REGION
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3A
HERMISTON
Evacuation levels
lowered on Weigh Ice cream brings neighbors, police
together for National Night Out
Station Fire
Forests implement
restrictions for
campfires, smoking
and off-road travel
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Evacuation
levels
were lowered for homes
impacted by the Weigh
Station Fire east of Pend-
leton.
A Level 1 notice means
residents should be ready
for a potential evacuation
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in effect through 8 p.m.
Tuesday for the Lower
Columbia Basin, with
gusty winds and low
humidity across the region.
)LUH¿JKWHUV QRZ HVWL-
mate the Weigh Station
Fire,
which
started
Saturday, at 688 acres and
35 percent contained. The
cause is still unknown.
“(Tuesday’s)
critical
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control lines,” Joseph
Goebel with the Oregon
Department of Forestry
said midday. “If lines hold,
there will be an increase in
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Two outbuildings were
destroyed in the blaze on
Emigrant Hill between
Pendleton and Meacham,
though no permanent
residences were lost.
Emigrant Springs State
Park reopened to campers
and travelers Tuesday,
though the public is asked
to remain cautious in the
area.
Beginning Wednesday,
the Umatilla and Wallowa-
Whitman national forests
will implement Phase A
public use restrictions
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off-road
travel
and
chainsaw use. Similar
regulated use closures
have already been enforced
within the ODF Northeast
Oregon District to lessen
the risk of human-caused
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Under these restric-
tions, chainsaws can only
be operated between the
hours of 8 p.m. and 1 p.m.
Saw operators must have
an ax, shove, and minimum
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on hand while working. A
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required after sawing is
complete.
Smoking is allowed
only in enclosed vehicles,
buildings or cleared areas,
and off-road vehicle travel
is prohibited through tall
grass or other fuels that
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FDPS¿UH
UHVWULFWLRQV
remain in effect through
Oct. 31.
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Northwest include:
• Range 12 Fire — The
Range 12 Fire has torched
175,000 acres and is
threatening 250 homes
in southeast Washington,
near Hanford and Sunny-
side. The blaze started
Saturday on the Yakima
Training Center and has
since spread into Benton
and Grant counties. It is 10
percent contained, while
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ZRUN WR NHHS WKH ÀDPHV
away from the Hanford
nuclear reservation and
Benton City. No cause has
been determined.
• Rail Fire — The Rail
Fire erupted Sunday, and
has spread over 2,000
acres in a remote area near
Unity in Baker County.
The cause has not been
determined. There are
¿UH¿JKWHUV EDWWOLQJ
the blaze, and no private
property or ranches are
currently at risk.
For more information
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www.bluemountainfire-
info.blogspot.com.
To
UHSRUWD¿UHFDOOWKH%OXH
Mountain
Interagency
Dispatch at (541)963-7171
or dial 9-1-1.
———
Contact George Plaven
at
gplaven@eastorego-
nian.com or 541-966-
0825.
STANFIELD
Few things bring people
together like ice cream,
which might explain why
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easily Tuesday night at
Hermiston’s National Night
Out block party.
Neighbors from the Banker
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responders and police, bowls
of ice cream in hand, after
Dorothy Smith won the ice
cream social by working out
the clues in the newspaper
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hidden by Hermiston Police
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The annual event, which
is celebrated throughout the
country, encourages safer
neighborhoods by helping
people get to know those
living near them and interact
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EMTs in a non-emergency
situation.
“We had one back in the
day, but we haven’t had one
for a while,” Alleen Lind said
of Tuesday’s block party.
She has lived in the
neighborhood for about 10
years now, and said she is
glad that neighbors have been
willing to mingle with each
other instead of keeping to
themselves.
“If you know them, you
know what they’re doing,
and so you’re more liable to
notice if something is wrong,”
she said.
Sylvia Smith also said she
feels safer the more neighbors
she gets to know — including
a few newer faces she saw on
Tuesday who haven’t lived
A field fire burned Tuesday afternoon in Stanfield
Meadows, north of Interstate 84.
Despite wind, crews
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East Oregonian
Fire crews from around
the area worked to contain
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Meadows that was reported
late Tuesday morning. The
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heavy brush.
