A2 BAKER CITY HERALD • TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2022
Local
TURNING BACK THE PAGES
50 YEARS AGO
from the Democrat-Herald
April 4, 1972
Retention of Hughes Air West (HAW) service, to offset
the airline’s announced intention to withdraw fl ight
service from Baker, topped the agenda at the Chamber of
Commerce aviation committee breakfast this morning.
25 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 4, 1997
Two Baker County men want the U.S. Forest Service to
pay almost $1.4 million for damage the Sloans Ridge fi re
caused to their property last August.
Robert R. Bowen Jr. of Baker City and Larry Dinger of
Haines fi led damage claims Feb. 14.
10 YEARS AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 6, 2012
Baker County Commissioners this week approved a
two-season agreement with the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife for the continued campaign to remove
yellow perch from Phillips Reservoir.
According to the intergovernmental agreement, eight
Merwin net traps will be set each spring.
Work to ensure that many perch are captured this
seasn began last Friday, March 31. That’s when ice-
off started, said Vince Woods, the county’s facility
maintenance director.
ONE YEAR AGO
from the Baker City Herald
April 6, 2021
Gary Timm understands that it’s a good time to burn
dead grass along ditches and fences, or piles of debris.
Too good, potentially.
The combination of a dry March and occasional
strong winds can rapidly turn even a small blaze into an
inferno, said Timm, with the Baker County Emergency
Management department.
Timm recommends property owners outside Baker City
not only avoid lighting fi res on especially blustery days, but
that they also call their local fi re department or protection
district before igniting grass or brush on more placid days.
(Residents within Baker City need to obtain a free
permit from the Fire Department, 1616 Second St.)
A quick call alerts local fi re offi cials about where to
expect smoke, and potentially save volunteer fi refi ghters
from making an unnecessary trip to check on a fi re report
from a citizen who mistakes a planned blaze from one
that’s burning out of control, Timm said.
That’s happened several times this spring in Baker
County, he said.
Sometimes the call for help is needed, though, Timm
said.
In a few cases, he said, a landowner needed help
dousing a fi re that spread faster than expected due to
wind gusts.
The Keating Rural Fire Department helped confi ne
a blaze in the Keating Valley on Saturday afternoon,
according to the Baker County Consolidated Dispatch
Center.
The Dispatch Center’s log also includes two other
controlled burns reported that day, one along Interstate
84 near North Powder, the other along Highway 245 in the
Burnt River Valley.
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SENIOR MENUS
WEDNESDAY (April 6): Stuff ed green peppers, corn, garlic
bread, carrot-raising salad, apple crisp
THURSDAY (April 7): Barbecued ribs, scalloped potatoes,
carrots, rolls, green salad, bread pudding
FRIDAY (April 8): Roast turkey, stuffi ng, corn, rolls, Jell-O with
fruit, cheesecake
MONDAY (April 11): Baked ziti, garlic bread, zucchini and
tomatoes, ambrosia, brownies
TUESDAY (April 12): Hot turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes,
peas, green salad, cookies
WEDNESDAY (April 13): Chicken broccoli fettuccine, green
beans and tomatoes, garlic bread, fruit and cottage cheese,
ice cream
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
2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101
Open Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telephone: 541-523-3673
ISSN-8756-6419
Serving Baker County since 1870
Publisher
Karrine Brogoitti
kbrogoitti@lagrandeobserver.com
Jayson Jacoby, editor
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Published Tuesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays except Christmas Day by the
Baker Publishing Co., a part of EO Media
Group, at 2005 Washington Ave., Suite 101
(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 © 2022
OSP mourns loss of Sgt. Marcus McDowell
BY RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
LA GRANDE — Members
of the Oregon State Police are
reeling after the sudden loss of
one of their own last week.
“It’s devastated our region,”
retired OSP patrol Sgt. Kyle
Hove said of the death of
Sgt. Marcus McDowell. “He
has friends all over, not just
Union County (and) Wal-
lowa County. He has friends in
Baker, Umatilla (counties) —
he has worked the whole state.”
McDowell, 48, was found
dead in his patrol vehicle
in front of his Joseph home
Tuesday afternoon, March 29,
of a single gunshot wound to
the head.
An investigation determined
the gunshot wound to be
self-inflicted. OSP stated Mc-
Dowell was on duty at the time
of his death.
“Our hearts go out to his
family, friends, and co-work-
ers as they cope with this tragic
incident,” OSP said in a state-
ment March 31.
Those who worked with
McDowell remembered him
for his strong work ethic, for
his smiling personality, for
being a friend, and for caring
for those around him during
an OSP career that spanned
17½ years.
