LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
On Jan. 20, 1942, Nazi
officials held the notorious
Wannsee conference, during
which they arrived at their
“final solution” that called for
exterminating Europe’s Jews.
In 1265, England’s first rep-
resentative Parliament met for
the first time.
In 1801, Secretary of State
John Marshall was nominated
by President John Adams to
be chief justice of the United
States.
In 1841, the island of Hong
Kong was ceded by China to
Great Britain. (It returned to
Chinese control in July 1997.)
In 1936, Britain’s King
George V died after his phy-
sician injected the mortally ill
monarch with morphine and
cocaine to hasten his death;
the king was succeeded by
his eldest son, Edward VIII,
who abdicated the throne 11
months later to marry Amer-
ican divorcee Wallis Simpson.
In 1937, President Franklin
D. Roosevelt became the first
chief executive to be inau-
gurated on Jan. 20 instead of
March 4.
In 1961, John F. Kennedy
was inaugurated as the 35th
President of the United States.
In 1964, Capitol Records
released the album “Meet the
Beatles!”
In 1981, Iran released 52
Americans it had held hostage
for 444 days, minutes after
the presidency had passed
from Jimmy Carter to Ronald
Reagan.
In 1986, the United States
observed the first federal hol-
iday in honor of slain civil
rights leader Martin Luther
King Jr.
In 2009, Barack Obama was
sworn in as the nation’s 44th,
as well as first African Amer-
ican, president.
In 2011, federal authori-
ties orchestrated one of the
biggest Mafia takedowns in
FBI history, charging 127 sus-
pected mobsters and asso-
ciates in the Northeast with
murders, extortion and other
crimes spanning decades.
In 2020, Chinese govern-
ment experts confirmed
human-to-human transmission
of the new coronavirus, saying
two people caught the virus
from family members and
that some health workers had
tested positive.
Today’s Birthdays: Former
astronaut Buzz Aldrin is 92.
Olympic gold medal figure
skater Carol Heiss is 82. Singer
Eric Stewart is 77. Movie
director David Lynch is 76.
Country-rock musician George
Grantham (Poco) is 75. Israeli
activist Natan Sharansky is
74. Actor Daniel Benzali is 72.
Rock musician Paul Stanley
(KISS) is 70. Rock musician Ian
Hill (Judas Priest) is 70. Come-
dian Bill Maher is 66. Actor
Lorenzo Lamas is 64. Actor
James Denton is 59. Rock musi-
cian Greg K. (The Offspring)
is 57. Country singer John
Michael Montgomery is 57.
Sophie, Countess of Wessex,
is 57. Actor Rainn Wilson is 56.
Actor Stacey Dash is 55. TV
personality Melissa Rivers is
54. Actor Reno Wilson is 53.
Singer Edwin McCain is 52.
Actor Skeet Ulrich is 52. Rap
musician ?uestlove (quest-
love) (The Roots) is 51. Former
United Nations Ambassador
Nikki Haley is 50. Rock musi-
cian Rob Bourdon (Linkin
Park) is 43. Singer-songwriter
Bonnie McKee is 38. Country
singer Brantley Gilbert is 37.
Rock singer Kevin Parker (Tame
Impala) is 36. Actor Evan Peters
is 35.
LOTTERY
Monday, Jan. 17, 2022
Megabucks
20-25-28-31-32-35
Estimated jackpot: $8.4 million
Lucky Lines
1-5-10-14-18-24-28-30
Estimated jackpot: $11,000
Win for Life
38-68-70-74
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 7-4-5-0
4 p.m.: 1-1-6-8
7 p.m.: 4-4-6-8
10 p.m.: 8-4-6-9
Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022
Mega Millions
4-9-19-42-52
Mega Ball: 9
Megaplier: 4
Estimated jackpot: $347
million
Lucky Lines
2-6-12-13-19-23-26-29
Estimated jackpot: $12,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 6-9-9-6
4 p.m.: 8-3-3-6
7 p.m.: 3-5-7-8
10 p.m.: 4-0-5-1
THuRSday, JanuaRy 20, 2022
Dean Oregon Ranches manager quits
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
WALLOWA COUNTY
— A new ranch man-
ager for the Bob Dean
Oregon Ranches in the
Upper Imnaha area has
arrived in the county,
after the outgoing man-
ager, B.J. Warnock, sub-
mitted his resignation
notice, according to Wal-
lowa County Sheriff Joel
Fish and Warnock.
