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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 21, 2019)
LOCAL MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019 THE OBSERVER — 3A L OCAL B RIEFING From staff reports Elgin FBLA hosts blood drive Wednesday ELGIN — The Elgin FBLA chapter is hosting an American Red Cross blood drive from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Elgin High School gymnasium at 1400 Birch St. The theme is “Starve a Vampire, Do- nate Blood.” To donate, you must be at age 16 or older. Those who are 16 must have parental permission. For information, contact Shelby Sannar at shelby.sannar@gmail.com or call Elgin High School at 541-437-2021. RSVP by Wednesday for Lostine River fi sh weir tour ENTERPRISE — On Oct. 25, join the Nez Perce Tribe Fisher- ies for a tour of the Lostine River fi sh weir facility and a talk led by Eric Greenwell, Wallowa Land Trust’s conservation program manager, on the Wolfe conserva- tion easement that encompasses the river and land around the fi sh weir. To carpool, participants may meet at 8 a.m. at Wallowa Land Trust, 116 S. River St., Enterprise. The two-hour tour and talk will begin at 8:30 a.m. To reserve a spot, RSVP by Oct. 23 by contacting Wal- lowa Land Trust at 541-426-2042 or info@wallowalandtrust.org. Spook-A-Rama canceled LA GRANDE — The Spook-A- Rama held at the Riveria Activity Center in La Grande has been can- celed. According to an email from the organizers, the event has to be canceled this year due to circum- stances beyond their control. Got an unwanted pile of leaves? ‘Leaf’ the raking to the EOU softball team LA GRANDE — The Eastern Oregon University softball team will be raking leaves this fall. It’s an opportunity to not only get unwanted leaves taken away, but to also meet the coaches and players. Payment is by donation. To set up a time or for more information, contact EOU softball coach Nicole Christian at 541-962-3808 or christn@eou.edu. LG Swim Club hosts meet this weekend LA GRANDE — The La Grande Swim Club is hosting a home swim meet Oct. 26-27 at the Veterans’ Memorial Pool in Pioneer Park. Events will go from 10 a.m. until about 4 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. until about 3 p.m. Sunday. There will be around 45 local stu- dents participating and potentially up to 200 swimmers from other clubs as far away as Spokane, Washington, and Boise, Idaho. The community is encouraged to attend and cheer on our local swimmers. Scholarship application workshops support EOU students LA GRANDE — More than 90% of Eastern Oregon University stu- dents receive some kind of fi nancial aid to cover their school costs. As part of the university’s Financial Literacy Program (www.eou.edu/fao/ fi nancial-literacy), the Financial Aid Offi ce is coordinating scholarship application workshops from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 26 and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 12 in Pierce Library’s computer lab, Room 209. The sessions include help with essays, application ques- tions and interviews. Learn more about scholarships at www.eou.edu/scholarships or contact Danny Bailey, scholarship coordinator, at scholarships@eou. edu. Campaign to bring back Amtrak passenger rail seeks community input LA GRANDE — Oregon and Idaho rail advocates invite the com- munity to join a meeting Oct. 26 in La Grande to discuss efforts to bring back passenger train service to the Blue Mountains and Trea- sure Valley. The event is sponsored by the Association of Oregon Rail and Transit Advocates (AORTA), which is seeking support and input from affected communities. Amtrak last served the Blues and Boise along its Pioneer route, from Se- attle to Salt Lake City and Chicago, when it fell victim to budget cuts in 1997. According to AORTA, the need for passenger rail is greater now and would provide a welcome option for seniors, students and people traveling for medical care. Saturday’s meeting will be held from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. at La Grande’s Cook Memorial Library, 2006 Fourth St. Speakers will in- clude local offi cials and Yakima Val- ley organizers. More information is available at AORTA’s Facebook page or www.aorta.chcs.net/events and by emailing oregonrail@aol. com. LGPD takes back unwanted prescriptions Saturday LA GRANDE — In partner- ship with the Union County Safe Communities Coalition, Elkhorn Media Group and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the La Grande Police Department will be collecting unwanted prescription drugs from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. in the east end of the Safeway parking lot on Adams Avenue. The goal of the Take Back Day event is to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding homes of poten- tially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs (pills and patches, but no liquids or needles). The service is free and anonymous, and no questions will be asked. More information is available at www.DEATakeBack. com or by calling the LGPD 541- 963-1017. Veterans Day Family Fun Run seeks sponsors LA GRANDE — Grande Ronde Academy’s sixth annual Veterans Day Family Fun Run on Nov. 9 will include a 10K, 5K and 1-mile run/ walk. The event honors veterans near and far, encourages healthy activity and promotes local com- munity involvement, in addition to supporting Grande Ronde Academy. Pre-registration may be completed at www.granderon- deacademy.org or on the day of the event. Veterans run for free. The cost for others is $10-$25. Businesses, organizations and individuals are encouraged to spon- sor the event. Those who donate $100 in cash or prizes will receive acknowledgments and advertis- ing the day of the run; those who donate $250 receive acknowledg- ment and advertising the day of the run, advertising on the run’s T- shirts and entry and shirts for two participants; donations of $350 will garner the above benefi ts and addi- tional advertising at designated aid stations for runners. Donated items will be used for the event or given as prizes to participants. For more information, call the school at 541-975-1147 or email contact@granderondeacademy.org. ‘Messiah’ solo auditions are on Sunday LA GRANDE — Solo auditions for the community performance of Handel’s “Messiah” will be held from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Oct. 27 at the La Grande LDS Stake Center, 1802 Gekeler Lane. Soloists should prepare a song from the “Messiah” for the audition. The performance is planned for Dec 15. For more information, call Marie Rampton at 541-805-8902. P UBLIC S AFETY R EPORT UNION COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE Cited: Christine McMahan Theiler, 42, unknown address, was cited on charges of driving under the infl uence of intoxi- cants and reckless driving. Cited: Christopher James Smith, 37, Island City, was cited on a charge of second-degree theft. Arrested: Mariam Everson Collard, 20, unknown address, was arrested while lodged in the Malheur County Correction- al Facility on two Union County warrants. One warrant charged failure to appear in court on a charge of endangering the wel- fare of a minor. A second war- rant charged failure to appear in court on a charge of fi rst-degree criminal trespass. Arrested: Cody Tanner Colton, 23, unknown address, was arrested on an Oregon State Parole Board warrant charging a parole violation. LA GRANDE POLICE DEPARTMENT Accident: At least one person was injured in a traffi c accident Saturday on Cove Avenue. The accident was reported at 3:16 p.m. Arrested: Jeremiah Dean Widick, 42, a transient, was arrested on a Idaho State Parole Board warrant charging a parole violation. Accident: Nobody was injured in a traffi c accident at Island Avenue and Balm Street on Friday. The accident was reported at 11:48 p.m. LA GRANDE FIRE DEPARTMENT Firefighters responded to six calls for medical assistance on Sunday, 11 on Saturday and 11 on Friday. O BITUARIES Gerald ‘Jerry’ M. Johnson Union 1946-2019 Gerald “Jerry” Marvin Johnson, 73, of Union, died Sept. 6 in Spokane, Washing- ton. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Oct. 27 at the Eastern Oregon Livestock Show Clubhouse in Union. Known as Jerry, he was born Aug. 7, 1946, in Kent, Washington, to Marvin and Muriel (Berg) Johnson. Jerry served 18 years in the National Guard UPCOMING FUNERALS AND VISITATIONS Sponsored by Oct. 26 Violet Malone: 2 p.m., memorial service, Daniels-Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, La Grande; interment follows at Cove Cemetery. Nov. 12 Phillip Mendiguren: 2 p.m., Rosary and Mass of Christian Burial, Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, La Grande. Mon-Fri Blue Plate $12: Baked Shells with Bay Shrimp and fontina cheese Live Music Erika Litke before moving to Eastern Or- egon. In April 1992, he mar- ried his wife, Sherry. They had one daughter, Katie. Jerry worked as a mechanic for the Oregon Department of Transportation for 25 years, retiring in 2012. Jerry was a social and active man who was deeply involved in collecting and restoring antique gas engines. He belonged to the Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association, Branch Number 67, since the fi rst day and was also an active member of the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion. Jerry was very passionate about fi ghting to keep our forests open for use by ATVs, woodcutters, hunter, hikers, campers and all other forest recreationists. He enjoyed be- ing outdoors, staying busy and would always fi nd a new proj- ect to work on. His friends and family will always remember him as a humble man, willing to give you the shirt off his back. His smile and laugh could light