RECORDS AND MORE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT
COMMUNITY
Briefs
New menu for next
Cove senior meal
COVE — The Cove senior
meal planned for March 2
has been changed to beef
stew, green salad, biscuits
and cherry cobbler. The take-
out lunches are offered on
the fi rst and third Tuesday of
the month. Due to pandemic
restrictions, meals are picked
up in front of Founders Hall
from noon to 12:30 p.m. En-
ter the driveway on Church
Street from the north.
There is a $5 charge per
meal. If you haven’t been
contacted, call Imie Bristow
at 541-568-4545 by Wednes-
day, Feb. 24, to order your
meal.
Tickets on sale for crab
and prime rib feed,
Casino Night
ENTERPRISE — The
annual Enterprise Elks Lodge
crab and prime rib feed is set
for Saturday, Feb. 27, at Clo-
verleaf Hall on the Wallowa
County Fairgrounds. Doors
open at 4 p.m. with a no-host
bar and food prepared by
Elks members.
All-you-can-eat crab is $40,
prime rib and a cup of crab
is $35, and prime rib only
is $25. All dinners include
coleslaw, baked beans and
garlic bread.
Dinner will be followed
by a fi rewood auction and a
dessert auction at 6:30 p.m.
to benefi t Casey Eye Insti-
tute. Casino Night begins at
8 p.m. For tickets and more
information contact Kent at
541-426-1829.
Spring youth art classes
taking signups
JOSEPH — The Josephy
Center for Arts and Culture
announces in a press release
it is now taking signups for
the spring session of youth
clay classes.
The classes, which run
each Friday from March 19
to May 7.
Sessions for ages 7-11 are
10-11:30 a.m. and for ages
12-17 from 1-3 p.m.
Tickets for the classes cost
$80. For more information or
to purchase tickets visit pre-
view.tinyurl.com/YouthClay.
— EO Media Group
Lottery
Megabucks: $2.1 million
8-12-17-26-41-42
Powerball: $78 million
4-8-22-32-58 — PB 4 x10
Mega Millions: $20 million
27-32-47-50-53— MB 4 x4
Win for Life: Feb. 20
8-55-68-70
Pick 4: Feb. 21
• 1 p.m.: 7-7-4-8
• 4 p.m.: 5-8-1-5
• 7 p.m.: 3-9-4-7
• 10 p.m.: 9-3-3-0
Pick 4: Feb. 20
• 1 p.m.: 5-2-3-8
• 4 p.m.: 2-6-2-5
• 7 p.m.: 8-5-3-21
• 10 p.m.: 4-8-1-4
Pick 4: Feb. 19
• 1 p.m.: 7-4-1-2
• 4 p.m.: 2-2-1-7
• 7 p.m.: 0-2-2-9
• 10 p.m.: 3-8-5-7
DELIVERY ISSUES?
If you have any problems
receiving your Observer, call
541-963-3161.
FRIDAY, FEB. 19
8:06 a.m. — A Union
County sheriff’s deputy
assisted a motorist with a
disabled vehicle at Sixth
Street and N Avenue, La
Grande.
11:13 a.m. — A caller
reported a dog on the loose
on the 800 block of East
Ash Street, Union. The
animal enforcement offi cer
responded and counseled
the owners.
12:54 p.m. — A La
Grande resident reported
identity theft. An offi cer
responded and took a
report.
2:48 p.m. — Law
enforcement and emer-
gency services responded
to a traffi c crash with inju-
ries at Island Avenue and
Mulholland Drive, La
Grande.
4:40 p.m. — La Grande
police responded to the
1500 block of Fifth Street
for a domestic disturbance.
The offi cer at the scene
found the circumstances
did not mandate an arrest
La Grande
Charles L. Ritter, 93,
of La Grande, died Feb.
21. Arrangements are by
Loveland Funeral Chapel
& Crematory, La Grande.
Thor Edvalson
Formerly of La Grande
Thor Edvalson, 59, of
Baker City and formerly
of La Grande, died Feb. 2
at St. Alphonsus Regional
SATURDAY, FEB. 20
12:33 a.m. — La Grande
police responded to River-
side Park for a suspicious
vehicle. An offi cer told the
subject to go home.
1:08 a.m. — A caller
complained about loud
noise on the 1900 block
of Z Avenue, La Grande.
A Union County sheriff’s
deputy responded, and the
subject agreed to turn down
the music.
11:46 a.m. — A caller
reported an injured hawk
on the 3000 block of
Blue Mountain Drive,
La Grande. The animal
enforcement offi cer con-
tacted the caller, who would
take the raptor to Blue
Mountain Wildlife, the bird
rescue and rehabilitation
center in Pendleton.
11:50 a.m. — A caller
reported an injured cat on
the 700 block of Fourth
Street, La Grande. The
animal enforcement offi cer
responded and took the cat
to a veterinarian.
