LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
On Jan. 15, 2009, US Airways
Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullen-
berger ditched his Airbus 320 in
the Hudson River after a flock of
birds disabled both engines; all
155 people aboard survived.
In 1862, the U.S. Senate con-
firmed President Abraham
Lincoln’s choice of Edwin M.
Stanton to be the new Secre-
tary of War, replacing Simon
Cameron.
In 1892, the original rules of
basketball, devised by James
Naismith, were published for
the first time in Springfield,
Massachusetts, where the game
originated.
In 1929, civil rights leader
Martin Luther King, Jr. was born
in Atlanta.
In 1943, work was completed
on the Pentagon, the headquar-
ters of the U.S. Department of
War (now Defense).
In 1967, the Green Bay
Packers of the National Football
League defeated the Kansas
City Chiefs of the American
Football League 35-10 in the
first AFL-NFL World Champion-
ship Game, retroactively known
as Super Bowl I.
In 1973, President Richard M.
Nixon announced the suspen-
sion of all U.S. offensive action
in North Vietnam, citing prog-
ress in peace negotiations.
In 1976, Sara Jane Moore was
sentenced to life in prison for
her attempt on the life of Presi-
dent Gerald R. Ford in San Fran-
cisco. (Moore was released on
the last day of 2007.)
In 1981, the police drama
series “Hill Street Blues” pre-
miered on NBC.
In 1993, a historic disarma-
ment ceremony ended in Paris
with the last of 125 countries
signing a treaty banning chem-
ical weapons.
In 2001, Wikipedia, a web-
based encyclopedia, made its
debut.
In 2014, a highly critical
and bipartisan Senate report
declared that the deadly Sep-
tember 2012 assault on the
American diplomatic com-
pound in Benghazi, Libya,
could have been prevented; the
report spread blame among the
State Department, the military
and U.S. intelligence.
In 2020, Chinese officials said
they couldn’t rule out the pos-
sibility that a new coronavirus
in central China could spread
between humans, though
they said the risk of transmis-
sion appeared to be low. House
Democratic leaders carried arti-
cles of impeachment against
President Donald Trump across
the U.S. Capitol in a formal pro-
cession to the Senate.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor
Margaret O’Brien is 84. Actor
Andrea Martin is 75. College
and Pro Football Hall of Famer
Randy White is 69. Actor-di-
rector Mario Van Peebles is 65.
Rock musician Adam Jones
(Tool) is 57. Actor James Nesbitt
is 57. Actor Chad Lowe is 54. Alt-
country singer Will Oldham (aka
Bonnie Prince Billy) is 52. Actor
Regina King is 51. Actor Dorian
Missick is 46. Actor Eddie Cahill
is 44. Former NFL quarterback
Drew Brees is 43. Rapper/reg-
gaeton artist Pitbull is 41. Actor
Victor Rasuk is 37. Actor Jessy
Schram is 36. Electronic dance
musician Skrillex is 34. Actor/
singer Dove Cameron is 26.
Singer-songwriter Grace Van-
derWaal (TV: “America’s Got
Talent”) is 18.
CORRECTION
The Page A2 story
“Shortage of COVID-19
tests hits La Grande,”
published Thursday, Jan.
13, misstated the time
of the next COVID-19
testing event at the
Union County Fair-
grounds. The event on
Jan. 18 is set to take
place from 10 a.m. to
1 p.m.
LOTTERY
Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022
Megabucks
7-20-32-33-41-46
Jackpot: $8.2 million
Lucky Lines
1-6-11-14-19-22-26-29
Estimated jackpot: $75,000
Powerball
12-21-22-30-33
Powerball: 24
Power Play: x4
Jackpot: $38 million
Win for Life
16-28-65-71
Pick 4
1 p.m.:5-9-0-0
4 p.m.: 2-0-9-4
7 p.m.: 9-3-0-0
10 p.m.: 1-6-2-8
Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022
Lucky Lines
3-6-11-15-18-21-27-32
Jackpot: $76,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 2-6-8-1
4 p.m.: 3-8-6-7
7 p.m.: 6-4-4-9
10 p.m.: 7-8-7-7
SaTuRday, JanuaRy 15, 2022
Rising COVID-19 numbers prompt change
La Grande School
District moving to
moderate-risk
category
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
Rising COVID-19 numbers
in the La Grande School
District are bringing back
restrictions.
Starting Tuesday, Jan.
18, the district will move
from the its current low-
risk category — under
its communicable dis-
ease plan — into its mod-
erate-risk category in an
effort to curb the infection
rate among its students
and staff, according to a
La Grande School District
press release.
The change will mean
that recesses will be orga-
nized so that children
will only be with students
in the same grade level,
students will be seated
in classrooms based on
seating charts, physical
distancing will be kept at
3 feet or more to the max-
imum extend possible,
screenings of staff and stu-
dents will be reintroduced
and visitors and volun-
teers will not be allowed in
schools.