up a room. Surviving relatives include his wife, Sherry; daughter and son-in-law, Katie and Robbie; brother, James John- son of Chehalis, Washington; sisters, Kathy Johnson- Carlson and husband, Gary, of Olympia, Washington, and Beverly Knutson of Washing- ton; and aunt, Palmas Mint- eer of Seattle, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents, Marvin and Muriel, and uncles, Clarence and Miles. Online condolences may be made to the family at La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst ACDelcoTSS Wrongful death lawsuit filed By Chris Collins Farrold E. Millering EO Media Group Elgin The wife of a Baker City man who died in a February hunting accident near Unity has fi led a $960,000 wrongful death lawsuit against her husband’s hunting partner. Vicki VanCleave of La Grande fi led the law- suit Oct. 14 in Baker County Circuit Court. VanCleave claims Richard Toubeaux, 71, of Baker City, was negligent in causing the death of her 76-year-old husband, George Sherman VanCleave. He died on Job Creek Road in the Unity area on Feb. 19. Vicki VanCleave fi led the lawsuit on behalf of herself and the couple’s children, Tara Hett and Jennifer Cunningham, ben- efi ciaries of George VanCleave’s estate. Her husband died when he was struck by a round from Toubeaux’s loaded .300 Weatherby Magnum rifl e as Toubeaux was preparing the gun for transport. Baker County authorities ruled VanCleave’s death “a tragic accident.” Vicki VanCleave accuses Toubeaux of negligence on the grounds that he “knew or should have known that his rifl e was loaded with a round in the chamber, that the rifl e’s safety was not engaged, and that the barrel of the rifl e was pointing at (her husband).” Farrold E. Millering, 75, of Elgin, died Oct. 18 at home. An obituary is forthcoming. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory will be handling the arrangements. John L. Hays La Grande John L. Hays, 73, of La Grande, died Oct. 18 at Grande Ronde Hospital. An obituary is forthcoming. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory will be handling the arrangements. Susan L. Eaton Elgin Susan L. Eaton, 71, of Elgin, died Oct. 20 at Grande Ronde Hospital. An obituary is forth- coming. Loveland Funeral Chapel & Crematory will be handling the arrangements. The two men had driven to the area in Toubeaux’s 2001 F350 crew cab pickup truck and VanCleave had ridden in the passenger seat, the complaint states. After looking around the property for elk, the men returned to the vehicle and placed their rifl es in the back passenger compartment. Toubeaux’s loaded rifl e was placed in the back seat with the barrel pointed at the rear passenger door, the complaint states. After a while VanCleave got out of the truck with his rifl e, and walked from the truck to continue elk hunting. When he returned to the vehicle, he opened the rear passenger door and loaded his rifl e into the truck for transport, the complaint states. Next Toubeaux got out of his vehicle to pre- pare his rifl e for travel because the men were planning to drive from the area for dinner. That is when VanCleave was shot, accord- ing to the lawsuit, which states: “Upon grab- bing his rifl e from the back seat of the vehicle to ensure that it was unloaded and in a safe condition for transport, the rifl e went off. The bullet struck and killed (VanCleave) while he was in the process of loading his own rifl e and equipment into the truck.” Grande Ronde Hospital proudly welcomes: Eve Koltuv, MD Joining the Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics team as a Pediatrician Dr. Eve Koltuv joins the GRH Children’s Clinic from Brooklyn, New York, where she spent several years as a Pediatrician after completing her residency and receiving her Doctor of Medicine from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine. Dr. Koltuv enjoys working with children and teens – getting to know them, building relationships with them, and watching them grow and change over time. She is passionate about creating a partnership with parents and sees herself as a guide through medical issues as well as parenting concerns. Her practice focuses on the whole child, especially growth and development, behavior, healthy sleep and lifestyle habits, and good nutrition. When not caring for patients, Dr. Koltuv enjoys spending time outdoors, including hiking, backpacking, nordic and alpine skiing, and biking. She is an avid reader, loves to travel, and especially relishes time playing and adventuring with her husband and two children. GRH Women’s & Children’s Clinic 975-2000 Tuesday, October 21st Alternative Street Corner Music 541-963-8766 tendepotstreet.com www.lovelandfuneralcha- pel.com. Eve Koltuv, MD 710 Sunset Drive, Suite E, La Grande 541.663.3150 • grh.org/pediatrics/ Learn more about Dr. Koltuv in our online Provider Directory at www.grh.org today!
