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!