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ELGIN BOARDMAN TO HEMINGWAYTRANSMISSION LINE PROJECT •
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• Morgan Lake area residents troubled over nesting eagles, transmission line project
• Miscommunication causes hefty fine that the state rescinded in December Inside
By Cherise Kaechele The Observer
La Grande High School, have to pay $13,000 after La Grande being accused of non-compliMiddle ance from Oregon's DepartSchool and ment of Environmental Central Quality. Elementary A judge ruled in December School had thatthe city did notviolate a lock out the regulations and there for about 20 was no penalty. minutes late "It was determined that Thursday we were in compliance," said morning Mayor-Elect Allan DufFy. because of a cwe're a small community nearby police and $13,000 is a lot of money. incident. When you're fined, we want Page 2A to make sure that it's a just fine and work with DEQ to work out the situation." The Elgin City Council and its engineering company, JUB Engineers, took issue See Appeal / Page5A The city of Elgin will not
Pat McCarthy photos
The McCarthy family has concerns about a proposed transmission line near Morgan Lake because of an eagle's nest they have found in the area. Sue McCarthy and her daughter, Madeline, attended an open house for the Boardman to HemingwayTransmission Line Project to learn more and bring to light information about the birds, which they have previously been quiet about in order to protect the habitat. By Kelly Ducote
The McCarthys, who live near Morgan Lake, have spotted eagles in the area overthe last fewyears and say they are nesting in the area. Concern for eagles in the area is one of many residents have raised regarding the proposed Boardman to HemingwayTransmission Line Project.
The Observer
SPeak Out
Residents living around Morgan Lake will be giving the Bureau of Land Management input about eagles in the area as the agency takes comments on the Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line Project. More than 50 people turned out to learn more about the Idaho Power project at the Blue Mountain Conference Center Wednesday night. The BLM recently released the draft environmental statement for the project and is taking public comment. Sue McCarthy and her daughter, Madeline, said they have kept quiet about the eaglesthey have spotted near theirhome on Wood Road. 'They've been breeding up there for two to three years," Sue McCarthy said. The McCarthys haven't said much about the eagles
TODAY'S QUESTION Are you concerned about the ploposed Boardman to Hemingway Transmission Line project going near Morgan Lake? SOUND OFF www.lagrandeobserver. com
WEATHER ,'C s
because they don't want them to be disturbed. Now, though, they are bringing that information to light since a
proposed 500 mv transmission line is proposed in the area. "Really there should be no disturbances there or they may not go back to their nest," Sue McCarthy said."It's a concern." See Concerns / Page 5A
Tim Mustoe/The Observer
Meteorologists with the NationalWeather Service say the remainder of the winter in the region will be warmer and drier.
Winter weather taking a break Breaking
By Pat Caldwell
County may get emergency notification system • Commissioners move forward with Union County Commissioners approvedgoing forward with writing a contract for the notifiBy Cherise Kaechele The Observer cation system after J.B. Brock, Union County is in the preeme r gency services manager planning stages of purchasing a f or the county, presented the county-wide emergency notifica- new system, which is becoming
purChaSing prOgram
INDEX Calendar........7A Classified.......1B Comics........... 5B Crossvvord.....2B Dear Abby .....6B
WE A T H E Health ............6C Outdoors .......1C Horoscope.....2B Record ...........3A Lottery............2A Spiritual Life..6A Obituaries......3A Sports ............SA Opinion..........4A Television ......3C
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increasingly more popular as technology becomes more readily available. "The technology in the iemergency services) industry has become competitive enough that I think we can be successful with this new system," Brock said. He explained there are two
pieces to this notification system: the emergency side and an internal side. On the emergency side, there are three key options for notification, Brock said. The first is an opt-in portion that allows peopleto sign up for theservice and, generally speaking, enter See System / Page5A
I'eCOI'dS
Winter isn't over yet, but weather experts expect conditionsacross the region to be slightly warmer and drierthan normal even as other portions of the U.S. wrestle with extreme cold. Subzero temperatures acrossthe Midwest triggered Chicago Public Schools to shut down operations Wednesday. Other cities See Weather / Page5A
Statistically, the winter so far in the Grande Ronde Valley displayed higher temperatures and even broke some lecolds.
CONTACT US
R F u ll forecast on the back of B section
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
23 bOW
41/30
42/30
Mostly cloudy
Mostly cloudy
Rain and snow
NDIA N FOOD THAT FABULOUS AND EASY •000
For the WesCom News Service
541-963-3161 Issue 4 3 sections, 22 pages La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas to newsC~lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.
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