Remote Surveillance Trailer in Baker City, OR

The Baker volleyball team was on its home court Thursday evening, Oct. 9, to play Pendleton with the Greater Oregon League lead, and an inside track to a Class 4A playoff berth, at stake.

Baker played well in stretches, but Pendleton’s trio of hitters in Avery Brown, Sophie Nelson and MJ Gomez proved too much for the Bulldogs as Pendleton claimed the sweep, 25-18, 25-18, 25-16.

Both teams entered the match 2-0 in league play. Pendleton beat Baker 2-0 in a nonleague match at the North Marion tournament in September.

Baker and Pendleton both have wins over La Grande and Ontario.

Pendleton is in sole possession of first place at 3-0. Baker is in second at 2-1.

Macey Morgan had an early kill to make it 2-2, Pendleton then scored four straight points to lead 6-2. Morgan ended the run with another kill. Morgan had an ace serve to cut the lead to 7-6.

After Pendleton led 11-7, Jaxyn Ramos had a kill on a short middle set by Colbi Bachman to make it 11-9.

The Bucks went on another short run to lead 16-10.

Pendleton extended its scoring run to 5 points on an ace serve by Gomez and a kill by Brown, and the lead ballooned to 19-10 before a Buck hitting error gave Baker a side out.

Two straight Pendleton errors cut the lead to 21-15. Morgan’s ace serve got Baker to within 21-17, and Bachman’s kill made it 21-18 and prompted a Pendleton timeout.

A Pendleton block and an ace serve boosted the Bucks’ lead to 23-18, and Baker coach Ali Woodward called timeout.

But the Bucks finished off the set, 25-18.

Baker had a strong start, scoring the first three points on Bachman’s serve.

Baker extended the lead to 6-1, as Andie Jo Craigmile had a kill off the Pendleton block.

Pendleton had two rotation penalties, and a serve error as Baker doubled up the Bucks, 10-5.

But Pendleton rallied wkth a 6-0 run to take its first lead, 11-10.

Morgan ended the Pendleton run with a kill, and Raegan Gulick followed with another to tie it at 12.

A 4-0 Pendleton run regained the lead for the Bucks.

Pendleton kept the momentum the rest of the set, leading 23-16 before Gulick’s kill gave Baker a side out.

Pendleton finished the set, 25-18.

Pendleton flipped the script from the second set, scoring the first four points.

Paityn Barr had two straight kills to keep Baker within 8-4. Taylor Johnson’s ace serve cut the lead to 8-6.

But as they had for most of the match, the Bucks had an answer, this time a 3-0 run to boost the lead back to 11-6.

The seesaw continued. Craigmile and Gulick had kills, and a Pendleton attack error trimmed the lead to 11-10 and led to a Pendleton timeout.

Another Pendleton error made it 11-11.

Baker took its first lead, 13-12, when Pendleton couldn’t handle Gulick’s serve.

Pendleton promptly regained the lead with seven straight points to take control at 19-13, and Woodward called timeout.

Ramos ended the scoring run with a kill to make it 19-14, but Pendleton finished strong again, winning the set 25-16 to finish off the sweep.

Baker travels to The Dalles on Saturday, Oct. 11, to play nonleague matches against The Dalles and Tillamook.

The former Rite Aid store in Baker City, which closed in early June, has been sold through a bankruptcy court for $1.7 million to an Idaho corporation.

As part of its bankruptcy, Rite Aid is selling dozens of properties across the country, including the building at 1217 Campbell St. in Baker City.

The top bidder in the August auction was MSBR LLC, according to bankruptcy court documents. That corporation is registered in Idaho, with an address in Caldwell.

(The original court document had a mistake, listing the buyer as MSRB LLC.)

The Baker City Herald is trying to talk with someone involved with the corporation.

The transaction has not closed. Rite Aid is still listed as the property owner in Baker County Assessor’s Office records.

According to Idaho corporation records, Mark R. Schmitt is the corporation’s manager, and Brandt A. Ruzicka is a member.

Schmitt is the president and CFO of D&B Supply, according to the company’s website, and Ruzicka is the chief operating officer.

The MSBR LLC address is the same as for D&B Supply. The company has a store in Baker City, at 3515 Pocahontas Road.

The bankruptcy auction document doesn’t list all bidders.

The backup bid was for $350,000.

Bryan Tweit, Baker County’s contracted economic developer, said on Wednesday, Sept. 17, that he considers the sale “a positive development.”

“Someone realized it had value and was willing to pay a lot of money for it,” Tweit said.

Based on the sales price, he said he believes it’s more likely than not that the buyer has a plan for using the building, rather than buying it as an investment and potentially keeping it vacant for a long period.

“It suggests they see a clear path for revenue” from the property, Tweit said.

“The city is excited to see what the new owner will do with this property which is in a key area of our commercial zone,” Baker City Manager Barry Murphy said.

