1-A District
Basketball teams
— Pages 7-9
The
Sumpter’s outhouse
races and poker run
—4
Halfway’s Snomobile
Poker Run
—11
Baker County Press
Friday, February 20, 2015 • Volume 2, Issue 8
Th eBakerCountyPress.com
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LOCAL NEWS: HEADLINE STORIES • LOCAL ARTICLES • OUTDOORS • AGRICULTURE • CLASSIFIEDS
Medal
awarded to
local woman
PRESSURED FROM ALL SIDES, OREGON’S GOVERNOR RESIGNS
Kitz calls it quits
DEAN JONES RECEIVES AWARD
POSTHUMOUSLY FOR WWII
CIVIL AIR PATROL SERVICE
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
Gilbert and Dean Jones outside their fence at the
home in which they lived for decades in Baker City.
By Kerry McQuisten
Photo courtesy of the Oregon Governor’s Offi ce.
Embattled governor John Kitzhaber, shown here with Cylvia Hayes, announced his resignation last Friday.
By Kerry McQuisten
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Friday the 13th,
just a day before Oregon
State’s birthday, embattled
fourth-term democratic
Governor John Kitzhaber
submitted his letter of
resignation.
That resignation became
offi cial this Wednesday,
with Secretary of State
Kate Brown taking over
the governorship.
Kitzhaber’s resigna-
tion came after months of
controversy and investiga-
tions. Democrat leaders
joined with Republicans
last week, applying a level
of pressure that rendered
Kizthaber politically inef-
fective in his position.
“It is not in my nature
to walk away from a job
I have undertaken,” his
resignation letter reads.
“It is to stand and fi ght for
the cause. For that reason I
apologize to all those peo-
ple who gave of their faith,
time, energy and resources
to elect me to a fourth term
last year and who have
supported me over the past
three decades. I promise
you that I will continue to
pursue our shared goals
and our common cause in
another venue.”
Leaders of both local
parties reacted here in
Baker County.
Said Marshall McComb,
chair of the Baker County
Democrat Party, “It’s
unfortunate. But overall in
looking at the big picture,
I think we’re looking at a
bump in the road. I think
we’ll end up with some
good results and have
every confi dence in Kate
Brown.”
See KITZHABER / Page 5
News@TheBakerCountyPress.com
On Monday, the family of Dean Jones of Baker City
was presented with a bronze replica of a Congressional
Gold Medal for her World War II service in the Civil Air
Patrol (CAP).
Although most of the CAP fl ying was done by men
during World War II, about twenty percent of the mem-
bers were women. “They served in many important
ways,” said Lt. Col. Art Lumley who helped coordinate
the event.
One of those women was Dean Jones, who passed away
October 30, 2010. Of the medals awarded, all but one of
those presented in bronze replica format, were presented
to families due to the passing of the recipient.
State Rep. Greg Barreto’s wife and legislative assistant,
Chris, accepted the medal on behalf of the Jones family.
See CIVIL AIR PATROL MEDAL/ Page 5
Cattle rustler
sentenced to
6 months
Marijuana dispensaries: City
Council’s special session
COUNCIL STUDIES LAND PLANNING, BUSINESS LICENSE WORDING,
PROPONENTS OF DISPENSARIES PROTEST OUTSIDE CITY HALL
By Todd Arriola
Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com
By Gina K. Swartz
Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com
Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press
A small group led by Rod Shaw of Baker City initiated what they termed a
peaceful demonstration against City Hall, in support of marijuana dispensaries.
Friday
Partly cloudy with a chance of an afternoon
shower. Chance of precip is 30%. High around
48, low around 29.
Saturday
Fleeting chance of rain/snow showers, other-
wise partly cloudy to mostly sunny conditions.
Highs in the mid 40s. Chance of precipitation is
20%. Low in the high 20s.
Sunday
Clearing with warmer temperatures. Highs in the
mid to upper 40s. Clear and cool at night, with
lows in the lower 20s.
One thing was on the
agenda for this week’s
special session City Coun-
cil meeting: the Baker
City Business License and
some specifi c wording
changes.
The main source of
contention is whether to
change the wording to
include specifi cally that
a business would not be is-
sued a license if that busi-
ness intended to operate in
violation of Federal Law
thus making it impossible
for marijuana dispensa-
ries to operate within the
Baker City limits.
See CITY COUNCIL /
Page 11
Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County.
Our forecast made possible by
this generous sponsor:
Offi cial weather provider for
The Baker County Press.
On February 12, 2015,
a 12-person jury convicted
Lynette Bullington, 64,
of 39554 Cemetery Road,
Sumpter, Oregon, of two
counts of Theft in the First
Degree, and four counts
of Unauthorized Use of a
Livestock Animal, accord-
ing to a press release is-
sued by the Baker County
District Attorney‘s Offi ce.
The two and a half
day trial, which began on
Tuesday, February 10, con-
cluded Thursday afternoon
after the jury deliberated
for about 45 minutes.
Bullington came into
possession of a stray black
Angus calf belonging to
Cal and Vickie Foster, dba
C & V Livestock, Inc., of
Bowen Valley, in the fall of
2009. Bullington retained
the calf for multiple years,
and had it bred by artifi cial
insemination as a cow in
June of 2012, and then
again in June of 2013.
Two counts of Unauthor-
ized Use of a Livestock
Animal, class A misde-
meanors, were based on
breeding the cow without
the owner’s permission.
The two other counts of
Unauthorized Use of a
Livestock Animal, also
Class A misdemeanors,
were based on unlawfully
withholding the cow and a
calf that it produced from
the 2013 insemination,
without the consent of the
owner.
See RUSTLER / Page 3
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
Livestock Assoc. talks salt tax
Huntington candy sale
Oath Keepers: supplies at cost
County Commissioners session
Thrivent Financial open house
Cupid the Valentine’s Day calf
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