LOCAL: Traveling preacher gives Jason Lee
presentation at Agape Church. PAGE 4
BUSINESS: Medical Springs Rural Fire
Protection District gets grant. PAGE 3
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Baker County Press
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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
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