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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 2016)
Page 8A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian Thursday, February 25, 2016 FISH: Biologist worried sockeye REFUGE: Judge said trial mortality could rise to 80 percent date tentatively set for April 29 Environmental groups say dams are the main culprit. temperatures in the 3HWHUV GLG QRW VSHFL¿FDOO\ Columbia River to stay at or address the letter sent to Col. below 68 degrees to protect Aguilar, but said the Corps native salmon and steelhead. is working with NOAA 5RFN3HWHUVVHQLRU¿VKHULHV and the state of Idaho on a biologist for the Army Corps’ report detailing what exactly Northwest Division, said happened in 2015, and ways temperatures varied in 2015 they can keep the rivers but eclipsed 70 degrees in cooler moving forward. July. The report will also Oregon snowpack was DGGUHVV ¿VK SDVVDJH LVVXHV the lowest on record for the on the lower Snake and 2015 water year, and early &ROXPELDGDPV3HWHUVVDLG UXQRIIH[DFHUEDWHGORZÀRZV “We’re looking at various throughout the Columbia operations that could offset Basin. By July, more than a WKH ¿VK ODGGHU WHPSHUDWXUH quarter-million sockeye had differences,” he said. “Those died in the Columbia and discussions are going on.” Snake rivers — at least half 3HWHUVVDLGWKDWUHSRUWZLOO the total run, according to be presented to the Northwest reports. One biologist with 3RZHU DQG &RQVHUYDWLRQ the National Oceanic and Council, possibly in April. Atmospheric Administration The council is made up worried mortality could rise of representatives from to 80 percent. Oregon, Washington, Idaho Continued from 1A and Montana, and works to balance regional power needs ZLWK¿VKDQGZLOGOLIH 3RVVLEOH HPHUJHQF\ measures might include closing off surface collectors at the dams when water temperatures get too high. Surface collectors take in water near the surface to help ZLWKMXYHQLOH¿VKSDVVDJHEXW can introduce warmer water LQWR WKH GDPV¶ ¿VK ODGGHUV that impede returning adults. $QRWKHU LGHD 3HWHUV said, is to start catching and WUXFNLQJ ¿VK DW WKH GDPV earlier in the year when conditions arise. But nothing has been set in stone. “I think we were all caught somewhat behind last year,” he said. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0825. WORK: Many companies creating their own workforce training programs workers might be hindering economic development in centers locating in the area, the county. the college worked with “The question is how does those companies on creating a lack of skilled workforce a data center technician impact the ability to grow the SURJUDP WKDW KHOG LWV ¿UVW area?” she said. “Are there class seven months later. employers that are well-po- 6WXGHQWVIURPWKDW¿UVWFODVV sitioned to expand but are are all in internships now, she hesitant to do so because said. WKH\ KDYH WURXEOH ¿QGLQJ D White-Zollman said workforce?” the comprehensive study A week after the survey currently in the works would was released online Bower help the college launch that said she already had about type of response on a broader 80 responses and had inter- scale across more industries. viewed about 20 employers. “The college strives She said she is hoping to hear to be responsive to local from hundreds of Umatilla employers’ needs, and we County businesses over the hope the data helps us see next month, representing all those needs,” she said. different sizes and industries Bower said the county and cities. plans to use the results to “The more employers look at how it can most participate, the more reliable effectively help with work- the data will be,” she said. force development without She said she has already duplicating programs already learned several things, in place. She said the idea for including a concern from the study came out of worries many local employers about that a shortage of skilled their aging workforce and Continued from 1A what will happen as more and more of their top employees retire. She has also learned that many companies are creating their own workforce training programs because they can’t ¿QG SHRSOH ZLWK WKH TXDOL¿ cations they need. Interpath Laboratories, for example, provides a training path for lab technicians and phlebot- omists, and Good Shepherd Health Care System has a program for nurses. The sooner employers complete the online survey, she said, the more she can use those responses to craft better questions for the one-on-one interviews and focus group discussions hosted by local chambers of commerce. The 15-minute survey can be found online at www. surveymonkey.com/r/umatil- laworkforceneeds. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. METH: Seven other people were arrested Tuesday, unrelated to the BENT investigation authorities. “The investigation, like Seven more were indicted many BENT conducts, on drug charges but were was based on information not arrested — two were in obtained from concerned the Oregon Department of citizens, law enforcement Corrections system, one is in DQG LQIRUPDQWV´ 3ROLFH federal prison and three are Chief Stuart Roberts said. still at-large. An additional seven In addition to the orig- people were arrested Tuesday inal 20 indictments, three unrelated to the investigation. indictments for delivery of Bradley Baker, 51, a controlled substance were Hermiston, fugitive and meth issued for people already possession in custody on unrelated Tyler Stone, 22, Irrigon, FKDUJHV DQG ¿YH IRU SHRSOH probation violation that haven’t been located by Noe Viesca, 40, Continued from 1A Umatilla, probation violation Alex Rivera, 27, Boardman, probation viola- tion Jason Miller, 42, Umatilla, probation violation Twila Jones, 31, Irrigon, probation violation Curtis Drury, 34, Boardman, failure to appear in court Christine Johnston, 36, Boardman, failure to appear in court Cody McCullough, 22, Hermiston, failure to appear in court Putin pushes Syria truce deal amid skepticism %(,587$3²5XVVLDQ 3UHVLGHQW 9ODGLPLU 3XWLQ spoke Wednesday with key SOD\HUVLQWKH6\ULDFRQÀLFW LQFOXGLQJ 3UHVLGHQW %DVKDU Assad, ahead of a U.S.-Rus- VLDHQJLQHHUHG FHDVH¿UH as the opposition voiced concerns that the truce due to begin later this week ZLOO RQO\ EHQH¿W WKH 6\ULDQ government. Government troops backed by Russian warplanes ZDJHG¿HUFHEDWWOHVWRUHJDLQ control of a strategic road southeast of Aleppo from the Islamic State group. The extremist group seized the town of Khanaser and surrounding hills on Tuesday, cutting the main land route to Aleppo. The state-run news agency said 18 people were killed in IS shelling of government-held neighbor- hoods in the city over the past 24 hours. A key element of the agreement on a “cessation of hostilities” is humanitarian access to besieged and hard- to-reach areas. The United Nations DQQRXQFHG WKH ¿UVW KLJKDO titude airdrop of 21 metric tons of aid Wednesday over Deir el-Zour, which is under siege from Islamic State extremists. But the World )RRG 3URJUDP VDLG ODWHU LW IDFHG ³WHFKQLFDO GLI¿FXOWLHV´ and indicated the drop may have been off target. 19 date. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Knight judge: “You’re the federal VDLG KH H[SHFWV WR ¿OH D government; you’re going to superseding indictment do whatever you want.” with additional charges after The judge tackled several LQYHVWLJDWRUV ¿QLVK H[DP procedural issues during the LQLQJ ¿UHDUPV HOHFWURQLFV nearly two-hour hearing, American Indian artifacts which started with Bundy, and other evidence. sporting a fresh haircut, Brown warned Knight to blowing a kiss toward make it snappy, saying the Odalis Sharp and her accused deserve a right to children. The family gospel a speedy trial — not one in band traveled from Kansas 2017. She also pressed pros- in January to sing at the ecutors to start turning over occupation. One daughter, FBI reports and evidentiary 18-year-old Victoria Sharp, material to defense attor- ZDV DW WKH WUDI¿F VWRS LQ neys and their clients. which authorities arrested “They’ve been in custody Bundy and fatally shot for weeks. They need infor- Arizona rancher LaVoy mation,” Brown said. She Finicum. told prosecutors to produce The judge said a trial at least some discovery date had been tentatively material by March 4. set for April 29, although A total of 25 people are court papers show an April charged in connection with Continued from 1A the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which began Jan. 2 and lasted until Feb. 11. The occupiers wanted the U.S. government to relinquish public lands to locals and free two Oregon ranchers who they say were wrongly LPSULVRQHGIRUVHWWLQJ¿UHV Defense lawyers and their investigators plan to visit the refuge Thursday DQG)ULGD\WKHLU¿UVWORRNDW the scene. The judge denied Bundy’s request to tag along with his attorneys. One of the defendants, Kenneth Medenbach, told the judge he plans to serve as his own lawyer and made a motion to have his case dismissed for lack of juris- diction. Brown scheduled a hearing for next week to go over those issues. ELECTION: Hilary Clinton scored the endorsement of Nevada’s Harry Reid Continued from 1A Rubio, the Florida senator who is soaking up Repub- lican establishment support and thereby threatening to starve Kasich’s effort of its remaining oxygen. Trump exercised brag- ging rights with trademark gusto after Nevada handed him his third straight victory the night before. Relaxed on stage at Virginia’s Regent Univer- VLW\7UXPS¿HOGHGTXHVWLRQV from Christian conservative ¿JXUH3DW5REHUWVRQWLFNLQJ off Obama administration executive orders he wants to reverse as president and joking about his recent dustup with the pope. He said earlier he might tone down his contentious rhetoric if he makes it to the White House — or not, since “right now it seems to be working pretty well.” And what of Rubio? “So far he’s been very nice and I think I’ve been very nice to him,” Trump said on NBC’s “Today” show. “We