REGION
Saturday, January 3, 2015
East Oregonian
Page 3A
STANFIELD
Police lieutenant joins local force lays off recently
Editor’s Note: This is
another installment in the
annual East Oregonian se-
ries “Our New Neighbors,”
where we introduce readers
to people who have moved to
the area within the last year.
Our New
Neighbors
By SCOTTA CALLISTER
EO Media Group
tlers. They’re coming along,
and doing great.”
Toombs is also a leader in
the police department, taking
on more administrative du-
ties in his role as lieutenant.
Along with Chief Bryon
Zumwalt, they supervise two
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
The new job came with a
promotion in title, albeit in
a slightly smaller town. And
that’s exactly the opportuni-
ty Monte Toombs was look-
ing for.
Toombs, 36, joined the
as lieutenant in March 2014,
rising up the chain of com-
mand after serving as a patrol-
Idaho — population 3,142.
Combined with the city of
about 2,750 residents. But
Toombs said he enjoys work-
ing in smaller communities
that give him the chance to
interact more and build better
trust with the people.
that helps solve crime or deter
crime when they feel they can
come talk to you,” Toombs
said.
Toombs is not exactly a
stranger to Eastern Oregon.
just across the Snake River
from Nyssa. Like Umatilla
County, the region there is
added second shift
one part-time ordinance of-
Staff photo by George Plaven
Lt. Monte Toombs joined the Stanfi eld Police Depart-
ment March 3, 2014.
dominated by agriculture and
Toombs said he feels right at
home surrounded by farm-
land.
from a friend who began his
own law enforcement career
in the city. Likewise, Toombs
said he was sold on the com-
munity after seeing the quali-
ty of local schools and moved
into the area with his wife,
Megan, and three children.
“I just like the communi-
ty support,” he said. “It’s the
involvement with the kids.
kids. So does Echo. That’s
where a lot of small towns
struggle, and I think both
towns here are doing a good
job.”
It didn’t take long for
Toombs to follow suit. Af-
ter the school year began, he
was contacted by Echo Su-
perintendent Raymon Smith
about coaching the Cougars’
tling team.
The team has 10 kids, in-
High School donated a mat
two weeks before the season
started in November, and
Toombs said they are already
building a solid foundation.
“We’re doing really well,”
Zumwalt and Toombs
have been putting in a lot of
hours, training up two new
in May. Once things calm
down a bit, Toombs said he
is looking forward to more
camping trips with his family.
They are especially looking
forward to a trip out to the
Oregon coast.
Toombs said he sees him-
the long-term.
“I’ve seen in both com-
munities here, there are a lot
of people who want to be
involved in things and help
out,” he said. “You have to
have people like that to have
a good community.”
———
Contact George Plaven at
gplaven@eastoregonian.com
or 541-564-4547.
Lumber Co. is laying off
the second shift at its Mal-
heur Lumber plant, just six
months after the swing crew
was hired.
Ochoco president, cited a
lack of logs for the mill as the
reason for the decision. He
said the supply issues have
been building over the past
log deliveries didn’t materi-
alize.
The mill did not receive
“the contracted and ex-
pected volumes of timber,”
He called the current sit-
uation “beyond disappoint-
ing,” but also termed the
layoffs temporary. He said
Ochoco will work to restore
those jobs.
“Our main goal is to keep
the one shift going,” he said.
“And then we want to put
these folks back to work
again.”
The exact number of
workers affected was not
Before the layoffs, the
company had 132 employees
the swing shift was added.
The addition of a second
National Forest’s 10-year
stewardship contract would
provide more certainty for
the local timber industry.
The stewardship program in-
cludes a commitment to sup-
ply the local mill and wood
products industry, keeping it
alive for a ramped-up slate of
forest restoration work.
“The wood is there, the
over the past two years,”
This week, however, he
was disheartened.
“This was not planned,”
he said of the layoffs.
He noted the company
has invested $1 million in the
plant this year, in large part a
the stewardship contract.
BRIEFLY
Intoxicated driver causes crash,
sends Irrigon couple to hospital
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
DUII arrests by year
people in 2014 for driving under the in-
2013. Hermiston police, though, topped
that with 111 arrests or citations for duii
crease of one from 2013.
The arrest statistics come from
ports and Hermiston police Chief Jason
Edmiston. From 2010 through 2014,
Hermiston police have cited or arrested
Roberts said there could be a lot of
factors that account for a local spike in
duiis in 2011, including having more
of drugs but not alcohol. But he was
pleased that overall the numbers were
“pretty consistent” and a far cry from
police dealt with about a decade ago.
Roberts explained he uses the total
as a barometer to gauge duii arrests. If
Year
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Pendleton
85
115
92
88
93
Hermiston
106
121
146
110
111*
*As of Dec. 31 at 1 p.m.
year to year but arrests and citations for
driving impaired do not move much,
Roberts said that could be a good sign
that fewer intoxicated drivers are on the
road.
Edmiston said his department each
year applies for a grant to help pay
for duii enforcement. The National
Highway Transportation Safety Ad-
ministration provides the funds, which
the Oregon Association of Chiefs of
on catching impaired drivers, and he
said in past years the department has
received as much as $8,000. He said
that could account for the spike in duiis
Hermiston police saw in 2012.
But the grants also come with
strings. The grants specify when de-
partments can use the funds, Edmiston
said, and that usually means the holi-
days of Thanksgiving, Christmas and
New Years, and recently the weekend
of Super Bowl.
