National Wild Turkey
Federation Banquet
—5
The
Homemade Goodness:
Seafood Alfredo
—11
FBLA Regional
Competition results
—12
Baker County Press
Friday, February 13, 2015 • Volume 2, Issue 7
Th eBakerCountyPress.com
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LOCAL NEWS: HEADLINE STORIES • LOCAL ARTICLES • OUTDOORS • AGRICULTURE • CLASSIFIEDS
Council calls special session
over marijuana dispensaries
Ace
Hardware
to move
SCOTT THATCHER SAYS NEW,
LARGER LOCATION OPENS BY MAY
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
Thatcher’s Ace Hardware is currently renovating its
future location, which will provide more space.
By Gina K. Swartz
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press
After hearing from Police Chief Lohner (far right) and others Tuesday, Baker City Council will meet again
next week in a special session to learn more about their legal options regarding either banning or allowing
marijuana dispensaries in Baker City.
By Gina K. Swartz
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Ordinance #3336
Regulating Commercial
Marijuana Operations was
the topic that fi lled Council
Chamber at Tuesday’s City
Council meeting.
Before discussion began
Mayor Mosier addressed
all in attendance. She said,
“I believe that the seats in
Council chambers are full
because of this item on the
agenda. I know that there
is a lot to say and a lot to
discuss. I thought a lot
about how to structure this
discussion before coming
in. I think the best way for
the Council is to fi rst have
Chief Lohner lead the dis-
cussion with information
about the ordinance. Then
I’d like to take citizen
comments, hear concerns
and to get community
feedback. After we get citi-
zen feedback we have our
city attorney here to give
a report on the ordinance
and legalities followed by
council comments and any
questions for Chief Lohner
or the City Attorney.”
See MARIJUANA / Page 7
Cop killer remains in prison
BAKER CITY POLICE CHIEF TRAVELS TO SALEM PAROLE HEARING
By Kerry McQuisten
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
A gathering of police
chiefs from around Oregon
traveled to Salem to sit
in the audience January
27 and witness the parole
hearing of convicted John
Day cop killer Sidney
Dean Porter, age 55. Their
goal? To prevent Porter’s
pending release, which had
been scheduled.
Among that eastern Ore-
gon group were Baker City
Police Chief Wyn Lohner,
Chief Brian Harvey of
La Grande who initiated
the movement, and Chief
Richard Gray of John Day.
When asked why he
attended, Lohner said,
“It was the right thing to
do. I felt very strongly
that Porter should not be
released and that the fam-
ily deserved to see support
of the Baker City Police
Department.”
In the end, Porter’s bid
for parole was rejected,
and his next parole hearing
extended out fi ve years. An
extension between two and
10 years was possible.
In 1992, Offi cer Frank
Ward responded to a
domestic violence incident
in John Day, at a residence
where he had been previ-
ously on a similar call.
Once at the scene, he heard
Porter’s wife screaming
for help as her husband
assaulted her. Ward was
overpowered by the 6’5”
Porter who repeatedly
struck him in the head with
a piece of fi rewood. The
offi cer died of a broken
neck and severe head
trauma.
A psychological evalua-
tion from December 2014
determined Porter present-
ly has “a severe emotional
disturbance that constitutes
a danger to the health or
safety of the community.”
Lohner said from his
observations, “Porter is a
manipulator who seems to
try and rationalize every
poor decision he has made,
rather than holding himself
accountable at any level.”
The Board also found
Friday
Mostly sunny with highs in the lower 50s. Clear
at night with a few passing clouds and a low
around 34.
Saturday
Warmer and mostly sunny throughout Baker
County with highs in the upper 50s. Expect a
low at night around the freezing mark.
Sunday
Sunny with clear skies and highs in the lower
50s. Expect temperatures just below freezing
at night.
that Porter has an inability
to express remorse or em-
pathy, and a lack of under-
standing of the factors that
led up to the murder.
Said Lohner, “The
voice of the minority can
be heard and can make a
difference when those who
believe in standing up for
what is right make a hard
push for justice. When
Chief Harvey fi rst made
our small group of eastern
Oregon chiefs and sher-
iffs aware that Porter was
going to be released—that
already-scheduled release
was only three months
away—from our small
group evolved a statewide
campaign to keep Porter in
prison, which was success-
ful!”
This hearing marked the
fi rst time Ward’s widow,
Debra, spoke in person
against Porter’s release.
Porter, who was accom-
panied at the hearing by
his attorney and sister, will
appear in front of the Pa-
role Board again in 2020.
See ACE HARDWARE / Page 3
ORP chair
candidate
comes to
Baker City
By Kerry McQuisten
Submitted Photo.
Offi cer Frank Ward.
Submitted Photo.
Sidney Dean Porter
smiles in his mugshot.
Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County.
Our forecast made possible by
this generous sponsor:
Offi cial weather provider for
The Baker County Press.
Cruising down Resort Street in Baker City, drivers will
pass the empty building that most recently housed Del’s
Feed and Farm Supply.
The building has sat empty since the closing of Del’s,
but within the last couple weeks, residents have seen
movement in the building. Contractor trucks have been
around, lights have been on and the windows have been
covered. If one gets close enough, however, the paper in
the window shows the Ace Hardware logo.
The not-so-tightly held secret is out: Thatcher’s Ace
Hardware is moving to Resort Street.
Said Scott Thatcher, owner of the Baker City Ace
Hardware, “I had been looking at the building and work-
ing on this since about last May; it just took a while for
it to all evolve. We signed the papers on January 16. We
signed at 10:00 a.m. and by noon we were in here work-
ing. We originally were shooting for an April 1 opening
but as things come up, we have delays. I just don’t know.
I’d like to be going by May 1, preferably mid-April.”
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Bill Currier,the current vice chair for the Oregon Re-
publican Party (ORP), visited Baker City Wednesday af-
ternoon for a quick visit with county-level party leaders.
Currier has thrown his hat into the ring to run against
challenger Wally Hicks for the soon-to-be-vacant chair
position.
Currier is also the owner of a 20-year-old IT business,
and serves as mayor of the town of Adair Village.
Outgoing ORP chair, Dr. Art Robinson, recently an-
nounced that he would be stepping down after his term
ends. Robinson assumed the role to fi nish out former
chair Suzanne Gallagher’s term after she resigned in the
face of a recall effort. Robinson travelled through eastern
Oregon over the weekend, stopping briefl y for a fund
raiser in Harney County to stump for Hicks.
See ORP CHAIR CANDIDATE / Page 8
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Powder Basin Watershed meeting
BHS Honor Roll
Compassion Center banquet
1/2-pound of meth seized
Sumpter City Council
Brooklyn taco feed
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