2A — THE OBSERVER
D AILY
P LANNER
TODAY
Today is Friday, Jan. 17,
the 17th day of 2020. There
are 349 days left in the year.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2020
LOCAL
Wallowa County
Fire decimates charter school gym
■ Fire officials say
damage to Joseph
Charter School
gymnasium is ‘extensive’
By Ellen Bishop and Steve Tool
EO Media Group
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
On Jan. 17, 1995, more
than 6,000 people were
killed when an earthquake
with a magnitude of 7.2
devastated the city of Kobe,
Japan.
ON THIS DATE
In 1806, Thomas Jef-
ferson’s daughter, Martha,
gave birth to James Madi-
son Randolph, the fi rst child
born in the White House.
In 1916, the Professional
Golfers’ Association of
America had its begin-
nings as department store
magnate Rodman Wana-
maker hosted a luncheon of
pro and amateur golfers in
New York City. (The PGA of
America was formally es-
tablished on April 10, 1916.)
In 1917, Denmark ceded
the Virgin Islands to the
United States for $25 million.
In 1945, Soviet and Polish
forces liberated Warsaw
during World War II; Swed-
ish diplomat Raoul Wallen-
berg, credited with saving
tens of thousands of Jews,
disappeared in Hungary
while in Soviet custody.
In 1961, President Dwight
D. Eisenhower delivered his
farewell address in which
he warned against “the
acquisition of unwarranted
infl uence, whether sought
or unsought, by the military-
industrial complex.”
In 1977, convicted mur-
derer Gary Gilmore, 36, was
shot by a fi ring squad at
Utah State Prison in the fi rst
U.S. execution in a decade.
In 1994, the 6.7 magni-
tude Northridge earthquake
struck Southern California,
killing at least 60 people, ac-
cording to the U.S. Geologi-
cal Survey.
In 1997, a court in Ireland
granted the fi rst divorce in
the Roman Catholic coun-
try’s history.
In 2001, faced with an
electricity crisis, California
used rolling blackouts to cut
off power to hundreds of
thousands of people; Gov.
Gray Davis signed an emer-
gency order authorizing the
state to buy power.
JOSEPH — Joseph Charter School
students were enjoying a leisurely
lunch Thursday when they found
their world turned upside down.
Eight-grader Nathan Bosch
headed for the weight room on the
second level of the JCS gym, Sather
Court, when he got a surprise.
“I heard a buzzing sound,” he said.
“I looked up and there was white
smoke coming from the ceiling. Then
the fi re alarm went off. I just ran.”
He ran the right direction — to the
offi ce and reported where he’d seen
smoke.
School fi re drills had paid off.
Within as little as three minutes
every student was out of the school
and harm’s way. Many left their
jackets, backpacks and other posses-
sions in their classrooms.
“The emergency responders,
especially Joseph Fire, got here really
fast,” said Christina Eaves. She was
serving food in the lunch line when
the fi re alarm went off. She said
the school fi lled with smoke very
quickly, and that teachers gathered
their classes and exited the building
rapidly.
After gathering outside in groups,
Photo courtesy of Kendall Hayes
Smoke pours out of the Joseph Charter School gym Thursday after
students and staff safely evacuated.
older children walked and younger
children were bused to the Joseph
Community Center, which city em-
ployees opened up for the refugees.
Joseph Fire Department re-
sponded within minutes as well as
Enterprise Fire, Wallowa County
and Oregon State Police not long
afterward to the Sather Court blaze,
a particularly diffi cult one to fi ght
because of the size of the building, its
inherent darkness and smoke.
The fi re started in the mechanical
room and sped to the ceiling, where it
fl ourished, devouring everything not
made of timber in its path, including
the fl ag, unfurled so reverently at each
building event, which was now charred
ash heap on the fl ooded gym fl oor.
Wrestling practice takes place
Oregon
What Republicans think of cap and trade
By Claire Withycombe
Oregon Capital Bureau
SALEM — One question
has lingered in political
circles in the days since
Democratic legislators
unveiled their latest plan to
limit the state’s greenhouse
gas emissions.
What do the Republicans
think?
The GOP holds a shrink-
ing share of seats in the Leg-
islature, but still possesses
just enough members to halt
legislative business.
