Region rallies to support Halfway

Published 8:45 am Friday, February 3, 2023

Support for Halfway continues to come in from around Baker County and elsewhere after two residents died in separate vehicle accidents on Monday, Jan. 30.

All proceeds from a high school wrestling tournament at Pine Eagle High School in Halfway this weekend will be donated to the Brown and Stiles families.

And the Baker School District announced that gate receipts from Baker High School on Saturday, Feb. 4, where six games are scheduled, will also be divided between the two Halfway families.

Donations will also be accepted at both venues, and accounts have been set up for each family at US Bank branches in Halfway and Baker City.

Gideon Wells Brown, 4, died when he was hit by a bus in Halfway on Monday evening.

His mother, Rachel Brown, 39, and his brother, Basch Brown, 3, were also injured.

Basch Brown was released from St. Luke’s Hospital in Boise on Wednesday morning.

Rachel Brown remains at Saint Alphonsus Hospital in Boise, where she is in serious condition.

Earlier on Monday, Amber Hahn Hampton, 30, of Halfway, was killed when the car she was driving went off Highway 86 about four miles east of Halfway and crashed into a rock outcropping.

Hampton, who was alone in the car, was ejected from the 2015 Ford Edge.

The incident in which Gideon Brown died happened near the Pine Baptist Church in Halfway after an event there.

Shawn Thatcher of Pine Baptist Church sent a statement to the Baker City Herald on Thursday:

“Our Church family is grieving with the family and all those affected by the tremendous loss on January 30th. We are praying for the family, our church family and our community. We are grateful for the overwhelming and caring response of the community at the scene, the volunteer EMS and firefighters, Baker County Sheriff’s deputies, Oregon State Police, and life flight crews who all responded and cared for the family.”