Latest news with #Pendleton
Associated Press
3 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Oregon UAS Accelerator Unveils Game-Changing Summer 2025 Cohort: 4 Startups Set to Transform Unmanned Systems Industry
Revolutionary companies tackle $20B+ markets in wildfire response, mineral discovery, powerline infrastructure, and airspace security 'This cohort represents the most promising collection of UAS technologies we've ever assembled,'— Joseph Wyno, Executive Director Oregon UAS Accelerator PENDELTON, OR, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2025 / / -- The Oregon UAS Accelerator today announced four breakthrough companies selected for its prestigious Summer 2025 cohort, representing cutting-edge solutions poised to revolutionize industries from emergency response to critical mineral exploration. The cohort will be officially introduced at the Ascent to Excellence III event on June 13, 2025, at the world-renowned Pendleton UAS Test Range. This elite group of startups collectively addresses market opportunities exceeding $200 billion, bringing transformative technologies that promise to reshape how industries approach automation, safety, and efficiency. Each company offers unique solutions to pressing global challenges, from climate-driven wildfire threats to critical mineral shortages essential for clean energy transitions. Introducing the Summer 2025 Innovators: FlyX Technologies is pioneering the world's first wireless power charging system for drones using existing powerline infrastructure, eliminating the need for costly charging stations and enabling unlimited flight range. Their proprietary electromagnetic field harvesting technology transforms powerlines into an aerial charging grid, offering 100 times better power-to-weight efficiency than traditional solutions. With a total addressable market of $200 billion and partnerships already established with Idaho National Laboratory and major utilities, FlyX is targeting $95 million in AI-as-a-Service revenue by 2029. FNN Aviation addresses the devastating $8 billion annual wildfire suppression challenge with their revolutionary Firebird Drone and SAFE (Suspended Autonomous Fire Extinguisher) system. Their AI-powered solution can precisely target fires from high altitudes without fanning flames, operating in dense forests and urban environments where traditional methods fail. The system represents a paradigm shift from reactive to proactive fire response, potentially saving billions in annual damages and countless lives. Outer Rim Exploration (ORE) is transforming the $70 billion mineral exploration market with AI-enabled drone-based muon tomography, reducing typical exploration costs from $100 million to under $10 million per project. Their breakthrough technology cuts discovery time from five years to less than one year while achieving a 90% reduction in failed drilling attempts. With the global demand for critical minerals surging 400% by 2030 to meet net-zero targets, ORE's solution addresses a critical supply chain bottleneck. Sentradel (formerly Hover Defense) delivers autonomous counter-drone systems targeting the rapidly expanding $20 billion global drone threat market. Their passive acoustic detection and AI-powered kinetic response technology provides 5-kilometer range protection for military bases, airports, and critical infrastructure. With applications spanning public safety, energy facilities, and national security, Sentradel addresses the urgent need for cost-effective drone defense as unauthorized UAV incidents continue to escalate. Expert Leadership Drives Innovation Forward 'This cohort represents the most promising collection of UAS technologies we've ever assembled,' said Joseph Wyno, Executive Director of the Oregon UAS Accelerator. 'These four companies aren't just building incremental improvements—they're creating entirely new paradigms that will define the future of unmanned systems across multiple critical industries.' The diversity and market potential of this cohort reflects the accelerator's strategic focus on dual-use technologies that serve both commercial and defense applications. From FlyX's infrastructure-agnostic charging solutions to ORE's space-capable mineral detection technology, each company demonstrates scalability from local applications to global deployment. Comprehensive Support Accelerates Market Entry Selected companies receive the Oregon UAS Accelerator's comprehensive $165,000 benefit package, including a $40,000 non-dilutive grant, access to $75,000 worth of flight testing at the Pendleton UAS Test Range, expert mentorship, and regulatory support. The 12-week intensive program culminates with the Pendleton Investor Round-Up on September 10, 2025, coinciding with the world-famous Pendleton Round-Up Rodeo. 'Our accelerator provides more than funding—we offer startups access to 14,000 square miles of unrestricted airspace, world-class testing facilities, and connections to industry leaders and investors,' added Wyno. 