“We put in our two-
week notice on Jan. 12,”
Warnock said in a state-
ment received Monday,
Jan. 17. “The gathering
crew will be done the end
of the month, as well. We
wish the Deans and any
future employees the best
of luck going forward.”
Warnock said he would
have no further statements
on the issue.
Fish said the new man-
ager is Katie Romero,
someone he hasn’t met and
knows nothing about.
Fish said that his depart-
anna Butterfield/Contributed Photo, File
Calves rescued from the deep snows in the Upper Imnaha get some
refreshment Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, at the Joseph-area ranch of Mark
and Anna Butterfield. They are among many that had to be rescued
in the past month.
ment’s criminal investiga-
tion into possible animal
neglect is continuing.
“I am interviewing all
those involved and/or col-
lecting statements,” he
said. “This will take time
as I have many other duties
and am short staffed.”
Warnock said in an
email earlier this month
that “when we began gath-
ering (cattle) in September,
there were 1,613 mother
cows on summer range.”
He acknowledged
bovine casualties during
the recovery efforts, even
though he and his crew
were assisted by neigh-
boring ranchers.
“Despite the efforts of
our crew and the commu-
nity, 10 cows have been
found unrecoverable,” he
said, adding that “1,548
Dean Oregon Ranches
mother cows were success-
fully gathered by Dean
Oregon Ranches crew
before the snow. After the
snow, 34 mother cows have
been gathered through
the joint efforts of our
crew and the community.
Of those, 26 were Dean
Oregon Ranches cattle;
the others were owned by
neighboring ranches.”
Fish said in his investi-
gation he has spoken with
Karen Dean, wife of Bob
Dean, who is ailing.
“The cattle are still
under Dean Oregon
Ranches,” he said.
Dean attorney Christo-
pher Gramiccioni, of South
Carolina, said Joseph Law
Firm in La Grande is rep-
resenting Dean locally.
There was no response
to email and telephone
requests for comment from
the firm.
GOVERNOR’S RACE 2022
Event seeks opinions for media coverage
Oregon Capital Chronicle
SALEM — News orga-
nizations and nonprofit
groups in Oregon have
teamed up to learn what
voters want candidates
for governor to be talking
about as they compete for
votes. They seek Orego-
nians to participate in an
upcoming “Let’s Talk”
90-minute virtual listening
session to share their under-
standing of the race through
the media. There is no cost
to join in the event.
Voters would join others
via the Zoom platform to
discuss off the record what
information they want to
know about the candidates
— and what they don’t
want to hear.
The intent is for news
organizations to provide
reporting in the coming
months that serves the
interests and needs of Ore-
gonians instead of candi-
dates and their campaigns.
The governor’s race
promises to be one of the
most important in recent
Oregon history with sev-
eral high-profile candidates
and a state reeling from
the pandemic and political
divides.
The effort is led by the
Oregon Capital Chronicle,
a nonprofit digital news
service centered on state
government and politics;
Rural Development Initia-
tives, a nonprofit focused
on community vitality
in rural Oregon; and the
Agora Journalism Center,
part of the University of
Oregon School of Jour-
nalism and Communication
in Portland.
The Observer is partici-
pating as a host.
“We’re keenly inter-
ested in having voters help
frame news coverage, to
provide reporting beyond
the usual polls and cam-
paign financing reporting,”
said Les Zaitz, editor of
Oregon Capital Chronicle.
“We look forward
to hearing from diverse
groups representing small
communities throughout
Oregon, to make sure
we understand what’s
important to people as we
consider who the next gov-
ernor should be,” said Jen-
nifer Groth, director of
Policy and Partnerships
at Rural Development
Initiatives.
“Understanding and ful-
filling the public’s infor-
mation needs to inform
their decision at the ballot
box is a critical democratic
role for the media,” noted
Andrew DeVigal, director
of the Agora Journalism
Center. “Listening is a key
first step.”
Sessions with voters
grouped in their region will
take place by the end of
February.
