COMMUNITY
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2020
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
SHERIFF
Continued from Page 1A
Lisa Britton/For the Baker City Herald
Food ready to be delivered on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
FOOD
Christian School built wood-
en boxes to contain the food
Continued from Page 1A
items. Tachenko purchased
The price for turkeys came colorful reusable grocery bags
in at $1,010.
to fi ll, as well.
Not long after she heard
Boy Scouts from Keat-
that news, Tachenko re-
ing helped to sort and bag
ceived a call from the First
potatoes.
Presbyterian Church, which
On Wednesday morning,
always takes a collection
Nov. 25, volunteers delivered
to donate to the cost of the
the food to more than 80
turkeys.
families.
This year’s donation of
And on this week of Thanks-
$1,000 far exceeded past
giving, Tachenko was full of
amounts — and was almost thanks to those who helped
exactly what Tachenko need- make this project possible.
ed to buy the 75 turkeys.
“A big thank you to the
“It was a miracle,” she
community for their support.
said.
It was huge,” she said. “Every
As for the packaging, stu- year it inspires me. This year
dents at the Baker Adventist it blew me out of the water.”
And his wife, Katie, and their young
daughter, Josie, who will graduate
from college this year, were traveling
with him the fi rst time around.
Ash said Friday that he didn’t put
the two incidents together when he got
the call about 3:30 a.m. this Thanks-
giving. But his wife shared the story
with dispatchers and the report of the
fi rst rescue was posted on Facebook
along with a new one.
This year, Ash was roused to respond
to the Hells Canyon area on a report
that 18-year-old Carson Jurries might
have been stranded on the snow-
covered Hells Canyon Road while
traveling from Boise to the Lewiston,
Idaho, area.
Ash said in an email to the Herald
that Jurries’ family believed that he
might have been rerouted by his cell-
phone or map to Forest Service Road
39, which travels through the moun-
tains between Halfway and Joseph.
Jurries was thought to have changed
course because there had been a
closure reported through the McCall,
Idaho, area where he had originally
planned to travel.
Forest Road 39, also part of the Hells
Canyon Scenic Byway, leads travelers
from Highway 86 about 10 miles east
of Halfway over the east side of the
Wallowa Mountains to Joseph.
The road, which is usually not main-
tained for vehicles during the summer,
often is closed by snow from November
through late May or early June.
But this fall, despite heavy snow ear-
lier in November, has been different.
“The 39 road was recently plowed
after people had been stuck in the
McGraw Overlook area during the
last big snowstorm,” Ash stated in his
email. “This allowed (Jurries) to travel
much farther than the snow conditions
would usually allow.”
Jurries was driving a newer model
Volkswagen Jetta front-wheel drive
sedan, Ash said.
Baker County Sheriff’s Offi ce/Contributed Photo
Baker County Sheriff Travis Ash helped rescue an 18-year-old man
whose car got stuck in snow.
The sheriff, driving his four-wheel
drive patrol truck, said he found Jur-
ries’ car stuck in 12 to 15 inches of
snow on the 39 Road north of the Im-
naha River about 9:10 a.m. Thursday.
The area is in Wallowa County.
Ash said it took some time to get
around the stuck car, but once he
did he followed Jurries’ foot tracks
through the snow and used the siren
in his truck, and whistled, in an at-
tempt to attract the man’s attention.
Ash said Jurries heard the alerts
and the two were able to communi-
cate with each other until they even-
tually met up on the road. Ash said
Jurries was walking along Gumboot
Creek on the 39 Road on the Joseph
side of the Imnaha River. He was cold,
but otherwise in good condition.
Ash said Jurries was not dressed
for the 10-degree weather, which the
sheriff said had risen to 17 degrees by
the time he arrived in the mountains.
Jurries estimated he had walked
about 5 miles that morning. He had
spent the previous night in his car,
but did not run the engine to conserve
fuel, Ash said. Jurries had left a note
on the windshield and started walking
toward Joseph at about 5 a.m.
As Ash was transporting him out of
the mountains the two were met by
a friend of Jurries’ who had traveled
from Lewiston to help look for him.
The three were able to get Jurries’
car unstuck and the two men followed
Ash back to Highway 86 to continue to
Lewiston for Thanksgiving.
“I checked with them last night and
they all made it home safe and sound,”
Ash said on Friday.
Ash said he went on the call alone
because he wasn’t sure if Jurries was
in the area, and he didn’t want to
disturb Search and Rescue volunteers
on a holiday if he wasn’t.
Wallowa County Search and Rescue
was on standby and Jurries was well
into their county, but it was easier for
Ash to get there, he said.
“They donate a lot of time to our
community and their family time is
important too,” he said. “I have no
doubt if I would have asked, they
would have responded.”
