CAMPING INNORTHEAST OREGON IN OUTDOORS 5. REC, 2C
NORTHEASTOREGON CAMPGROUNDSARE KNOWN FORTAME DEER BUTCAMPERS SHOULD BEVIGILANT IN LOCAL, 2A , IN HEALTH 5. FITNESS, 6C
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WALLOWAMEMORIALACHIEVESHIGH IEVEL QFPAllEN TSAllSFACllQN
THE SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA COUNTIES SINCE ISSS I I I
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SCHOOL SECURITY
IlSI 8.NORTHEAST OREGON WILDFIRE FIGHTING
• Plan to have resource oficer in La Grande School District close to being finalized Inside
By Dick Mason
The Observer
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Chris Baxter/TheObserver
Micah Grammon, left, and KodyYounger have spent the past few weeks preparing engines for GCT Construction, the company with which they have joined as wildland firefighters. The new recruits are anxiously awaiting their first assignment.
Jared The fatal shooting at Michael Reynolds High School in Padg ett was Troutdale Tuesday will push a straightmany school districts in arrow kid Oregon to ramp up security wh o had a measures in their schools. fas c ination The La Grande School Dis- with guns, trict is among those which pla n ned a intends to boost its security, c a r eer in the but its plans were in place mil i t ary and priorto Tuesday'sshooting. was deeply The school district began de v oted to taking steps earlier this his Mormon springtoadd a resource f a ith, those officer, which is expected to wh o knew be a deputy from the Union h i m say. County SherifFS Office, for Pa g e 11A the upcoming school year. The law enforcement officer will be present in schools in the La Grande district SeeOfficer / Page 5A
NORTHEAST OREGON
• New firefighting recruits prepare for their first season battling western wildfires By Kelly Ducote The Observer
Nineteen-year-old Kody Younger never saw himself sitting behind a desk for eight hours a day. This summer, he will join a host of new recruits from across the nation who will instead be behind the fire line. Younger, a 2013 graduate of Baker High School, said he's always had an interest in becoming a wildland firefighter. Up through last summer, though, he was
busy playing baseball. "Now, a job's more important,"
Younger said. He and high school classmate Micah Grammon applied to join a crew with GCT Construction and are now preparing to head out where ever Mother Nature calls. "It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be," Grammon said of the weeklong training the new recruits underwent last month. "It's a risky job. It's not going to be easy." Grammon has spent a lot of time since the training helping engine boss Mike Aguirre work on the company's trucks.
GCT has utilized Younger's welding experience to help ready the engines. New recruitsalsohave a plethora ofpaperwork to fill out. ForYounger,becoming a wildland fi refighter hits close to home. Though he is the first in his family to do so, he said his family life revolves around recreational activit y in theforest. aWithout a forest, you can't do anything," he said."Most people around here live on logging." Grammon said after this summer he SeeRecruits / Page 5A
ro ose ores aria urne • Deschutes Land Trust still wants to acquire land burned in the Two Bulls Fire
still 638 firefighters on the fire, which had burned 6,908 acres — nearly 11 square He said Thursday it's too miles — and the fire was 55 By Dylan J. Darling WesCom News Service early to estimate how much percentcontained,according Since the Two Bulls Fire was l ost and how much might to the state-led team fighting the blaze. The cost of fighting startedSaturday,BillSw arts, be salvage logged. "It's a little bit too soon to forester forCascade Timberthe fire is at $4.3 million. lands, has been assessing do th a t yet until we get all the The Deschutes County the impact on the company's fi r e fighters out," he said. SherifFs Office has said the timber holdings. As of Thursday there were Two Bulls Fire, as well as
INDEX
WE A T H E R
Calendar........7A Health ............6C Classified.......1B Horoscope.....4B Comics...........9B Lottery............2A Crossword.....4B Record ...........3A Dear Abby...10B Obituaries......3A
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Opinion..........4A Outdoors .......1C Spiritual Life..6A Sports ............BA Television ......3C
another small fire Tuesday south of Skyliners Road, was suspicious and potentially arson. The reward for information leading to a conviction in the Two Bulls Fire was up to
$36,825 Thursday. The fire burned 6,100 acres of the nearly 33,000 acres northwest of Bend owned by SeeFire / Page 5A
. 43 LCW A shower or two possible
Saturday
Sunday
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DEALING WITH AN APHID INFESTATION •000
State: New wolf territory labeled near Meacham By Katy Nesbitt The Observer
A new wolf territory was designated this week on Mt. Emily north of Meacham in Umatilla County. OR-26, a male wolf collared last month, is thought to have a mate and pups, but the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's report said further field surveys are needed to confirm. Wolf Biologist Russ Morgan said based on game trail photographs,tracksand reports, OR-26's home range appears to be in a different area than the Mt. Emily pack's territory. SeeTerritory / Page 5A
CONTACT US
Fu ll forecast on the back of B section
Friday
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife photo
OR-26, a wolf recently collared on Mt. Emily, has his own range north of Meacham in Umatilla County.
541-963-3161 Issue 71 3 sections, 28 pages La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas to newsC~lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.
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