Reporter Davis Carbaugh had the week’s biggest story: A look at Idaho Power’s filing about a dozen civil petitions in Union County Circuit Court to gain access to private property in order to conduct surveys and examinations on the land. The move is related to the company’s proposed Boardman to Hemingway transmission line. The company’s verbiage in the petitions indicates that work could begin as early as 2023, if approved.

Reporter Dick Mason has been busy following the progress of the Imbler School Board as it named a new superintendent this week — and the name should be one that’s fairly familiar to Union County residents.

The school bard on Tuesday, Feb. 15, voted unanimously to approve the hiring of Randy Waite as its next superintendent. Waite, who has deep Northeastern Oregon roots, is completing his second year as assistant principal at Phoenix High School in Phoenix, 5 miles southeast of Medford.

Waite, who has signed a two-year contract with the Imbler School District, grew up in Pendleton and is an Eastern Oregon University graduate, He taught for three years at La Grande High School and was the Tigers’ head football coach in 2001 and 2002.

Coming up next week, Davis is working on an update to the Red Apple forest management project at Mount Emily Recreation Area.