A2 BAKER CITY HERALD • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2022
Local
TURNING BACK THE PAGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
February 10, 1972
J. David Coughlin was sworn in Tuesday to take over
duties as Baker County’s deputy district attorney.
Coughlin, 27, hired under the Emergency
Unemployment Act, will take over across-the-board duties
to relieve the work load on district attorney Jesse R.
Himmelsbach Jr.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
February 10, 1997
Residents in Baker and Wallowa counties reported
seeing a fi reball streaking across the sky Friday evening,
but nothing was reported hitting the ground, sheriff’s
deputies say.
The Baker County Sheriff’s Department received at
least two calls between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. from
people who reported a fl ash of light streaking toward
Huntington.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
February 10, 2012
Baker County’s biggest industry had a banner year
in 2011.
The industry is beef cattle.
And gross sales from the county last year totaled $50.8
million.
That’s the highest fi gure on record, topping the previous
mark of $49.3 million in 2007, according to the Oregon
Agricultural Information Network of the Oregon State
University Extension service.
Sales rose by almost $8 million in 2011 compared to
the previous year.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
February 11, 2021
A proposal from a Baker City couple calling for the City
Council to pass a resolution stating that local business
owners should set their own COVID-19 protocols brought
the largest audience to City Hall in many months on
Tuesday evening, Feb. 9.
Some residents had to wait outside Council Chambers
for their chance to address councilors, stepping in one at a
time to keep within the occupancy limit for the room.
The topic was up for discussion only.
Councilors didn’t take any action on the Jan. 20
letter that Shannon and Whitney Black, who own a fuel
distributing fi rm, sent to the city.
The Blacks asked the City Council to consider passing a
resolution declaring the city a “common sense sanctuary.”
“Each business would be free to determine the most
effective way to keep their unique customer population
happy, healthy, stress-free, and contributing to our local
economy,” the Blacks wrote.
There is no clear legal route for the city to pass a
resolution that supersedes COVID-19 rules from the state.
Mayor Kerry McQuisten told councilors that the city
had received 23 letters in support of the Blacks’ idea, four
from people opposed, and one letter from a resident who
urged the city to be cautious.
Councilors heard from several residents during
Tuesday’s meeting, as well as from Whitney Black.
She told councilors that “the constantly shifting state
suggestions, mandates, and threats just put a permanent
stress on our little town. I think we’ve all felt it, whether
you own a business, run a business, work with a business,
shop at a business, it’s been pretty bad mentally,
physically, it just hasn’t worked.”
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SENIOR MENUS
FRIDAY (Feb. 11): Beef pot roast, red potatoes, peas and
carrots, rolls, coleslaw, cherry cheesecake
MONDAY (Feb. 14): Chicken cordon bleu, rice, broccoli, rolls,
green salad, pudding
TUESDAY (Feb. 15): Roast turkey, stuffi ng with gravy, carrots,
rolls, green salad, apple crisp
WEDNESDAY (Feb. 16): Hot beef sandwich, mashed potatoes,
peas, broccoli-and-bacon salad, cake
THURSDAY (Feb. 17): Orange-glazed chicken strips, rice,
Oriental vegetables, rolls, green salad, apple crisp
Public luncheon at the Senior Center, 2810 Cedar St., from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; $5 donation (60 and older), $7.50
for those under 60.
CONTACT THE HERALD
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Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 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
classifi ed@bakercityherald.com
Circulation email
circ@bakercityherald.com
ODOT urges drivers to obey road closures
MILTON-FREEWATER —
Vaun Miller had been dodging
winter weather for four days,
trying to make it home Jan. 2
to Milton-Freewater following
a trip to San Diego.
But an early January snow-
storm spelled trouble for the
72-year-old Miller, bringing
his drive to an end about 2
miles short of his home.
“I stopped — and the next
thing I know a gust of wind hit
me and it swirled and took me
off the side of the road,” he said.
While the highway had been
closed for hours before, Miller
said he didn’t encounter a bar-
ricade when leaving Pendleton
and a few gas station employ-
ees he had talked to were un-
aware of a closure at the time.
Miller said he recalls seeing a
barricade parallel to the high-
way at the road’s usual closure
point — the intersection with
Highway 331 — but thought
the sign referred to a closure of
Highway 331 based on the way
it was positioned.
