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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 19, 2016)
REGION Wednesday, October 19, 2016 HERMISTON Police make arrest in bicycle hit-and-run East Oregonian A Hermiston driver faces a felony after police claimed he crashed into a bicyclist and left the injured rider at the scene. Hermiston Police Capt. Travis Eynon in a written statement reported oficers at about 5:58 p.m. responded to Northeast Fourth Street and East Gladys Avenue for a vehicle versus bicycle collision. The bicyclist, Jason M. Simpkins, 29, of 638 N.E. Dakota Court, Hermiston, was riding southbound on Northeast Fourth when a north-going Chevrolet Impala turned left onto East Gladys Avenue, according to Eynon, and into Simpkins’ path. Simpkins and his bicycle hit the right rear quarter panel of the Impala, which did not stop. Eynon stated a witness to the crash followed the Impala a short distance and provided oficers with a license plate and a description of the driver. Simpkins suffered minor Rep. Greg Walden will meet with veterans and their advocates in Eastern Oregon this week to discuss their challenges and his work with Congress to address veterans’ issues. His agenda includes stops in Hermiston, Pendleton and Milton-Freewater. On Thursday, Walden will attend a Hermiston Rotary meeting at noon before meeting with Hermiston Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion chapters at the VFW, 45 W. Cherry Ave. in Hermiston, at 2:30 p.m. There he plans to hear from local veterans about their experiences accessing care at the VA and discuss current efforts in the House of Representatives to improve VA programs. Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. Walden will have coffee with veterans 1at the Milton-Freewater American Legion, 424 N.E. Eighth Ave. in Milton-Freewater, where he will discuss his efforts to reform the VA and improve health care for veterans. On Saturday Walden will visit Pendleton to meet with the Backcountry Horsemen of Oregon at 11 a.m. at Shari’s, 319 S.E. Nye Ave. in Pendleton, and attend the demobilization of Pendleton’s National Guard unit (1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment) at the Army Aviation Support Facility Hanger, 2110 N.W. 56th Drive in Pendleton at 2 p.m. Former prosecutor takes on M-F cop as defendant MILTON-FREEWATER — The Milton-Freewater police oficer facing assault charges has a new lawyer. Sean J. Riddell of Portland took over the defense of Brian David Scott, 37, on Oct. 5 from a local public defense irm, according to court records. Page 3A Police investigate ires at two Pendleton schools East Oregonian Staff photo by Tammy Malgesini Jason M. Simpkins walks to the rear of an ambulance for treatment with a irst responder from Umatilla County Fire District 1 after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle Monday about 6 p.m. in the vicinity of Northeast Fourth Street and East Gladys Avenue in Hermiston. injuries and received medical treatment at the scene. Oficer’s went to 915 N.W. Stockton St., Hermiston, where they found the Impala, which had extensive damage to the right rear quarter panel. They also found Federico Ricardo DeJesus, 44, who lives at the address, and arrested him on the felony of failure to perform the duties of a driver to injured persons. Police also arrested DeJesus for driving while suspended/ revoked, a misdemeanor. Oficers processed DeJesus at the police department, then booked him into the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton. BRIEFLY Walden to visit Eastern Oregon veterans this week East Oregonian The Umatilla County District Attorney’s Ofice charged Scott with second- degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and irst- degree oficial misconduct. Riddell entered not guilty pleas on all charges on behalf of Scott. The state accused Scott of harming Jeffery Allen Fields, 46, of Milton- Freewater, on Sept. 26, after arresting him for theft. The weapon charge stems from using a wall to inlict harm on Fields. Scott remains out on bail and on paid leave. Court records show he has a hearing Oct. 20 at the Umatilla County Courthouse, Pendleton. In 2011, Riddell resigned as the Oregon Department of Justice’s chief criminal attorney after mishandling key cases and deleting emails. He also represents Ryan McBride, the oficer Stanield ired in October 2015. Jury inds Pendleton man guilty of rape PENDLETON — The trial of Lee Lutcavich of Pendleton ended last week in guilty verdicts on two counts of second-degree rape. The Umatilla County District Attorney’s Ofice accused Lutcavich, 29, of having sex with the girl, younger than 14, on four occasions between Nov. 20, 2014, and Jan. 31, 2015. The case went to trial Oct. 10 and 11 at the county courthouse, Pendleton. The 12-member jury found Lutcavich guilty of two counts of second- degree rape and not guilty on the