FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2020
THE OBSERVER — 3A
LOCAL
P UBLIC S AFETY R EPORT
L OCAL B RIEFING
From staff reports
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
La Grande police at about
8:15 a.m. placed a tire boot on
a vehicle at Washington Avenue
and Fourth Street.
La Grande police at 9:22 a.m.
received a report of a sexual
assault.
A caller at 9:36 a.m. reported
an abandoned vehicle on
Gordon Creek Road, Elgin. A
Union County sheriff’s deputy
responded and tagged the
vehicle for removal.
A caller at 10:03 a.m. reported
vandalism to a vehicle on the
61900 block of Quail Road, La
Grande. A second caller about
10 minutes later reported
vandalism to a vehicle on the
2000 block of Gekeler Lane, La
Grande. Law enforcement took
reports in both cases.
A Union County sheriff’s
deputy at about 1:20 p.m.
responded to a disturbance at
Grande Ronde Hospital, 900
Sunset Drive, La Grande. The
deputy reported the situation
was under control.
An Elgin caller on the 600 block
of North 13th Avenue reported
one dog injured another dog.
La Grande police at about 4:10
p.m. received a report of a bur-
glary at a shop on the 1300 block
of V Avenue. Police took a report.
The Union County Sheriff’s Of-
fi ce at 8:54 p.m. received a report
of a possible sex crime in Elgin.
La Grande police at 10 a.m.
received another report of
vandalism on the 2100 block of
Gekeler Lane.
The Union County Sheriff’s
Offi ce at about noon arrested a
17-year-old male for fi rst-degree
robbery, second-degree assault
and fourth-degree assault.
A caller at 12:28 p.m. com-
plained about a pit bull dog on
the loose on the 600 block of
Sunset Drive, La Grande. The
animal enforcement offi cer took
the dog to the shelter.
A North Powder caller at 1:51
p.m. reported livestock on the
loose. Law enforcement advised
the owners to get their cow.
Emergency services at
about 2:15 p.m. responded to
a vehicle crash with injuries on
the fi rst block of Highway 237,
La Grande.
An Island City caller at 4:43
p.m. reported fi nding bags
of cans on the 10800 block of
Walton Road. A Union County
sheriff’s deputy responded and
returned the cans.
Law enforcement in La
Grande at about 10 p.m. re-
sponded to a person suffering
mental or emotional duress.
And fi refi ghters responded to
nine calls for medical assis-
tance on Thursday and eight on
Wednesday.
O BITUARIES
Virginia J. (Andrews)
Wagoner
La Grande
1950-2020
Virginia Jeanette Wag-
oner, 69, of La Grande and
formerly of Union, died
Jan. 10 at Wild-
fl ower Lodge.
At her request
there will not
be a public
service at this
time. Arrangements are
entrusted to Daniels-Knopp
Funeral, Cremation & Life
Celebration Center.
Virginia was born Aug. 15,
1950, in Lakeview, to Gilbert
and Mary (Holbrook) An-
drews. She graduated from
high school in Lakeview in
1970. She lived in Baker City
for many years and moved to
La Grande in 1987.
On Aug. 8, 1998, Virginia
married Leo Wagoner in
The Dalles and they lived
in Union for many years
before moving to La Grande
in August 2019. She was a
member of the Union Baptist
Church and she enjoyed do-
ing beadwork.
Surviving relatives include
her husband, Leo Wagoner
of La Grande; sons, Glen
Still of Union and Justin
Still of Utah; stepson, Trent
Wagoner of Perry; fi ve sisters
and three brothers; four
grandchildren; and four step-
grandchildren.
She was preceded in death
by her parents and three
siblings.
Memorial contributions
may be made to Heart ‘n
Home Hospice.
include her children and
their spouses, Linda and
Fred Peterson of Athol,
Idaho, Wade and Cindy
Johnson of Cove, Annette
and Jeff Brence of La
Grande, Wayne and Sandi
Johnson of Cove, and Jill
and Gordon Alvey of Athol,
Idaho; brother and sister-
in-law, Gene and Shannon
McKinney of Island City;
and nine grandchildren
and eight great-grandchil-
dren.
