Herald Publishes Month by Month Review of 2025

Baker City Herald editor Jayson Jacoby has compiled a series of monthly retrospectives that look back over the previous 12 months and surface the larger stories that shaped Baker County in 2025. The Herald began publishing two months per day on the last six days of the year, starting December 26 with separate pages for January and February available at bakercityherald.com. Each monthly page includes links to the top stories from that month for readers who want full details.

The January selections capture a cross section of issues that carry ongoing consequences for the community. Coverage included the annual homeless count in Baker City, which highlighted needs for shelter and social services at a time when rural counties face constrained resources. Local public safety and criminal justice concerns were prominent, with reporting on a Baker County Major Crimes Team investigation into the body of a newborn baby discovered in a Baker City home, and a Baker City man pleading guilty to trying to lure a teenage boy into a car in a March 2024 incident. A Baker City resident who pleaded guilty in the January 6 Capitol events discussed a presidential pardon, a story that reflects national politics overlapping with local lives.

Municipal operations were also a theme. Water damage at city hall prompted plans to move the next two Baker City Council meetings out of that building, which could affect meeting access and the pace of local decision making. The Community Connection manager indicated there would not be immediate effects from a court blocked federal spending freeze, an important note for residents who rely on social services and for officials tracking budget risks. Business and community life appeared in lighter and practical stories alike, from the sale of Rock Garden Greenhouse to a Sumpter council effort to resume selling burial plots in the city cemetery.

By packaging these reports month by month, the Herald aims to give residents a clear record of 2025 s local developments, and a convenient way to revisit events that will continue to influence policy decisions, service delivery and the local economy in the year ahead. Readers can access each monthly page and the linked original stories at bakercityherald.com.