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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2015)
LOCAL: 4Hers gather for livestock judging contest. PAGE 9 The BUSINESS: New baseball-themed mural goes in at Lefty’s; Charley’s new owners. PAGE 3 Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, June 19, 2015 • Volume 2, Issue 25 Baker County volunteers attend search and rescue training • EIGHT BRUSH UP ON SAR SKILLS BY MEGHAN ANDERSCH Meghan@TheBakerCountyPress.com Eight Baker County Search and Rescue volun- teers participated in this month’s Eastern Oregon Search and Rescue (EO- SAR) Region 5 training, which was held June 5-7 at Bully Creek Park, just over the county line in Malheur County. Region 5 includes Baker Sheriff’s Offi ce/ Baker Search and Rescue, and the Sheriff’s Depart- ments of Union, Umatilla, Grant, Wallowa, Harney, Morrow, Wheeler, Gilliam, and Malheur Counties. Sheriff Brian Wolfe of Malheur County said about 100 people attended, with representatives from each member county. He said he was impressed with everyone who came and all did a great job learning as much as they possibly could. Wolfe said you can’t talk about a training event without looking at the dedication of the Search and Rescue volunteers who give so much time and talent. He said he believe there are people in his own county who would not be alive today were it not for the effort of Search and Rescue. Instructors for the event were also drawn from local counties. Train- ing included Aircraft Spot- ter training in which partic- ipants practiced going up in an aircraft and looking for clues to spot several subjects on the ground. Wolfe said it’s not like a neon sign, but there is science behind spotting the clues that lead to fi nding someone from the air. Diving training was also offered. A car was sunk into the reservoir— Wolfe assured that all oil/ gas and such chemicals were removed fi rst. Un- derwater camera and side- scan sonar were used to locate the vehicle and then a dive team was deployed to recover evidence/bodies from the car. SEE EOSAR PAGE 11 Photo courtesy of Aleasha Hackman. Volunteers from Baker County were among those at the recent EOSAR training near Vale. Sumpter faces lawsuit • HEARING FOR SUMMARY JUDGMENT HELD WEDNESDAY, JUDGE TO DECIDE FATE OF CASE’S 10 MOTIONS BY BRIAN ADDISON Brian@TheBakerCountyPress.com Photo Courtesy of Cold Bore Ops Members of the Baker Rural Fire Department mix with Team Ireland (in tan). L-R: Larry Solisz, John Taylor, Dave McCoy, Graham Murry, Sean Lee and Michael Ward. Oregon Sniper Challenge SEE SUMPTER LAWSUIT PAGE 8 Electric car station nearly open • BAKER CITY MEN COMPETE AMONG 50 OF THE WORLD’S TOP MARKSMEN BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Last weekend blue skies and sun greeted an elite event unlike any this area has seen in the past. Under a spray of brass and the smell of gunpowder, The Oregon Sniper Challenge, a marksmanship event featuring competitors from all around the globe, came to Baker County. Among the 50 competitors invited was Baker City’s own Mike Regan, a sergeant with the Baker City Police Department, and Micah Huyett, a local shooting instruc- tor. Huyett placed third and Regan 30th. Hosted by the Powder River Sportsmen and held at that Club’s Virtue Flats range, about 15 vendors for the competition began to set up Friday morning, the only part of the event open to the public. “We have about 10 volunteers here with us,” said Steve Huisman of Portland’s Cold Bore Ops, “And something like 10-15 vendors.” Huisman, with Baker City roots—his parents live here—is the mastermind and driving force behind this competition, which started in 2009. Huisman said some vendors came from as far as Mon- tana, others from the East Coast, showing off weapons, ammo, optics, suppressors, tactical gear, night vision Friday Sunny and warm with a high around 76. Clear at night with a low of 42. Saturday Sunny and warm again with highs reaching 78. Cool and clear at night with a low of 47. Sunday Warmest day of the weekend with highs reach- ing the mid-80s. Lows at night staying in the high 40s. Tensions have been simmering in Sumpter for several years and a group of individuals has brought a lawsuit against defendants City of Sumpter and individuals John Young, Marlene Bork, LeAnne Woolf, and Myrna Clark. The plaintiffs through their attorney Martin Leuenberg- er, on Tuesday, June 16, requested Oregon Circuit Court of Baker County Judge Gregory Baxter to decide whether a list of 10 allegations (motions) against the defendants have legal merit and should proceed to civil trial, in legal- ese referred to as a Motion for Summary Judgment. Filing the lawsuit against City of Sumpter and the four individuals are plaintiffs Myron Woodley, Pat Lindrose, Karen Peters, Verne Hollopeter, and Connie and Ed Marshal. • TESLA BUILDS CHARGERS ALONG SUNRIDGE INN PARKING LOT BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com Kerry McQuisten / The Baker County Press Micah Huyett of Baker City accepts his 3rd place prize from event organizer Steve Huisman (right). equipment and more. As Huisman spoke, competitors could be seen raising a dust in the distance as vehicles started up the long, dry dirt road from the highway below. SEE SNIPER PAGE 5 Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County. Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. The Best Western Sunridge Inn of Baker City recently gained an addition, still in the construction stage, in the eastern end of its parking lot. This location will be the home to California-based Tesla Motors, Inc’s Supercharg- ers, in the company’s bid to construct the largest contigu- ous electric vehicle charging system in the world. Construction on the Superchargers began in late May by ADK (Alan D. Kangas) Electric of Vancouver, Washington, a company licensed for commercial work in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California. SEE TESLA PAGE 10 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Intense fi re season expected Self-pumped gas bill passes County adopts $25.7 million budget CASA’s daddy-daughter dance Sumpter RR seeks volunteers Brooklyn gets new bus zone Page Page Page Page Page Page 2 4 8 9 10 10
