LOCAL & STATE
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 28, 2019
VIRUS
“Although the risk of contracting West
Nile virus is low, people can take simple
Continued from Page 1A
precautions to keep these insects at bay
The fi rst positive test was from a
if they’re headed outdoors.”
“pool” of mosquitoes trapped July 9 in
DeBess offers these tips:
• 2018 — no positive tests
Keating Valley.
• Eliminate sources of standing water
• 2017 — 9 mosquito pools
A pool consists of about 50 mosquitoes.
that are a breeding ground for mosqui-
• 2016 — 9 mosquito pools
No mosquitoes trapped in Baker
toes. This includes watering troughs,
Valley, or elsewhere in the 200,000-acre
bird baths, clogged gutters and old tires.
• 2015 — 4 mosquito pools
Vector Control District, which includes
• If you’re outdoors, especially around
• 2014 — 8 mosquito pools
most of Baker, Bowen and Keating val-
dusk and dawn when mosquitoes are
4 human cases, 1 horse
leys, have tested positive for the virus
most active, protect yourself by using
• 2013 — 13 mosquito pools
this summer.
mosquito repellents containing DEET,
• 2012 — no positive tests
District manager Matt Hutchinson
oil of lemon eucalyptus or Picardin, and
• 2011 — no positive tests
said employees have been spraying for
follow the directions on the container.
mosquitoes in the Keating area, and
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long
• 2010 — no positive tests
will continue to do so until mosquito
pants
in mosquito-infested areas.
• 2009 — 12 mosquito pools
numbers drop.
• Make sure screen doors and win-
There have been three confi rmed hu-
dows are in good repair and fi t tightly.
man cases of West Nile virus in Oregon
About one in fi ve infected people may
this year — two in Malheur County and
Anticipating that many people will be show signs of West Nile virus. People at
one in Harney County, according to the outside during the Labor Day weekend, risk of serious illness include individuals
Oregon Health Authority.
state health offi cials advise residents to 50 and older, and people with immune-
The virus has been found this sum-
take precautions to reduce their chances compromising conditions, such as diabe-
mer in mosquitoes in three counties in
of being bitten by mosquitoes.
tes and high blood pressure.
addition to Baker — Morrow (47 pools
“It’s very easy for people to prevent
West Nile symptoms may include
have tested positive), Umatilla (7 pools) bites from mosquitoes that may carry
fever above 100 degrees and severe
and Malheur (4 pools).
West Nile virus,” said Dr. Emilio DeBess, headache, stiff neck, mental confusion,
One horse in Union County has been veterinarian at the Oregon Health
muscle weakness, shaking, paralysis or
infected as well.
Authority’s Public Health Division.
rash.
West Nile virus
in Baker County
HUNTER
3 p.m. and began looking for
the search and rescue member
Continued from Page 3A
to let him know he was safe,
Three Search and Rescue
Galiszewski said.
volunteers were deployed to
Owens was in good condi-
the Desolation Unit where
tion.
Owens was last known to be
“He was fi ne, he had just
hunting to begin looking for
been hunting,” he said.
him about 10:30 a.m. Monday,
The pickup truck was found
Galiszewski said. A deputy
based on three “good tips”
also joined them along with
searchers received — two in
Grant County searchers.
response to social media posts
One of the volunteer search- and one from a person the
ers found Owens’ white 2018
Sumpter area.
Toyota Tacoma pickup truck
Owens had been hunting
Monday afternoon and trav-
in the Desolation Unit about
eled to a site where he could
6 miles west of Olive Lake,
call out on his cellphone. The
which sits about 15 miles west
searcher left a fl ier on Owens’ of Granite, Galiszewski said.
pickup while he left to make
With the knowledge that
the call.
Owens was safe and not ever
While the searcher was
lost in the fi rst place, Galisze-
away making the call, Owens wski took the opportunity to
returned to his pickup about
remind people who enjoy the
outdoors, whether they be
hunting, hiking or camping, to
have a check-in plan for letting
others know where they are
and when they’ll return.
Galiszewski says specifi c
details such as “if you don’t
hear from me in so many days
... this is when you should
start to worry,” will help avoid
concerns.
“Tell people where you’re
camping,” he said. “They don’t
need to know your secret game
spot, but let them know the
coordinates of where you’re
parked.”
Hunting apps that can be
downloaded and used offl ine
can be useful to pinpoint your
location, not only for others,
but also for yourself, Galisze-
wski said. Topographical paper
maps also are available from
the U.S. Forest Service and the
Bureau of Land Management.
“Make sure whoever’s keep-
ing the home fi res burning
knows what you’re doing,” he
said.
Galiszewski said he under-
stands that plans can change.
But in that case, a simple
text message with the new
information can help soothe
concerns. Even if there is no
cellphone service at a particu-
lar spot, a simple text will go
through once you move into
an area that has service, he
said.
“We’re just trying to pro-
mote safety,” Galiszewski said.
“We want everybody to be safe
out there.
“When we know where to
start to look for you, it makes it
a whole lot easier.”
BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A
COUNCIL
changes to put on the May
2020 ballot.
Continued from Page 1A
The city will lease
a new 2020 Chevrolet
Tahoe, equipped to accom-
modate a drug dog, for
$62,910 over three years
from Emergency Respond-
er Services Inc. of Nampa,
Idaho. The city would then
buy the vehicle for $1.
