2A — 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