UNION COUNTY https://unioncountyor.gov Oregon Fri, 08 May 2026 16:50:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://unioncountyor.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/logo_border_10b-150x150.png UNION COUNTY https://unioncountyor.gov 32 32 Notice of Union County Budget Committee Meeting https://unioncountyor.gov/notice-of-union-county-budget-committee-meeting/ Fri, 08 May 2026 16:50:03 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32797 NOTICE OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING Union County & Union County Solid Waste District A public meeting of the Budget Committee of Union County and the Union County Solid Waste District, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 4:00 […]

The post Notice of Union County Budget Committee Meeting first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> NOTICE OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING
Union County & Union County Solid Waste District

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of Union County and the Union County Solid Waste District, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 will be held on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. and will continue on Wednesday, May 20, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comment from the public on the budget. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place.

The meeting will be held at 1106 K Avenue, La Grande with public attendance available. Additionally, the public may participate via video or teleconference.
Join by link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82455878293?pwd=idE4xAo5LKTktLnExOnJEhb5paDASs.1 or by calling (253) 215-8782 and entering Meeting ID: 824 5587 8293 and passcode 766084.

To provide public comment in writing; you may submit by mail to: 1106 K Avenue, La Grande or by e-mail to amoore@union-county.org. Written comments must be received by 9:00 a.m. on May 19, 2026.

A copy of the proposed budget document will be available on the Union County website www.unioncountyor.gov by May 15.

 

The post Notice of Union County Budget Committee Meeting first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> NOTICE OF PUBLIC TEST https://unioncountyor.gov/notice-of-public-test-3/ Wed, 06 May 2026 17:44:24 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32787 PRIMARY ELECTION – MAY 19, 2026 There will be a test of the ballot tally system for the May 19, Primary Election on Tuesday, May 12 at 10:00 am. This test is open to the public. If you plan to attend, please be in the Clerk’s Office prior to 10:00 am. This test will be […]

The post NOTICE OF PUBLIC TEST first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> PRIMARY ELECTION – MAY 19, 2026

There will be a test of the ballot tally system for the May 19, Primary Election on Tuesday, May 12 at 10:00 am. This test is open to the public. If you plan to attend, please be in the Clerk’s Office prior to 10:00 am.

This test will be conducted at the Union County Clerk’s Office located at 1001 4th St, Ste D in La Grande. Please contact, Union County Clerk at 541-963-1006 if you have questions.

The post NOTICE OF PUBLIC TEST first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> NOTICE OF WURA BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING https://unioncountyor.gov/notice-of-wura-budget-committee-meeting/ Wed, 06 May 2026 10:15:44 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32705 NOTICE OF WURA BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING A public meeting of the Budget Committee for the Wallowa Union Railroad Authority, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting […]

The post NOTICE OF WURA BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> NOTICE OF WURA BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING

A public meeting of the Budget Committee for the Wallowa Union Railroad Authority, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, May 13, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comment from the public on the budget. A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after May 7th at the Union County Commission Office, 1106 K Avenue, La Grande, or the Wallowa County Commission Office at 101 S. River, Enterprise between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss the proposed budget with the Budget Committee.

FY 2026-27 Budget

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89633013563?pwd=PPQU3lOUQm02oEaS1q7eEx5caLfx4N.1
Meeting ID: 896 3301 3563
Passcode: 647335

The post NOTICE OF WURA BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> Cybersecurity https://unioncountyor.gov/cybersecurity/ Tue, 05 May 2026 21:05:15 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32778 Staying safe online Please  use the links on the left for important tips on staying safe online. It is important to always hover and identify all links before clicking. You must however, know How To Read a URL in order to properly identify the link.  Hovering is the practice of hovering your mouse over a […]

The post Cybersecurity first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]>

Staying safe online

Please  use the links on the left for important tips on staying safe online.

It is important to always hover and identify all links before clicking. You must however, know How To Read a URL in order to properly identify the link.  Hovering is the practice of hovering your mouse over a link without clicking.  Doing so will display the actual link destination addres for verication.  Hovering without a mouse, such as on a mobile device works a little different and can be a little tricky.  It is best to save any hover work for a device that does have a mouse.

