2A — THE OBSERVER
Today in
History
TODAY
Today is Thursday, Jan.
21, the 21st day of 2021.
There are 344 days left in
the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN
HISTORY:
On Jan. 21, 2020, the U.S.
reported its first known case
of the new virus circulating
in China, saying a Wash-
ington state resident who
had returned the previous
week from the outbreak’s
epicenter was hospitalized
near Seattle; U.S. officials
stressed that they believed
the overall risk of the virus
to the American public
remained low.
ON THIS DATE:
In 1793, during the French
Revolution, King Louis XVI,
condemned for treason, was
executed on the guillotine.
In 1924, Russian revolu-
tionary Vladimir Lenin died
at age 53.
In 1942, pinball machines
were banned in New York
City after a court ruled they
were gambling devices that
relied on chance rather than
skill (the ban was lifted in
1976).
In 1954, the first atomic
submarine, the USS Nauti-
lus, was launched at Groton,
Connecticut.
In 1976, British Airways
and Air France inaugurated
scheduled passenger service
on the supersonic Concorde
jet.
In 1977, on his first full day
in office, President Jimmy
Carter pardoned almost all
Vietnam War draft evaders.
In 1997, Speaker Newt
Gingrich was reprimanded
and fined as the House
voted for the first time in his-
tory to discipline its leader
for ethical misconduct.
In 2003, the Census
Bureau announced that
Hispanics had surpassed
blacks as America’s largest
minority group.
In 2007, Lovie Smith
became the first Black head
coach to make it to the Su-
per Bowl when his Chicago
Bears won the NFC cham-
pionship, beating the New
Orleans Saints 39-14; Tony
Dungy became the second
when his Indianapolis Colts
took the AFC title over the
New England Patriots, 38-34.
In 2010, a bitterly divided
U.S. Supreme Court vastly
increased the power of big
business and labor unions
to influence government
decisions by freeing them to
spend their millions directly
to sway elections for presi-
dent and Congress.
THuRSday, JanuaRy 21, 2021
LOCAL/REGION
Josephy Center starts expansion fundraiser
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
JOSEPH — The Josephy
Center for Arts and Culture
publicly launched the “Key
to Our Future” capital cam-
paign Wednesday, Jan. 13,
to purchase, renovate and
expand the building located
on 403 Main St. in Joseph,
according to a press release.
The campaign is focused
on making the Josephy
Center a permanent home
for arts and culture in Wal-
lowa County, as well as
restoring and expanding
the center to enhance vis-
itor experience and fit
the growing needs of the
community.
The campaign is set up
in phases: Phase 1 focuses
on the building purchase,
which the center does not
now own. It also includes
critical safety repairs and
accessibility for all. Phase
2 focuses on the renova-
tion and expansion of the
building.
“We don’t exactly know
what’s that going to look
like,” Development Director
Kellee Sheehy said of poten-
tial expansion.
The goal of the first
phase is to raise $575,000
by this summer. Thanks
to the tremendous support
from local patrons com-
bined with funding from the
Ronald Naito Foundation,
the M.J. Murdock Char-
itable Trust, the Autzen
Foundation and the Oregon
Cultural Trust, this cam-
paign has made great prog-
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain
The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture in Joseph launched a fundraising campaign
Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021, to purchase, expand and improve its building.
ress toward reaching that
goal — but community
support is sought to raise
another $50,000. Business
sponsorships and resident
participation in fundraisers
are crucial to the success of
the campaign, the release
stated.
To help incentivize com-
munity giving, the Murdock
Foundation has offered to
match all community dona-
tions (e.g., a $200 donation
would become $400 dol-
lars) up to $50,000. Upon
purchase of the building,
a long-time patron of the
Josephy Center has gener-
ously promised $100,000
toward an endowment to
help maintain the building
for years to come.
“The support we’ve seen
already — especially during
a year like 2020 — shows
what we can do when we all
pull together,” Sheehy said.
“The impact of this cam-
paign on the economy, on
community development
and on the morale of Wal-
lowa County will last for
generations to come.”
Phase 2, the renovation
and expansion phase of the
campaign, will position the
Josephy Center to better
serve Wallowa County as a
community gathering place
by increasing functionality,
accessibility and program-
ming. The expansion may
include features such as a
multipurpose room for per-
forming arts like dance and
theater and an expanded
ceramics studio, which will
accommodate more stu-
dents. Reconfiguration of
the existing space will also
increase access to regional
and Nez Perce educational
displays.
