100 Years Ago

July 22, 1921

Men who shudder at the prospect of going to jail should modify their opinion if the spirit of the present inmates of the city strong house counts for anything. They are about as happy as anyone in Pendleton if the noises that emanate from behind the bars mean anything. Regular concerts are the order, an eight-hour day being spent by some of the musically inclined boys. “Home Sweet Home” is the favorite number on the program and the one that is most often repeated. “Break the News to Mother” is another old favorite that comes in for a good share of repetition. Others that are “rendered” with much spirit are “My Wild Irish Rose,” and “Silver Threads Among the Gold.” Once they struck up “There’ll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight,” but it has never been repeated.

50 Years Ago

July 22, 1971

Mail deliveries to homes along Chuckhole Lane and Yellow Jacket Road in the Milton-Freewater area will be discontinued because mail carriers refuse to drive the bumpy roads. Chuckhole Lane, you see, comes by its name honestly. And Yellow Jacket is certain to raise lumps on your head if you drive it too fast and bounce out of the craters that pock its surface. Several residents of the area have asked the county court to repair the roads. But the county can’t because the roads aren’t dedicated county roads. And they fall so short of meeting county standards, on width, for example, that it isn’t likely the county will ever accept them, says County Judge C.E. Lassen.

25 Years Ago

July 22, 1996

LuRay Gene Batterton, who shot his wife in an execution-style murder in 1992 with their 4-year-old daughter present, was sentenced this morning to 32 years in prison. That sentence represents double the maximum Judge Jack Olsen could have imposed. In departing from the normal sentencing guidelines for murder, Olsen cited several aggravating factors for his decision, including that Batterton had a duty to protect his wife, that the crime was premeditated and intentional, and that his daughter had witnessed the murder. Before he was sentenced, Batterton admitted he killed his wife but maintained this morning that neither his daughter nor his son were there at the time. He said he was under the influence of cocaine, crank and alcohol when he shot his 28-year-old wife, Vickie.