A judge has decided that murder suspect Daniel Myers will not get a new lawyer.

Myers, who is accused of killing Travis Weems near Sumpter almost a year ago, had asked the court to appoint a different attorney to represent him at trial.

Myers, 55, told Judge Greg Baxter Thursday that he is not satisfied with the representation he has received from Mark Rader, an Ontario attorney.

Baxter notified Myers by letter late Friday that he had denied Myers’ request to replace Rader, said Matt Shirtcliff, Baker County District Attorney.

The Elkhorn Mountains near the Anthony Lakes area have potential for avalanches during the winter months. (Baker City Herald/Jayson Jacoby)

By TERRI HARBER
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Area experts will host seminars about avalanches next month around the region with a focus on snow safety and safe travel techniques through snow.

Chris Galiszewski, Baker County Search and Rescue coordinator, is one of those experts.

“We need to get more people educated about avalanches,” he said.

His interest in this type of safety increased when the county became involved with the Anthony Lakes Ski Area. He also helped establish a weather station there. And, he pointed out, there are many winter events in this section of the state that attract people into the backcountry.

Galiszewski provided a brief explanation about fallen snow.

Baker City has started putting together its emergency operations plan.

This would be the first wide-scope emergency procedure manual for city employees to use as a reference when dangers arise.

Heavy snow, flooding, earthquakes and other severe weather conditions can cause danger. Man-made problems also can require similar fast and drastic responses to keep residents safe.

Some of “our biggest worries are hazmat events,” City Manager Mike Kee said.

Well, it was quite the longshot anyway.

By the time you read these words, Baker City’s bid for meteorological immortality likely will be doused.

Literally.

For the first 27 days of December, there was no measurable precipitation at the Baker City Airport.

Restored record books have a more durable hard cover, as with the blue book shown above. Tami Green, Baker County clerk, said some of the ancient pages were laminated for better preservation. (Baker City Herald/S. John Collins)

By TERRI HARBER
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Another major cleanup chore related to last year’s Baker County Courthouse flood was completed recently with the restoration of nearly 100 record books.

The bound records were soaked when sub-freezing temperatures caused a plumbing system failure at the Courthouse over the 2010 Thanksgiving weekend. Water cascaded down three floors of the building and affected the Circuit Court, Assessor’s Office, and planning and water departments significantly.

Inches of water accumulated on the floor in some sections of the basement. This is where many of the county’s historic records are kept.

Some of the documents affected by the flood harked back to the 1880s, said Tami Green, Baker County clerk.

The ‘Threads of Life’ quilt honors organ donors and recipients.

By LISA BRITTON
For the Baker City Herald

Each quilt square tells a story — lives saved by organ donation, and lives forever memorialized by giving the gift of life.

This “Threads of Life” quilt is one of 12 circulated in Oregon and Southwest Washington by Donate Life Northwest. It is currently on display at the Baker City DMV office, 3370 10th St.

Baker County Commissioners are planning for a seven-member wolf depredation compensation committee to begin work early next year to help area ranchers.

The committee will consist of one county commissioner, two people representing the livestock industry, two people supportive of wolf conservation or coexistence, and two people from the wider business community.

The five other members, once selected, will pick the two business community representatives.

Inmates Taylor Knox, left, and Dean Nelson, background, have ample room to encourage some fun and games with the dogs. Nelson and Beau , a year-old pit bull mix, both get a workout Tuesday morning.

By TERRI HARBER
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A program at Baker City’s Powder River Correctional Facility helps inmates learn to train homeless dogs.

The Powder Pals Program officially began in February 2011. Since then, nearly a dozen rescued dogs have been trained by inmates at the minimum-security prison. Several of the dogs now live in permanent homes.

“We’ve really taken some steps forward,” said Dick Haines, president of New Hope for Eastern Oregon Animals, the group that helped create the program.

Powder Pals will expand its training activities to a nearby commercial building purchased recently by New Hope. This location also will serve as an education center for the public. Overall, it will be a place with a focus on animal care and training, Haines said.

Mary Gerisch is a promoter of Vermont’s unique universal health-care program. Larry Steward, a retired professor from Portland, at left, traveled with her to Baker City last week.

By CHRIS COLLINS
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When Mary Gerisch starts talking about Vermont’s universal health-care program, it’s hard to stop her.

The words tumble out of Gerisch’s mouth without hesitation as she explains how the residents of her state, through a grassroots effort, persuaded their lawmakers to pass the first-of-its-kind legislation to guarantee health care to every resident of Vermont.

Gerisch spoke in Baker City on Tuesday night to recruit supporters to promote a similar program in Oregon. She was accompanied by two medical doctors, a retired professor and two registered nurses who hope to emulate the success achieved in Vermont.

They stopped by the Baker City Herald for an interview Wednesday.

Three of four rural post offices in Baker County initially eyed for closure will remain open after the moratorium ends May 15, 2012 barring United States Postal Service officials from taking drastic cost-cutting measures, such as closing facilities or altering services.

Before the Postal Service began the moratorium this week, actions were stopped that focused on closing the rural locations in Durkee, Oxbow and Unity, according to the Portland District of the USPS.

Hereford is the only Baker County rural post office still being considered for possible closure once the moratorium is lifted this spring.