Sheehy said the center
also wants public input on
what they’d like to see in the
revamped center.
“We have a long wish list
of what we’d like to do,” she
said. “We just have to see
what the public wants and
what’s within our budget.
We’re excited to involve the
public and hear their ideas;
we want to make sure that
the expanded center is a
place where residents want
to spend time.”
While public fundraising
for Phase 2 won’t begin
until 2022, the center is
gathering financial support
from other sources, such as
the Cultural Resource Eco-
nomic Fund, in preparation
for this phase.
The center is largely
counting on Oregon Lot-
tery funds, which have been
delayed for more than 30
projects because lottery
sales were insufficient to
fund the bonds they pay for.
The Legislature will soon
take up the matter.
“It was important that we
found funding from other
sources and could embark
on both phases of this cam-
paign without financially
burdening county resi-
dents,” Executive Director
Cheryl Coughlan said.
Board President Jeff
Costello also is optimistic
about the future of the
center.
“Ten years ago, a per-
manent arts and culture
center in Wallowa County
that does what the Josephy
Center does was inconceiv-
able,” he said. “Not only
is it now within reach, but
it is shaping up to be more
than most of us dreamed
possible.”
To donate visit josephy.
org or mail a check to P.O.
Box 949, Joseph 97846.
Cove School District principal search off to good start
By DICK MASON
The Observer
COVE — The Cove
School District’s search for
a new principal is off to a
promising start.
The school district began
accepting applications
Jan. 7 for the principal for
grades seven through 12.
So far, it has received two
applications.
In addition, Cove School
District Superintendent
Earl Pettit said a number of
other educators interested
in applying are scheduling
Baker County
woman faces
animal neglect
charges
Pettit
trips to Cove
to see what its
public schools
and commu-
nity are like.
The deadline
for submitting
applications is
March 8.
“We are receiving a lot
of response,” Pettit said.
“There is a lot of interest
being expressed.”
Pettit said the school dis-
trict hopes to have someone
hired by late March or early
April. The superintendent
said the top quality the
school district is looking for
in a candidate is successful
experience as a school
administrator. He said this
is particularly important
in a small district such as
Cove because it has no
high school administrators
anyone can mentor under as
an assistant.
“There is no time to
learn. The individual has to
be ready,” Pettit said.
The educator who is
hired would start on July 1.
The school district is
Old Glory flies as the sun rises
seeking a successor for
Mat Miles, who retired in
December. Miles served as
principal for 10 years. He
came to Cove after working
in the La Grande School
District for 11 years.
Pettit said the school
board does not want to
hire someone who would
start the position before the
2020-21 school year is over.
He explained this is because
it is likely that if the board
hired anyone to start before
then, the individual would
be leaving a position before
LGSD to hold
virtual town hall on
plans for reopening
By KALEB LAY
The Observer
By CHRIS COLLINS
Baker City Herald
BAKER CITY— The Baker County
Sheriff’s Office has seized two don-
keys, eight cats, four dogs and 23
chickens and cited the owner of the
Baker Valley property where the ani-
mals were kept after investigating
allegations of second-degree animal
neglect.
Deputy Craig Rilee cited Vir-
ginia Lee Gould, 68, of Baker City,
on Thursday afternoon, Jan. 14, on a
Baker County Circuit Court warrant.
Gould is scheduled to appear in
court at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 26. District
Attorney Greg Baxter filed a petition
Thursday, Jan. 20, seeking a pretrial
order requiring Gould to forfeit the
animals.
The Baker County Sheriff’s Office
seized and impounded the animals on
Jan. 7 after executing a search war-
rant on Gould’s property at 15742
Hunt Mountain Lane, according to
the Sheriff’s Department and court
documents.
The donkeys now are being cared
for in the Keating area, and the other
animals are being tended by volunteers
with Best Friends of Baker.
Unless a security deposit or bond is
posted within 72 hours of the sched-
uled hearing that would repay all costs
incurred for the care of the two don-
keys from Jan. 7 to the trial date, the
donkeys would be forfeited, the petition
states.
The charge of second-degree animal
abuse, a Class B felony, alleges Gould
failed to provide minimum care for the
animals. In an affidavit filed in court
Thursday, Baxter stated, “The dogs,
cats and chickens were housed in cages
that had feces several inches deep.