In the rescue that took place 20
years earlier, Ash and his wife and
daughter were traveling in the middle
of the night to spend Thanksgiving
with family at Oxbow, the Sheriff’s
Department Facebook post stated.
That year, Ash spent Thanksgiv-
ing Day rescuing three travelers from
Germany who became stranded in the
same area where Jurries was stuck on
Thursday.
That rescue from 20 years ago ended
with the German travelers joining Ash
and his family for a late holiday dinner.
Baker Middle School announces honor roll students for fall
Baker Middle School has announced
its honor roll for the fall.
The asterisk denotes a perfect 4.0
GPA.
Eighth grade
Jose Armenta*, Benjamin Ashton,
Colton Birmingham, Daniel Brown,
COVID-19
Continued from Page 1A
Palmer Chandler, Kadyn Child,
Rebecca Craigmile*, Ashlyn Dalton*,
Tessa Feeley, Kevin Gutierrez-Dealy, So-
fia Hanson*, Olivia Jacoby*, Annastasia
Johnson, Hannah Lay, Jaxon Logsdon*,
Jessica Mercado, Zane Morgan, Emylia
Myer*, Brooklyn Rayl*, Anastacio Ro-
driguez, Alexis Rupel*, Eowyn Smith*,
have suffered severe health
effects after being infected with
the virus, effects that required
hospital treatment.
She said she hopes residents,
when they make decisions
about attending events and
participating in activities that
could potentially be sources for
the virus to spread, will under-
stand how severe the disease
can be for some people, even
if the fatality rate is relatively
low.
As of Friday, Baker County
had reported 272 cases of CO-
VID-19, and three deaths.
Staten said those two statis-
tics alone don’t reflect the expe-
rience some people have had,
including those who, though
they didn’t require hospital
treatment, still felt quite ill.
She also pointed out that the
potential long-term effects of
the virus aren’t known.
The two numerical measure-
ments that state officials will
assess in determining the risk
level for lower-population coun-
ties, including Baker:
For counties with fewer than
30,000 residents — Baker
County has a population of
about 16,800 — two measure-
ments help determine their
risk level: the number of new
COVID-19 cases over the past
14 days, and the percentage of
tests that are positive over the
same period.
County Commissioner Mark
Bennett said state health of-
ficials will also consider a third
issue: hospital capacity.
That could be a “significant
challenge” for Baker County,
Bennett said, because CO-
VID-19 patients from Baker
County who need treatment
are being sent to hospitals
in Boise, where the number
of patients has been rising
recently due in part to an influx
of COVID-19 cases.
Nancy Staten, director of the
Baker County Health Depart-
ment, agreed with Bennett
that hospital capacity in Boise
could directly affect which risk
New cases
category Baker County is in,
• Fewer than 30: lower risk
at least during the initial two-
• 30 to 44: moderate risk
week period starting Dec. 3.
• 45 to 59: high risk
Staten said a number of Bak-
• 60 or more: extreme risk.
er County residents — a recent
Baker County reported 77
press release from the Health
new cases during the 14-day
Department said about 10 —
MANAGER
Continued from Page 1A
Joseph said on Friday, Nov. 27, that he
was “impressed with Mr. Cannon’s work
history. It showed that he is willing to stay
busy and build trust with employers while
working his way up. He has rewarded ev-
eryone that took a chance on him with an
impeccable work ethic and great results.”
Cannon, who earned a bachelor’s degree
in landscape architecture from West
Virginia University with a minor in urban
planning, has served as city manager of
Saluda, North Carolina, a city of about
700, since August 2015. His duties also
include working as the city’s zoning ad-
ministrator, public works director, deputy
Ashlyn Child*, Jasmine Cole, Dylan
Conklin, Andie-Jo Craigmile, Sage
Cuzick, Landon Dougherty, Harris
Gaslin*, Talon Gyllenberg*, Gage Hat-
field, Henry Hester, Riley Hurliman,
Seventh grade
Alex Jaca, Dean Jobes, Taylor Johnson,
Claire Bachman, Sage Baker, Athena Elijah Jones, Jack Joseph*, Daniel
Bork, Kegan Bott*, Nolan Briels*,
Maldonado*, Jake McClaughry*,
Sadie Stampflee, Tiyana Stevens, Luke
Tracy, Antonio Washington*, Peyton
Waters, Jayden Whitford, Lillyanna
Wilson, Alexander Wise, Paige Wolfe
period ending Nov. 23. That’s
why the county is among 21 on
the extreme risk list as of now.
be in that category even if
there are fewer than 60 new
cases from Nov. 15 to Nov. 28,
because the test positivity
Test positivity rate
rate, which is well above 10%,
• Less than 5%: lower risk
would also put the county in
• 5% to 7.9%: moderate risk the extreme risk category.
