LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
In 1790, the U.S. Supreme
Court convened for the first
time in New York. (However,
since only three of the six jus-
tices were present, the court
recessed until the next day.)
In 1862, “The Battle Hymn of
the Republic,” a poem by Julia
Ward Howe, was published in
the Atlantic Monthly.
In 1865, abolitionist John
S. Rock became the first Black
lawyer admitted to the bar of
the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 1943, during World War II,
one of America’s most highly
decorated military units, the
442nd Regimental Combat
Team, made up almost exclu-
sively of Japanese-Americans,
was authorized.
In 1959, men in Switzerland
rejected giving women the
right to vote by a more than
2-1 referendum margin. (Swiss
women gained the right to vote
in 1971.)
In 1979, Iranian religious
leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Kho-
meini received a tumultuous
welcome in Tehran as he ended
nearly 15 years of exile.
In 1991, 34 people were
killed when an arriving USAir
jetliner crashed atop a com-
muter plane on a runway at Los
Angeles International Airport.
In 1994, Jeff Gillooly, Tonya
Harding’s ex-husband, pleaded
guilty in Portland, Oregon, to
racketeering for his part in the
attack on figure skater Nancy
Kerrigan in exchange for a
24-month sentence (he ended
up serving six months) and a
$100,000 fine.
In 2003, the space shuttle
Columbia broke up during
re-entry, killing all seven of its
crew members: commander
Rick Husband; pilot William
McCool; payload commander
Michael Anderson; mission spe-
cialists Kalpana Chawla, David
Brown and Laurel Clark; and
payload specialist Ilan Ramon,
the first Israeli in space.
In 2011, Egyptian President
Hosni Mubarak announced he
would not run for a new term
in September elections but
rejected protesters’ demands
he step down immediately
and leave the country, after a
dramatic day in which a quar-
ter-million Egyptians staged
their biggest protest to date
calling on him to go.
In 2016, the World Health
Organization declared a global
emergency over the explosive
spread of the Zika virus, which
was linked to birth defects
in the Americas, calling it an
“extraordinary event” that
posed a public health threat to
other parts of the world.
In 2020, as China’s death toll
from the new coronavirus rose
to 259, Beijing criticized Wash-
ington’s order barring entry to
most foreigners who had visited
China in the past two weeks. A
World Health Organization offi-
cial said governments needed
to prepare for “domestic out-
break control.”
Today’s Birthdays: Actor
Garrett Morris is 85. Bluegrass
singer Del McCoury is 83. TV
personality-singer Joy Philbin
is 81. Political commentator
Fred Barnes is 79. Rock musician
Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & the
Heartbreakers) is 72. Blues sing-
er-musician Sonny Landreth is
71. Actor-writer-producer Bill
Mumy is 68. Rock singer Exene
Cervenka is 66. Actor Linus
Roache is 58. Princess Stephanie
of Monaco is 57. Actor Sherilyn
Fenn is 57. Lisa Marie Presley is
54. Comedian-actor Pauly Shore
is 54. Actor Brian Krause is 53.
Jazz musician Joshua Redman is
53. Rock musician Patrick Wilson
(Weezer) is 53. Actor Michael C.
Hall is 51.
LOTTERY
Friday, Jan. 28, 2022
Megamillions
3-16-25-44-55
Megaball: 13
Megaplier: 3
Jackpot: $421 million
Lucky Lines
3-7-9-15-18-23-26-30
Jackpot: $15,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 6-1-9-1
4 p.m.: 4-5-5-3
7 p.m.: 4-4-6-0
10 p.m.: 9-6-8-2
Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022
Powerball
2-15-38-54-65
Powerball: 11
Power Play: 4
Jackpot: $104 million
Megabucks
15-33-34-40-42-47
Jackpot: $8.9 million
Lucky Lines
4-5-9-15-18-21-26-31
Jackpot: $10,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 9-5-2-7
4 p.m.: 7-2-7-0
7 p.m.: 1-0-1-8
10 p.m.: 3-4-0-6
Win for Life
15-26-28-57
Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022
Lucky Lines
4-5-10-15-18-24-26-30
Estimated jackpot: $11,000
Pick 4
1 p.m.: 4-0-1-1
4 p.m.: 5-6-9-8
7 p.m.: 3-3-8-5
10 p.m.: 8-8-7-9
TuESday, FEBRuaRy 1, 2022
LG Council eyes garbage fee increase
Waste-Pro asking
for 12% boost to
pay recycling costs
Commissioners to
discuss 15-mile trail
along railroad
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
La Grande City Council is
set to meet for its February
regular session, meeting
virtually on Wednesday,
Feb. 2.
The February session is
the first meeting since the
council’s yearly retreat,
which was held on Jan. 25.
Councilors will consider
four items of new business
and vote on the approval
of regular session minutes
from the January meeting.
The council will con-
sider the approval of an
increase in refuse collec-
tion fees. Waste-Pro, the
city’s waste removal com-
pany, is requesting a 12%
increase in fees.
The company’s memo
stated that the increase
in fees will go toward
increased costs related
to the city’s recycling
program.
