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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 2019)
MONDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2019 BAKER CITY HERALD — 9C YEAR IN REVIEW AUGUST ■ High Temperature: 101, the 6th • Low Temperature: 37, the 26th Inland Cafe Nearly Ready To Reopen After January Fire Getting So Close • Total Precipitation: .21 (avg.: .63) Father pleads guilty in 2018 death of toddler AUGUST 12 — A Baker City man whose two-year-old son fatally shot himself with a handgun in the family’s home in November 2018 has pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide. Peter Lee Mankins, 33, of 1905 Birch St., was sentenced to 34 months in prison on Friday. Mankins pleaded guilty in Baker County Circuit Court to the criminally negligent homi- cide charge, a Class B felony. Mankins was charged with criminally negligent homicide after 2-year-old Liam Mankins got control of a loaded .380-cali- ber semi-automatic pistol at his home on Nov. 4, 2018, and shot himself in the head. Peter Mankins was asleep in his bedroom when the boy got access to the gun, Shirtcliff said. Liam was playing with the gun on the fl oor when it discharged. Mankins was charged with possession of methamphetamine, a Class A misdemeanor, after investigators found meth in the home, Shirtcliff said. And Mankins was charged with recklessly endangering another person, also a Class A misdemeanor, be- cause the drug was readily accessible to the 2-year-old boy. Mankins tested positive for methamphetamine at the time of the offenses, based on toxicology reports, Shirtcliff said. S. John Collins/Baker City Herald Inland Cafe owner Kristi Hensley is excited about the pending reopening of her 10th Street restaurant, which was severely damaged in an accidental fi re in January. By Samantha O’Conner soconner@bakercityherald.com AUGUST 28 — Customers sipped hot coffee at the Inland Cafe Tuesday morning for the fi rst time in more than seven months. But for pancakes and bacon they’ll have to wait a bit longer. Inland owner Kristi Hensley welcomed patrons to an open house to give them a look at the remodeled version of the restaurant that’s been operat- ing at 2715 10th St. since about 1942. She doesn’t yet know, however, when she’ll be able to start serving a full menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner. “I know everybody’s so anxious for us to get open, we thought it would be fun just to open for a couple hours,” Hens- ley said Tuesday. An accidental fi re that origi- nated in a swamp cooler on the restaurant’s roof the night of Jan. 13 caused major damage. Body of missing man found AUGUST 7 — A relative on Monday evening found the body of a Baker City man missing in the Elkhorn Mountains since July 26. Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash confi rmed that the relative found the body of Derrick Aus- tin Coates, 32, in the Marble Creek area about 9 Coates miles west of Baker City. That’s where a huckleberry picker found Coates’ Jeep Cherokee early on the morning of July 27. No other information was available this morning from the Sheriff’s Offi ce. Skeeter scourge leads to fogging By Jayson Jacoby jjacoby@bakercityherald.com S. John Collins/Baker City Herald John Chandler sips coffee Tuesday morning inside the refurbished Inland Cafe. Chandler said he has missed dining at the 10th Street restaurant since it was damaged in a fi re on Jan. 13. AUGUST 16 — An infesta- tion of mosquitoes prompted the Baker Valley Vector Con- trol District to bring in what amounts to its heavy artillery Thursday night in the north- western part of Baker City. The District’s fogging truck rolled through the area where traps had recently nabbed an increasing number of the bloodsucking insects, said Matt Hutchinson, the District’s manager. “We had a few higher trap counts in the West Campbell Loop and 17th Street areas,” Hutchinson said this morning. Abby’s ready for the ring Council OKs bid for sewer station the county fairs since she was For the Baker City Herald in fourth grade. AUGUST 9 — Abby Graven Her grandma, Tammy sits quietly, awaiting her turn Graven, tried to talk her to show her steer, Rambo, at granddaughter into switching the Baker County Fair. to showing small animals this As her name is announced, year. Graven enters the ring hold- But Abby insisted — she ing the halter as her dad, wanted to show Rambo. Chuck, pushes her wheelchair. “I’ve raised him since he Abby, 17, suffered severe was