The dogs and cats appeared to be in
poor health. The donkeys’ hooves had
not been clipped in quite some time,
causing the donkeys to not be able to
walk in a normal manner.”
their school year was over.
“That would not be a
good indicator of loyalty to
their school district,” Pettit
said.
Pettit will serve in the
role of principal through
the remainder of the
school year in the absence
of a successor for Miles.
Pettit also is Cove Ele-
mentary School’s prin-
cipal. The superinten-
dent said he will be better
able to take on the added
responsibility because he
has an excellent staff.
Kaleb Lay/The Observer
Old Glory wafts in the breeze as the sun rises on the morning of Martin Lu-
ther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 18, 2021, in downtown La Grande. The city
of La Grande displayed flags along Adams Avenue.
LA GRANDE — The
La Grande School Dis-
trict will hold a vir-
tual town hall at 6 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 21.
District officials are
expected to discuss
plans regarding potential
changes to instruction at
the beginning of the next
semester.
The school district
previously stated that
grades seven through 12
may have an opportunity
to return to in-person
instruction when that
semester begins Jan. 27.
Kindergarten through
sixth-grade students
returned to in-person
instruction earlier this
month. State guidelines
were loosened early in
the new year to give
school districts more
control over teaching
methods used during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
The virtual town hall
will stream live begin-
ning at 6 p.m. To view
the event, go online to
lgsd.tv or the La Grande
School District’s
Facebook page.
Pendleton police arrest man they say suffering ‘psychosis’ from kratom
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Pend-
leton police arrested a man on
Monday, Jan. 18, who was suf-
fering from an “apparent psy-
chosis” most likely brought on
by the substance kratom after
he caused a public disturbance
and leapt through a closed sec-
ond-story window.
At around 7:30 p.m., Pend-
leton police received multiple
reports from residents of a
public disturbance on the 700
block of Southwest First Street,
according to a press release
from the police department.
Upon arriving, police found
Daniel P. Kemp, 37, who the
department reported was agi-
tated, screaming, removing his
clothing, going into neighboring
residences, destroying property
and running in and out of his
home.
Officers attempted to dees-
calate the situation, the press
release stated, but Kemp fled
inside a building, ran to the
second story, jumped through
a closed window and landed on
the ground.
Officers went outside and
found Kemp covered in blood.
Paramedics already had been
requested to the scene because
of Kemp’s condition.
Kemp proceeded to engage
law enforcement in a “phys-
ical confrontation,” according
to the press release, and it took
four officers to restrain him and
secure him to a medical gurney
to treat his injuries. Officers
also tased Kemp, but he was not
affected.
Officers were exposed to
blood-borne pathogens but were
not injured, the press release
said.
Upon further investigation,
police said they believe that
Kemp’s psychosis most likely
was caused by the herbal drug
kratom.
Kratom, which is part of the
coffee family, is derived from
the leaves of a tree native to
Southeast Asia. It is legal and,
for the most part, unregulated
and untracked in Oregon and
nationally.
When kratom is introduced
into the body in large amounts,
it can have a sedative effect,
similar to that of an opiate. The
U.S. Food and Drug Admin-
istration warns that people
who use kratom run the risk of
dependency and, in some cases,
addiction.
Some people, however, use
the drug in small amounts as a
remedy for chronic pain, depres-
sion and anxiety and as a curb
for opioid addiction — though
it is not medically prescribed.
Some veterans have also said
it helps control symptoms of
post-traumatic stress, according
to the New York Times.
Information and data on the
positive and negative effects
of kratom are limited, and
because of this, health offi-
cials have voiced concerns it is
largely unregulated.
Other reported kratom side
effects include seizures and hal-
lucinations. Past government
reviews have linked kratom to
more than 100 overdose deaths.
In 2017, the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention
reported kratom was the cause
of 91 of 27,000 overdose deaths
the agency examined during an
18-month period.
The substance is banned
in six states — Alabama,
Arkansas, Indiana, Rhode
Island, Vermont and Wisconsin
— and also in the District of
Columbia.
“Individuals under the influ-
ence of kratom can be unpre-
dictable and dangerous, as wit-
nessed by this incident,” the
press release stated. “Several
businesses in the Pendleton area
currently sell kratom.”
Kratom is found most
commonly in smoke shops,
dispensaries and even in
some gas stations.