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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2020)
A2 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2020 IN BRIEF Astoria man killed in crash in Knappa An Astoria man was killed Saturday morning in a crash on U.S. Highway 30 in Knappa. Police say a driver of a Buick Regal had stopped at the Knappa intersection to proceed across Highway 30 onto Hillcrest Loop. The driver turned into the path of a Ford Mustang heading eastbound and was struck on the passenger side. Enrique Sutphin, 24, was a passenger in the Buick Regal and was killed in the crash. The drivers of both vehicles sustained minor injuries. The crash closed one lane of the highway for sev- eral hours. Fire destroys home in Seaside Offi cials are investigating whether someone was inside a home destroyed by fi re in Seaside early Mon- day morning. Crews were called at 1:04 a.m. to a two-story home fully engulfed in fl ames on S. Columbia Street. The blaze threatened nearby properties and four occupied homes surrounding the fi re were evacuated. Offi cials say because of the danger the fi re pre- sented, fi refi ghters were unable to enter the home. — The Astorian Q CENTER Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian Jordan Admire, a junior at Astoria High School, cuts the ribbon and offi cially opens the new home of the Lower Columbia Q Center in Uniontown on Friday night. The Q Center fi rst opened in 2014 as a hub for the LGBTQ community and initially operated out of the Astoria Armory. DEATHS Feb. 23, 2020 In GUSTAFSON, Brief Donna Maureen, 92, of Asto- ria, died in Astoria. Deaths Caldwell’s Luce-Lay- ton Mortuary of Asto- ria is in charge of the arrangements. Feb. 22, 2020 SUTPHIN, Enrique, 24, of Astoria, died in Knappa. Hughes-Ransom Mortuary is in charge of the arrangements. Feb. 21, 2020 STINSON, Fredrick Andrew, 99, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. Feb. 20, 2020 VANOSDOL, Betty Ann, 88, of Astoria, died in Astoria. Caldwell’s Luce-Layton Mortuary of Astoria is in charge of the arrangements. CORRECTION Project name misspelled — Regulators are Correction reviewing the Jordan Cove liquefi ed natural gas proj- ect in Coos Bay. The name was misspelled Jordon Cove in a headline on A2 on Saturday. ON THE RECORD Assault Thursday in Warrenton for On the Burmeis- Record • Jeramie reckless driving and chas- ter, 39, of Astoria, was arrested Saturday on U.S. Highway 30 for assault in the fourth degree. Menacing • Michael Meeuwsen, 29, of Warrenton, was arrested Sunday on N.W. Gardenia Avenue in War- renton for menacing, dis- orderly conduct and resist- ing arrest. Harassment • Griffi n Jay John, 40, of Astoria, was arrested Sunday on Marine Drive in Astoria for domestic harassment. Criminal trespass • Kevin Turner, 30, was arrested Monday at Goodwill in Warrenton for criminal trespass in the fi rst degree. • Jacob Martin Kitz- man, 28, was arrested Sun- day at Costco Wholesale in Warrenton for criminal trespass in the fi rst degree. Reckless driving • Douglas Byrd, 26, of Hammond, was arrested ing and harassing wildlife. DUII • Trevir Mayfi eld, 23, of Astoria, was arrested on Saturday on S.E. Air- port Road in Warrenton for driving under the infl u- ence of intoxicants. His blood alcohol content was 0.16%. • William Eugene Warner, 47, of Gearhart, was arrested Saturday on Franklin Avenue and Marine Drive in Astoria for DUII. His blood alco- hol content was 0.14%. • Bjorn Dieter Vaughn, 53, of Astoria, was arrested Saturday on U.S. Highway 101 and Marlin Avenue for DUII. • Raymond Sachse, 53, of Deer Island, was arrested Friday on 43rd Street and Lief Erikson Drive in Astoria for DUII. • Allen Babikoff, 55, of Vancouver, Washington, was arrested Friday on S. Roosevelt Drive in Sea- side for DUII. PUBLIC MEETINGS TUESDAY Clatsop County Human Services Advisory Council, 4 to 5:30 p.m., 800 Exchange St., Room 430. Warrenton City Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave. Astoria Planning Commission, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095 Duane St. WEDNESDAY Clatsop County Board of Commissioners, 5 p.m., work session, 6 p.m., regular meeting, Judge Guy Boyington Building, 857 Commercial St., Astoria THURSDAY Sunset Empire Transportation District Board, 9 a.m., Astoria Transit Center Conference Room, 900 Marine Drive. Clatsop County Recreational Lands Planning and Advisory Committee, 1 to 3 p.m., fourth fl oor, 800 Exchange St. PUBLIC MEETINGS Established July 1, 1873 (USPS 035-000) Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday by EO Media Group, 949 Exchange St., PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103 Telephone 503-325-3211, 800-781-3211 or Fax 503-325-6573. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Astorian, PO Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103-0210 DailyAstorian.com Circulation phone number: 503-325-3211 Periodicals postage paid at Astoria, OR ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by The Astorian become the property of The Astorian and may not be reproduced for any use without explicit prior approval. COPYRIGHT © Entire contents © Copyright, 2020 by The Astorian. MEMBER OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MEMBER CERTIFIED AUDIT OF CIRCULATIONS, INC. Printed on recycled paper Subscription rates Eff ective May 1, 2019 MAIL (IN COUNTY) EZpay (per month) ...............................................................................................................$11.25 13 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$37.00 26 weeks in advance ...........................................................................................................$71.00 52 weeks in advance ........................................................................................................ $135.00 Out of County Rates available at 800-781-3214 DIGITAL EZpay (per month) .................................................................................................................$8.00 Astoria man’s plea concludes long-running sex abuse case By NICOLE BALES The Astorian A long-running legal case involving an Astoria man accused of sexually abusing his granddaughter has come to a close. Thomas Michael Kelly, 69, was sentenced Friday to fi ve years of probation for two counts of sodomy in the fi rst degree and one count of sexual abuse in the fi rst degree. He will also have to undergo sex offender counseling. Kelly was convicted by a jury in 2008 and again in 2013 for sexually abusing his granddaughter over the course of several years. He was sentenced both times to more than 33 years in prison for 12 counts of sodomy in the fi rst degree and 12 counts of sexual abuse in the fi rst degree. However, both times the convictions were challenged . The fi rst conviction was overturned by the Oregon Court of Appeals because the trial court allowed a medical expert to testify to a diagnosis of child sex abuse without there being physical give him,” he said. evidence of sex abuse. The Brown described the pro- appeal was based on an Ore- cess of the victim having to gon Supreme Court ruling testify during two trials as that required physi- “cruel and unusual cal evidence , a deci- punishment.” sion that led to sev- “She’s had no eral child sex abuse contact hardly at all cases across the state with anybody on that being reversed. side of the family The second con- for 14 years. She’s viction was chal- had to be on the Thomas lenged over a line stand twice, and so I of questioning used Michael Kelly decided, ‘L et’s see if by the prosecution we can get this case that was deemed invalid and put behind us because she’s unfair to the defense. on a new road,’” he said. Instead of trying the case The victim, now 22 years for a third time, the parties old, was at the sentencing decided to settle. Kelly has with her husband. Her fam- spent almost nine years in ily sat together at the other prison. side of the aisle behind “We’ve been here on Kelly. and off for almost 14 years The victim fi rst told her now. And I think I can prob- father’s girlfriend about ably say for everybody that the abuse after she noticed it’s been a long and painful signs and asked her if she haul,” Clatsop County Dis- was being abused. She then trict Attorney Ron Brown reported it to police. said at the sentencing. The rest of the victim’s “It’s kind of a bittersweet family believes the vic- ending, I submit, because tim lied. Over the course of I submit that a grandfather two trials, a support group who sexually abused his for Kelly was formed and granddaughter over a period “freetom.info” banners were of time deserves every bit of hung around town. the prison time that we can T he victim read a state- ment in court and addressed her family in the audience. “W hen I needed you the most and I said what was happening everybody turned their back, ” she said. “Back then, I honestly didn’t know what was hap- pening was a bad thing,” she said. “I couldn’t imag- ine my grandfather ever doing anything to me that was ever going to put me in harm’s way … at the end of the result. But he did. In the end, you