FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2016
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 7
2016: A Year in Review
August
October
Fire season flares up
On Sunday afternoon, the
biggest fire of the season
so far in Baker County
ignited.
Located about 10 miles
southwest of Unity, the
Rail Fire was quickly
visible as a fast-spreading
smoke plume that covered
the southern half of the
county.
Halfway grade gets new
camera
During the week of July
18, the Oregon Department
of Transportation (ODOT)
installed a new camera
along Highway 86 at the
Halfway Summit.
BLM criticized
The Bureau of Land
Management’s (BLM) ju-
niper eradication project in
southern Baker County is
drawing criticism from for-
estry experts and neighbor-
ing property owners who
say the project has created
a firetrap for landowners.
The problems? Piles of
dried juniper have been
left as new fuel near pri-
vate property boundaries—
and the fact that the trees
were cut and left to lay in
the months immediately
preceding fire season.
Fire Dept. gets new hire.
In June the Baker City
Submitted Photo.
Mary Collard (at left) poses with the host of the
show, Kelly Ripa.
Fire Department (BCFD),
through the creation of a
new full-time position ap-
proved by the City Budget
Board, hired volunteer
firefighter Jeremy Yerrick.
Sunridge hearing held
A hearing was held last
Thursday morning in the
matter of the Chapter 11
bankruptcy of Townridge,
Inc., aka the Best West-
ern Sunridge Inn, during
which Judge Trish M.
Brown voiced frustration
and criticism as she spoke
with the associated parties
about the case.
Local woman on ‘Live
with Kelly’
Mary Collard, a local
from Baker City, appeared
on ‘Live with Kelly’ in
New York July 28.
‘Gold Rush’ crew to
leave?
Just last week the two
mining claims—one near
Hereford and one up
Clark’s Creek by Bridge-
port—that served as the
Baker County production
sites for the hit Discov-
ery Channel show, “Gold
Rush” were filled with
pricey Volvo heavy equip-
ment, a large wash plant—
and prior to that, a bustling
camera crew.
This week, not so much.
September
USFS proposed purchase
meets with opposition
The Baker County Board
of Commissioners held
another agency-to-agency
coordination meeting with
representatives of the Unit-
ed States Forest Service
(USFS), on Wednesday,
August 31, 2016, 9 a.m., in
the Commission Chambers
of the Baker County Court-
house. A Hells Canyon
Snake River fee proposal,
and an Eagle Creek land
purchase proposal received
significant opposition and
concern, from both the
public, and the Board.
Small earthquake hits
On Thursday, August 25,
a tiny earthquake measur-
ing 2.8 on the Richter
Scale struck. The quake
happened at 10:45 a.m.,
at 44.854°N 117.895°W,
which is 10 kilometers to
the north of Baker City.
Granite Schoolhouse
becomes new museum
Granite’s Allen Hall,
also known as the Granite
School House, has served
in many capacities during
the town’s history.
Infant’s death investi-
gated
On September 3, 2016,
Tracin Givens (DOB
7-29-2016) was found
deceased at his home at
1695 Auburn St. #3, Baker
City, Oregon. He was five
weeks old.
Both parents Joshua
Givens and Beth Speelman
were present in the home
at the time of the death.
Car show sparkles
The Snake River Car
Show was held on Sat-
Kristina Koontz poses with the cougar she downed with one shot as it stalked
her during a hunting trip.
Gubernatorial candidate
flies into Baker City
Republican gubernato-
rial candidate Bud Pierce
decided to spend his 60th
birthday at a campaign
meeting with natural
resource representatives
in both Baker and Harney
counties Monday morning,
October 3.
Hayes arraigned on mul-
tiple sex abuse charges
On September 29,
2016 at about 2:50 p.m.,
Baker City Police Detec-
tive Jay Lohner arrested
69 year-old David Hayes
(01/20/47), of 1310 C
Street in Baker City, for
multiple sexual assault
related charges to include:
• 2 counts of Rape 1
• 2 counts of Sodomy 1
• 2 counts of Sex Abuse
1
• 2 counts of Unlawful
Sexual Penetration 1
Ferrioli blasts local non-
partisan movement
State Senator Ted Ferrioli
met with the Baker County
Republican Party at their
general meeting last week.
Todd Arriola / The Baker County Press
Six candidates file for
City Council
A total of six candidates
have filed to fill the six
open positions on Baker
City Council this week.
There are seven total seats
on the Council, and the
deadline to file for place-
ment on the ballot was
August 30.
Submitted Photo
Amber Krantz (in blue) cuts the ribbon Wednesday
morning, opening an Albertsons store once again in
Baker City once again.
urday, September 3 at
Lion’s Park in downtown
Huntington from 10 am to
4 p.m.
Albertsons reopens
On Wednesday morning,
Albertsons Store Director
Amber Krantz cut the rib-
bon in front of the compa-
ny’s extensively revamped
former home.
‘Ghost Mine’ star talks
about angels
Stacie Overman, an or-
dained minister, says these
celestial beings are very
real, present among us,
guiding and helping—and
she is able to help get their
messages across to those
in need.
Lead found in school
water
On September 9, the
Baker County Health
Department issued a press
release stating it had been
notified by the Baker 5J
School District that water
test levels containing lead
have been reported at
schools across the area.
Suit settled against news-
paper owners
On September 13, the
lawsuit filed by Kerry Mc-
Quisten, individually and
as owner of Black Lyon
Publishing, LLC, of which
The Baker County Press
is part, against defendants
Gina Perkins and Lynn
Perkins, former owners of
The Record-Courier, came
to a close in a settlement.
Perkinses agree to leave
newspaper business for
five years, and that they
don’t own the rights to the
newspaper.
GOP candidates forum
held
The Baker County
Republican Central Com-
mittee and The Baker
County Press co-sponsored
a Republican candidate
and initiatives open house
Wednesday evening at the
Sunridge Inn. The event
drew an audience mixed
with Democrats, Repub-
licans and non-affiliated
voters alike.
Residents talk drugs
On Tuesday evening,
Deputy Jeff Spencer, a
drug recognition expert
and eastern Oregon Coor-
dinator for that program,
and Baker County Sheriff
Travis Ash, held an infor-
mational community event
in Unity with the purpose
of explaining the charac-
teristics of drugs found
locally—and their effects
on the human body as seen
from a law enforcement
perspective.
Suspect flees on foot
On Tuesday, October
11, at 2:55 p.m., officers
from the Baker City Police
Department (BCPD) were
attempting to serve an
arrest warrant on Joseph
William Dial, age 25 of
Lakeview, at 211 Bridge
Street in Baker City.
Officers arrived at the
location and discovered
Dial was a passenger in a
vehicle driven by Chanae
Hartmann, age 24 of La
Pine, preparing to leave the
mentioned location.
Officers attempted to
stop the vehicle, but Hart-
mann failed to obey their
commands.
As Hartmann left the
parking lot, she almost
struck two BCPD Officers
as she sped from the loca-
tion.
At 3:07 p.m. Hartmann
was located on 5th Street
near Myrtle Street and
taken into custody without
further incident. Officers
learned at that time Dial
had fled on foot from
the vehicle before it was
located.
Anti-patriot meeting
results in police call
On Saturday, October
8, at the Baker County
Library, members of the
Rural Organizing Proj-
ect (ROP)—hosted and
sponsored by two local
left-leaning groups, Baker
County People For Human
Dignity (BCPFHD) and
the Pandhandle Commu-
nity Alliance (PCA)—pre-
sented controversial claims
about perceived threats
to rural Oregon and its
citizens, as claimed in the
ROP/Political Research
Associates (PRA) co-
published, 100-plus page
anti-patriot-movement
book, titled “Up In Arms:
A Guide to Oregon’s Pa-
triot Movement.”
The ROP and PRA are
based in western Oregon
and in Massachusetts
respectively.
MayDay holds vigil
Tuesday, October 18,
MayDay Inc. hosted their
annual celebration of the
human spirit and candle-
light vigil in observation of
Domestic Violence Aware-
ness Month.
‘Gold Rush’ airs
The season debut of the
Discovery Channel’s ‘Gold
Rush’ aired last Friday, Oc-
tober 14, featuring several
shots of southern Baker
County where the Hoffman
crew arrived last summer
for filming on the High Bar
Mine, owned by the Wirth
family, in Hereford. The
crew also mined—utilizing
the famed Monster Red
wash plant—at a separate
location up Clark’s Creek
near Bridgeport.
Woman kills stalking
cougar
“I’ll never forget it,”
said local hunter Kristina
Koontz, as she spoke about
the harrowing experience
of being surprised by a
hovering, 150-pound male
cougar in the Ukiah Wild-
life Management Unit—
which she dropped, with
one shot from eight yards
away using a Remington
Model 700 rifle in .270
caliber.
Drug lab shows off-the-
charts contamination
A site assessment of a
former local drug lab at
301 Second Street in Baker
City has shown extremely
high levels of metham-
phetamine contamination,
according to a report by A
Best Environmental LLC.
In fact, all samples were
at least five times higher
than the State of Oregon
Cleanup Standard.
Quilting grannies make
up to four quilts per week
Returning from summer
vacation, the Grannies
in Baker City are hard at
work again.
Led by Colleen Brooks,
the group of ladies is
working together making
and donating baby quilts
for newborns in Baker
County through Building
Healthy Families.
Brooks explained that
Florastine Landreth started
the Grannies around 1984.
Hoopes back on duty
Sheriff’s candidate,
Deputy John Hoopes, went
back to work at the Baker
County Sheriff’s Office
this week after a lengthy
healing process associated
with an on-the-job injury
to his shoulder.