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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2018)
3A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2018 Sex abuse trial begins a Consult for Hammond fisherman PROFESSIONAL Sturgell charged with sex crimes, bribing witness By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian The trial of a Hammond fisherman who allegedly committed sex crimes and bribed and threatened a young woman began Tuesday in Cir- cuit Court. Dennis Lee Sturgell, 66, was indicted last year along with James Herbert Cun- ningham, 47. The two men allegedly committed several sex crimes against a woman when she was incapacitated in August 2015. Sturgell is charged with four counts of first-degree sod- omy, two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and one count of second-de- gree sex abuse. If convicted of all crimes, he faces a minimum of 50 years in prison. Cunningham is in prison for a separate case, and his trial is scheduled for January. Daniel Wendel, an attorney with the Oregon Department of Justice, is prosecuting the case along with Clatsop County Deputy District Attor- ney Dawn Dennis Lee Buzzard. Wen- del presented Sturgell opening argu- ments Tuesday to the jury and Judge Paula Brownhill in what is expected to be a seven-day trial. The prosecutors and Jason Thompson, Sturgell’s Salem- based attorney, agree on a number of facts in the case. Sturgell and the victim were both at a Warrenton bar one afternoon and drank alco- hol for a prolonged period of time before she got into Sturgell’s truck. At one point, they snorted cocaine before driving across the Astoria Bridge to Washington state. Sturgell engaged in sex acts with the woman in Washing- ton state and later at an Asto- ria hotel, where Cunningham joined them. The rest of the story is murky, and clearing it up will be the focus of the trial. The victim was hesitant to file a police report but had told others that she repeatedly said “no” during the encounters. She quit her job and suffered from anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, nightmares and suicidal thoughts, Wen- del said. “At the end of this case, when you’ve heard all the evi- dence, you will know that the defendant saw what he wanted and took it, using drugs and alcohol as a weapon, to sat- isfy his own twisted sexual desires,” Wendel told jurors. Wendel said most of the counts against Sturgell came because the woman, whom he described as “blackout drunk” at the time, was incapacitated and unable to provide consent. The sex abuse charge stemmed from an alleged complete absence of consent. Thompson, on the other hand, said the victim was a “willing participant” after consuming the cocaine. He added that her boyfriend at the time had been looking for her all night, and she needed an excuse for her absence, eventually coming up with a “scripted” story. “What really happened was that adults made some deci- sions that they didn’t end up liking the next day,” Thomp- son said. Sturgell was also charged earlier this year with two counts of bribing a witness and two counts of tamper- ing with a witness. Sturgell allegedly held a meeting with the victim’s father. During the meeting, he allegedly offered him $5,000 to “make the case go away” and threatened to hire attorneys to “dig up dirt” on the victim. Thompson, however, said the victim and her father were hoping Sturgell would give her money. He referenced an apparent email in which the victim allegedly told her father that they would need to ask for more money from Sturgell if he didn’t accept a plea deal. “This case is about regret and greed,” Thompson said. Sturgell is known as a polarizing figure among com- mercial fishermen, accord- ing to a 2008 San Francisco Chronicle story. His crabbing career has brought him from the Oregon Coast to Alaska and the San Francisco Bay Area. Low-income housing project starts in Long Beach Apartments may help fill gap By ALYSSA EVANS Chinook Observer A groundbreaking ceremo- ny was held last week for the new Driftwood Point Apartments in Long Beach. Left to right, Dan Freedman, project manager; Gene Miles, past Joint Pacific County Housing Authority chair; Chris Pegg, director of Housing Opportunities of Southwest Washington; Jerry Phillips, mayor of Long Beach; and Erik Fa- gerland, project architect. the Washington State Hous- ing Financing Commission are also involved in the project. A: The Annual Enrollment Period ends December 7th Medicare Products at the end of the day. 503-440-1076 The effective date for any change would be Licensed in Oregon January 01, 2019. and Washington Steve Putman putmanagency@gmail.com Q: What are the advantages of Hook and Line fishing? A: Most of the advantages are to the consumer and the environment. Bottom fish like cod, rockfish and sole are usually caught by hook and line or by trawl nets. Hook and line fish get less banged up and tend to have a better texture. This method is also less disruptive to the ocean Ron Neva Northwest Wild Products floor, uses less fuel and creates less by-catch. Fresh Seafood Market Because this method is time consuming, the 354 Industry St, Astoria cost of these fish is slightly higher. Many 503-791-1907 believe the difference is worth it though. Daily 9 am- 7 pm Most of the the bottom fish we sell are hook On the docks of the West Mooring and line caught. 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ASTORIA TRANSIT CENTER LONG BEACH, Wash. — The peninsula is one step, or dig, closer to reducing the region’s housing shortage. Ground was broken in late October at the site of a soon- to-be apartment complex for low-income residents. The Driftwood Point Apart- ments will feature 27 units at the intersection of 10th Street Northeast and Oregon Ave- nue North. The complex is expected to be completed by the end of 2019. “The goal is to have fam- ilies moved in time to be cel- ebrating Christmas,” said Rebecca Proudman, the proj- ect’s development coordinator. The apartments will include one-, two- and three-bedroom units for families coming out of homelessness. The Long Beach City Council approved the project last year. “The apartments are geared toward families,” Proudman said. “It’s a big deal,” Erik Fagerland, the Long Beach architect who designed the apartments, said in a Decem- ber interview with the Chi- nook Observer. “They’ve been struggling for years to get this off the ground.” The project was started in 2008 but was put on hold due to the recession, Proudman said. Multiple developers tried to get housing projects approved on the same block but failed. The Driftwood Point Apart- ments are expected to cost about $8 million. The complex will include four apartment buildings and a community center with an office. A laundry room, kitchen and meeting space will also be included. On-site help will connect residents to resources and assistance programs. The project is being led by the Joint Pacific County Hous- ing Authority, an organization which is focused on address- ing the peninsula’s need for affordable housing. 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