'This infrastructure advantage, combined with Oregon's business-friendly environment, creates the ideal conditions for UAS innovation to flourish.' Strategic Timing Capitalizes on Market Momentum The announcement comes as the unmanned systems industry experiences unprecedented growth, driven by increasing demand for automation, infrastructure monitoring, and emergency response capabilities. The Oregon UAS Accelerator's track record of supporting successful startups positions this cohort to capture significant market share in rapidly expanding sectors. The Ascent to Excellence III event on June 13, 2025, from 4:30-6:30 PM, will provide attendees with exclusive insights into these breakthrough technologies and networking opportunities with industry leaders, government officials, and potential investors. About the Oregon UAS Accelerator The Oregon UAS Accelerator is Oregon's premier program for unmanned aerial systems innovation, dedicated to positioning Pendleton as a global hub for UAS development. Through world-class resources, strategic mentorship, and cutting-edge testing capabilities at the Pendleton UAS Test Range, the accelerator empowers startups to transform breakthrough technologies into market-ready solutions. Funded by Business Oregon, the program has supported numerous successful companies across defense, agriculture, infrastructure, and emergency response sectors. Event RSVP: For Ascent to Excellence III registration and media credentials, visit or contact the Oregon UAS Accelerator directly. Chris Ponzillo Oregon UAS Accelerator +1 714-614-2646 email us here Visit us on social media: LinkedIn YouTube X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Axios
4 days ago
- Business
- Axios
Trump's student visa pause threatens restaurant staffing
Since reopening in 2014, Brennan's Restaurant in the French Quarter has struggled to stay fully staffed — but general manager Christian Pendleton says they've gotten closer in recent years thanks to overseas recruiting. Why it matters: Now, that's in jeopardy as the Trump administration cracks down on the student visas that Brennan's and others in the hospitality industry use to fill their ranks. Catch up quick: Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a directive this week ordering U.S. embassies to pause student visa applications, Axios' Jason Lalljee reports. The Trump administration is also considering requiring a review of visa applicants' social media. State of play: At Brennan's, which needs about 250 people to operate, the restaurant hires staff as interns through culinary and hospitality schools in the students' home countries. Once here, they work through a yearlong track either in front-of-house hospitality or in the kitchen, owner Ralph Brennan tells Axios New Orleans. The students, Brennan said, earn the same wages and benefits as their local counterparts. How it works: The visas that interns for Brennan's and other hospitality industry employers use fall under the J-1 category, which is impacted by the pause. F-1 visas are for those enrolled in academic programs, such as at colleges and universities, and J-1 visas are for those enrolled in specific educational exchange programs. What they're saying:"We were worried about places that could take students just to use them as cheap labor, but we don't feel that way," said Princes Arevalo, a previous Brennan's exchange staffer, in a 2016 conversation with The Times-Picayune's Ian McNulty. "We feel lucky to be here, because they have a program and a plan for us." Brennan declined to connect Axios New Orleans with a current student out of concern for their visa status. Flashback: Soon after the restaurant's 2014 reopening, Pendleton went to Brennan with an idea to explore hiring students from overseas. "Ralph was apprehensive," Pendleton said during a media event this week. "He wanted Americans to have these jobs, especially New Orleanians." But, eventually, as hiring remained difficult, Brennan relented, telling him to "give it a shot," Pendleton recalled. Pendleton hit the road to interview students interested in learning high-end hospitality in the Southern U.S. He has since made near-annual recruiting trips. The first group of students came from the Philippines. Soon enough, others followed from Botswana, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe and South Africa, especially. "The first year … we interviewed like 600 kids," Pendleton said, noting that the hiring source has been especially valuable since the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, the interns have become a unique part of Brennan's staff as they experience life in New Orleans and exchange cultural experiences — especially food — with their new colleagues. By the numbers: Today, about 10% of Brennan's staff are J-1 visa holders, Brennan says, which is the most the government allows. If their ability to continue the program disappears, Brennan says, "it will have an impact." "It won't be crushing," he clarifies, "but I hope it doesn't [disappear] because it's been a very successful program for us." What we're watching: It's not clear when the Trump administration will lift its pause on visa application interviews. "I don't know what [the post-pause] process will be, but we've had no trouble with any of these individuals because they're here to learn," Brennan said. "They ask a lot of questions, they work really hard, they want to learn and take their skills back to their home country."