She was preceded in death
by her parents, Harry and
Lottie; husband, Frank; and
a sister, a son-in-law and two
grandsons.
Online condolences may be
made to the family at www.
lovelandfuneralchapel.com.
Formerly of Cove
1935-2019
Donna Marie Johnson, 84,
formerly of Cove, died Dec.
31, 2019, in Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho, after a long illness. A
funeral was held Jan. 3 in
Cove.
Donna was born Dec. 20,
1935, in Weiser, Idaho, to
Harry J. and Lottie R. (Slyter)
McKinney. She married
Frank A. Johnson on July 12,
1954. They were married for
57 years.
Donna was the head cook
for the Cove School District
for more than 20 years and
was well known for her
homemade bread, hot rolls
and especially her cinnamon
rolls. Her love of cooking
made every meal a feast.
Donna loved her family
unconditionally and was
always ready and willing to
do anything for them. Her
greatest love was for her
Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
According to her family,
though they are sad Donna
is gone, they rejoice that she
is now singing his praises in
heaven.
Surviving relatives
election.
The city in a news
release announced the
terms for positions 1-4
expire at the end of 2020.
Candidate packets will
be available, Jan. 31 from
city recorder Kayla Rock.
Position 1 is for mayor and
is a two-year term. Steve
Clements is the incumbent.
Positions 2, 3 and 4 are
councilors and four-year
terms. Nicole Howard,
Corrine Dutto and Mary
Ann Miesner, respectively,
hold those seats.
To qualify for the
council, candidates must
have resided in the city
of La Grande for at least
the six months preceding
the election. Nominations
are by petition, so candi-
dates also must gather
signatures from at least
20 registered voters who
reside in the city. Petitions
are due by 5 p.m. to the
city recorder’s offi ce, the
second fl oor of city hall,
1000 Adams Ave, March
10.
If three or more candi-
dates fi le for one position,
the city will hold a primary
election Tuesday, May 19.
If a candidate receives a
majority of the votes in the
primary, that candidate’s
name will appear on the
November ballot for the
general election. If no can-
didate receives a majority,
the two candidates with the
most votes face off in the
general election.
For additional informa-
tion or to obtain a candidate
packet, call city recorder
Meetings
La Grande
• ELGIN — The Elgin
School Board will meet
Monday. The meeting
will start at 6:30 p.m. in
room 17 of Stella Mayfi eld
School. The high school’s
gym bleachers will be one
of the subjects discussed at
the meeting.
Wanda Doud, 93, of La
Grande, died Jan. 22 at Wild-
fl ower Lodge. Arrangements
are under the direction of
Daniels-Knopp Funeral,
Cremation & Life Celebra-
tion Center.
Thomas S. Hartley
La Grande
Thomas Stephen Hartley,
79, of La Grande, died Jan. 21
at a local care facility. A view-
ing will be held 4-6 p.m. Feb.
3, followed by a Recitation of
the Rosary, at Our Lady of the
Valley Catholic Church. A fu-
neral will begin at 2 p.m. Feb.
4, also at Our Lady of the Val-
ley. Loveland Funeral Chapel
& Crematory is handling the
arrangements.
Union
Doralee Powell, 84, of
Union, died Jan. 17 at her
residence. A viewing will
be held 5-7 p.m. Jan. 31 at
Loveland Funeral Chapel.
A funeral will begin at 2
p.m. Feb. 1, also at Loveland
Funeral Chapel. Loveland
Funeral Chapel & Crema-
tory is handling the arrange-
Tickets on sale now
for annual soup
supper
LA GRANDE — Shelter
From the Storm’s annual
fundraising soup supper
will be March 7 at the
Presbyterian Friendship
10:30 a.m. celebration
of life; La Grande First
Baptist Church.