a baby,” she said Wednes- injuries Oct. 12, 2018, when day, right before she took him she swerved to miss a deer in for the market class. while driving to work at the Knowing Abby was deter- Shorthorn restaurant in Rich- mined, Tammy turned to the land, near her home. Internet. She is paralyzed from the “I got on Google,” she said. armpits down. And she found people who Abby has participated in use wheelchairs showing soconner@bakercityherald.com By Lisa Britton steers. Abby brought Rambo to the Fair in Baker City. She also brought a mother cow, Emma, and twins Clarice and Rocky, to show in the breeding category. For market, her brother Ty handled Rambo in the ring. Abby maneuvered her wheel- chair in the sandy arena using ratchet-type rods attached to the tires. In showmanship on Thurs- day, Chuck helped a bit but it was Abby who led Rambo in front of the judge, lined up his feet just so, and answered questions about her project. Crews stop fires in city watershed By Jayson Jacoby jjacoby@bakercityherald.com AUGUST 9 — Firefi ghters had an assist from the weather Thursday as they battled four lightning-sparked blazes in Baker City’s watershed. The coolest temperatures in more than two weeks, along with higher humidities and oc- casional rain, helped crews stifl e fi res in the section of the Elkhorn Mountains, about 10 miles west of town, where the city obtains its drinking water. A potent lightning storm Wednesday night ignited the fi res. The largest, in the headwa- ters of Elk Creek near the southern boundary of the 10,000-acre watershed, burned about 5 acres. The three other fi res were all about one- tenth of an acre. Two started near Marble Point, at the watershed’s western edge, and the third was near the eastern boundary of the watershed above Washington Gulch. Firefi ghters were assisted Thursday by helicopters that dropped water on the Elk Creek fi re, said Michelle Owen, the city’s public works director. the lift station, which is on H Street near Ninth Drive. AUGUST 14 — The Most of the city’s waste- Baker City Council on water system is gravity- Tuesday awarded the bid fed, but there is a single lift for constructing a waste- station where pumps push water lift station on H St. wastewater to the city’s The bid, for $231,780, treatment lagoons about a was submitted by M2 mile north of town. Construction LLC. The existing station, There were no other which is several decades bidders. old, has had problems In a report to councilors, with failing pumps and Michelle Owen, the city’s has required “continual public works director, maintenance,” according to wrote that the city’s 2017 Owen’s report. Wastewater Facilities Plan, The city’s budget for the previously adopted by the fi scal year that started Council, calls for replacing July 1 includes money for By Samantha O’Conner the lift station replace- ment. The Council approved the bid award by a 5-0 vote. Councilors Arvid An- dersen and Doni Bruland were absent. In other business Tues- day, the Council approved a resolution removing one ADA parking space, on Court Avenue just west of Main Street, as requested by Ryan Chaves of Glacier 45 Distillery. Another ADA parking space was recently added on that same block. St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (541) 523-4812 2177 First St,.Baker City Established in 1873 by Dr. Reuben Denton Nevius. The purpose of St. Stephens is to be a welcoming congregation of faith that cares for and promotes the spiritual growth of its members and the greater Baker City community. Worship Service Sundays at 9 a.m. Holy Eucharist, Sunday School 1st & 3rd Sundays Morning Prayer 2nd, 4th & 5th Sundays Vicar, The Rev. Aletha Bonebrake 541-519-3255 Holy Eucharist is celebrated on the first and third Sunday of the month. Morning Prayer is held on the second, fourth and any fifth Sunday of the month. 146 Years Serving the Community 2825 10th Street • 541-523-4464 Farmers Insurance prides itself in Fast, Fair and Friendly ® claims service. Your needs are unique, and so are your requirements for insurance coverage, products and services. At Tom VanDiepen Farmers agency, we take pride in making sure we know your situation before we make coverage recommendations. Farmers has been providing this kind of personal attention for over 75 years. Tom VanDiepen, agency owner has been an agent since 1993. The office staff also consists of Tammy Mercado and Jennifer Button. Both are licensed agents to give you fast, knowledgeable service.
