Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Wallowa County chieftain. (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1943-current | View Entire Issue (April 6, 2022)
INSIDE Rea d h c ‘Fren ’ B raid PA G 6–1 3, 20 22 PA G TWO SIXTH GRADERS WIN OUTLAWS SWEEP ROCKETS DAR ESSAY CONTEST IN FIRST HOME SERIES n Liste mith s Tune t Nigh E 14 PA G E 9 page 8 L E I T M AT WW W. AP RIL E 6 e rienc Expe e p Esca m roo GO EA ST ER NO RE GO N.C LOCAL, A3 $1.50 SPORTS, A9 OM op cert st Y n o c a T makes KER CI A in B el’s Matti plays age d im cover of e band r City. tribute s the thic. Th Bake l/Con grace Go ol in Mattie work Georgia hill Scho , art This st album at Churc , newe 13, 2022 April 137th Year, No. 52 WALLOWA.COM Wednesday, April 6, 2022 Honoring one of their own Charles Ellis Imnaha He moved here from Hawaii during the pandemic IMNAHA — Charles Ellis fi rst encountered Wallowa County in the mid-1990s while returning from a business trip in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, he had attended as chairman of the Northwest Realtor Energy Task Force. More than two decades later — and after 27 years living in Eugene and 20 years in Maui — he and his wife made their home on the Imnaha River. It’s a place they bought as a vacation home, but it became their permanent home. “(When) the governor shut down Hawaii’s economy (in 2020), we thought maybe we should get out of dodge,” he said, adding they will have been here two years in June. Ellis recently shared his thoughts about Wallowa County. Favorite thing about the county? I love the people. They’re really friendly. … I like the fact there is not a lot of traffi c. It’s not crammed. I can drive to Enterprise in a little less than an hour and a half. I like the solitude. There are no crowds. What are you looking forward to this year? We just went down and bought two steelhead poles and reels from the Sports Corral (to go fi shing). What are your thoughts on the Russian invasion of Ukraine? I think that Putin bit off more than he could chew. He militarily does not have the logistics or the morale to win this battle. I think it’s criminal what he’s doing. What needs to be done about high gas prices? We need to stop the war on gas and oil. What advice do you have for people considering moving here? Buy some long underwear for the winter, some good boots and a good coat. Enjoy the snow. Enjoy the seasons. … Explore the county. It’s beautiful. Come here for the beauty of God’s creation. Come here for hunting and fi shing. And I just love my little church, Imnaha Christian Community. — Ronald Bond, Wallowa County Chieftain Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group Offi cers with the Oregon State Police carry the fl ag-draped casket of Sgt. Marcus McDowell out of Loveland Funeral Chapel, La Grande, on Monday, April 4, 2022. OSP remembers Sgt. Marcus McDowell Grande-based East Region Capt. Daniel Con- ner. “He is going to be sorely missed by every- body for a long time.” A GRANDE — Members of the Ore- McDowell spent the majority of his career in gon State Police are reeling after the Union and Wallowa counties, but got his start sudden loss of one of their own last with OSP Sept. 1, 2004, being initially assigned week. to the John Day outpost, Conner said. He was “It’s devastated our region,” retired OSP later transferred to La Grande and worked out patrol Sgt. Kyle Hove said of the of Northeastern Oregon for the rest death of Sgt. Marcus McDow- of his career. ell. “He has friends all over, not “Marcus has always been a just Union County (and) Wallowa very motivated and driven state County. He has friends in Baker, trooper,” Conner, who has been Umatilla (counties) — he has with OSP since 2005 and said he worked the whole state.” knew McDowell most of his career, McDowell, 48, was found dead said. “He’s got a very good work in his patrol vehicle in front of his ethic. He comes to work ready to Joseph home Tuesday afternoon, go, always gives 110%.” March 29, of a single gunshot McDowell spent fi ve years as a wound to the head. K-9 handler based in La Grande, McDowell An investigation determined the and followed that with fi ve years gunshot wound to be self-infl icted. in the Fish and Wildlife division. OSP stated McDowell was on duty at the time He also spent time in drug interdiction, where of his death. on patrol he would search for vehicles sus- “Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and pected of transporting illegal substances, seek- co-workers as they cope with this tragic inci- ing to disrupt drug traffi cking through patrol dent,” OSP said in a statement March 31. interdiction. Those who worked with McDowell remem- “Marcus, he loved his job,” said Hove, who bered him for his strong work ethic, for his McDowell replaced as patrol sergeant for the smiling personality, for being a friend, and for La Grande-area in March 2020. “He was a hard caring for those around him during an OSP worker. He was very productive. He was active career that spanned 17½ years. See McDowell, Page A16 “He was a wonderful human being,” said La By RONALD BOND Wallowa County Chieftain L OSP sergeant found dead with self-infl icted gunshot wound By BILL BRADSHAW Wallowa County Chieftain JOSEPH — An Oregon State Police sergeant was found dead in his patrol car Tuesday, March 29, of a single gunshot wound to the head, according to a press release from Wallowa County Sheriff Joel Fish. Fish and WCSO Deputy Paul Pagano responded to a 3:41 p.m. call of a possible medical emergency at the residence of OSP Sgt. Marcus McDowell on North College Street in Joseph. When Fish and Pagano arrived, they found McDowell unconscious in his patrol car in the driveway. After the offi cers made forced entry into McDowell’s vehicle, they found him to be dead of a gunshot wound. See Death, Page A7 Price tag on Wallowa Lake Dam soars to $21M By BILL BRADSHAW Wallowa County Chieftain ENTERPRISE — The price tag on the proposed refurbishing of the Wallowa Lake Dam has jumped to about $21 million, said Dan But- terfi eld, president of the Wallowa Lake Irrigation District, leaving the stakeholders wondering where the extra money will come from. The district, which owns the dam, hopes to break ground on the project in the fall of 2023, after the irrigation season ends that Sep- tember. The Legislature added $14 million in state lottery funds to its budget last year for the project that was originally estimated to cost about $16 million. Now the district and the other stakeholders have to fi gure where to fi nd the additional money. “We’re going to want to make sure we have the funding lined up before we start. We’re not spend- ing any money until we get the $14 (million),” Butterfi eld said Monday, April 4. “We’re going to Wallow County Chieftain, File Photo See Dam, Page A7 The price tag to refurbish the Wallowa Lake Dam has soared from the originally estimated $16 million to a new fi gure of about $21 million, according to the Wallowa Lake Irrigation District, which owns the dam.