TUESDAY
UMATILLA COUNTY COMMISSIONER PROMOTES VACCINATIONS: PAGE 5A
In SPORTS, 6A
Serving Baker County since 1870 • bakercityherald.com
May 4, 2021
Local • Home & Living • Sports
IN THIS EDITION:
QUICK HITS
Good Day Wish
To A Subscriber
A special good day
to Herald subscriber Bill
Mattes of Baker City.
Local, 3A
Three fatal drug over-
doses in Baker City in
the past six months were
tied to counterfeit opioid
pills laced with fentanyl, a
powerful painkiller, local
offi cials said in a press
release.
$1.50
Media spotlight on Baker
■ Mayor Kerry McQuisten has multiple interviews about city’s resolution challenging COVID-19 restrictions
By Samantha O’Conner
soconner@bakercityherald.com
The Baker City Council’s
passage of a resolution blam-
ing Oregon Gov. Kate Brown’s
COVID-19 restrictions for creat-
ing an “economic, mental health
and criminal activity crisis”
in the city has recently led to
Mayor Kerry McQuisten giving
interviews on radio, podcasts
and television.
McQuisten was slated to ap-
pear on Fox News’ Primetime
news program Monday evening,
May 3.
“This is an excellent chance to
be able to speak out about what
we did here in the city,” Mc-
Quisten said on Monday morning.
Although the City Council ap-
proved Resolution 3881 by a 5-2
vote on March 23, the action has
drawn widespread interest in just
the past week or so, McQuisten
said.
See Mayor/Page 3A
Libraries open, but
restrooms closed
during extreme risk
WEATHER
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
With Baker County’s week-
ly total of COVID-19 cases
dropping to its lowest level in
more than a month, County
Commissioner Mark Bennett
said he hopes the county will
drop from extreme risk level
starting this Friday, May 7.
That would allow restau-
rants and bars to resume
indoor dining.
Baker County and 14
other counties moved to the
extreme risk level on Friday,
April 30.
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
Jon Hanley is working to complete a mural at the Old Pine Market in Halfway. The painting depicts the his-
tory of horses in Pine Valley.
Making His Mark
Today
63 / 29
Sunny
Wednesday
73 / 44
By Lisa Britton, Baker City Herald
HALFWAY — Jon Hanley is a temporary resident of Halfway, but he’s
leaving a permanent mark.
Hanley is wrapping up a mural at the Old Pine Market that depicts the
history of horses in Pine Valley.
Partly sunny
Full forecast on the back
of the B section.
The space below is for
a postage label for issues
that are mailed.
McQuisten
County’s
COVID
cases
dropping
Artist Working On Mural At Old Pine Market In Halfway
BRIEFING
Baker County libraries
will continue to be open
while the county is under
either the current extreme
risk or high risk levels for
COVID-19, but public rest-
rooms will be closed.
Visitation time limits
for browsing or computer
use remain the same at
one hour. Visitors need to
check-in at the library desk
for a guest pass before
using the library.
For those who wish to
avoid any indoor exposure
risk, the library recom-
mends use of its curbside
services or Library2Go
digital collection with
thousands of download-
able eBooks or audio-
books. Call the library for
help with downloads or to
reserve materials for easy
drive-up window pick-up.
For more information
library services, visit the
library website at www.
bakerlib.org.
Tigers
sweep
Bulldogs
“He’s doing a beautiful job. I love
coming in and seeing the new prog-
ress,” said Laurie Bryan, an owner of
the market.
Hanley paints after hours, adding
a colorful touch to a previously blank
wall above the produce area.
the ledge is about three feet deep and
“I’ve had murals on my mind,”
three feet high, so he has to kneel or
Bryan said. “I knew Jon was a fabu- lay on his side to paint.
lous mural painter, and he showed up
“I take a lot of breaks,” Hanley said.
in town.”
See Mural/Page 3A
His work space is a challenge —
See COVID/Page 5A
Wolves kill
two calves
By Jayson Jacoby
jjacoby@bakercityherald.com
Wolves from the Keating
pack in Baker County killed
a pair of two-month-old
calves on a public land cattle
grazing allotment north of
Keating Valley last week.
Brian Ratliff, district
wildlife biologist at the
Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Baker
City offi ce, said his investi-
gation on Friday, April 30
showed ample evidence that
wolves killed the calves.
See Wolves/Page 5A
Talks begin
to create
temporary
Oregon Trail
experience
By Lisa Britton
lbritton@bakercityherald.com
Plans are moving forward
to create an Oregon Trail
experience in Baker City
during a two-year closure of
the National Historic Oregon
Trail Interpretive Center
that starts next winter.
According to a press
release, “formal negotiations”
are currently underway
between Baker County and
the Bureau of Land Man-
agement, which operates
the center fi ve miles east of
Baker City.
Lisa Britton/Baker City Herald
Jon Hanley shows an example of his maps. This one is for Island Park, Idaho.
TODAY
Issue 152, 14 pages
Calendar ....................2A
Classified ............. 3B-6B
Comics ....................... 7B
Community News ....3A
Crossword ........3B & 6B
Dear Abby ................. 8B
Home ................... 1B-3B
Horoscope ........4B & 6B
Letters ........................4A
See Oregon Trail/Page 2A
Lottery Results ..........2A
News of Record ........2A
Obituaries ..................2A
Opinion ......................4A
Sports ........................6A
Weather ..................... 8B
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