INSIDE
GUN SAFETY REGULATIONS ON OREGON BALLOT COULD COST LOCAL GOVERNMENTS | OREGON, A7
August 6, 2022
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WEEKEND EDITION
Commission to give UC voters a chance to opt out of Measure 109
Weighing the pros and
cons of psilocybin
By DICK MASON
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The Union
County Board of Commissioners
voted 3-0 on Wednesday, Aug.
3, in favor of an ordinance that
would prohibit the sale and man-
ufacturing of psilocybin products
in unincorporated portions of the
county. The proposed psilocybin
Jury fi nds
Lee guilty
of murder
Judge sentences
Lee to life in prison
By ISABELLA CROWLEY
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Union
County Circuit Court Judge
Thomas Powers sentenced
a La Grande man to life in
prison on Friday, Aug. 5,
after a jury convicted him
of murdering his wife in
November 2018 at her Cove
home.
Ronald Lee, 74, will
serve a life sentence for
killing Loretta Williams.
The two were in the pro-
cess of divorcing.
“This could be
described, as it was by
many witnesses, as a cold-
blooded execution,” Powers
said.
The jury deliberated
for about three hours on
Thursday, Aug. 4, after the
prosecution and defense
presented closing argu-
ments earlier in the day.
“I’m very grateful that
the jury saw the evidence
for what it was and held
the defendant account-
able,” said Union County
District Attorney Kelsie
McDaniel. “This has been
a long journey, not only for
my team, but especially
for the family. I hope that
the conclusion of the trial
brings them some peace
and closure.”
Powers said the murder
conviction comes with a
mandatory sentence of life
in prison. Lee will, how-
ever, be eligible for parole
in 25 years.
ordinance will be referred to
voters in the Nov. 8 election.
The sale and manufacturing of
psilocybin in Oregon will be legal
starting Jan. 2, 2023, under Mea-
sure 109, which voters approved
in 2020. Measure 109 will go into
eff ect at that time in unincorpo-
rated portions of Union County
if the proposed ordinance is
defeated by voters.
Measure 109 passed with a
56% majority in Oregon in 2020,
but voters in Union County
rejected it.
The measure directs the
Oregon Health Authority to
license and regulate the manufac-
turing, transportation, delivery,
sale and purchase of psilocybin
products.
Psilocybin is the active ingre-
dient in hallucinogenic mush-
rooms, and research has indicated
it may be a useful drug in treating
a variety of conditions, including
post-traumatic stress disorder,
which many veterans suff er from.
Cheryl Campbell, of Imbler,
an intensive care unit nurse for
INSIDE
The La Grande City Council voted to
declare an emergency in order to pass
an ordinance banning psilocybin service
centers within city limits during its reg-
ular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 3, which
means the issue will be put to the voters
on the upcoming November ballot.
Page A2
30 years in Union County, spoke
in support of psilocybin at the
board of commissioners meeting.
Environmental
Campbell said many studies over
the past 10 years have shown that
patients who receive psilocybin
therapy for depression, PTSD and
addictions receive major reduc-
tions in their symptoms or experi-
ence complete remission. She said
studies repeatedly show patients
treated with psilocybin experi-
ence few side eff ects or adverse
reactions.
“Many mental health scholars
see psychedelic-type therapies,
See, Psilocybin/Page A6
By SHANNON GOLDEN
The Observer
excellence L
ODOT’s Whiskey Creek Culvert Project wins national award
A GRANDE — At the confl uence
of Whiskey Creek and the Grande
Ronde River, the traveling public and
migrating fi sh alike are reaping the
benefi ts of an award-winning new
project.
The Whiskey Creek Culvert Replacement
Project, completed in 2021, was among 14 proj-
ects nationwide honored with the 2022 Environ-
mental Excellence Award from the Federal Highway
Administration.
“It was an incredible honor,” said Paul Ken-
nington, the Region 5 Environmental Pro-
gram Coordinator for the Oregon Department of
Transportation.
The FHA reached out to Kennington about the
honor in April. The project was selected for its
exemplary achievement in the Roadside Resource
Management and Maintenance category. Ken-
nington credited the many individuals who went
“above and beyond” to make the project a success.
Out of 70 entries, ranging from infrastructure
reconstruction to park and trail transformations,
the Whiskey Creek Project stood out for its envi-
ronmentally focused eff orts to improve the state’s
roads and waterways. ODOT’s mitigation project at
Klamath Lake in south-central Oregon also received
an award.
This nearly $1.4 million project involved the
See, Project/Page A6
Keller & Associates and Tom Strandberg/Contributed Photos
The fi rst aerial photo above shows the confl uence location before construction on Oct. 17, 2018
(left). The second (right), taken June 6, 2022, shows water fl owing freely through the new culvert
and weirs into the Grande Ronde.
Water levels at the
confl uence of Whiskey
Creek and the Grande
Ronde River were low on
Monday, Aug. 1, 2022, but
the Oregon Department
of Transportation’s newly
renovated culvert is working
in perfect form.
Lee takes the stand
Shannon Golden/The Observer
Lee took the stand
Wednesday, Aug. 3.
See, Verdict/Page A6
4-H archers hit the mark
Union County Hawkeye club members
make a name for themselves at county fair
By SHANNON GOLDEN
The Observer
Shannon Golden/The Observer
Chase Burton, 10, aims for his target during the 4-H Archery
Competition at the Union County Fair on Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022.
WEATHER
INDEX
Classified ......B2
Comics ...........B5
Crossword ....B2
Dear Abby ....B6
LA GRANDE — As the
sun set over the Blue Moun-
tains, young archers stepped
into the line for the Union
County Fair 4-H Archery
Competition. They nocked
their arrows and set their
sights on the rings of their
targets.
Horoscope ....B3
Local...............A2
Lottery ...........A2
Obituaries .....A5
Opinion .........A4
Oregon ..........A7
Outdoors ......B1
Sudoku ..........B5
“Fire when ready,” said
Jordan Null, her voice trav-
eling across the Union
County Fair Horse Arena.
Arrows whizzed toward
hay bales. The archers qui-
etly drew again from their
quivers, zeroing in once more
on the yellow center of the
target face.
For the Union County
Hawkeyes 4-H Club — the
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
45 LOW
95/48
Clear and cool
Sunny and hot
county’s only archery club —
the yearly fair may not mean
livestock and showmanship
competitions. But just as other
4-H members spend all year
caring for their animals, these
young archers have worked
for months for the chance to
show off their skills.
“Learning archery long-
term is a much diff erent
journey than learning how to
hit a target in a week,” said
Null. “Getting to see kids take
See, Archers/Page A6
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 94
2 sections, 14 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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