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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 5, 2016)
REGION Tuesday, April 5, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A Bighorns poached in Gilliam County :DOGHQFKDWVZLWK sportsmen about elephant ivory, guns Two men arrested by OSP By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Oregon State Police arrested two men on Sunday who are charged with poaching two bighorn sheep along ,QWHUVWDWHLQ*LOOLDP&RXQW\ )LVK DQG :LOGOLIH WURRSHUV UHFHLYHG a tip at about 9:45 a.m. that someone appeared to be gutting a big game animal along the highway east of Biggs Junction. The area is home to a herd of about &DOLIRUQLD bighorns, which Samora have become a popular viewing attraction for drivers. :KHQ WURRSHUV arrived on scene, they found Justin 6DPRUD RI Layton, Utah, sitting in a vehicle. :KLOH VSHDNLQJ with Samora, the Plagmann troopers also heard from passing motorists that a second man was off somewhere hiding in the brush. Troopers found Cody Plagmann, RI$OEDQ\KLGLQJDORQJWKHUDLOURDG WUDFNV WZR PLOHV HDVW RI WKH VFHQH DW about 4 p.m. In the course of their search, they also found the severed heads of two bighorn sheep. An investigation later determined Plagmann and Samora ZRUNHG WRJHWKHU WR VKRRW WKH DQLPDOV and remove their heads. The carcasses were later recovered, but could not be salvaged. Plagmann ZDV ERRNHG LQWR 1RUWKHUQ 2UHJRQ By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Photo contributed by OSP The heads of two bighorn sheep were removed by poachers Sunday east of Biggs Junction in Gilliam County. Regional Correctional Facility in The 'DOOHV RQ FKDUJHV RI LOOHJDOO\ NLOOLQJ a bighorn, wasting a game animal and hunting on closed land. Samora was also charged with aiding in a game violation. Bighorn sheep were wiped out in Oregon in the mid-1940s, and were not reintroduced until 1954. The Oregon 'HSDUWPHQWRI)LVK:LOGOLIHHVWLPDWHV there are now roughly 4,500 bighorns statewide. Drawing a bighorn tag is a once- in-a-lifetime hunting opportunity for Oregonians. Jeremy Thompson, district ZLOGOLIH ELRORJLVW IRU 2'): LQ 7KH Dalles, said the department will offer approximately 95 bighorn tags in 2016. 1RQHRIWKHDQLPDOVLQWKH,QWHUVWDWH herd are hunted due to their proximity to the highway. “It’s an outrage that someone would poach a bighorn sheep, when hunters can wait their whole life and still never get the opportunity to hunt this iconic species,” Thompson said in a statement. OSP continues to investigate the case, and anyone with information is DVNHGWRFDOO7KH'DOOHV$UHD&RPPDQG at 541-296-9646. ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@ eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825. Umatilla Co. denies allegations of wrongdoing Lawsuit brought by three former employees By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Umatilla County denied accusations of retaliation and other wrongdoing in its answer to a federal lawsuit from three former employees. &DURO\Q 0DVRQ IRUPHU county human services GLUHFWRUDQG-XDQ9DOGH]DQG KLVZLIH0DUWKD/DXUD$YLOHV 9DOGH] IRUPHU FRXQW\ GUXJ DQG DOFRKRO FRXQVHORUV ¿OHG a lawsuit in federal court Feb. DOOHJLQJ WKH\ GLVFRYHUHG “unlawful activity and wasted public funds,” but then lost WKHLU MREV LQ 0D\ IRU blowing the whistle. The lawsuit also alleges harass- ment and discrimination. $WWRUQH\ 5REHUW )UDQ] RI 6SULQJ¿HOG LV UHSUHVHQWLQJ WKH FRXQW\ DQG LQ KLV 0DUFK 22 response denied the allegations of misbehavior DQG PLVFRQGXFW )UDQ] DOVR argued the lawsuit “sets forth 25 pages of evidence, opin- ions, legal conclusions, false facts, and pages of irrelevant facts” that fail to meet Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that a “complaint must contain a short and plain statement showing the pleader is entitled to relief.” )UDQ]¶V SDJH UHVSRQVH OD\V RXW DI¿UPDWLYH defenses, facts or sets of facts to undermine the ODZVXLWLQFOXGLQJWKDW0DVRQ DQG 9DOGH]HV ZHUH DWZLOO employees and not entitled to any due process and that at OHDVWVRPHRIWKHLUFODLPVODFN enough supporting facts. 