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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2016)
REGION Saturday, May 21, 2016 East Oregonian Page 3A Hermiston City Council to discuss electric rates East Oregonian Hermiston city council will discuss electric rates Monday at a work session before their regular council meeting. The work session will begin at 6 p.m. at city hall, followed by a meeting at 7 p.m. A year ago the council approved a rate increase, which for residential accounts raised the base charge from $6.50 to $10.50 per month and increased the charge per kilowatt hour for residential customers by 12.4 percent. City manager Byron Smith said at the time city staff did not know how much Bonne- ville Power Administration was going to raise the price on the wholesale power it supplies to Hermiston Energy Services. “We said we know we’re going to need an increase, but we may need to come back and talk about it again,” he said. The city also put some money into smaller improve- ments to Hermiston’s power grid this year, but will need to come up with the money for larger capital improvement projects soon. Smith said there were ways to do that besides a rate increase, such as bond reinance, so staff wanted to discuss options with the city council on Monday. The regular meeting following the work session does not have any new resolutions or ordinances, but includes committee reports, the city manager’s report, introductions from the police department and a monthly report on the progress of the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center. Smith said they tried to keep Monday’s meeting agenda short because the city council and staff will be back together at city hall Wednesday at 6 p.m. to go over the proposed 2016-2017 budget with the city’s budget committee. Searching for greener pastures Staff photo by E.J. Harris A pronghorn stands next to an irrigation line near alfalfa ields above Butter Creek on Friday southwest of Hermiston. BOARDMAN IRRIGON Idaho teen pleads not guilty to stabbing woman Kid mayors headed to state competition East Oregonian A 17-year-old Idaho boy pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges related to stabbing a woman May 14 at a rest stop near Boardman. A Morrow County grand jury on Wednesday indicted Talon James Davis, of the area of Lewiston, Idaho, on charges of second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Davis appeared in circuit court Thursday via video from jail in The Dalles and pleaded not guilty. District Attorney Justin Nelson said he charged Davis as an adult because second-degree assault falls under Measure 11, Oregon’s mandatory minimum sentencing law. Nelson initially charged Davis with irst-degree assault, but he said the evidence did not support the harsher charge because the victim did not suffer serious physical injury. Nelson said the 51-year-old woman from Hood River noticed Davis outside when she entered the restroom at the state rest stop off the westbound side of Interstate 84 near Boardman. When she exited a stall, Nelson said, Davis was in the restroom and attacked, stabbing her once in the area of the lower back. She required medical help and stayed until Monday at Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston. Oregon State Police arrested Nelson and booked him into the juvenile facility at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facili- ties, The Dalles. Circuit Judge Ron Pahl during Thursday’s arraignment kept Davis’s bail at $100,000. Nelson said Davis has his next hearing Thursday, May 26. MILTON-FREEWATER Two students irst ever to participate from Irrigon By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian A pair of Irrigon Elemen- tary School students have some big ideas for ways to improve their community. Fifth-grader Caren Cardenas and sixth-grader Rosita Orozco recently participated in the Oregon Mayors Association’s “If I Were Mayor, I Would ...” contest, and were chosen by Irrigon City Council to advance to the statewide competition in July. For the contest, Cardenas prepared a poster that high- lighted projects and programs she said would make the town a better place to live — things like a bowling alley and splash pad, along with regular town halls and a tutor program at the library. Staff photo by George Plaven Fifth-grader Caren Cardenas, left, and sixth-grader Rosita Orozco, of Irrigon Elementary School, were selected as winners of the “If I Were Mayor, I Would ...” contest, and will go on to compete against others across the state. “It could help all kinds of students get better at any subject they like,” Cardenas said. Orozco, meanwhile, wrote an essay detailing her plans to start a recycling committee, build a mall and, most impor- tantly, open a hospital with local urgent care. “A lot of people get hurt around here, and I want them to be safe and helped as soon as possible,” Orozco said. Irrigon City Manager Aaron Palmquist said this is the irst year local students participated in the compe- tition, which encourages the next generation of civic leaders. Cardenas and Orozco were presented with $25 gift cards to Wal-Mart from Mayor Sam Heath, and will have the chance to win an Apple iPad Air 2 if they win irst place at state. Statewide winners will be notiied by mid-June, and recognized at an awards luncheon during the OMA annual conference July 21-23 in Lincoln City. Heath said the council was