To participate Orego-
nians can go to “Let’s Talk”
(www.surveymonkey.
com/r/8JV25WF). The
deadline for expressing
interest is Tuesday, Jan. 25.
For more information,
contact:
• Les Zaitz, Oregon
Capital Chronicle, lzaitz@
oregoncapitalchronicle.
com.
• Jennifer Groth, Rural
Development Initiatives,
jgroth@rdiinc.org.
• Andrew DeVigal,
Agora Journalism Center,
adevigal@uoregon.edu.
LG schools see spike in COVID-19 numbers
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
La Grande School Dis-
trict’s COVID-19 infection
rate is spiking.
The school district’s
latest weekly statistics
show that 98 students and
17 staff members missed
school during the week
of Jan. 10-14 because of
positive COVID-19 tests,
COVID-19 symptoms or
close contact with those
who have COVID-19. The
new figures are up nearly
80 from the week of Jan.
3-7 when 37 students
and two staff members
missed school because of
COVID-19.
The increase helped
prompt the school district to
move from low risk to mod-
erate risk starting Tuesday,
Jan. 18, based on its com-
municable disease plan.
The moderate-risk cate-
gory restrictions limit the
number of volunteers who
can work in the school dis-
trict, puts students back
into cohorts and calls for
the screening of staff and
students for COVID-19.
The school district’s Jan.
10-14 statistics indicate that
nine staff members — three
each from Central Elemen-
tary School and La Grande
High School and one each
from La Grande Middle
School, the Rising Stars
program and the school dis-
trict office — were absent
during the week due to pos-
itive COVID-19 tests.
A total of 16 students,
according to the Jan. 10-14
statistics, were out due to
positive COVID-19 tests.
Six absent students were
from Central Elementary
and three each were from
La Grande High School
and La Grande Middle
School; and Greenwood
Elementary School and
Island City Elementary
School each had two stu-
dents out because of posi-
tive tests.
Five staff, two at Central
and three at LHS, were out
because of close contact to
a positive case.
A total of 73 stu-
dents during the week of
Jan. 10-14 missed school
because of close contact
with someone who was
COVID-19 positive. Twen-
ty-seven of these students
were at Central, 12 were
at Island City Elementary,
five were at La Grande
Middle School, 25 were at
La Grande High School
and two each were in the
Rising Stars program and
at Greenwood Elementary
School.
Three staff mem-
bers, two at LHS and one
at Island City Elemen-
tary, were out because of
COVID-19 symptoms. Nine
students were out because
of COVID-19 symptoms,
four at Greenwood Ele-
mentary, two each at Cen-
tral Elementary and LMS
and one at Island City
Elementary.
NEWS BRIEFS
OHA reports 106 COVID-19
cases in Union County over
MLK weekend
SALEM — The Oregon Health
Authority released its weekend
COVID-19 report on Tuesday, Jan.
18, showing 106 new cases in Union
County over the extended weekend
from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17. The report
indicated 58 new cases in Wallowa
County during that same time frame.
The new report increased Union
County’s total since the start of the
pandemic to 3,975, while Wallowa
County’s total increased to 937. Nei-
ther county was reported to have any
deaths in the latest OHA report.
Across the state, 28,037 new con-
firmed and presumptive cases were
reported — Oregon’s total case
count is up to 541,415 since the start
of COVID-19. There were 10 new
deaths reported, bringing the state’s
death toll to 5,893.
The report showed that 911
patients are currently hospitalized
with COVID-19 in Oregon, with 152
patients in intensive care unit beds.
There are currently 62 open adult
ICU beds out of 662 in the state,
while 250 adult non-ICU beds are
available out of 4,107.
Oregon’s seven-day running
average of vaccine doses per day
stands at 15,482.
MERA logging project
updated
LA GRANDE — ReedCo Inc.,
the logging company that had won
the contract to thin Mount Emily’s
Red Apple area, has adjusted project
plans because road conditions on
Apple Drop are not ideal for heavy
equipment at this time.
The project’s focus is shifting to
the northern end of the project area,
part of the Mount Emily Recre-
ation Area. Access from the Upper
Igo Trailhead has been opened to
allow heavy equipment access.