Senate Republicans made
national headlines for tank-
ing last year’s proposal by
fl eeing the state, a possibility
that looms over the coming
session, which begins Feb. 3.
Hence the interest: Are the
slate of changes recently pro-
posed by Democrats enough
to get their colleagues on the
other side of the aisle to stay
in the building?
Sen. Bill Hansell of
Athena for District 29 cover-
ing Northeast Oregon said
on Thursday he understands
the new proposal is similar
to what forced lawmakers
to walk out last session and
deny a quorum.
“We as a caucus are even
more determined now than
ever before that whatever
the leadership wants the bill
to be, that it needs to be re-
ferred to the people,” he said.
“This is too monumental not
have a state vote on it.”
Sen. Herman Baert-
schiger, R-Grants Pass, who
leads Republicans in the
Senate, was rather opaque
about the odds of a another
walkout when taking ques-
tions from reporters on
Wednesday.
Eastern Oregon
LOTTERY
Sen. Bill
Hansell,
front left,
offi cially
submitted
paperwork
Thursday
morning
to run for
reelection
in 2020.
Megabucks: $1.6 million
1-8-16-30-32-40
Mega Millions: $103 million
9-11-13-31-47-11-x2
Powerball: $321 million
39-41-53-55-68-19-x2
Win for Life: Jan. 15
22-44-61-70
Pick 4: Jan. 16
• 1 p.m.: 0-3-8-3
• 4 p.m.: 9-7-8-6
• 7 p.m.: 2-6-4-6
• 10 p.m.: 4-1-4-0
Pick 4: Jan. 15
• 1 p.m.: 0-3-6-6
• 4 p.m.: 4-4-6-7
• 7 p.m.: 2-9-5-6
• 10 p.m.: 9-0-5-1
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
before 5:30 p.m.
If your delivery is by
motor carrier, delivery
should be by 6 p.m.
The Observer offi ce closes
at 5 p.m. If you do not receive
your paper please call 541-963-
3161.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“The only thing wrong
with immortality is that it
tends to go on forever.”
— Herb Caen, American
newspaper columnist
in the balcony, and the petroleum-
based material of the mats emitted
a viscous smoke that hampered
fi refi ghters in their search for the
fi re’s origin.
Firefi ghters fi ltered into the
building with hoses and emerged
blackened with soot from the smoke.
Self-contained breathing apparatus-
es were in abundance. One man kept
busy bringing in fresh air tanks and
helping fi refi ghters don them before
their return to battle.
Two blackened fi refi ghters
emerged from the building. One said,
“It’s hot as hell in there.” The other
replied he could barely see in the
smoke-fi lled gym.
Outside, as smoke billowed from
open gym doors and an exhaust vent,
other fi refi ghters labored to tend
hoses and hold a ladder as another
fi refi ghter climbed to knock out bal-
cony windows to vent heated gases
that could spread to other areas of
the school.
The gases had earlier caused a
fl ash fi re when they ignited, accord-
ing to Wallowa County Emergency
Services Manager Paul Karvoski.
“Luckily, no one was in there at the
time,” he said.
Firefi ghters’ hard work allowed
them to get the upper hand on the
blaze after 45 minutes and prevent
the blaze from spreading into class-
room territory. However, as Karvoski,
said, every sprinkler in the school
worked properly, which not only
helped stop the spread of the fi re but
also fi lled the school with water. He
estimated 50% of the school sus-
tained water damage. But it could
have been much worse.
“It was a hell of a catch,” he said. “I
could easily see that school going up.”
Joseph Fire Chief Jeffery Wecks
said he doubted Joseph would host
basketball events this season.
“It depends on how deep the fi re
got into the beams,” he said. “They
might be able to re-sand and refi nish
them. I don’t know if they can save
the fl oor or not.”
Wecks said the gym damage is exten-
sive and probably won’t be known until
tomorrow or later. He added no injuries
were reported from the fire. The Oregon
State Fire Marshal is inspecting the
scene to determine a cause.
“Well, you know, it’s a very
fl uid, dynamic situation,”
Baertschiger said. “It’s ever-
changing. You know, I’m still
having conversations, but
nothing is off the table. And I
would not want to speculate
one way or the other at this
point because it is such a
dynamic situation.”
