FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2017
THE BAKER COUNTY PRESS — 5
Local
14-year-old rescued after Local woman
getting lost in Boulder Park killed by cow
On September 4, 2017,
Baker County Dispatch
received a call from a 14-
year-old juvenile who had
been hiking in the area of
Boulder Park and became
separated from his party.
Once the approximate
location had been deter-
mined, the Baker County
Search and Rescue Team
was activated and respond-
ed to Boulder Park to begin
the search.
Due to the location, the
Union County Sheriff’s
Office also activated their
search and rescue team.
Throughout the search,
the juvenile was able to
continue calling 911 and
give updates on his condi-
tion.
After hiking six miles in
the dark while traversing
rugged terrain, search and
rescue members located
the subject at approximate-
ly 2:00 a.m.
Once located, the hiker’s
condition was assessed,
and it was determined that
he was cold but suffered no
obvious injuries.
Team members had
packed in dry, warm cloth-
ing for him.
After evaluating his
Preventing
suicide
CONTINUED FROM
PAGE 1
Sharing and connecting
is an important component
of National Suicide Pre-
vention Awareness month.
September has been des-
ignated as a time to share
resources and stories in an
effort to shed light on this
highly stigmatized topic.
Emphases are reach-
ing out to those who have
been affected by suicide,
connecting individuals
with suicidal ideation to
appropriate resources, and
making sure that con-
cerned family members
and friends have support.
NAMI has information
on warning signs and risks
as well as suicide preven-
tion.
Warning signs of suicidal
ideation include excessive
worry, fear, and sadness;
marked change in habits
Jodie Averett, age 60, of 13619 Hunt Mountain Lane,
and a wife and mother of three, was killed Monday eve-
ning after being kicked in the chest by a cow, resulting in
fatal cardiac arrest.
According to scanner traffic, Averett’s husband, Tom Av-
erett, notified Baker County Consolidated Dispatch, call-
ing law enforcement and medics to their home just after 7
p.m. Averett reported that his wife had been kicked in the
torso area and he was performing CPR. Medics also at-
tempted CPR, but Averett was pronounced deceased after
being transported to Saint Alphonsus Baker City.
Prior to ranching, Averett was known for her back-
ground in law enforcement, having worked both in Seattle
and in Baker City.
Some streets
closed for paving
Photo courtesy of The Baker County Sheriff’s Office
The map above shows the search and rescue route and location of the boy.
condition, he was escorted
out and reunited with his
hiking party and family.
From the time that the
911 call was placed to the
completion of the search,
search and rescue members
spent nearly 12 hours plan-
ning and actively searching
for the juvenile.
The Baker County
Sheriff’s Office would like
to extend their gratitude to
members of both the Baker
County Search and Rescue
Team and the Union
County Search and Rescue
Team.
Search and rescue
members are volunteers
who dedicate their time
and resources to rescue and
recovery operations.
If you are interested in
joining the Baker County
Search and Rescue Team,
applications are available
at the Baker County Sher-
iff’s Office.
and behaviors; avoiding
friends; difficulty in con-
centrating or perceiving re-
ality; substance abuse; and
vague physical ailments
with no obvious cause.
Included prevention
strategies are being sup-
portive and asking open
and honest questions.
In a crisis, the National
Suicide Prevention Line at
800-273-TALK provides
24/7 access to a trained
crisis counselor.
For those who may be
uncomfortable talking,
texting NAMI to 741-741
provides free connection
to the Crisis Text Line.
New Directions Behav-
ioral Health and Wellness
provides crisis support
in Baker County. Their
number is 523-3646.
The Baker County after-
hours crisis line is 541-
519-7126.
According to the Center
for Disease Control and
Prevention, after a period
of decline, suicide rates
have been increasing. The
greatest percentage of
increase in females was in
those aged 10-14.
For males, the greatest
increase was in those aged
45-64.
The Suicide Prevention
site for the Oregon Health
Authority (http://www.or-
egon.gov/oha/pages/index.
aspx) states that in addition
to being a nation-wide is-
sue, “Suicide is among the
leading causes of death in
Oregon,” with more than
600 lives lost per year.
There is also a five-
year plan focusing on
preventing youth suicide.
Warning signs of suicidal
ideation in those under age
24 include talking about or
planning suicide, hopeless-
ness, displaying severe
emotional distress, and
sharp changes in behavior,
such as sleep patterns,
social connections, or
emotional disturbances.
On the local level, Jane
Chandler, Mental Health
Promotion and Preven-
tion Coordinator at New
Directions Northwest,
said that suicide is the 3rd
leading cause of death
in adolescents and 2nd
leading cause of death in
college students. Over-
all, it’s the eighth leading
cause of death in the state.
One person dies by suicide
every 12 hours in Oregon.
