Antonio Sierra
Antonio grew up in the Los Angeles area but has spent nearly his entire journalistic career working in rural areas. After stints in California and New Mexico, he moved to Pendleton in 2014 to work at the East Oregonian. Antonio became OPB's first rural communities reporter in 2022. He is especially interested in Eastern Oregon's emerging communities and changing demographics, and the resource gap between the region and its urban neighbors.
Latest Stories

Oregon lawmakers passed governor’s groundwater bill, but not without defections
Gov. Tina Kotek’s attempt to provide the first major update to Oregon’s groundwater law in more than 35 years made it through a challenging legislative session, but not before sacrificing support from environmental groups.

Nuclear energy push stalls out, but opponents sense a ‘shift’ in Oregon
Legislation to allow small modular nuclear reactors comes as the tech industry has growing power needs for data centers.

Friends of the Children mentoring program expands to Eastern Oregon
At a time when many social services are contracting, La Grande is getting a new program to help kids
Pendleton powers wastewater plant with ‘solar canopy’
The Eastern Oregon city hopes solar energy will eventually supply electricity to all plant operations.

Grant County moves to cut funding for its only public library
One of Oregon’s most sparsely populated counties has seen a contraction of public services in recent years. The county's library director said losing county funding could close the library.

Frustrated with perceived disrespect, Umatilla mayor sues his own city
Mayor Caden Sipe says the city violated his First and 14th amendment rights by censuring him, among other accusations.

Oregon leaders agree the Lower Umatilla Basin’s nitrates are a crisis. But the funds aren’t there
For decades, waste carrying nitrates from large livestock farms, food processing facilities and irrigated farms has seeped through the Lower Umatilla Basin’s soil and into the groundwater below.

Malheur County is on the brink of becoming a ‘news desert’ as local papers close, change hands
The Malheur Enterprise in Vale shutters while the Argus Observer in Ontario explores a sale.

Governor turns ‘lessons’ from Eastern Oregon nitrate crisis into a reform bill
Senate Bill 1154 centralizes the state’s response to groundwater pollution, but hundreds of private well owners oppose it.
Who’s responsible for the levee that failed in Harney County’s flood? No one
Before a historic flood damaged at least 950 homes in the Burns area, prevention efforts went unfunded.