Highway 395 reopens Wo WraIÀ F The Blue Mountain EAGLE – PAGE 3 Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 W EDNESDAY , N OVEMBER 18, 2015 N O . 46 20 P AGES $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com GRANT COUNTY MIRACLE OUT OF THE ASHES Random acts of kindness rise from ZiOd¿ re disaster By Carl Sampson Blue Mountain Eagle J OHN DAY — The Grant County Fair had just ended, and manager Mary Weaver, secretary Mindy Winegar and groundskeeper Dusty Williams were taking a deep breath. Fair week is always busy, and this year was no dif- ferent. Plenty was left for them to do — clean up, re- organize and button up the fairgrounds for the season. Then, three days later, disaster struck. It was Aug. 12, and lightning exploded into the tin- der-dry hillsides south of town, setting off wild¿ res that would incinerate more than 110,000 acres of for- estland, including 17,081 privately owned acres and 93,000 acres managed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Even worse, in four weeks the ¿ re marched up the canyon and into the Strawberry Mountain wilderness, leveling 43 homes and damaging or destroying many outbuildings, trucks, cars and equipment, leaving scores of people homeless, and worse, hopeless. Carl Sampson/The Eagle Jason and Amanda Wright lost their home and all of their belongings to the Canyon Creek Complex fire last summer, but their fortunes changed because of the generosity of the community. Kathy Stewart of Redmond offered the Wrights the use of a fully furnished home, which they hope to purchase. “ See ASHES, Page A7 People began bringing clothes, tools and supplies. People I didn’t even know.” Jason Wright Hunter charged in wolf shooting Christmas on the Prairie arrives Building gingerbread houses – and fun – featured at PC festival If you go What: Christmas on the Prairie When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21 Where: Prairie City Theme: “Candyland” Man had notified authorities; both charges misdemeanors %\&KHU\O+RHÀHU Blue Mountain Eagle PRAIRIE CITY – Anna Smith’s oven is working overtime this week. She’s baking ginger- bread house walls and roofs – enough for 150 houses. It’s all in preparation for the children’s ginger- bread house-building ac- tivity Smith will head up Ore. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife at this year’s Christmas on the Prairie starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Teen Center on Front Street in Prairie City. This is the third year she has organized the free activity, which has grown each year, from 100 houses in 2013 and 125 last year. Smith has also learned a few things along the way. See FUN, Page A5 By Eric Mortenson EO Media Group Cheryl Hoefler/Eagle photos Eddie Maltass of John Day builds gingerbread houses during the 2014 Christmas on the Prairie. The free activity for children will again be at the Teen Center in Prairie City during this year’s holiday event on Saturday, Nov. 21. An Eastern Oregon man who told state police and wild- life of¿ cials that he’d shot a wolf while hunting coyotes on private property has been charged with killing an endan- gered species. Brennon D. Witty, 25, also was charged with hunting with a center¿ re riÀ e without a big game tag, Harney County Dis- OR 22, a male wolf is pictured walking through a Northeast Oregon forest on Jan. 26. It was shot south of Prairie City by a man hunting coyotes. trict Attorney Tim Colahan said Monday. Both charges are Class A misdemeanors, each punish- able by up to a year in jail and a ,250 ¿ ne. Witty will be See WOLF, Page A5