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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2016)
REGION Thursday, March 3, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A HERMISTON TRCI inmates Dictionaries get the job done LGHQWL¿HGLQ while school’s Internet is down Feb. stabbing By JENNIFER COLTON East Oregonian Third-graders across Hermiston received dictio- naries this week, and the donation couldn’t have come at a better time. While the class iPads and SmartBoards had no Internet connection on Wednesday, the paper-and-ink dictionaries were up and running. The Hermiston School District lost all outside Internet and telephone service around 9 a.m. Wednesday when a ¿EHUOLQHZDVVHYHUHGEHWZHHQ Hermiston and Tri-Cities. Schools could call between buildings, but all calls from numbers outside the district were met with busy signals. School and district websites were down as well. The school district is a customer of Charter Communications, which had network outages across the area on Wednesday. For elementary school students, the technology downtime provided a few hiccups. While lessons involving technology were put on hold, the third-graders were able to learn old fash- ioned research skills through the dictionaries, delivered by Columbia Grange 867 members Doris Reid and Dan Serface. Reid and Serface gave the books to each Hermiston third-grader as part of the Staff Photo by Jennifer Colton Third-grade teacher Kaitlin Woodward works with Anterrio Hughes and his new dictionary, Wednesday at Sunset Elementary. One of those classrooms “We don’t know much about dictionaries yet. was Kaitlin Woodward’s A few students this morning didn’t even know at Sunset Elementary. As what they were. We will deinitely use these.” soon as students received — Kaitlin Woodward, Sunset Elementary third-grade teacher annual ‘Words for Thirds’ program. The grange purchased 600 dictionaries to distribute, and in addition to the Hermiston School District, the grange purchased dictionaries for students at both Hermiston private schools as well as McNary Heights Elementary in Umatilla. In each class, the volun- teers gave a book to each student and left extras with teachers for absent students. “We’ve had some classes where we’re still handing them out and the teacher starts teaching with them,” Serface said. “It’s great.” the dictionaries, they started putting them to use. “We don’t know much about dictionaries yet. A few students this morning didn’t even know what they were,” Woodward said. “We will GH¿QLWHO\XVHWKHVH´ While the Internet and phone service was down, most school operations continued as scheduled, according to area principals. PENDLETON Eighth Street Bridge project moves forward By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian The city of Pendleton is proceeding into the second phase of the Eighth Street Bridge project, but not without some resistance. At a meeting Tuesday, council directed staff to enter into an agreement with the Oregon Department of Transportation to negotiate right-of-way acquisitions with nearby property owners and pay upfront to expedite the process. The city received a $7.42 million grant from the federal government to replace the bridge, contingent on the city putting up a 10.27 percent match. Since then, Umatilla County agreed to cover half of the match. In order to start construc- tion, the city needs to acquire temporary construction right-of-ways from Eighth Street property owners and some of the surrounding Although Taylor came to TRCI on Sept. 2, 2015, his experience with the Oregon A former Portland police Department of Corrections informant was the victim goes back decades. Taylor’s in a recent stabbing at Two inmate record includes Rivers Correctional Institu- aliases of Bobby Dunkin, Bobby Manny, John tion, Umatilla. Oregon State Police Jacobsen, Bob Manning is investigating and has and Bobby Manning. His released few details about criminal record, out of Mult- the Feb. 21 attack on nomah County, includes George Robert Taylor, 53, cases for vehicle theft in perpetrated by another November 2007; attempt to elude police, hit and run inmate. prostitution, Hermiston Fire & (property), Emergency Services ¿UVWGHJUHH VH[XDO DEXVH responded to TRCI at in April 2010; delivery and 12:40 p.m. that Sunday and possession of heroin in June an ambulance helicopter 2011; second-degree theft transported Taylor, who in April 2013; harassment suffered serious injuries. in May 2013; and coercion, He was hospitalized but strangulation and harass- returned to TRCI Feb. 23 ment in April 2015. That case led to his and to his housing unit at the prison two days later, conviction and incarcera- according to Betty Bernt, tion at TRCI. TRCI spokeswoman communications manager for the Oregon Department Sherry Iles said Taylor’s assault is unrelated to the of Corrections. 6WDWH SROLFH LGHQWL¿HG death of another TRCI Joe Daniel Robinson, 42, inmate last weekend. On as the suspect in Taylor’s Feb. 27 Joel Abbot, 60, was assault. Robinson entered found unresponsive in his TRCI on Nov. 21, 2013 on cell. He was transported a count of second-degree off-site for medical care at assault out of Linn County. 10:30 a.m. and died at 5:05 His earliest release date is p.m. Abbott was serving a life sentence for murder. August 2019. Abbot, originally incar- Taylor was the subject of a 2015 exposé in Willa- cerated in 1993, had been mette Week that revealed transferred to TRCI for he was as an informant for medical care. ——— the Portland Police Bureau Contact Jennifer Colton while simultaneously working for a Detroit crime at jcolton@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4534 syndicate. By JENNIFER COLTON East Oregonian areas, as well as permanent right-of-ways along the river, in order to build a retention pond for water runoff and an underpass for the Pendleton River Parkway. *RYHUQPHQW RI¿FLDOV don’t expect the cost of right- of-way acquisition to exceed $300,000. But Public Works Director Bob Patterson said grant funds cannot be disbursed until the permitting process is complete, which will take another year. To meet the project’s summer 2017 target start date, staff recommended the city pay the acquisition costs upfront, out of the street