LOCAL & STATE
TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021
BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A
Company proposes
to build dam above
Owyhee Reservoir
By Pat Caldwell
Malheur Enterprise
Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce/Contributed Photo
Members of a multiagency search team prepare to start searching for Deb Hendrichs on Saturday, May 8.
Searchers find body of Idaho woman
missing since Jan. 11 near Meacham
By Bryce Dole
East Oregonian
MEACHAM — The body of
a woman from Idaho who went
missing near Meacham was
found on Saturday, May 8, ac-
cording to a press release from
the Umatilla County Sheriff’s
Offi ce.
Deb Hendrichs, 56, from
Star, Idaho, was found on the
east side Interstate 84 south of
Meacham near milepost 238
after a multiagency search be-
gan on May 8, the press release
said. She had been missing
since Jan. 11, when her vehicle
was found near the area.
When the search began, a
team of dogs quickly found
Hendrichs’ wallet and other
release said. The Oregon State
Police and Umatilla County
Sheriff’s Offi ce responded to
the scene and recovered the
body, the press release said.
An Oregon Department of
Transportation worker was
the last person who reported
Contributed Photos seeing Hendrichs after her
Two photos of Deborah
vehicle stalled. Oregon State
Hendrichs, an Idaho
Police Lt. Daniel Conner of
woman who went missing Union County said the ODOT
Jan. 11 near Meacham.
employee asked Hendrichs if
she needed help and she said
items described in the search
her cellphone was not working
plan. Then, while law enforce- in the area but someone was
ment secured the scene, dogs
coming to help. The ODOT
and drones searched the area employee then put out safety
nearby.
fl ares to protect Hendrichs
The dogs found Hendrichs’
and called OSP, which sent a
body soon after, the press
trooper to assist. The trooper
PALMER
Lohrey has also come under fi re for his
own social media use. In 2018, he took to
Continued from Page 3A
the department’s Facebook page to post a
Lohrey said checking social media is
photo of a local activist who had angered
part of the department’s normal hiring
the jail commander when she placed a
process, but he wasn’t sure if Palmer’s had protest sign next to her table at a restau-
been reviewed by the undersheriff who
rant where the two were eating.
oversaw the hiring.
In the post, Lohrey called the activ-
arrived 20 minutes later. By
then, Hendrichs’s vehicle was
empty.
Oregon State Police, Umatil-
la County Sheriff’s Offi ce and
Umatilla County Sheriff’s Of-
fi ce Search and Rescue, Union
County Search and Rescue,
Idaho Mountain Search and
Rescue, Jon Francis Founda-
tion, Valley County Search
and Rescue, Wallowa County
Search and Rescue, Baker
County Sheriff’s Offi ce, Gilliam
County Sheriff’s Offi ce, Grant
County Sheriff’s Offi ce, Delmar
Aerospace Corporation, Union
Pacifi c Railroad and Oregon
Department of Transportation
all participated in the search,
the release said.
ist’s actions disgusting. She soon after
received death threats against her and
her children. At the time, Lohrey said
he would only take the post down if she
apologized.
Palmer will start patrolling for the
Sherman County Sheriff’s Offi ce during
Memorial Day weekend.
VALE — A Utah company is considering construction
of a new dam above Owyhee Reservoir as part of a $1.2
billion project to generate new hydro power.
The power operation could generate the equivalent of
half the Treasure Valley’s peak electricity demand on a hot
summer day.
Matthew Shapiro, chief executive offi cer of rPlus Hydro,
recently outlined the project to the Malheur County Court
and shared more details in an interview with the Enter-
prise.
The company plans to construct what’s called a pumped
storage facility, which uses gravity feeding water into
turbines to generate electricity.
A pumped storage facility operates on a simple concept
tied to gravity.
A reservoir is constructed on high ground above an
existing reservoir. A pump station, or powerhouse, with a
turbine is then constructed between the two reservoirs.
Pipes connect the pump station to the upper and lower
reservoir and generate electricity as water moves through.
During a period of low demand for electricity — such as at
night — water would be pumped out of the Owyhee to the
upper reservoir.
When electricity demands increase, the water stored
at the upper reservoir would be released through the
turbines to the lower reservoir. The turbine also acts as a
pump to move water to the upper reservoir.
At the site, a new dam would measure 130 feet high by
1,300 feet, creating a 100-acre reservoir. The Owyhee Dam
is about 400 feet tall.
A 22-foot tunnel would connect the new reservoir to the
powerhouse, with a powerline carrying the electricity to a
substation.
“You are storing energy in the form of water at a higher
elevation,” said Shapiro.
Shapiro said the project, in “the conceptual stage,” is es-
timated to employ 300 during construction jobs and about
20 full-time staff once it is fi nished.
“It is something we do intend to put some engineering
effort into and into environmental studies over the next
several years and see where it goes,” said Shapiro.
“You are storing energy in the form of water at a higher
elevation,” said Shapiro.
The fi nal piece of the pump storage facility is the con-
struction of a transmission line to the power grid. Except
for the reservoirs, the entire project — including pipes,
pump station and control room — would be underground.
The rPlus Hydro project would require “about 3,500
acre feet of water to cycle up and down,” said Shapiro.
Judge refuses to release suspect in U.S. Capitol breach
■ Attorney for Matthew Klein had requested that the 24-year-old be released to the custody of his parents in Baker City
By Maxine Bernstein
The Oregonian
PORTLAND — A federal judge
on Tuesday, May 4 declined to
release college senior Matthew
Klein, one of two Oregon broth-
ers accused in the Jan. 6 breach of
the U.S. Capitol, after fi nding his
parents unsuitable to supervise him
pending trial.
The ruling came after prosecutors
submitted examples
of text messages that
showed Klein’s mother
and father warning
Matthew’s younger
brother, Jonathan-
Matthew
peter Klein, that
Klein
“braggers get caught.”
Their mother also
sent texts to Jonathanpeter Klein
warning him that his “phone is
not encrypted,” that he should “[b]
e careful what [he] say[s]” and that
he should “clear [his] phone” or that
he should “[p]ull a Hillary and use a
hammer” and “bleach” to destroy the
phone, according to court records.
Matthew Klein, 24, and Jona-
thanpeter Klein, 21, both have
pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to
defraud the United States, aiding
and abetting in the obstruction of
an offi cial proceeding, obstruction
of law enforcement during civil
disorder, destruction of government
property, entering and remaining in
a restricted building or grounds and
disorderly conduct in a restricted
building or grounds.
Matthew Klein’s lawyer had
urged his client’s release to his
parents in Baker City, describing
them as deeply religious Christian
missionaries and very responsible
people. Matthew Klein wants to con-
tinue his education at George Fox
far worse than Jonathan Klein, and
there’s been no attempt to try to
confl ate the two,” he told U.S. Dis-
trict Judge Randolph D. Moss.
Moss took the request under
advisement until now, declining the
motion to release Matthew Klein to
— Steven R. Kiersh,
— Randolph D. Moss, U.S. District his parents, agreeing with prosecu-
attorney for Matthew Klein
Court judge
tors who had argued they were
“ill-suited” to supervise their son.
University, said defense attorney
Matthew Klein from his younger
But he left open the possibility for
Steven R. Kiersh.
brother, telling the court that Jona- Matthew Klein and his lawyer to
“We would like to see him get
thanpeter Klein is accused of being fi nd another third-party custodian
back and complete his college
a member of the Proud Boys, not
who could be approved, with strin-
program, but, primarily, he would
Matthew Klein.
gent release conditions for Matthew
be — be required — again, without
His lawyer argued that Matthew Klein, such as home detention and
any opposition — to stay on the
Klein was following the direction of GPS monitoring.
premises where his family members then-President Donald Trump after
Matthew Klein’s lawyer had sub-
can monitor his conduct and where, attending a rally in Washington,
mitted a half a dozen other names
quite frankly, pretrial can monitor
D.C., before marching to the Capitol of people to serve as custodians but
his comings and goings,” Kiersh ar- and didn’t assault anyone.