“He was a wonderful hu-
man being,” said La Grande-
based East Region Capt. Dan-
iel Conner. “He is going to be
sorely missed by everybody
for a long time.”
McDowell spent the major-
ity of his career in Union and
Wallowa counties, but got his
start with OSP Sept. 1, 2004,
being initially assigned to the
John Day outpost, Conner
said. He was later transferred
to La Grande and worked out
Water
Continued from Page A1
The city released wastewater
that exceeds the E. coli concen-
tration limits in its permit due
to a leak discovered March 7
in a dike on the largest lagoon,
which covers about 70 acres,
said Michelle Owen, the city’s
public works director.
City workers plugged the
leak with soil and bentonite,
but as a precaution the city also
lowered the water level in that
lagoon to below the area where
the leak was found, moving
some of the water to the three
smaller lagoons, each about 10
acres, Owen said.
That forced the city to re-
lease about the same amount of
wastewater into the river as was
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
An Oregon State Police officer watches over the casket of Sgt. Marcus
McDowell one last time before loading it into a funeral vehicle at
Loveland Funeral Chapel, La Grande on Monday, April 4, 2022.
of Northeastern Oregon for
freeway, he was so good at his
the rest of his career.
job. He has some incredible
“Marcus has always been
seizures of all kinds of differ-
a very motivated and driven
ent things.”
state trooper,” said Conner,
Kainoa Delatori, who
who has been with OSP since worked with McDowell the en-
2005 and knew McDowell
tirety of his six-year OSP career,
most of his career. “He’s got
and even prior during a stint
a very good work ethic. He
with La Grande Police, said
comes to work ready to go, al- McDowell was the “resident
ways gives 110%.”
expert” when it came to drug
McDowell spent
interdiction work, and
five years as a K-9
someone he would
handler based in La
consult often.
Grande, and followed
“We talk on a daily
that with five years
basis,” Delatori said.
in the Fish and Wild-
“I would pick his
life division. He also
brain when it came
spent time in drug
to work on (interdic-
McDowell
interdiction, where
tion) stuff. We got
on patrol he would
pretty close the last
search for vehicles suspected of couple years.”
transporting illegal substances,
Delatori also commented on
seeking to disrupt drug traf-
McDowell’s impeccable work
ficking.
ethic, and called him a man
“Marcus, he loved his job,” with whom you knew where
said Hove, who McDowell re- you stood.
placed as patrol sergeant for
“That’s one of the things I
the La Grande-area in March respect most out of Marcus,”
2020. “He was a hard worker. Delatori said of McDowell’s
He was very productive. He
work. “After that long, a lot of
was active in the community. people get burned out or they
Back when we were doing
fade off. (But) he had the most
interdiction and stuff on the
stops in the office month in
coming into the lagoon com-
plex each day, to avoid over-
flowing the smaller lagoons.
The city typically avoids re-
leasing wastewater late in win-
ter because the natural organ-
isms that consume some of the
potentially harmful bacteria
aren’t active due to cold tem-
peratures and ice cover on the
lagoons, Owen said.
The ice melted in late March,
and by March 25 the wastewa-
ter being released no longer ex-
ceeded bacteria limits, she said.
The plug in the leak appears
to be holding, according to a
weekly newsletter from City
Hall posted on Friday, April 1.
The city is preparing to start
using the newly constructed
treatment lagoon, which is east
of Interstate 84 and just south
of Highway 203.
News of Record
DEATHS
POLICE LOG
Mardelle LaDorise Webb Allen
Ebell: 100, a longtime Baker County
resident, died on April 3, 2022, at
her home, surrounded by family. A
traditional funeral service will take
place on Saturday, April 16, at 2 p.m.
at the Pine Valley Presbyterian Church
in Halfway. Interment will follow
at Pine Haven Cemetery. Online
condolences can be shared at www.
tamispinevalleyfuneralhome.com.
Rev. Donavon Ray McCall: 48, died
Nov. 25, 2021, in Billings, Montana. He
was born on Dec. 7, 1972. Services will
be Wednesday, April 6, at 10 a.m. at Blue
Mountain Baptist Church, 2998 Eighth
St. in Baker City. He is survived by his
wife, Jasmine; his daughter, Miaya; his
parents, Dr. Karen Franke (Richard); his
siblings, Ronald McCall (Carina). Noah
Franke (Yuliya), and Jennifer Richards
(Adam). He is also survived by many
nephews and nieces and other relatives.
We miss your great sense of fun and
adventure, his family said.
