SMOKING INNORTHEAST OREGON IN HEALTH 5.FITNESS, 1C
UNIVERSITYOFWASHINGTON STUDY SHOWSTHE NUMBER OF PEOPLEWHO SMOKE IN UNION, BAKER COUNTIES DROPPED IN 2012 IN LOCAL, 2A IN LOCAL, 10A
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ELECTION 2014 EASTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY
• Union County businessman outspending Pendleton challenger in District 58 race Closer look
By Kelly Ducote The Observer
Chris Baxter /The Observer
Eastern Oregon University students study at Pierce Library. A policy change last summer, coupled with flat enrollment, dropped the school's year-end funding balance below the state's required 5 percent.
• Rising costs, stagnant enrollment and other issues translate into challenges for EOU By Pat Caldwell
over $1 million and reduced the institution's 2013 ending fund balance from 4.8 An unexpected policy change last summer regarding how Eastern Oregon Unipercent to 1.6 percent. versity assessesbad debtcollection jolted Under OUS rules, a statethe institution and thrust its year-end Davies f u n ded university cannot funding balance far below the minimum fall below 5 percent on its required by the State Board of Higher education and general fund year-end balance. When, or if, a university does fall Education and the Oregon University System. below the 5 percent benchmark it can The policy change was introduced by often translate into the declaration of a the Oregon University System's comptrol- financial emergency. ler and altered the way each university in However, because EOU was directed the state "writes ofF'bad debt in accounts by the Oregon University System's receivables. Before, each university in finance and administrations commitOregonboasted separate procedures to tee — and therefore had no controlover the matter— toadopt thedebtwrite-ofF the bad debtcollection issue. The new plan essentially was a onepolicy, the drop below the 5 percent yeartime accounting correction of more than end fund minimum did not produce a $20 million across the Oregon University financial crisis. 'The way we adjust for bad debt, they System. EOU's one-time adjustment was WesCom News Service
escalatedthat processimmensely,"said outgoing EOU President Bob Davies. While some bigger universities can often absorb a major financial hit, a $1 million write off is a big deal for a small institution such as Eastern, Davies said. 'Thatis one of the challenges for Eastern. Any small change has a significant impact. A million dollar change at (Oregonl is a routing error," Davies said."Everything is magnified for us. A swing of 50 students at Eastern represents a pretty big swing. A 50-student swing at U of 0is arouting error. We don't have the margins." Still, the $1 million or more write ofF the university absorbed doesn't make the job of college officials any easier in a time of shrinking state funding for higher education, declining or stagnant enrollment and rising costs. See Eastern / Page 5A
On-campus, online students both valuable • More on-campus students would boost student activity programs By Dick Mason The Observer aaa rxsrraa OREGOa
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Chris Baxter/The Observer
Freshman hurdlerTyWarn of JordanValley gets some work in during a track practice at Eastern Oregon University. Athletic programs at EOU benefit financially when on-campus student enrollment is up.
Online students make up just over half of Eastern Oregon University's student body of about 4,100 and play a huge role in helping strengthen the school's financial bottom line. Still, the question is sometimes asked — would Eastern improve its fragile budget picture if a higher percentage of its enroll-
ment consisted of on-campus as opposed to online students? It's a question that does not have a simple answer, school officials say. EOU online and on-campus students pay approximately the same tuition. This means that tuition from online and on-campus studentsprovides about the same amount of funding for salaries, building expenses See Students / Page 5A
Campaign District 58 candidate Fin a nce Greg Barreto is outspend- Information for ing opponent John Turner the year 2014 3-to-1. GREG According to campaign BA R RETO finances records available Total on the Oregon Secretary C o n t ributions: of Statewebsite,Barreto's $98,682.00 committee, Barreto for HD Total 58,has spent more than Expenditures: $65,000 on the campaign $ 6 5,039.74 compared to Turner's Endi n g Cash $19,829. Balance: The two will square ofF $41,487.00 in the May Republican JOHN T URNER p rimary for a seat in the T o t al Oregon Legislature repre- Contributions: senting District 58, which $ 28,586.00 i ncludes Union, Wallowa T o t al and part of Umatilla Expenditures: counties. $19,829.94 Turner, of Pendleton, End i ng Cash has touted his public Balance: service experience and $17 ,579.44 work with the Legislature during his tenure in public — Oregon education. He served for Secretary of See Spending / Page 5A State Office
UNION COUNTY
Longtime lawman P»se»way • Bob Price, 80, died at Yuma, Ariz., home earlier this month By Kelly Ducote The Observer
A former Union County sherifFhas passed away. Robert"Bob" Price, 80, died at his home in Yuma, Ariz., April 4, following a long battle with renal failure. Price launched his law enforcement career in Caldwell, Idaho, for the Canyon County SherifFs Department. In 1962, he and his family moved to La Grande where Price worked for the La Grande Police Department. He was promoted to sergeant in 1969 and rosetothe position ofcaptain in 1972. Price successfully ran for Union County sheriff in 1977 and held that position until
1985. See Price / Page 5A
INDEX Calendar........7A Classified.......5B Comics...........4B Crossword.....BB Dear Abby ... 10B
WE A T H E Health ............1C Opinion..........4A Horoscope.....BB Outdoors .......1B Lottery............2A Spiritual Life..BA Record ...........3A Sports ............BA Obituaries......3A Television ......3C
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Friday
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Mainly clear
Cooler
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SING NATIVE PLANTS IN LANDSCAPING •000
541-963-3161 Issue 44 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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