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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 25, 2015)
REGION Saturday, April 25, 2015 East Oregonian HEPPNER HERMISTON Former dispatch director sues county By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian The former director of Morrow County’s dispatch center is suing the county for more than $150,000. 'HQLVH :LOOLDPV ¿OHG LQ Morrow County Circuit Court at the end of 2014, claiming the county denied her a disability pension after she LQMXUHGKHUEDFNUHVSRQGLQJWR an emergency call. Williams began working for the county as an emer- gency dispatcher in 2001 and became the director of the county’s dispatch center in 6KHUHFHLYHGDFULWLFDO incident award in 2003 for how well she handled a riotous situation according to news reports at the time. She claimed in the lawsuit she was an emergency medical technician-interme- GLDWHDQGYROXQWHHUHGIRUWKH county health department. 7KH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH DW WKH time had a policy allowing employees who were licensed EMTs to respond to emergencies while on duty. The dispatch center on -DQUHFHLYHGDFDOO about a man on the ground at the Heppner High School parking lot, which is across the street from the sheriff’s RI¿FH :LOOLDPV UXVKHG The Eastern Oregon Trade and (YHQW &HQWHU DXWKRULW\ UHDI¿UPHG LWV choice of G2 Construction Monday after the board decided to put FRQVWUXFWLRQRIWKHHYHQWFHQWHURXWWR bid a second time. The board awarded the contract to G2 Construction of Kennewick in February but decided to re-issue the request for proposals in March after bidder Knerr Construction of +HUPLVWRQ ¿OHG D IRUPDO FRPSODLQW about how the bids were scored. *DU\ :LQVDQG RI )UHZ 'HYHORS- PHQW SURMHFW PDQDJHU WROG WKH ERDUG that G2 Construction edged out Knerr Construction by three and a half points out of 100 under the new scoring matrix after the companies turned in “two good, solid proposals.” 7KH HYHQW FHQWHU LV EXGJHWHG IRU $2.7 million but many design details of the center were left up to the compa- nies. Winsand said G2 Construction’s bid included high-quality products such as a standing seam roof, ceramic WLOHV LQ WKH EDWKURRPV DQG ¿EHUJODVV reinforced boards for internal walls. Board member Dan Dorran said the committee scoring the bids was looking IRU WKH EHVW VFRSH IRU WKH EHVW YDOXH and liked what G2 had to offer for the price. Board chair Ed Brookshier said the higher-quality, longer-lasting roof LQ*¶VSURSRVDOZDV³PDMRU´ ³,IHHOZHKDYHDQH[FHOOHQWSURSRVDO PRYLQJ IRUZDUG DQG ZH¶UH JRLQJ WR KDYHDJRRGIDFLOLW\´KHVDLG The next step is to put out a request IRU SURSRVDOV IRU WKH OLYHVWRFN EDUQV which Winsand said should be released before the board’s May meeting. He VDLG%DUWRQ/DVHU/HYHOLQJZHQWEDFN to work on April 16 after stopping for a mandatory comment period required E\ HQYLURQPHQWDO UHJXODWLRQV 7KH company has mostly cut access roads DQGWKHSDUNLQJORWDQGZLOOVRRQPRYH RQWROHYHOLQJRXWWKHSDGIRUWKHHYHQW center. Umatilla Electric Company and Eastern Oregon Telecom are scheduled to start putting in power on May 11. Winsand asked the authority to DSSURYH FRQVWUXFWLRQ RI D SHULPHWHU fence around the property because as work progresses more and more people are wandering unannounced onto the construction site to check it out, posing “huge safety concerns.” 