3:07 p.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Offi ce
received a report of a sex
crime in Union.
7:32 p.m. — A caller
reported criminal mis-
chief to a vehicle on the
700 block of 16th Street, La
Grande. An offi cer took a
report.
8:45 p.m. — A caller
reported a possible distur-
bance on the 79300 block
of Highway 204, Elgin.
A Union County sheriff’s
deputy made contact. The
parties separated prior to
response.
11:52 p.m. — A caller
complained again about
loud noise on the 1900
block of Z Avenue, La
Grande. A Union County
sheriff’s deputy responded
and counseled one person.
SUNDAY, FEB. 21
12:52 a.m. — Law
enforcement responded to
the 62100 block of Mount
Glen Road, La Grande, on a
report of a domestic distur-
bance. The Union County
Sheriff’s Offi ce arrested
Kyle J. Wright, 36, for
fourth-degree domestic vio-
lence assault.
5:17 a.m. — A Union
County sheriff’s deputy
assisted at a traffi c crash
involving possible inju-
Continued from Page 1A
“This is lightning in a
bottle. It really is,” Slater
said. “We are telling stake-
holders this is a once-in-
30-years opportunity. Do
we want to grab it?”
Simpson was motivated
by the prospect of con-
tinued litigation even as
salmon die off, Slater said.
Simpson unveiled the
plan in a video posted
to his website on Feb.
13, saying, “The cur-
rent system is clearly not
working.”
Four Republican
House members — Cathy
McMorris Rodgers, Dan
Newhouse and Jaime Her-
rera Beutler, all from
Washington, and Rep. Russ
Fulcher of Idaho — oppose
Simpson’s plan.
“The hydropower devel-
oped in the Pacifi c North-
west benefi ts every resi-
dent, family, and business
in our region,” they said in
a joint statement. “Without
it, life as we know it in
our region would cease to
exist.”
McMorris Rodgers,
whose district has sev-
eral of the dams, has long
fought to preserve the
structures.
“Spending more than
$33 billion to breach them
— with no guarantee
that doing so will restore
salmon populations — is a
drastic, fi scally irrespon-
sible leap to take,” she said.
Conservation and tribal
groups issued statements
Medical Center in Boise,
Idaho. A celebration of
his life will be held Feb.
26 at 11 a.m. at the Har-
vest Church in Baker
City.
The service will be
livestreamed: go to
www.bakercityharvest.
org, scroll to the bottom
and click the YouTube
icon. Arrangements are
by Tami’s Pine Valley
Funeral Home, Halfway.
Upcoming local services
Please follow guide-
lines regarding face cov-
erings and social dis-
tancing at all services.
Feb. 26 — THOR
and separated the parties.
5:23 p.m. — La Grande
police responded to the
3000 block of Q Avenue
for a domestic distur-
bance. Police separated the
parties.
7:02 p.m. — The Union
County Sheriff’s Offi ce at
L Avenue and 25th Street,
La Grande, arrested Colin
Drew Dittmer, 21, on 11
Union County warrants for
failure to appear on cases
for trespass, theft, misde-
meanor assault and other
charges.
9 p.m. — La Grande
police responded to a resi-
dence on the 300 block of
Adams Avenue for a non-
communicative 911 call.
Offi cers determined this
was a domestic disturbance
and separated the parties.
DAMS
Obituaries
Charles L. Ritt er
THE OBSERVER — 3A
EDVALSON: 11 a.m.
celebration of life, Har-
vest Church, Baker City.
April 24 — BECKY
ROBERSON: 2 p.m.
celebration of life, Elgin
Community Center.
— calendar cour-
tesy of Loveland Funeral
Chapel, La Grande
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press, File
The Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River from the air near Colfax, Washington. A Re-
publican congressman has proposed removing four hydroelectric dams in the Northwest,
including the Lower Granite Dam, as part of a sweeping plan to save salmon populations
and provide aid to farmers and others.
“The current system is clearly
not working.”
— Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho
supporting Simpson’s
proposal.
“We’ve spent decades
making minor improve-
ments and adjustments that
simply haven’t worked,
and what we really need
is serious funding and
a major overhaul,” said
Liz Hamilton, execu-
tive director of the North-
west Sportfi shing Industry
Association.
“Healthy populations of
wild salmon and steelhead
are essential for Northwest
tribes, local economies
and the region’s way of
life — and they’re running
out of time,” said Collin
O’Mara, president and
CEO of the National Wild-
life Federation.
The plan calls for the
removal of the Lower
Granite Dam near Colfax
in 2030, with removal of
three other dams — Ice
Harbor, Little Goose and
Lower Monumental — in
Translater district
reminds property
owners of tax liability
The Observer
UNION COUNTY —
The Blue Mountain Trans-
lator District has mailed
reminder notices of lia-
bility for antenna TV service
charges to property owners
in Baker and Union counties.
