The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current, August 22, 2020, Image 2

Historic Oregon Newspapers

The Observer., August 22, 2020, Page 2, Image 2

Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR

About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 22, 2020)

Prev Page of 32 Next Prev Issue Next Text PDF JP2 (1.4 MB) Clip/Print Image

Return to Top

Prev Page of 32 Next Prev Issue Next

Newspaper Page Text2A — THE OBSERVER SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2020 LOCAL/REGION DAILY Fireﬁ ghters battle several blazes PLANNER EO Media Group TODAY Today is Saturday, Aug. 22, the 235th day of 2020. There are 131 days left in the year. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On August 22, 1972, President Richard Nixon was nominated for a second term of ofﬁ ce by the Repub- lican National Convention in Miami Beach. ON THIS DATE In 1846, Gen. Stephen W. Kearny proclaimed all of New Mexico a territory of the United States. In 1851, the schooner America outraced more than a dozen British vessels off the English coast to win a trophy that came to be known as the America’s Cup. In 1862, French composer Claude Debussy was born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye. In 1910, Japan annexed Korea, which remained under Japanese control until the end of World War II. In 1914, Austria-Hunga- ry declared war against Belgium. In 1978, President Jomo Kenyatta, a leading ﬁ gure in Kenya’s struggle for independence, died; Vice President Daniel arap Moi was sworn in as acting president. In 1986, Kerr-McGee Corp. agreed to pay the estate of the late Karen Silkwood $1.38 million, settling a 10-year-old nuclear con- tamination lawsuit. The Rob Reiner coming-of-age ﬁ lm “Stand By Me” was put into wide release by Columbia Pictures. In 1989, Black Panthers co-founder Huey P. Newton was shot to death in Oak- land, California. (Gunman Tyrone Robinson was later sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.) In 1992, on the second day of the Ruby Ridge siege in Idaho, an FBI sharpshoot- er killed Vicki Weaver, the wife of white separatist Randy Weaver (the sharp- shooter later said he was targeting the couple’s friend Kevin Harris, and didn’t see Vicki Weaver). In 1996, President Bill Clinton signed welfare leg- islation ending guaranteed cash payments to the poor and demanding work from recipients. In 2007, Hurricane Dean slammed into Mexico for the second time in as many days. LOTTERY Megabucks: $5.5 million 1-24-28-41-44-46 Mega Millions: $40 million 4-18-26-27-58—23 x4 Powerball: $22 million 13-23-47-55-58—PB-23 x10 Win for Life: Aug. 19 28-49-55-73 Pick 4: Aug. 20 • 1 p.m.: 7-0-5-2 • 4 p.m.: 4-9-8-7 • 7 p.m.: 1-4-8-2 • 10 p.m.: 0-7-9-1 Pick 4: Aug. 19 • 1 p.m.: 4-3-4-3 • 4 p.m.: 4-7-1-9 • 7 p.m.: 4-5-4-8 • 10 p.m.: 6-5-7-9 DELIVERY ISSUES? If you have any problems receiving your Observer, call the ofﬁ ce at 541-963-3161. PENDLETON — Fire- ﬁ ghters continue to make progress on wildﬁ res caused by recent thun- derstorms, according to a press release from the Umatilla National Forest. As expected, new smoke reports continue to be discovered and ﬁ re managers expect more throughout the next few days as weather conditions continue to stay warm and dry. There are active ﬁ res at Meecham Complex, the Alder Creek ﬁ re, Putnam Springs ﬁ re, Rocky ﬁ re and Rattlesnake ﬁ re. Hot weather and increased wind continue to cause difﬁ culties in ﬁ ghting the ﬁ res. The Northern Rockies Incident Management Team 3 took command of the Meacham Complex — formerly named Hager Complex — at 6 a.m. Friday, Aug. 21. The Walla Walla Ranger District picked up one new start Aug. 20 and ﬁ reﬁ ghters staffed numerous other ﬁ res from the recent lightning. The Alder Creek Fire was the most active, growing to 12 acres in size. The ﬁ re was reported on Aug. 19 and is near Lookout Mountain, approximately 24 miles northeast of Wallowa. The ﬁ re is burning in difﬁ - cult terrain that is hard to access. Aircraft aided suppres- sion efforts on Thursday to slow the ﬁ re’s spread. Fire- ﬁ ghters will continue to complete line construction on Friday, where terrain and fuels allow for crews to safely engage, while uti- Photo contributed by Umatilla National Forest The Putnam Springs Fire on the Heppner Ranger District is estimated at 110 acres and burning to the southeast, threatening adjacent private land and a nearby structure. lizing aircraft to slow ﬁ re spread and cool hotspots within the ﬁ re perim- eter. Resources on scene include four smokejumpers and a ﬁ ve-person crew. On the Heppner Ranger District, the Putnam Springs Fire is now esti- mated at 110 acres and is burning to the southeast, threatening adjacent pri- vate land and