FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2019
O REGON IN B RIEF
From wire reports
State shuts down
illegal vape oil
operation near Dexter
DEXTER — State and
federal offi cials discovered
and dismantled an illegal
marijuana processing opera-
tion in rural Lane County.
The Oregonian/Oregon-
Live reports Oregon State
Police searched a makeshift
outdoor operation last week
near Dexter, where they
found about 216 pounds of
marijuana extracts, two oil
extraction machines and 10
guns.
They also found items
related to manufacturing
and selling counterfeit vape
cartridges, according to the
agency that regulates mari-
juana, the Oregon Liquor
Control Commission.
The agency says the
facility was not licensed to
process cannabis.
La Grande
1980-2019
Wendy Sue Cox Booth, 39,
of La Grande, died Oct. 12
in Soldotna, Alaska, due to a
traffi c accident.
A viewing will
be held from
12:30 p.m. to
1:45 p.m. Nov. 9
followed by a fu-
neral at 2 p.m.
at La Grande First Christian
Church.
Wendy was born Feb. 8,
1980, in Monticello, Arkan-
sas, to Charles and Cheri
(Dreher) McCain. She moved
UPCOMING FUNERALS
AND VISITATIONS
Sponsored by
Nov. 2
Tyler Kahut:
11 a.m. memorial
service, Island City
Lighthouse Pentecostal
Church; potluck follows.
Virginia “Tobie”
Williams:
2 p.m. celebration of life,
Elgin Stampede Hall;
casual dress preferred.
Nov. 8
Thomas Hiatt:
1-1:45 p.m. viewing,
followed by 2 p.m.
funeral, Loveland
Funeral Chapel, La
Grande.
Nov. 12
Phillip
Mendiguren:
2 p.m. Rosary and
Mass of Christian
Burial, Our Lady of the
Valley Catholic Church,
La Grande.
Democrats renew effort on cap-and-trade
By Sam Stites
The U.S. Drug Enforce-
ment Administrations
Eugene offi ce helped state
police in the bust, along with
the Lane County Sheriff's Of-
fi ce. Allegations against two
people are now in the hands
of the county prosecutors
offi ce.
Owner of Creswell
horse center arrested,
61 horses seized
CRESWELL — A total
of 61 horses were removed
Wednesday from DeLeon-
ardo Training Center in
Creswell.
The Register-Guard reports
property owner Gwenyth
Davies was arrested and cited
in lieu of custody for second-
degree animal neglect.
The Lane County Sheriff’s
Offi ce says deputies went
to the center and seized the
severely neglected horses.
O BITUARIES
Wendy S. (McCain)
Cox Booth
THE OBSERVER — 3A
LOCAL
to La Grande in 1984 with
her mother and graduated
from La Grande High School
in 1998. Wendy attended on-
line classes with the Univer-
sity of Phoenix and received
an associate of arts degree
in health care administra-
tion in 2010 and a bachelor
of science degree in health
administration in 2012. She
had hoped to pursue her
doctorate at a later time.
Wendy had her fi rst son,
Damian Hurst, with Joseph
Hurst in 2000. She married
Jacob Cox in 2007 and had
her second son, Gabriel Cox,
in 2008. After her divorce,
she spent the rest of her
years raising her boys.
Wendy worked at JCPen-
ney, Bi-Mart and Bealls
before and after graduat-
ing from high school. She
enjoyed working with people
and was also a caregiver for
individuals with disabilities.
Wendy loved her sons
more than anything. As
a family, they spent time
camping and visiting the
Oregon Coast and Roar-
ing Springs. Her interests
included crocheting, painting
and exploring any mountain
she could get her car up.
Surviving relatives
include her husband, Trevor
Booth of Michigan; mother,
Cheri McCain of La Grande;
sons, Damian Hurst and Ga-
briel Cox, both of La Grande;
half brother, Edward McCain
of Utah; and numerous
aunts, uncles and cousins in
Arkansas, California, Florida
and Oregon.
She was preceded
in death by her father,
Charles McCain; paternal
grandparents, James and
Wannette McCain; and
maternal grandparents,
Dalbert Dreher and Betty
Counsell.
Online condolences may
be made to the family at
www.lovelandfuneralchapel.
com.
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — The next session of the Oregon Legislature
is expected to begin the way the last one ended, with a dra-
matic clash between Democrats and Republicans over the
future of carbon emissions.
Sen. Michael Dembrow, D-Portland, is reworking a pro-
posal to create a cap-and-trade program in Oregon for con-
sideration by legislators when they convene next February.
And he’s aiming political pressure at Senate Republi-
cans who walked out of the 2019 Legislature in a move
that killed consideration of House Bill 2020. Dembrow was
one of the chief architects of that legislation, which would
have limited greenhouse gases, created tax incentives for
industry and would have generated millions to be used for
environmental programs.
In the four months since the 2019 session ended, Dem-
brow and his colleagues have worked to strengthen their
proposal against Republican rebuke.
