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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 8, 2019)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian A2 Thursday, August 8, 2019 Type 2 Interagency Management Team to take command of HK Complex Two new fires were discovered Tuesday within boundary of HK Complex HELICOPTER HELPS WITH GRANITE GULCH FIRE East Oregonian PENDLETON — Fire- fighters have made progress on the majority of the wild- fires caused by recent thunder- storms. Concentrated light- ning activity occurred across portions of the National Forest on Tuesday night. New smoke reports are anticipated throughout the next few days as the weather conditions remain hot and dry. Two new fires were dis- covered Tuesday within the boundary of the HK Complex, which consists of 13 lightning fires burning on the Hep- pner Ranger District near the Alder Creek Skookum Trail- head, approximately 15 miles north of Monument. The total acreage of all fires within the HK Complex is now esti- mated at 1,500 acres and the fires are burning in grass, brush and timber. The larg- est of the fires within the com- plex is estimated at 125 acres. Fire behavior on Tuesday consisted of torching, spot- ting and active running. Hot and dry conditions, as well as strong winds, contributed to Umatilla National Forest Photo The HK Complex Fire, seen from Madison Butte, consists of 13 lightning fires burning on the Heppner Ranger District near the Alder Creek Skookum Trailhead, approximately 15 miles north of Monument. fire’s rapid growth. A local Type 3 incident management team out of John Day took command of the HK Complex at 6 p.m. Tuesday. However, due to the increased fire activity, a Type 2 Incident Manage- ment Team has been ordered and will in-brief at the Hep- pner Ranger District office at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The Type 2 Incident Management Team will take command of the fire at 6 a.m. Thursday. A large area, road and trail closure has been implemented on the HK Complex. Firefighters will continue to complete direct line construc- tion on Wednesday, where ter- rain and fuels allow for crews to safely engage, while utiliz- ing aircraft to slow fire spread and cool hotspots within the fire perimeter. Approximately 300 fire personnel, including some local resources from Maj. Gen. Rees to speak in La Grande Forecast for Pendleton Area TODAY Partly sunny An a.m. shower; clouds and sun An afternoon shower in places Pleasant with some sun MONDAY SUNDAY SATURDAY FRIDAY Oregon Department of For- estry, are currently assigned to the fire. The Rocky Flats Fire still remains at 49 acres and 100% lined. The fire is also located on the Heppner Ranger District and is approx- imately 13 miles northeast of Spray. Resources on scene include one crew and two engines. Suppression strat- egy is to continue to improve containment lines. Sunny, pleasant and warmer ‘Soldier’s soldier’ will participate in National Guard Reunion Weekend By DICK MASON EO Media Group PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 77° 53° 77° 59° 89° 58° 91° 60° 84° 58° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 82° 56° 82° 61° 92° 62° 94° 65° OREGON FORECAST 87° 55° ALMANAC Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Seattle Olympia 67/57 93/59 95/60 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 93/66 Lewiston 71/57 96/67 Astoria 67/56 Pullman Yakima 98/65 73/54 98/68 Portland Hermiston 75/61 The Dalles 94/65 Salem Corvallis 73/54 Yesterday Normals Records La Grande 89/59 PRECIPITATION John Day Eugene Bend 78/54 88/52 91/58 Ontario 89/62 Caldwell Burns 101° 62° 89° 59° 106° (1972) 41° (1939) 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date Albany 74/56 0.00" 0.00" 0.05" 4.56" 5.10" 5.97" WINDS (in mph) 87/62 88/47 0.00" 0.00" 0.08" 9.61" 6.49" 8.03" through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Pendleton 86/56 75/57 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date HERMISTON Enterprise 91/60 82/64 99° 65° 89° 59° 110° (1898) 42° (1931) PRECIPITATION Moses Lake 74/56 Aberdeen 95/65 95/68 Tacoma Yesterday Normals Records Spokane Wenatchee 72/58 BAKER CITY — Forest Service officials decided to have a helicopter dump water on part of a fire in the Eagle Cap Wilderness Monday and Tuesday, but their goal is to limit its growth rather than put it out. Choppers doused flames on the western and south- ern edges of the Granite Gulch Fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 14 near the center of the 365,000- acre Eagle Cap Wilderness, Oregon’s largest. Under a policy that’s been in effect for more than 25 years for the Eagle Cap, Forest Service officials decided to manage, rather than fight, the fire, which has burned an estimated 1,000 acres. Nathan Goodrich, fire management officer for the Wallowa Fire Zone, said the fire has had beneficial effects, including burning fuel on the ground and cre- ating a mosaic pattern of burned and unburned forest that replicates what fires have historically done in the Wallowa Mountains. “So far I am pleased with the effects of this fire,” said Goodrich, who has monitored several lightning fires in the wilderness over the past 12 years. According to a press release from the Wal- lowa-Whitman National Forest Tuesday, the purpose of the helicopter water drops was to prevent the fire from crossing the Minam River and burning downstream to the west. The fire, which started in Granite Gulch, has burned over a ridge to the east into the No Name Creek drain- age. The fire has not crossed the Minam River. According to the Wallowa-Whitman, helicopters could drop water again, and ground crews could be called in if the fire crosses the Minam River. Although the fire remains about 7 miles from the nearest boundary of the wilderness, it could produce smoke plumes visible from the Baker and Grande Ronde valleys on hot, dry days for the next several weeks. — Jayson Jacoby, EO Media Group Today Medford 87/61 Fri. SW 7-14 W 6-12 Boardman Pendleton S 6-12 NNW 4-8 SUN AND MOON Klamath Falls 86/48 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019 Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today Full 5:46 a.m. 8:15 p.m. 2:56 p.m. 12:13 a.m. Last New LA GRANDE — One of the best known generals in recent Oregon history is set to make an appearance in La Grande. Maj. Gen. Raymond Rees will be the keynote speaker at the Reunion Weekend of La Grande’s National Guard