Gene Stackle of Baker City has joined the race for a seat on the Baker County Board of Commissioners.

Stackle, a Republican, joins incumbent Mark Bennett and Dick Fleming as candidates for Bennett's seat in the May 20 primary.

The winner will advance to November's general election, and potentially run unopposed.

No Democrats have filed for either of the two county commission seats.

Today is the deadline to file as a candidate for the primary. 

Incumbent Commission Chairman Fred Warner Jr. is running against Bill Harvey. 

Company had earlier projected completion of the transmission line in 2018

Idaho Power Company has pushed back by two years its estimated completion date for the controversial Boardman-to-Hemingway power transmission line.

On the website, www.boardmantohemingway.com, the company says: "Idaho Power’s 2013 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) identified the need for a 2018 in-service date for the project. However, the completion date of the project is subject to siting, permitting, regulatory approvals, in-service date requirements of the parties electing to construct the line, the terms of any resulting joint construction agreements, and other conditions. In light of the permitting delays and siting impediments that have occurred and are expected to continue, Idaho Power estimates that the in-service date for the Boardman-to-Hemingway line would be in 2020 or beyond."

A group of Baker County residents opposes a proposed route for the 500-kilovolt line that would place it near the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.

A draft environmental impact statement for the project is slated to be released to the public later this month.