La Grande customers
with weekly residential
pickups would experi-
ence their rate increased
from $24.35 to $28.40 per
month. The rate increase
results from a rising price
in fuel costs.
The council will also
consider approving a
social games permit appli-
cation for Jacob Brown,
By DICK MASON
The Observer
The Observer, File
Waste-Pro employee Kilton Joanie clears a path in July 2018 between cardboard and shredded
documents in the recycling portion of the facility. The La Grande City Council in February 2022 is
considering a request from Waste-Pro, the city’s waste removal company, for a 12% increase in fees.
The company’s memo stated that the increase in fees will go toward increased costs related to the
city’s recycling program.
IF YOU GO
The Feb. 2 meeting is set
to begin at 6 p.m., with
streaming available at the
La Grande Alive website and
Facebook page. Written com-
ments and questions must be
submitted by 5 p.m. Feb. 1 to
rstrope@cityoflagrande.org.
People who want to speak
virtually during the meeting’s
public comment section can
reach out to the same email
address for more information.
who will conduct the
social games at the La
Grande Poker room at 511
Fir St. if approved. Brown
is requesting approval for
three poker tables, which
will cost a total of $450 —
the store owner has paid
the required nonrefund-
able fee.
Brown has passed the
previous background
check and met the city’s
application require-
ments. If approved, the
La Grande Police Chief
will approve annual per-
mits moving forward and
revoke the permit if any
violations occur.
Following the retreat in
late January, the council
will consider adopting the
retreat summary and city
manager’s top priorities
for the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Goals and spending pri-
orities were discussed at
the retreat, to which the
city manager also drafted
top fiscal priorities for the
upcoming year.
The council will vote
on approval of the city
council retreat summary,
which will serve as a
guide for the council in
the upcoming fiscal year.
The last item of new
business to be discussed
is the appointment of
Corey Peeke to the La
Grande Arts Commis-
sion. The commission
has seven spots, but there
are currently four vacan-
cies. Peeke served on the
commission from 2012
through 2018 and sub-
mitted an application to be
reappointed.
Light snow, cold weather in forecast for area
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
National Weather Ser-
vice is forecasting that La
Grande and Enterprise will
each receive light amounts
of snow on Tuesday, Feb. 1,
and Wednesday, Feb. 2.
La Grande has a 20%
chance of receiving snow
after 10 a.m. on Feb. 1, and
a 20% chance of receiving
daytime snowfall on Feb.
2 between 10 a.m. and
10 p.m.
Meteorologists are pro-
jecting that Enterprise, on
Feb. 1, has a 30% chance
of receiving snow between
11 a.m. and 5 p.m. and a
20% chance early in the
evening. Enterprise, on
Feb. 2, has a 20% chance
of receiving snow after
11 a.m., according to the
National Weather Service.
The snow forecasted
for the Grande Ronde and
Wallowa valleys is not
andrew Cutler/The Observer
Snow blankets the intersection of Fourth Street and Jefferson
Avenue in downtown La Grande early Monday, Jan. 31, 2022.
More light snow is expected this week, according to the National
Weather Service.
expected to be much.
“The maximum they
will receive will be half
an inch,” said Cole Evans,
a meteorologist with the
National Weather Service
office in Pendleton.
The weather system
bringing in the snow is
expected to be relatively
dry, leading to the low
snow totals.
“There is not much
moisture in that system,”
Evans said.
The areas above 4,000
feet in Union and Wallowa
counties may receive up to
2 inches of snow on Feb. 1
and Feb. 2, Evans said.
Temperatures are pro-
jected to remain at freezing
or not far above it through
Feb. 4.
The National Weather
Service is forecasting that
La Grande will have high
temperatures of 31 degrees
on Feb. 1, 30 degrees on
Feb. 2, 34 degrees on Feb.
3 and 35 degrees on Feb.
4. La Grande’s low tem-
peratures are projected
to be between 18 and 22
degrees through the end of
the week.
The weather will be
colder in Enterprise where
the National Weather Ser-
vice is projecting that the
high temperatures will
be 25 degrees on Feb. 1,
23 degrees on Feb. 2, 29
degrees on Feb. 3 and 32
degrees on Feb. 4. Low
temperatures through the
week in Enterprise are pro-
jected to be between 6 and
14 degrees.
Imbler school superintendent candidates down to 3
School board is
seeking a successor
for Doug Hislop
By DICK MASON
The Observer
IMBLER — The Imbler
School Board selected
three semifinalists for the
position of superintendent
at an executive session
meeting on Wednesday,
Jan. 26.
The candidates were
selected from a field of six
applicants. The selections
were made in part based
on recommendations from
Proposed
trail on
table for
county
a 12-member
screening
committee
that had
studied the
resumes
Hislop
of the six
applicants.
“The screening com-
mittee did a very good
job. It provided excel-
lent input,” said Imbler
School Board member Ken
Patterson.
The names of the final-
ists have not been released
by the Imbler School
Board. The board met in
executive active session to
choose the three semifinal-
ists. Executive sessions are
closed to the public.
