zz11-15-2010 page 1
11/15/10
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STATE CHAMPS! COVE WINS VOLLEYBALL TITLE
Leopards edge Powder Valley in championship game SPORTS, 1B
THE OBSERVER SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA COUNTIES SINCE 1896
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NOVEMBER
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LAGRANDEOBSERVER.COM
POISED TO
DEPLOY
Area Guard unit to move out for Kuwait, then Iraq during next few weeks PAT CALDWELL Special to The Observer
CAMP SHELBY, Miss. — Eastern Oregon’s National Guard unit is ready to deploy to Iraq. After more than 40 days of training at this southern Guard base and in the wake of a final, six-day pre-combat test, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, Lt. Col. Phil Appleton, said his unit is fully prepared for its upcoming tour of duty. “The battalion is 100 percent trained and ready for combat operations in Iraq,” Appleton said. Recently, the 3rd Battalion wrapped up what is essentially a practical final exam where
nearly every element of the organization’s combat skills secured endorsement from 1st U.S. Army trainers. “Things went extremely well,” Appleton said of the exercise. During the final maneuvers here, individual units of the 3rd Battalion jumped into a high-tempo cycle of escorting convoys across Camp Shelby’s vast road network during the day and at night. On each convoy mission, 3rd Battalion escort teams faced an array of challenges — from simulated improvised explosive device attacks to ambushes — while trying to push long lines of trucks through to safety. See GUARD, 3A
PAT CALDWELL | Special to The Observer
STAFF SGT. TAMI GORDON (RIGHT), LA GRANDE, helps Pvt. 1st Class Martin Kessler, Hermiston, put on the harness for the gunner's position in a Humvee during training at Camp Shelby, Miss., recently. Gordon and Kessler are both members of La Grande’s Guard unit. The 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry, recently wrapped up training at Camp Shelby and will head to Iraq in the near future.
Sen. Nelson: Budget will dominate legislative session KATY NESBITT The Observer
ENTERPRISE — State Sen. David Nelson said the upcoming session of the Legislature is going to be a rough and tumble session. “It’s really going to be a budget session and the budget drives everything,” Nelson, R-Pendleton, said during a visit with Wallowa County leaders Thursday afternoon at the ESD conference room in Enterprise. “The governor will have his budget in by Dec. 1,” Nelson said, “and the agencies have spent the last year whittling down their budgets by 25 percent.” Oregon, facing financial woes like much of the nation, has another budget forecast coming out Friday. Budget decisions made in the upcoming session will
Because Oregon is facing a potential $3 billion budget reduction in the next biennium, State Sen. David Nelson said he advocates turning over departments such as land use and environmental quality to the counties. have long lasting effects on the agencies, Nelson said. The Senate will meet Dec. 16, the last time before the 2011-13 session. Nelson said senators will focus on gubernatorial appointments. “Hopefully nothing controversial,” Nelson said. Because Oregon is facing a potential $3 billion budget reduction in the next biennium, Nelson said he advocates
turning over departments such as land use and environmental quality to the counties. Land use alone has a budget of $20 million. Nelson said these county-run departments would still operate under the laws of the state, but the change would give the authority back to the communities. “They can’t handle that idea in Salem,” Nelson said. Another of Nelson’s proposals is to reorganize state agencies. He said he would like to look at different departments that he believes do redundant things.
W E AT H E R
‘October’s retail sales are a fairly encouraging sign that consumption growth may be starting to gain some traction.’ — Paul Dales U.S. economist at Capital Economics
declines had raised worries about the economic recovery. While fears of a double-dip recession have eased, economists do not believe consumers will be able to spend at a fast enough pace to lift growth above the See SALES, 6A
INDEX
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CLASSIFIED / 4B COMICS / 3B EDITORIALS / 4A LOTTERY / 2A
BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH The Observer
A Baker City man was issued a traffic citation following an incident in Ladd Canyon Friday in which the man’s pickup truck hit emergency vehicles responding to another crash. The OSP reported that William S. Hardrath, 24, was cited on a charge of careless driving. Neither Hardrath nor emergency personnel on-scene were injured.
See CRASHES, 2A
MCT photo
CAR SALES INCREASE: Heana Chon, left, and daughter Yuna Hyong, shop for cars in Los Angeles earlier this month.
No citations issued in incident involving La Grande dog breeder BILL RAUTENSTRAUCH The Observer
A Union County animal enforcement officer said Friday no criminal citations have been issued to a La Grande woman who raised dogs and allegedly became “overwhelmed” by their number. The Associated Press reported last week that as many as two dozen small dogs were surrendered by the breeder and have found new homes. The AP reported that
WEBSITES OFFLINE OBITUARIES / 5A RECORD / 5A SPORTS / 1B WEATHER / 2A
According to OSP reports, icy conditions were a contributing factor in at least four traffic crashes Friday morning along Interstate 84 in the Ladd Canyon area east of La Grande. In one of the crashes, an unoccupied Oregon State Police patrol car and a La Grande Rural Fire District emergency response vehicle were struck.
See LEGISLATURE, 5A
Retail sales rise is led by higher auto purchases WASHINGTON (AP) — Retail sales, helped by strong demand for autos, increased in October by the largest amount in seven months. The Commerce Department reported Monday that retail sales rose 1.2 percent last month. That was nearly double the gain that had been expected and the largest increase since March. Much of the strength came from a big rise in auto sales. Excluding autos, retail sales rose a more modest 0.4 percent. October represented the fourth straight increase in retail sales after sales had fallen in May and June. Those
OSP car, fire district vehicle struck at wreck scene Friday
The Observer’s and other Western Communications newspapers’ websites went down sometime Friday night due to technical problems. The company is working to fix the problems and apologizes for any inconvenience.
the dogs, mostly miniature dachshunds, were taken to the Idaho Humane Society’s Boise shelter Thursday, and since then 80 people have called wanting to adopt. According to the AP, Lisa Winters of the Humane Society went to La Grande to purchase a puppy and found the breeder to be “overwhelmed.” The AP report said Winters helped persuade the breeder to give up the dogs.
HOW TO REACH US 541-963-3161 lagrandeobserver.com Two sections, 12 pages La Grande, Oregon
See DOGS, 3A