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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 6, 2016)
REGION Saturday, February 6, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A HERMISTON Bothum resigns from EOTEC to make arena bid 9. The Hermiston City Council will then act on the recommendation at a The Eastern Oregon future meeting. The bid package for the Trade and Event Center authority accepted the rodeo arena isn’t expected resignation of board to be issued until April 6. member David Bothum on Frew Development Group senior project manager Friday. Bothum said he was Rob Drier recommended stepping down as the the entire arena, including electrical and Farm-City Pro plumbing, be Rodeo’s repre- bid to a single sentative on the contractor in board in order to order to save bid on construc- time. tion of the new “You may rodeo arena save a few dollars being designed but it won’t be for EOTEC. substantial,” he B o t h u m said. owns Bothum Bothum On Friday Construction and is a founding member of the board unanimously the Farm-City Pro Rodeo. approved bid packages The rodeo’s current arena for paving, sidewalks, at the Umatilla County landscaping and irrigation, Fairgrounds was already site lighting and signage. there when the rodeo Requests for proposals are began, but since then set to be released Feb. 12. Drier said certain Bothum has participated in tasks, such as site lighting renovation and upkeep. Board members said and inspections by city they were surprised to see code of¿cials, need to be his letter of resignation and completed before events expressed appreciation for can be held at the event all of the time he had put center. As a result, even though the building is still into EOTEC. “We’re sorry to see you on schedule for completion go,” said Byron Smith, on March 31, Drier said the board chair and Hermiston center might not be ready for occupancy on that city manager. The Farm-City Pro date. He said it should be Rodeo board will make a completely ready in time recommendation to the city for a grand opening event of Hermiston for someone in late April, however. ——— to replace Bothum on the Contact Jade McDowell EOTEC board. The rodeo jmcdowell@eastore- board, of which Bothum at is a member, is scheduled gonian.com or 541-564- to meet Tuesday, Feb. 4536. By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Smells like snow Staff photo by Kathy Aney A Staffordshire terrier named Maya sticks her nose out the window of a semi-truck. Her owner, truck driver Mark Turner of Minnesota, stopped at the Deadman Pass Rest Area to chain up. HERMISTON Students donate $727 to Agape House East Oregonian West Park Elementary students put their monthly theme of “sharing” to prac- tical use during January by raising $727 for the Agape House. The students presented Agape House director Dave Hughes with a check on Friday during an assembly. He told students that when he was talking to adults about donations to the nonpro¿t in the future he would point out their example of giving. “I can’t tell you how much this gift means to us,” he said. The school started out with a goal of raising at least $400 through a penny drive. The ¿nal amount far exceeded expectations, requiring Principal Kevin Headings to keep his promise to temporarily dye his hair bright red next week if students reached their goal. “You guys raised a lot of money for a really good cause,” Headings said, congratulating students. “That money will go to HERMISTON Staff photo by Jade McDowell Agape House Dave Hughes thanks West Park Elementary School students for their donation to the Agape House. people in need.” The money will go to support the Agape House’s food bank. The third grade class won the inter-class contest, raising $161. Their prize is a game of dodge ball between third grade classes. Fourth graders came in a close second with $159. The school holds activ- ities around a theme each month, and on Friday staff announced to students that February’s theme is “random acts of kindness.” Students were encouraged to do small acts kindness, from helping an elderly neighbor to sitting with a lonely classmate at lunch, all month long without any expectation of reward. HERMISTON ‘Good Shepherd intersection’ considered for makeover By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian The intersection of 11th Street and Elm Avenue, where Highway 207 cuts through Hermiston, could soon get a makeover and new traf¿c signal. On Monday the city council will consider two agreements that will allow work to move forward on re-designing the intersection and installing a signal. The intersection is currently a three-way stop, with right of way given to vehicles following the course of 207 west on Elm or north on 11th. Half of the $1.6 million project will be paid for by an Oregon Department of Trans- portation grant, one fourth by the city and one fourth by Good Shepherd Medical Center. It is expected to