Feb. 8
Justice Clark:
4 p.m. celebration of life,
Presbyterian Friendship
Center, La Grande;
casual dress preferred.
Center, 1204 Spring Ave.,
La Grande. The doors will
open at 6 p.m. and dinner
begins at 6:30 p.m.
Gluten-free and vegetar-
ian options will be avail-
able. All ages are welcome.
Cost for each person is $30.
Tickets must be purchased
before the event and pre-
sented at the door. The name
on the ticket does not have
to match the person who
attends. Tickets are now on
sale on www.eventbrite.com
and by contacting the shel-
ter’s offi ce at 541-963-7226.
Shelter From the Storm
is a nonprofi t domestic
UNION COUNTY SENIOR CENTER MENU
1504 ALBANY ST., LA GRANDE
Jan. 27-31; lunch served 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
age 60+ $3 suggested donation; others $6
Monday: almond-coconut chicken, rice pilaf or
noodles, steamed winter-blend vegetables, baked
bread, fresh fruit.
Tuesday: Tuesday: beef stroganoff served over rice,
steamed vegetables, spinach salad, rolls, fruit.
Wednesday: honey-glazed ham, scalloped potatoes,
green beans, rolls, dessert (alternate meal: turkey
sandwiches).
Thursday: Swedish meatballs and country gravy,
steamed vegetables, salad greens, rolls, dessert.
Friday: fi sh and chips, baked beans, coleslaw, fresh
fruit, dessert.
UPCOMING FUNERALS
AND VISITATIONS
Sponsored by
Jan. 25
Bertha
Thompson:
BAKER CITY — Com-
missioners from Baker,
Harney, Grant, Malheur
and Lake counties voted
unanimously Monday to
appoint Mark Owens, a
Harney County farmer, to
replace Lynn Findley as
representative for Oregon
House District 60.
Findley, a Republican
from Vale, was appointed
earlier this month to re-
place Cliff Bentz in state
Senate District 30.
Bentz resigned to run
full time for Greg Walden’s
seat in Congress.
“I am thankful and
humbled today to have
been appointed to serve as
the next state representa-
tive for House District
60,” Owens said in a press
release. “I look forward to
serving the communities
and being a voice for east-
ern Oregon in Salem.”
There were two other
candidates for House
District 60 — Tom Van
Diepen of Baker City, and
Tim Smith of Burns.
Baker County Commission-
er Mark Bennett said neither
was present when commis-
sioners voted in Ontario.
Owens, a Harney
County Commissioner,
fi led Nov. 4 as a candidate
for the House District 60
Republican primary in
May. He will be sworn in
later this month. The Or-
egon Legislature convenes
Feb. 3 in Salem.
“At the state level, there
is a lot of work to be done
to protect our way of life
in Eastern Oregon and
to provide a better path
for future generations of
Oregonians,” Owens said.
“We need to make sustain-
able natural resources
a top priority. Our kids
deserve stronger schools
and greater opportuni-
ties for their career paths.
Families need fi nancial
stability instead of living
paycheck to paycheck and
having to worry about the
next tax increase coming
our way from Salem.
“Most importantly, my
top priority and my No. 1
job will be to listen, learn
and represent the constit-
uents in Eastern Oregon.”
Oregon’s
unemployment rate
drops to 3.7% in
December
SALEM — The Oregon
Employment Department
reported the state’s unem-
ployment rate may have
set a record low.
The rate dropped to
3.7% in December, the low-
est on comparable records
dating back to 1976. The
November unemploy-
ment rate was 3.9%. Nick
Beleiciks, systems and
economic analysis manag-
er at the Oregon Employ-
ment Department, said the
rate is “especially striking
considering Oregon’s labor
force is twice as large as it
was 44 years ago.”