unit, the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment. Rees will speak Sept. 15 during a dinner at the Blue Mountain Confer- ence Center. Rees served as Oregon’s adjutant general four times during his career. His first stint began in 1989 when he was appointed by Oregon’s gov- ernor. His final stint began in 2009 when he was appointed by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, and he served four years. As adjutant general, Rees was responsible for providing the state of Oregon and the United States with a ready force of citizen soldiers and airmen, equipped and trained to respond to any emer- gency or sit uation, including deployments to Iraq and Rees Afghanistan. Rees is credited with being instru- mental in getting new National Guard armories built throughout Oregon, including in La Grande. The current local armory was built about 15 years ago, according to retired National Guardsman Lou Gerber of La Grande, who is helping organize Reunion Weekend. Gerber said Rees is known for his ability to connect with the soldiers working under him. “He is a soldier’s soldier,” Gerber said. Rees, who grew up in Helix, graduated from Gris- wold High School in 1962 and the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1966. He served in Vietnam in the late 1960s and, upon leaving the active Army, joined the Oregon Army National Guard. He then advanced through command and staff positions of increas- ing rank and responsibility. BRIEFLY Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 108° in Needles, Calif. Low 36° in Stanley, Idaho Aug 15 Aug 23 Aug 30 Sep 5 NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Body of missing Baker City man found BAKER CITY — A relative on Monday evening located the body of a Baker City man missing in the Elkhorn Mountains. Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash con- firmed that the relative found the body of Derrick Austin Coates, 32, in the Marble Creek area about 9 miles west of Baker City. That’s where a huckleberry picker found Coates’ Jeep Cherokee early on the morn- ing of July 27. Coates was last seen the afternoon of July 26 when he talked with his grand- mother in Baker City. Nearman lands new job Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. -0s 0s showers t-storms 10s rain 20s flurries 30s snow 40s Reunion Weekend, which is open to the public, will begin Sept. 14 with a pool tournament at the American Legion hall, 301 Fir St., La Grande. Activities will continue on Sept. 15 at the Blue Mountain Conference Center. A social hour begins at 1 p.m. followed by an in- formal dinner at 2 p.m. and an address by Rees. Those attending are encouraged to wear casual dress. Tickets for the Reunion Weekend are now on sale for $20. The price of tickets will rise to $25 on Sept. 5. Tickets may be purchased in person in La Grande at the Blue Mountain Confer- ence Center, 404 12th St.; American Legion Post #43, 301 Fir St.; Joe Beans, 1009 Adams Ave.; and Denny’s, 2604 Island Ave. Tickets will be available online at https://3-116cav.brownpa- pertickets.com. For additional informa- tion call Lowell Beeman, a retired National Guardsman who is helping put on Reunion Weekend,, at 541- 963-9084 or 541-786-5605. First NATIONAL EXTREMES -10s MORE INFORMATION 50s ice 60s cold front E AST O REGONIAN — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays EastOregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to EastOregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and postal holidays, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR. Postmaster: send address changes to East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Copyright © 2019, EO Media Group 70s 80s 90s 100s warm front stationary front 110s high low SALEM — Oregon state Rep. Mike Near- man is now also the state director for a group seeking to reduce the influence of public employee unions. CORRECTION: In the Page A1 story “Mass shootings stun weary nation,” published Tues- day, Aug. 6, the story misspelled the name of Pendleton Walmart manager Shawna Nulf. Subscriber services: For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1 SUBSCRIPTION RATES EZPay 52 weeks 26 weeks 13 weeks Local home delivery Savings (cover price) $13/month 60 percent $173.67 41 percent $91.86 38 percent $47.77 36 percent *EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit or debit card/check charge Single copy price: $1.50 Tuesday through Saturday Circulation Dept. 800-781-3214 Nearman, R-Independence, said Wednes- day that he will keep his legislative job while working for the Freedom Foundation. The Olympia-based organization fre- quently fights with unions. It has run a variety of outreach campaigns showing workers how they can quit unions and stop paying union dues. Under the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 Janus decision, public employees in Oregon and many other states are no longer required to pay dues if they decline union membership. Nearman has been one of the most conser- vative Oregon legislators. He previously was a board member for Oregonians for Immigra- tion Reform, a group seeking tighter immigra- tion laws. He said he doesn’t think his new job con- flicts with his legislative work. “The same question could be directed to some of the members of the Legislature who are actively involved with unions,” Nearman said. — EO Media Group ADVERTISING Regional Publisher and Revenue Director: • Christopher Rush 541-278-2669 • crush@eomediagroup.com Advertising Services: • Angela Treadwell 541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com • Grace Bubar 541-276-2214 • gbubar@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com • Audra Workman 541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com Business Office Coordinator • Dayle Stinson 541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: call 541-966-0818 or email news@eastoregonian.com • To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News: email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at 541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers at 541-966-0818. • To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries: email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit eastoregonian. com/community/announcements • To submit sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com Business Office Manager: 541-966-0824 COMMERCIAL PRINTING Production Manager: Mike Jensen 541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com
