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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 3, 2016)
REGION Tuesday, May 3, 2016 East Oregonian HERMISTON Page 3A PENDLETON Benedict accepts Cannon Beach ire chief position community. A Portland native, Matt Benedict is Benedict was recruited to work for the Pendleton Fire heading for the coast. According to the Department in 1994 and Cannon Beach Gazette, the has since made a life for Pendleton Fire Department himself in Eastern Oregon. In addition to his assistant ire chief and duties with the ire marshal was ire department, offered the ire Benedict also chief position serves as chief at the Cannon to the volunteer Beach Rural Helix Rural Fire Protection Fire Protection District. District while his Interviewed wife is a member last week, Bene- of the Helix City dict said he has Council. accepted the job His last day contingent upon Benedict with the depart- contract negoti- ations, which he doesn’t ment will be May 31. Pendleton Fire Chief expect to be an obstacle to Mike Ciraulo commended joining the district. Benedict, 47, will earn Benedict for his new job between $67,500 and and said he was well-liked $75,000 at the district, in the department. Ciraulo said Jack which extends from the a former Highway 101/26 junction Remillard, to the northeastern tip Pendleton ire marshal and of Tillamook County in Umatilla County emer- gency manager, will cover Falcon Cove. Benedict said he was ire marshal duties on an attracted to the job because interim basis while the he and his wife wanted to department searches for a be closer to their families full-time replacement. While he’s encouraging in Portland. Benedict also said Cannon Beach is one department personnel to of his favorite vacation apply for the position, spots and he is looking Ciraulo said the city will forward to serving out cast a wide net in looking the rest of his career and for the next ire marshal-as- retiring in the coastal sistant chief. East Oregonian Staff Photo by Jennifer Colton Members of mariachi band Los Temerosos sing and play down Second Street on Sunday during the Cinco de Mayo parade through downtown Hermiston. Crowds celebrate Cinco de Mayo By JENNIFER COLTON East Oregonian Large crowds attended Hermis- ton’s Cinco de Mayo celebration this weekend, sampling food, vendors and carnival rides to recognize the historic day, which oficially takes place Thursday. The carnival opened in the parking lot behind the Hermiston Public Library earlier in the week, and the main event kicked off at 1 p.m. Sunday with a parade, live entertainment and the “caballo bailando” — dancing horse — competition. The swath of Second Street opposite Hermiston City Hall was closed off for the event. Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, gave the opening address, and Tom Spoo, principal at Hermiston High School, served as grand marshal for the parade, which included more than 100 partic- ipants — and more than two dozen horses, most prepped and ready for the exhibition and dancing contest. The Hermiston event has grown every year. This was the fourth year it UMATILLA TRCI inmate found dead Children walk in the Hermiston Cinco de Mayo parade, Sunday. has taken place in downtown Herm- iston, and organizers have said they hope to move to the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center in 2017. ——— Contact Jennifer Colton jcolton@eastoregonian.com 541-564-4534 at or HERMISTON Naked woman in ‘crisis’ arrested after four incidents East Oregonian Hermiston police were kept busy Monday responding to numerous incidents involving a woman Police Chief Jason Edmiston said in a news release was “clearly having a crisis of some kind.” At approximately 2 a.m. oficers responded to a disturbance at Tower Apartments involving a 46-year-old woman who had locked herself out of her apartment and was causing a scene. At 7:15 a.m. they Vejar-Garcia’s next of kin were notiied and A 76-year-old inmate the Oregon State Police Investigation was found dead in his Criminal cell Sunday morning at Division conducted an Two Rivers Correctional investigation, as it does with all unanticipated Institution in Umatilla. deaths. Tomas Vejar- Vejar-Garcia Garcia had been is the ifth TRCI serving a sentence inmate to die of since June 1, natural causes 2012, for two in the past nine counts of irst- weeks, according degree sex abuse to Stefancik. in Washington Avis County and Woodrum, was eligible for 60, Shawn release on June 6. Vejar-Garcia McMillian, 44, Prison staff found Ronald Marcus, him unresponsive in his cell at 7:53 a.m. 60, and Joel Abbot, 60, have all died since February Sunday. County medical 27. TRCI houses examiner Rudy Stefancik said the death was natural approximately 1,800 male and no autopsy would be inmates and opened in 2000. performed. East Oregonian Staff Photo by Jennifer Colton contacted the woman again after reports that she was walking down the road “acting crazy,” but she refused offers of help. At 9:30 a.m. Hermiston police took the woman to Good Shepherd Medical Center after responding to another call about her, this time that she was walking down Feedville Road naked. And at 1:30 p.m. police received “numerous calls” from citizens who were alarmed after the woman walked away from the hospital and down the road with her bathrobe open. At that point she was taken to Umatilla County Jail in Pendleton on charges of disorderly conduct. Edmiston said the chain of events was an example of a system that is “extremely frustrating” for law enforce- ment. “The new trend across the nation is to train oficers to interact with people in crisis differently than before,” he wrote in a statement. “Inas- much as that sounds great, the reality is people who are in crisis should be getting treatment from professionals not from line level police oficers. “In my opinion, the system failed yet again in this case as our agency was forced to arrest a person that clearly needs medical treatment of some kind.” Mother’s Day Prime Rib Buffet Sunday, May 8 10am - 2pm Featuring CARVED SLOW ROASTED PRIME RIB ROASTED RED POTATOES FRESH GREEN BEANS WITH BACON CHICKEN BUNKHOUSE PASTA WHISKY MEATBALLS FESTIVE SCRAMBLED EGGS APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON & SAUSAGE PATTIES HAMLEY BISCUITS & GRAVY CHEESE BLINTZES ASSORTED HAMLEY SALADS HOT ROLLS & BUTTER FRESH FRUIT SALAD ASSORTED DESSERTS 5K RUN, 5K WALK, 10K RUN, KID'S BUTTE SCOOT All races begin & end at Hermiston's Butte Park DRAWINGS • FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY ALL YOU CAN EAT 26 1 6 $ per person $ kids 5-12 CALL TODAY FOR RESERVATIONS 541.278.1100 OPTION 2 COURT & MAIN, PENDLETON p U n Sig Now! Online registration & race information at WWW.BUTTECHALLENGE.COM All proceeds benefit THE HERMISTON CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM Thank you for your support!