Roberts said that was one reason his
department stopped applying for the
lice could get grant money but only for
enforcement during Round-Up, Roberts
said, and while that would pay for an
enforcement and respond to another
call. Roberts said that did not seem like
good policing. He said Oregon State
those grants because state troopers pri-
marily stick to road patrols.
an uptick in the number of duii arrests
over this New Year’s holiday peri-
od, which ran Wednesday at 6 p.m. to
od, troopers arrested 37 people for driv-
also reported troopers responded to 35
crashes this year that involved impaired
drivers, two of which included fatalities.
PENDLETON
City council to vote on fire station assessment
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
With the start of the new
Council has 11 months to
convince the voting public
to put property tax money to-
ward a capital improvement
bond.
The council’s effort will
begin in earnest Tuesday
perform a needs analysis on
According to a report
from Mackenzie, the needs
assessment would “assess the
condition of (the) existing fa-
cility, determine the required
needs for the replacement fa-
cility, and develop a concept
design and anticipated proj-
ect budget for the facility in
preparation of the future bond
measure.”
maintained the need to re-
structure and move it to the
downtown area to improve
emergency response times.
The city is considering
three potential sites, including
staying at the station’s current
Ave.
After
the
assessment,
negotiate with Mackenzie on
a second phase, which would
include schematic design and
construction services.
Also to be considered by
When Caring, Quality and Commitment
Make a Difference.
bla
Ha ñ o l
e
a
S sp
E
Call Today for your
FREE Assessment
Providing Personalized
In-home Care 24/7
541-429-8099
920 Frazier Ave ste 212
Pendleton Or 97801
www.aqhcinc.com
• Personal Care
Checks
• Housekeeping
• Meal
• Appointments
Preparation
• Bathing
• Laundry
• Companionship • Home Care
• Respit Care
• Grooming
• Errands
• Medication
• Memory Care
Assistance
• Cognition
• Insurance
•Groceries
Billing
• Blood Pressure •
Insured • Bonded • Licensed
Happy New Year
From Dr. Hibbert,
Lacee, Jessica, Bailey,
Heather, and Sarah
the council is amending an
ordinance that would prorate
business license fees for busi-
nesses opening after the be-
ginning of the year.
Currently, owners have to
pay fees for the entire busi-
ness year, which runs from
Feb. 1 to Jan. 31, regardless
of when they open their busi-
ness.
Because the city would
lose $3,400 in fees from
amending the ordinance, the
council prompted city staff to
look into raising temporary
business fees vendors pay to
operate during Round-Up to
A city report states the city
charges $100 to residents and
$160 to out-of-town vendors
to operate temporarily during
Round-Up week. To cover the
ment, staff calculated the city
would need to raise the out-
of-towner fee to $227.
For context, staff is look-
ing into what other rodeo
towns charge for temporary
business licenses.
P SYCHOLOGICAL S ERVICES OF P ENDLETON , LLC
Winter Blues? We Can Help!
C ONTACT U S
WWW.PENDLETONPSYCH.COM OR CALL US AT
541-278-2222
We wish to thank
everyone attending the celebration of
life for our husband & father, Roger
Doyle, and for the many cards we
received. Our special “thank you”
to Dr. Russ Harrison giving of his time for
many visits to Roger at home. It was a
comfort to Roger & to the family. Our thanks
to all the people who helped us care for Roger.
St. Anthony Hospice, Sharon McAtee, Stacey McAtee,
Tisha Porter, Pat Barnes and Jennifer Flury, with their
help we were able to care for Roger when he wished
to be at home. Rogers suffering is
over and we know he is now with old friends
in heaven.
God Bless You! Mary, Doug, Kathie & Families
541-612-3707
she crashed into an Irrigon couple near Echo.
State police reported Krishin Tia Croy, 28, of 1435
Auburn Ave., Baker City, was
when she collided with the rear of
a Chrysler Sebring at about 3 p.m.
Thursday. The car traveled off the
interstate and crashed into a roadway
sign before coming to a rest.
Kenneth Joseph Evans, 68, was the
driver of the Chrysler, and his wife,
Jannette Evans, 65, was the passenger.
Croy
Both are from Irrigon. State police
trooper Jeremy Gunter reported
Jannette Evans suffered serious injuries in the wreck.
Hermiston ambulance services took the couple to
Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston. Hospital
spokesman Mark Ettesvold said Good Shepherd treated
and released them.
Croy, though, remains in the Umatilla County Jail,
intoxicants (alcohol and drugs), second-degree assault and
reckless driving.
Swim team hosts talent show
HERMISTON — A talent show to raise funds to
support the Hermiston High School swim team is
scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. at the HHS auditorium,
600 S. First St. Tickets are $10 each or $20 for a family.
for their favorite performers by donating funds. The
top fundraising acts will win Best of Show and a prize.
and more.
wreath from Cottage Flowers, a massage and pedicure
also hold a bake sale, selling cookies and milk.
and other transportation costs for the team to attend
For more information, call Lynne Hamblin at 541-571-
BREASTFEEDING CLASS
Want to make your breastfeeding
experience the best for you and your
baby?
One
night
class
covers
breastfeeding benefits, pumping and
much more. Come to this FREE class,
taught by a certified lactation
consultant, and learn techniques that
make for a successful experience. Free
but please pre-register.
January 7 • 12-1:30pm
GSMC Conference Rm 3 & 4
(by the cafeteria)
BABYSITTING BASICS 101
Bab
ysi
Basi tting
cs
101
For babysitters ages 10-15. Learn
childcare
techniques,
children's
developmental ages and what to
expect, basic first aid and infant and
child CPR. Next class:
Saturday, January 10
9:00am-3:00pm
GSMC Conference Room
$30, includes lunch & all class materials
Must pre-register & pre-pay
For information or to register for a class,
call (541) 667-3509
or email healthinfo@gshealth.org