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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2021)
LOCAL & STATE 6A — BAKER CITY HERALD SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 2021 Gov. Kate Brown says public schools must reopen online class will also have the option. “The science is very, very clear: PORTLAND — Oregon Gov. Kate with proper safety measures in Brown said Friday she is issuing an place, there is a low risk of CO- executive order mandating that all VID-19 transmission in school. K-12 public schools provide uni- Oregon parents can be confi dent versal access to in-person learning about sending their children back to by the month’s end for students up a classroom learning environment,” — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown to fi fth grade and by mid-April for Brown said in a statement, after older students. offi cials in many counties to reopen there are in on-line classes and the visiting a Portland school. The state’s coronavirus case schools. Seattle teachers’ union is defying a Brown has previously said numbers have fallen signifi cantly Many teachers’ unions nation- district plan to return special educa- about 20% of Oregon public school and Oregon put teachers ahead of ally have balked at returning to tion students to schools. students were back to in-person older residents in the line for the in-person learning, putting them at Under the Oregon order, students learning. COVID-19 vaccine — a decision that odds with Democratic governors like in K-5 must have an in-person learn- Rylee Ahnen, spokesman for the angered many people age 65 and up. Brown in some states. In neighbor- ing option by March 29. Students Oregon Education Association, said As teachers get vaccinated, Brown ing Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee in grades six through 12 must have in a statement teachers support has been under tremendous pres- has implored educators to return one by April 19. returning to the classroom if it can sure from parents and local elected to the classroom, but most students Students who prefer to remain in be done safely. “We urge all our local By Gillian Flaccus Associated Press ARRESTS Continued from Page 1A Caoile is accused of six crimes: fi rst-degree criminal mischief, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and second- degree arson, all Class C felonies; tampering with physical evidence and un- lawful possession of a canna- binoid extract, both Class A misdemeanors; and second- degree criminal trespassing, a Class C misdemeanor. Judge Hill ordered Caoile held in lieu of $61,500 bail, to be released upon posting 10% ($6,150). DeRoche was charged with four crimes: unauthorized use of a vehicle, a Class C felony; and the Class A mis- demeanors of possession of a burglary tool or theft device (two counts) and tampering with physical evidence. Hill ordered DeRoche held in lieu of $25,000 bail, to be released upon posting 10% ($2,500). Michael Spaulding, chief deputy district attorney for Baker County, said Friday that the case is still under review and will be presented to a grand jury next week for consideration of other charges. Caoile and DeRoche are scheduled to return to court at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 11, for a probable cause preliminary hearing, court records state. Caoile is repre- sented by Robert Moon, and DeRoche is represented by Robert Whitnah, two Baker City attorneys who were appointed by the court to represent the defendants. The investigation began on Feb. 21 near North Pow- der when a trooper stopped a 1991 Ford box truck for traf- “The science is very, very clear: with proper safety measures in place, there is a low risk of COVID-19 transmission in school. Oregon parents can be confi dent about sending their children back to a classroom learning environment.” fi c violations, Capt. Timothy R. Fox, OSP spokesman in Salem, stated in a Thursday email to the Herald. Caoile was one of the oc- cupants of the truck. During the stop, an OSP trooper developed probable cause to search the vehicle, Fox stated. The offi cer found mari- juana and a small amount of methamphetamine, Fox said. A silver Cadillac Escalade, which the trooper deter- mined was traveling with the truck, also pulled off the highway during the stop. Fox said the Cadillac, which DeRoche was travel- ing in, was released from the scene and the two oc- cupants of the truck were transported by offi cers to the Baker OSP offi ce for follow- up interviews. The truck was towed to the OSP compound, which is east of Interstate 84 near the Campbell Street interchange, to be held pending receipt of a search warrant. The suspects claimed they owned items in the back of the box truck, which includ- ed fi ne jewelry, construction equipment, high-end bags and checks not belonging to the suspects, Fox stated. After interviewing the sus- pects, police released them, and the truck was secured behind a locked gate on the OSP property for the night. The lot is secured by a 6-foot chain-link fence topped by about a foot of barbed wire. As employees arrived for work the next day, Feb. 22, they saw that the lot had been entered and that the box truck was gone. The vehicle had been driven at a high rate of speed through the locked gate, causing damages of more than $1,000 to the fence and gate, according to court records. That morning at 5:50 a.m., Baker City Police and the Baker City Fire Department were called to a vehicle fi re at Atwood Road and Camp- bell Street, about half a mile north of the OSP offi ce, ac- cording to court records. Zach Downing, OSP arson detective, also was called to the scene, and stated that he had probable cause