WALLA WALLA—The Walla Walla Sheriff’s Office (WWSO) is pleased to announce the award of two grants to be used for the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)/Radio Repeater project. The two grants come from the Wildhorse Foundation for $10,000.00 and the Walla Walla Sheriff’s Foundation for $9,000.

This project entails the research, procurement, and operation of a drone with heavy lifting capabilities sufficient to fly to 200 feet with a powered tether while lifting a radio repeater.

Radio transmissions from remote areas in the county are problematic or, in some cases, impossible. By having an unmanned...