He isn’t ready to share details and worries that Repub-
licans may repeat in February their no-show approach to
keep the Senate from acting.
“Until we fi x the quorum requirement, it may not be
possible for us to address climate action in the Legislature,”
Dembrow said.
Legislators may feel pressured to act in the face of three
ballot measures being proposed by environmental advocacy
group Renew Oregon. The group said it intended to submit
several thousand signatures on Wednesday as a step toward
putting before voters the elements of the 2019 legislation.
Such a tactic would sideline opponents from a role in craft-
ing Oregon’s program.
As proposed earlier this year, the cap-and-trade program
would restrict the amount of carbon dioxide that businesses
in certain industries, such as transportation, energy and
fossil fuels, are allowed to emit. It would require an 80%
reduction in emissions from 1990 levels by 2050.
Under the law, business would buy allowances for every
ton of greenhouse gas they emit more than permitted. The
state would make fewer credits available over time with the
intention of requiring businesses to pollute less.
Opponents argue the program would put undue pressure
on Oregon’s rural economies by causing higher fuel costs
and lost jobs.
Dembrow is currently working on changes to the bill that
would provide more clarity and certainty around invest-
ments and economic impacts “to address the wild allega-
tions and misinformation about cost impacts that were
distributed via social media,” he said.
One such piece of misinformation was the claim that
gas prices would rise to $5 a gallon in the fi rst year of the
program, Dembrow said. Projections from the state analysts
show gas rising by around 21 cents in the fi rst year of the
program and approximately $3 by 2050.
The idea behind those revisions, which Democrats are
holding close to the vest for the time being, is to make more
L OCAL B RIEFING
From staff reports
Cove City Council
meets Tuesday
COVE — The City of
Cove will hold its regular
council meeting at 7 p.m.
Nov. 5 at Cove City Hall,
504 Alder. Agenda items
include an update on the
hydro update and planning
a work session to discuss
the sidewalk ordinance and
snow plan.
Guest speaker
addresses livestock
nutrition at UC
Cattlemen’s meeting
ISLAND CITY — Union
County Cattlemen will
meet at 7 p.m. Nov. 4 at the
Ag Service Center in Island
City. The guest speaker,
Jake Severt, will discuss
livestock nutrition and hay
testing. Tickets ($27 each)
for the Nov. 30 annual
dinner and Cabela gift card
drawing will be available.
The meeting is open to the
public.
Meet Cook Memorial
Library’s new
director
LA GRANDE — Cook
Memorial Library will host
a meet and greet for the
new library director, Kip
Roberson, from 4 p.m. to
6 p.m. Nov. 6. The com-
munity is invited to drop
in and welcome Kip to La
Grande. Refreshments will
be provided. The library is
located at 2006 Fourth St.,
La Grande.
Public forum held on
end-of-life planning
in Oregon
LA GRANDE — A free
“End of Life Forum” will run
from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Nov. 9 in the Community
Room at Cook Memorial
Library, 2006 Fourth St.,
La Grande. Registration is
at 8:30 a.m. The forum is
meant to answer questions
such as: What type of care
do I want at the end of my
life? How do I share my end
P UBLIC S AFETY R EPORT
UNION COUNTY SHERIFF
Arrested: Guy Ronald
Griffi ths, 54, unknown address,
was arrested on a Marion Coun-
ty warrant. The warrant charged
harassing communication.
Arrested: Dalton Gene Hall,
23, unknown address, and
Anthony Morgan Mailman, 35,
unknown address, were both
arrested on parole and proba-
tion detainers.
Arrested: Glen Eymard
Thibodeau, 32, unknown ad-
dress, was arrested on three
Union County warrants. One
warrant charged second-
degree failure to appear
in court. A second warrant
charged failure to appear on
an original charge of driving
UNION COUNTY SENIOR CENTER MENU
1504 ALBANY ST., LA GRANDE
Nov. 4- 8; Lunch served 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
age 60+ $3 suggested donation; others $6
Monday: roast beef wraps with cheese and tomato,
potato salad, broccoli raisin salad, fresh fruit, chips.
Tuesday: BBQ chicken, steak fries, baked beans,
coleslaw, fresh fruit, cookies.
Wednesday: pork roast, mashed potatoes and gravy,
steamed Brussel sprouts, Jell-O, baked apples, cake.
Thursday: handcrafted pizza, salad greens, fresh fruit,
cookies.
Friday: taco salad (loaded with vegetables, sautéed beef,
chicken, olives, cheese, sour cream and avocado), chips,
tortilla soup, fl an.
Oregonians and businesses comfortable with how the pro-
gram works and its potential benefi ts.
Dembrow said he wants to clarify how the program would
actually work. He’s working with “people on the ground”
in rural districts to help voters to understand the harmful
effects of climate change. He’s hoping those open to climate
action policy will then convince their neighbors and commu-
nity that long-term action is needed.
Social media campaigns targeting rural voters and even
a short documentary explaining how cap-and-trade policy
works are expected to be rolled out in the coming month,
according to Dembrow.
