Hottest March in West 2A CLASH AT THE BORDER BASKETBALL/1B 56/33 THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 2015 139th Year, No. 120 WINNER OF THE 2013 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD One dollar Deal for big data %LOOZLOOFODULI\SURSHUW\WD[HVIRUODUJHWHOHFRPFRPSDQLHV com companies. The methodology, known as central assessment, includes DFRPSDQ\¶VEUDQGDQGRWKHU³LQWDQJL Data centers are drawn to Eastern EOHDVVHWV´DVSDUWRIWKHHTXDWLRQ 6%LVDFRPSOH[ELOOWKDWHVVHQ Oregon for the region’s dry climate, WLDOO\FODUL¿HVZKDWWKHVWDWHZLOOWD[ DYDLODEOHODQGDQGFKHDSHOHFWULFLW\ Now, state lawmakers say the from central assessment companies companies have another reason to and what it won’t, said Rep. Greg invest in Oregon — greater certainty Smith, R-Heppner. He stopped short RIFDOOLQJWKHELOODWD[EUHDNIRUFRP RYHUWKHLUSURSHUW\WD[HV The legislature recently passed SDQLHV OLNH 6HDWWOHEDVHG $PD]RQ 6HQDWH %LOO E\ D ZLGH PDUJLQ FRP²ZKLFKDOUHDG\KDVEXLOWVHYHU which addresses the unusual way al data centers at the Port of Morrow 2UHJRQFDOFXODWHVWD[HVIRUODUJHWHOH QHDU%RDUGPDQ²EXWVDLGLWSURYLGHV By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris A construction crew works on a water treatment facility that will serve data centers at the Port of Umatilla on Wednesday in Umatilla. much-needed certainty in the state’s WD[VWUXFWXUH ³:LWKRXW WD[ FHUWDLQW\ \RX GRQ¶W want to come to any state,” Smith said. “In our case, we’re dealing with GDWDFHQWHUV7KLVLVJRLQJWREHDQ other tool in our economic develop- PHQWWRROER[´ Both Smith and Sen. Bill Hansell, 5$WKHQDYRWHGLQIDYRURIWKHELOO 5HS*UHJ%DUUHWR5&RYHZDVH[ cused from voting. See DATA/8A PENDLETON City one step closer to getting hands on state land By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian After nearly unani- mous approval from the Oregon Senate, the land that used to house the Blue Mountain Recover Center and the Eastern Oregon Training Center is well on LWV ZD\ WR EHFRPLQJ FLW\ property. Senate Bill 671 passed 29-1 in the Senate and will QRZEHUHIHUUHGWRWKHVWDWH House of Representatives, ZKHUHLWZLOOEHFDUULHGE\ state Rep. Greg Barreto, R-Cove. Ironically, the only sen- DWRUWRRSSRVHWKHELOOZDV Portland Democrat Chip Shields, an original spon- VRURIWKHELOO Otherwise, in a legis- lative session that’s seen a VWHHS GLYLGH EHWZHHQ 5H SXEOLFDQV DQG 'HPRFUDWV RQ PDQ\ LVVXHV WKH ELOO UHFHLYHG VWURQJ ELSDUWLVDQ VXSSRUWDQGLVH[SHFWHGWR receive similar support in the house. In a press release, state Sen. Bill Hansell trumpet- ed the positive effects the more than 20 acres of land could have on Pendleton. “Former Representa- WLYH %RE -HQVHQ DQG )RU mer Senator Dave Nelson worked for many years WU\LQJ WR NHHS WKH EXLOG ing open; however when I arrived in Salem, I was told that train had already left the station and the %05&EXLOGLQJZDVVHWWR See BMRC/8A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Inmate Justin Schiller-Munnemann feeds a treat to Zoey, an Australian shepherd-border collie mix, while working in a rescue dog adoption program at Two Rivers Correctional Institution on Tuesday in Umatilla. Dog taken from drug house UHKDELOLWDWHGLQWKHELJKRXVH prison. Inside the Two Rivers Correctional Institution, 18 inmates train rescue dogs for adoption. Richland dog trainer Tracy Hill runs weekly sessions in the prison’s visiting URRP6L[GRJVHDFKKDYHDWHDPRIWKUHH By KATHY ANEY LQPDWHV DW LWV EDUN DQG FDOO 2QH LQPDWH East Oregonian serves as primary trainer and the other two DVHFRQGDU\WUDLQHUDQGD³VLWWHU´¿OOLQWKH If Zoey could talk, she would likely tell gaps. a sorrowful tale. 7KHSURJUDPNLFNHGRIIDERXWDPRQWK 3ROLFHFRQ¿VFDWHGWKHERUGHUFROOLHPL[ DJR ,I DOO JRHV WR SODQ WKH GRJV ZLOO EH several weeks ago during a drug raid on a ready for adoption eight to 10 weeks from Umatilla County house. They took the dog when they arrived at the prison. to the Pet Rescue animal shelter, where she =RH\VSHQGVWKHEXONRIKHUGD\VZLWK shied away from strangers. her primary trainer, inmate Justin Schil- A month later, Zoey is a changed pooch. ler-Munnemann. He picks her up at the She greets people with her tail wagging and recently constructed prison kennels each KHUEURZQH\HVIUHHIURPIHDU PRUQLQJDQGWDNHVKHUEDFNHDFKHYHQLQJ The transformation took place in what See DOGS/8A might seem the unlikeliest of places — a TRCI inmates train pound dogs for adoption Staff photo by E.J. Harris Dog trainer Tracy Hill of Richland simulates a vet visit with Zoey, an Australian shepherd-border col- lie mix, as her primary handler, inmate Justin Schil- ler-Munnemann looks on. Lawmakers hear testimony on gun-control bill UHTXLUHJXQEX\HUVDQGVHOOHUVZKR aren’t related to appear in per- VRQ EHIRUH D OLFHQVHG JXQ GHDOHU 6$/(0 ² $ KHDWHG GHEDWH ZKR FDQ UXQ D EDFNJURXQG FKHFN over gun control in the Oregon through the Oregon State Police. Legislature on Wednesday drew Proponents say it would close a relatives of people killed during “loophole” that widened with the an Oregon mall shooting, law en- advent of Internet gun transactions. ³7KLV ELOO ZLOO QRW WDNH DOO WKH IRUFHPHQWRI¿FHUVDQGJXQRZQHUV as Democratic lawmakers push a guns off the streets, it will not re- ELOOH[SDQGLQJEDFNJURXQGFKHFNV move all the guns from the illegal EX\HUV´VDLG5REHUW