The Observer 01-04-16

Page 1

INHOMENI.IVING

Inside

Clinic construction slated, 7A Union hoops teamssweep, 1C SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA CO U N T IES SINCE 1896

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Nobody injured in

Sunday garage fire

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• La Grande fire oficials unsure what sparked blaze that left structure a'total loss' By Dick Mason

The Dowdens looked outside and were shocked to see that theirgarage, 12 feetwestoftheir house, was burning. Firefighters from the La Grande Fire Department and the La Grande Rural Fire Department arrived a short time later and prevented SeeFire / Page5A

The Observer

Early Sunday afternoon a curious sound caught the attentionofCindy Dowden and her husband, Ken, at their C Avenue home.

ewe heard some popping,"

Cindy Dowden said.

Cherise Kaechele/TheObserver

Fire crews work to extinguish a garage fire Sunday at 902 C Ave. in La Grande. The fire left the structure a "total loss," and no cause for the fire has been determined.

Effects from tragic accident linger for • Friends, train crew and law enforcement still haunted by scene of last week's train versus car accident that killed three people outside Union

The Associated Press

Give

Oregon became the lat-

By Cherise Kaechele

Oregon State Police photo

online

BURNS — The remote high desert of Eastern

The Observer

Rescue personel work the scene of lastTuesday's accident on Miller Lane and Curtis Street outside of Union. The crash killed three people.

• Militia members take over Malheur National Wildlife Refuge outside of Burns

Union's Thomas Kollen saw the flashing emergency vehicle lights last Tuesday on Miller Lane and Curtis Street outside of Union. He has traveledtheroad himself many times and had nearly been hit by a train at that intersection when he was younger. "I saw the lights from the offic ers'cars,"Kollen said of the train accident last week that claimed the lives of Clayton and Penny Colpitts and James Johnston."I didn't know afriend ofm ine had been involved." Kollen said he has known Clayton Colpitts for years. "He used to be a bad boy,

had his own brush with deathin a car accident previously, but had straightened his life out," Kollen said. "He was on the straight and narrow." Kollen's near-death experience at the train intersection where his friend was killed occurred when Kollen was in high school in the early 1980s. "I was coming back from La Grande and I had been partying," Kollen recalled."I decidedto takethe back road home. I was looking for lights in my rearview mirrors. I went to take that first turn onto Miller Lane. There's a slight blind spot on that crossing, and boy, there was SeeCrash / Page 5A

est flashpoint for antigovernment sentiment as armed protest ers occupied O a national wildlife refuge to

object to aprison sentence

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StOV for local ranchers for burning federal land. Ammon Bundy — the son IrISIde of Nevada rancher Cliven An O r egon Bundy, who was involved in s h e riff says a 2014standofFwith the gov- the group ernmentovergrazingrights occupying — is amongthe people atthe a national headquarters of the Malheur w i ldlife National Wildlife Refuge. refuge came I t was unclear exactly how to t o w n many people were taking unde r false part in the protests. pretenses. Ammon Bundy posted a Page 10A video on his Facebook page asking for militia members to come help him. He said "this is not a time to stand down. It's a time to stand up and come to Harney County," where Burns is located. Bundy and other militia SeeDispute / Page5A

La Grande depot architect had illustrious career Editor's Note

By Dick Mason The Observer

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Oregon State Police said preliminary information about last week's train versus car accident indicates the train was going 66 miles per hour. The speed limit at that location for trains is 70 mph. Officials with Union Pacific Railroad said the railroad is committed to "maintaining the safety of our employees and the general public."

INDEX

WE A T H E R

Classified.......4B Home.............1B Opinion..........4A Comics...........3B Horoscope.....5B Outskirts........7A Community...SA Letters............4A Record ...........3A Crossword.....5B Lottery............2A Sports ............1C DearAbby.....SB Obituaries.. ....3A Sudoku ..........3B

Fu ll forecast on the back of B section

Tonight

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Tuesday

31 LOyy

41/29

Mainly cloudy

Mostly cloudy

Gilbert Stanley Underwood's name is not prominently displayed anywhere in La Grande's Union Pacific Railroad depot,buthissignature is everywhere. The depot isone ofatleast 100 buildings the prominent latearchitectdesigned, about 20 of which were Union Pacific Railroad depots. The La Grande depot features a number of distinctive features found in Underwood's depots including iron chandeliers, elaborate plaster m oldings above thedoorsand windows, iron grills and tile. SeeDepot / Page5A

CONTACT US

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Call The Observer newsroom at 541-963-3161 or send an email to news@lagrandeobserver.com. More contact info on Page 4A.

Issue 2 3 sections, 20 pages La Grande, Oregon

WEDNESDAY IN GO! FAREWELL SHQW FQR THE CATSKILLS

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This is the second in a threepart series looking at the history of the La Grande depot. Wednesday: La Grande's first two railroad depots integral parts of local history.

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...andthank you for meking 20I15 suoh a suceessful year. Best Wishes for t'he upcoming year from alfl of us at...

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