THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A
LOCAL & STATE
SCHOOLS
“I think we need to get kids in
the building and get kids back
to normal — as normal as we
can get.”
Continued from Page 1A
Alan McCauley was among the
BMS staff who enforced social dis-
tancing among the small groups of
students who gathered Wednesday
morning.
McCauley is BMS dean of
students and athletic director. He’s
also taken on the role of work-
ing with middle school students
enrolled at Eagle Cap Innovative
Middle School and High School this
year.
McCauley sees the move to
increased in-person classes for
students as nothing but positive.
“I love it,” he said Wednesday
morning. “I think we need to get
kids in the building and get kids
back to normal — as normal as we
can get.”
McCauley agrees with his stu-
dents about the value of in-person
instruction that brings them
together not only with their friends,
but also with their teachers.
“The biggest benefi t is the social
piece,” he said. “Kids have been
isolated for nine, 10 months. For
these kids to come back to see their
classmates and their teachers, it
will be a whole different learning
environment.”
McCauley believes that student-
staff contact is important to help
measure the students’ social and
emotional well-being as well as
their academic progress.
“When they are in the classroom
you get to visit with kids face to
face and get an understanding of
where they’re at, and whether it’s a
dark place or a good place,” he said.
COVID-19
Continued from Page 1A
For the fi rst week of the two-week
measuring period — Jan. 10-16 —
Baker County had 52 new cases,
said Nancy Staten, director of the
Baker County Health Department.
Nine of those 52 cases are in-
mates at the Powder River Correc-
tional Facility, and those cases won’t
count toward the county’s total if
they would push the county into a
higher risk level.
Deducting the Powder River cases
brings the county’s one-week total
to 43. That means that if the county
— Alan McCauley, dean of
students, Baker Middle School
has done well with the hybrid sys-
tem with just one day of in-person
instruction, studying from home is
not as enjoyable.
“For a lot of kids, home is home
and school is school,” he said.
And that opinion is shared by his
daughter, Flanagan says.
“She likes the (school) environ-
Chris Collins/Baker City Herald ment better,” he said. “She likes the
Alan McCauley is dean of stu-
social piece.”
dents at Baker Middle School.
And that includes all aspects of
what makes school appealing to
“That’s hard to do with distance
students such as walking the halls,
learning.”
having lunch with friends and
Skye Flanagan, BMS principal, interacting with their teachers.
is busy attending meetings, fi elding
The new semester will be a fresh
phone calls and working with staff start in many ways, Flanagan said.
to prepare for Monday’s big shift
“Grades will be reset, they’ll have
to having twice as many students new electives — there’s a different
— still only 50% of usual — in the buzz around that kind of stuff,” he
school.
said.
“It will mean more in-person
Flanagan plans to schedule as-
time and connection ... and we’re
semblies on Monday and Tuesday
super excited,” Flanagan said
next week to remind students of
Wednesday.
the health protocols.
With the move to two days a
“We’ll reiterate expectations,
week of in-person instruction, more goals and how to maintain the
than half of the 45 families that
guidelines and stay safe,” he said.
had previously chosen total online “We’ll remind them they are here
classes might be returning to in-
because we’re doing the right thing
person instruction, Flanagan said. and not spreading the virus in the
Many of the students in those
schools.”
families have done well with all
That really is a buy-in factor for
online instruction, he noted.
students, who realize their actions
But for others, including Flana- have an impact on whether they
gan’s own daughter, Makenzie, who will be allowed to continue to come
has 17 or more new cases, not
including any Powder River cases,
from Jan. 17-23, it would exceed
the threshold and remain in the
extreme category.
The county recorded three new
cases on Monday, Jan. 18, and two
on Tuesday, Jan. 19. The prison also
had two new inmates test positive
on Tuesday; it’s not clear whether
those are the two new cases for the
county.
Even if the county remains
below the 60-case threshold for
the extreme-risk category, the test
positivity rate could keep the county
at that level.
L OCAL B RIEFING
to school in person, he says.
“This is an experience unlike any
other,” Flanagan said. “We want
to get back to a normal scenario
— we’re not there yet — and they
know their actions and our actions
dictate that.”