• 8% to 9.9%: high risk
Merah said the OHA will
• 10% or higher: extreme
continue to reassess county
risk
statistics for each subsequent
Baker County’s test positive two-week period. Baker
rate over the past two weeks is County could potentially move
17.7%, according to the Oregon from the extreme risk category
Health Authority (OHA).
to a lower risk category, with
Based on current statistics, commensurately less restric-
then, Baker County would be tive guidelines, on Dec. 18.
in the extreme risk category,
Below are examples of the
with the most severe restric-
differences in limits depending
tions on businesses and activi- on the county’s risk level.
ties, from Dec. 3 to Dec. 17.
However, the OHA will take Restaurants and bars
• Extreme risk: Takeout
a fresh look at county data on
Monday, Nov. 30, to determine highly recommended, with
outdoor dining limited to 50
each county’s risk level start-
people, a maximum of six
ing Dec. 3.
That assessment will look at people, from no more than two
county statistics for the period households, per table.
• High risk: Indoor dining
Nov. 15 to Nov. 28, said Liz
Merah, press secretary for the allowed, up to 25% capacity
or 50 people total, including
governor.
From Nov. 15-26, the county staff and customers, whichever
results in fewer people.
reported 54 new cases. That
• Moderate risk: Indoor
means if the county has six
dining allowed, up to 50% of
or more cases combined on
Friday, Nov. 27, and Saturday, capacity or 100 people total,
whichever results in fewer
Nov. 28, it would be in the
people.
extreme risk category from
• Low risk: Indoor dining al-
Dec. 3-17.
lowed, up to 50% capacity, and
But the county could still
fi nance offi cer and human resources
director.
From May 2014 to August 2015 he was
the Saluda zoning administrator and prior
to that he was the owner of Cannon Works
LLC, a gutter construction company,
beginning in August 2011.
Although the current City Council will
decide whether to ratify a contract with
Cannon, fi ve of those councilors have
terms that end Dec. 31, before Cannon
would start work as city manager.
Five people who were elected Nov. 3
will be sworn in at the Council’s fi rst 2021
meeting — Shane Alderson, Kerry Mc-
Quisten, Joanna Dixon, Johnny Waggoner
Sr. and Heather Sells.
Four of those fi ve councilors-elect who
talked with the Herald earlier this month
(Sells could not be reached for a comment)
said that after meeting the three fi nalists
who visited Baker City in early November,
they preferred Cannon.
The next Council, with fi ve of seven
members being new, will work directly
with Cannon.
Under the council-manager form of
government the city uses, the manager
oversees the daily operations of the city
and is responsible for hiring and fi ring city
employees.
The City Council, meanwhile, passes or-
dinances and sets policies for the manager
to carry out. The City Council also has
the sole authority to hire and fi re the city
manager.
Kathryn Murphy, Elissa Nilsen, Wil-
liam O’Connell, Gwendolyn Rasmus-
sen, Kara Regan*, Andrew Richards,
Reagan Ritter*, Leona Rose, Erelah
Rosin, Chase Roy, Reese Roys, Madelyn
Rudi, Gracie Spike*, Clayton Stevens,
Wayland Thomas, Ella Wilde*, Roman
Zickgraf
This restriction could force
the cancellation of Baker City’s
annual Christmas Twilight
Parade, tentatively scheduled
Grocery stores and other
for Saturday, Dec. 5, on Main
retail stores
Street.
• Extreme risk: Maximum
Shelly Cutler, executive
of 50% capacity.
director of the Baker County
• High risk: Maximum of
Chamber of Commerce, which
50% capacity.
puts on the parade, said that
• Moderate risk: Maximum based on the current limits,
of 75% capacity.
“the city will not be able to
• Low risk: Maximum of
grant our parade request.”
75% capacity.
Cutler said she has asked
Jill McGinnis, communica- city offi cials to consider allow-
tions manager for the com-
ing a drive-by parade format
pany that owns Safeway and so residents could see entries,
Albertsons stores, said the 50% but she said that might not be
capacity limit in the Baker
possible either.
City stores “will not impact
At-home gatherings
our operation as we typically
run below these percentages in (indoor)
• Extreme risk: Maximum
those stores.”
of six people, recommended
Outdoor entertainment
limit of two households
activities
• High risk: Maximum of six
• Extreme risk: Maximum people, recommended limit of
of 50 people.
two households
• High risk: Maximum of 75
• Moderate risk: Maximum
people.
of eight people, recommended
• Moderate risk: Maximum limit of two households
of 150 people.
• Low risk: Maximum of 10
• Low risk: Maximum of
people, recommended limit of
300 people.
four households
closure required at midnight
(instead of 11 p.m. with the
three other risk levels).
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