Malicious emails are one of the most effective methods for causing havoc.  See our Spam Identification section for important tips on recognizing them.

Always use the Email Best Practices when sending or verifying messages.

Hover Example

The post Cybersecurity first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> Spam Identification https://unioncountyor.gov/spam-identification/ Tue, 05 May 2026 20:01:29 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32743 While there are many spamming methods, there are two main types of spam which are Advertising and Malicious. Advertising Spam Advertising spam can be extremely irritating by filling up your inbox on a daily basis, but usually the messages are in fact from legitimate companies that you have unknowingly subscribed to.  Often these messages begin […]

The post Spam Identification first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]>

While there are many spamming methods, there are two main types of spam which are Advertising and Malicious.

Advertising Spam

Advertising spam can be extremely irritating by filling up your inbox on a daily basis, but usually the messages are in fact from legitimate companies that you have unknowingly subscribed to.  Often these messages begin when you order something online from a legitimate company.  During the order process there is usually an inconspicuous checkbox that says something to the effect of ‘Please send me notices about news & special offers’.  Unless you want to receive those potentially annoying messages, you will need to hunt this checkbox down and uncheck it.  Not so surprisingly, once you are on a company’s mailing list, your information is often also shared with any of its partner agencies such as advertising firms & sub-companies.  Soon thereafter you end up with an inbox full of ads from multiple companies who also share your information.  Most of the spam that makes it to your inbox is advertising from legitimate companies.

The good news about legitimate Advertising spam is that it is usually painless to stop.  Any legitimate company should include in its message a method to Unsubscribe.  Sometimes it may be a link, other times it may be an email message sent to a certain address.  The Unsubscribe options that are included in messages from legitimate companies are safe to use, and usually the messages stop within a day or two, but sometimes as long as a week.

Occasionally you may see an advertising message make it to your inbox which is not from a legitimate company.  These are usually easily recognizable and offering a deal on something like Viagra.  You would not want to use any Unsubscribe methods on a message that is not from a legitimate company.

Legitimate companies can also be faked.  Paypal, Amazon, Fed-Ex, and banks are among the frequently faked companies.  One method for identifying fakes is by paying attention to the address that pops up when you hover the mouse over a link.  If your message includes the real looking Paypal logo hover over the link without clicking and look for an address in the form of https://paypal.com/somethingsomething.   If the link shows something completely different like http://sendusyourmoney.cn/somethingsomething , or perhaps a misspelling such as https://payapal.com/somethingsomething then there is a good chance that it is a fake.  Of course you would not want to try to Unsubscribe from one of these fakes either.

Any messages that slip through the filters that are not from a legitimate company should be forwarded ‘as attachment’ to your IT department.

Any spam that continues to come in from a legitimate company after a week from using their Unsubscribe method should be forwarded to your IT department so that they can blacklist them for not playing nice.

Advertising spam review:

  • All legitimate companies should include an Unsubscribe method which is safe to use.
  • Not all messages with an Unsubscribe method are from legitimate companies.
  • Watch out for fakes of legitimate companies.
  • Use the hover method on links for proper identification prior to clicking.

Malicious Spam

Most of the malicious type spam is filtered out before it makes it to your inbox.  For this reason, the ones that do make it through can be difficult to identify. To be safe you will need to be able to recognize the main types of malicious spam which are spoofing, phishing, and malware.

 

Spoofing

Email spoofing is the practice of forging an email.  One of the reasons that email should never be considered secure is because anyone can easily use literally any name and address they like in the ‘From:’ field.  With so much of our information out on the web and social media, it is not difficult for spammers obtain the information needed to run a successful spoofing scam.

Example & Prevention

Imagine receiving the following email from your sister Sally back East who checks in regularly on your dad who is in a nursing home.

