grants

Months after Oregon lawmakers approved $1 million for horse-racing facilities in Crook County, county officials still have not accepted the money and are now considering whether to ask the Legislature to change how the grant is awarded.

A company that supplied the Alfalfa Fire District with approximately $165,000 in new breathing equipment to protect firefighters says it has not been paid anything for the purchase more than half a year after the district publicly celebrated receiving the equipment that its former chief Chad LaVallee claimed was paid for through a federal FEMA grant.

The Alfalfa Fire District was not among the agencies selected for Oregon’s 2026 wildfire season staffing grants, with state officials confirming the decision was tied to ongoing inquiries by multiple state agencies into the district.

St. Charles Health System has awarded more than $143,000 in Community Benefit grants to 34 local organizations across Central Oregon, funding programs focused on basic needs, community connection, and reducing loneliness and social isolation.