52/41
LA GRANDE
SLIPS PAST
PENDLETON
DOOMSDAY
CLOCK STALLS
AT 3 MINUTES
TO MIDNIGHT
BASKETBALL/1B
WORLD/6A
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2016
140th Year, No. 73
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
HARNEY COUNTY STANDOFF: DAY 24
One dead, Bundys arrested
Associated Press
Tuesday afternoon. Authorities
said two others — Joseph Donald
BURNS — The FBI and Oregon O’Shaughnessy, 45, and Peter
State Police arrested the leaders of Santilli, 50 — were arrested sepa-
an armed group that has occupied a rately in Burns, while FBI agents in
national wildlife refuge for the past Arizona arrested another, Jon Eric
WKUHH ZHHNV GXULQJ D WUDI¿F VWRS Ritzheimer, 32.
Each will face a federal felony
WKDW SURPSWHG JXQ¿UH ² DQG RQH
death — along a highway through charge of conspiracy to impede
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the frozen high country.
Militant leader Ammon Bundy GLVFKDUJLQJ WKHLU RI¿FLDO GXWLHV
and his followers were reportedly through the use of force, intimi-
heading to a community meeting dation or threats, authorities said.
at the senior center in John Day, Authorities released few other
about 70 miles north of Burns, to details. A new conference with
address local residents to discuss the FBI, local sheriff and other
their views on federal management was scheduled for late Wednesday
morning.
of public lands.
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In a statement, the FBI and
Oregon State Police said agents that its troopers were involved in
had made eight arrests: Bundy, WKH WUDI¿FVWRS VKRRWLQJ 2QH RI
40; his brother Ryan Bundy, 43; those arrested, described only as
Brian Cavalier, 44; Shawna Cox, a man, suffered non-life-threat-
Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, 55, Arizona
59; and Ryan Payne, 32, during a
See
STANDOFF/10A
WUDI¿F VWRS RQ 86 +LJKZD\
Ammon Bundy,
40, Emmett,
Idaho
Ryan Payne,
32, Anaconda,
Montana
Ryan Bundy,
43, Bunkerville,
Nevada
Brian Cavalier,
44, Bunkerville,
Nevada
Shawna Cox,
59, Kanab,
Utah
Total of eight
protesters were
charged with
federal felony
charge of
conspiracy to
impede offi cers
of the United
States from
doing their
offi cial duties
through use of
force, intimida-
tion or threats.
Town hall carries on in John Day
Meeting was
destination of
Bundy militants
More inside
Umatilla County tea
party leaders visit
refuge, report safe
conditions, urge more
occupations.
Page 10A
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Grant County residents
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Center beyond capacity
Tuesday evening for a
community meeting that
was supposed to feature
Ammon Bundy and leaders
of the armed militia group
occupying the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge.
Instead, Bundy and four
other militants were arrested
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395 north of Burns before
they could arrive. A sixth
member of the group was
shot and killed during the
encounter. The news drew
tears and anger from militia
supporters at the meeting,
who described it as an
“ambush.”
Yet the gathering pressed
on, evolving into a town
hall with the majority
of speakers siding with
Bundy and venting their
frustrations with the federal
government. Organizer Tad
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promised the crowd there
would be another meeting in
the very near future.
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Tad Houpt of Canyon City breaks the news to the audience that the Bundys had been arrested before the start of
the public meeting where the brothers were to speak on Tuesday in John Day.
“We’re not going to
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not going to take this
anymore.”
Bundy and the militia
leaders had been occupying
the wildlife refuge near
Burns since Jan. 2. They
demanded the 187,757-acre
bird sanctuary be returned
to the county for ranching,
while criticizing the federal
government’s
overall
ownership and management
of public lands.
The militia also protested
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County ranchers, Dwight
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were convicted of arson and
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Bundy and supporters have
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immediate release.
In John Day, the majority
of people who approached
the microphone during the
town hall were supportive
of Bundy and the armed
protest. A smaller count-
er-protest was held outside
PENDLETON
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By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Fire gutted most of a Pend-
leton home Tuesday morning,
sending two people to the
hospital.
Terra Miller, 25, and her
small son escaped the blaze at
104 S.E. Goodwin Ave., as did
at least four others thanks to
Miller, according to her father,
Kirby Miller.
+H VDLG 7HUUD 0LOOHU FDOOHG
him at about 9:30 Tuesday
morning from her apartment
on the east side of the house,
screaming she was asleep and
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+HVDLGVKHWROGKLPWKHUHZHUH
Staff photo by Phil Wright
ÀDPHV RQ WKH EHG DQG VKH Fire burns through an apartment Tuesday morning at 104
S.E. Goodwin Ave., Pendleton.
See FIRE/10A
the senior center, with
roughly 30 people holding
signs directing their ire at
both the militia and Grant
County
Sheriff
Glenn
Palmer.
Palmer, who stood by in
uniform at the beginning
of the meeting, declined to
speak with media. When it
became clear Bundy would
QRW DUULYH +RXSW WROG WKH
crowd it appeared there had
been an altercation some-
where between John Day
and Burns. News later circu-
lated about the arrests and
JXQ¿JKWDQGODWHUWKHGHDWK
of Robert “LaVoy” Finicum.
One by one, residents
came to the front of the room
to speak their minds. Larry
Lent, of John Day, argued
the militants had every right
to be in Oregon and said
government overreach has
been going on for a long
time.
³,VXSSRUWWKH+DPPRQGV
and the Bundys 100
percent,” Lent said. “To hell
with the FBI. They don’t
See MEETING/10A
Dispatch failure
prompts sheriff to
make swift change
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
The Umatilla County regional 9-1-1 dispatch
center failed to notify police last Thursday after
receiving a call about possible gunshots near
Pilot Rock Elementary School.
Sheriff Terry Rowan said that was a mistake,
and he has since changed procedures to make
sure it does not happen again.
A school employee called 9-1-1 at 2:08 p.m.
Thursday to report hearing six to eight gunshots
near the school. Steve Staniak, school principal
and the district’s superintendent, said children
were out at recess when staff heard the noise and
hustled them into the school.
“We actually went into lockdown and lock
out,” he said, the procedures to keep students and
See DISPATCH/10A