on Highway 11 in Milton-Freewater on a recent Friday morning. Cory Egan and Erika Long’s cat, adopted from the Pendleton Animal Welfare Society, gets care in Milton-Freewater from veterinarian Kelli Kidd. Kidd owns the walk-in urgent care clinic with partner and veterinarian Patrick Kennedy.

1 month ago | eastoregonian.com | Sheila Hagar

On Friday things looked traditional enough at the Weston Public Library. Library Director Heather Culley sat criss-cross applesauce as youngsters listened to weekly storytime, shouting out their delight for stories like “Wild Boars Cook” and “Brenda Is a Sheep.”It’s not the usual library fare that brings me to Heather’s domain, though. It’s the cooking. This winter recipes started popping up on the library’s Facebook page.

Jan 19, 2025 | eastoregonian.com | Sheila Hagar

Brent Oliver refuses to die. And since things that should’ve killed him haven’t, the Milton-Freewater man is using every breath he has for the good of people and communities. To fulfill what he sees as his mission, Brent has created the nonprofit “Brent Oliver 541 Foundation” as an avenue of help for others. Plus, despite being painfully introverted, he’s working with a film company to produce a documentary.

Jan 18, 2025 | eastoregonian.com | Sheila Hagar

MILTON-FREEWATER — Nearly 15 months past its projected completion date, the ne isn’t, actually, complete. Voters approved the $7.7 million building bond in 2021 for the new build, and a grant from the state of Oregon put another $3 million into the pot. Residents were told the station, situated on a former vacant lot behind City Hall on Main Street, would be done by October, 2023.

Dec 3, 2024 | eastoregonian.com | Sheila Hagar

UMATILLA COUNTY — Courtney Waliser could hardly wait for her job with Oregon State University to begin. After 16 years of teaching in Milton-Freewater’s public schools, much of that in dual-language classrooms, this past summer Waliser took a new position to match a long-held belief — that 4-H should include every child who wants to join. While the role is officially titled “associate professor of practice,” that sounds like “cheerleader for inclusivity” to Waliser.