Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 2016)
MAMMOTH FIND AT OREGON ST.’S RESER STADIUM NORTHWEST/2A 51/37 BMCC MEN FALL AT HOME BASKETBALL/1B THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2016 140th Year, No. 74 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2015 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD HARNEY COUNTY STANDOFF: DAY 25 Occupiers l ee refuge Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian via AP Police offi cers block the turnout to Sodhouse Lane, which is the main road leading to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, Wednesday near Burns. Authorities restricted access on Wednesday to the Oregon refuge that was occupied by an armed group after one of the occupiers was killed during a traffi c stop and eight more, including the group’s leader Ammon Bundy, were arrested. Bundy urges last protesters to go home Associated Press BURNS — A day after eight members of an armed anti-government group were arrested, their jailed leader on Wednesday urged a handful of remaining mili- tants to abandon the Oregon wildlife refuge they have occupied for more than three weeks and where they are now surrounded by federal agents. After militant leader Ammon Bundy made his ¿ rst court appearance in Portland on Wednesday, his attorney, Mike Arnold, read this state- ment from his client: “Please stand down. Go home and hug your families. This ¿ ght is now in the courts.” It was unclear whether a small remnant of Bundy’s followers still holed up at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge south of Burns was ready to heed his advice. The man who emerged Wednesday as the leader of the remaining occupiers was later taken into custody The FBI arrested Jason More inside • Offi cials applaud enforcement action, but take no credit Page 2A • Rancher killed in standoff vowed to die before going to jail Page 8A • Grant County resident witnessed arrests of occupation leaders at FBI roadblock Page 8A Patrick, 43, of Bonaire, Georgia, at a checkpoint outside the refuge about 8:40 p.m., authorities said. Duane Leo Ehmer, 45, of Irrigon, and Dylan Wade Anderson, 34, of Provo, Utah, were taken into custody by the FBI about 3:30 p.m. Meanwhile, details began to emerge about the confron- tation Tuesday on a remote highway that resulted in the arrest of Bundy and other leading ¿ gures in the group of occupiers, and in the death of militant Robert Finicum. Multnomah County Sheriff’s Offi ce/Maricopa County Sheriff’s Offi ce via AP) This combination of photos shows eight people involved in the occupation of the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge who were arrested on Tuesday. Top row from left are Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Brian Cavalier and Shawna Cox. Bottom row from left are Joseph Donald O’Shaughnessy, Ryan Payne, Jon Eric Ritzheimer and Peter Santilli. Bundy followers gave conÀ icting accounts of how Finicum died. One said Finicum charged at FBI agents, who then shot him. A member of the Bundy family said Finicum did nothing to provoke the agents. A Pilot Rock man who says he witnessed the shootout says he heard about a half-dozen shots but didn’t see anyone get hit, and that the shooting happened quickly — over maybe 12 or 15 seconds. Raymond Doherty, of Pilot Rock, told KOIN-TV that he was about 100 feet back and couldn’t see who speci¿ cally was shooting. But, he added, “I saw them shooting at each other.” There was no immediate way to con¿ rm the accounts. Authorities refused to release any details about the encounter or even to verify that it was Finicum who was killed. Also on Wednesday, a federal judge in Port- land unsealed a criminal complaint that said the armed group had explosives and night-vision goggles and that they were prepared to ¿ ght at the refuge or in the nearby town of Burns. Someone told authorities about the equipment on Jan. 2, when the group took over Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, according to the document. Bundy and the seven others are charged with felony counts of “conspiracy to impede of¿ cers of the United States from their See STANDOFF/8A PENDLETON One killed in Recall petition ¿ led against Plute shooting near If approved, would Meacham need 705 signatures By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian A petition was submitted Tuesday to recall Pendleton at-large City Councilor Al Plute. Pendleton City Recorder Andrea Denton said the petition is currently under review. If approved, it will require the peti- tioner to collect the signatures of 15 percent of the local voters from the last gubernatorial election, which would be 705 signatures. Pendleton resident Roesch .ishpaugh ¿ led the petition and has until April 25 to collect the requisite signatures. In his petition, Kishpaugh accused Plute of failing to pay Pendleton Plumbing in a long- standing lawsuit. “How can Pendleton citizens assume Plute would be unbiased in city business deci- sions?” Kishpaugh wrote. He also reasoned that Plute should be recalled because he voted to institute a $5 street utility fee after voters rejected a 5 cent gas tax. K i s h p a u g h Plute declined to comment Wednesday. He said he was driving and couldn’t talk. Plute was characteristically blunt in his assessment of the petition, calling it a “cheap shot” that was backed by “cowards and a bully.” “I do not apologize for the lawsuit and I don’t apologize for the utility fee to get our roads repaired,” he said. Plute couldn’t remember having any interactions with Kish- paugh but suspected more were involved in the petition. He declined to name who else he thought was involved in the petition besides Kishpaugh. Plute said Kish- paugh’s claim about the Pendleton Plumbing lawsuit was false. While a judge did order Plute to pay more than $61,000 in the One person is dead after a shooting early Wednesday near Meacham. Authorities have not identi¿ ed the victim. No arrests had been made by press time. Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus said the event took place on the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Tribal police are the lead agency and members of the local major crimes team are assisting. Chuck Sams, communications director of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, reported Umatilla County dispatch informed Umatilla Tribal Police at 3:26 a.m. Wednesday of a report of shots See PLUTE/3A See SHOOTING/3A By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian
