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About The Baker County press. (Baker City, Ore.) 2014-current | View Entire Issue (March 17, 2017)
BUSINESS: Baker City gets a certified arborist. PAGE 3 The SPECIAL: Our Spotlight on Mental Illness continues with a look at depression. PAGE 5 Baker County Press TheBakerCountyPress.com 75¢ All local. All relevant. Every Friday. Friday, March 17, 2017 • Volume 4, Issue 11 Local toddler survives after rescue from pond • LOCAL STORY HITS TELEVISION ACROSS OREGON AND IDAHO BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com 22-month-old toddler, Matty Cunningham of Baker City, is lucky to be alive—so fortunate, in fact, that the story of his survival has spread to tele- vision news outlets such as KTVB in Portland and KBOI out of Boise, Idaho. Last Thursday, according to Baker City Fire Chief Tom Wills, “Baker City Fire Department (BCFD) personnel responded to a reported drowning in the Salmon Creek area of Baker County. “When BCFD paramed- ics arrived they found a young victim unconscious and breathing on the shore of a small pond. “The young victim was reportedly found in the pond and pulled out by family members who performed CPR before paramedics arrived. “Paramedics who were on scene less than fi ve minutes provided advanced life support treatment to the victim and with the help of Baker Rural Fire Protection District fi re- fi ghters and Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce deputies rushed the victim to the Saint Alphonsus Hospital Emergency Department.” In multiple interviews, Matty’s parents, Matthew and Elsa Cunningham, said they believed their son to be dead—he was blue and non-responsive—and attributed his recovery to nothing short of a miracle. The family had been working outside their house when Matty wan- dered off. SEE RESCUE PAGE 5 Submitted Photo. Matty Cunningham is now home and on his way to a miraculous full recovery. City: Police Association Man arrested labor contract ratified, Boy on sex abuse charges Scouts attend meeting Gina K. Swartz / The Baker County Press Boy Scout troops 450 and 452 attended this week’s Baker City Council meeting as a requirement to earn their Citizen of Community Badge. BY GINA K. SWARTZ Gina@TheBakerCountyPress.com Tuesday night saw the fi rst March meeting of the City Council. Mayor Downing called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Councilor Dan McQuisten led the Pledge of Al- legiance and Invocation. City Recorder/Human Resourc- es Manager Julie Smith called roll with all Councilors present. Downing then called for citizen participation, and see- ing none, he moved forward. Before turning to the evening’s agenda Downing gave recognition to Boy Scout Troops #450 and #452, who were present for the meeting to fulfi ll requirements to earn their Citizenship of Community badge. To be eligible for this badge, the Scouts must attend a public meeting where different opinions are expressed and then they must explain their experience. The requirements for this badge are intended to teach the Scouts the importance of being productive and active members of their community. Downing then focused on the agenda for the evening. Local Community Advisory Council Charlette Dudley addressed Council regarding the local Friday Partly sunny with a high around 62. East to southeast winds around 8-16 mph. Friday Night: Mostly cloudy with a low near 40. Southeast winds around 5-10 mph. Saturday Mostly cloudy with a high around 63 and rain showers likely. South winds around 10-20 mph. Chance of precipitation 50%. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy with a low near 30. Sunday Partly cloudy with a high around 53 and a slight chance of rain showers. North winds around 5-10 mph. Chance of precipitation 20%. Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy with a low near 28. Community Advisory Council. This Advisory Council was created at the request of the Medicaid program to fi nd ways to enhance and identify additional needs of care in the County. The Council meets the fi rst Tuesday of every month and brings together partners like the County Health Depart- ment, New Directions Northwest, mental health providers and community members. As a Council, they come up with areas in which they think the community could benefi t and do research and collect data to support the need. In 2016 a grant of $34,700 was allotted that allowed the Council to provide information and screenings regarding colon/rectal cancer that was received by an overwhelming number of community members. They also were able to expand the student health center services at Baker High School, allowing for the center to bill, generating a revenue source and a large number of students accessing adolescent wellness exams. Those exams are also credited with opening commu- nication that lead to mental health treatment often for depression and in some cases substance abuse. SEE CITY COUNCIL PAGE 2 Your weekend weather forecast for Baker County. Our forecast made possible by this generous sponsor: Offi cial weather provider for The Baker County Press. Cecil Noble, age 70, was arrested for crimes involv- ing sexual abuse at his residence in Rye Valley on March 10, 2017. (Noble receives his mail in Hun- tington.) Baker County Deputies began an investigation into the crimes after receiving information that two Hun- tington juvenile females Photo courtesy of the had reported being inappro- Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce. priately touched by a man Cecil Noble. while they were playing in the park. The victims told deputies the older man who had touched them was a stranger to them. The victims and witnesses gave a very detailed description of the man and the vehicle he was operating. None of the witnesses could see a visible license plate on the vehicle. The deputies were not able to locate Noble in the Huntington area. Later on March 10th, Baker City Police Department requested assistance in locating Noble from a crime that had been committed at Sonny’s Bar & Grill in Baker City. When deputies arrived at Noble’s residence both he and his vehicle matched the detailed information provided by the victims and witnesses in the Huntington and Baker City crimes. Noble was taken into custody without inci- dent; he was transported and lodged in the Baker County Jail, and charged with Sexual Abuse I (two counts), Ha- rassment (two counts), and Public Indecency (Baker City Police Department). Geiser Grand wins prestigious wine award BY KERRY McQUISTEN News@TheBakerCountyPress.com “It’s a total thrill,” said Barbara Sidway, owner of the Geiser Grand, in an interview Wednesday morning. “When anyone works hard to deliver something wonder- ful and you don’t think anyone really notices, it’s gratify- ing. It really picks you up!” Sidway referred to her business’s recent win of Or- egon Wine Press magazine’s 2017 Oregon Wine A-List award—but not only of the award, also of the position as that publication’s Regional Spotlight business for Central and Eastern Oregon. SEE WINE AWARD PAGE 3 ALSO IN THIS ISSUE Opinion / Politics Halfway: Pine Fest named best Sumpter: Cannabis tax discussed Page Page Page The Outdoor Column by Todd Arriola Page County hears about Wolf Plan changes Page Grocery Outlet a no-go in Baker City Page 4 5 7 7 8 8