Chandler works with the
schools to provide suicide
prevention training for
students in seventh grade
and up.
In younger grades,
the focus is on bullying
prevention and social/emo-
tional skills.
October is Bullying
Prevention Month.
Chandler also provides
QPR (Question, Persuade,
Refer) training in the com-
munity. This “gatekeeper”
training helps participants
learn warning signs and
ways to assist in suicide
prevention.
Chandler said it is “basi-
cally for everyone” and
is designed to help save
a life. Anyone interested
in the training can contact
Chandler to find out more.
Chandler recommends
the American Foundation
for Suicide Prevention
website (afsp.org) for those
who want to get more
information at “their own
pace, in their own place, in
their own time.” She said
the information there is ac-
curate and easy to digest.
Chandler is also coordi-
nating a “Walk for Hope”
which will take place 8-11
a.m. on Saturday, Sep-
tember 23rd at the Baker
Middle School Field. This
awareness-raising event
will also be an opportunity
to “connect with others
and gather resources.”
Everyone is welcome to
come out and enjoy music
and refreshments. Indi-
viduals or teams who want
to walk can choose to be
sponsored, or just partici-
pate.
Community information
and resource tables will be
available and participants
will receive a “Walk for
Hope” T-shirt.
For information on train-
ings or the event, contact
Chandler at 541-524-9070
or jchandler@ndninc.org.
The City of Baker City in cooperation with Hampton’s
Inc., d.b.a. Rogers Asphalt Paving Co. began a Full-Depth
Reclamation and Paving Project on Tuesday, September
5th, affecting the following streets:
Church Street – Resort to Main
Baker Street – Resort to Main
Madison Street – Resort to Main
Washington Street – Resort to Main
Valley Street – Resort to Main
Auburn Ave. – Main to 4th
These streets will be closed intermittently September
5– 13, 2017. No parking will be allowed during this time.
Vehicles will need to be parked off the street prior to the
paving.
Parks and Rec to
meet in Baker City
The Oregon State Parks and Recreation Commission
will hold its fourth meeting of the year September 19-20,
participating in a field tour and training on the first day,
and conducting executive and business meetings the
second day.
On September 19, Commissioners will gather at 8 a.m.
in Baker City to begin a tour of parks and historic sites
stretching from Sumpter to John Day, followed by a 1
p.m. training workshop at the Grant County Regional
Airport, 720 Airport Rd, John Day, OR 97845.
On September 20, Commissioners will convene an
executive session at 8:15 a.m. at the Geiser Grand Hotel,
1996 Main Street, Baker City, OR 97814, to discuss real
estate and legal issues. Executive sessions are closed to
the public. A public business meeting will begin at ap-
proximately 9:45 a.m. at the same location. The agenda
includes several information and action items from
agency staff, including requests to:
Approve $1 million in Lottery-funded outdoor recreation
grants to Oregon communities.
Acquire 19 acres adjacent to Beaver Creek at Brian
Booth State Park for $85,000, as a buffer between private
land and natural areas of the park.
Other matters are listed on a draft agenda online at
http://bit.ly/september2017agenda.
The full meeting packet will be available online by 5
p.m. Friday, September 8. People who plan to present
testimony are requested to provide 15 copies of their
statement to Commission Assistant Denise Warburton
at Denise.Warburton@oregon.gov for distribution to the
Commissioners before the meeting.
Those needing special accommodations to attend should
also contact Warburton by email, or by calling 503-986-
0719, at least three days in advance.
BTI nursing
training to start
Baker Technical Institute (BTI) is offer a state-ap-
proved Nursing Assistant training this fall. Classes start
September 25th and will run Monday and Tuesday from
11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at BTI in Baker City for eight
weeks, then scheduled clinicals (80 hours).
For more information, contact Tammy Pierce, Pro-
gram Coordinator of Baker Technical Institute, at
541.519.2671.
Baird arraigned
On August 31, 2017, Bodie Baird (dob 10-28-1993) of
2505 5th St. Baker City, Oregon was arraigned in Baker
County Circuit Court.
Baird was charged by District Attorney Information
with Commercial Sexual Exploitation a Class A Mis-
demeanor, Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine for
consideration a Class B Felony, Unlawful Possession
of Methamphetamine a Class A Misdemeanor, Unlaw-
ful Manufacture of Methamphetamine a Class B Felony,
Unlawful Possession of Methylphenidate a Class A
Misdemeanor and Unlawful Possession of Alprazolam a
Class C Misdemeanor. The incidents are alleged to have
occurred on August 14 and August 30, 2017. The charges
allege that Baird traded methamphetamine to engage in
sexual conduct and additionally possessed methamphet-
amine, methylphenidate and alprazolam.
Baird’s next court date is scheduled for October 2, 2017.