“So on I went,” he said.
“And within 3 miles it was get-
ting crazy, crazy, crazy winds
— I would guesstimate at least
60 (mph).”
Despite the inclement
weather, Miller pushed on. He
said he encountered several
other vehicles and was travel-
ing about 20-25 mph for most
of the distance. As he was ap-
proaching milepost 24, the
wind kicked up higher, and
Miller said he slowed to a stop
as he was no longer able to see
the road. The next thing he
knew, the wind pushed his car
into the gully.
“I had a few people stop and
ask me if I was OK,” he said.
“And then it was about an hour
before (Oregon Department of
Transportation) got there.”
Robin Berheim, district
operations coordinator for
ODOT in Pendleton, was
responding to a stuck snow-
plow in the area when she
came across Miller and gave
him a ride home to Mil-
ton-Freewater.
“I was real surprised when
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Copyright © 2022
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
An abandoned vehicle sits in a roadside snow drift Jan. 14, 2022,
near milepost 24 on Highway 11 near Milton-Freewater. Oregon
Department of Transportation staff picked up the vehicle’s driver,
Vaun Miller, 72, of Milton-Freewater, after the car became stuck in
the snow Jan. 2.
she said, ‘Oh, you know it’s
closed,’” he said.
The next morning, snow
had buried Miller’s car to its
roofline.
“It was buried for four
days and we couldn’t find it,”
Miller said.
length of Highway 11,” she said.
“I’ve seen it probably that bad
around the Athena area, but
I’ve never seen it go from one
end to the other.”
According to Tom Strand-
berg, ODOT Region 5 public
information officer, the depart-
ment reported more than 20
Conditions among worst in
abandoned or stuck vehicles
and tow trucks were brought
28 years
While Miller returned a
in the following day to help
week later to dig out his be-
clear the road so snow removal
longings from the car, it was
could resume.
not until Wednesday, Jan. 26,
“We were worried sick about
that he was able to free his ve- what we would find the follow-
hicle. Miller said he spent sev- ing day with all of those vehi-
eral days digging and received cles that weren’t following the
some help from passing motor- road closure,” Cash said.
ists as he tried to free the car in
Cash said the high wind
the weeks since.
speeds meant plow operators
“I hate even thinking about were forced to plow into the
what we would’ve found the
wind, putting them against the
following day had she not
road’s direction of travel. He
gotten to that car,” said Rob-
added this practice is usually
ert Cash, ODOT transporta- not a problem when the roads
tion maintenance manager in are closed, but the number of
Pendleton.
people ignoring the closure
Berheim said road con-
meant plows would have to
ditions the night of Jan. 2-3
stop and back up to allow for
were among the worst she had oncoming traffic.
seen in her 28 years with the
“Generally speaking in the
department. High winds and evenings and wee hours of the
heavy snowfall resulted in
night we don’t have a lot of traf-
snow drifts several feet high
fic and most of the traffic we do
and obscured visibility.
have is locals who understand
“It was almost the whole
the closures — that night it just
Follow road closures to
stay safe
Cash urged people to obey
road closure signs where
posted and check tripcheck.
com frequently when inclem-
ent weather arrives.
While ODOT was strug-
gling with staffing short-
ages heading into the winter
months, Cash said more peo-
ple would not necessarily have
helped reopen the highway
any quicker, but rather equip-
ment limitations were a more
prominent concern.
“Our resources are so thin,”
he said. “We have 450 lane
miles to take care of with five
snowplows.”
In addition to plow con-
cerns, Cash said the depth of
some of the snowdrifts ne-
cessitated bringing in snow-
blowers from Elgin, Mea-
cham and Bend to help clear
the highway completely.
“Just being able to get
enough equipment in to open
up the highway as quick as
possible was a challenge,” he
said. “That all took time.”
ODOT encouraged driv-
ers to be cognizant of road
conditions and be pre-
pared for inclement weather
when traveling in the winter
months. Berheim advised
drivers thinking of going past
road closures to think about
the consequences of their ac-
tions on their safety and the
safety of those working.
“They’re putting them-
selves at risk,” she said. “And
anyone who has to go retrieve
them.”
