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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2016)
LOCAL: Traveling preacher gives Jason Lee presentation at Agape Church. PAGE 4 BUSINESS: Medical Springs Rural Fire Protection District gets grant. PAGE 3 The Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, June 10, 2016 • Volume 3, Issue 24 Baker County gets its first Presidential Convention delegate Submitted Photo. The Oregon State Delegates Convention, as seen from the stage at the Fairgrounds in Salem last Saturday during its general session. BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Last weekend, several GOP Precinct Committee People from Baker County traveled to Salem. Oregon Republicans met at the Oregon State Fairgrounds to select delegates and alternates who will repre- sent the State of Oregon at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. Among those elected to one of those delegate positions was Suzan Ellis Jones of Bridgeport. “The process of select- ing our delegates to the national convention, like all party business, must be transparent,” said Bill Currier, chairman of the Oregon Republican Party (ORP). “Oregon’s grass- roots Republican activists from each county, through their elected representa- tives to the State Central Committee, decided the rules for the state conven- tion and the selection of delegates. The state party administers those rules to ensure a fair and open process.” “This is the fi rst time to my knowledge that someone from Baker County has been able to go through this process,” said Jones. ORP conventions only happen every four years to elect delegates to the Presidential Nominating Convention. Oregon elects 25 del- egates and 25 alternate del- egates who are allocated to whichever candidate based on the Oregon Primary results. Jones was assigned to cast a delegate vote for John Kasich. SEE CONVENTION PAGE 5 Oregon’s Speaker of the Newspaper House tours Baker County owner arrested BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press Oregon State Speaker of the House, District 44 Democrat Tina Kotek, center, hosted a breakfast at the Sunridge along with Rep. Cliff Bentz. BY TODD ARRIOLA Todd@TheBakerCountyPress.com Oregon State Speaker of the House, District 44 Demo- crat Tina Kotek, joined by District 60 Republican Rep- resentative Cliff Bentz, and Kotek’s Chief of Staff, Tim Inman, hosted a Breakfast with the Speaker, to discuss local issues in a round-table format, at the Sunridge Inn Restaurant, on Friday, June 3, 2016, 7 a.m. Present also included (in the order they introduced themselves, as seated) Oregon Trail Electric Coopera- tive (OTEC) General Manager Werner Buehler, Guyer & Associates CPA Randy Guyer, Baker City Manager Fred Warner, Jr., Baker County Tourism Marketing Direc- tor Tim Bishop, Blue Mountain Community College (BMCC) Dean of CTE (Career Technical Education) and Community Education Carl Melle, Baker City BMCC Board of Directors member Bob Savage, Baker City BMCC Director Dan Koopman, Baker School District 5J Friday Mostly cloudy with showers. Chance of precipi- tation is 40%. Highs in the mid 60s. Board Chairman Kevin Cassidy, Baker School District 5J Superintendent Mark Witty, Burnt River School Dis- trict 30J Superintendent Lorrie Andrews, Baker County Economic Development Executive Assistant Julee Hicks, Baker County Commissioner Mark Bennett, Burnt River Irrigation District Chairman Lynn Shumway, Oregon Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) Water Resources Com- mittee Chairman Curt Martin, Burnt River Irrigation Dis- trict Manager Wes Morgan, Baker County Commission Chairman Bill Harvey, Baker County Democratic Party Chair Marshall McComb, and Historic Baker City (HBC) volunteer Matt Koppenhaver. Bentz welcomed attendees, and said, “It’s your oppor- tunity to tell her (Kotek) what problems you’re facing in the community...The Speaker has all the power (prompt- ing laughter)...We are fortunate to have someone here, with this kind of power...” SEE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PAGE 5 Saturday Sunday Sunny and warmer. Highs near 70. Lows at night in the mid-40s. Standoff ends well On June 2, 2016 at about 3:12 p.m. Baker City Police received the report of a man at 2010 Grove Street, re- cently released from prison, who had a fi rearm. Information then came that this subject was at 2323 3rd Street and had discharged that fi rearm. Offi cers arrived and then shortly after determined that the suspect, identi- fi ed as 44 year-old John Guthrie Jr., was actually at the 2010 Grove Street residence. Witnesses stated he was armed with a rifl e and had made both suicidal threats and threats against law en- forcement. SEE STANDOFF PAGE 5 Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County. Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Partly sunny with a stray chance for showers and storms in the afternoon. Chance of precipi- tation is 30%. Highs in the mid 60s. The owner, editor, and publisher of The Record- Courier newspaper, Gina Deann Perkins, age 50 of Goodrich Creek, was arrested Saturday the 4th after two incidents, one at a private residence at 50416 Anthony Lakes Highway, just outside of Haines, tech- Photo Courtesy of the Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce nically North Powder. According to the County, Gina Perkins. that residence is owned by Gerald Loennig. Perkins was asked by the owner to leave the property and refused, according to Sheriff Travis Ash. Ash said, “Perkins remained at the residence after being told to leave.” In a separate incident that same day, said District Attor- ney Matt Shirtcliff, Perkins is accused of throwing rocks and damaging an automobile and cell phone owned by husband Lynn Perkins, during an altercation. Deputy Josh Bryant responded and arrested Perkins at 912 Front Street in Haines, for Criminal Mischief 2, Disorderly Conduct 2 and Criminal Trespass. Perkins was arraigned on these charges and remains lodged in the Baker County Jail on $13,000 bail at the time of print. Perkins is also the defendant in an ongoing civil law- suit, including theft of intellectual property and interfer- ence with retailer claims, brought by this newspaper and scheduled for trial this summer. Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. ALSO IN THIS ISSUE BTI students discuss Lime Plant Sumpter dredge tailings discussed Homemade Goodness Column 5J: Math curriculum Pine Eagle Senior awards BHS / Pine Eagle graduations Page Page Page Page Page Page 3 5 7 8 10 10