MONDAY
BAKER BOYS HOOPS TEAM RALLIES BUT FALLS SHORT AT LA GRANDE: PG. 6A
In SPORTS, 5A
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
January 13, 2020
IN THIS EDITION:
QUICK HITS
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
A special good day to
Herald subscriber Shannon
Black of Baker City.
BRIEFING
County’s wolf
compensation
committee to meet
Baker County’s Wolf
Depredation and Com-
pensation Committee
will meet Wednesday,
Jan. 15 at 3 p.m. at the
Courthouse, 1995 Third
St., to review applications
for compensation from
ranchers.
Barbecue, potluck,
worship and music
event Saturday
The Ruda Ranch near
Baker City will host a
barbecue and potluck,
with music, worship,
encouragement and shar-
ing Saturday starting at 5
p.m. at 18070 W. Campbell
Loop. Everyone is invited
to bring a side dish or
dessert. More information
is available by calling 541-
519-6261.
Local • Home & Living • Sports Monday $1.50
Baker
edges
La Grande
Man dies in avalanche
■ Richard Delbert
Stephens, 33, was
killed while riding
his snowmobile in
upper Rock Creek
in the Elkhorns
A local man died Saturday after-
noon when his snowmobile was hit
by an avalanche high in the Elkhorn
Mountains.
Richard Delbert Stephens, 33, of the
North Powder area, was trapped in
the snow slide, Baker County Sheriff
Travis Ash said.
Ash said Stephens and three others
were riding snowmobiles in the upper
parts of the Rock Creek drainage when
the avalanche happened, trapping
Stephens.
None of the other three riders, who
were friends or relatives of Stephens,
was caught in the slide, Ash said.
Ash didn’t have a specifi c location
for the avalanche, but that the group
was riding above Eilertson Meadow.
Baker County Dispatch received a
call about the accident at 6:05 p.m.
Ash, who was attending the Baker
County Chamber of Commerce awards
banquet, said he immediately mobi-
lized a Search and Rescue team.
Ash said Stephens’ companions
brought his body down from the
mountains.
90th Annual Baker County Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet
The Best of Baker
Woman of the Year
Legacy Man
Man of the Year
Mary Ellen Anderson
Denzil Robbins
Steve Sharp
See Avalanche/Page 2A
Verizon
appeal
reset for
Jan. 21
The Baker City Council
has rescheduled its meeting
to consider an appeal from
Verizon Wireless for Tues-
day, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. at City
Hall, 1655 First.
The company appealed
the city Planning Commis-
sion’s 5-2 vote on Dec. 4 to
deny an application to build
a 70-foot cell tower near Leo
Adler Field in North Baker
City.
The original appeal was
scheduled for Jan. 7, but it
was postponed after an at-
torney representing Verizon
was unable to attend due
to an issue with an airline
fl ight.
Farmers Market
membership
meeting Feb. 5
The Baker City Farmers
Market will have its annual
membership meeting on
Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. at the
Baker County Library, 2400
Resort St. Anyone who
wants to help the market
be successful in 2020 is
welcome to join.
32 / 17
Rape
suspect
returned
to Baker
Snow showers
By Chris Collins
WEATHER
Photos by Kathy Orr/Baker City Herald
Today
35 / 24
Legacy Woman
Entrepreneurs of the Year
Snow showers
Barbara Prowell
Ryan and Kaylin Chaves
Tuesday
ccollins@bakercityherald.com
Full forecast on the back
of the B section.
The space below will be
blank on issues delivered
or sold from boxes. The
space is for a postage label
for issues that are mailed.
Organization of the Year
Baker Kiwanis Club
Business of the Year
Grocery Outlet
Stacy DeLong, second from left, presented the award
to David Cowan, far left, Debbie Poe, Shelly Cutler,
Marylynne Evans and Darlene Teskey.
Excellence in
Agriculture
Martin Arritola
More Inside....
From left: Ryan Kihn, Ron McLeod, Melissa Lefever
and Grocery Outlet store owner Cody Miller.
TODAY
Issue 115, 14 pages
Calendar ....................2A
Classified ............. 4B-6B
Comics ....................... 7B
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........4B & 6B
Dear Abby ................. 8B
Please turn to Page 2A for
a story about the awards
A Baker City man
charged with multiple
allegations of sexually as-
saulting a 12-year-old girl
is in custody in the Baker
County Jail.
Bill David Gonyer, 73,
was returned
to Baker City
on Wednes-
day and was
arraigned
Thursday in
Gonyer
Baker County
Circuit Court,
said District Attorney Greg
Baxter.
Gonyer was arrested Dec.
28 at the Boise Veterans
Administration Hospital
and was held in jail in Idaho
before being returned to
Baker County last week.
The crimes allegedly took
place in Baker County be-
tween May 1, 2019, and Dec.
20, 2019. The child victim is
known to Gonyer.
He is accused of 20
separate charges, including
rape, sexual abuse, sodomy,
unlawful sexual penetration
and using a child in display
of sexually explicit conduct.
See Suspect/Page 3A
Home ................... 1B-3B
Horoscope ........4B & 6B
Lottery Results ..........2A
News of Record ........2A
Obituaries ..................2A
Opinion ......................4A
Senior Menus ...........2A
Sports ....... 3A, 5A & 6A
Weather ..................... 8B
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