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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 2019)
2A — THE OBSERVER MONDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2019 LOCAL The ‘LT’ hosts end-of-year bash D AILY P LANNER TODAY Today is Monday, Dec. 23, the 357th day of 2019. There are eight days left in the year. By Bill Bradshaw EO Media Group TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On Dec. 23, 1997, a federal jury in Denver convicted Terry Nichols of involuntary man- slaughter and conspiracy for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing, declining to fi nd him guilty of murder. (Nich- ols was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.) ON THIS DATE Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson A customer talks Friday with Nugget CBD chain owner Jenny Long, left, and store manager Angela Lees at the La Grande store’s opening. New CBD store opens on Island Avenue In 1783, George Washing- ton resigned as commander in chief of the Continental Army and retired to his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia. In 1805, Joseph Smith Jr., principal founder of the Mormon religious move- ment, was born in Sharon, Vermont. In 1913, the Federal Reserve System was cre- ated as President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act. In 1941, during World War II, American forces on Wake Island surrendered to the Japanese. In 1948, former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and six other Japanese war leaders were executed in Tokyo. In 1968, 82 crew mem- bers of the U.S. intelligence ship Pueblo were released by North Korea, 11 months after they had been cap- tured. In 1986, the experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completed the fi rst non-stop, non-refueled round-the-world fl ight as it returned safely to Edwards Air Force Base in California. In 2001, Time magazine named New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani its Person of the Year for his steadfast response to the 9/11 terrorist attack. By Sabrina Thompson LOTTERY Cooperative applauds bill protecting tax-exempt status Megabucks: $7.7 million 8-11-12-15-20-23 Mega Millions: $45 million 3-20-23-35-60-16-x3 The Observer More information LA GRANDE — A store specializing in selling CBD products celebrated its grand opening on Friday in La Grande. Nugget CBD, a company with locations in Ontario and in Idaho owned by Jenny and Justin Long of Baker City, offers CBD (can- nabidiol) in various forms at a local shop on Island Avenue next to Local Harvest Eatery and Pub. Angela Lees, Jenny Long’s sister-in-law, manages the store. “All of our stuff is for health and wellness, not recreational use,” Lees said. Products at the store contain less that 0.3% THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the main psychoactive compound in marijuana that gives the feeling of being high. The low level is a requirement of federal law. CBD and THC are two natural compounds in plants of the Cannabis genus. CBD can be extracted from hemp or from marijuana. Hemp plants are cannabis plants that con- tain less than 0.3% THC, while marijuana plants are cannabis plants that contain higher concentrations of THC. CBD products have been said to relieve pain and anxiety and to help with sleep. “I think the biggest issue will be get- ting people to get past the perception it is marijuana,” Lees said. “(CBD) is a health and wellness product and not anything to be ashamed of.” While other stores in La Grande sell items that contain cannabidiol, including Nature’s Pantry and Desires, Nugget CBD is the only store in town selling only these products. “I saw a need in the community with people having to drive all the way to Pendleton to purchase specifi c CBD products,” Lees said. “The more we talked to people in the area, the more we found everyone was taking it.” Cannabidiol — CBD —and tetrahydrocannabinol — THC — are two chemical compounds in plants in the Cannabis genus. Hemp plants are cannabis plants that contain less than 0.3% THC. Marijuana plants are cannabis plants with higher concentrations of THC. CBD can be extracted from hemp or marijuana and is available for consumption in the form of gels, oils, supplements and more. THC is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana that gives the high sensation. It also is available in various consumable forms. Powerball: $183 million 19-31-35-50-67-14-x2 By Jayson Jacoby Win for Life: Dec. 21 BAKER CITY — Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative offi cials are celebrating Congress’ passage of a bill this week that will protect OTEC’s and other electric cooperatives’ tax-exempt status. Congress passed the RURAL Act, and President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law. The bill — the acronym stands for Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas and Lands — was prompted by what proponents say was an unintended effect of the 2017 federal tax cut law. That law required mem- ber-owned cooperatives such as OTEC to count federal grants, such as they might receive to help with repairs following a natural disaster, as “nonmember income.” In the past, cooperatives 18-47-72-75 Pick 4: Dec. 22 •1p.m.:9-9-3-1 •4p.m.:3-8-5-5 •7p.m.:4-6-5-5 •10p.m.:0-5-2-0 Pick 4: Dec. 21 •1p.m.:8-2-9-9 •4p.m.:9-1-8-9 •7p.m.:9-0-4-0 •10p.m.:7-2-8-6 Pick 4: Dec. 20 •1p.m.:3-7-4-0 •4p.m.:9-0-5-8 •7p.m.:1-4-4-2 •10p.m.:5-0-9-6 NEWSPAPER LATE? Every effort is made to de- liver your Observer in a timely manner. Occasionally condi- tions exist that make delivery more diffi cult. If you are not on a motor route, delivery should be before5:30p.m.Ifyoudonot receiveyourpaperby5:30p.m. Monday through Friday, please call 541-963-3161 by 6 p.m. If your delivery is by