a nearby structure. Fire behavior on Thursday consisted of active ﬁ re runs, spotting and torching as late after- noon downslope winds pushed the ﬁ re south. Fireﬁ ghters, with assistance from aerial resources, focused sup- pression efforts on pro- tecting the values at risk and establishing contain- ment lines to slow the spread of the ﬁ re. Fireﬁ ghters will con- tinue Friday to complete line construction, where terrain and fuels allow for crews to safely engage, while utilizing aircraft to slow ﬁ re spread and cool hotspots within the ﬁ re perimeter. Resources on scene include two engines, one 20-person hand crew, two skidg- ines, two dozers and two water tenders. Additional resources are on order. A local Type 3 incident commander out of John Day took command of the ﬁ re Thursday at 9 p.m. Fireﬁ ghters made prog- ress on the Rocky Fire, which also is on the Hep- pner Ranger District. The ﬁ re jumped the ﬁ re line Thursday and grew to 6 acres, but ﬁ reﬁ ghters suc- cessfully stopped the ﬁ re spread. The Rocky Fire is 100% lined. Fire crews are continuing mop up and securing containment lines. The Pomeroy Ranger District reported two new ignitions. Fireﬁ ghters staffed both ﬁ res at less than a quarter of an acre in size. The Rattlesnake Fire had minimal spread and is estimated at 5 acres. The ﬁ re is 20 miles south of Pomeroy, Washington, in rugged terrain. Access to this ﬁ re is limited due to ﬂ ood damage within the Tucannon watershed. Fire- ﬁ ghters were able to mon- itor the ﬁ re Thursday, while they continue to work on safely gaining access into the ﬁ re. The North Fork John Day Ranger District had no new ﬁ res reported Friday, but crews continue to patrol and mop up hot spots on existing ﬁ res. Hot and dry condi- tions are expected to per- sist throughout the week. Increased winds are antici- pated again Friday, and ﬁ re ofﬁ cials want to remind everyone ﬁ re danger rating remains high and public use restrictions involving chainsaw use is in effect. Elgin student wins statewide contest By Dick Mason The Observer ELGIN — An Elgin High School student has moved into select company. Mariah Wilhelm, who will a senior EHS this fall, placed ﬁ rst in her divi- sion in the Oregon Mayors Association’s annual state- wide civic awareness con- test, “If I Were Mayor…” Wilhelm placed ﬁ rst for a digital presentation in which she explained what she would do if she were the mayor of Elgin for a full term. One step she would take would be to make sure the city of Elgin is prepared for a pandemic like the COVID-19 one the world now is experi- encing. Wilhelm said she would work to make sure businesses were equipped with products such as Contributed photo Elgin Mayor Allan Duffy poses with Elgin High School student Mariah Wilhelm, who placed ﬁ rst in her division for the Oregon Mayors Association’s annual statewide civic awareness contest, “If I Were Mayor…” masks and sanitizing equipment that could help them remain open during a pandemic. She also would work to Local firefighters squelch wildland blaze provide meals to seniors paid for by the city during a pandemic. Wilhelm said that making the 90-second Baker County has ﬁ rst death related to COVID-19 By Jayson Jacoby EO Media Group Photo from the La Grande Rural Fire Protection District Fireﬁ ghters from multiple local agencies made swift work of a blaze early Wednesday near Summerville. The La Grande Rural Fire Protection District responded Wednesday, Aug. 19, at approximately 12:20 a.m. to assist the Imbler Rural Fire Department with a quarter- to half-acre wildland ﬁ re north of Summerville. “There was a large amount of lightning in the area when the ﬁ re was reported,” accord- ing to the post on the La Grande Rural Fire Protection District’s Facebook page. “Despite gusty and shifting winds from the passing storm, crews were able to quickly engage and stop the progression of the ﬁ re.” The La Grande Fire Department and Union Rural Fire District assisted as well, and Oregon Department of Forestry provided a bulldozer to construct a containment line. video was not a quick process. “It took hours,” she said. The high school student felt good about the ﬁ nal product. “I was proud of it,” Wil- helm said. Wilhelm has been the Elgin City Council’s stu- dent councilor for several months. She attends city council meetings and pro- vides the council reports about Elgin High School. She has enjoyed her time as a student councilor and plans to continue serving in the 2020-21 school year. “I like getting to see how decisions are made,” Wilhelm said. Wilhelm is a member of Elgin High’s volleyball, basketball and softball teams and part of its year- book staff. BAKER CITY — Baker County reported one new case of COVID-19 on