Providing health care to migrant farm workers not only meets a critical need but acknowledges the important contribution these families make to the local economy, says Jon Soffer, a nurse practitioner with Mid-Columbia Medical Center. “I think it’s critical for us to give back to this community by improving their health because they are a cornerstone of the industry,” he said.

Five members of a family, including an infant, lost everything Tuesday, Dec. 20, in a fire at the house they were renting in the 1900 Block of Dry Hollow Road in the Dalles.