The school district
reported that between
Tuesday, Jan. 4, and
Wednesday, Jan. 13, it had
more than 150 COVID-19
events. The school district
defines an event as when
a student or staff member
tests positive for COVID-
19, has a close contact with
someone with COVID-19
or has COVID-19 symp-
toms. Eighteen of the
school district’s Jan. 4-13
COVID-19 events involved
staff members.
In a Jan. 13 press
release, Mendoza said the
move into a higher risk
category and increased
restrictions is necessary
due to the increase in
infections in the district
and because “projections
by the state of Oregon and
alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
Christie Neilson, a substitute teacher at La Grande High School, watches as students leave for the bell
on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021. Starting Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, the La Grande School District will move
from its current low-risk category — under its communicable disease plan — into its moderate-risk
category in an effort to curb its infection rate.
alex Wittwer/The Observer, File
A sign reminds students to wear a mask in class at La Grande High
School on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021.
Union County demon-
strate recent increases in
cases are the beginning of
a strong surge.”
Uptick in numbers
The school district’s
latest weekly statis-
tics show that 37 stu-
dents and two staff mem-
bers missed school during
the week of Jan. 3-7, the
first week back after the
holiday break, because
of positive COVID-19
tests, COVID-19 symp-
toms or close contact with
those who have COVID-
19. This was up from the
week of Dec. 13-17 when
five students and no staff
missed school because of
COVID-19 during the last
week of school in 2021.
During the week of
Jan. 3-7, one staff member
from Greenwood Elemen-
tary School missed school
because of COVID-19, and
the other staff member was
from La Grande Middle
School. This was the first
time in 11 weeks that
any staff members had
missed work days at school
because of COVID-19.
The school district’s
latest statistics also indi-
cate eight students — three
from Central Elementary,
two each from Greenwood
Elementary and La Grande
Middle School, and one
from La Grande High
School — missed school
after testing positive for
COVID-19.
A total of 24 students,
according to the Jan.
3-7 statistics, were out
because of close contact
with someone who was
COVID-19 positive. Seven
students were from Cen-
tral Elementary, six were
from Island City Elemen-
tary, five from Greenwood
Elementary, four from
La Grande High School
and two from La Grande
Middle School.
Five students were
out because of primary
COVID-19 symptoms —
two each at Island City
Elementary and La Grande
Middle School — and
Greenwood Elementary
had one student out.
Council positions to be up for grabs
City of La Grande
taking applications
for council election
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
MORE INFORMATION
Bozarth
Clements
Lillard
Rock
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
city of La Grande is pre-
paring to take applications
for four upcoming open-
ings on the city council.
The openings are for the
mayor’s position and seats
five through seven on the
council. The mayor’s term
is two years. Councilors
serve four-year terms.
A primary election is
set to be held on Tuesday,
May 17, with the intention
of officially nominating
candidates for the four
positions.
Primary elections take
place only if three or more
candidates file for the same
position on the council.
Section 29 of the La
Grande City Charter states
that if two or less candi-
dates file for one position,
their names are slotted on
November’s general elec-
tion ballot.
In addition to Mayor
Steve Clements’ position,
the council positions of
Gary Lillard, John Bozarth
and Justin Rock are due
for election. The four posi-
tions officially expire on
the final day of 2022. Cle-
ments is currently serving
his fourth consecutive term
as mayor.
Potential qualified can-
didates are required to
have lived in La Grande
for the full six months pre-
ceding the primary elec-
tion in May. Candidates
are nominated by a peti-
tion, which requires 20 sig-
Candidate packets will be
available beginning Jan. 18
and are due back by 1 p.m.
on March 1. Packets may be
picked up and applications
returned to the city recorder’s
office on the second floor of La
Grande City Hall, 1000 Adams
Ave. Contact City Recorder
Sandra Patterson at 541-962-
1351 or spatterson@cityofla-
grande.org for more informa-
tion about the requirements
for mayor and city councilors.
natures from voters who
reside in La Grande.
Following the primary
election, candidates have
until Sept. 2 to withdraw
from the general election,
which will take place on
Nov. 8.
Path to Lee murder trial hits another delay
Defense attorney
Craig Russell
withdraws due to
scheduling conflict
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
The defense attorney for
Ronald Lee, a Cove man
accused of killing his wife
in 2018, has withdrawn
from the case.
Craig Russell, of Pend-
leton-based Russell Law
Group, filed a motion
to withdraw as Lee’s
attorney due to sched-
uling difficulties. In Rus-
sell’s attached affidavit,
dated Thursday, Jan. 6, he
said he would be unavail-
able during the upcoming
summer trial and that
public defender Dean
Gushwa would be taking
the lead for the remainder
of the case.
“Having reviewed my
caseload, trial docket for
the year of 2022, and with
consideration of my ser-
vice obligations with the
United State Army, I do
not believe that I can con-
tinue representation in
this case without ethically
falling short to either Mr.
Lee or my existing cli-
ents,” Russell wrote in the
affidavit.