Business Upturn
5 days ago
- General
- Business Upturn
'Infinite Prayer' the Latest American Indian College Fund Student-Designed Pendleton Blanket is Now Available for Purchase
Denver, Colo., May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2024 winning Tribal College Blanket Design, Infinite Prayer, designed by Jenabah Yazzie (Diné), is now available for purchase. Chosen from over 40 submissions, the blanket is the latest addition to Pendleton Woolen Mills' American Indian College Fund collection. The heritage brand has created wool blankets in partnership with the College Fund for more than 20 years. A portion of the sales from the blanket collection provides approximately $50,000 in annual Native student scholarships. Pendleton also contributes to a scholarship endowment that, combined with the total of scholarships disbursed, exceeds $2.5 million. Yazzie is a psychology major at Diné College focused on behavior and the functions of the mind. She decided to enter the design contest after seeing the blanket of a previous winner online. Her late father's passion for making art served as her inspiration, and the love of her ancestors is referenced in the design itself. 'By creating this I hope it instills the warmth and prayers that our grandparents put down for us,' Yazzie said. 'Let this be a reminder that they are still here amongst us, their spirits can be felt while we pray.' Through her design, Yazzie honors the morning time: the time of day when Navajo are taught to give offerings before the sunrise. The colors of the blanket represent hayoołkááł (dawn). The white border of the blanket represents the strength of prayer with the black and white design along the border depicting the love and protection of the Holy People. The four rectangles in the center of the blanket symbolize the thoughts and prayers of the people with the stars in the center of each rectangle representing the Star People, to remind us that we are never alone. Yazzie explained that prayer is always in motion which led to the name Infinite Prayer. Learn more about Yazzie's blanket design at As the winner of the Tribal College Blanket Design Contest, Yazzie received a $5,000 scholarship, $2,000 for books and incidentals, and six blankets for her design portfolio. 'I want to thank the American Indian College Fund and Pendleton for this amazing opportunity not only for myself but for all of the little rez kids out there waiting to live a big dream and pursue something in life,' Yazzie said. The Tribal College Blanket Design Contest is an annual contest open to all Native TCU students. Applications open every November on the College Fund's website at The contest seeks to create greater recognition for promising Native student artists' work, to provide valuable design experience working with an internationally known brand, and to give students scholarships and cash awards to assist with college costs. The program also helps the College Fund and Pendleton honor the richness of Native arts, cultures, and stories by sharing original Native student designs with the public. 'Infinite Prayer' can be purchased online at and in select Pendleton retail stores. About Pendleton Woolen Mills Pendleton Woolen Mills is a heritage lifestyle brand and the leader in wool blankets, apparel and accessories. Weaving in Oregon since 1863 and located in Portland, Oregon, Pendleton weaves iconic designs in two of America's remaining woolen mills located in Pendleton, Oregon and Washougal, Washington. With six generations of family ownership, Pendleton is focused on their 'Warranted to Be a Pendleton' legacy, creating quality lifestyle products with timeless classic styling. Inspiring individuals from the Pacific Northwest and beyond for 160 years, Pendleton products are available at Pendleton stores across the US, select retailers worldwide, and on About the American Indian College Fund — The American Indian College Fund has been the nation's largest charity supporting Native higher education for 35 years. The College Fund believes 'Education is the answer' and provided $20.5 million in scholarships and other direct student support for access to a higher education steeped in Native culture and values to American Indian students in 2023-24. Since its founding in 1989 the College Fund has provided more than $349 million in scholarships, programs, community, and tribal college support. The College Fund also supports a variety of programs at the nation's 34 accredited tribal colleges and universities, which are located on or near Indian reservations, ensuring students have the tools to graduate and succeed in their careers. The College Fund consistently receives top ratings from independent charity evaluators. It earned a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, a Gold Seal of Transparency from Guidestar, and the 'Best in America Seal of Excellence' from the Independent Charities of America. The College Fund was also named as one of the nation's top 100 charities to the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit Reporters: The American Indian College Fund does not use the acronym AICF. On second reference, please use the College Fund. Photo 1: Jenabah Yazzie with her award-winning Pendleton Blanket Design. Photo 2: Infinite Prayer blanket design. Attachments Infinite Prayer Blanket Jenabah Yazzie with Infinite Prayer Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with GlobeNewswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Trump cuts halt local overnight weather forecasts for Eastern WA, OR
The National Weather Service office providing forecasts and hazardous weather warnings for the greater Tri-Cities area will no longer be staffed at night because of Trump administration job cuts and a federal hiring freeze. The office in Pendleton, Ore., serves one of the largest areas outside of Alaska. Its Washington state service area includes Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Yakima, Columbia, Kittitas and Klickitat counties. It also covers 11 counties in Eastern Oregon, including Umatilla and Morrow counties. The Washington Post reported Friday that it is one of about seven areas in the nation where overnight forecasting will no longer be done. It said that other weather service offices, many of which also have had staff cuts, will provide overnight coverage for offices that are no longer staffed around the clock. In the Pacific Northwest other offices include those in Seattle, Spokane, Portland, Boise and Medford, Ore. The weather service office in Pendleton tracks and forecasts hazardous weather conditions and issues alerts and warnings for hail storms, wind storms, thunderstorms, flooding, heat waves, ice storms, freezing rain, heavy snowfall and blowing dust or snow that can reduce visibility on roadways and cause dangerous pileups. Information is important to commuters, outdoor workers, farmers with crops and animals to protect, and school officials deciding whether classes should be canceled, among others. The weather service also provides information on changing weather conditions critical to fighting wildland fires in the shrub steppe land of Eastern Washington and forest fires in the Blue Mountains. Overnight staffing at the Pendleton office of the weather service, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will end this week, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., said Friday night. 