Tuesday, Aug. 18, but none on Wednesday, leaving the county’s total at 57. That includes 11 recent cases connected with Meadowbrook Place assisted living community in Baker City. That outbreak, the ﬁ rst in a care facility in the county, included the county’s ﬁ rst COVID- 19-related death, a Meadowbrook resident. The Baker County Health Department, citing a health care pri- vacy law, has declined to give any details about the person who died. The Oregon Health Authority lists the age, gender and county of residence of people who die as a result of the virus. The agency’s Wednesday update does not include the Baker County death, which the Baker County Health Department announced Monday afternoon. There is often a lag between county and state data related to the pandemic. Holly Kerns, a public information ofﬁ cer for Baker County, said county ofﬁ cials would not release any addi- tional details about the outbreak at Meadow- brook Place. When the Baker County Health Depart- ment announced the out- break at Meadowbrook on Friday, Aug. 14, the department’s press release stated “none of the residents or staff are currently hospitalized and no deaths have been reported in connection with the outbreak as of Friday (Aug. 14).” The OHA’s weekly report, issued Wednesday and including data through 11 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 16, attributed 11 cases to the Meadowbrook outbreak. As of Wednesday, the OHA said at least 51 of Baker County’s cases involved residents who had tested positive. NEWS BRIEFS Baker City woman faces charges in stabbing BAKER CITY — Baker City Police reported an inci- dent that started with two people hufﬁ ng canned air to get high ended with one stabbing the other. Mariam “Evee” Collard, 20, of Baker City, is in the Baker County Jail for the stabbing of Michael Scott Tugman, 32, of Baker City. According to police, the pair were at Geiser-Pollman Park the afternoon of Monday, Aug. 17, when an argument led to the attack. Tugman suffered a slash wound to his left cheek and stabbing wounds on his left triceps outer arm area and left upper rib cage, Baker City Police detec- tive Shannon Regan stated in a court document. Dis- trict Attorney Greg Baxter stated in a press release Monday night that Tugman received medical treatment for the injuries. Collard and Tugman were acquain- tances, Baxter stated. The district attorney’s ofﬁ ce onTuesday arraigned Collard on one count of sec- ond-degree assault, a Class B felony which on convic- tion carries a mandatory minimum sentence of ﬁ ve years, 10 months in prison. She also faces a charge of second-degree disor- derly conduct charge, a Class B misdemeanor, for “engaging in violent, tumultuous or threatening behavior,” according to court documents. Regan said Geis- er-Pollman Park “was ﬁ lled with multiple adults and children” when the stabbing occurred in the afternoon. The trouble between Collard and Tugman started when Collard began recording Tugman while he was under the inﬂ uence of the canned air, according to court doc- uments, which the two had been inhaling in the park. Tugman became upset and told Collard to stop the recording. They wrestled over the phone Collard was using to make the video, and Collard grabbed her ﬁ xed-blade throwing knife, which measure 5-7 inches long, and stabbed Tugman three times, Regan stated. During Tuesday’s arraignment, Circuit Judge Matt Shirtcliff set Collard’s bail at $50,000 with release possible after posting 10%, or $5,000. Baker City attorney Bob Moon is Col- lard’s court-appointed attorney. Baxter said Wednesday that the case will next go before a grand jury for con- sideration of more charges. Eastern Oregon Counties Association to expand LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon Counties Association is set to add four new members. Gilliam, Lake, Wasco and Wheeler counties are preparing to join the EOCA, which lobbies and advocates on behalf of Oregon counties east of the Cascade Mountains. The four counties will join once they and the present 13 members approve a new intergovernmental agreement for the organiza- tion’s operation, said Paul Anderes, chairman of the Union County Board of Commissioners. The 13 that have been part of the EOCA for sev- eral years are Union, Wal- lowa, Baker, Umatilla, Morrow, Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Malheur and Sherman counties. All boards of commis- sioners for the counties listed in the EOCA’s inter- governmental agreement document must vote to approve it to remain mem- bers or join the organiza- tion, Anderes said. The Union County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the EOCA intergovernmental agreement at its meeting Wednesday. — EO Media Group