motor carrier, delivery should be by 6 p.m. For calls after 6, please call 541-975- 1690, leave your name, address and phone number. Your paper will be delivered the next business day. EO Media Group Larry Murphy of La Grande said he used products containing CBD in the past to help when he was fi ghting cancer. He attended the grand opening to see what might be available now in town. “I had cancer twice, and I heard there were a lot of benefi ts to CBD,” he said. Murphy said the chemotherapy made eating diffi cult, and after using some of the CBD candies he was able to eat again. Lees uses CBD herself to help with sleep and said she has seen products help with pain. “I see people come in who are in so much pain, and it breaks my heart,” Lees said. “I want to do what I can to help them.” To purchase any products in the store, customers must be 18 years old. To smoke or vape any of the products they must be 21. Representatives from the Union County Chamber of Commerce attended the grand opening for a ribbon cutting and to better understand one of the newest businesses to join the community, according to the ques- tions members of the group asked during the ribbon cutting. could count federal grants as “member income.” The difference is crucial because cooperatives, to maintain the tax-exempt status that can save them substantial amounts of money, must receive at least 85% of their revenue from members. The change in the 2017 tax cut law could have forced cooperatives to either accept federal grants fol- lowing an emergency and potentially lose their tax- exempt status, or decline the federal aid and try to fi nd another way to pay for expensive repairs. This potential conundrum came to light earlier this year when a snowstorm caused major damage to power lines owned by Doug- las Electric Cooperative in Western Oregon. The cooperative faced a repair bill of $9 million to Visit our Website for Rules & Details www.VisitUnionCounty.org La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR 975-2000 www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst ACDelcoTSS Come in today and let our staff help your Christmas be MERRY & BRIGHT! Now offering delivery to Union 1123 Adams Ave., La Grande 541-963-5741 redcrossdrugstore.com “People Who Care” www.CountrysideSheds.com Hobby Shed?? STORAGE BUILDINGS (541) 663-0246 Locally owned and operated for over 25 years 10505 N. McAlister Road (Corner of Hwy 82 & N. McAlister Rd.) Mon-Fri Blue Plate $12: Braised Prime Rib with buttered noodles and green salad Open for last minute gifts: Gift Certificates or a Pinedrops T-shirts RENT to OWN starting at 541-963-8766 tendepotstreet.com Please join Shelter From the Storm in our efforts to make the holiday season a merry one for families who have experienced domestic and sexual violence QUOTE OF THE DAY “Oh, for the good old days when people would stop Christmas shop- ping when they ran out of money.” — Author unknown $10 million. Douglas Electric was eligible for grants from the Federal Emergency Man- agement Agency to cover part of the repair costs, but cooperative offi cials were leery of doing so due to the potential loss of its tax- exempt status. LOSTINE — The Lostine Tavern is planning a New Year’s Eve bash at the Wal- lowa County nightspot. The party begins at 7 p.m. A cover charge of $15 will be charged for food, the band and a champagne toast. The “LT,” as owner Peter Ferre and many others call it, holds a special place in the hearts and minds of locals, especially to Justin and Grace Zollman Hay, who met there at a New Year’s Eve party in 2016. “That’s where I met my future husband,” Grace recalled. She said Justin was play- ing part of the time with the band Good Question that night. “We just happened to sit at the same table. We had mutual friends,” she said. “He was there and we started talking. The rest is history.” Part of that history is they married May 26 this year, bought a cabin up the Lostine Canyon and are expecting their fi rst child in March. At the time they met, Justin was attending the Or- egon State Police Academy and now works for the OSP out of La Grande, but his patrol area brings him home to Wallowa County. “The LT is a pretty special place,” Grace said. “Peter’s done a really good job of remodeling.” But Grace’s pregnancy doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t show up again this year. “We may make an ap- pearance,” she said. The LT is in a historic building that fi rst served as a pharmacy and a doc- tor’s offi ce in 1902. It later housed a soda fountain. By the 1940s, it was a tavern and local hangout. Since then it has also housed the fi rst farm-to-table eating establishment in Eastern Oregon. Ferre said that at this year’s party there will be dancing to the tunes of Casey Kiser and the Jake- walk Saints, a trio of three young local men. Ferre said it may be the last time for awhile that locals will be able to hear them. “But I hope not,” he said. Ferre said two members of the group are moving to Nashville to pursue careers in music. “They’re really passionate about their music,” he said. Next week’s bash will be the second-annual New Year’s Eve Formal, according to a press release. Attire for the “formal” is formal, thrifty or funny, the release stated. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Sanctuary Studio, a not-for- profi t yoga/meditation and wellness center. Ferre operated the tavern until late-summer 2016, when it was remodeled and transitioned to just opening for special occasions. He said he reopens for about a dozen such occasions a year. “We have parties, wed- dings, anniversaries and we’ve even had a funeral there,” he said. $ 68 Month If you are interested in being a donor, please email tkshelter@eoni.com or call 541. 963. 7226