Winds pushed past 20
mph, but ditches on two
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response by responders
aided in containing the blaze.
Bane Billalobos lives and
farms next door to where the
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called 9-1-1 when they saw
smoke. He was impressed
with the quick response of
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QRWLQJZLWKWKHZLQGVWKH¿UH
could have easily grown out
of control.
Five engines and three
water tenders from the
Umatilla
County
Fire
District and the Echo Fire
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winds, crews are expected
to remain on scene for quite
some time mopping up and
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The National Weather
Service has issued a red
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because of windy and dry
conditions.
STANFIELD
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East Oregonian
The man killed in
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¿HGDV(OGRQ+DZOH\
Hawley died after his
older model double-wide
manufactured
home
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accidental.
Fire Marshal Tom Bohm
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on the porch and had two
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could have been related to
smoking or to an electrical
short. Hawley had an elec-
tric scooter plugged in with
an extension cord near the
porch area.
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from the Umatilla County
Fire District 1 worked to
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limited to the exterior due
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roof structures failing.
— Pavel Tverdokhlebenko,
Banker Drive area resident
lebenko and their toddler
son David, whom neighbors
seemed to know by name
already as they tried to coax
him out of his mother’s arms.
The family immigrated
to the United States from
Ukraine in 2003, and moved
onto Banker Drive a little
over a year ago.
Pavel said he was enjoying
the chance to socialize with so
many people and he hoped the
neighborhood would do more
block parties in the future.
Staff photo by Jade McDowell
“This is great, I think, to
Dorothy Smith, winner of this year’s National Night Out
medallion hunt, speaks with Mayor David Drotzmann get to know people, neigh-
and city councilors Jackie Myers and Doug Primmer as bors, because our life is so
they serve ice cream at the block party Smith won for busy, we just go to work and
her neighborhood.
home and we don’t get to see
on the block for long. She ¿UVW UHVSRQGHUV IURP +HUP- people a lot,” he said.
7RIUHHXS¿UVWUHVSRQGHUV
said it could come in handy iston Police Department and
to warn people if there had Umatilla County Fire District to mingle with the group,
the ice cream was served by
been problems with crime, 1.
and if there is ever some sort
When asked if he had Mayor David Drotzmann —
of natural disaster they would gotten to know any police who happens to live in the
know who to check on or how RI¿FHUV EHIRUH WKH 1DWLRQDO neighborhood himself — and
many people might have been Night Out event, neighbor city councilors Jackie Myers
home.
Pavel
Tverdokhlebenko and Doug Primmer.
———
“This is a good idea to get joked, “Just once, when I was
Contact Jade McDowell at
people out,” she said.
going too fast.”
Mixed in with neighbors
He was at the social with jmcdowell@eastoregonian.
ZHUHSROLFHRI¿FHUVDQGRWKHU his wife Valeria Tverdokh- com or 541-564-4536.
BRIEFLY
Motorcyclist dies
Sunday in wreck
near Hat Rock
A man hurt in a single-
vehicle motorcycle wreck
on Highway 730 east of
Sand Station died Sunday
afternoon while being
transported by air to the
hospital.
Umatilla Fire Chief Steve
Potts said the man was
traveling westbound on the
highway when he crashed
over a guardrail and down
an embankment.
Potts said the cause of the
crash was unknown.
The victim’s name has
not been released.
West Nile found in
Irrigon mosquitoes
Staff photo by Alexa Lougee
“This is great, I
think, to get to know
people, neighbors,
because our life is
so busy, we just go
to work and home
and we don’t get to
see people a lot.”
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
IRRIGON — West
Nile virus has turned up in
mosquito samples collected
last week near Irrigon,
according to the North
Morrow Vector Control
District. Another six positive
samples have already turned
up in Umatilla County near
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Umatilla.
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County are advising residents
to take precautions against
mosquitoes in order to avoid
the risk of infection. Tips
include eliminating standing
water where mosquitoes can
breed, using insect repellent
and wearing long-sleeve
shirts and pants when
working in mosquito-infested
areas.
