60YEARS AGO

from the Democrat-Herald

June 26, 1957

A power shortage of serious proportions faces the people of southern Idaho and eastern Oregon if “any further delay” is experienced in completion of the Brownlee project, T.E. Roach, president of the Idaho Power company, told the Idaho Public Utilities commission yesterday.

25YEARS AGO

from the Democrat-Herald

June 26, 1992

Thursday evening’s “light show” that passed through Northeastern Oregon didn’t spark any fires that were reported on state or federal lands this morning.

10YEARS AGO

from the Baker City Herald

June 26, 2007

Brownlee Reservoir is shrinking, a seasonal sacrifice that’s supposed to help a bunch of baby salmon and steelhead grow big.

Idaho Power Company, as it has most summers since the early 1990s, when the federal government listed several runs of Snake River salmon and steelhead as threatened or endangered, is spilling extra water through Brownlee Dam to help push those fish to the Pacific Ocean.

ONEYEAR AGO

from the Baker City Herald

June 27, 2016

HAINES — Before fielding questions from an audience of about 50 during his town hall Saturday at Haines Elementary School, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., talked about his efforts to change how the country pays to fight wildfires.

Merkley said the U.S. Forest Service has had to halt other projects, including work designed to reduce the risk of fires, because firefighting had depleted the agency’s budget.

“This is just crazy,” Merkley said.

He said big fires should be treated the same as natural disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

As a member of the Senate appropriations committee, Merkley has made some progress to improve that funding situation.