Blood drive set for John Day

JOHN DAY — The American Red Cross will hold a two-day blood drive in John Day during the first week of the new year, and area residents can schedule appointments to give blood now.

The community blood drive will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 2, and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 944 E. Main St.

To schedule an appointment for the blood drive, call 800-733-2767 or visit RedCrossBlood.org online and enter JOHNDAYCOMMUNITY.

You can also save time by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete your pre-donation reading and health history questions on the day of your appointment.

OTEC credits $3M to members

BAKER CITY — The Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative Board of Directors has approved the return of $3 million in capital credits to its member-owners, the cooperative announced.

Capital credits are each member’s share of OTEC’s margins earned during the year. Each year, after operating expenses have been paid, the remaining margins are returned to the member’s capital credit account based on the amount they were billed during previous years. Since OTEC first began retiring capital credits in 1996, the co-op has returned $55 million to its members and communities.

Returns are applied directly to the member’s account if the amount is less than $15. Members with returns greater than $15 and no past due accounts will receive a check in the mail in mid-December.

OTEC also announced it will not raise its rates this winter.

Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative serves nearly 60,000 residents in four counties in Eastern Oregon.

Blue Mountain Eagle

Homeowner aid portal closing

SALEM — Oregon Housing and Community Services will close a key homeowner assistance program to most new applicants this week to avoid overcommitting funds, the agency announced.

The Oregon Homeowner Assistance Fund application portal will close at noon on Wednesday, Dec. 20. However, homeowners who are in active foreclosure may still be able to apply through a housing counselor.

The program has helped Oregon maintain a historically low foreclosure rate during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.

As of Dec. 4, the agency had approved 1,745 applications totaling $46.9 million in aid and had paid out $35 million of the $72 million available when the program launched, with an average award of about $27,000.

The agency is reviewing or monitoring another 859 applications that, if approved, would total around $23.2 million in assistance. The agency projects another $1.9 million would remain after that.

For more information, including a list of free certified housing counselors, visit the Homeowner Assistance Fund website at https://oregonhomeownerassistance.org/.

Blue Mountain Eagle