Wednesday, April 5, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
15
Planning commission Daycare provider faces charges
to hold public hearings
By Gillian Flaccus
Associated Press
The City of Sisters
Planning Commission is
holding two public hearings
at Sisters City Hall, 520 E.
Cascade Ave. on April 20, at
5:30 p.m.
The first hearing is on a
major variance to allow for
the creation of two town-
home lots that are less than
the required minimum lot
area and lot width.
The applicant is request-
ing a variance in order to sub-
divide the lot and duplex in
order to create two lots, each
containing a single attached
townhome dwelling. No sig-
nificant structural changes
are proposed to the existing
structure.
The lot is located at 311 N.
Maple Ln.
City staff is forward-
ing its administrative deci-
sion, dated February 28, to
the Planning Commission
for a public hearing to con-
sider modification of the
type and location of certain
recreational amenities in the
previously approved Village
at Cold Springs Master
Plan.
Neglected cattle seized from
Oregon rancher auctioned off
PENDLETON (AP) —
More than 100 cattle found
neglected and starving on
a ranch in eastern Oregon
earlier this year have been
sold.
The East Oregonian
reports officials say
Tuesday’s auction at the
Hermiston Livestock
Commission brought in more
than $140,000. A few more of
the animals will be sold next
week.
The animals were seized
in January from owner
Michael Hockensmith.
The Hermiston rancher
has been charged with 14
counts of first-degree ani-
mal neglect and 186 counts
of second-degree animal
neglect.
Deputies had visited
Hockensmith’s Cedar Creek
Cattle Company and found
14 dead cattle and 15 others
too malnourished to be safely
moved from the pasture.
The money from
Tuesday’s sale will be used
to reimburse the Umatilla
County Sheriff’s Office for
the care of the animals. Any
remaining funds will be
returned to Hockensmith.
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PORTLAND (AP) — An
Oregon daycare provider has
been indicted on more than
100 criminal counts after
being accused of leaving chil-
dren as young as six months
old alone multiple times over
eight days to go to a tanning
salon and a gym, prosecutors
said Wednesday.
A grand jury indicted
January Neatherlin, 31, of
Bend last week on 76 counts
of criminal mistreatment and
38 counts of reckless endan-
germent, said Deschutes
County District Attorney
John Hummel.
Neatherlin was arrested
last week after police found
seven children ranging in
age from 6 months to 4 years
alone in her home.
She has a court appear-
ance scheduled Thursday. Her
attorney, Matthew Baughman,
did not return a call from The
Associated Press.
Court documents say
Neatherlin left children alone
at her home on eight differ-
ent occasions between March
R
Rendezvous
Salon
Marla Brinkman
3 and March 15, the day she
was arrested after police
received a tip and set up sur-
veillance outside the home.
Officers watched as par-
ents dropped off their chil-
dren and then saw Neatherlin
drive away hours later. Out of
fear for the children’s safety,
officers entered the home
and found the unattended
children.
The investigation is con-
tinuing because authorities
believe Neatherlin left the
children alone on other occa-
sions, possibly going back
years, Hummel said.
“We’re looking at her
entire time operating that
babysitting service,” he said,
adding that she would leave
for about two hours each
time.
“What’s particularly con-
cerning to me (is) the age of
some of the children and the
length of time she was gone.”
In addition to facing
charges, Neatherlin must stay
away from seven children
identified only by their ini-
tials in court papers, as well
as their parents, and she must
avoid unsupervised contact
with her own minor son.
She has also been ordered
to stay away from minors in
public.
State records show that
Neatherlin’s business, Little
Giggles Daycare, has been
investigated twice before by
state child welfare advocates.
In 2014, she was found
to be caring for more chil-
dren than allowed without a
license. She was told to drop
her number to three or less
children.
She was investigated for a
similar allegation in 2015 and
officials found no evidence
that she was caring for more
than three children.
Neatherlin took out a busi-
ness license for Little Giggles
in 2010, but it lapsed in 2012
and was not renewed, The
Bend Bulletin reported.
A day care license is only
needed if a provider cares for
more than three children.
Neatherlin was on a list
of subsidized child care for
students at Oregon State
University-Cascades.
A school administra-
tor said Neatherlin has been
dropped from the list.
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