Witty said Tuesday that Baker
County Health Department of-
fi cials are on board with the plan
even though it might increase the
number of contact tracing calls
required if a positive COVID-19
case is diagnosed.
“We are prepared to lend ad-
ditional contact tracing support to
the Health Department should it
be needed,” Witty stated.
School staff is continuing its ef-
forts to screen students daily. Those
who have been exposed to the virus
are quarantined and moved to dis-
tance learning in compliance with
state guidelines.
“Moving to more in-person time
has worked well for us,” Witty said.
“Contact tracing data show positive
cases among staff and students
have resulted from interactions
outside the school environment.”
A mobile testing station has been
established on the BHS parking lot
to offer rapid tests for staff and stu-
dents daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Witty added that the state has
designated early learning and K-12
educators as among the fi rst to
receive vaccinations.
“We have been contacted by the
Baker County Health Department
to begin working out the details for
administering vaccines to staff,”
Witty said. “We anticipate the fi rst
round of shots being delivered
sometime in February.”
As of Tuesday the county’s
positivity rate for the previous week
was 17.1%, according to the Oregon
Health Authority.
Staten said case investigations
and contact tracing done by health
department employees continue to
show that parties and other social
gatherings, as well as residents
traveling outside the county and be-
ing infected, are the largest sources
of the county’s new cases.
Staten said she understands that
people want to get together — par-
ticularly during the recent holiday
season.
“We’re a social society,” she said.
Jan. 31 deadline to apply
for Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative scholarships
The deadline to apply for one of
Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative’s
academic scholarships is Jan. 31.
Scholarships are available to high
school students, returning college
students and adults entering educa-
tional and technical programs.
Academic scholarships are for
$5,000 each. Four will be allocated to
the OTEC-EOU Rural Scholarship
Program, a partnership between
OTEC and Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity in La Grande. Incoming EOU
freshmen will have the opportunity
to have their entire four years of tu-
ition and fees paid for, if they commit
to attend and graduate from Eastern
Oregon University.
The other academic scholarships
are for graduating high school stu-
dents, returning college students or
adults looking to begin college.
Applications and specifi c criteria
for all the OTEC scholarships are
available at otec.coop/scholarships.
Virtual meeting
planned Jan. 27 to
discuss transportation
improvements
Baker City has scheduled a virtual
public meeting for Jan. 27 to discuss
possible transportation improvements
to sections of 10th Street, Hughes
Lane and Cedar Street.
The virtual meeting will run from 6
p.m. to 7 p.m. To join the meeting, use
the link on the city’s website, www.
bakercity.com/2289/NBTIP
Staten said she wants to remind
people that gathering with people
from multiple households brings a
risk of infection.
The difference in restrictions
between the high- and extreme-risk
levels applies largely to restaurants,
bars, fi tness centers and gyms,
theaters and museums.
Restaurants and bars
• Extreme risk: Indoor dining
prohibited; outdoor dining allowed
with a maximum of 50 people, six
people, from no more than two
households, per table. Required
closure at 11 p.m.
• High risk: Indoor dining al-
lowed, with a limit of 25% of capac-
ity or 50 people, including customers
and staff, whichever is fewer.
Indoor fi tness centers, theaters
and museums
• Extreme risk: Prohibited
• High risk: Maximum of 25% of
capacity or 50 total people, which-
ever is fewer
Long-term care facilities
• Extreme risk: Outside visits
only
• High risk: Visits allowed, in-
cluding indoors
O BITUARIES
and her husband, Kyle of Calimesa, Cali-
fornia, and Letta Benner and her husband,
Continued from Page 2A
Archie of Pocatello, Idaho.
Bob was preceded in death by both of his
Robert Butler
wives, Lois and Millie; his parents, brothers
Baker City, 1929-2020
and one great-grandson.
We will never be able to thank the care
Memorial contributions can be made to
team enough, his family said. Our hearts
the Wounded Warriors Project or to the
are full.
American Heart Association through Gray’s
Bob is survived by his son, Dennis Butler West & Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey
of Scio; his four daughters, Kathy Carey and Ave., Baker City, OR 97814. To leave an on-
her husband, Virgil of Helena, Montana,
line condolence for Bob’s family, go to www.
