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About Keizertimes. (Salem, Or.) 1979-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2019)
SINCE 1979 • VOLUME 40, NO. 18 SECTION A FEBRUARY 1, 2019 $1.00 Pvt. Ryan J. Hill Soldier may be honored with stretch of highway By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes A Keizer soldier killed in Iraq in 2007 might soon have a stretch of Oregon highway named after him. House Concurrent Reso- lution 13, which is set to be considered during the current legislative session, would result in Hill’s family working with Oregon Department of Trans- portation offi cials to designate a stretch of highway in Pvt. Ryan J. Hill’s honor, said Abby Weekly, legislative director for state Rep. Bill Post. Post is co-sponsoring the resolution with Rep. Julie Fa- hey of West Eugene/Junction City. The 2015 Legislature created the process through which individuals can be rec- ognized, Weekly said. Hill served with Char- lie Company in Adhamiya, Iraq. At the time, the area was heavy with insurgents, and the locals were paying a steep price. Caught in the middle of warring factions, some 10 to 20 villagers a day were report- edly being killed as Sunni and Shiite waged war against each other. Hill, 20, was driving a Humvee on Jan. 20, 2007, when an improvised explosive device detonated (IED) near the vehicle. Hill was killed and the vehicle’s gunner ended up in critically injured. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st In- fantry Division based in Sch- weinfurt, Germany. He was serving his fi rst tour in Iraq at the time of his death. Hill’s sense of duty took him to Iraq after graduating from the Oregon National Guard Youth ChalleNGe program in Burglar heads to prison for 2 years By ERIC A. HOWALD Of the Keizertimes A man involved in numer- ous local business burglaries is heading to prison for two years as part of a guilty plea in Marion County Circuit Court. John Albert Herriges, 41, pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree burglary and three counts of second-degree criminal mischief. Judge Don- ald Abar issued a 48-month sentence, which is more than the recommended sentence for such crimes. The only Keizer crime among the guilty pleas was for a December 2017 incident at Sonic Drive-In, 3775 River Road North. But, Herriges was charged with several oth- er additional crimes in Keizer. Charges for criminal mis- chief at Bentley’s, Dutch Bros., Sonic Drive-In, Love Love Teriyaki and Good Times Grill, as well as burglary charges at Sonic and Good Please see BURGLAR, Page A9 File Twelve years ago, Ryan Hill was killed when an IED exploded near a Humvee he was during in the area around Adhamiya, Iraq. If the Oregon legislators approve a recent resolution, Hill might have a stretch of highway added to his legacy. 2006. He had attended Mc- Nary High School and worked at the Keizer Albertsons prior to enrolling the Bend-based ChallNGe program. Prior to his death, Hill told his mother Shawna Fenison, “I’ve made my peace with God and I’m not afraid of something happening to me. My fear is that something will Please see HILL, Page A9 Chamber members preview 2019 legislative pipeline bying fi rm, and Oregon State Chamber of By ERIC A. HOWALD Commerce are monitoring developments Of the Keizertimes Details are still hazy on potential leg- on several issues. Some of the legislative movements spark- islation that could have a major impact on ing heightened in- business during the terest include: 2019 Oregon leg- • Tax proposals islative session, but involving hospitals Jenny Dresler, di- and insurance pro- rector of grassroots viders to cover the with Public Affairs costs of Medicaid. Counsel, tried to • Cap-and-trade read the tea leaves discussions that re- during a Keizer volve around how Chamber of Com- the state will man- merce luncheon age harmful emis- Tuesday, Jan. 29. sions. With a Dem- • A proposed ocratic wave $2 billion revenue sweeping through package to support the Legislature in reforms through- November 2018, out public schools. “legislators feel • A paid family they’ve been giv- and medical leave en a mandate to push an agenda,” KEIZERTIMES/Eric A. Howald tax that might af- Dresler said. “One Jenny Dresler, director of grassroots with Pub- fect businesses as can look at the lic Affairs Counsel, briefs members of the Keizer small as one em- election results and Chamber of Commerce on upcoming legislative ployee. • Proposals that understand that, efforts. could create in- but businesses will creased liability concern for small business. get steamrolled if they do not speak up.” Dresler said Public Affairs Counsel, a lob- Please see CHAMBER, Page A9 McGee memorial slated Saturday A memorial for Jerry Mc- Gee, a longtime volunteer, former city councilor and man of many hats, will take place at the Keizer Civic Cen- ter Saturday, Feb. 2. McGee passed Jan. 11, at age 85, after a battle with cancer. The memorial is open to the public from 1 to 5 p.m. Pro- gramming will begin at 2 p.m. and last about an hour. J. McGee In lieu of fl owers, the family is requesting donations in McGee’s name to the Keiz- er Fire Foundation, P.O. Box 20183, Keizer, OR 97307. The memorial will include bagpipe performances by Jen- nifer Campbell and remem- brances by son Marty McGee, Bill Quinn, Cathy Monroe, Hank Tarter, grandson Ian Hunt, Marc Adams, grandson Wes Jordan, daughter Cathy Jordan, former Keizer mayor Lore Christopher and current Keizer Mayor Cathy Clark. Light refreshments will be provided by K’s Catering. Additionally, McGee is sur- vived by son Marty McGee, daughters Tammy McGee, Cathy Jordan and Wendy Hunt; grandchildren Wes Jor- dan, Brianna Hunt and Ian Hunt; longtime friend Diane Monroe; brother Dennis Mc- Gee; and sisters Doris Clark and Norma Benson. Keizer’s teen Speed Racer PAGE A4 8-year-old volunteer shines PAGE A5 Lee draws challenger in bid for board seat Chuck Lee, a longtime Keizer resident and former city councilor recently an- nounced he will seek a fourth term on the Salem-Keizer School Board. “I am committed to the success of every student in our state’s second largest school district,” said Lee of the re-election bid. The election for the Zone 6 seat will be held in May. Danielle Bethell, an- other Keizer resident and executive director of the Keizer C. Lee Chamber of Commerce announced last week she will be running against Lee. Lee is the president of Career and Technical Edu- cation Center, and president emeritus of Blanchet Catho- lic School. He served on the Keizer City Council for seven years prior to being elected to the school board in 2013. In 2016, he was appointed to the Government Ethics Commis- sion by the Gov. Kate Brown. Lee’s time as a member of the school board has in- cluded: implementing all-day kindergarten, passage a $620 Please see LEE, Page A9 Lady Celts lead league PAGE A11 Swimmers hit stride PAGE A14