Vehicle-caused vandalism reported at Pioneer Park and Benton Park, La Grande
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, January 2nd, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE — (Press release from La Grande Parks and Recreation) The La Grande Parks & Recreation Department is reporting significant damage to two city parks caused by a vehicle or vehicles over the past couple of days.
Sometime during the night of December 30, the soccer field located next to the pavilion at Pioneer Park was damaged. A similar incident occurred during the night of December 31 at Benton Park, resulting in additional damage to park play fields.
“It’s always frustrating when people damage places meant for kids and families,” said Parks & Recreation Director Stu Spence. “Due to the nature of the damage, repairs will need to wait until spring, and the affected areas may take more than a year to fully recover.”
The damage impacts areas that are heavily used by youth sports programs and families throughout the community. Parks & Recreation staff will continue to assess the sites and develop repair plans as conditions allow.
Anyone with information related to these incidents is encouraged to contact the La Grande Parks & Recreation Department or the La Grande Police Department.