Dembrow wouldn’t go into more specifi c detail about
what industries and groups he’s working with to perfect the
proposal, calling it “delicate situation.”
He’s hopeful that getting information out to voters of
the districts of the 11 Republicans who walked out in June
would hold them accountable to show up to work in Febru-
ary and stay there.
But it seems unlikely that Dembrow and his colleagues
will fi nd a middle ground to work with Republicans and
keep them in the Capitol if cap and trade is on the agenda
again.
Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, said there was no change that
could be made that could get him to vote for cap and trade.
“The reason has to do with the poisoning of the well by
virtue of the unsuccessful attempt to pass it this previous
session,” Bentz said. “I think the focus should be on car-
bon policy that has nothing to do with pricing carbon, and
everything to do with addressing CO2 reduction using tools
already available, and we have a lot of them.”
He pointed out federal tax credits already exist to address
some carbon issues.
Democrats worry that Senate Republicans might not
show up in February, denying Democrats a quorum and
from accomplishing anything ahead of what is expected to
be an important election for both parties next fall.
“The walkout was only used as a vote blocking device
because of the incredibly egregious nature of these bills
and concepts,” Bentz said. “I don’t think people under-
stand how overreaching HB 2020 was. I don’t think they
get it.”
He said if Democrats refer a constitutional amendment
to voters changing Oregon’s quorum requirement, he won’t
stand in the way. The Oregon Senate requires two-thirds
of senators be present to act. There has been talk of chang-
ing that to a majority, which would allow the Democratic-
controlled Senate in the current lineup to proceed without
Republicans.
Bentz expects a public backlash to such a change.
“That’s exactly what people are supposed to do when they
see the majority overreaching. They need to step up and say
no,” Bentz said. “Now if that tool is taken away by the people
of Oregon, or a majority of them, then so be it. But there are
going to be other ways people will express their dissatisfac-
tion with the majority.”
of life health care decisions
with family, friends and
health care providers? What
is available in Oregon to
help ensure my decisions
are followed?
Attend this public forum
to learn about palliative
care and why it’s important
to share your wishes for
care at the end of life in Or-
egon. Speakers will include
Zack Nice, attorney at law;
Kate Pfi ster-Minogue, RN,
NP, PhD; Richard Minogue,
MD; and Cheryl Simpson,
MSW, former director of the
Idaho Quality of Life Coali-
tion, Inc. For more informa-
tion, contact Simpson at
541-663-6468 or cksw46@
msn.com.
Firefi ghters grow
mustaches to raise
funds for food bank
LA GRANDE — Twelve
members of the La Grande
Firefi ghters Union Local
924 are “grow’n for a cause,”
growing their mustaches
as a fundraiser for the local
food bank. The fi refi ght-
ers participating in the
“No-shave November”
fundraiser ask the commu-
nity to support their efforts
to grow their month-long
mustaches by making a
fi nancial donation to the
Community Connections
of Northeast Oregon’s food
bank.
Donations may be
dropped off at the La
Grande Fire Department’s
front desk or mailed to 1806
Cove Ave., La Grande 97850
(make checks payable to
Community Connections).
Those who donate may do
so on behalf of the entire
department, a particu-
lar shift or an individual
member. The goal is to raise
$1,000. Progress pictures
and updates will be posted
periodically throughout
the month of November on
Facebook.
Please Join Us for the
while suspended or revoked. A
third warrant charged failure to
appear in court on an original
charge of driving while sus-
pended or revoked.
Arrested: Patrick Adam Walk-
er, 35, unknown address, was
arrested on a Union County
parole and probation warrant.
K Avenue. The accident was
reported at 4:34 p.m.
Arrested: Frederick William
Pershing, 62, unknown address,
was arrested by the Coffee Creek
Correctional Facility while in cus-
tody on a Union County warrant
charging second-degree criminal
mischief.
LA GRANDE FIRE
DEPARTMENT
LA GRANDE POLICE
DEPARTMENT
Arrested: Nobody was
injured in a traffi c accident
Wednesday in a parking lot on
Firefi ghters responded to one
call for medical assistance on
Thursday and three on Wednes-
day.
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, IDAHO, MONTANA
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More info: Cecelia@cnpa.com or call (916) 288-6011
Downtown Shop Hop
November 8-9
Blue Mountain
Friday 10am to 7 pm Outfitters
Saturday 10am - 5 pm 1124 Adams
________________________
Join us for our Annual
Holiday Shop Hop!
Community
Merchants
1210 Adams
Discover what these
wonderful stores have to offer. BELLA
Stop in and have your card 1216 Adams
stamped and enter to win the
Fitzgerald
grand prize of a $50 gift
FHUWLÞFDWHIURPHDFK
Flowers
merchant...a $250 value.
1414 Adams
Every store will have special Rosewood
treats for you and individual Cottag e
1414 Adams
prize drawings.
Don’t miss out on this
very special event