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• Group of top-tier high school students from China tour Eastern Oregon University
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Tim Mustoe/TheObserver
Exchange students from China scale the climbing wall at Eastern Oregon University's Quinn Coliseum Monday afternoon. The top-tier students are on a tour of Eastern Oregon, including a visit to EOU to see what an American university is like. By Cherise Kaechele
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The Observer
A group of 16- and 17-year-old high school students from China is getting an up close and personal experience of Eastern Oregon this month through an exchange program with their high school in Shiquan, China, and the Grant Union and Baker City school districts. One of the stops for these students was to visit La Grande on Monday. The students came to visit Eastern Oregon University to see what an American university is like. Grant Union Superintendent Kurt Shelley and Baker City Superintendent Mark Witty are each hosting 11 students from China for a three-week program to introduce the area to the students with the hope they11 come back in the fall of 2016fora fullyear,W itty said.
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Tim Mustoe/The Observer
Riverside lnc.'s Jeff Hash, left, inspects the machinery of a well being drilled near the Island City Cemetery as Kieran Riley collects sediment samples. Tim Mustoe/TheObserver
Eastern Oregon University Outdoor Program Coordinator Michael Hatch, far owe're hoping a percentage of them de- right, and EOU student Megan Volk prepare Chinese exchange students for rock cide to come back next year,"Witty said. climbing at the climbing wall Monday. The students had time to climb to the top See Visit / Page 5A of the climbing wall as well as other activities at EOU.
MARIJUANA
ounciltotakecommentson Sre-sale • HB 3400 option will be focus of La Grande City Council next week By Cherise Kaechele The Observer
The La Grande City Council held a work session Monday night focused on passing an ordinancetoban thepre-saleofrecreational
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marijuana by the local medical marijuana dispensaries. The work session was supposed to be about Oregon House Bill 3400, which Gov. Kate Brown signed earlier this month, that allows the counties that voted 55 percentor more against the legalization ofmarijuanain November to optoutof the sale by the end of the year. The council had the more pressing job to decide whether to allow recreational marijuaWE A T H E R
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RIDAY IN OUTDOORS
The FBI said Tuesday that no toxic substances have been found in letters sent to about 20Oregon sheriffsor theirofftces. Sheriffs around the state reported receiving the envelopes containing rambling, incoherent messages Monday. Investigators initially said some of the packages contained an unknown substance, but the FBI said Tuesday that none had a visible powder. The suspicious mail was delivered to counties across the state, including Washington and Jackson counties. In Northeast Oregon, suspiciousenvelopes were delivered tothe sheriffs of Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Baker and Grant counties. Union County Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen saidthe letterdelivered to hisoffi cewasnot opened and was forwarded to the FBI for processing. "It was immediately secured and removed from the building," he said. Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer said he opened a letter at his office in Canyon City and felt a burning sensation in his face and arms, a metallic taste in his mouth, SeeMail / Page 5A
na to be sold commercially beginning Oct. 1. The city council will have to pass an ordinance before the Oct. 1 deadline banning the pre-sale. City Manager Robert Strope said the presale ordinance was more timely than opting out of the production and sale of medical and recreational marijuana at the moment. "I'm very comfortable that the council SeePre-sale / Page 5A
F ull forecast on the back of B section
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Island City well drilling project underway By Dick Mason The Observer
ISLAND CITY — Well drillers expect the unexpected — and for good reason. oYou are reaching things no human alive has touched," said Kieran Riley, who works for Riverside Incu a Parma, Idaho, firm now drilling a well for the City of Island City. Riley said well drilling crews he has been with have uncovered all types of surprising items in the Northwest, including clam beds, wood and volcanic ash. Riley has not hit anything unexpected on his present project, adjacent to the south side of the Island City See Well / Page 5A
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Issue 88 2 sections, 20 pages La Grande, Oregon
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