fund, and receive the 90 percent grant reimbursement next year. The step into the next phase caused some confusion and consternation among the city council. “We are truly adversely affecting the residents in that area, especially in parking and frontage in front of their homes,” Councilor Becky Marks said. Eighth Street residents Ben and Rachel Dagley said city and ODOT staff had worked with property owners to make the project more palatable than the original designs, but they were confused about certain elements of the project and were interested in trying to mitigate the adverse effects of construction. “I’m never going to love this,” Rachel Dagley said. “I guess that’s probably the biggest thing. I don’t understand it. I’m not under- standing the need for even 10 percent of the city’s budget to be expended on this.” Councilor Chuck Wood said accepting the federal grant was necessary because the bridge is deteriorating and the city doesn’t have the money to replace it or tear it down. Marks voted against a resolution that declared the city’s intent to acquire the right-of-ways, but joined the rest of the city council in approving an agreement between ODOT and expe- diting the acquisition process by paying for right-of-ways upfront. The council also unan- imously approved an ordi- nance to return minimum density standards to one unit per acre in low density resi- dential zones, four units per acre in the medium density zones, and 10 units per acre in high density zones. A consultant had recom- mended the city increase its density levels to correspond with population projections. But Pendleton’s population growth has far underper- formed the projections and developers complained the higher standards made it harder to build housing. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. 0RUURZ&RXQW\FODUL¿HVµMXGJH¶HOHFWLRQ Position to become part-time commissioner District Circuit Court, ——— which covers both Morrow Contact George Plaven By GEORGE PLAVEN appears on the ballot. After and Umatilla counties. On at gplaven@eastoregonian. East Oregonian consulting with the state average, Morrow County com or 541-966-0825. Elections Division, Nelson has about 10 juvenile delin- As of Wednesday, two said they can’t put a third quency cases every year and SHRSOH KDYH ¿OHG WR UXQ IRU commission seat on the ballot between 50-60 dependency Morrow County judge in this since the position technically cases referred by the Depart- ment of Human Services. doesn’t exist yet. year’s general election. Shifting those cases to “There was no other way But in reality, the candi- circuit court is estimated dates are vying for a different around it,” Nelson said. “We want to make sure the public to save the county around seat altogether. $40,000 per year in attorney On Sept. 16, 2015, the is aware.” So far, Greg Sweek and costs. Judge Tallman voted county court voted 2-1 to drop the judge position in Melissa Lindsay, both of against the transition, while favor of having one full-time +HSSQHU KDYH ¿OHG WR UXQ commissioners Don Russell county administrator and for a six-year term on the and Leann Rea voted in favor. three part-time commis- county commission. Sweek 7DOOPDQ ZDV ¿UVW HOHFWHG DV sioners. The change will is a former county property county judge in 1999. According to the Oregon take effect Jan. 1, 2017, after appraiser and assessor, while current Judge Terry Tallman Lindsay is owner and presi- Blue Book, only six counties dent of Turner Ranch. The still have local elected judges retires. with any judicial authority: Until then, however, GHDGOLQHWR¿OHLV0DUFK For years, the Morrow Gilliam, Sherman, Wheeler, candidates for the newly created third commission seat County judge has served as Grant, Harney and Malheur. KDYHWR¿OHIRUFRXQW\MXGJH a county administrator and — even though they will be presided over juvenile court sworn in as a commissioner cases. With the local govern- as soon as their term begins ment shakeup, the county has and the judge position is since hired Jerry Sorte as a full-time administrator, who abolished. Morrow County District will report to the board of Attorney Justin Nelson said three commissioners. Part-time commissioners the transition has created some confusion among make $37,284 per year. Juvenile court cases will residents who are wondering Processor, why “county judge” still be handled by the Sixth Sierra Webb a valued member of our team! SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS Submit information to: community@eastoregonian.com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541-966-0818 with questions. A Division of: NMLS #471758-1850 505 E. Main St. Suite A, Hermiston, OR 97838 541-564-5900 hermistonhomeloans.com PILOT ROCK Sex abuse case lingered for months small town struggled to ¿QG D UHSODFHPHQW 3LORW Rock then struck a deal to A Pilot Rock man faces pay Pendleton for police a charge of felony sex abuse services. In November, of a child in a case that sat Lehnert discovered a memorandum from the open since January 2015. Pendleton police Chief GLVWULFW DWWRUQH\¶V RI¿FH Stuart Roberts said in an requesting a follow-up email the work of police investigation on the sex Cpl. Ryan Lehnert led to the abuse case. Lehnert called deputy arrest of Scott MacFadden Monty Allen, 58, of 148 S.E. prosecutor Elm St. Allen pleaded not Ludington, who sent that guilty Monday in Umatilla memo. “At that time the County Circuit Court in 3HQGOHWRQ WR ¿UVWGHJUHH decision was made to start sexual abuse, according to the investigation from the beginning,” Roberts said. court records. Lehnert completed Roberts said not all the details are in, but the victim the investigation, and a ZDV¿YH\HDUVROGLQHDUO\ grand jury considered May 2014 when the family the evidence and indicted suspected “inappropriate Allen, which led to a activity.” Then there was a warrant and his arrest “communication/confron- Sunday. Allen remains in the tation” among family members before someone Umatilla County Jail in lieu reported Allen as the of $150,000 bail. ——— suspect in January 2015. Contact Phil Wright at Darrin Richman retired around then as Pilot Rock pwright@eastoregonian. police chief, and the com or 541-966-0833. By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian
