2A — BAKER CITY HERALD
THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 2021
CLOSE CALL
Continued from Page 1A
T URNING B ACK THE P AGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
March 18, 1971
Baker County is feeling the effects of a nationwide
teacher surplus this year, according to reports of local
administrators.
District 5J has been receiving teaching job inquiries at
the rate of six to 10 per day, which amounts to a total of
more than 500 accumulated over the last few months,
district superintendent Dr. James Evans said yesterday.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
March 18, 1996
Ellingson Lumber Co., which has been involved in the
timber industry for more than 100 years and active in
Baker County since 1948, announced this morning that it
will cease operating its lone remaining mill, in Baker City.
The company, which laid off most of its 165 employees
late last year but had hoped to bring them back this spring,
plans to auction its mill equipment and rolling stock by
late May or early June, said Rob Ellingson, president and
general manager.
“This is a very sad day for our family as well as our
company,” Ellingson wrote in a letter to this newspaper.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
March 18, 2011
Baker County’s fi rst wind farm is scheduled to start
producing electricity in November of this year.
Construction should begin in early July on the $7 mil-
lion, 3-megawatt Lime Wind project, which is on a ridge
about fi ve miles north of Huntington.
The wind farm will consist of six turbines, each measur-
ing about 198 feet from the ground to the tip of the blade,
said Randy Joseph of Sumpter.
Joseph’s family business, Joseph Millworks Inc., owns
the Lime Wind project.
The wind farm will not only be the fi rst in Baker County,
but also the fi rst built on public land managed by the BLM
in Oregon.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
March 19, 2020
Even before Gov. Kate Brown’s Tuesday announcement
extending public school closures through April 28, the
Baker School District had decided to withdraw its $7.5 mil-
lion school bond measure from the May 19 ballot.
The Baker School Board made the decision during a
special meeting Monday, said Superintendent Mark Witty.
“The Board does not believe that it was prudent or the
right thing to do,” Witty said of the decision to postpone
the measure in light of concern for the additional fi nancial
burden it would have placed on the Baker community as
effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to unfold.
“This just isn’t the right time,” he said. “We’ve got
higher priorities to consider for the betterment of our
community.”
By withdrawing the bond measure, the District also will
be giving up a $4 million Oregon School Capital Improve-
ment Match grant it would have received had the bond
measure passed.
The District will not be eligible to apply for the match-
ing state grant again in time for the November election.
That delays the District’s plan to seek funding for school
improvements until the May 2021 election.
O REGON L OTTERY
MEGABUCKS, March 15
10 — 19 — 26 — 30 — 31 — 46
Next jackpot: $3.2 million
POWERBALL, March 13
5 — 11 — 51 — 56 — 61 PB 2
Next jackpot: $184 million
MEGA MILLIONS, March 16
10 — 41 — 46 — 52 — 69
Mega 8
Next jackpot: $105 million
WIN FOR LIFE, March 15
12 — 13 — 37 — 52
PICK 4, March 16
• 1 p.m.: 3 — 0 — 5 — 5
• 4 p.m.: 2 — 1 — 4 — 0
• 7 p.m.: 8 — 8 — 0 — 1
• 10 p.m.: 2 — 0 — 2 — 2
LUCKY LINES, March 17
2-5-11-16-20-21-28-31
Next jackpot: $44,000
S ENIOR M ENUS
■ FRIDAY: Baked ham, scalloped potatoes, mixed
vegetables, roll, broccoli-bacon salad, lemon squares
■ MONDAY (March 22): Chicken and gravy over egg
noodles, biscuit, Jell-O with fruit, bread pudding
■ TUESDAY (March 23): Soup and sandwich (turkey
sandwich and vegetable beef soup), fruit cup, cookies
■ WEDNESDAY (March 24): Spaghetti, zucchini and
tomatoes, garlic breadsticks, green salad, birthday cake
■ THURSDAY (March 25): Pork roast, mashed potatoes
with gravy, mixed vegetables, beet-and-onion salad, ice
cream
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., 11:30
a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $4.50 donation (60 and older), $6.75 for
those under 60. Meals must be picked up; no dining on site.
C ONTACT THE H ERALD
1668 Resort St.
Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Telephone: 541-523-3673
Fax: 541-833-6414
Publisher
Karrine Brogoitti
kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.
com
Jayson Jacoby, editor
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Advertising email
ads@bakercityherald.com
Classifi ed email
classified@bakercityherald.com
Circulation email
circ@bakercityherald.com
ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays except Christmas Day by the
Baker Publishing Co., a part of EO Media
Group, at 1668 Resort St. (P.O. Box 807),
Baker City, OR 97814.
Subscription rates per month are
$10.75 for print only. Digital-only rates
are $8.25.
Postmaster: Send address changes to
the Baker City Herald, P.O. Box 807, Baker
City, OR 97814.
Periodicals Postage Paid
at Pendleton, Oregon 97801
Copyright © 2021
Baker County Circuit Court Judge
Matt Shirtcliff on Tuesday granted
Deuel-Clinkenbeard a conditional re-
lease. He is required to stay with his fa-
ther in Montana and to attend a status
check hearing, by phone, on April 1.
Benge, who has worked for Superior
Towing in Baker City for about seven
months, was driving eastbound, toward
Ontario, on Friday afternoon.
He said he had just picked up a couple
whose car had hit a deer near Milepost
327. He was towing their car to Ontario,
and they were riding with him in the
tow truck.
Benge said he was near Ash Grove
Cement, where the freeway enters a
series of curves in the Burnt River Can-
yon, when he saw the silver car, travel-
ing west in the eastbound lanes.
The car was rounding a corner when
Benge saw it.
He estimated its speed at more than
90 mph.
“The whole car was lifting to one side
from the force,” Benge said.
After the near collision, Benge con-
tinued east to Ontario to drop off the
couple, who are from Washington, and
their vehicle.
He said the couple was already
“shaken up” from hitting the deer, and
the close call with the wrong-way driver
added to their anxiety.
Benge said his boss, having heard
over a police scanner about Deuel-
Clinkenbeard’s collision with McClay’s
patrol SUV, radioed him to tell him what
had happened.
Benge said workers were still cleaning
up the scene at Milepost 327 when he
was on his way back to Baker City from
Ontario.
He ended up towing the OSP vehicle,
Oregon State Police/Contributed Photo
A 2011 Toyota Camry driven by
Logan Deuel-Clinkenbeard sustained
major damage after being hit by an
Oregon State Police vehicle while
driving the wrong way on I-84.
which sustained major damage, to
Baker City.
Benge said it was his fi rst encounter
with a wrong-way driver on the freeway.
Sgt. Craig Rilee of the Baker County
Sheriff’s Offi ce, who investigated the
case and interviewed both McClay and
Benge, wrote in his report that the
Baker County Dispatch Center received
more than 35 calls to 911 about the
wrong-way driver.
It’s not clear where Deuel-Clinken-
beard starting driving the wrong way,
but callers reported the silver car driv-
ing west in the eastbound lanes starting
around Milepost 342, near the Lime exit.
Deuel-Clinkenbeard then drove
through the Burnt River Canyon,
which is one of the curviest sections of
Interstate 84 in Eastern Oregon, and
continued through the Durkee Valley
toward Baker City.
According to Rilee’s report, McClay
MERKLEY
was driving eastbound near Milepost
327 when he saw, about half a mile
ahead, a vehicle swerve to avoid collid-
ing with a silver car traveling west.
McClay had his emergency lights
fl ashing and his siren blaring.
In his report, Rilee wrote that McClay
“was unable to safely maneuver out of
the path of the oncoming vehicle so he
made the decision to stop the wrong way
vehicle from continuing the wrong way.
The left front of (McClay’s) patrol vehicle
collided with the left front of the wrong
way vehicle.”
Deuel-Clinkenbeard’s Camry stopped
in the freeway median, about 50 yards
from McClay’s vehicle, Rilee wrote.
In his own report, McClay wrote that
he “rammed the vehicle to get it off the
roadway.”
McClay was not available for an inter-
view because the criminal investigation
is ongoing, OSP Capt. Timothy Fox, the
state police government and media rela-
tions offi cial, wrote in an email to the
Herald.
In a document fi led on Monday, March
15 in Baker County Circuit Court in
support of a motion seeking to release
Deuel-Clinkenbeard to either his father
or on conditions set by the Court, the
father said that his son has “severe men-
tal health conditions for which we have
been seeking treatment.” The document
also states that Deuel-Clinkenbeard
has no prior criminal history and “needs
consistent mental health treatment.”
None of the police reports mentions
Deuel-Clinkenbeard being tested for
intoxicants.
Fox, the OSP spokesman, said the
driver likely wouldn’t be tested if he did
not show any signs of impairment.
One of the conditions of the release
agreement requires Deuel-Clinkenbeard
to meet with a doctor and to take any
medications prescribed.
money rather than it being
sucked off by a few larger
Continued from Page 1A
businesses,” Merkley said.
Merkley said he had not
“But I didn’t hear anything
heard of any changes made
about whether the applica-
to what are known as “above tion period was extended or
the line” charitable dona-
not.”
tions.
Bryan Tweit, Baker Coun-
“Donations to arts organi- ty’s contracted economic
zations would be very much developer who is part of the
appreciated,” Merkley said.
county’s economic recovery
Julie Huntington, a
team during the pandemic,
member of the Baker School asked Merkley about assis-
Board, asked Merkley about tance for renters in the new
a possible extension for
package.
businesses to apply for loans
“There is a signifi cant
under the Payroll Protection amount of funding for rental
Program, a key part of last
assistance which is intended
year’s CARES Act.
to enable people to pay their
“I’m afraid there’s going
rent and therefore money
to be many people who are
gets into the hands of a land-
in need of that PPP process
lord,” Merkley said.
that just will not have the
He didn’t have details
time or the resources to actu- about how that portion of
ally get an application in by the relief funding will be
that 31st March (deadline),” disbursed.
Huntington said.
The senator said home-
Merkley said he would
owners making mortgage
check on the issue. He said
payments is another issue.
the PPP program has been
“I am very concerned
changed many times, and
about mortgage payments
that the most recent federal because the downside of
aid package includes more
giving a forbearance period
money for the program.
is that families who missed
“I thought there were
three or four or fi ve months
some details on this particu- under the forbearance now
lar refunding of PPP that
may be facing, well, you’ve
was designed to try to make got to pay it all at once or you
sure that the small busi-
lose your house,” Merkley
nesses were able to get the
said. “So we’re hoping the
mortgage companies will
really work hard to restruc-
ture those loans and put
the missed payments on the
back end of the loan but that
requires some signifi cant
effort.”
Priscilla Lynn, president
of Saint Alphonsus Medical
Center-Baker City, asked
Merkley about funding
through the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency
to pay for workers at vac-
cination clinics.
Lynn said the Baker
County Health Department
is doing “a great job” with the
resources it has for vaccina-
tions.
As of Wednesday, March
17, Baker County had the
second-highest vaccination
rate, per 10,000 residents,
among Oregon’s 36 counties.
Merkley said information
about health care resources
in the new relief bill are
available on his website,
www.merkley.senate.gov/
The senator said the new
relief package includes
money to help states provide
health coverage, including
COVID-19 treatments, to
uninsured residents.
Merkley said one of the
chief goals with the new law
is to accelerate the nation-
wide vaccination effort,
which is done at no cost to
people who are inoculated.
AID
can use the money to replace
revenue lost because residents
can’t pay local taxes, and for
a variety of other COVID-
19-related effects, including
to help businesses and other
organizations.
“This has a lot of fl exibility,”
Hottman wrote.
One thing local govern-
ments can’t use the money for
is to lower tax rates, she wrote.
Amounts for other incorpo-
rated cities in Baker County
include:
• Haines, $90,000 (popula-
tion 415)
• Huntington, $90,000 (445)
• Halfway, $60,000 (300)
• Sumpter, $40,000 (210)
• Richland, $40,000 (175)
• Unity, $10,000 (75)
Continued from Page 1A
Bennett said he looks
forward to meeting with of-
fi cials from Baker City and
other incorporated cities in
the county to ensure that the
federal money is disbursed to
yield the maximum benefi t,
and to avoid duplication.
In an email to the Herald,
Sara Hottman, communica-
tions director for Merkley,
wrote that although the
senator is waiting for detailed
guildelines from federal
offi cials, local governments
N EWS OF R ECORD
FUNERALS PENDING
POLICE LOG
Taran Arthur Moothart:
There will be a celebration of
Taran’s life at 2 p.m., Saturday,
March 20, 2021, at Harvest
Church, 3720 Birch St., in Baker
City. Pastor Brad Phillips will
offi ciate. Memorial contributions
may be made to the Taran Memo-
rial Fund at Old West Federal
Credit Union, 2026 Broadway St.,
Baker City, OR 97814, or through
Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer Chapel
at 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City,
OR 97814. To leave an online
condolence for the family, go to
www.grayswestco.com
Tommy G. West: Graveside
services will be Wednesday,
March 24, at 2 p.m. at Mount
Hope Cemetery, with military
honors. Those wishing to make
memorial contributions in Tom-
my’s memory can direct them to
a charity of one’s choice through
Coles Tribute Center, 1950 Place
St., Baker City, OR 97814. To light
a candle in memory of Tommy, go
to www.colestributecenter.com.
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
THIRD-DEGREE SEX ABUSE,
HARASSMENT (Baker County
Circuit Court warrant): Juan
Pablo Burgos, 59, Baker City,
11:29 a.m. Monday, March 15
in the 1300 block of Campbell
Street; cited and released.
Baker County Sheriff’s
Offi ce
Arrests, citations
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Baker
County Circuit Court warrants):
Sierra Jean Dougharity, 32,
Baker City, 10:08 p.m. Tuesday,
March 16 at Washington and Clif-
ford streets; jailed.
River Democracy Act
Ken Alexander of Unity
asked Merkley about Senate
Bill 192, also known as the
River Democracy Act. It
would add reaches of dozens
of streams to the federal
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act,
and Alexander said he’s
concerned that streams in
the Burnt River basin, which
fl ow through highly mineral-
ized areas, are included in
the bill.
“What that does is it pre-
vents any future mining or
prospecting on those rivers
and I’m concerned about the
process going ahead of how
you’re going to investigate
what rivers really belong in
this bill,” Alexander said.
Merkley said Oregon’s
other senator, Ron Wyden,
compiled the list for the bill
based on nominations he re-
ceived from residents across
the state.
“There’s a map of all the
river segments, there’s more
details about a number of
concerns that were raised,”
Merkley said.
He said he supports the
bill, and he offered to connect
Alexander with Wyden’s
staff.
Rachel Pregnancy Center
2192 Court Avenue, Baker City • 541-523-5357
Services Provided:
Free Pregnancy Tests
A resource
center for
Referrals for Free Ultrasounds
families
Pregnancy Options Counseling
Adoption Referrals
Prenatal, Infant Care & Parenting Classes
Maternity & Baby Clothing
Post Abortion Recovery
Helping women & men in an
Open Tues -Thurs
unplanned pregnancy.
All services free & confidential.
10 am - 5 pm
(closed for lunch)
“You’ll love the work we do. I guarantee it.” - JR
225 H Street • East of I-84 • 541-523-3200 • grumpysrepair.com