The SpokeSman • TueSday, June 7, 2022 A3
Horse with equine herpesvirus
was recently in Redmond area
BY GEORGE PLAVEN
Co media Group
SALEM — A horse in Clacka-
mas County was euthanized after
testing positive for equine her-
pesvirus, the state Department of
Agriculture reported June 2.
Equine herpesvirus is a highly
contagious disease in horses. It
can be transmitted via nose-to-
nose contact, respiratory secre-
tions, fetal fluids and contami-
nated equipment such as feed and
water buckets. The disease cannot
be transmitted to humans.
According to ODA, the infected
horse had recently traveled to the
2022 State Oregon High School
Equestrian Teams Championship,
which was May 12-15 at the First
Interstate Bank Expo Center in
Redmond.
A second horse from the
same ranch that also traveled to
OHSET is doing well and recover-
ing from initial respiratory symp-
toms. ODA has placed the ranch
under quarantine.
Dr. Ryan Scholz, state veteri-
narian for ODA, said he is work-
ing with OHSET to evaluate the
Capital press File
A horse in Clackamas County, Ore., was euthanized after testing positive for
equine herpesvirus.
potential exposure risk for other
animals. Event coordinators are
also working with contract exhib-
itors. It was not immediately clear
how many horses may have been
exposed.
All owners who believe their
horses may have been exposed
should monitor their animal’s
temperature twice daily and call
their veterinarian if they notice
any symptoms — including fever,
difficulty urinating, nasal dis-
charge, coughing, head tilt, stum-
bling or weakness in hind limbs
or inability to rise.
The virus typically has an in-
cubation period of 2-10 days. Re-
spiratory shedding of the virus
generally occurs for 7-10 days but
could persist longer in infected
horses.
ODA recommends several bi-
osecurity measures to decrease
potential spread of equine herpes-
virus, including:
• Limit horse-to-horse contact.
• Limit horse-to-human-to-
horse contact.
• Avoid use of communal water
sources.
• Avoid sharing equipment un-
less thoroughly cleaned and dis-
infected between uses.
• Isolate new or returning
horses from others for 30 days.
• Monitor horses for symptoms,
and report any temperature over
102 degrees to a veterinarian.
WILDFIRE PREVENTION
CEC to work with drones to monitor power lines
Spokesman staff
Brains4Drones, a small robotics
company specializing in developing
artificial intelligence on drones, will
work with Central Electric Coop-
erative to refine visual intelligence
sensors on drones to perform in-
spections of power lines and vegeta-
tion encroachment.
The research project will focus on
using drones to perform automated
power line inspections to gather in-
formation on potential hazards, in-
cluding wildfire.
“We are thrilled to partner with
Brains4Drones and serve as a re-
source in their research efforts to
enhance drone-based solutions to
perform aerial inspections of our
electric system more efficiently
in high-risk wildfire areas,” said
CEC president and CEO Dave
Markham. “Their work could,
ultimately, translate into having
affordable artificial intelligent
equipped drones be another tool
on the truck to assist line crews in
performing inspections and ad-
dressing issues in real-time.”
The federal Department of Energy
awarded Brains4Drones funding as
Phase III of the Small Business Inno-
vation Research grant program.
Brains4Drones will unveil and
demonstrate the results of their re-
search efforts sometime, likely in
late September.
Central Electric Cooperative is a
member-owned, not-for-profit elec-
tric cooperative based in Redmond.
Its 5,300 square-mile service ter-
ritory includes Deschutes, Crook,
Jefferson, and parts of Lake, Linn,
Wasco, and Grant counties.
Redmond finishes 2nd in
Vicknair appointed as
water conservation contest interim principal at
Spokesman staff
Redmond finished second
in the 11th annual Wyland Na-
tional Mayor’s Challenge for Wa-
ter Conservation, by pledging to
reduce water use by more than 8
million gallons of water over the
next year.
The annual month-long public
awareness campaign to promote
drought resiliency and water
quality ended on April 30 with
mayors from more than 30 states
vying to see whose city could be
the nation’s most “water wise.”
Residents around the nation
made 334,603 pledges to change
behaviors ranging from fixing
home leaks to reducing harm-
ful runoff into local rivers and
streams.
“Water issues have become a
top priority across the nation,” said
Wyland Foundation President
Steve Creech. “Every region is af-
fected differently, but everyone
can agree we have an individual
responsibility to do what we can
in our towns to ensure the future
of our lakes, rivers, streams, wet-
lands, and coasts.”
Redmond
pledged:
In ad-
dition to
reducing
water, resi-
dents from
Redmond
fewer single-use
pledged
plastic water bottles
to reduce
single-use
plastic water
bottles by
fewer pounds of
20,587 and
waste to area landfills
eliminate
526 pounds
of hazard-
ous waste from entering water-
sheds.
