SPIRITUAL UNITY
PREP SPORTS
RESIDENTS COME
TOGETHER TO PRAY
ZITTERKOB FINDS
HOME ON TRACK
PAGE A3
SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015
Council to
ponder
ending taxi
franchise
SPORTS PAGE A9
YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER
City curbs panhandling in traffi c
Transferring money
from vehicle illegal
in highway lanes
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
After 50 years with a
single taxi service, Hermis-
ton may soon open the city
to multiple companies.
With Hermiston Tran-
sit’s exclusive taxi fran-
chise set to expire June 30,
Hermiston City Council
members will consider an
ordinance that would set up
non-exclusive licensing ar-
rangements for taxi compa-
nies at their regular meeting
Monday.
According to a city staff
report, multiple companies
would “promote innovation
and competition in the taxi
industry.”
“The ordinance will re-
place the city’s outdated
exclusive taxi franchise
with a non-exclusive li-
censing arrangement for
taxi companies which meet
the minimum standards of
service as set by the City
Council,” the report states.
“The licensing arrangement
will still ensure that the
critical need for on-demand
taxi service is still fulfi lled,
while ensuring competitive
HERMISTONHERALD.COM
SEAN HART PHOTO
Umatilla Finance Director Melissa Ince holds a mock-up of a sign
that will warn drivers and panhandlers it is now illegal to transfer
money from a vehicle in a highway lane of traffi c in the city after
the Umatilla City Council passed an ordinance Tuesday.
While panhandling is still
legal in Umatilla, it is now
illegal to do so in the places
where it was most common.
Umatilla City Manager
Bob Ward said an ordinance
unanimously approved by
the City Council Tuesday
does not address panhan-
dling, which is a constitu-
tionally protected activity,
but it makes it illegal to give
or receive money or goods
from a vehicle in a highway
lane of traffi c.
He said people can still
transfer items from vehicles
legally, but they must fi rst
pull out of the traffi c lane.
He said similar ordinances
have been adopted in other
communities and have not
been challenged in court.
City offi cials will soon
order signs warning vehicle
occupants the activity is pro-
hibited and have already had
discussions with Oregon De-
partment of Transportation
about placing those signs.
Umatilla Police Chief
Darla Huxel said both vehi-
cle occupants and recipients
could be cited for the unlaw-
ful transfer. She said the de-
partment will be conducting
directed enforcement, plac-
ing offi cers to watch for the
activity in areas where pan-
handling is frequent, such
as the Interstate 82 offramp
at its intersection with High-
way 730. She said the plan is
to educate vehicle occupants
and panhandlers with warn-
ings, rather than immediate-
ly issuing citations.
In other City Council
news, discussion of an or-
dinance amending com-
mercial zoning regulations
was continued to the May
19 meeting to allow the
council members more
time to review the pro-
posed changes.
SENDING DREAMS SOARING
SEE TAXI/A18
TODAY’S WEATHER
Sunny
High: 81º Low: 40º
JESSICA KELLER PHOTO
Connor Doran, of Olympia, maneuvers his Revolution Quad indoor kite around the Hermiston Junior Academy gym Thursday in a routine set to music. He
was a contestant on NBC television reality series America’s Got Talent in 2010 at age 17. He and his mother, Amy, spoke to students from the academy and
Hermiston Christian School about not letting challenges stop them from reaching their dreams.
OUTLOOK
• SUNDAY
Mostly sunny
High: 83º Low: 46º
• MONDAY
Mostly cloudy
High: 78º Low: 46º
America’s Got
Talent contestant
inspires students
with kite fl ying
A complete weather forecast is
featured on page A2.
Find the Hermiston Herald on
Facebook and Twitter
and join the conversation.
BY JESSICA KELLER
HERMISTON HERALD
With music pouring
into the Hermiston Junior
Academy gym, indoor kite
fl yer Connor Doran sent
his Revolution Quad kite
soaring through the air just
by moving his body, which
moved in rhythm to the
song.
After his last spin, Dor-
an maneuvered his kite to
FOR LOCAL
BREAKING NEWS
www.HermistonHerald.com
the fl oor, where it glided
to a quiet stop. The audi-
ence, comprised of Herm-
iston Junior Academy
and Hermiston Christian
School students and par-
ents, burst into applause.
Doran and his mother,
Amy, came to town at the
invitation of kindergarten
teacher Darla Hanson, who
wanted to share with the
students the opportunity to
watch indoor kite fl ying,
as well as hear the Dorans’
message of encouragement
and hope.
“Dreams don’t stop
because you get older,”
Amy Doran told the chil-
dren. “Dreams don’t stop
SEE KITES/A2
JESSICA KELLER PHOTO
Connor Doran, of Olympia, slides the bottom of his indoor kite along the Hermiston Junior
Academy gym fl oor during a performance to area Christian students Thursday. Doran, who
has epilepsy which he helps control by indoor kite fl ying, and his mother, Amy, spoke to the
children as part of a Dare To Dream presentation, in which they demonstrated indoor kite
fl ying and spoke about the importance of pursuing goals.
HPD Memorial Team to
honor fallen Idaho offi cer
Local representatives
attend funerals for
line-of-duty deaths
within 500 miles
Blue ribbons show
support of police
Law Enforcement
Appreciation Week
Sunday through May 16
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
Several members of Hermiston
Police Department will attend the
funeral of the Couer d’Alene offi -
cer killed this week.
Sgt. Greg Moore was shot after
Hermiston Herald $1.00
8
08805 93294
© 2015 EO Media Group
2
SEE MEMORIAL/A18
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
From right to left, Hermiston Police
Department Sgt. Billy Osborne, Offi cer
Freddy Sotelo and Cpl. Doug Gill
stand with a Las Vegas Metro Police
Department offi cer at a Nevada funeral
service following the deaths of two
offi cers in the line of duty last year.
More than 1,300 blue ribbons
have already been distributed lo-
cally for National Law Enforce-
ment Appreciation Week.
Terry Cummings, a chaplain
for Hermiston Police Department,
said people are encouraged to dis-
SEE RIBBONS/A18
Get a ribbon
Blue ribbons to display on
vehicles during National Law
Enforcement Appreciation
Week are available at the
following locations:
• Ace Hardware
• Banner Bank
• Hermiston Chamber of Com-
merce
• Hermiston City Hall
• Hermiston Drug
• Hermiston Police Department
• The Hermiston Herald
• Washington Federal Bank