Eastern Oregon community projects receives over four million dollars in federal allocations

By Garrett Christensen on Monday, March 9th, 2026 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News

EASTERN OREGON – U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley recently announced a 92-million-dollar federal funding allocation for community projects across Oregon. For Oregon’s easternmost counties, Wallowa, Union, Baker, and Malheur, six projects were selected to receive, totaling $4,092,000 million dollars locally.

These allocations include $1,500,000 for Valley Family Health Care in Nyssa, $1,356.000 dollars for Grande Ronde Hospital in La Grande, $500,000 for Wallowa Resources in Enterprise, $400,00 for Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, $173,000 for the City of Sumpter, and $163,000 for the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center in La Grande.

More details on the specific projects, as described in a recent release from Jeff Merkley’s office, are as follows:

$1,500,000 for Valley Family Health Care, Inc. to construct a modern facility in Nyssa that will integrate medical, behavioral, and dental care. This will replace the current facilities in Nyssa which are aging and spread out. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, this new facility will serve medically underserved people living in rural Eastern Oregon.

$1,356,000 to Grand Ronde Hospital to purchase a new nuclear medicine machine. The nuclear medicine machine is used every day at the hospital to diagnose and treat disease, and the current machine is operating past its intended lifespan. A new machine would give Grande Ronde Hospital the capability to reduce treatment time by half and serve more patients.

$500,000 to Wallowa Resources to renovate an apartment building in the rural community of Enterprise to ensure that these rental units remain affordable. Wallowa County has a shortage of affordable workforce housing, and this project will help employers attract permanent and seasonal workers to the County.

$400,000 for Eastern Oregon University to support its Early College Initiatives program. This program works with students in grades 6–11 in rural areas to transition to higher education and into the workforce through hands-on learning, personalized guidance, and partnerships.

$173,000 to the City of Sumpter to renovate its Community Center. Surrounded by forests on all sides, upgrades to this central building are needed to keep the community safe and healthy in light of increased wildfire and smoke threats.

$163,000 for the Northeast Oregon Area Health Education Center (NEOAHEC) to purchase an Advanced Maternal and Neonatal Simulation System. Much of this project will allow NEOAHEC to provide obstetric and maternal health training for healthcare professionals in rural Eastern Oregon.

In a recent response to the funding, Wallowa Resources Executive Director Nils Christofferson would specifically comment:

“Wallowa Resources and Working Homes extend our heartfelt gratitude to Oregon’s Senators for securing essential funding for our rural community. This vital support will address the shortage of affordable housing for both our workforce and retired population. With these capital investments, we will enhance the safety, energy efficiency, and overall livability of Wallowa County’s last remaining affordable open-market apartment building”