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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2015)
REGION Friday, November 6, 2015 East Oregonian Page 3A HEPPNER Wind pays for $4.2M county HQ Building named after former judge By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Morrow County’s new government administration building is open for business in downtown Heppner. The Bartholomew Building, named after former Judge Alba G. Bartholomew, LV WKH QHZ KRPH RI ¿YH county departments: adminis- tration, public health, juvenile services, special transporta- tion and accounting. Employees began moving RI¿FHV 0RQGD\ DQG WKRXJK there is still some unpacking left to do, Judge Terry Tallman said he has been pleased with the transition. “The staff has responded well,” Tallman said. “We’ve had minimal issues with getting this stuff where it needs to be.” In all, the county spent $4.2 million on the project, including the cost of buying the land and demolishing three vacant homes. The building is located next to the historic Morrow County Courthouse, and was paid for entirely through revenue collected from local wind energy development — not from taxpayer dollars. The building was named in honor of Bartholomew, who served as county judge during the Heppner Flood of 1903 that killed 247 people. He also Photo courtesy Oregon State Police A 2008 Dodge Avenger and an Oregon State Police patrol car sit in the median along Interstate 84 after colliding during a high-speed pursuit of the Avenger. Staff photo by E.J. Harris The Morrow County government has moved into the new Bartholomew Building located next to the Morrow County Courthouse in Heppner. oversaw construction of the original courthouse in 1902. 2I¿FLDOVEURNHJURXQGRQ the building more than a year ago, and the county continues to work with Heppner and Ione FFA chapters on land- scaping. Human Resources Director Karen Wolff said there will be a grand opening celebration, but it has not yet been scheduled. “I’ve never worked on a project of this size before,” Wolff said. “Everything went great.” The building consists of WZRÀRRUVZLWKWKHFRPPLV- VLRQHUV¶ RI¿FHV DGPLQLV- tration and public health FOLQLF RQ WKH JURXQG ÀRRU Previously, public health was RQ WKH VHFRQG ÀRRU RI WKH Gilliam and Bisbee Building on Main Street, forcing patients to climb a steep set of stairs or ride the chairlift to reach the clinic. Public Health Director Sheree Smith said that could be treacherous for elderly, pregnant or disabled patients. She said residents should feel more comfortable in the new space. “Our biggest advantage is being level with the parking lot,” Smith said. “I think it will make it a lot easier for people to access.” Juvenile services, special transportation and accounting RI¿FHVZHUHVHWXSGRZQVWDLUV in the Bartholomew Building. The building also has two conference rooms that can be used by the public. Prior to breaking ground last year, Tallman said the Bartholomew Building not only consolidates depart- ments into one new adminis- trative center, but should also reassure residents they intend to keep the county seat in Heppner. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. No people aniPals inMureG in Earn ¿re near +erPiston By SEAN HART East Oregonian An outbuilding was destroyed in a ¿UHQHDU+HUPLVWRQRQ7KXUVGD\ At 11:42 a.m., Hermiston Fire & Emergency Services personnel were GLVSDWFKHGWRDUHSRUWRIDEDUQRQ¿UH near the 1600 block of East Punkin Center Road. )LUH¿JKWHUVUHVSRQGHGDQGIRXQGDQ outbuilding ablaze at 2420 N. Townsend Road, Battalion Chief Jimmy Davis said. “It was 12-by-30- to 35-foot outbuilding that had some chickens on one side, and the other side was just a garage with some storage stuff,” he said. )LUH¿JKWHUV ZHUH DEOH WR NHHS WKH ÀDPHV IURP VSUHDGLQJ WR QHLJKERULQJ properties, but the structure was destroyed. Davis said no people or animals were injured. 7KH¿UHPRVWOLNHO\RULJLQDWHGIURP a heat lamp in the barn that may have fallen over, Davis said, though he could not be certain. )LUH¿JKWHUV IURP 8PDWLOOD 5XUDO Fire Protection District were called in for mutual aid to assist with the blaze. 6WDQ¿HOG ¿UH¿JKWHUV DOVR ZHUH WXUQHG DURXQG ZKLOH HQ URXWH EHFDXVH WKH ¿UH was under control, Davis said. Staff photo by Sean Hart A firefighter from Umatilla Rural Fire Protection District sprays water on the charred remnants of an outbuilding at 2420 N. Townsend Road near East Punkin Center Road north of Hermiston Thursday. The structure was destroyed, but no people or animals were injured in the blaze. Despite the loss of the barn, Davis said the quick response by emergency personnel led to a favorable outcome. “Hermiston had a pretty good response. We didn’t have any ambu- lances out, so we actually had the personnel in the station for once, which is not the case very often anymore,” he said. “It was not a lot of damage, not a huge dollar loss, and no one was hurt, so that’s always good.” ——— Contact Sean Hart at smhart@ eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4534. BRIEFLY Three vacancies on Umatilla County +erPiston EuGget improves Pendleton committee courthouse security HERMISTON — Three positions are open on the city of Hermiston’s budget committee. Budget committee terms are three years long. The committee meets in the spring to go over the budget prepared by city staff before it comes to the city council for approval. The city is also looking for applicants for an open position on the Recreation Projects Fund Advisory Committee. The committee evaluates applications for transient room tax funds for recreation projects and makes recommendations to the city council. Preference will be given to city residents. The deadline for submitting applications for both committees is Nov. 30. Applications can be picked up and dropped off at city hall, 180 N.E. Second St. PENDLETON — Umatilla County continues to tighten security at the courthouse in Pendleton. The county board of commissioners Wednesday voted 3-0 to allow the purchase of a $17,532 X-ray inspection system for court security. Sheriff’s Sgt. Dwight Johnson said staff now uses a magnetometer and physically checks packages and bags, but an X-ray machine is the industry standard and would be more HI¿FLHQWDQGHIIHFWLYH A grant from the state of Oregon for security covers the costs, he said, and court security will keep its aging magnetometer as a backup. 