Baertschiger said Re-
publicans have discussed
a direct referral to voters
and indicated there could
be some support among
Republicans for that. But
the draft legislation contains
an emergency clause, which
means that the bill can’t be
referred to voters by law-
makers. Voters could still use
the initiative process to force
a public vote.
On Monday, the interim
Senate Environment and
Natural Resources Committee
La GRANDE
AUTO REPAIR
975-2000
www.lagrandeautorepair.com
MOST
ADVANCED
TECHNOLOGY
AVAILABLE
Joe Horst
ACDelcoTSS
heard three hours of testimo-
ny on the revamped proposal
from invited guests, ranging
from the chief operating offi cer
of a truck stop company to a
policy adviser at the Nature
Conservancy. Lawmakers are
in Salem this week for a series
of interim meetings.
“As long as we can sit
down and collaborate and
work on common goals, on
issues, I am 100% behind
doing that,” said Sen. Lynn
Findley, R-Vale, the newest
member of the Senate and
its environment committee.
“And that’s (what) I believe
we should all be here for.
... But if it’s ‘My way or the
highway,’ then that’s a dif-
fi cult decision to make.”
Rep. David Brock Smith,
a Port Orford Republican
who served on the com-
mittee that considered
Modern Jazz with La Grande’s
Very Own “Wrecking Crew”
Matt Cooper
Trio
with Luke McKern
and Mark Emerson
Thursday, January 16th
8pm-10pm
541-963-8766
tendepotstreet.com
PACIFIC NORTHWEST
ALASKA, WASHINGTON, OREGON, IDAHO, MONTANA
5($&+PLOOLRQ3DFLÀF1RUWKZHVWHUQHUVZLWKMXVW2QH&DOO
EO Media Group fi le photo
Bill Hansell files
for reelection
EO Media Group staff
SALEM — Sen. Bill Han-
sell made it offi cial Thurs-
day morning.
The state senator and
Republican from Athena
offi cially submitted paper-
work to run for reelection
in 2020.
He submitted the paper-
work in Salem while there
for legislative duty.
“I had made my intention
known last fall,” Hansell
stated in a recent news
release. “It has been my
honor to represent the good
people of District 29 in the
Oregon Legislature, and if
the citizens want me to con-
tinue for another term, I’m
willing and ready to serve.”
This year marks Han-
sell’s eighth year as a
senator serving District 29,
which spans across Wal-
lowa, Union, Umatilla, Mor-
row, Gilliam and Sherman
counties as well as half of
Wasco County.
Citizens will vote in the
general election on Nov. 3.
A primary is scheduled in
May, and the fi ling deadline
for District 29 candidates is
March 10.
PNDC CLASSIFIED - Daily Newspapers
29 newspapers - 1,187,980 circulation
Number of words: 25 z Extra word cost: $10
Cost: $540 (Runs 3 consecutive days including wkds.)
PNDN 2x2 DISPLAY - Daily Newspapers
27 newspapers - 1,016,864 circulation
Size: 2x2 (3.25”x2”) Cost: 1x 2x2: $1,050
More info: Cecelia@cnpa.com or call (916) 288-6011
FAMILY
OWNED
last year’s proposal, said
he was not involved in
crafting the new legisla-
tive concept released last
Friday.
“Not being included in the
new discussions was rather
unfortunate,” Smith said
in an interview, “Because
we might have been able to
mitigate some of the issues
that this bill has.”
Republicans seem to want
to focus on nudging Orego-
nians to sign on to cleaner
energy sources.
“We have to have a carrot,
perhaps wrapped in choco-
late icing, before you go with
the stick,” said Findley, who
was sworn in as a senator
just last week.
NOW HIRING:
Shift Supervisor
Production Workers
Millwrights
Electricians
At
Boise
Cascade,
we know our
employees are our
most
valuable
assets! So we
offer competitive
pay and great health
and
financial
benefits to join
our production team!
-------------------
INTEGRITY
SAFETY
RESPECT
EXCELLENCE
That’s how We
Do business.
Building communities
while building careers.
Apply at
bc.com/careers
90 S 21st Ave, Elgin, OR 97827
(541) 437-2611
Boise Cascade is an equal
opportunity employer and
encourages women, minorities,
and veterans to apply.
215 Elm Street La Grande (541) 963-5440
northwestfurnitureandmattress.com