ROUNDABOUT SPOUT XC MOUNTAIN BIKERACE PREVIEW IN OUTDOORS 5. REC, 1C
I<II k~ A COMBINATION OFTRAILS WILL FORM A NEW RACE ROUTE WHEN MOUNTAIN BIKE RACING RETURNSTO SKI AREA IN LOCAL, 5A
FUNDR AISERSPLANNEDFORHOTSHOT RECE NTLYDIAGNQSEDWITHLEUKEMIA
/~y,
IN HEALTH 5. FITNESS, 6C
~
I INTER — ACTIVEMETRONOMETEST " . ( Q PRQVESTI NGM ISE I VERYTHING
'
THE SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA COUNTIES SINCE 1896 I
• Joseph Vaughan in induced coma in Walla Walla, Wash., hospital By Trish Yerges ForThe Observer
ELGIN — A 23-year-old Elgin man remains in serious condition at a Tri-Cities, Wash., hospital follow-
UNION COUNTY ing a June 21 accident on Highway 82. Joseph Vaughan was transported by Life Flight to the Kadlec Medical Center following the early morning accident involving his Chevy pickup and aRogator field sprayer driven by Earnie Parsons, also of Elgin.
I
r
I
I
wearinga seatbeltatthe tim e ofthe collision. Parsons was traveling two miles east of Elgin on Highway 82 about one mile from his own residence on his way to a small spraying job with 50 gallons of Round Up solution. Weather conditions were sunny and clear at the time, and Parsons was driving on a flat stretch of the
Vaughan is now in an induced coma aftersurgery and treatment for serious head injuries, a punctured lung and injuries to his vertebraeand ribs,according to Vaughan'smother,Shara Hindman. Parsons is home recuperating from injuries incurred from the collision and being thrown out of the cab of his field sprayer. Parsons was not
I
I
I
I
highway when he saw Vaughan approaching in his truck. Seconds later, Vaughan reportedly rear ended the sprayer, shearing offboth axles and wheels on the left side of the sprayer. "I don't think he saw me," Parsons said."His truck went right under the left side of my sprayer. It See Crash / Page5A
LA GRANDE COVE
District,
UCSO finalize SROdeal • Cody Bowen will serve as resource oficer in school district in 2014-15
tt!t
e%" ~~,
I'
l
j• I
By Dick Mason
' III
r
•
The Observer
•
• •
-
•
.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
'•
Courtesy photo
• Cove Rural Fire District returns classic fire truck to its original department in Virginia Beach, Va. By Kelly Black ForThe Observer
The throaty sound of the engine evokes memories of the past. "Ithas a 671Detroit Diesel. When you hear the sound, it is like yesterday," said Keith White, a retired captain at the Virginia Beach Fire Department. Last month, the Cove Rural Fire District sent a 1969 Young Crusader fire truck home to Virginia Beach for restoration. "I always thought that truck should go back to them," said Sonny Johnson,
a retired fire chief for the ment. He told a secretary who answered the phone, Cove Rural Fire District. 'They ran that truck when "we have this truck that they were kids." your fire department used Cove purchased the Young to own and we've retired it and I wonder if you'd like it Crusader in 1992 and ran it until 2011, when it was back." retired. They did. While there are thousands Virginia Beach Fire of old fire trucks sitting Department Capt. Wayne around collecting rust, John- Black made a $500donation son began to recognize that to the Cove Rural Fire Dethe Young Crusader was partment and spent nearly something special. A fiiend $5,000totransport the truck in Portland told him the home. He then remodeled truck had become a collechis garage to house the truck tor's item. during renovation. Johnson decided to call the White was there when the Virginia Beach Fire Depart1969 Young Crusader ar-
rived on the shipping truck from Cove. He backed the truck into a garage so the men could begin restoration work. "It felt the same as when I droveit40 yearsago,"White said. White was returning from service in Vietnam about the time the custom-built fire truck arrived at Station 9 of the Kempsville Volunteer Fire Department, which is part of the Virginia Beach Fire Department. The truck had been made in Lancaster, N.Y. "It is not your typical
cookie cutter truck. It wasn't assembly line, they built them one by one,"White said. The Young Crusader model is quite rare. It is one of only30 to 35 evermade, according to Black. "It has a unique sound and a unique look to it," Black said. The front windshield has a classic teardrop corner like a vintage Wayne Bus. The customized truck also included a lot of new technol"It had some unique See Return / Page5A
The La Grande School District will soon have a new set of eyes, giving students, teachers and stafFa new reason tofeelm ore secure. Union County SherifFs Deputy Bowen C o dy Bowen will serve as thedistrict'sresource offi cer in 2014-15. Bowen has been a deputy with the sherifFs office for 3-V2 years. He is a familiar face in local schools because he works with students in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. uiBowenl has an outgoing, fun personality. He is a natural fit," said Capt. Craig Ward of the Union County SherifFs 0$ce. The return of a resource officer comes after an agreement was formally reached between the school district, the Union County SherifFs Office and the La Grande Police Department. Bowen will work in all See SRO /Page5A
Lightning storm sparks small wildfire • l Hundreds of lightning strikes result in a wildfire, leave some without power By Kelly Ducote The Observer
Chris Baxter/The Observer
Lightning lights up the sky northeast of La Grande Wednesday night. Officials with the Oregon Department of Forestry said about 400 strikes were recorded between Wolf Creek Reservoir and La Grande.
INDEX
WE A T H E
Calendar........7A Health ............6C Classified.......1B Horoscope.....4B Comics...........7B Lottery............2A Crossword.....4B Record ...........3A Dear Abby .....SB Obituaries......3A
ONDAY •000
0
Opinion..........4A Outdoors .......1C Spiritual Life..6A Sports ............SA Television ......3C
Dozens oflightning strikes Wednesday night prompted Union County residentsto grab theircameras while others later dealt with a wildfire near North Powder. About 400 lightning strikes were recorded between Wolf Creek Reservoir
NORTHEAST OREGON and La Grande during the storms, said Joe Hessel, a forester with the Oregon Department of Forestry. One strike resulted in a small wildfire about 6 miles northwest of North Powder. ODF, North Powder Rural Fire Districtand a privatelandowner responded to the blaze Thursday morning with engines and dozers. The fire was contained at three acres, Hessel said. ODF responded to another lightning-caused fire, but it was contained quickly and
CONTACT US
R F u ll forecast on the back of B section
Friday
Saturday
53!.ow
86/54
88/58
Patchy clouds
Mostly sunny
Sunny and pleasant
'
did not spread. 'The other fire was, more or less, a lightning-struck tree with a little bit of ground fire," Hessel said.'There have few been a few other smoke chases." Most of the lightning occurred in the valley rather than in forested areas and was accompanied by a little precipitation, which helped minimize the risk of fire. 'The grass is not 100 percent cured yet, but it's certainly getting there in the lower elevations," Hessel said. See Storm / Page5A
'
- Sunday
G F ROZEN FRUIT HANDLESTHEHEAT •000
541-963-3161 Issue 80 3 sections, 24 pages La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas to newsC~lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A.
•
•
s I
•
51 1 53 0 0 1 00 I
•000
6