Project work will start near Intersec-
tion 2 and proceed to the northern
boundary of the unit. Heavy activity
is to be expected for the next four
weeks. Log hauling can be expected
to begin Friday, Jan. 21, and will be
utilizing Igo Lane.
Trail access will be impacted on
Archer Lane, MERA Loop, Lower
Hotshot, Skills, Bridleway, Gateway
and others as signed. Signage will
be placed to direct the general public
away from any danger, and some trail
closures are to be expected for safety.
OSP identify man killed in
I-84 collision
Do you
want to be
a landlord?
Presentation aimed
at boosting rental
housing options
in La Grande
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Local
organizations are looking
to assist in La Grande’s
housing shortage.
The Eastern Oregon
Workforce Board is set to
host “So You Want to Be a
Landlord,” a presentation
and Q&A session intended
to gauge interest in cre-
ating more rental oppor-
tunities in La Grande. The
session on Thursday, Jan.
20, will focus on workforce
housing, along with acces-
sory dwelling units and
tax benefits of becoming a
landlord.
“The goal of this event
is to educate people on how
to become a landlord and
how to take that first step,
addressing the tax benefits,”
said Kasi Cooper, office
manager at Eastern Oregon
Workforce Board.
Several partners will
contribute to the event,
including EOU Rural
Engagement and Vitality
Center, Northeast Eco-
nomic Development District
and the city of La Grande.
The session is aimed to
create a collaborative space
among speakers, legal
groups and like-minded
individuals with knowledge
of the rental and housing
landscape in La Grande.
According to Cooper,
the presentation is one of
the organization’s first steps
in addressing the need
for affordable workforce
housing and additional
rental units. Following the
presentation will be work
sessions and breaking out
into groups by county.
The 2019 housing analysis
report indicated that La
Grande will need upward
of 800 additional dwelling
units over the next 20 years.
Eastern Oregon Work-
force Board works
throughout all of Eastern
Oregon and is holding the
first-of-its-kind meeting
in Union County before
potentially hosting sim-
ilar events in surrounding
counties.
“Union County decided
that this was one of the
first things we should do
to address our workforce
housing,” Cooper said.
La Grande Commu-
nity Development Director
Mike Boquist noted that he
will be speaking about the
city’s codes and explaining
that acquiring rental prop-
erties in La Grande can
be a manageable task. The
housing needs analysis
pointed out that La Grande
is in need of more afford-
able renting options, with
roughly one in four house-
holds in the city under
severe rent burden — this
term refers to a household
spending 50% or more of
their income on housing.
Cooper stated that GCT
Land Management owner
Gust Tsiatsos will be giving
insight about the private
sector and investing in
real estate in La Grande.
MORE INFORMATION
BAKER CITY — Oregon State
Police have identified the man hit and
killed on Interstate 84 near Baker
City early Sunday, Jan. 16.
Oregon State Police troopers
responded about 12:12 a.m. to the
scene near the Baker Valley Rest
Area, at milepost 295.
Their preliminary investigation
found that a westbound Volkwagen
Passat, driven by Karli McKim, 21,
of La Grande, struck Luis Manuel
Torres Rivera, 44, of Lynnwood,
Washington, who was standing in the
freeway.
Rivera was pronounced dead at
the scene.
According to OSP, it’s not clear
why Rivera was on the roadway.
OSP was assisted at the scene
by the Baker County Sheriff’s
Office, Baker City Fire Depart-
ment and Oregon Department of
Transportation.
— The Observer
The presentation is open to the
public and set to take place at
the La Grande Middle School
commons from 6-8 p.m. on
Thursday, Jan. 20. Following
presentations from speakers,
a Q&A and open discussion
will take place with those in
attendance.
Speakers at the event include
Grande Ronde Hospital Finan-
cial Officer Bob Seymour, La
Grande Community Develop-
ment Director Mike Boquist and
GCT Land Management owner
Gust Tsiatsos. The listed topics
are “keep your investment dol-
lars in local real estate,” “tax
benefits and consequences”
and “where can you build a
rental?”
Participation for the event is
free and open to the public,
but interested individuals can
register ahead of time and
see any updates at https://
fb.me/e/4WutOSkeK.