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About The Redmond spokesman. (Redmond, Crook County, Or.) 1910-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 2022)
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2022 • Redmond, Oregon • $1 SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE » Many Redmond businesses reach new heights, despite pandemic Flying Forward Redmond economy rebounds quickly from pandemic punch redmondspokesman.com A special good morning to subscriber Bryson Voth @RedmondSpox Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin Water from a breach in the Pilot Butte Canal flooded property Thurs- day along SW Young Avenue south of Redmond. Above photo by Tim Trainor; Below phoot Bulletin file ABOVE: Crews work to repair the Pilot Butte Canal after it gave way Wednesday night, flooding fields, homes and Young Avenue. BELOW: A yel- low-bellied marmot, also known as a rockchuck. ROCKCHUCKS WREAK HAVOC Common rodent blamed for damaging canal, causing flood By SPOKESMAN STAFF ockchucks, the large ro- dents that are common in Central Oregon, are being blamed for a breach in the Pilot Butte Canal that caused flooding along a road and several properties halfway between Bend and Redmond on Wednesday night. The rockchucks allegedly weakened the canal wall by R tunneling into it, causing a 30- foot section to collapse. Central Oregon Irrigation District, which operates the Pilot Butte Canal, responded to reports of the breach at around 9 p.m. Wednesday. The district shut down the canal in Bend, but water con- tinued to flow through the breached area for an addi- tional four hours, said Craig Eco-activist pleads guilty to 1997 slaughterhouse arson Associated Press A Seattle man has pleaded guilty to federal arson charges involving a fire that destroyed a Redmond horse slaughterhouse in 1997. Joseph Dibee, 54, pleaded guilty Thursday in Portland to federal arson and conspiracy to commit arson charges for his role in the fire that destroyed Cavel West, a slaughterhouse that processed and sold horse meat in Europe, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Horrell, the district’s general manager. Two earthmovers were at the location of the breach on Thursday, restoring the wall with clay and and rock. The breach occurred in the canal close to SW Young Avenue, be- tween the Old Bend-Redmond Highway and 61st Street. Canal breaches are rare in Central Oregon but not un- See Arson / A4 SW Young Avenue, said she noticed water on the road after coming home from dinner on Wednesday and immediately called her husband and some neighbors to investigate. Res- idents found the breach and called the Central Oregon Irri- gation District. “It was coming quite quickly after we noticed it. You could hear the rushing water and see it coming,” said Morgan, a project manager for Hy- dro Flask. “It was inconve- nient, but we rolled with the punches.” Morgan said she and her husband started moving items out of the garage when it be- came clear that the water was approaching their property. She also bought sandbags from Fred Meyer to surround her home. The irrigation dis- trict placed pumps in the ga- rage to start removing water. Irrigation district workers were at the property on Thurs- day helping with cleanup. According to Horrell, the breach occurred because rock- chucks create tunnels in the canal walls, which are then susceptible to failure when wa- ter enters them. “They take out all the struc- tural ability. The water finds the path of least resistance, and it just starts moving in there,” said Horrell. Rockchucks, also known as yellow-bellied marmots, are the largest members of the squirrel family. They hiber- nate for about eight months of the year starting in Septem- ber, usually emerging in April to fatten up on grass, plants, flowers and the occasional in- sect. See Flood / A4 Police, behavioral health field spike in mental health crisis calls BY JOE SIESS For The Spokesman Dibee heard of. In May last year, a large sinkhole appeared in a canal belonging to Arnold Ir- rigation District, forcing that district to shut down its canal for a week. Horrell said the last major canal failure in his dis- trict occurred in Bend in 2005 when around 10 homes were flooded after a canal failed near Silver Lake Boulevard. Jess Morgan, a resident on Photo by Tim Trainor Water sits on Young Avenue, which is currently closed, as crews repair the nearby Pilot Butte Canal. From 2020 to 2021, men- tal health crisis calls to the Redmond Police Department increased by 21.1%, a num- ber that has trended upward for the past five years, leading to a tighter focus on mental health among law enforce- ment and behavioral health professionals in the region. Police Chief Devin Lewis said there were 904 mental health calls in 2021 — up from 719 in 2020 — but the number could actually be higher, because other calls often turn out to be mental health crisis calls once of- ficers arrive. In data Lewis shared Tuesday with the Redmond City Council, do- mestic related calls, trespass, unwanted subjects, prowlers, and welfare checks — which all overlap at times with men- tal health calls — also saw increases. Welfare checks in particular increased by 11.5 % between 2020 and 2021, the data showed. Mental health profession- als said it is hard to blame the increase in mental health calls on one problem. But factors that come into play include the effects of the COVID-19 pan- demic and substance abuse. See Crisis / A4 The Spokesman uses recycled newsprint Tuesday 4/26 Events in and around Redmond The Redmond Spokesman welcomes event information for its community calendar. Submissions are limited to nonprofit, free and live entertainment events. Deadline is 5 p.m. Thursday for the following Wednesday’s paper. Items are published on a space-available basis and may be edited. Contact us at news@redmondspokesman.com or fax 541-548-3203. Writers Writing — Quiet Writing Time: Enjoy the focus of a quiet space with the benefit of others’ company; 10:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m.; free; Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond; deschuteslibrary.org or 541-312-1050. Ichishkín Language Revitalization: Learn about local Na- tive language revitalization that counters historical damage; 6-7 p.m.; free; Redmond Public Library, 827 SW Deschutes Ave., Redmond; deschuteslibrary.org or 541-312-1029. City Council Meeting: A regular meeting will be held; 6-8 p.m.; free; Redmond City Hall Council Chambers, 411 SW Ninth St., Redmond; redmondoregon.gov or 541-923-7710. Trivia Tuesday: Go with a team or team up there to play genuine UKB Trivia live and possibly win gift certificates; 6:30- 8:30 p.m.; free; Initiative Brewing, 424 NW 5th, Redmond; facebook.com/InitiativeBrew or 541-527-4380. Wednesday 4/27 Hemp Education Workshop: If you’re interested in hemp production, business & economics join this two day work- shop; 8:30 a.m.-Noon; free; OSU Extension Service, 3893 SW Airport Way, Redmond; extension.oregonstate.edu or 541- 548-6088. See Calendar / A4 INDEX Puzzles ............. 2 Opinion ........... 3 Flashback ........ 5 Classifieds ....... 5 Volume 112, No. 35 USPS 778-040 U|xaIICGHy02326kzU
