Standing in the Gap for Oregon

Grass Valley Cemetery, Sherman County, OR Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Matthew 18: 19-20 Coming into Sherman County we are once again in one of the least populated counties in the state, a county bordered by three rivers, the John Day, Deschutes, and Columbia, and known for wheat farming and windfarms. Biggs Junction, a stopping place along the Columbia and I-84, is probably the most familiar place in Sherman County, but going south along Highway 97 travelers encounter the towns of Moro – the county seat – and Wasco, the biggest town in the county. You can read more about the early history and the early churches of Sherman County here , here , and here . Sherman County, OR Sherman County is one of the dwindling number of Oregon counties operating under the County Court system with two commiss...

Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them . Psalm 126:6 NIV The geographical heart of Oregon includes Crook County, Deschutes, and Jefferson. We are taking a look at Jefferson County. You can see earlier posts here , here , and here . The photo, right, is of Ashwood Church, in Ashwood, a ghost town about thirty miles northeast of Madras. The elected officials of Jefferson County include the three County Commissioners, Mark Wunsch, Wayne Fording, and Kelly Simmelink . Katherine Zemke is the County Clerk, and Steven Leriche is the District Attorney. The Sheriff’s Office Patrol Division sometimes only has one deputy for the entire county on duty, but they are working to increase the division so that there can be at least two at any given time, both for the safety of the officers and to meet the community's needs. Currently, the jail in Jefferson County has a population of around 70 inmates daily. The Sheriff is Jas...

Deschutes County, Oregon. Charlotte Lake The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; Isaiah 35:1 Just to the west of Crook County is Deschutes, which has the distinction of being the youngest county in the state, created in 1916, and is also the fastest growing. The population has exploded to nearly 200,000 in recent years, and the county is now considered the political and economic center of Central Oregon. Bend is the county seat. The other incorporated towns are La Pine, Redmond, and Sisters. You can read more about Deschutes County history here , here, and here . Deschutes County, OR A recent letter in the Bend Bulletin pointed out that the county has had three commissioner positions since 1971 when Deschutes County had about 30,000 population. It now has over 200,000 but is still represented by three commissioners, spreading representation pretty thin. The county has already made changes in the county board, ...

Crook County, Oregon Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9 Crook County, the geographical heart of Oregon, is seeing a jump in population . While the western counties, like Multnomah and Washington, are losing people, Crook County, from 2020 to 2023, grew 9% in population. Some of this was due to the Pandemic as the central part of the state – Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson Counties – was considered a haven for remote work in Oregon. There has also been an increase due to the newly built data centers. The downside is that this influx of people has brought a huge jump in real estate prices with the average home in Bend or Prineville increasing as much as $100,000.   Prineville is the county seat of Crook County. Read more about Crook County here , here , and here . Crook County, Oregon The Crook County government, like several in eastern Oregon, has been of the old County Judge type with one judge and two Commissioners. The County Jud...

Highway 207-Wheeler County Oregon The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, And the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; Isaiah 35:1 The population of Wheeler County, just south of Gilliam County, hovers around 1400 making it the least populated county in the state. In addition to that, it has an aging population with the young folks leaving the area for better opportunities elsewhere. It is, however, a popular tourist destination with fossil beds and national forests for recreation. The county seat is the town of Fossil. We’ve talked about Wheeler’s beautiful high desert areas here , here , and here. Wheeler County, Oregon Wheeler County is governed by the County Court system. The current Judge is N. Lynn Morley who serves with commissioners Clinton Dyer and Ben Logan . Sherrif Mike Smith was elected in 2020 and his term ends in 2024. Three deputies and some reserve officers make up the law enforcement in Wheeler County. Back in 2012, Wheeler County e...