Residents pledged to send
226,813 fewer pounds of waste
to area landfills. Potential sav-
ings of 61,824 gallons of oil,
32,726,471 million pounds of
carbon dioxide, 574,514 million
kilowatt hours of electricity, and
$105,770 in consumer cost sav-
ings rounded out the final pledge
results.
To encourage residents turn
their pledges into specific actions
over the next year, visit wyland-
foundation.org/mywaterproject.
20,587
226,813
Ridgeview High School
Spokesman staff
The Redmond School District
named Tony Vicknair as the in-
terim principal of Ridgeview High
School for the 2022-23 school year.
Vicknair currently serves as
the interim principal for Tumalo
Community School, a position
he has held since 2021. Prior to
coming to Tumalo Community
School, he served McMinnville
students and staff for 20 years; as
an assistant principal, director of
secondary education and principal
of McMinnville High School.
A graduate of Linfield, Vicknair
started his teaching career in 1989
as a math teacher in McMinnville.
After 12 years in the classroom,
he was hired as the assistant prin-
cipal at South Salem, where he
remained until 2001, when he re-
turned to McMinnville as an as-
sistant principal at McMinnville
High School. Next year will be
Vicknair’s 34th year in education.
“I am honored to serve the stu-
dents and staff at Ridgeview High
School next year.” Vicknair said.
“It is impossible to fill Lee Loving’s
shoes, but with grace and empa-
thy, I will support students and
staff through this transition. I am
looking forward to it”
Vicknair will begin his interim
position as principal on July 1, re-
placing Lee Loving, who served in
that position since 2011. Loving
has been chosen as superintendent
of the North Santiam School Dis-
trict in Stayton.
“Tony Vicknair is a remarkable
educational leader. We are grate-
ful for the successful year he gave
to the students of Tumalo Ele-
mentary School,” Superintendent
Charan Cline said. “As a previous
high school principal in the Mc-
Minnville School District, we look
forward to using his experience to
create a great year at Ridgeview.”
Redmond School District will
begin our search for a permanent
replacement in February 2023.
Redmond man
sentenced in
attempted
murder case
BY GARRETT ANDREWS
Co media Group
A Redmond man charged with at-
tempted murder for strangling the
mother of his child has taken a plea
deal that could keep him out of prison
if he avoids alcohol and follows other
conditions.
At his sentencing Wednesday in
Deschutes County Circuit Court,
Rolin Jetton Morning Owl, 31, was
given 120 days in jail in a Measure 11
domestic violence case. Attorneys said
the fact he has very little criminal his-
tory was relevant in the sentence.
After his jail time, Morning Owl
must serve three years of supervised
probation during which he’s not to use
or possess alcohol, according to his
plea deal. He’s ordered to complete ei-
ther a batterer’s intervention class or
a parenting without violence class. If
he violates probation, he will serve 17
months in a Department of Correc-
tions prison.
Around 8:30 a.m. March 28, a man
called 911 to report that his sister had
been strangled by Morning Owl and
she had locked herself in a bathroom.
When Redmond Police officers ar-
rived at Morning Owl’s home on NE
Larch Avenue, the woman reportedly
whispered to them, “He’s going to kill
me,” according to prosecutor Alison
Filo, who represented the state in the
case.
The victim told police she’d been
sleeping in bed with her 3-year-old
child when Morning Owl woke her by
punching her. He screamed obscen-
ities and said, “I’ll kill you” while he
strangled her, Filo told the court.
“She was unable to breathe. Her vi-
sion began to blur. Everything became
very bright,” Filo said. “When he fi-
nally let up from her neck, she begged
him to stop.”
She told him she loved him to get
him to stop and she told him she
wanted to take a shower, Filo said.
Morning Owl was arrested on sus-
picion of menacing and strangulation.
His indictment was enhanced signifi-
cantly in April when his case went be-
fore a grand jury and the charges of
attempted murder and attempted sec-
ond-degree assault were added.
On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to
attempted second-degree assault and
strangulation.
Filo said the victim strongly be-
lieved that alcohol was a contributing
factor in the attack and that Morn-
ing Owl struggled with alcohol abuse
throughout their relationship.
The victim attended the hearing
but did not speak. She addressed the
court in an earlier hearing, saying she
wanted Morning Owl to get help.
Defense attorney Thomas Spear
said Morning Owl’s behavior was trig-
gered by insecurities about his rela-
tionship with the victim.
“My client acknowledges that his
conduct was horrible that day,” Spear
said. “He acknowledges that he’ll be
on supervision and subject to a prison
sentence if he’s revoked. He wants to
be a better person.”
Morning Owl wept when given a
chance to speak.
“I’m very sorry for what I’ve done,”
he said. “I feel very shameful for what
happened, and just dumb, for the
things that I’ve done. I hope every-
thing for her goes well. I’m ashamed
of what I’ve done.”
█
Reporter: 541-383-0325,
gandrews@bendbulletin.com