7KH ODZVXLW IURP 0DVRQ DQGWKH9DOGH]HVGRHVQRWVHHN a dollar amount but wants the county to pay for their mone- WDU\ORVVHVLQFOXGLQJEDFNSD\ and damages for physical and emotional injury. Attorney Shemia Fagan is representing the plaintiffs. She is currently a Democratic state representa- WLYHIURP&ODFNDPDV 0DJLVWUDWH -XGJH 3DWULFLD Sullivan is presiding over the case and the parties have until June 22 to gather documents and other information. BRIEFLY Fire chief says city councilman saved apartment PENDLETON — A Pendleton city councilor and his wife are credited with saving at least one apartment — if not the entire building where they live — after they reacted VZLIWO\WRD¿UH0RQGD\ afternoon. Pendleton Fire Chief 0LNH&LUDXORVDLGLWZDV councilor John Brenne who called 9-1-1 at about 2:12 SPDIWHUVSRWWLQJÀDPHVRQ a neighbor’s second-level GHFNDW1:%DLOH\ Avenue. Brenne’s wife, Pat, then used a garden hose to NHHSWKHEOD]HLQFKHFNXQWLO ¿UH¿JKWHUVDUULYHGRQVFHQH The neighbor was not home at the time, and the FDXVHRIWKH¿UHUHPDLQV under investigation. If not for the Brennes, Ciraulo said the entire complex could have burned. “If they would not have done what they did ... two or three apartments would have EHHQRQ¿UHE\WKHWLPHZH got here,” Ciraulo said. )LUH¿JKWHUVDUULYHG within minutes to put the ¿UHRXW$SRUWLRQRIWKH GHFNZDVFKDUUHGDQGWKH KHDWIURPWKH¿UHVKDWWHUHG a sliding glass door leading into the apartment, but WKDQNVWRWKH%UHQQHVLWGLG not spread inside, Ciraulo said. John Brenne said he appreciated the chief’s praise, but declined to WDONIXUWKHUZLWKWKH East Oregonian about the incident. Power failure causes late start at high school PENDLETON — Pend- leton High School started an KRXUODWH0RQGD\GXHWRD power failure. Power went down for the high school and some homes on Pendleton’s North Hill. 7KHVFKRROGLVWULFWQRWL¿HG parents and guardians at DERXWDPDERXWWKH problem and that classes would start at 10 a.m. Buses, though, ran RQWKHLUUHJXODU0RQGD\ schedule, so staff was ready at the school for students who arrived at normal times. Power company employees during the morning repaired a power SROHDW1RUWKZHVWWK Street and Despain Avenue, MXVWDIHZEORFNVIURPWKH high school. Man charged with sodomy, rape of 14-year-old girl +(50,6721²$ 19-year-old Hermiston man has been charged with sexual contact with a minor. The Umatilla County 6KHULII¶V2I¿FHDUUHVWHG Kyle Naillon, 19, on charges of third-degree sodomy, third-degree rape and contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor. 1DLOORQZDVDUUHVWHG0DUFK Deputy James English began investigating the case on Feb. 29 after the 14-year-old victim’s mother reported that she discovered suspicious content on her daughter’s cell phone, which indicated alleged sexual activity between Naillon and the girl. Detective .DFH\:DUGJDWKHUHG evidence from the victim ZKRFRQ¿UPHGWKHUHZDV unlawful sexual activity. Deputy English interviewed Naillon, who admitted that he had sexual contact with the girl. Naillon was arrested and lodged in the Umatilla County Jail. The case will be forwarded to the Umatilla County District Attorney’s 2I¿FH SAGE Saturday offers glowing activity %2$5'0$1².LGV and their parents are invited WRFUHDWHWKHLURZQ3DFL¿F albus decorations during WKLVZHHNHQGV6$*( Saturday. 7KHSURMHFWZLOOXWLOL]H PDWHULDOVIURP*UHHQZRRG Resources and will glow in WKHGDUN7KHIUHHDFWLYLW\ is Saturday from 10 a.m. WRSPDWWKH6$*( Center, 101 Olson Road, Boardman. For more information, FRQWDFWRU visit www.visitsage.com. FAMILY CLINIC New Hours 8 AM - 7 PM • Mon. - Thu. 8 AM - 6 PM • Fri. • Same day appointments available • Walk-Ins welcome 2801 St. Anthony Way Pendleton, OR 97801 541-966-0535 5HS *UHJ :DOGHQ¶V conversation with a group of hunters and sportsmen on Saturday at the Pendleton Convention Center ranged far and wide. Topics included elephant ivory, guns on public land, polar bears and lead ammu- nition. All are components of the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhance- ment