The 30,966-square-foot building, constructed in 1991, has a market value of $1,898,850, including the land and the structure, according to the Baker County Assessor’s Office, which last appraised the parcel in 2020.

The closure of the Rite Aid building and the adjacent Safeway grocery, on the same block on the south side of Campbell Street, over a two-week period in late spring left Baker City, and Baker County, with a single pharmacy. That’s in the Albertsons grocery store across Campbell Street.

Baker City Manager Barry Murphy said in August that a company, which he didn’t name, wants to open a pharmacy in the former Pioneer Bank building at First and Broadway streets downtown.

The Safeway building is bigger than the Rite Aid store, at 35,862 square feet. It was built in 1977 and its real market value, from a 2020 appraisal, is $1,969,740, according to the assessor’s office.

The Baker football team, coming off a dramatic rally to beat Pendleton 27-21 in overtime on Oct. 3, returned to Baker Bulldog Memorial Stadium Friday, Oct. 10, to take on La Grande in the homecoming game.

Both teams were 1-0 in Greater Oregon League play, and with the league lead on the line the Tigers dominated nearly from the start, scoring three touchdowns in the first quarter and going on to a 49-9 win.

La Grande, ranked 11th in Class 4A, improved to 3-3. Baker, ranked 12th entering the game, dropped to 1-5.

Baker had by far its best offensive performance of the season at Pendleton, scoring 27 straight points after falling behind 21-0 at halftime. Senior wide receiver Eli Long, who joined the team after the first three games, had three of Baker’s four touchdowns, including the game winning catch from quarterback Quin Wellman in overtime.

But the Bulldogs didn’t fare as well against the Tigers, who gave Wellman little time to throw and thwarted Baker’s running game for the most part.

Long had an 80-yard kickoff return for Baker’s lone touchdown.

The top three teams in the GOL qualify for the 16-team Class 4A playoffs.

Baker had to punt on its opening drive, and La Grande took advantage of good field position.

Tiger quarterback Jack Musgrove ran 10 yards for a touchdown, and the extra point made it 7-0 La Grande with 8 minutes left in the quarter.

Baker got its running game going early in its second possession. Quarterback Quin Wellman ran for eight yards on first down, and Trent Luschen followed with a 13-yard ramble for a first down at the Baker 49.

But a false start penalty left Baker with a 4th and 17, and on the ensuing punt, Landon Hood slipped past the first tackler and then raced down the right sideline for a 75-yard touchdown. The extra point boosted the Tigers’ lead to 14-0 with 4:55 left.

On Baker’s next possession, Long’s 40-yard run on an end around was called back due to a holding penalty, although the hold was far enough downfield that Long still gained a first down to the Baker 44.

On 3rd and 2, Wellman passed to Ryder Nimmo for a first down to the La Grande 42.

The Tigers forced a 4th and 9 from their own 42, and Wellman’s pass fell incomplete, giving La Grande the ball back with 1:28 left in the quarter.

La Grande continued to roll offensively, as Musgrove lofted a long pass to Ryder McIlmoil for another touchdown on the final play of the first quarter, and the Tigers led 21-0.

After another Baker punt, the Bulldogs’ defense exerted itself. Wellman and Otis Young pulled down Hood for a 4-yard loss on first down, and Baker held on 3rd and 9 to force La Grande’s first punt.

It was a booming punt, though, driving Baker back to its own 11. Three incompletions forced a Baker punt, and La Grande took over on the Baker 37 with 8:52 left in the first half.

La Grande took advantage of the short field. Hood ran for 24 yards on a counter play to the Baker 7. A fumbled snap made it 2nd and 12, and a 4-yard run gave Baker a chance to hold on 3rd and goal from the 8. But Musgrove followed a wall of blockers over the right side and tumbled into the end zone. The extra point made it 28-0 with 6:21 left in the first half.

That lead didn’t last long.

Long picked up the squib kick on the ensuing kickoff, beat the coverage team to the left sideline and then outran everyone for an 80-yard touchdown. The extra point cut the La Grande lead to 28-7 with 6:07 left.

On the next possession, Baker’s Logan Crawford leaped to intercept a pass intended for Hood, and Baker had the ball back at its own 32.

Baker gained one first down, on runs by Long and Wellman, but a La Grande rusher went unblocked and forced Wellman to throw a pass that McIlmoil intercepted and ran to the Baker 27.

The Tigers kept the ball on the ground, advancing on four runs to the Baker 1. After a false start penalty and a La Grande timeout, Sovann Chab ran 6 yards for the touchdown with 50 seconds left in the half. The 2-point conversion extended the Tigers’ lead to 36-7. That’s where it remained at halftime.