hurt me in the most humiliating, horrible, painful, emotional, physi- cal and mental way possibly a human can do to another human.” Prior to sentencing, Kel- ly’s attorney said Kelly and his family did not have any- thing to say as they just want to move on. In a written statement afterward , the family said, “Tom has agreed to a con- tractual plea in lieu of going back to trial for a third time, so he can spend time with his remaining family and friends. The Kelly family is thankful and happy to have him home and for this to be fi nally put to rest.” Bill would advance timber deal Notifi cation of aerial spraying By SAM STITES Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — The fate of the landmark deal signed between a coalition of tim- ber companies and environ- mental groups depends on lawmakers acting on leg- islation that would reform certain Oregon logging practices. The deal brokered by Gov. Kate Brown and announced earlier this month outlines a process for the two warring sides to set aside prospective ballot ini- tiatives and related litigation in favor of working together. One of the provisions in that agreement says the deal hinges on passage of leg- islation to reform practices around aerial spraying of pesticides. That legislation — House Bill 4168 — was introduced Thursday by the House Rules Committee, where lawmakers got their fi rst glimpse of what tim- ber interests, conservation- ists and policy staff from the Brown’s offi ce have been working on. The bill would require timber companies and small-woodland own- ers to notify nearby resi- dents when they aerially spray pesticides following a harvest. It would spur the creation of new notifi ca- Sam Stites/Oregon Capital Bureau Greg Miller, right, representative of the coalition of timber companies that signed the deal with conservation groups, presents HB 4168 to the House Rules Committee on Thursday. tion technology and estab- lish an opt-in system for nearby residents to receive warnings in real time when spraying takes place. It also adds a 300-foot no spray zone around schools and homes, as well as buffers for streams. Lastly, the bill directs the state Board of Forestry to adopt rules regarding cer- tain salmon species for the Rogue-Siskiyou region, which were adopted for the rest of the state in 2017. The goal is to have both sides, which have been fi ghting in forests and court- rooms for upward of two decades, come together to work on a habitat conserva- tion plan that applies to state and private forestlands. The plan would give some cer- tainty to timber owners moving forward and would meet long-term goals for protecting ecosystem and wildlife. Committee members heard from three people during the bill’s fi rst pub- lic hearing Thursday. That included Gina Zejdlik, the governor’s deputy chief of staff; Bob Van Dyk, policy director for the Wild Salmon Center and representative of the environmental groups; and Greg Miller, representa- tive of the coalition of tim- ber companies. “Over the years, we’ve been on the opposite side of major timber interests,” Van Dyk said. “So today it’s my pleasure to be on the same side of the table as Greg and asking you to support this legislation.” According to Miller, those responsible for aerial spraying of pesticides would be required to report to the Forest Activity Elec- tronic Reporting and Noti- fi cation System by 7 p.m. the day before. The sys- tem would then prompt an email to those who have registered with the program within one mile of the loca- tion where spraying is set to take place. They would have to report back on the com- pletion of the spraying mis- sion as well. A company or landowner failing to provide the nec- essary notice could be pun- ished with anything from a warning up to a $1,000 fi ne for repeated violations. Anyone who deliberately interferes with a spraying operation could be fi ned up to $1,000 for the fi rst inci- dent and $5,000 for a sec- ond incident within a fi ve- month period. As legislators ques- tioned Miller and Van Dyk, state Rep. Sherrie Sprenger, R-Scio, had potentially the most pointed question of the hearing: With so much bad blood between the two sides, how can she and her colleagues expect the agree- ment and bill to work out in the long term? “I believe that it’s the right thing to do,” Miller replied. “I also believe it’s the right time to do it, and I believe that looking at the work we’ve done since we sat down (in January) ... we fi gured out there’s some- thing worth reaching for. There’s a real commitment by these organizations to move forward.”