From: Sally Smith(sally.smith@verizoneast.com)

To: Sammy Smith(sammy.smith@verizonwest.com)

omg help! we need to pay dads nursing home bill before the end of day or they will move him back over to south wing!!!!.  they need 5000. I only have 3500 of it until next  friday. please can you wire over the remaining 1500 and I will pay you back next week

BankAmerica

acct# 5555-5555-5555-5555

route# 4444-44444

let me know as soon as it is done

i will call you tonight to explain everything

The scary thing about this is that the bad guys can get all the information needed to pull off a scam like this from free online sources such as Facebook & Google.  To prove the point, next time you are on your home computer, try doing a search for “Happy Birthday” on Facebook. Pick a random birthday wish with many shares, and then pick a random person that shared the wish with a sibling, parent, or child.  Once you have found a family whose pages are open to the public, take a look at how much you can learn about their family just by scouring their social media pages, and doing a few Google searches.

Using your best practices checklist would help to identify a forged message such as this.  If Sally and Sammy had made it routine practice to simply include the same signature every time, a message like this would never be convincing.  The lack of proper grammar would be the next tip off, and lastly the urgency of the message.


Phishing

Email phishing is practice of tricking their victims into providing information.  This information can then be saved for later and used for things such accessing your online bank accounts, identity theft, and other fraud. Phishing and spoofing often are used together in order create an even more authentic look.

Example & Prevention

One common phishing attack involves setting up a fake site that looks identical to your banks official website. They then send you an official looking email warning you of suspicious activity and asking you to login and verify that your accounts look normal.  They also include a convenient link that takes you to their fake site.  Once you land on their fake site and attempt to login as you normally would, they warn you to double check the password entered then redirect you over to the official website.  In doing this, they have obtained your bank login credentials, and since you are now logged into your bank where you can see your accounts, you are convinced that the message was legit, and all is well.

Using your best practices checklist would help to identify the phishing scam by hovering over the links and verifying the address before clicking.  When it comes to sites that require a login, such as banks, don’t use links from the email instead find it in your favorites, or memorize the address.  Also be very careful not to mistype web addresses as this will often lead you to a faked phishing site.


Malware

Malware spam seldom makes it to the users inbox these days, but it does still happen.  Spammers can send a file attachment that appears to be a normal file, but includes a virus, worm, or Trojan. Often these files are simply a Microsoft Word document with malicious macros.  Messages with malware are usually very informal and provide very little information about the attachment.  They often include horrible grammar and many misspellings. Malware spam can be easily identified by using your best practices checklist.

If an attachment ever pops up with a prompt asking you to ‘allow’ an activity or macro, the correct answer is to ‘not allow’, then forward the message to your IT department for closer examination if you believe it to be legitimate.


Summary

Malicious spam can be very costly to an organization.  Costs can involve significant amounts of money in addition to critical data loss.  Spam cannot be completely prevented therefore the best defense we have is to educate ourselves on its identification.

  • Memorize the best practices checklist and apply it to all incoming and outgoing messages.
  • Advertising spam is mostly harmless and can usually be prevented.
  • Learn to recognize the different types of malicious spam and handle them accordingly.
  • It is better to be safe than sorry. If you receive a questionable message forward it on to your IT department to be examined.



Best Practices Checklist

The post Spam Identification first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> Email Best Practices https://unioncountyor.gov/email-best-practices/ Tue, 05 May 2026 19:18:21 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32729 It is essential to understand, use, and expect some basic email best practices in order to prevent the costly mistake of interacting with spam. Using these practices helps to create a safe email environment for both the sender and receiver. Do not skip the formalities It is easy to get into the habit of skipping […]

The post Email Best Practices first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]>
It is essential to understand, use, and expect some basic email best practices in order to prevent the costly mistake of interacting with spam. Using these practices helps to create a safe email environment for both the sender and receiver.

Do not skip the formalities

It is easy to get into the habit of skipping formalities especially with those whom you email regularly. This can be extremely dangerous. Anyone with a desire and a quick google search can create a fake ‘From:’ name and email address.  Doing so can make an email look like it is coming from someone familiar to the recipient.  Using all of the formalities on a regular basis helps others to identify that you are actually who you say you are.
  • Use a descriptive yet brief subject line.
  • Open the message with a proper salutation addressing the person(s) you are sending to even if it is something as simple as “Hi Fred”. When sending to a group of people, if possible try to address everyone in the group with something such as “Good Morning Chamber of Commerce Members”.
  • When sending an attachment or link, describe what it is for with something such as “Here is the requested deed for Ref#12345”, or “Here is the link to access our official website https://unioncountyor.gov”
  • Use a standard signature. The signature should include your name, title, and contact information