'RUUDQDOVRYRLFHGWKHQHHGWRKDYH a solid process in place for handling donations after he was approached by three different donors who wanted to FRQWULEXWHTXLHWO\WRWKHSURMHFW Business manager Heather Cannell reported she has been busy in her new position. She said she has been FDOOLQJ DQG YLVLWLQJ VLPLODU IDFLOLWLHV ZRUNLQJRQ¿QGLQJWKHEHVWVFKHGXOLQJ software, pricing chairs and tables and FUHDWLQJDPDVWHUOLVWRIHYHU\DYDLODEOH HYHQWPHHWLQJVSDFHLQWKHFLW\ZKLFK ZLOOEHPDGHDYDLODEOHIRUXVHE\RWKHU entities in the community. “There are a lot for groups of 50 or OHVV EXW QRZKHUH WR JR LI \RX¶UH RYHU 300,” she said. Cannell said the list, complete with SULFLQJDQGDYDLODELOLW\ZLOOEHXVHIXO LI DQ HVSHFLDOO\ ODUJH FRQYHQWLRQ RU RWKHUHYHQWFRPHVLQWRWRZQDQGQHHGV more space than EOTEC by itself FDQ SURYLGH &DQQHOO FRXOG WKHQ KHOS them book rooms and possibly with WUDQVSRUWDWLRQWRWKHGLIIHUHQWYHQXHV During the public comment section 6WHYH:LOOLDPVVDLGLIURRPFRXOGEH found in the budget he would like to see EOTEC consider offering to take RYHU PDQDJHPHQW RI WKH +HUPLVWRQ Conference Center as part of its operations, offering it as a second option to smaller groups looking to book at EOTEC or larger groups needing additional space. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4536. Silver car conundrum stumps multiple police agencies By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian The Umatilla County 6KHULII¶V 2I¿FH DUUHVWHG two ex-cons in the wake of confusing police chases. But whether the duo and the car are connected to those pursuits remains unknown. County undersheriff Jim /LWWOH¿HOG VDLG D ZRPDQ DW about 6 a.m. Friday reported DQDEDQGRQHGZKLWHRUVLOYHU car parked in the road on the 80700 block of Sunshine Lane, Hermiston. A deputy UROOHGXSDQGIRXQGDVLOYHU &KHYUROHW,PSDOD/LWWOH¿HOG said, and two people sleeping inside. $QG WKHUH LQ SODLQ YLHZ was a handgun. The deputy called for backup and a Hermiston RI¿FHU DQVZHUHG /LWWOH¿HOG said the car with Washington plates turned out to be stolen from Portland. The sheriff’s RI¿FH DUUHVWHG %UDGOH\ 5D\ *ULI¿QQR¿[HGDGGUHVV and Jennifer Angelica Torres, 29, of Hermiston, for felon in possession of a gun DQG YHKLFOH WKHIW *ULI¿Q also faces charges of prop- erty hit and run and he had a ZDUUDQWIRUYLRODWLQJSDUROH Both are in the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton. The arrests followed after D QLJKW LQ ZKLFK D VLOYHU colored car outran police in separate chases. 7KH¿UVWLQYROYHGDVLOYHU Volkswagen Jetta with Idaho plates that got away from a 8PDWLOOD7ULEDO3ROLFHRI¿FHU That pursuit came into Pendleton on Highway 11 at about 9:30 p.m. Wednesday at about 100 mph, slowed WRPSKRQ&RXUW$YHQXH turned north on Highway 37 and headed back out of the FLW\7KHWULEDORI¿FHUORVWWKH car on Stage Gulch Road. 7KHQ D 6WDQ¿HOG RI¿FHU Thursday at about 12:30 DP FKDVHG D VLOYHU FDU KH LGHQWL¿HGDVD&DGLOODFLQWKH area of Edwards and Feed- YLOOH URDGV 7KH RI¿FHU GLG QRWFDWFKWKHFDU/LWWOH¿HOG VDLG %XW D 8PDWLOOD RI¿FHU who responded to help came upon an unoccupied Jetta at Spearman and Progress URDGV 3HQGOHWRQ /LWWOH¿HOG VDLGWKDWFDUPD\KDYHEHHQ stolen out of Idaho. :KHWKHU WKH ,PSDOD ¿WV LQWR WKH 6WDQ¿HOG FKDVH remains a question. Little- ¿HOG VDLG WKH WZR FDUV DUH General Motors products and KDYHVLPLODUERG\VW\OHV%XW he said it seems there were GLIIHUHQW FKDVHV LQYROYLQJ GLIIHUHQWVLOYHUFDUVEXWWKDW is not a certainty. Sat., April 25 8 PM - Midnight Red Lion Hotel Pendleton 304 SE Nye Ave. 541-276-6111 Proudly presented by GLC PRODUCTIONS Live Music at t FRIDAY, APRIL 24 Dan Haug SATURDAY, APRIL 25 Retro Ed 9 PM - M IDNIGHT 541.278.1100 S U P P O R T O U R N E I G H L . W H E N W E 8 S.E. COURT, PENDLETON O C A E L O M Y T H R I V E S . L I V +(50,6721²7UDI¿F was slowed down on North +LJKZD\QHDU2OG¿HOG Street Friday morning for a WKUHHYHKLFOHFUDVK Oregon State Police and Hermiston Fire & Emergency 6HUYLFHVUHVSRQGHGVKRUWO\ after 11:30 a.m. and routed WUDI¿FWKURXJKWKHRXWHUODQHV of the highway. The turn lane was blocked E\DVLOYHU+RQGD$FFRUG ZLWKVLJQL¿FDQWGDPDJHWR its left rear passenger door and right front