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WOLF RECOVERY LA GRANDE CITY COUNCIL
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• Despite tight budget, some on the city council want to fund another police OKcer By Kelly Ducote, The Observer
La Grande City Councilors are feeling the financial pinch Still, so.meexpressed an interestin finding a roay to fund another police ofiicer at the council's retreat Monday night The La Grande Police Department has dealt with a"status quo" budget for the pastseveralyears,m eaning thedepartment's funding hasn't changed. At the same time, they are dealing with more calls, said Lt. Derick Reddington. "It is becoming moredifficult day by day, month by month to handle the call loads, do the same thorough investigations, case reports with the staffing level that wecurrently have and have had for the last number of years," Reddington said."If we do stay status quo, our level of service is going down somewhat." Reddington told councilors at their an-
nual goal-setting meeting that the police department — and the county sherifFs office — is seeing an increasing call load. "Our call load, whether it's the county or the city, is continuing to go up, but our resources are the same," he said."So, we're having to be more selective. We've always had to prioritize the calls coming in." 911 dispatchers aregetting more calls involving mental health problems and moredomestic violence calls,both of which tax resources. Domestic calls, for example, often require two officers for safety reasons, Reddington said. The lieutenant cited an example of a suicidal
man holed up at a local motel Friday. He said night-shift officers were on duty for up to 19 hours helping with that situation. Councilor John Lackey said he sees the police department's resources on a"collision course." "By notdoing anything more,we're falling behind," Lackey said. Mayor Steve Clements told City Manager Robert Strope to look at adding back a police officer to next year's budget. ''What don't you want to do?" Strope sald. SeeBudget / Page 5A
• State con6rms six documented breedingpairs of wolves to prompt move&omPhaseI Wolf
By Katy Nesbitt The Observer
count
ENTERPRISE — Oregon is moving to Phase II of its wolf recovery plan after wildlife biologists documented six breeding pairs in 2014, a big steptoward delisting the species from the state's endangeredspeciesliston theeast sideofthe state. The number ofbreeding pairs drivestherecovery of wolves in Oregon; moving fiom Phase I, the conservation stage, toPhase II,fourorm ore breeding pairs must be documented for three consecutive years. To qualify as a breeding pair, two or more pups must survive until the end of the year in which they were born. oWe will continue adding information as we gather it from a population standpoint," said Russ Morgan,the SeeWolves / Page 5A
Wolf counts are conducted in the winter when they are grouped up. February is mating season and within a few weeks, wolf pairs will breed and pups will be born in April.
OREGON
Cop killer again appeals to state parole board
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Tim Mustoe/TheObserver
Police officer Matt Duncan writes down information on one of the 10 cases he's currently working on while out on patrol in La Grande Tuesday afternoon. During the La Grande City Council's annual retreat Monday, councilors expressed an interest in finding a way to fund another police officer.
EASTERN OREGON
Recentamackadsleave Hansellunfaied
• Ad full ofhalf truths about voting record, state senator says By Kelly Ducote The Observer
State Sen. Bill Hansell was a bitsurprised to learn ofnewspaper and radio ads run recently attackinghisvoting record. The ads won't change the way he works in the Legislature, though.
"It came very suddenly and out of the blue," Hansell said this week of the ads, which ran in both HanseH Th e Observer and the East Oregonian recently. Several spots also ran on local radio stations. Former state Rep. Jeff Kropf, founder of Capitol Watch PAC, signed his name to the ad that ran in The Observer Jan. 16. Kropf did not return multiple re-
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Business........1B Education......7A Record...........3A Classified.......4B Horoscope.....6B Sports ............SA Comics.... .......3B Lottery............2A Sudoku ..........3B Crossvvord.....6B Obituaries......3A Wallovva Life..6A Dear Abby .....SB Opinion..........4A Wondervvord... 3B
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quests for comment for this story. The ad questions Hansell, oWill You Vote Like a Conservative This Time??" and mentions votes on"drivers licenses to illegals," "Oregon's Obamacare,""the boondoggle light rail bridge in Portland" and a"pathway to early release for... sexual criminals!" Hansell, who was out of the country when the ads came out, said the ad singles out votes without context. Hansell said he isn't SeeHansell / Page 5A
Fu l l forecast on the back of B section
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A T A LEOFTWOMUSHERS •000
W hat do you think? We want to hear your thoughts. Email letters to the editor to letters@ lagrandeobserver. com and join the conversation on The Observer Opinion
page.
By StuartTomlinson The Oregonian
SALEM — By his own ad- The threemission, Sidney Dean Porter member was a mean, abusive drunk board, which with a reputation for quick includes fists and numerous scrapes chairwoman with the law in the roughKristin Winges and-tumbletown ofJohn and members Day in Eastern Oregon. Michael Indeed, his reputation, Wu and Sid he said Tuesday before the Thompson, Oregon Board of Parole and said they Post-Prison Supervision, would not made peopleafraid ofhim. issue a On the night of April 8, decision 1992, Porter, drinking at Tuesday but home with friends and his would as soon wife, was inebriated to three as possible. times the legal limit. He struck his wife with the back ofhis hand. She was mad at him because of an affair he was SeePorter / Page 5A
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Issue 12 3 sections, 32 pages La Grande, Oregon
Decision looming
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