Etiquette

  • Use proper grammar.
  • Avoid misspelling with spell check and proof reading.
  • If sending a message using a mobile device add a line such as ‘Sent from my mobile’ to the top of your signature. While doing so does not excuse poor grammar or spelling, it does let the recipient know that there is more of a potential for mistakes.
  • Avoid jargon such as ‘lol dude cu later’.
  • Keep the message professional.
  • Reply to all legitimate emails, even if it’s just a simple ‘Thank you’, or ‘I will be working on this next week’. This confirms to the sender that not only did you receive that message, but you read it as well.  It is also just polite, so that sender does not need to wait and wonder if the message was delivered.
  • Let the recipient know the purpose of your email. Do not assume that a phone conversation last week means that they have been on the edge of their seat awaiting your email.
  • Do not send email urging an immediate response. Email should not be relied on for urgent issues, and immediate response requests are one of the red flags for identifying malicious spam.

Is all of this really necessary?

Yes! Following these best practices helps us to identify each other by more than just an email address.  Just as you can learn to tell who is talking behind you by the tone of their voice, you can learn to identify fake senders by the email’s content and the way it is worded. Spammers are typically laidback when it comes to professional details. While they may get your name right, and possibly some of the other formalities, it is unlikely that they will get everything right.  It is this laid-back practice that helps us to identify spammers.

Best Practices Checklist

  • Subject line is appropriate
  • Proper opening salutation
  • Proper grammar used
  • No spelling errors
  • Description of, or reasoning for attachments/links
  • Signature including contact information
  • Hover over links to verify authenticity before clicking

This list should be applied to all outgoing messages, and also be used to help identify the authenticity of any incoming messages. 

With every missing checkmark on your list, your suspicion level about the message authenticity should rise.

The post Email Best Practices first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> How to read a URL https://unioncountyor.gov/how-to-read-a-url/ Tue, 05 May 2026 19:02:46 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32717 How to Read a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)   The most relevant information, the domain sits between the first sets of slashes. Specifically, the last period in the space between the first sets of slashes will be surrounded by two strings, such as amazon.com or union-county.org or google.com. This is the domain which is the […]

The post How to read a URL first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]>

How to Read a URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

 
  • The most relevant information, the domain sits between the first sets of slashes.

  • Specifically, the last period in the space between the first sets of slashes will be surrounded by two strings, such as amazon.com or union-county.org or google.com. This is the domain which is the actual site you are visiting.

  • It is important to be able to identify what domain you are in, as deceptive emails will send you to places that look like trusted domains, but are actually phishing sites.
Some examples of links with the domain portions highlighted.

The post How to read a URL first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> ORS 294.250 Report https://unioncountyor.gov/ors-294-250-report/ Tue, 05 May 2026 15:49:58 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=6019 PUBLIC NOTICE Information required to be published by Union County under ORS 294.250 is posted monthly and available for review by clicking the link below. Gross monthly salaries of all regular officers and employees occupying budgeted positions is posted once annually on December 31 for a period of one month. Copies of all or part […]

The post ORS 294.250 Report first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]>

PUBLIC NOTICE

Information required to be published by Union County under ORS 294.250 is posted monthly and available for review by clicking the link below.

Gross monthly salaries of all regular officers and employees occupying budgeted positions is posted once annually on December 31 for a period of one month.

Copies of all or part of the posted information may be obtained from the county upon payment of a fee not exceeding the actual costs incurred by the county in making the copies.

The post ORS 294.250 Report first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> Notice of Vector Budget Committee Meeting https://unioncountyor.gov/notice-of-vector-budget-committee-meeting/ Mon, 04 May 2026 18:54:43 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32676 NOTICE OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING Union County Vector Control District A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Union County Vector Control District, to discuss the proposed budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:25 p.m. via Zoom. The purpose […]

The post Notice of Vector Budget Committee Meeting first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> NOTICE OF BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING
Union County Vector Control District

A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the Union County Vector Control District, to discuss the proposed budget for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 will be held on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 5:25 p.m. via Zoom. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comment from the public on the budget. This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place.