haven’t been in that mode yet but probably it’ll happen.” He meant attack mode. On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton scored the endorsement of Nevada’s Harry Reid, the party’s Senate leader, in advance of a primary Saturday in South Carolina, where she looks strong. She prevailed in the Nevada Democratic caucuses days before the *23 FRQWHVW WKHUH GXOOLQJ rival Bernie Sanders’ drive and making Super Tuesday of crucial importance to him. On Tuesday: Republicans will award 595 delegates in 11 state races, with 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomi- nation. Democrats will award 865 delegates in 11 states and American Samoa, with 2,383 needed for the nomi- nation. The election calendar suggests that if Trump’s rivals don’t slow him by GOP delegate count Donald Trump, leading in delegates a week before Super Tuesday won the Nevada Republican caucuses Tuesday. Donald Trump 81 John Kasich 6 1237 1,237 needed for nomination Ted Cruz Ben Carson 17 4 Marco Rubio 17 Latest state results: Feb. 23 NEVADA — percentage of vote (delegates won) 100% OF PRECINCTS REPORTING (14) Trump Rubio 45.9% 23.9% (7) Cruz 21.4% (6) Carson 4.8% (1) Kasich 3.6% (1) Next contest: Feb. 27 South Carolina Democratic primary SOURCE: AP Election Services mid-March, they may not ever. Overall, Trump has 81 delegates, Ted Cruz and Rubio have 17 apiece, Kasich has six and Ben Carson has four. The Republican races Tuesday will divvy up dele- gates proportionally. For Republicans, Nevada offered little evidence Republicans are ready to unite behind one strong alternative to Trump, who many in the party fear is too much of a loose cannon to win in November. Mainstream Republicans who don’t like Trump are also in large measure cool on Cruz. With Jeb Bush out of the race and time short, they have begun gravitating to Rubio, long a man of promise in the race but one who has yet to score a victory. The Florida senator edged Cruz, a Texas senator, for second place in Nevada, and it’s clear his time is at hand — if he’s to have one. :LWK%XVKJRQHWKH*23 debates have lost a prime Trump critic, though Cruz KDVEHHQD¿HUFHDQWDJRQLVW at times and Rubio faces AP pressure to confront the billionaire more directly before it’s too late. Their debate Thursday night is in Texas, the largest of the Super Tuesday states and one where Cruz has an advantage as home-state senator. Trump’s provocative proposals to build a massive border wall with Mexico and to deport all people in the country illegally are sure to feature in the debate, which has Spanish-language Telemundo as a partner with CNN. Trump is just as certain to brag about winning the largest share of Hispanic votes in Nevada, among the limited numbers of Latinos who participated in the Republican caucuses. &UX]D¿HU\FRQVHUYDWLYH popular among voters on the *23¶VULJKWZRQWKHOHDGRII Iowa caucuses but underper- formed in South Carolina and Nevada. He’s recently been on the defensive for his campaign’s sharp-elbowed tactics and in the face of withering criticism by Trump of his integrity. LENT Alexei Druzhinin/Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File In this Oct. 2015 i le photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hand with Syrian President Bashar Assad in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia. The truce agreement, which is set to take effect at midnight Friday local time, does not cover the Islamic State group, Syria’s al-Qaida branch known as the Nusra Front, or any other militia designated as a terrorist group by the U.N. Security Council. It’s not clear exactly where along Syria’s compli- FDWHGIURQWOLQHVWKH¿JKWLQJ would stop and for how long — or where counterterrorism operations could continue. Also unresolved are how breaches in the truce would be dealt with. It remains shaky at best and major questions over enforcement are still unre- solved. ,Q D IXUWKHU UHÀHFWLRQ of the complicated terrain, Turkey’s president said Wednesday that a U.S.- backed Syrian Kurdish militia group — which Turkey regards as a terror organization — should also be kept outside of the scope of the agreement. Turkey has in the past few weeks been shelling the group known as WKH3HRSOH¶V3URWHFWLRQ8QLWV RU<3*LQQRUWKHUQ6\ULD 7KH FRPPHQWV E\ 3UHVL dent Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested Turkey may not stop bombarding the group, ZKLFKKDVEHHQDNH\¿JKWLQJ force against IS. Addressing dozens of local administrators in Ankara, Erdogan also voiced serious concern that the proposed truce will strengthen Assad and lead to “new tragedies.” February 26 from 5 to 7:00 p.m. @ the St. Anthony Hospital Blue Mountain Cafe Cedar Plank Salmon - $7.50/Adults - $7.00/Children & Seniors with Rice Pilaf & Buttered Green Beans Baked Potato Bar - $4.00/with toppings All you can eat. Salmon/Potato Bar Combo - $11.50 Clam Chowder Bread Bowl - $4.25 Single Cup $1.25 2801 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton, OR 97801
