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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 21, 2018)
Wednesday, February 21, 2018 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Guilty plea for teen accused of sparking Oregon wildfire HOOD RIVER (AP) — A teenager who started a mas- sive wildfire in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge last fall by tossing a lit firecracker into the woods pleaded guilty Friday in a deal that spares him time in custody. The boy, who was 15 at the time, has not been iden- tified by authorities because of fear for his safety after an angry backlash from those who consider the scenic gorge a cherished playground on Portland’s doorstep. He appeared in Hood River County Court with his parents, who followed the hearing with the help of an interpreter. The teen’s family emi- grated to the U.S. in 2000 from Ukraine and lives in Vancouver, Washington. He pleaded guilty to eight counts of reckless burning of public and private prop- erty, two counts of depositing burning materials on forest land, and one count each of second-degree criminal mis- chief and reckless endanger- ment of others. District Judge John Olson sentenced the teen to more than 2-1/2 months of com- munity service, five years of probation and restitution, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. The teen apologized in a statement he read in court and asked for forgiveness. “I know I will have to live with this bad decision for the rest of my life, but I have learned from this experience and will work hard to help rebuild the community in any way that I can,” he said. “I now realize how impor- tant it is to think before acting because my actions can have serious consequences.” The early September blaze grew to 75 square miles (194 square kilometers) and forced evacuations, caused the extended shutdown of a major interstate highway and sent ash raining down on Portland for days. A group of day hikers was trapped by rapidly spreading flames in the forest overnight and had to hike out 14 miles the following day. The fire and its aftermath have cost nearly $40 mil- lion, and that figure could rise because crews are still work- ing to rebuild and reopen a number of popular hik- ing trails in the Eagle Creek Wilderness before the sum- mer season. The closure of Interstate 84 and the historic Columbia Gorge Highway also impacted small businesses that depend on tourism. Environmental groups said after the hearing that it was time to focus on rebuild- ing the gorge. “The fire is out and the court has spoken,” Michael Lang, conservation director for Friends of the Columbia Gorge, said in a statement. It’s Listing Season Call me today for an honest, accurate CRIME DOWN: District Attorney reports to Sisters City Council Continued from page 1 get them, and their fami- lies if indicated, the help they need so they don’t reoffend. On the adult side, despite a growth in population for the county of 10,000 new residents and more tour- ists in town, the crime rate has dropped by 8.6 percent. Hummel said that there are still too many domestic-vio- lence and impaired-driving cases and that needs to be addressed. He is exploring a domestic-violence interven- tion program coming out of Virginia. When all types of crimes since 2014-15 are added up, there is a small increase in the number of criminal cases reviewed but a definite year- after-year decrease in the cases that are actually filed, with 30 percent of felonies and misdemeanors being dis- missed up front over the past four years. Disposition of those cases includes obtain- ing appropriate services for people rather than simply locking them up. “The justice department is doing a great job pro- viding services rather than prosecutions,” Hummel said. The new Goldilocks pro- gram, or the “just right” intervention, encourages low-risk drug offenders to enter the “clean slate” program where they get immediate access to the medical system and harm reduction to treat their addic- tion, while being closely fol- lowed by a judge, addiction counselor, and attorney. If the program is successfully completed, the person gets a clean slate with no criminal charges for their possession offense. On the other end of the spectrum is the “deter” pro- gram, which is aimed at those participating in the manufacture and delivery of drugs. They face enhanced prosecution in an attempt to reduce the number of commercial drug deal- ers in the area. They can face federal racketeering charges. The Goldilocks program was developed in response to the high recidivism rate (34 percent) for people charged with drug and theft crimes between 2009-2015. If the program proves suc- cessful at the end of two years, it will be continued. If it doesn’t seem to have 31 an impact on the recidivism rate, something else will be tried. “We are not going to stop, because we need a better way,” Hummel assured the Council. The mental-health court operates much like the drug court, designed to get people who qualify into a program of extensive treat- ment with a team approach. Of the 242 mental-health holds, most were stabi- lized as they improved on medication, while receiving needed services, shelter, and counseling. Hummel reported he is concerned that the inspection program of marijuana grow sites is inadequate. There are 980 medical marijuana grow sites in Deschutes County and 20,000 in the state. Fifty- five have been inspected. He said that the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which is responsible for monitor- ing, does have good access on recreational marijuana grows. CUSTOM HOMES • RESIDENTIAL BUILDING PROJECTS John P. Pierce 541-549-9764 CCB# 159020 CCB# 16891 Becke W. P ierce Arne J. P ierce General Contracting LLC 541-647-0384 General Contracting LLC 541-668-0883 CCB# 190689 CCB# 208020 Serving the Sisters Area Since 1976 Strictly Quality HOWELLS REALTY GROUP from value to luxury, howells howe w lls has h the listings! 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