bumper. Two pickup trucks also sustained moderate damage to their front bumpers. Names and information on Portland’s Andy Madson and his band... the best live ROCK N’ ROLL! S , T H E L O C A L E &UDVKVORZVWUDI¿F on Highway 395 LIVE MUSIC R B O HERMISTON — Stray animals are back on the agenda for the Hermiston city council Monday. The council will consider a resolution changing the fee for dog licenses and an ordinance updating the animal section of the city’s code. Under the new rules, a dog license would change from an annual fee to single payment in an attempt to make the process easier for owners and more enforceable for the city. A license for a spayed/neutered dog would remain at $5 but a license for an unaltered dog would be raised from $10 to $25. Most of the rest of the changes to the city’s code are described by an accompanying memo as “purely updates to outdated language.” The wording is changed to note that an impounded animal left XQFODLPHGIRUPRUHWKDQ¿YH days “may” be euthanized instead of “shall.” The RUGLQDQFHDOVRJLYHVWKHFLW\ manager the power to inspect any humane society that collects animals picked up by law enforcement. The council will also consider two resolutions regarding construction of the new senior center. 7KH¿UVWVHHNVDSSURYDO from the city council for the senior center DGYLVRU\FRPPLWWHH¶V recommendation that the new senior center be built on property at the intersection of NE 4th Street DQG$VSHQ'ULYHEHKLQG Wal-Mart. The site would need to be purchased, and the committee estimates the property would cost approximately $150,000. The second would authorize the city to name the new senior center the Harkenrider Center. The night will begin at 6 p.m. at city hall, 180 NE 2nd St., with a work session on the planned new senior center, followed by the regular session at 7 p.m. the cause of the crash were QRWLPPHGLDWHO\DYDLODEOH 7UDI¿FZDVDOVRVQDUOHGLQ Hermiston a day earlier, when DWZRYHKLFOHQRQLQMXU\ crash shut down the intersection of Elm Street and Northwest 11th Street across from Good Shepherd Medical Center at about 2:40 p.m. 0DULVHOD3DFKHFRGULYLQJ a green Ford Taurus, was stopped on 11th Street, facing south, when she was rear-ended by Kayleen Stacy, GULYLQJDEODFN&KHYUROHW Stacy was cited for following too closely and Pacheco was cited for no YDOLGRSHUDWRU¶VOLFHQVH By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian In Conjunction with Milton Freewater Chamber We Sell The Best and Service The Rest 541.938.5692 610 1/2 Main Street Milton-Freewater, OR threedivas@q.com N C O Pets, senior center on council agenda %LGSLFNHGIRU0HYHQWFHQWHU to help, according to the ODZVXLWDQGVHULRXVO\LQMXUHG her back. She endured two back surgeries, neither of which helped, and could not go back to work. She applied for a disability pension, according to the lawsuit, but the county denied her, asserting she was not a public safety employee nor on GXW\ZKHQVKHZDVLQMXUHG The denial amounts to a breach of contract, the lawsuit states, and discrimi- nation in comparison to other public safety employees. Williams claimed she is owed pension payments and a trial would determine how much. Williams wants $150,000 to compensate for the county’s “wrongful and discriminatory conduct” that caused her “mental, emotional and physical distress.” She also is seeking reimbursement for attorney fees. Alan N. Stewart of Bend is defending the county. He ¿OHG D PRWLRQ RQ $SULO arguing Williams needs to be PRUHVSHFL¿FLQKHUFODLPVRU economic damages. He also countered she is not entitled to non-economic damages in a breach of contact case. The attorneys will argue RYHUWKHGLIIHUHQFHV7KXUVGD\ in court. 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