Helen Georgia Buckmaster: 89,
of Baker City, died April 1, 2022,
surrounded by family at her home. A
celebration of her life will be announced
at a later date. Memorial contributions
can be made to the Ovarian Cancer
Research Alliance through Gray’s West
& Co. Pioneer Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave.,
Baker City, OR 97814. To light a candle
in Helen’s memory, or to offer online
condolences to her family, go to www.
grayswestco.com.
Baker City Police
Arrests, citations
FAILURE TO APPEAR (Union County
warrant): Destiny Lynn Duvall, 21, Baker
City, 7:36 a.m. Sunday, April 3, at 16th and
Carter streets; cited and released.
FOURTH-DEGREE ASSAULT (domestic):
James Leroy Edison, 73, Baker City,
3:17 p.m. Saturday, April 2, in the 2000
block of Seventh Street; jailed.
Baker County Sheriff’s Office
Arrests, citations
HARASSMENT (Baker County warrant):
Alyssa Renee Owens, 27, Baker City,
7:06 p.m. Saturday, April 2, on Foothill
Drive; cited and released.
FUNERAL PENDING
Kathleen Mae Bradshaw: Her
memorial service will be Friday, April 8,
at 1 p.m. at Gray’s West & Co. Pioneer
Chapel, 1500 Dewey Ave. A reception
will immediately follow the service, at
Community Connection, 2810 Cedar St.
Refreshments will be served. Memorial
contributions can be made to the Make
A Wish Foundation through Gray’s West
& Co., 1500 Dewey Ave., Baker City, OR
97814. To leave an online condolence
for Kathleen’s family, go to www.
grayswestco.com.
and month out. One thing I
really looked up to him (for) is
his work ethic. He would actu-
ally put in the work.”
Hove described McDowell
as the person called on when
an extra hand was needed on
a scene. He said he was always
available, whether early in the
morning or late in the evening.
“He’s the guy who would
always be at work, always be
there,” he said. “He was the guy
you called. … Say you’re work-
ing a case, whatever the case
may be, Marcus would always
stop by and see if you needed
any help.”
Delatori, who was one of the
OSP troopers to respond to the
scene in Joseph, called the loss
of his friend a shock.
“It’s something that I pray in
the next 20 years of my career I
never have to deal with again,”
he said.
Conner said in losing Mc-
Dowell, the OSP is losing an
“upstanding individual.”
“We’re losing a great friend,
employee, a supervisor, just a
mentor in general to others, a
leader — Marcus is all of those
things,” he said. “More impor-
tantly, he’s just a friend. It’s tak-
ing a devastating toll on all of
us that have worked with him
over the years. It’s hard to deal
with. It’s very difficult to deal
with a loss.”
Hove described him as the
one you wanted out working
the job.
“He was always doing good,”
he said. “All these guys do good,
but Marcus was exceptional.”
And for Delatori, the loss of
a driven friend is only going to
push him.
“I think it’s going to make
me work harder now,” he said.
“I think that is what he would
have wanted.”
OTEC
selected from a pool of can-
didates from OTEC’s service
Continued from Page A1
territory in Baker, Grant,
Harney, and Union counties.
The other recipients are
Scholarship funds come from
unclaimed capital credits.
Harli Grove of John Day,
“We encourage all
Harrison Holt of
OTEC members, re-
John Day, Maverick
gardless of age, who
Miller of Canyon
want to pursue a
City, Skyler Perkins
trade or attend line-
of Cove and Aubrey
man school to apply
Walker of Seneca.
for our scholarships,”
“We are pleased
Hathaway said.
to award these
“Lineman schools
scholarships to
Borello
and trade schools
help support these
provide excellent op-
students as they
portunities for those
pursue their ca-
who don’t want to
reer paths and gain
pursue college, but
the valuable skills
want to learn mar-
needed for highly
ketable skills, work
in-demand jobs
in an interesting liv-
in the trades or in
Rasmussen
ing-wage job and
the electric util-
carry little or no stu-
ity industry,” Joe
dent debt.”
Hathaway, com-
Applications for
munications man-
both trade and line-
ager at OTEC, said
man school schol-
in a press release.
arships are open
“Member-owned
year-round. Apply
cooperatives like
at www.otec.coop/
OTEC are, by their
Eskew
scholarships. The
very nature, com-
OTEC Member
munity partners
Foundation plans to
and we have always
award more trade
been proud to sup-
and lineman school
port the educa-
scholarships later
tional goals of local
this year.
students and give
OTEC’s 2022 ac-
back to the com-
ademic scholarship
munities in our ser-
Banister
recipients will be an-
vice territory.”
nounced this spring.
Scholarship winners are
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