The three semifinal-
ists will be interviewed by
the school board on Feb. 2
in executive session. The
interviews will be con-
ducted virtually. Following
the interviews the school
board will select the final-
ists for the position. The
finalists will appear at a
public forum in Imbler
on Feb. 10. The place and
time of the forum will be
announced later.
Patterson said the board
hopes to be able to hire a
new superintendent at its
Feb. 15 board meeting. The
individual’s first day on the
job would be July 1.
The individual will
succeed Doug Hislop as
superintendent. Hislop is
completing his 11th year
as Imbler superintendent
and is in his second stint
in the position. Hislop first
served as superintendent
for 10 years through mid-
2013 when he retired. He
began his current stint on
July 1, 2021, after being
named interim super-
intendent when Angie
Lakey-Campbell stepped
down as superintendent.
Lakey-Campbell left after
eight years to take a posi-
tion as the leader of the
Hansen School District in
Idaho near Twin Falls.
LA GRANDE — A trail
for hiking, bicycling and
horseback riding that would
follow railroad tracks for
as many as 15 miles from
Elgin to the Lookingglass
Creek area may be in north
Union County’s future.
The city of Elgin has
been awarded a state Trans-
portation Management
Grant of about $130,000 for
planning the development
of the trail.
The grant, funded by
the Oregon Department
of Transportation and the
state’s Department of Land
Conservation and Develop-
ment, will be discussed by
the Union County Board of
Commissioners at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 2. The
city of Elgin and the Joseph
Branch Trail Consortium,
which will be managing
the planning work the grant
will fund, is seeking the
county’s help with at least a
small portion of the project.
Gregg Kleiner, project
coordinator for the Joseph
Branch Trail Consortium,
said the county’s assistance
wouldn’t be much because
Elgin and the Joseph Branch
Trail Consortium will be
using a consultant to do
much of the planning work
for the trail. Kleiner said the
county’s involvement in the
project is important because
of what the trail could mean
to the area.
“It would be a great
amenity,” he said.
Kleiner said that a con-
cept plan for the trail project
has been in place for years.
The planning work the
grant will fund will iden-
tify any issues involving the
trail, including any environ-
mental impacts that might
have to be addressed if a
trail is built. For example,
if it is found that the trail
would pass through wet-
lands, steps would have to
be taken to avoid damaging
them.
Kleiner emphasized that
the TGM grant will not pay
for any trail construction
work.
“It is just for planning,”
he said.
If the county commis-
sioners agree to assist, the
city of Elgin and the Joseph
Branch Trail Consortium
will also ask that the hours
of service be documented,
because the hours of service
could be counted as part
of a 12% match Elgin must
provide for the grant.
IF YOU GO
The public will not be able to
attend the Feb. 2 meeting of the
Union County Board of Com-
missioners in person because of
the COVID-19 pandemic. People
will be able to participate in the
meeting by phone or a Zoom
video conference. To attend the
meeting by phone, dial 669-
900-6833 or 253-215-8782. The
meeting ID number is 814 2000
6863. To access the Zoom link,
go to www.union-county.org/
commissioners/agendamin-
utes and click on the meeting’s
agenda. Comments, which will
be read at the meeting, can be
submitted by email to amoore@
union-county.org. All com-
ments must be received by
5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1.
Study shows significant population decrease in Union County
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
PORTLAND — The
Portland State University
Research Center issued its
2021 yearly population esti-
mates for Eastern Oregon,
revealing a significant
decrease in Union County.
From July 2020 to July
2021, Union County expe-
rienced an estimated 1.62%
loss in total population,
which was the largest per-
centage decrease of any
county in Oregon. The esti-
mated decrease was coun-
tered by an overall min-
imal rise in population in all
of Eastern Oregon, as the
eight counties saw an esti-
mated 0.45% increase in
population.
The university’s research
department found that
Oregon as a whole saw an
increase of 0.54% during
the measured time frame.
The estimated increase
of 22,769 brought the
state’s total population to
4,266,560 — Oregon is the
27th most populous state in
the United States.
As a whole, Union
County was estimated to
have lost 434 residents. The
county’s population dropped
from 26,295 to 26,729.
Union County is the 23rd
most populous county in
Oregon, but its percentage
of decrease was the largest
drop in the one-year period.
Wallowa County saw
an estimated increase of
32 residents, for a 0.43%
increase. This ranked as the
22nd largest increase out of
the 36 Oregon counties.
Morrow County had the
largest increase in popula-
tion percentage, increasing
by 3.42%. Crook (2.48%)
and Gilliam (2.21%) coun-
ties were the next highest
growth rates among coun-
ties in Oregon. Baker
County saw an increase of
139 residents (0.83%) and
Umatilla County drew in
an estimated 294 residents
(0.37%).
Only six counties experi-
enced a decrease in popula-
tion from July 2020 to July
2021. Grant County was the
only other Eastern Oregon
county with a decrease in
residents, with 13 fewer
people for a 0.18% drop.
The PSU center noted that
Eastern Oregon’s growth
was below average in 2021,
which is reflected in a sig-
nificant decrease in Union
County and minimal
changes in surrounding
areas.