Jayson Jacoby

2 days ago | bakercityherald.com | Jayson Jacoby

Color is beginning to spread across the drought monitor map for Northeastern Oregon, but Mike Widman doesn’t need to consult a map to gauge how dry this spring has been. He just looks at the foothills. The grass, already cured to brown during the driest spring in at least 80 years in Baker County, tells the tale. “We’re terribly dry, dry as a bone,” Widman, a longtime cattle rancher, said on Thursday morning, June 5.

2 days ago | bakercityherald.com | Jayson Jacoby

The thrill of blazing my own trail began to feel more like an especially malevolent medieval gantlet the third time I lunged upward, in as many minutes, and ended up lower than I was before. In that instant, as a dollop of stinging sweat slipped into the corner of my right eye and my heart thudded along at an alarming rate, I felt as helpless as a swimmer fighting a riptide.

2 days ago | bakercityherald.com | Jayson Jacoby

The American Red Cross will have a two-day blood drive in Baker City on Monday, June 9, and Tuesday, June 10. The drive will take place at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2625 Hughes Lane. The times are noon to 6 p.m. on June 9, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on June 30. To make an appointment to donate, go to redcrossblood.org. There are no appointments available for June 9.

3 days ago | bakercityherald.com | Jayson Jacoby

Devan League shows a visitor the well-stocked refrigerator and the laundry room and the shower, and he imagines how much he would have appreciated such a place, open to everyone for no cost, while he was battling drug addiction. He’s happy, though, that others, some dealing with the same sometimes excruciating challenge that he confronted, will have a clean and safe spot to visit. And League is gratified that he might be able to help some of them. Or even serve as a mentor.

3 days ago | bakercityherald.com | Jayson Jacoby

Baker City’s proposed budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 has relatively small changes from the current budget. The city’s budget committee, which consists of the seven city councilors and seven residents appointed by councilors, approved the spending plan in late May. The city council has until June 30 to adopt the budget.