City charter changes
The Council also dis-
cussed a plan to ask city
voters to change the city
charter with a measure
tentatively planned for
the May 2020 election.
Among the proposed
changes councilors dis-
cussed involve the char-
ter’s clauses about the city
selling excess real estate
or personal property such
as vehicles.
The charter requires
the city to get voter ap-
proval to sell real estate
worth more than $5,000,
and personal property
worth more than $10,000.
City Manager Fred
Warner Jr. said the
$10,000 limit, which dates
back several decades,
doesn’t refl ect current
values for equipment such
as backhoes.
“But it really, it’s kind of
an arduous thing to have
to get it on an election, so
the topic here was to look
at taking something to
the voters to change the
charter,” Warner said.
Other possible changes
include removing the
clause that pays council-
ors $10 per meeting, to
a maximum of $150 per
year.
The Council will sched-
uled work sessions later
to decide which proposed
New well
Councilors approved a
task order for $252,022
over the next two fi scal
years for fi nal design and
construction of a new
drinking water well to be
drilled at Quail Ridge Golf
Course.
The city’s 2016 Water
Facilities Master Plan
recommends drilling the
well, which will increase
the water supply and help
the city deal with poten-
tial temporary reductions
in water from its water-
shed.
In other business Tues-
day the Council:
• Heard an update
from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation on
potential future projects
on 10th Street and at the
Hughes Lane/Pocahontas
Road intersection.
• Approved a coop-
erative agreement with
ODOT, which plans to
build new sidewalks and
wheelchair-accessible
ramps under Interstate
84 at the Campbell Street
interchange next summer.
The city will be respon-
sible for maintenance.
• Approved Fire Chief
John Clark’s request to
sell two surplus vehicles, a
2002 Ford Crown Victoria
four-door sedan, and a
1997 Ford F-350 ambu-
lance.
• Discussed complaints
about noise from recent
concerts. Councilors do not
plan to make changes to
the city’s noise ordinance.
• Approved a grants of
$500 to assist with install-
ing a new awning at 2024
Main St.
FIRE
Continued from Page 2A
The blaze, which has burned in a spotty fashion over about
4,800 acres since it was started by lightning July 14, hasn’t
grown much over the past six days.
“The incoming hot, dry and windy weather will result in
some harder runs towards the ridge top and potentially a
visible smoke column on the east side,” said Adam Wing, who
is serving as incident commander for the fi re. “We expect to
see single and group tree torching in the coming days, but the
fuels along the east fl ank become more sparse the further the
fi re progresses up the Minam valley.”
Near the Minam River the fi re has been smoldering in the
scattered fuel along an avalanche chute.
Offi cials say the fi re could spread into pockets of more
dense timber in that area this week, but its progress likely
would slow if it reaches the scar from a 2010 blaze.
That fi re 9 years ago had the same effect that Forest
Service fi re managers say the Granite Gulch fi re has had —
consuming some of the logs, limbs and other debris that have
accumulated over the past several decades.
“If all goes as expected, the increased winds should help the
fi re continue to meet the resource benefi t objectives,” Wing
said.
Allowing lightning fi res to reduce fuel loadings is the basis
for a policy that’s been in place since the early 1990s enabling
the Forest Service to apply a different strategy with blazes in
the Eagle Cap Wilderness than the traditional effort to douse
every fi re as soon as possible.
Over the past 20 years the agency has allowed more than
a dozen lightning fi res to burn, more or less naturally, in the
Eagle Cap, which is Or-
egon’s largest wilderness at
365,000 acres.
Combined those fi res have
covered several thousand
acres.
$
The Granite Gulch fi re is
the largest, although Forest
Service offi cials say that
within its roughly 4,800-
acre perimeter some areas
haven’t been burned.
in
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Crim of Baker City.
By Jayson Jacob
y
jjacoby@bakercit
yherald.com
1-844-533-9173
BEST
LEW BROS.
210 Bridge Street
541-523-3679
AFTER HOURS:
541-518-7100
Skeeter
scourge
leads to
fogging
An infestation of
mosquitoes promp
ted
the Baker Valley
Vector
Control District
to bring in
what amounts to
its
artillery Thursday heavy
night in
the northwestern
part of
Baker City.
The District’s foggin
g
Continued from Page 3A
WE GLADLY MAKE
APPOINTMENTS
Fog-shrouded
Lakes Lookout
near Anthony
Lakes
■ Vector Control
sprayed parts of
west Baker City
Thursday night
across Hells Can-
yon Dam will be
limited
Aug. 19-22 while
crews do
maintenance on
the dam.
This will limit access
the Forest Service to
’s visitor
center and boat
launch
below the dam.
Idaho Power Co.
crews
will be installing
large
beams, called stop
logs,
which control water
fl ow
through the dam
during
maintenance. A
large
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Palmer declined to
comment about the ethics
complaint.
Palmer wrote on Face-
book he intends to fi ght the
allegations. “I will be staying
on until the end of my term,”
he wrote, “and as long as this
behavior continues, I will
continue to seek reelection. I
will be asking the voters for
an unprecedented 6th term
as your Sheriff.”
Grant County Judge Scott
Myers said Palmer’s resigna-
tion was never formalized.
“Until I had it in writing
and the ink was dry, I never
even considered it a feasible
statement,” Myers said.
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