Act, or SHARE, which passed the House in February by a vote of 242-161. &ULWLFV KDYH VSRNHQ harshly about the bill. A People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) news release calls the act “an irresponsible hodgepodge of pro-hunting and anti-environmental regulations” and “a proposed WUDLQ ZUHFN WKDW UHYHUVHV \HDUVRIZRUNDFFRPSOLVKHG to protect animals and the environment — all for the EHQH¿WRIDVPDOOSHUFHQWDJH of hunters.” :DOGHQ VHHV WKH ELOO DV a common sense preserva- tion of American hunting heritage. He said SHARE combines several bills into a single piece of legislation WKDWEHQH¿WVVSRUWVPHQ If the bill passes the Senate and is signed by the president, multiple provi- sions would go into effect, including the following: • Lead ammunition and OHDG ¿VKLQJ ZHLJKWV ZRXOG be exempted from the Toxic Substances Control Act. • Some of the 3LWPDQ5REHUWVRQ :LOGOLIH Funds, which come from WD[HV RQ ¿UHDUPV DQG ammunition, would fund the acquiring of public land for target ranges. • The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could not prohibit people from possessing ¿UHDUPV LQ FHUWDLQ DUHDV 7KH 1DWLRQDO 3DUN 6HUYLFH could establish hunter access corridors and could QRW NHHS LQGLYLGXDOV IURP transporting bows, if certain requirements are met. • Hunters could bring certain legally harvested Canadian polar bear parts EDFN WR WKH 8QLWHG 6WDWHV The same goes for hunters who want to bring home African elephant ivory. 0DNH FKDQJHV WR WKH Equal Access to Justice Act, ZKLFK :DOGHQ FDOOHG ³DQ $70IRUWKHOHIW´ )LOP FUHZV RI ¿YH RU IHZHU FRXOG ¿OP RQ SXEOLF lands for an annual fee of $200. At the last item, one man DW WKH WDEOH ZLWK :DOGHQ JDYH D VPLOH 6WHYH :HVW owner of Steve’s Outdoor Adventures, is a professional hunting consultant and the host of “Steve’s Outdoor Adventures” on the Outdoor &KDQQHO 7KH /D *UDQGH man said it currently costs $176 per day for each FDPHUD RSHUDWRU WR ¿OP RQ public land. “That’s very cost prohib- itive for a small production company to go spend 10, 20, GD\V ¿OPLQJ RQ SXEOLF ODQGV´ :HVW VDLG ³7KLV would be game-changing for RXULQGXVWU\ZLWKVLJQL¿FDQW WULFNOHGRZQWRRXW¿WWHUVDQG guides.” :DOGHQVSHQWVRPHWLPH WDONLQJ DERXW WKH ZLVGRP of protecting lead-based ammunition. “For many, lead is still the best. The science is pretty clear that it’s not a big issue,” :DOGHQ VDLG ³7KLV ELOO excludes lead ammunition from regulation by the EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act and hinders the ability of the Bureau of Land 0DQDJHPHQW DQG )RUHVW 6HUYLFH WR PDNH VLPLODU regulations.” -DFN 6LPRQV RI WKH 3HQGOHWRQ %LUG &OXE DVNHG :DOGHQ WR FRQVLGHU WKH effect of lead on wildlife and humans who consume animals shot with lead ammunition. He told the Congressman about Lynn 7RPSNLQVRZQHURIDUDSWRU rehab center called Blue 0RXQWDLQ :LOGOLIH ZKR regularly tests raptors blood IRUOHDGDQGRIWHQ¿QGVLW+H said birds ingest lead from fragments found in gut piles left by hunters. “The birds don’t need to be shot — they only need to ingest it,” he said. “The eat it DQGJHWVLFN´ The conversation roamed WR RWKHU WRSLFV :DOGHQ dismissed a proposal to turning more than two PLOOLRQ DFUHV RI 0DOKHXU County into a national monument as nothing more WKDQDSOR\WRUHGXFHJUD]LQJ land. “The Oregon Natural Desert Association and Keen Shoes, out of Portland, teamed up to promote a 2.2 million acre national monument in the Owyhee &DQ\RQODQGV LQ 0DOKHXU &RXQW\´:DOGHQVDLG³7KDW ZRXOG EH WZLFH WKH VL]H RI WKH *UDQG &DQ\RQ 1DWLRQ 3DUN´ :DOGHQ FDOOHG WKH area “beautiful, rugged, gorgeous” but said there are already layers of existing management over the land. The Antiquities Act allows the president to create a national monument with WKH VWURNH RI D SHQ WKRXJK there’s no evidence to show Obama is inclined to go that way at the moment. “In my view, it’s another effort to shut down ranching in Eastern Oregon, that’s what it is,” he said. “This is all about stopping ranching in Eastern Oregon and selling shoes.”
