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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2015)
REGION Friday, October 16, 2015 HERMISTON Oxbow Trail entrance arch dedicated in spirit of giving By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian A new arch marking the entrance to the Oxbow Trail was highlighted as an example of Hermiston’s collaborative spirit during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday. The large wooden arch, benches and landscaping was an Altrusa International project supported by several local partners. 5HS*UHJ6PLWK5+HS pner) likened the project to a group of people moving a grand piano. “So many partners came together and lifted where they stood ... that’s what makes Hermiston so successful,” he said. ,QNLQG GRQDWLRQV ODERU money and expertise were donated by Altrusa, the city of Hermiston, Good Shepherd Community Health Foun dation, Hermiston Irrigation District, ConAgra Foods, Larry Ables of B.D. Ables Construction and Hector Ceniceros of C&C Construc tion Services. The arch, which reads “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” is on Good Shepherd Medical Center land and the city has agreed to maintain the arch and surrounding landscaping. &RDOLWLRQIRUPV 2XWGRRU6FKRRO IRU$OO3$& By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian A new political action committee has begun to develop a ballot measure that would fund outdoor school IRU HYHU\ ¿IWK DQG VL[WK grader across the state. Outdoor School for All PAC was established in early October by the Oregon Outdoor Education Coalition and has already raised $5,000 toward writing an initiative that could appear on the 2016 ballot. The Oregon Legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill before the end of the 2015 session that creates a statewide outdoor school fund, administered by the Oregon State University Extension Service. However, no funding was attached to the policy. It would cost an estimated $22 million per year to send 55,000 Oregon students to a full week of outdoor school. Local programs are currently paid for by school districts, and often supported by parents and the community. Caroline Fitchett, state wide coordinator for the outdoor education coalition, said they prefer to have funding for the program approved by the legislature during the 2016 short session. If not, they will be ready to bring a ballot measure directly to the voters. The coalition is already gathering the 1,000 signatures QHHGHG WR ¿OH WKHLU SHWLWLRQ with the Secretary of State’s 2I¿FH 7KH\ KRSH WR KDYH WKDW ZRUN ¿QLVKHG E\ HDUO\ November, Fitchett said. The PAC is also exploring other funding options, such as a private endowment for the program. Money from the legislature could come from any number of sources including the general fund, though competing interests could make for a complicated situation in Salem, Fitchett said. )LWFKHWW LV FRQ¿GHQW outdoor school has enough support to pass funding at the ballot box. She said the creation of statewide outdoor school could add as many as IXOOWLPH MREV WR UXUDO Oregon, including Eastern Oregon. New positions would include camp nurses, cooks, counselors and site managers. Anyone interested in helping to gather signatures for the petition should contact Laura Jean at laurajlargent@ gmail.com. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. Staff photo by Jade McDowell A new arch towers over the entrance of Oxbow Trail. A drinking fountain will be added in the spring. A drinking fountain donated by ConAgra Foods will be installed in the spring. Bob Green, executive director of Good Shepherd Community Health Founda tion, said the foundation was pleased to be able to support a project that helped promote wellness. “For all the work that was done we hope there are many individuals who will walk through that arch for the EHQH¿WRIWKHLUKHDOWK´KHVDLG Janet Cooley, project coordinator for Altrusa, said the service organization was grateful for the project’s completion. “I’m so proud to belong to an organization that works to improve not only Hermiston but the surrounding commu nities in a fabulous way,” she said. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4536. East Oregonian Page 3A Umatilla man sentenced in Morrow County’s ¿UVWSRWWKHIWFDVH restitution. Nelson reported medical marijuana A Umatilla man is going a to prison for 18 months for producer grew the plants stealing marijuana plants for a patient in Morrow from a medical grow in County. The producer informed Morrow County Irrigon. Morrow County District Sheriff’s deputy Scott Attorney Justin Nelson in a Carter the four mature written statement reported plants would produce two pounds of this was the marijuana, with ¿UVW PDULMXDQD a replacement theft case in the value of around county. $6,400, roughly David Lynn $200 an ounce. Bailey, 50, “At the time pleaded guilty of the theft, the Thursday in plants were all Morrow County nearly 6 feet Circuit Court tall,” the district to one count of attorney reported. ¿UVWGHJUHH WKHIW David Bailey C a r t e r for stealing four mature marijuana plants on questioned Bailey, and Sept. 18 from outside a resi he admitted to stealing dence in Irrigon, according the plants, according to Nelson’s statement and to Nelson. Carter also retrieved half of the stolen court records. Bailey had several prior marijuana plants. “While I do not support property crime convictions in Oregon, Nelson stated, the legalization of mari and the