Gushwa and the defense
will appear at a motions
hearing at 9 a.m. on Jan.
19, which will address the
state’s pending motions.
The court deliberated the
defense’s motions on Dec.
23, but the Jan. 19 hearing
will include the defense’s
motion to force the state
to detail before trial any
prior bad acts or crim-
inal behavior it alleges Lee
committed and are not part
of the charges he faces.
After several delays, the
trial is now scheduled to
begin on July 7 and extend
through Aug. 5.
The trial in front of a
12-person jury was previ-
ously slated to start Jan.
6, but was pushed back
after a new interview with
co-defendant Steve Ham-
ilton added a new wrinkle
to the case. Circuit Court
Judge Thomas Powers
granted a motion to post-
pone the trial at a pretrial
hearing on Dec. 23 at the
Union County Courthouse
in La Grande after the
defense stated it would not
be able to review the new
information from Ham-
ilton in time for the orig-
inal trial.
The state accuses Lee
of killing his wife, Loretta
Williams, at her home in
Cove in November 2018.
Lee is facing charges of
murder and conspiracy
to commit murder and is
being held at the Union
County Jail.
The most recent delay
comes in the wake of pre-
vious roadblocks in the
trial related to Lee’s health.
The 73-year-old suffered
a stroke in January 2020
and was hospitalized in
Salem. A trial was set for
November 2020, but the
court canceled the trial
after a mental evalua-
tion following the stroke
deemed Lee to be a danger
to himself and others.
As the case appeared to
be coming close to a trial,
the new evidence from an
interview with Hamilton
raised questions from both
sides. The defense and
the plaintiff both agreed
that previous interviews
with Hamilton have been
inconsistent, causing chal-
lenges while considering
evidence.
A pre-trial conference
is set for June 6 at 9 a.m.,
which would be the final
step before the trial begins.
BRIEFS
Reward of $16,500
offered for tips on
illegal wolf kill
WALLOWA COUNTY
— Conservation groups
announced Thursday, Jan.
13, that they are offering a
$16,500 reward for informa-
tion that leads to an arrest
and conviction in an illegal
wolf killing last week in
Wallowa County.
A 2-year-old collared
female wolf was found
dead southeast of Wal-
lowa and reported just
after 10:30 a.m. on Jan.
8. Oregon State Police
reported the killing on
Jan. 11. The wolf, desig-
nated OR-106, was found
on Parsnip Creek Road in
the Sled Springs game man-
agement unit. OSP said the
wolf had dispersed from
the Chesnimnus Pack in
northern Wallowa County.
The Humane Society
of the United States, the
Center for Biological Diver-
sity, Predator Defense,
Western Watersheds
Project, Cascadia Wild-
lands, Oregon Wild, Speak
for Wolves and Northeast
Oregon Ecosystems are
pledging funding to the
reward.
The killing is among
more than 30 poaching
incidents in Oregon since
wolves were reintroduced,
according to Stephanie
Taylor, president of Speak
for Wolves.
The shooting comes on
the heels of the poisoning
of wolves in Northeastern
Oregon in 2021, the release
noted.
In addition to the amount
offered by the conserva-
tion groups, The Oregon
Department of Fish and
Wildlife’s Turn in Poachers
division is offering a poten-
tial $300 reward for infor-
mation regarding illegal
wolf killings.
Those with informa-
tion may contact Oregon
State Police Sgt. Isaac Cyr
between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Monday to Friday through
ODFW’s Turn in Poachers
(TIP) hotline at 800-452-
7888, *OSP via mobile, or
via email to TIP@state.
or.us.
DEQ issues air
quality advisory for
Southern, Eastern
Oregon
PORTLAND —The
Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality on
Thursday, Jan. 13, issued
an air quality advisory
for Southern and Eastern
Oregon, including Baker
County, according to a
press release.
The advisory is due to
stagnant air conditions trap-
ping smoke and other air
pollutants near the ground
where people breathe, the
release said.
Also affected are
Douglas, Harney, Jackson,
Josephine, Klamath, Lake
and Malheur counties.
The advisory is in place
at least until Jan. 17, the
release said.
Heavy weekend
traffic expected at
Salt Creek Summit
JOSEPH — Poten-
tial road delays and heavy
traffic are expected at
Salt Creek Summit Sno-
Park on Saturday through
Monday, Jan. 15-17, the
Wallowa-Whitman National
Forest warned travelers.
Sam Wiswell, a recre-
ation specialist with the
Wallowa-Whitman National
Forest, said the traffic will
be due to multiple organiza-
tions hosting events during
the Martin Luther King Jr.
holiday weekend, including
the Wallowa County Gam-
blers Snowmobile Club and
avalanche safety education
courses.
Members of the public
should be aware that
parking may be limited
in the area, and visitors
wishing to have a quieter
experience may want to
consider recreating in other
locations.
For more informa-
tion about the national
forest, www.fs.usda.gov/
wallowa-whitman.
— EO Media Group