Thank you for your interest in reading The Observer. Here are a few stories that you might have missed this week:

One of the more popular stories online has been Dick Mason’s report on the Northeast Oregon Public Transit’s plan to significantly increase the scope of the transportation service it offers from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. The new system would expand the area buses would travel to in part by allowing bus drivers to deviate from the fixed route, for up to three fourths of a mile, to pick up or deliver passengers.

Isabella Crowley reported on the increase in trash disposal fees the La Grande City Council approved. The increase, 7.1%, mirrors the increase in the 2022 Consumer Price Index, Larvik said. Over the past year, Waste-Pro has seen increases to operating costs across the board — including for fuel, labor and equipment. This is the second increase in a year for Waste-Pro. In February 2022, Waste-Pro increased prices by 12%.

Looking ahead to next week, we’re going to have a feature about the new Oregon Department of Transportation building being built to replace one lost to a fire.

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