Oregon Government Ethics Commission

A legal fight that began over something as basic as the Alfalfa Fire District failing to make meeting minutes available within a reasonable time could end up answering a much bigger question for Oregonians.

Five current members of the Ochoco West Water & Sanitary Authority Board have entered stipulated final orders with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission over violations of Oregon’s Public Meetings Law, bringing at least part of a nearly year-long state investigation into the troubled special district to a close.

Crook County District Attorney Kari Hathorn has ordered the Crook County Vector Control District to release public records sought by the Prineville Review after finding the district failed to respond to the original request

Alfalfa Fire District officials acknowledged Wednesday night they still do not have access to critical banking records needed to determine what happened to potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in state and federal grant funding, while new questions emerged over former Fire Chief Chad LaVallee's continuing role with the district more than two months after his resignation.

The wife of Alfalfa Fire District Acting Board President Mark Laucks launched into a lengthy social media attack against critics of the embattled fire district this week, blaming residents raising concerns about its operations for the loss of emergency services and making several claims about Wednesday’s board meeting that do not appear to have actually happened.

A Prineville Review investigation has identified what appears to be undocumented meetings by a Crook County Fair Board funding committee that discussed Fair Board busines

Crook County commissioners are seeking additional information and an independent third-party review of the Crook County Vector Control District after concluding the district's response to concerns raised earlier this year failed to adequately address a series of governance, financial oversight, and public meetings questions.

The Oregon Government Ethics Commission has voted to move forward with a formal investigation into Alfalfa Fire District Chief Chad LaVallee, adding another layer to what has become a growing list of legal controversies and governance concerns surrounding the rural fire district and its leadership.

For months, the Prineville Review has been engaged in ongoing investigative reporting into the Alfalfa Fire District—most recently revealing a state investigation into alleged election law violations tied to the District, as well as documenting repeated and ongoing failures to comply with Oregon’s public meetings laws.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek on Friday issued a formal notice that she is considering vetoing a controversial public meetings bill, citing concerns that portions of the legislation could weaken government transparency.