Heavy snow in the mountains came early this year, allowing snowmobilers to start riding earlier than usual.

https://www.bakercityherald.com/outdoors/early-storms-kickstart-snowmobiling-season/article_9e04205c-b8b9-11ef-89b2-17961317b38b.html

After a period of dry weather that started before Thanksgiving, snow arrived just before Baker City’s annual Twilight Christmas Parade. The flakes added an appropriate touch to the event, which culminated with the lighting of the community Christmas tree in the Court Plaza between Main and Resort streets.

https://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/baker-city-twilight-parade-2024/article_afce484c-b640-11ef-a9a8-8b9dbda92c85.html

A proposed increase in wholesale electricity rates from the Bonneville Power Administration could result in rate hikes for Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative customers starting Oct. 1, 2025. OTEC, which has members in Baker, Union, Grant and Harney counties, buys all of its power from BPA.

https://www.bakercityherald.com/news/local/bpas-proposed-rate-hike-could-boost-otec-bills-starting-oct-1-2025-capital-credits-refunds/article_54a25886-b7ea-11ef-96f2-8b8d4a2822ad.html

Jesse Brown, a Baker City native, 2011 Baker High School graduate and professional steer wrestler, is competing in the Super Bowl of rodeo, the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas, for the fifth straight year. Brown was in the money in three of the first eight rounds, including an outright first and a tie for first. He was fifth in the world standings, which are based on yearly earnings. The National Finals Rodeo continues through Saturday, Dec. 14.

https://www.bakercityherald.com/sports/jesse-brown-ties-for-first-in-7th-go-round-at-national-finals-rodeo-wins-30/article_98eaa7f8-b83c-11ef-9caf-8713d63db2ef.html

The Baker boys basketball team, the defending Class 4A state champions, remained unbeaten in the new season, at 5-0, by rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit to beat Eagle, Idaho, 59-58, in the first round of a tournament in Idaho on Thursday, Dec. 12.

https://www.bakercityherald.com/sports/high-school-basketball-baker-boys-rally-in-final-minutes-to-nip-eagle-59-58-improve/article_dbca20f6-b8d4-11ef-9a5b-fbf0824d35ee.html

REMINDER: Although the Baker City Herald contributes stories each week to the East Oregonian print newspaper, published on Wednesdays, most Baker County news, including sports, the police log, opinion and local government coverage, is available exclusively on our website, www.bakercityherald.com.