Carol Hammon of Baker City, Lori Ultsch
grayswestco.com
N EWS OF R ECORD
DEATHS
Mae Fuzi: 83, a longtime
resident of the Baker City area,
died on Jan. 18, 2021, at her home.
Services are under the direction
of Coles Tribute Center. To light a
candle in memory of Mae, go to
www.colestributecenterå.com
Mary Louise “Mary Lou”
Wirth: 85, of Medical Springs,
died on Jan. 18, 2021, at Saint
Alphonsus Regional Medical
Center in Boise. Mary Lou will be
buried alongside Bucky at the Big
Creek Cemetery near their home in
Medical Springs. To leave an online
condolence for Mary Lou’s family,
go to www.grayswestco.com
Taran Arthur Moothart: 23, of
Baker City, died on Jan. 15, 2021. A
memorial service will take place at
the Harvest Church, the date and
time to be announced soon. Me-
morial contributions can be made
to the Taran Memorial Fund in
care of Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer
Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker
City, OR 97814. To leave an online
condolence for Taran’s family, go to
www.grayswestco.com
FUNERAL PENDING
Agnes Heck: Saturday, Jan. 23
at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral,
2335 First St. The rosary will be said
at 9:30 a.m., with Mass of Christian
burial at 10 a.m. Masks and social
distancing will be required. Inter-
ment will follow at Mount Hope
Cemetery. For those who wish
to make a donation in Agnes’
memory, the family suggests either
Memory Lane (outdoor bench),
the Alzheimer’s Association or St.
Francis de Sales Cathedral through
Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home &
Cremation Services, P.O. Box 543
Halfway, OR 97834. Online con-
dolences may be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
POLICE LOG
Baker City Police
CONTEMPT OF COURT (Baker
County Justice Court Warrant):
Trevor James Heath, 24, transient,
1:58 p.m. Tuesday, in the 1200 block
of Washington Avenue; cited and
released.
UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A
MOTOR VEHICLE, two counts, and
UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY INTO A
MOTOR VEHICLE (Baker County
warrant) and FAILURE TO APPEAR
(two Union County warrants): Kyle
Andrew Waldron, 35, of Baker City,
in the 1200 block of Washington
Avenue; cited and released.
PROBATION VIOLATION (Baker
County Justice Court warrant): Kai-
tlan Miranda Galvan, 22, of Baker
City, 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, in the 2300
block of Baker Street; cited and
released.
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Two
Baker County Circuit Court war-
rants): Kenzie Sherman, 20, of
Baker City, 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, in the
3500 block of Kirkway Drive; cited
and released.
Baker Co. Sheriff’s Offi ce
FOURTH-DEGREE DOMESTIC
ASSAULT, MENACING CONSTI-
TUTING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
AND HARASSMENT: Wayne
Anthony McFadden, 51, of
Huntington, 6:09 a.m. Tuesday, at
Huntington; jailed.
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Baker
County Circuit Court warrant): Isaac
J. Kolb, 20, Huntington, 1:40 p.m.
Monday in Huntington; cited and
released.
Oregon State Police
POSSESSION OF METHAM-
PHETAMINE, POSSESSION OF
HEROIN, FELON IN POSSESSION
OF FIREARM: Makayla Paige
Lafferty, 23, Baker City, 1 p.m. on
Jan. 16 at Highway 7 and David
Eccles Road. Lafferty was cited
and released after OSP Trooper
Dakotah Keys stopped the GMC
Sierra pickup truck in which Lafferty
was a passenger. In his report,
Keys wrote that he stopped the car
for a traffi c violation and noticed
“multiple signs of impairment.”
He arrested the driver, Jason
Lee Troyer, 44, of Baker City, on
a charge of driving under the
infl uence of intoxicants. During a
search of the pickup, Keys found
less than 2 grams of meth and
less than 1 gram of heroin, as well
as a fi rearm and other unlawful
weapons. Troyer was also cited
for possession of meth and being
a felon in possession of a fi rearm
and an illegal weapon.
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2192 Court Avenue, Baker City • 541-523-5357
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Helping women & men in an
Open Tues -Thurs
unplanned pregnancy.
All services free & confidential.
10 am - 5 pm
(closed for lunch)
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(541) 524-8000 | 3325 Pocahontas Road | Baker City, Oregon 97814