Man accused of stealing car from dealership
BAKER CITY HERALD
A Baker City man is ac-
cused of using a machete to
break two windows at the
Baker City Auto Ranch on
Monday, Feb. 7, taking two
car key fobs and driving away
in one vehicle from the deal-
ership at 2514 10th St.
Tracy Blaze Crum, 21,
was arrested at 11:48 p.m.
on Monday, Feb. 7, at 3435
Eighth Drive in Baker City,
and taken to the Baker
County Jail, according to a
report from Talon Colton of
the Baker County Sheriff ’s
Office. Crum’s bail was set
at $15,000. He could be re-
News of
Record
DEATHS
Carolyn Louise Thom: 78, of Baker City,
died Feb. 4, 2022, at Saint Alphonsus
Medical Center in Boise. Arrangements
are under the direction of Gray’s West &
Co. Pioneer Chapel. To leave an online
condolence for Carolyn’s family, go to
www.grayswestco.com.
Raymond Earl Carter: 93, of
Huntington, died Feb. 3, 2022, at
Saint Alphonsus Medical Center in
Ontario. Arrangements are under the
direction of Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer
Chapel. To leave an online condolence
for Raymond’s family, go to www.
grayswestco.com.
BIRTHS
DeVore: Chelsea and Justin Smith, Baker
City, a boy, Colson Maxwell DeVore,
Jan. 29, 2022, 8 pounds, 4 ounces.
grandparents are Bert and Shelley
DeVore of Baker City, Krista Smith of
Pilot Rock, and Aaron Smith. Great-
grandparents are Ron and Rochelle
Stoaks of Baker City, Andy and Ella
DeVore of Baker City, Carol and Jerry
Hansen of North Powder, Linda and
Roger Smith of Haines, and Kris Still of
La Grande.
POLICE LOG
ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
seemed like we had a nonstop
parade of vehicles,” Cash said.
The road closure, which be-
gan at roughly 4:45 p.m. and
lasted 24 hours, came about as
high winds and heavy snow-
fall made it too dangerous for
ODOT employees to maintain
the road to safe conditions, ac-
cording to the department.
“We closed the highway and
started putting signs out,” Cash
said. “Once we got the closures
put up, I told my crew that we
were going to get off of that
section of road.”
BY BEN LONERGAN
East Oregonian
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
HARASSMENT, STRANGULATION:
Shan Christian Bruland, 28, Baker City,
1:21 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, in the 1500
block of Indiana Avenue; jailed.
PROBATION VIOLATION, ATTEMPTED
SECOND-DEGREE ASSAULT, FOURTH-
DEGREE ASSAULT: Joshua Ryan Brown,
39, Baker City, 4:28 a.m. Friday, Feb. 4, in
the 1600 block of Valley Avenue; jailed
after allegedly threatening another man
with a knife and punching the man in
the face. Brown is scheduled to enter a
plea in Baker County Circuit Court on
Feb. 14 at 1:15 p.m.
leased by posting 10% of that
amount.
Crum is accused of sec-
ond-degree burglary, sec-
ond-degree theft, second-de-
gree criminal mischief and
unlawful use of a motor vehi-
cle. He is scheduled to enter a
plea on Feb. 25 at 1:15 p.m. in
Baker County Circuit Court.
Baker City Auto Ranch em-
ployees reported the burglary
at 5:51 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7,
according to Colton’s report.
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Colton said he and Mills
talked to Crum, and that Crum
handed Colton two key fobs,
one for the Honda and another
for a 2014 Chevrolet pickup
truck. Both fobs had Auto
Ranch ID tags, Colton wrote.
Colton wrote that Crum
also admitted using a machete
to break windows to get inside
the dealership. He told Colton
that he initially left on foot,
but then returned later and
drove away in the Honda.
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Baker City Police officers
responded.
Colton wrote in his report
that Baker City Police Officer
Justin Prevo told him, at about
11:24 p.m., that Crum report-
edly was at 3435 Eighth Drive.
Colton said he and Dep-
uty Chad Mills drove to the
address and saw a grey 2015
Honda CRV with Auto Ranch
dealer plates and no tempo-
rary registration, in the drive-
way of the home.
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