The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office will be joining the Oregon Department of Transportation’s radio system as it moves from analog to digital communications. By joining with ODOT the cost to upgrade will be just over $404,000 with an annual $33,000 payment to ODOT for operation and maintenance, compared with the County spending over $1.2 million to build out its own system. Commissioner Scott Hege says the upgrade will have many benefits. The current analog system will remain in use as a backup and for use by smaller agencies.