'The Trump administration's dismantling of the NOAA workforce is crippling the National Weather Service,' she said in a statement. 'It is unacceptable that the weather forecast office for central Washington state will no longer have enough meteorologists to staff overnight shifts, which will jeopardize local forecasts and warning information which is imperative for firefighters, transportation workers, the public and emergency managers,' she said. She called on the Trump administration to immediately approve NOAA's request for a public safety exemption and lift the hiring freeze. At a hearing in February for the confirmation of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, she asked if he believed NOAA should be dismantled as called for in Project 2025. 'Mr. Lutnick gave very tepid support for NOAA,' she said then. Cantwell, the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, sent him a letter then saying that the Jan. 20 executive order instituting a hiring freeze for all federal civilian employees should be lifted for NOAA, due to 'the critical role that agency plays in public safety and supporting our economy.' 'NOAA is the nation's leading scientific agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring our oceans and atmosphere, managing our fisheries, restoring our coasts, and supporting maritime commerce,' the letter said. 'NOAA products and services, such as forecasts, are crucial to the U.S. economy and affect more than one-third of America's gross domestic product.' Last year there were 27 weather disasters in the nation that cost more than $1 billion each and led to 568 deaths, she said. The National Weather Service had no one available Saturday to provide information on staffing changes.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pendleton Heights Middle School hosts Build Your Future Trades Day
PENDLETON — The sounds of hammers banging and paintbrushes swiping against wood filled the halls at Pendleton Heights Middle School Friday morning. Instead of opening their textbooks, about 350 seventh graders donned hardhats and goggles to learn about career opportunities in the trades. The school held its second Build Your Future Trades Day, a day-long event designed to give students information about different trade programs and the chance to receive hands-on training from 90 trade workers, as well as 40 student volunteers from D26 Career Center and Pendleton Heights High School. Activities during the day included include laying down concrete, building and painting birdhouses and building picnic tables, as well as staining ones built last year. Karen Shreves, who runs the event through the Madison County Builders Association and is an owner of Midwest Remodeling, said when her son was young, she knew he was meant for the trades. At around two years old, he would find pieces of string to link his toy tractors and trucks into a line to tow them. 'That is who we want to reach. Even if they are a strong student, there are more things than just test scores. There are different measurements in life, and here are all these available options.' Many states are facing a decline in workers joining the trade. According to an Associated Builders and Contractors press release, the construction unemployment rate was 5.4% for March 2025, the same rate as last year. Nineteen states had lower construction unemployment rates, while 25 had higher unemployment rates and six states remained the same. Build Your Future is a program backed by the Indiana Construction Roundtable. Shreves said Build Your Future originally held the event as a six-week club, but Shreves and her sister, Beth Carey, wanted to turn it into a one-day event. They were able to do that through state funding. 'BYF got the funds to be able to hire some teachers who then created this curriculum,' Shreves said. 'That is where state funds really matter, because we did not even know where to start, and once they created that, we were like, 'We can totally modify this and make it a day, and we can make it a day with every single student.' ' Mark Hall, superintendent at South Madison Community School Corp., said there is great value in introducing students 'to different opportunities they might have after they graduate.' 'I think a lot of times, the focus is too much on four-year colleges,' Hall said. 'Although a four-year college degree can oftentimes also end up in a job in the trades, I think it is really important to show them there are a lot of opportunities out there to make a really good living that do not necessarily require a four-year degree.' T.J. Price, a seventh-grade health and wellness teacher, said it is good to get students exposed to the trades. 'There are some that are more hands-on than others that you can tell this is for them,' Price said, 'but even some of the kids that would surprise you that I have in class, they are still participating and learning. They are definitely enjoying it.' Hall said his district has seen more students go to D26 Career Center in the last two or three years. 'We have always tried to make our program a comprehensive program,' Hall said. 'We try to provide the opportunity for kids to be college- or career-ready when they leave, but in the last couple years, one thing we have seen is an increase in the number of students going to the area career center. 'I think part of that is because, even though we have always tried to make our students aware of the trades, I think it has been a more concerted effort in the last few years.' In the future, Shreves hopes to bring more trades to participate in the event, as well as bringing the program to more seventh grade students in different schools.