the judge noted that a federal pre-
gued last month in a Zoom hearing
“It was the President of the
trial services offi cer hadn’t vetted
before the judge based in Washing- United States who told the crowd
any of the people recommended.
ton, D.C.
to go march to the United States
It’s important to know where
Matthew Klein enrolled at the
Capitol,” Kiersh said. “This was not Matthew Klein will live and that his
Christian college in Newberg in fall Matthew Klein saying do it.”
custodians will take responsibility
2017 and had been attending up un-
But federal prosecutor Christo-
for ensuring he follows the terms
til his arrest on March 23, according pher K. Veatch countered that Mat- of the release, Moss wrote in the
to the university.
thew Klein played a larger role than ruling.
“He was a senior, but he is no
his brother in the Capitol breach,
“The diffi culty for Klein right
longer a student at George Fox,”
noting Matthew Klein helped others now, however, is that he has failed
George Fox spokesman Rob Felton scale a wall on the west side of the
to identify a suitable third-party
said Tuesday.
Capitol to allow them to get inside. custodian,” Moss wrote.
Matthew Klein was a commuter
After he and his brother entered
The judge considered the nature
student from Sherwood, and “uni-
the Capitol and then left the build- of the allegations, the weight of the
versity staff were not aware of his
ing about 10 minutes later, the two evidence — including video footage,
presence at the Capitol or alleged
wrenched open another door on the photos and social media — and the
participation in previous rallies
north side of the Capitol, Veatch
history and characteristics of Mat-
associated with the Proud Boys, a
said.
thew Klein.
group whose attitudes and commit-
Once they got the door open,
“Klein’s alleged crimes were
ments are antithetical to the values Jonathanpeter Klein walked away, undoubtedly serious, and his actions
of our community,” the university
but Matthew Klein put on his
posed an acute risk to the wellbeing
provost wrote to staff and faculty on goggles, held out his Gadsden fl ag
of many innocent people. Klein and
April 23. Matthew Klein was barred and confronted law enforcement
other rioters, moreover, succeeded
from the George Fox campus, the
offi cers before he was doused with
in their efforts of using brute force
provost wrote last month.
pepper spray, Veatch said.
to delay (if not stop) the most re-
Kiersh also sought to distinguish
“Matthew Klein’s conduct was
vered of democratic processes from
“It was the President of the
United States who told the
crowd to go march to the United
States Capitol. This was not
Matthew Klein saying do it.”
“Klein’s alleged crimes were
undoubtedly serious, and his
actions posed an acute risk to
the wellbeing of many innocent
people.”
proceeding,” Moss wrote. “This was
not an exercise of free speech but,
to the contrary, an effort to quash
the collective voice of the American
electorate.”
He also cited concerns about Mat-
thew Klein’s attendance at two prior
rallies in Oregon in September.
The government presented
images to the court of the Klein
brothers at a Sept. 7 demonstration
outside Oregon’s Capitol in Salem
and a Sept. 26 Proud Boy rally in
Portland’s Delta Park.
Matthew Klein was charged with
carrying a loaded gun in a truck that
was stopped leaving the Proud Boys
rally at Delta Park. He was seated
in the bed of a truck with a paintball
gun when arrested, according to
court records. Those charges remain
active — and were pending in Mult-
nomah County when he participated
in the insurrection at the U.S. Capi-
tol, the prosecutor said.
“At a minimum, for example,
Klein’s prominent display of these
weapons was seemingly designed
to inspire fear in his political op-
ponents — to convey a threat of
violence, if not the actualization of
that violence,” Moss wrote.
“The contention by Klein’s coun-
sel that Klein carried these weapons
for his own protection is diffi cult to
square with photographic images,
which depict someone who appears
to be looking for, and not seeking to
avoid, a fi ght,” the judge wrote. “But,
even accepting counsel’s character-
ization, the Court is left to ponder
what Klein would have done — and
what he might do in the future —
if he perceived that a political foe
posed a threat to his safety.”
The Klein brothers remain in
custody at Portland’s Inverness Jail.
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