While the majority of
people infected with West
Nile exhibit show no signs of
the disease, about 20 percent
GRGHYHORSPLOGÀXOLNH
symptoms such as fever,
headache and nausea. In rare
cases, West Nile can lead to
HQFHSKDOLWLVRULQÀDPPDWLRQ
of the brain. Those at higher
risk include people 50 years
or older, people with weak
immune systems or people
with diabetes and high blood
pressure.
Anyone experiencing
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Fair is in fashion
Kendall Cooper, 13, of Stanfield talks about her
dress with judges Courtney Waliser of Walla Walla
and Harriet Kyles of Athena on Wednesday at the
4-H Fashion Review Contest in Pendleton. The
show is the first contest in the Umatilla County
Fair, which officially kicks off next week.
symptoms such as severe
headache, stiff neck, mental
confusion, muscle weakness,
shaking or paralysis should
contact their doctor. For more
information, contact Shelley
Wight with the Morrow
County Health District at
541-676-5421.
BJ the DJ to spin
Carpenters’ hits
MILTON-FREEWATER
— The brother-sister duo of
the Carpenters released such
hits as “Close to You,” “Top
of the World,” “Please Mr.
Postman” and “We’ve Only
Just Begun.”
The music of Karen
and Richard Carpenter
is featured during Oldies
Night in Milton-Freewater.
The free event is Saturday
at 7 p.m. at Wesley United
Methodist Church, 816 S.
Main St., Milton-Freewater.
BJ the DJ will spin dozens
of Carpenters songs, original
versions of some of their hit
remakes and share loads of
trivia about them and their
career. Also, The Frogs will
provide snacks.
For more information,
contact Jones at 541-938-
7028 or dubuquer@charter.
net.
Basic Rights Oregon
celebrates 20 years
PENDLETON — A
celebration of the 20th
anniversary of Basic Rights
Oregon is planned in
Pendleton.
Basic Rights Oregon
is in the second year of
D¿YH\HDUVWUDWHJLFSODQ
focused on lifting up LGBTQ
Oregonians in small towns
and rural communities,
transgender people, LGBTQ
people of color and LGBTQ
youth. People are invited to
connect with supporters in the
Pendleton area and receive an
update from Amy Herzfeld,
co-executive director.
The Pendleton Garden
Party is Sunday from 5-7 p.m.
at Pendleton House B&B,
311 N. Main St., Pendleton.
Although the event is free,
registration is required.
For more information,
contact 503-222-6151, info@
basicrights.org or visit www.
basicrights.org/events, which
includes a link to RSVP.
6WDQ¿HOGFDQFHOV
August breakfast
STANFIELD — The
regular Saturday breakfast
DWWKH6WDQ¿HOG&RPPXQLW\
Center has been canceled
for August.
The kitchen is
undergoing renovations.
The next community
breakfast is Saturday, Sept.
10 from 7-10 a.m. at 225 W.
5RRVHYHOW$YH6WDQ¿HOG
For more information,
call 541-449-1332 or
541-571-6019.
———
Briefs are compiled
from staff and wire reports,
and press releases. Email
press releases to news@
eastoregonian.com
It’s Your Choice
No one can make you believe. The choice is yours
and yours alone. Your parents can’t decide for you,
nor can your closest friends. A church leader or an
evangelist is powerless to coerce a decision that
must come from deep within your heart.
Belief in Jesus is more than just mentally
acknowledging the truth that He is the Savior, the
Son of God who was born of a virgin, lived a
sinless life, died as a sacrifice for our sins, and rose
triumphantly from the grave. Belief involves
entrusting our souls and lives to Jesus Christ. That
happens when we accept God’s free gift of
salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). To receive it, we must
admit our sinfulness and tell Him we need and want
His forgiveness and the new spiritual life He offers.
Take the step of faith -- a step based on good
reason -- and tell God that you believe in His Son.
Tell Him that you
want the salvation He I am the way, the truth,
offers, and that you and the life. No one
now
acknowledge comes to the Father
Him as Savior and except through Me.
- Jesus (John 14:6)
Lord.
If you want to know more about the person named
Jesus, find a Bible and read one of the New
Testament gospel accounts of His life (such as the
gospel of John). See for yourself what it says about
Him -- what people thought of Him, who He claimed
to be, what He did on earth, and what He can do
for you.
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