At halftime, the 2025 homecoming queen, Kara Regan, was honored, along with princesses Gracie Spike, Mary Schwartz, Marley Barrett, Stella Carlson, Jocelyn Bork, Gwen Rasmussen, Meren Jesenko, Andie Jo Craigmile, Paige Anderson, Madi Rudi and Claire Bachman.

La Grande didn’t slow down after the longer-than-usual intermission due to the homecoming court introductions.

The Tigers went 58 yards in three plays, the last 8 yards for the touchdown by Dean Fenley. The extra point made it 43-7 with 10:17 left in the third quarter.

After Baker’s punt was blocked on the next possession, Hood added another touchdown on an end around from the 2, and La Grande led 49-7 with 3:10 left in the quarter.

Tucker Reid came in at quarterback, and his screen pass to Luschen yielded a first down to the La Grande 41 late in the quarter. Long’s runback gave Baker good field position.

On 4th and 9, Reid launched a pass that Long bobbled and then pulled down between two Tiger defenders for a 24-yard gain to the La Grande 17.

But on the next play, Reid’s slant pass was tipped and intercepted by La Grande’s Urijah Gatliff.

Baker picked up two points on a safety when Hood, who moved to quarterback, had to fall on the ball in the end zone after a high snap.

After the La Grande kickoff, Reid fired a pass to Long on a deep slant for a long gain to the La Grande 21.

BAKER CITY — A multi-year project to replace single-pane windows with more energy efficient double-pane windows, as well as front doors, continued this summer in several Baker School District buildings.

The district hired Ne-Hi Enterprises of Baker City to install new windows at six schools — Brooklyn Primary, Haines Elementary, North Baker (Baker Early Learning Center), South Baker Intermediate, and Baker Middle School and Baker High Schools, said Curtis Dunn, the district’s maintenance supervisor.

The Baker City company also installed new, more secure front doors, at Haines and South Baker.

The total cost was $281,000.

The district budgeted the money through its capital projects fund, said Lindsey McDowell, the district’s communications coordinator.

Dunn said the work will continue for the next few years at least, as the district’s buildings include hundreds of windows.

“We’re slowly chipping away at it,” he said.

Windows have been replaced at Keating Elementary, but there are still sections to do at other schools, Dunn said.

In addition to replacing windows, the district has been replacing decades-old floors, which contain asbestos, in schools.

“We’ve been trying to get to two classrooms per year,” Dunn said.

The scale of the work is limited by the district’s budget and by time — replacing windows and floors can be done only during summer to avoid disrupting classes.

Dunn said he’s glad the district has been able to hire Ne-Hi, a local company, to do the work.

Most of the old windows had aluminum frames and single-pane windows, Dunn said. There were also some wooden frames and a few with vinyl frames.

The new double-pane windows have aluminum frames.

“These windows are great,” Dunn said. “The teachers really notice the difference. Rooms are cooler in summer and warmer in the winter.”

In some cases, Ne-Hi has installed new windows in places that had been covered for decades, which brightens the interior of the schools.

Dunn said he doesn’t have any records of energy savings, but he said there’s no doubt that the new windows are more energy efficient.

Parents can access a student’s location through My Ride K-12 app

BAKER CITY — Baker School District parents can now track their students, in real time, when they are riding a bus on a daily route or traveling for a field trip, sports or activity.

The district used federal funds for student safety to pay for the system, which includes a GPS-equipped tablet for every bus and a card for every student, said Kim Ogan, transportation supervisor for the district.

The student scans his or her card when boarding the bus, and again when getting off. The time scans are uploaded in real time to the district’s system, and parents can also get alerts through the app My Ride K-12.

“They get notifications when they get on and off the bus,” Ogan said.

The app also notifies parents if a bus is delayed from its typical arrival time.

About 600 students are riding a bus to or from school this year, Ogan said, and each route is programmed with the list of students.

To use the app, parents need to enter the student’s ID number — the child’s school or the bus barn (541-523-5443) can provide that number, if needed, Ogan said.

The program started in April 2025 for the regular bus routes. This fall, every student received a card, and parents can check the app for an update on a student’s location — whether on a regular school day, or a late-night return from a game.

“I know as a parent, it was something I would have liked to have,” Ogan said.

Ogan said safety was the biggest reason for this new system, especially when she’d get a call from a parent whose child didn’t arrive home. This sometimes happens, she said, when a student falls asleep on the ride and slumps out of sight of the bus driver.

When that happened, she would alert every bus driver to pull over and check his or her bus for the missing student.

Now Ogan can find a student fast.

“I can see what time they scanned on and off the bus immediately,” she said. “Parents are depending on it.”

At the end of the route, the tablet alerts the driver if a student scanned on but didn’t scan off.

The district received 23 tablets — 21 for the buses, and two extra for backup.

Ogan said the next step is adding a student’s photo to his or her profile, so the bus driver can make sure the card matches the student.