The meeting is open to public attendance via Zoom teleconference.

Topic: UCVCD Budget Proposal Meeting
Time: May 14, 2026 05:15 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87520215048?pwd=5LKqBlRpbENmKeoCCgi9jmFa7ByL1p.1, or
Call (669)444-9171 and enter Meeting ID: 875 2021 5048,
Passcode: 741182

To provide public comment in writing; you may submit by mail to: 1106 K Avenue, La Grande or by e-mail to ucvectorcontrol@gmail.com. Written comments must be received by 12:00 noon on May 13, 2026.

A copy of the proposed budget is available upon request, contact 541-963-1001.

The post Notice of Vector Budget Committee Meeting first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> Community Event Funding Available for FY 2026-27 https://unioncountyor.gov/community-event-funding-available-for-fy-2026-27/ Fri, 01 May 2026 15:00:08 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32418 Community Event Funding Available for FY 2026-27 Union County is currently accepting applications for community events intended to increase economic growth and impact tourism within Union County. Eligible applicants include public sector and non-profit entities only. Funding for this program is made available through county-collected transient room tax funds. Applications are being accepted for the […]

The post Community Event Funding Available for FY 2026-27 first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> Community Event Funding Available
for FY 2026-27

Union County is currently accepting applications for community events intended to increase economic growth and impact tourism within Union County. Eligible applicants include public sector and non-profit entities only. Funding for this program is made available through county-collected transient room tax funds. Applications are being accepted for the upcoming fiscal which begins July 1, 2026 and ends June 30, 2027. Applications will be accepted beginning May 1, 2026 and will be due no later than May 31, 2026.
This program is administered by the Union County Administrative Office with funding recommendations provided by the Transient Tax Advisory Committee. Final approval of awards will be made by the Board of Commissioners.

Applications are available on the county website at https://unioncountyor.gov/ or may be picked up at the County Administrative Office at 1106 K Avenue, La Grande. Completed applications will be accepted at the county office through May 31, 2026.

Fillable Application: Transient Tax Event Application

The post Community Event Funding Available for FY 2026-27 first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> Wallowa-Union Railroad Authority Board to meet https://unioncountyor.gov/wallowa-union-railroad-authority-board-to-meet/ Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:48:36 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32405 PUBLIC NOTICE The Wallowa Union Railroad Authority board meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday May 13, 2026 at 4:00 pm. Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89633013563?pwd=PPQU3lOUQm02oEaS1q7eEx5caLfx4N.1 Meeting ID: 896 3301 3563 Passcode: 647335

The post Wallowa-Union Railroad Authority Board to meet first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> PUBLIC NOTICE

The Wallowa Union Railroad Authority board meeting will be held via Zoom on Wednesday May 13, 2026 at 4:00 pm.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89633013563?pwd=PPQU3lOUQm02oEaS1q7eEx5caLfx4N.1

Meeting ID: 896 3301 3563

Passcode: 647335

The post Wallowa-Union Railroad Authority Board to meet first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]> MERA Advisory Committee Meeting https://unioncountyor.gov/mera-advisory-committee-meeting-12/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 21:42:54 +0000 https://unioncountyor.gov/?p=32391 The MERA Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Misener Conference Room located at 1001 4th street in La Grande.  All meetings of this committee are open to the public. Attendance is also possible via the Zoom link below. Zoom webinar: When: May 5, 2026 06:00 PM Pacific […]

The post MERA Advisory Committee Meeting first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]>

The MERA Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Misener Conference Room located at 1001 4th street in La Grande.  All meetings of this committee are open to the public. Attendance is also possible via the Zoom link below.

Zoom webinar:

When: May 5, 2026 06:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Topic:  Mt Emily Recreation Area – Advisory Committee Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81676029462?pwd=NT622na8F6WIgyah07kYbSNxuyeN4Q.1

+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

Webinar ID: 816 7602 9462

Passcode: 705564

 

Agenda May 5, 2026

The post MERA Advisory Committee Meeting first appeared on UNION COUNTY.

]]>