La Grande Observer Paper 08-29-14

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW INSPORTS, 8A

Oregon head coach Mark Helfrich

Oregon State head coach Mike Riley

OREGON, OREGON STATE KICKOFF NEW SEASONWITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS INOUTDOORS8r.REC,1C INHEALTH8IFITNESS,10C ~ ~ ::

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UNION COUNTY TRAVEL

SERVICE NO LONGERAT RISK IN LAG

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• Commissionerays s county did not compare potential costs among sevenoptions for siting new courthouse What do you think?

By Kelly Ducote The Observer

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Tim Mustoe/TheObserver

Passengers prepare to board a Greyhound bus at the La Grande depot earlyThursday. Earlier this summer, La Grande was in danger of being dropped from the Greyhound bus service route, but Northeast Oregon PublicTransit has since taken over the day-to-day operations of the city bus terminal.

• Bus service retained after Northeast Oregon Public Transit steps forward By Dick Mason The Observer

La Grande is no longer a city at risk oflosing its public travel connection to the outside world. Earlier this summer, La Grande was in danger of being dropped from the Greyhound bus service route. The threat was real because Donna Wilson retired as the agentfortheLa Grande Greyhound depot after more than 20 years of service. Once Wilson stepped down, nobody could be found to succeed her,prompting Greyhound officials to consider dropping La Grande from its route, said Frank Thomas, Union County

Tim Mustoe/The Observer

Greyhound buses, as they have in the past, stop four times a day at the depot. transit manager. uiGreyhoundl could have passed right by La Grande,"

Thomas said. Thomas and other Northeast Oregon Public Transit

officials were not about to let Greyhound put the brakes on its La Grande service. They arranged for Northeast Oregon Public Transit, which is part of Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, to begin operating the Greyhound depot. owe were passionate about tryingto saveit,"Thomas said. Today, Northeast Oregon Public Transit, which provides public transportation service in Union, Wallowa, Baker and Umatilla counties, is running the Greyhound depot, which is in the same building as its La Grande transit center office. SeeBus / Page 5A

MCT News Service

POLICE

Calendar........7A Classified.......1B Comics...........7B Crossword..... 5B Dear Abby .....SB

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thoughts. Email letters to the editor to news@ lagrandeobserver. com and join the conversation on The Observer Opinion page.

Inside A decision in the Shelter From the Storm lawsuit against the county is not expected until Tuesday, the day after the eviction deadline sent to the shelter in April. Page 5A

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541-963-3161 Issue 104 3 sections, 28 pages La Grande, Oregon

A GRA N DE LANDSCAPERS DEFYDRYSUMMER •000

paneloflegislatorsthatthey had revised their 2013-15 revenue numbers up by $70 milhon since June. That's good news, they said, becauseitleavesthe 2013-15 budget intact with no need to make cuts. However, it also brings the state within a $27 million margin in terms of the personal kicker threshold, which could mean SeeRebates / Page 5A

CONTACT US

Fu l l forecast on the back of B section

Friday

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INCOME TAX

PORTLAND — Oregon's economy has continued to grow, yet not enough to significantly change the budget forecastthatstate economists released in the spring. And, most important to taxpayers, likely not enough to trigger the state's'kickeru law. In releasing their quarterly forecastWednesday, state economists Mark McMullen and Josh Lehner told a

holdsfortheircrim escenes. Last month, Oregon State Police Superintendent Richard Evans announced By Cherise Kaechele The Observer the possibility of closing Nothing new has been said the Pendleton forensics lab, which caters to most of the to area police departments aboutthe possibleclosure of Eastern Oregon law enforcethe Oregon State Police foren- ment offices. No decision has sics lab in Pendleton. However, been madeyet,butbudgetOregon State Police photo ary concerns are prompting the veryreal possibility ofits Forensic Scientist Nika Larsen at the Pendleton forenall avenues be explored. closure forcesthe departments sics lab looks for fingerprints on a handgun using an to think about what the future SeeConcern / Page 5A aIternative light source.

INDEX

We want to hear

Oregoncloseto triggeringreiIates

Waiting for forensics a concern for police • Possible closure of lab means potential delays

Despite labeling one choice as the cheapest option of seven, Union County commissioners did not analyzecostdifferences among alternative options for siting a new courthouse, according to testimony heard in court Wednesday. In advance of the unanimous March decision to site the new courthouse on the footprint of nonprofit Shelter From the Storm, commissioners laid out seven possible alternatives in a document that said siting the courthouse where SFS currently sits was the cheapest option. Commissioner Bill Rosholt testified this week, however, that the county didnotcompare potential costs among those choices. owe have no written numbers," Rosholt said. One option listed on the county document considered demolishing the Joseph Building Annex, thus saving the SFS building. That option was scrapped, Rosholt said, amid concerns of asbestos in the building that would make it more expensive to raze. When SeeCourt / Page 5A

Email story ideas to newsC~lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.

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