court considered juana in Oregon, I will him a repeat property prosecute those offenders offender and sentenced that steal legally possessed him to 18 months in state marijuana from others,” Nelson said in the state prison. The court also dismissed ment. “I viewed this case D FKDUJH RI VHFRQGGHJUHH like any other theft. The trespassing as part of defendant trespassed onto the plea bargain. Bailey the victim’s property and will also have a year of stole items of value from SRVWSULVRQ VXSHUYLVLRQ that victim. The defendant after serving his time. He was held accountable for will have to pay $1,500 in those actions.” East Oregonian HERMISTON ‘Chronic offender’ faces felony rape, drug charges $250,000, he said. to the discovery of a prescription While at the jail, Hermiston bottle with 11 aluminum packages police charged McLemore with of methamphetamine, two plastic A Hermiston man with a history drug and other charges from an bags of methamphetamine, a digital of arrests is behind bars facing incident earlier this month, chief scale and a Sand Station registration Jason Edmiston said. form containing McLem felony rape and drug charges. At about 5:10 p.m. ore’s name, Edmiston Morrow County Sheriff Ken said. The vehicle was Matlack said a deputy arrested Oct. 5, Edmiston said, impounded with a police Willie Lee McLemore, 48, at about McLemore was driving his hold. 2:22 a.m. Tuesday in Irrigon and red Ford pickup eastbound Edmiston said FKDUJHGKLPZLWK¿UVWGHJUHHUDSH on East Ridgeway Avenue McLemore checked in +H VDLG WKH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH when he attempted to ZLWK KLV RI¿FHU IURP UHFHLYHGDFDOODWDP make a right turn onto Umatilla County Parole from a woman who said McLemore Northeast Seventh Street, and Probation Oct. 7, who was visiting her residence and she lost control of the vehicle LQIRUPHG KLP KH KDG ¿YH awoke to him attempting to sexu and struck the curb and a McLemore parked motorcycle. outstanding warrants for ally assault her. 0F/HPRUH ÀHG WKH his arrest. McLemore, At 1:03 a.m., Matlack said, a deputy arrived at the residence in scene on foot, Edmiston said, but however, remained on the lam until Green Acres Park for recreational a passenger in the pickup, Robyn he was arrested in Irrigon. $+HUPLVWRQRI¿FHULQWHUYLHZHG vehicles, 80542 Paterson Ferry Lynn Zook, remained at the scene Road, and interviewed the woman. until police arrived. Zook, 34, was McLemore at the jail, Edmiston The deputy arrested McLemore arrested on an outstanding warrant said, and charged him with posses and lodged him in the Umatilla for a misdemeanor failure to appear sion of methamphetamine, manu facture or delivery of a controlled County Jail in Pendleton on the charge. An inventory of the vehicle led substance, reckless driving, driving rape charge with bail listed at By SEAN HART East Oregonian PENDLETON 0DQJHWVSUREDWLRQIRUWHHQDJHVH[XDOUHODWLRQVKLS child pornography. Court documents show Oliver in 2014 $\HDUROG3HQGOHWRQPDQZLOOVHUYH KDGVH[ZLWKD\HDUROGJLUORQPXOWLSOH ¿YH \HDUV SUREDWLRQ IRU KDYLQJ D VH[XDO occasions. He was 19 at the time. While court documents do not show the sex was relationship with a teenage girl. Luke Anthony Oliver in September forcible, the girl was too young to give SOHDGHG JXLOW\ WR WZR FRXQWV RI WKLUG consent. Circuit Judge Lynn Hampton sentenced degree rape in a deal with the Umatilla &RXQW\'LVWULFW$WWRUQH\¶V2I¿FHZKLFKLQ 2OLYHURQ2FWWR¿YH\HDUVSUREDWLRQ7KH exchange dismissed four charges related to sentence also was part of the plea bargain. East Oregonian uninsured, driving while license suspended or revoked and hit and run. Edmiston said McLemore has been arrested 25 times and cited 127 times over the years for “anything and everything,” including assault, harassment, drugs, burglary and trespassing. “Mr. McLemore is a known IUHTXHQWÀLHUFKURQLFRIIHQGHURYHU the years from petty crimes to what now appears to be a sex crime,” he said. McLemore has been charged by the Hermiston, Umatilla and 6WDQ¿HOG SROLFH GHSDUWPHQWV DQG the Umatilla County Sheriff’s 2I¿FH(GPLVWRQVDLGDQGZDVDOVR involved in a sex crime investiga WLRQE\6WDQ¿HOG3ROLFH'HSDUWPHQW in 2011. ——— Contact Sean Hart at smhart@ eastoregonian.com or 541-564- 4534. Rachel Dagley Business Health Farm Life Rachel Dagley 541/276-2302 • 800/225-2521 Commercial & Farm Agent The Stratton Agency Pendleton / Hermiston • stratton-insurance.com Test Drive our School Hermiston Jr Academy is kicking off the second quarter with a special promotion. Here’s how it works. Pay the entrance fee and first month of monthly tuition. Enroll your child and start attending. If you choose to withdraw your child for any reason before end of first month, HJA will issue a Full refund, no questions asked and student is unenrolled. If your student chooses to continue and is dissatisfied for any reason before the end of the 2nd Quarter HJA issues only a full tuition refund and student is unenrolled. However, into following quarters, if you withdraw your child, HJA keeps all tuition and fees. The special promotion is not available to any current or previous HJA students of the 2015/2016 school year. Either party has the right to terminate this agreement at any time for any reason, resulting refund as it applies to the duration of attendance. HJA is a Christian Pre-8th grade school. Call for more information on how our new program works. Hermiston Jr Academy (HJA) 541- 567-8523 or School Board Chairman, Andrew Engelhart 541-571-0423
