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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 16, 2017)
SPORTS/1B BOOST TO MILITARY, CUTS DOMESTICALLY 52/36 TRUMP’S FIRST BUDGET/8A BMCC RODEO STAYS ON TOP THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2017 141st Year, No. 108 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Federal judge puts travel ban on hold By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and GENE JOHNSON Associated Press HONOLULU — For the second time, a federal court on Wednesday blocked President Donald Trump’s efforts to freeze immigration by refugees and citizens of some predominantly Muslim nations, putting the president’s revised travel ban on hold just hours before it was to take effect. This time, the ruling came from a judge in Hawaii who rejected the government’s claims that the travel ban is about national security, not discrimination. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson also said Hawaii would suffer fi nancially if the executive order constricted the fl ow of students and tourists to the state, and that Hawaii was likely to succeed on a claim that the ban violates First Amendment protections against religious discrimination. EO Media Group and Lee Williams photos See TRAVEL/10A From upper left: the tartan, rescue dogs, ospreys, marionberry pie, Border collie and Kiger mustangs are being discussed as possible state symbols this Legislative session. The Symbol State Oregon considers adding border collie, Kiger mustang, marionberry pie to 29 other offi cial symbols By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian “ Is it the most important thing Oregon may be known as the Beaver State, but the state animal is only one of 29 different symbols adopted by the state legislature. The state also has a state beverage (milk), a state dance (the square dance) and a state outdoor pageant (Pendleton’s own Happy Canyon), to name a few. This legislative session six more state symbols are up for a vote. Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, said he lends his name to bills proposing state symbols some- times because he tries to be responsive, where possible, to constituents who come to him we do? No, not even close. But it is something people are interested in.” — Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena with requests. “Is it the most important thing we do? No, not even close,” he said. “But it is something people are interested in.” Hansell’s name is on two state symbol bills this year — one he sponsored at the request of a constituent to make the border collie the state dog, and one that Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualitin asked him to join in proposing the Kiger Mustang become Oregon’s state horse. State symbols and commem- orative days (of which there are seven proposed this session) can draw constituent complaints that the legislature is wasting time on unimportant issues. But Hansell said a state symbol can create awareness for something that is important to Oregon. Naming the Dungeness crab as the state crustacean, for example, draws attention to something that brings a lot of income and tourism to the state. “It can highlight a particular aspect of the culture or environ- ment or what makes the state unique,” he said. The Kiger Mustang, for example, is native to southeastern Oregon and named after the Kiger Gorge there. According to the Bureau of Land Management website, the horses are “one of the best remaining examples of the Spanish Mustang” and highly sought after in BLM auctions. A Kiger Mustang with the breed’s See SYMBOLS/10A UMATILLA Solar array gets OK for farmland By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners granted an exemption to allow a solar farm on 80 acres of high-value farm- land. Commissioners and county staff noted the area does not have a water right and has never produced crops, and its high-value designation has to do with state rules and the site residing within the Columbia Valley American Viticulture Area, which applies to much of the county. The Umatilla Electric Coop- erative sought the exemption to expand its Moyer-Tolles Solar Station on the south side of Highway 730 near McNary on the exclusive farm use land. The See SOLAR/10A Wildlife Services says it’s working to avoid future wolf harm By ERIC MORTENSON EO Media Group The state director for USDA Wildlife Services in Oregon said the agency has removed M-44 cyanide poison traps from “areas of immediate concern” following the unintended poisoning of a wolf in Wallowa County in February. Director Dave Williams said Wildlife Services has reviewed what happened and shared that information with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, which manages wolves in the state. The two agencies are in ongoing discussions about how to prevent another wolf death, Williams said. More inside For an info-graphic on how M-44 cyanide traps work see Page 10A “We don’t feel good about that,” he said. Williams said Wildlife Services has removed M-44s from areas identifi ed by ODFW as places wolves are present. ODFW offi cials confi rmed that took place. “We appreciate that Wild- life Services has voluntarily removed M-44s,” ODFW Wildlife Division Adminis- trator Doug Cottam said in a prepared statement. “We also recognize See WOLVES/10A Water rising in the Umatilla Staff photo by Kathy Aney The Umatilla River gushes around tree trunks Wednesday. The National Weather Service predicted minor fl ooding for Northeast Oregon, particularly the Umatilla River near Gibbon. The warning is in effect until 3 p.m. Thursday.