begin in late 2016 and wrap up in early 2017. The project has been at the top of the city’s trans- portation plan since 2014. That year Good Shepherd Medical Center announced a multi-phase expansion that is expected to create a total of 58 new permanent jobs, creating an estimated 300 more trips per day through the intersection. The grant from ODOT is contingent on the creation of new jobs at the hospital. One agreement being considered by the council on Monday would put Good Shepherd Health Care System on the hook for paying back 75 percent of the grant if it does not hire enough new people to meet the grant require- ments. The city would pay the other 25 percent. The second agreement on Monday’s agenda is with ODOT to accept the grant of half the project cost, up to $813,710. The council will also consider backing a loan to the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center of up to $1.5 million. Umatilla County has already agreed to back the loan with full faith and credit, as long as Hermiston agrees to the same deal. The money will be used to allow potential donors to EOTEC to spread large contributions over the next two to ¿ve years while also allowing the EOTEC board to access the cash upfront to ¿nish construction in time for the 2017 fair and rodeo. According to the resolu- tion, “the guarantee is not considered voluntary Àoating indebtedness because the ¿nancing agreements are expected to be paid entirely from the proceeds of fund- raising efforts.” The council had previ- ously passed a resolution allowing EOTEC to take on up to $1.5 million in debt using the 91 acres of EOTEC property as collateral, but when board members took the proposal to the county HSD second-fastest growing district in the state HERMISTON — Herm- iston School District is the second-fastest growing school district in the state of Oregon, according to a report by the Oregon Department of Education. The district grew at a rate of 3.71 percent over the last year, far surpassing the state average of .97 percent. It ranks as the 29th largest district out of 212 in the state. Hermiston School District started the school year with more than 5,500 students. The growth of more than 200 students from the year before was more than double what a Portland State University study predicted, lending an even greater sense of urgency to the district’s search for new ways to increase the capacity of its schools. The district currently uses 24 modular classrooms to supplement its regular build- ings, which is four more than were being used last time the district went for a bond measure. they were informed that state law prohibits counties from using land as collateral. The council also will give of¿cial notice of the May 17 primary election. The mayor and municipal judge positions are both up for re-election in May. The deadline to ¿le with the city for either position is 5 p.m. on March 8. Forms can be picked up at turned in at city hall, 180 NE Second St. Candidates for the four at-large seats on the city council will not be up for election until the November general election. Breckheimer pleads guilty to fatal drunk driving wreckage and an ambu- lance took her to Good Alicia G. Breckheimer Shepherd Medical Center, of Hermiston pleaded Hermiston, which trans- ferred her via an guilty Friday to air ambulance to driving drunk and Legacy Emanuel killing a man in a Medical Center, wrong-way crash Portland, where on Interstate 84. she was treated Breckheimer, and released. 33, changed her Her blood plea in circuit alcohol level court in Herm- following the iston, according crash, according to court records. to the indictment, The state accused Breckheimer was at least .15 Breckheimer of driving drunk and killing percent. The legal limit is Robert Henry Baker, 66, .08 percent. Breckheimer pleaded of Ione, in a head-on crash March 7, 2014, near Herm- guilty to one count of driving under the inÀuence iston. In the crash, Breck- of intoxicants, three counts heimer drove a 2005 of recklessly endangering Cadillac CTS at about 1:30 and one count of second-de- a.m. westbound in the east- gree manslaughter. The bound lanes of Interstate state dismissed charges 82 near milepost 4 when of reckless driving and she struck Baker’s 2006 ¿rst-degree manslaughter. Circuit Judge Dan Chrysler 300, according to police reports. Baker died Hill set Breckheimer’s sentencing for March 14. at the scene. Fire¿ghters freed Until then, she remains out Breckheimer from the of jail. East Oregonian CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASS Oregon - Utah - Valid 35 States HERMISTON Best Western: 2255 Highway 395 South February 19 th • 1:00 pm & 6:00 pm Walk-Ins Welcome! OR/Utah: (Valid in WA) $80.00 or Oregon only: $45 www.FirearmTrainingNW.com • FirearmTrainingNW@gmail.com 360-921-2071 HEAR US NOW!! 100.1 has made the switch to 93.7 FM! THE Q IS GIVING AWAY $ 937! 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