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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2015)
OPINION: Representative proud to have voted against SB941. PAGE 4 BHS FUN FEST: High School holds almost- end-of-year celebration. PAGE 10 The Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, May 15, 2015 • Volume 2, Issue 20 Friends of NRA raises $9.5K for Sierra Bingham BY KERRY McQuisten News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Last Saturday evening, the Powder River Friends of the National Rifl e Asso- ciation (NRA) gathered at the Elks in Baker City for their well-attended annual fund raiser. This year’s banquet was the group’s fourteenth. Toward the end of the evening, the tone of the room grew somber accord- ing to several guests, as the announcement came that North Powder’s Sierra Bingham was once again in a hospital in California awaiting a second heart transplant. Parents Jason and Stacy Bingham have enlisted the help of friend Kevin Bradford to create a new version of www. heartsforbinghams.org, which will allow for online donations to help cover medical expenses. Three of the Bingham children—Sierra, Gage and Lindsey—have experi- enced or are experiencing heart failure. A number of impres- sive items were donated by local individuals and businesses, one being a handgun that was won in the auction, then donated back—a process that re- peated, raising money for the Binghams. The hat was also passed around the room, and a number of individuals who didn’t win silent auction items placed money they might have spent into that hat. $9,500 is still an esti- mate of the total amount raised—the fi nal number may have exceeded that fi gure, but wasn’t available before this article went to print. SEE FRIENDS OF NRA PAGE 7 Submitted Photo. This auction item, a Stars & Stripes Guitar signed by Ted Nugent, was underwritten by Baker Aircraft. Inmate dies of meth overdose • PLASTIC BAGGY FOUND IN STOMACH DURING AUTOPSY BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press Offi cer Mike Lary performs an “arresting” balancing act with a tray of drinks, including a few kids’ cups. On Saturday evening, 28-year-old Joshua Pantle was pronounced dead at St. Alphonsus—Baker City after showing signs of medical distress while incarcerated at the Baker County Jail. Around 3 p.m., earlier that day, police were called to a home on Second Street, just off David Eccles in South Baker, where Pantle and two others were arrested on criminal trespass charges. According to the Oregon State Police, at 3:30 p.m., Pantle was brought to the County Jail. At 5:43 p.m. he showed signs of medical distress while in his holding cell. Two minutes later at 5:45 p.m., an ambulance was dispatched to respond to the Baker County Jail, arriving at 5:49 p.m. At 6:07 p.m. the ambulance with Pantle as the patient arrived at Saint Alphonsus Medical Center. SEE INMATE PAGE 9 Barley’s customers Tip-a-Cop • SECOND ANNUAL FUND- RAISER BRINGS IN $1.5K FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS BY GINA K. SWARTZ Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com Last Thursday night the Baker City Police Depart- ment worked for tips to raise money for the Baker City Chapter #511 of the Special Olympics. This is the second year in a row the Police Depart- ment has participated in the event. Last year the event was held June 12 with the group raising $2,330 with $1,230 in tips and a check from Barley Browns of $1,100. This year volunteers from the department Sha- ron Bass, Michael Lary, Sergeant Dustin New- man, and Reserve offi cers Ruthie Boyd and Justin Phlaum served up favorites to eager customers at Bar- ley Brown’s Brew Pub on Main Street from 5-8 p.m. The group raised $946 in tips with a $600 dona- tion from Barley Brown’s, bringing the total to $1546. Local Special Olympics Treasurer Stephanie Tweit said, “Customers would walk in and have a bit of a worried look when they saw all the cops but once I explained what it was all about with the Special Olympics they instantly had a big smile and chuck- led, especially the out-of- town guests. I was amazed at all the people from out of town stopping in Baker for dinner.” This year several of- fi cers new to the fund- raiser from the Baker City Police Department joined the cause and Barley’s was training several new Friday Cloudy skies with scattered showers and thun- derstorms throughout the day. Highs in the mid 60s, chance of precipitation is 50%. Low of 43. Saturday Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the low 60s, chance of precipitation is 40%. Low around 40. Sunday Cloudy and warmer with a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Highs in the mid to upper 60s, chance of precipitation is 40%. Man leads police on mountain chase BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com • CITIZEN USES FIREARM TO HELP CAPTURE SUSPECT THE NEXT DAY Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press Reserve Offi cer Ruthie Boyd turns in an order at the counter. employees so it made for a quick learning process but according to Tweit, “It went very well all around.” One of the newbies to the fund raiser was reserve of- fi cer Ruthie Boyd, who has “waited tables before” and was having a blast doing it for a good cause. SEE CHASE PAGE 9 SEE TIP-A-COP PAGE 3 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 Tuesday afternoon, residents of south Baker began reporting a white pickup truck followed by police vehicles “fl ying” out of the area and onto Highway 7 southbound. 2015 Annual Meeting Saturday, May 2 | John Day Photo Courtesy of Dispatch. Damon Robinson is a registered sex offender with a past record including burglary. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Public Works Advisory Committee 5J: 2015-2016 Budget Locked & Loaded: Road Cleanup City Council: Herbicides, Budget County: Public Lands Resolution Ash Grove Receives Awards Page Page Page Page Page Page 3 5 7 7 8 10