Many of Oregon’s work-
force metrics set records in
December, indicating an
increasingly tight labor mar-
ket. The number of people
who were unemployed for
less than half a year dropped
to the lowest level in at
least 18 years. The number
of people who were unem-
ployed due to a layoff also
dropped to the lowest level
in the past two decades.
The broadest measure of
labor underutilization, “U-6,”
came in at the lowest rate
dating back nearly two de-
cades. This measure includes
the unemployed plus those
who want a full-time job but
were working part-time due
to the economy.
Total non-farm payroll
employment grew by 800
jobs in December, follow-
ing a gain of 3,800 jobs,
as revised, in November.
December gains were
strongest in leisure and
hospitality, which added
2,000 jobs. Several in-
dustries added between
300-500 jobs.
Two industries declined
by more than 500 jobs:
Health care and social
assistance lost 900 jobs and
professional and
business services lost 1,600.
Oregon’s over-the-
year job growth of 1.4%
equaled the U.S. job
growth of 1.4%, and most
of Oregon’s major indus-
tries expanded 1-3%
since December 2018.
Union County
Sheriff’s Offi ce
warns of scam
LA GRANDE — The
Union County Sheriff’s
Offi ce reported a potential
phone scam.
The sheriff’s on Twitter
reported receiving several
complaints “of a scam
alert in Union County us-
ing Captain Ward’s
name.” The calls came
from the Eugene area
claiming the recipient
needs to pay money to
take care of a warrant for
missing jury duty.
The sheriff’s offi ce
advised people not to act
on these calls.
C OMMUNITY
Wanda Doud
Doralee Powell
Donna M. (McKinney)
Johnson
La Grande City
Kayla Rock at 541-962-1309.
Council has four seats
County
up for re-election
commissioners
LA GRANDE — Four
positions on the La Grande appoint Mark Owens
to replace Findley
City Council are up for re-
L
violence and sexual assault
organization serving Union
County. The SFS mission is
to provide services to those
who have been impacted
by interpersonal violence,
sexual assault and stalking
through advocacy, educa-
tion and awareness.
Botany” Tuesday, 5:30-8:30
p.m. This class will be in
the conference room at the
OSU-Union County Exten-
sion Offi ce, 10507 N. McAli-
ster Road, Island City.
For more information
and to RSVP for classes,
call the Extension Offi ce at
541-963-1010.
RSVP for Cove senior
No registration
lunch by Jan. 29
COVE — The Feb. 4 Cove needed for Family
Law Workshop
senior meal at Founders
Hall at the Ascension School
will feature beef stew, peas,
biscuits and salad bar with
apple pie for dessert. There is
a $5 charge per meal. Coffee
and tea are available at noon
and the meal is served at
12:15 p.m. RSVP by Wednes-
day by calling Imie Bristow
at 541-568-4545 or Betsy
Arnson at 541-568-4902.
Master Gardener
classes open to
community members
ISLAND CITY — The
Oregon State University’s
Master Gardener Pro-
gram’s individual classes
are open to the community
for $5 each.
Karen Antell, botanist
from Eastern Oregon
University, will teach “Basic
LA GRANDE — Bruce
Anderson, attorney at law,
and the Union County
Family Law Advisory
Committee are hosting a
free family law workshop
Feb. 12.
The workshop is par-
ticularly useful for people
who are representing
themselves in a family
law case. Participants will
receive answers to com-
monly asked questions and
information on local court
procedures and forms. The
workshop begins at 6 p.m.
in the Misener Conference
Room of the Daniel Chaplin
Building, 1001 Fourth St.,
La Grande. No registration
is required.
For more information call
541-962-9500, ext. 42.
!!
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ur
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V
Take care of you.
Make sure you’re on target:
Retirement
Travel
Financial goals
Aging concerns
Women and Wealth
Ackerman Hall #208 Alumni Room,
EOU campus
February 4th @ 6pm
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Limite
Space fi rst 20:
to the REE
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Call to
reserve yo
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spot!
Questions? 541-963-7433
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