Blue Mountain Translator
District is a local government
special district that manages
a portfolio of telecommuni-
cations assets and TV trans-
lators. The district receives
its funds via an annual $100
service charges, which covers
the cost of maintenance of
TV translators and sup-
port the operation of KUNP
Channel 16-4, “Blue Moun-
tains Now,” an over-the-air
channel that broadcasts local
government meetings, news
and information as well as
educational content.
Property owners are
exempt from the payment if
they do not use an antenna to
view KATU, KGW, KOIN,
KTVB, KPDX, KPTV or
KRCW.
Payments and signed
exemption requests for the
2020-21 billing cycle may
be returned to BMTD at any
point through May 31. If
the district does not receive
a payment or exemption
request by the end of May,
the charge will be enrolled on
the property owner’s fall 2021
property tax statement.
For more information
about payments and exemp-
tions, call the Blue Mountain
Translator District offi ce at
541-963-0196 or email
bmtd.org@gmail.com.
2031. The dams were built
in the 1950s and 1960s to
provide power, fl ood con-
trol and irrigation, and
to make navigable a por-
tion of the Snake River
from Lewiston, Idaho,
to the Tri-Cities of Rich-
land, Kennewick and
Pasco in Washington, and
downriver to Pacifi c Ocean
ports.
Simpson’s proposal
includes removing the
earthen berms adjacent
to all four Lower Snake
River hydroelectric dams
to let the river run free,
while spending billions
to replace the benefi ts of
the dams for agriculture,
energy and transportation.
Glen Squires, head of
ries on McAlister Road, La
Grande.
11:21 a.m. — A caller
reported two dogs on
the loose in the area of
milepost 268 on Inter-
state 84, La Grande. The
animal enforcement offi cer
responded, found the dogs
and counseled their owners.
1:41 p.m. — The Wal-
lowa County Sheriff’s
Offi ce arrested Joseph
Everett Robb, 20, of Los-
tine, on a Union County
warrant for fi rst-degree
theft and unauthorized
entry into a vehicle.
4:35 p.m. — A caller
reported a possible
domestic disturbance at a
residence on the 1900 block
of First Street, La Grande.
An offi cer responded and
separated the parties.
11:06 p.m. — A caller
reported a domestic dis-
turbance at a residence
on the 90 block of South
Eighth Street, Elgin. A
Union County sheriff’s
deputy responded and had
the parties separate.
the Washington Grain
Commission, said Simpson
should look to his own
backyard if he wants to
help fi sh.
“If the representative is
so interested in dams and
getting fi sh back to Idaho,
I’d suggest he look at those
within his state that were
built without fi sh passage,
cutting fi sh off from pris-
tine habitat,” Squires said.
Nez Perce tribal
Chairman Shannon
Wheeler, whose ances-
tors kept Lewis and Clark
alive with salmon from
Idaho’s rivers when the
starving explorers stum-
bled into Nez Perce terri-
tory in 1805, said the tribe
strongly supports Simp-
son’s plan.
“We view restoring
the lower Snake River, a
living being to us, and one
that is injured, as urgent
and overdue,” Wheeler
said.
Simpson is not the only
one seeking a comprehen-
sive solution to helping
conserve the salmon popu-
lation while providing for
the region’s power needs.
The governors of Wash-
ington, Oregon, Idaho
and Montana have formed
the Columbia Basin Col-
laborative, which must
be involved in any solu-
tion, Washington Gov. Jay
Inslee said.
“Washington welcomes
Rep. Simpson’s willing-
ness to think boldly about
how to recover Columbia
and Snake River salmon
in a way that works for the
entire region,” Inslee said.
VA events focus on Black
History Month, women
The Observer
WALLA WALLA,
Wash. — The Jonathan
M. Wainwright Memo-
rial VA Medical Center in
Walla Walla, Washington,
which serves veterans
in Northeast Oregon, is
holding a virtual Black
History Month event
Thursday, Feb. 25, from
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The day-long event
will feature numerous
presenters and some
musical presentations.
All can attend via Webex
using their smartphone,
computer, tablet or other
electronic device. Partic-
ipate for the entire event,
or drop in and out as
your schedule permits.
For more details and to
access the online cele-
bration, go to www.wal-
lawalla.va.gov/features/
BHM_2021.asp.
The Walla Walla VA
in a press release also
invited women veterans
to participate in a women
veterans COVID-19 tele-
phone town hall Feb. 24
at 2 p.m. hosted by the
VA Portland Health Care
System.
Topics to be discussed
will include informa-
tion about the COVID-19
vaccine and side effects.
Walla Walla VA per-
sonnel will be listening
in on the call in order
to address any issues or
questions by women vet-
erans in its area.
Participants must reg-
ister for the event no later
than Wednesday, Feb. 24,
in order to receive access
information.
Details can be found at
www.portland.va.gov/ser-
vices/women/index.asp.