to believe that an accelerant had been used to set the box truck on fi re. That same day, Feb. 22, police contacted the Yakima Police Department regarding the people interviewed the previous day after the traffi c stop, and the two vehicles involved, the truck and the Escalade, Fox said. The Ya- kima agency said that “they have had a series of stolen property issues related to a silver Escalade,” according to Fox. OSP troopers served a search warrant on the box truck on Feb. 23. The offi cers found 1.5 pounds of marijua- na, 104 grams of metham- phetamine and 288 grams of suspected fentanyl during the search. The truck also contained two stolen Stihl concrete saws, burglary tools and three forged checks, Fox stated. Caoile and DeRoche, meanwhile, returned to the Baker City OSP offi ce at about 10:15 a.m. on March 3. Fox said the couple had ex- pected to claim property they believe they were entitled to, but instead they were ar- rested in a joint operation by OSP and Baker City Police. SURVEY “We hope to get a better idea of what the community is thinking,” Duman said. Continued from Page 1A Those thoughts will help the department The 24-question survey is completely as it approaches the budgeting process and anonymous and asks those completing it their begins to set department funding priorities opinions about topics such as overall satisfac- for the future. tion with the Baker City Police Department, “Baker City Police Department is asking whether they believe the crime level has gone the community to participate in a survey so up, down or stayed the same during their we can identify community concerns, allocate time in the community and whether they be- resources in a more effi cient manner and cre- lieve 24-hour police coverage is needed within ate a safer community for all,” Duman stated the city limits. in a press release. Police Chief Ray Duman said the depart- The survey link will be posted on the Baker ment took the idea from New Directions City Police Department’s Facebook page and Northwest, which recently conducted a com- in the weekly newsletter from City Manager munity survey of its own. Jonathan Cannon. school districts to continue to work in good faith with local educators,” Ahnen said. The union represents 44,000 K-12 teachers across Oregon. Most students in Oregon have been learning online for the better part of a year. Some school districts have returned to part-time in-person learning, mostly at the elementary level. Brown said all but six counties in the state currently meet or exceed the advisory metrics for a return to in-person, hybrid learning for all grade levels. Five of the counties that do not yet meet the guidelines for all grade levels do make the cut- off for a return to elementary school. RISK LEVEL Ashley Manor-Lund Lane (four cases), and Memory Lane Homes (three cases). Continued from Page 1A If the county’s two-week total is be- To qualify for that level, the county needs tween 45 and 59, it would move into the to meet two criteria: high-risk category. • fewer than 30 new cases over the two- Differences in restrictions between the week measuring period lowest and moderate categories include: • a positive test rate below 5% for the Restaurants and bars two-week measuring period • Lowest risk: Indoor dining up to 50% State offi cials set risk levels for each of Oregon’s 36 counties every two weeks. The of capacity; up to eight diners per table; next period starts March 12, and the risk midnight closing time levels will be based on COVID-19 case • Moderate risk: Indoor dining up to totals and positivity rates from Feb. 21 50% of capacity or 100 total people, includ- ing staff, whichever is fewer; up to six din- through March 6. ers per table; 11 p.m. closing time For that period, Baker County had 42 new cases through March 4. That would Gyms, fi tness centers, indoor pools, move the county from the lowest to the indoor school sports moderate risk level starting March 12. • Lowest risk: Maximum of 50% of County Commissioner Mark Bennett said he has lobbied state offi cials — with- capacity • Moderate risk: Maximum of 50% out success — to not count the 15 cases at Settler’s Park memory care community in of capacity or 100 people, whichever is fewer Baker City, as residents there generally don’t move around the community. Theaters, museums, other indoor Bennett pointed out that the state doesn’t count cases among inmates at Pow- entertainment • Lowest risk: Maximum of 50% of der River Correctional Facility in Baker City, in determining the county’s risk level, capacity; midnight closing time • Moderate risk: Maximum of 50% because inmates are confi ned. of capacity or 100 people, whichever is According to the OHA’s most recent fewer; 11 p.m. closing time weekly report, which has data through Feb. 28, Baker County has two active Churches, funeral homes and COVID-19 outbreaks, the one at Settler’s mortuaries Park, which includes one death, and an • Lowest risk: Indoors, up to 75% of outbreak at Behlen Mfg. Co. that includes capacity; outdoors up to 300 people 13 cases. • Moderate risk: Indoors, up to 50% Three other outbreaks at care facilities of capacity or 150 people, whichever is have been resolved. Those were at Mead- fewer; outdoors up to 250 people owbrook Place (27 cases, two deaths), Call or come see us at Lew Bros Tire in Baker City More than just a Tire Store Pre-trip safety inspections Battery Testing Tire Inspection Brake Inspection FREE FREE FREE FREE Peace of mind PRICELESS Lew Bros. Tire Your FULL Service Tire Store It’s where you belong We check your brakes, shocks and battery when you buy tires from us. Lew Brothers Tire Service 541-523-3679 210 Bridge St. Baker City, OR