7KHVKHULII¶VRI¿FH earlier this year imple- mented full-time security RQWKHVHFRQGÀRRURIWKH courthouse. The previous practice was to use a metal GHWHFWRUGXULQJKLJKSUR¿OH Shelby Journot Shelby Journot 541/276-2302 • 800/225-2521 Pendleton / Hermiston • stratton-insurance.com Cross¿t gym collects winter apparel PENDLETON — No 3DLQ&URVV¿WLVSDUWQHULQJ with area community outreach programs to supply needy children and adults with winter jackets and sweatshirts. People can donate new and gently used items in the marked receptacle Monday through Friday from 5-11 a.m. or 3-6:30 p.m. at No 3DLQ&URVV¿W6(6L[WK St., Pendleton. If those times aren’t convenient, call 503-949-9592 to schedule a time. East Oregonian The Oregon State Police are asking for help locating a stolen vehicle after troopers from Herm- iston were involved in two unrelated high-speed pursuits in 24 hours. 7KH ¿UVW LQFLGHQW happened on Tuesday at about 8:30 p.m., when a trooper attempted to pull over a 1993 Chevrolet Camaro for a lighting violation on Highway 730 east of Umatilla. According to a news release, the driver of the Camaro led the trooper on a chase east on Highway 37, also known as the Pendleton Cold Springs Highway, and Highway 334 before going off the road and “down a steep embankment” into a wheat ¿HOG DW WKH LQWHUVHFWLRQ of Highway 334 and 335 south of Helix. “The Camaro continued WKURXJKWKHZKHDW¿HOGDQG out of sight of pursuing troopers,” according to the OSP statement. 7KH 6WDQ¿HOG 3ROLFH Department and Umatilla &RXQW\ 6KHULII¶V 2I¿FH KHOSHG ¿QG WKH &DPDUR which was abandoned a short distance away. Early the next morning on nearby Reeder Road a 1982 GMC pickup truck was reported stolen. Police believe the two incidents are connected and are asking for help locating the GMC, which is white, has no tailgate and has an Oregon license plate of BRS869. The second high- speed pursuit occurred on Wednesday at about 4:30 p.m. after troopers IURPWKH+HUPLVWRQRI¿FH responded to a report of a 2008 Dodge Avenger, possibly involved in an earlier domestic distur- bance, parked in the emer- gency vehicle turnaround at milepost 174 on Inter- state 84 east of Boardman. An OSP trooper made contact with the lone occu- pant of the vehicle who, according to the news release, “became bellig- HUHQWDQGÀHGWKHDUHDDWD high rate of speed.” The trooper pursued the vehicle eastbound on Interstate 84 at speeds up to 100 miles per hour until the suspect slammed on his brakes. “The trooper managed to slow considerably and make an evasive maneuver, but the vehicles still collided,” according to the statement, and the Dodge Avenger came to rest in the median, where Clint D. Cureton, 22, of Grande Ronde, Oregon, was arrested without further incident. No one was injured in the collision. Cureton was lodged in the Umatilla County Jail on charges of reckless driving and felony attempt to elude in a vehicle, exceeding the speed limit 100+ and driving unin- sured, with further charges pending. Morrow County Sher- LII¶V 2I¿FH DVVLVWHG LQ WKH pursuit. Sheriff seeks public’s help with assault near Pendleton tussled to get to the driver side door of his pickup. The A man who claimed he victim said he punched the was the victim of an assault suspect in the throat and Wednesday morning near then jumped into his own Pendleton has led to the pickup and sped away as Umatilla County Sheriff’s the suspect threw rocks at 2I¿FH VHHNLQJ WKH SXEOLF¶V him.” The man said the help. The victim reported he attacker was a white male parked his blue Chevrolet with a large tattoo of a word one-ton pickup around or words on his forearm, the 5-5:15 a.m. along the west- statement said, and he may bound lanes of Interstate 84 have been looking to steal near the Yoakum Road exit the pickup. The man reported the to remove tumbleweeds from his vehicle, according suspect’s car smelled like it to a written statement overheated, according to the IURP WKH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH statement, and there may While under his pickup, a have been someone else dark colored sedan pull in driving the car the assailant was in; however, sedan’s behind. “When he stood up, an headlights were blinding, 7KH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH unknown man punched him in the mouth and then began asked anyone who was in to kick him as he was on the area at the time and the ground,” according to who may have seen these the statement. “The victim vehicles to call the agency said he and the suspect then at 541-966-3600. East Oregonian Boardman fall cleanup provides free vouchers BOARDMAN — A community-wide fall cleanup event is planned during the month of November in Boardman. Garbage vouchers up to $50 are available for residents to dispose of yard debris. Vouchers are valid at )LQOH\%XWWH/DQG¿OORU the North Morrow Transfer Station. They can be picked up at Boardman City Hall, 200 City Center Circle. For more information, call City Hall at 541-481- 9252. ——— Briefs are compiled from staff and wire reports, and press releases. Email press releases to news@ eastoregonian.com Friday Night Dinner November 6 • 5:30 pm • $20.00 Steak or Salmon Auto Health Home Life The Stratton Agency court cases or when there was a possibility of violence in court, such as for hearings involving gang members. OSP seeks stolen vehicle after pursuits Family Insurance Agent • Complete Salad Bar • Baked Potato • Steamed Vegetables • Dessert Proceeds to benefit Pendleton Elks’ Charities Pendleton Elks Lodge #288 14 SE 3rd, Pendleton 541-969-2765 • 541-276-3882