especially impressed with Cardenas and Orozco for their sense of caring about the community. “It’s been our honor to meet you and have you here,” Heath said during a brief ceremony on Thursday at city hall. “It’s great to know what is on your minds for the future.” ——— Contact George Plaven at gplaven@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0825. Grand jury clears oficers Boards, chiefs from six ire districts plan meeting The day after the a cheerleader, she’s a in recent shooting “Fire is an she’s support system, she’s every- six-district summit, on June Thursday morning in Pend- leton. A grand jury indicted Three Milton-Freewater oficers can return to duty Sregzinski, Primus said, on after a grand jury determined charges of attempted aggra- they were justiied in using vated murder for shooting at police; possession deadly force against of a prohibited Robert Gage Sregz- irearm (a sawed-off inski, 19, of College shotgun); four Place. counts of unlawful Sregzinski is use of a weapon; now in the Umatilla misdemeanor and County Jail, Pend- felony attempt to leton, on multiple lee police; three charges including counts of menacing attempted aggra- and one of reckless vated murder. Sregzinski driving, also misde- Milton-Free- water oficers Scott Clayton meanors. The district attorney’s and Jesse Myer and detective Morgan Dunlap confronted ofice arraigned him that after- Sregzinski after a police chase noon. Primus said Sregzinski’s April 28. Umatilla County bail is more than $1 million. Milton-Freewater placed District Attorney Dan Primus reported Sregzinski shot at the oficers on paid leave in the oficers and they returned ire, wake of the shooting. Primus said the grand jury found the striking Sregzinski. He ended up in a Walla police were within their rights Walla hospital, and then the to use deadly force. He also said Sregzinski’s county jail there held him. Umatilla County Jail records next court appearance is June show Sregzinski arrived 23. By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian East Oregonian Fire districts from the west end of Umatilla County and northern Morrow County are looking to strengthen their relationships at a gathering June 7. The meeting will include boards and ire chiefs from six districts, and will feature remarks from Genoa Ingram, a lobbyist for the Oregon Fire District Direc- tors Association and Oregon Volunteer Fireighters Asso- ciation. Hermiston ire board chair Ric Sherman said the districts — Hermiston, Stanield, Umatilla, Echo, Boardman and Irrigon — have a “very good network of intergovernmental agreements” that plays out on the ground when ire crews provide mutual aid. But on the other hand, board members don’t get much of an opportunity to talk and share ideas with other districts. “Fire is an equal-op- equal-opportunity killer. We’re all in this together.” — Ric Sherman, Hermiston ire board chair portunity killer,” he said. “We’re all in this together.” At the dinner, which will be held at the Westland Road station at 6:30 p.m., Ingram will share with ire chiefs and boards new legislative actions in Salem that affect ire districts and also listen to feedback about how she can help rural ire districts as a lobbyist. “She’s an advocate, thing,” Sherman said. He said she also will share details from a new state program to help districts retain volun- teers, which is especially important for all-volunteer districts. Sherman said in the old days when there was a ire, volunteers from all over the area would immediately drop what they were doing and rush to the irehouse. Today, the district often puts in the time and money to train volunteers, only to ind that their employers won’t let them leave their jobs to respond to a ire. “Times and attitudes have changed,” Sherman said. 8, Hermiston Fire & Emer- gency Services will hold its last board meeting before it combines with Stanield Fire District on July 1 to become the new Umatilla County Fire District 1. Sherman said members of both the current boards are excited about the change and feel it will result in the services “people expect, and quite frankly they deserve.” “There is a lot of work to do, but we will really be able to upgrade ire and ambulance service,” he said. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. PUBLIC GRAND OPENING! Refreshments New Life Flight Network Hangar! Sat. May 21 • 9am-1pm 5250 NW Doolittle Lane Pendleton, OR National Waiter & Waitresses Day May 21st 2016 KID FRIENDLY UNTIL 9PM A big thank you to all our staff! 541-567-3022 cials HAPPY HOUR: 3pm-6pm Daily Beer specials KID FRIENDLY UNTIL 9PM LUNCH & DINNER SPECIALS DAILY RIB SPECIAL TUESDAY BEER BATTERED HALIBUT CRAFT BEER • FIRESTONE PIZZA’S ½ LB GROUND CHUCK BURGERS CALL AHEAD FOR TO GO ORDERS 541-289-7415 149 E Main St Hermiston A special thank you to our waiters & waitresses Restaurant Hours: Mon-Wed 5:30am-9pm, Th-Sat 5:30am-10pm, Sun 7am-6pm Bar Hours: 7am, 7 days a week www.facebook.com/ ThePheasantCafeLounge Thank you to all our hard working staff! 1619 N. First St. Hermiston OR 541-289-7838 Goodbye to Buildings Full of Memories Join us for cake and an open mic session to share stories of your time at Sherwood or Washington Elementary Schools. Bring any pictures or memorabilia to share. Tuesday, May 24th, 5:00-7:00pm Sherwood Heights Elementary School 3111 SW Marshall Ave Tuesday, May 24th, 5:00-7:00pm Washington Elementary School 1205 SE Byers Ave