third count. Court records also show the district attorney dropped one charge during the trial. Circuit Judge Christopher Brauer presided over the case and will sentence Lutcavich on Oct. 27. Second-degree rape carries a mandatory minimum sentence of six years, three months in Oregon, with reductions for time served. Lutcavich has been in the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton, since his arrest on Nov. 19, 2015. ——— Briefs are compiled from staff and wire reports, and press releases. Email press releases to news@ eastoregonian.com Mark Your Calendars! OCTOB 3rd Annual Crab Feed 21 The city ire department was called to two ire alarms at two Pendleton schools Tuesday, the second less serious than the irst. Pendleton Police Department is investigating several ires that were started that morning in a boys bathroom at Sunridge Middle School. Pendleton Assistant Fire Chief Shawn Penninger said the department responded to the ire at 10:30 a.m., after school staff had already used extinguishers to put out the lames. Fire Chief Mike Ciraulo said Sunridge was safely evacuated of all students and staff, who were still out of the building through the late morning hours while the department cleared smoke from the building. A Pendleton School District press release stated the department later gave staff and students permission to re-enter the building. Superintendent Andy Kovach said the extent of the damage is unknown, but said a toilet paper dispenser was burned and destroyed Photo by Antonio Sierra Pendleton school administrators and staff gather in front of Washington Elementary School Tuesday afternoon as the Pendleton Fire Department responds to a ire alarm. during the incident. Penninger said the ire was started in at least three separate points in the bath- room, which was located near the school cafeteria, and the investigation has been turned over to the Pendleton Police Depart- ment. “It’s probably something criminal in nature,” he said. While Ciraulo initially indicated that the ire department would seek assistance from the Oregon State Police Arson Unit, Penninger said Pendleton police will be solely respon- sible for the investigation. Pendleton ire was also dispatched at 1:56 p.m. to Washington Elementary School, where a ire alarm had gone off. Penninger said a student had urinated on an elec- trical outlet in a bathroom, causing some light smoke and charring along the wall. The ire alarm was pulled and Washington was evacuated, but Penninger said no action was required and students began return to class around 2:15 p.m. “It’s not as grandiose as the last one,” he said. Conservation funds available for farmers, ranchers East Oregonian Funding is available to assist Oregon farmers and ranchers with voluntary conservation projects, including more eficient irrigation systems, enhancing wildlife habitat or thinning fuels to reduce the risk of catastrophic ires. The Natural Resource Conservation Service is accepting applications for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, or EQIP, through Friday Nov. 18. Oregon EQIP funds are available within target areas of each county to address natural resources concerns. The program works similar to a rebate, with the producer paying up-front installation costs, and the NRCS issuing payments once the work is certiied. The NRCS awarded $20.4 million to Oregon farms and ranches in 2016, covering more than 170,000 acres. In addition, the NRCS is also accepting applications through Nov. 18 for the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program, or ACEP. That program provides inancial and tech- nical assistance to secure easements that will help protect working agricul- tural land and wetlands for future generations. As a new program in the 2014 Farm Bill, ACEP combines the former Farm and Ranch Lands Protection, Grassland Reserve and Wetlands Reserve programs. NRCS will rank the applications based on natural resource concerns and priority areas throughout the state. Easement priority areas in Oregon include critical water bird habitat, Coho and steelhead salmon habitat, sage grouse habitat, grasslands and more. For more information on EQIP and ACEP, contact your local NRCS ofice in Umatilla County at 541-278-8049, or in Morrow County at 541-676-5021. LIVE E MUSIC • 8pm-- 8p pm-- 12am No cover charge! Must be 21+ years old. ER The 3rd Annual Yellowhawk Crab Feed will be held at the Mission Longhouse (aka Crab Shack) October 21st @ 5pm Tickets are $25 each (All You Can Eat!) Contact Lisa to Purchase at 541.278.7542 All Profi ts Go Toward Building of the New Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center YELLOWHAWK TRIBAL HEALTH CENTER Or email lisafusselman@yellowhawk.org Or via PayPal by visiting http://yellowhawk.org/crab-feed/ Funaddicts Raucous Aaron Crawford Colleen Heauser Rock-Bot Decades Variety Variety Country Country Live Karaoke-Jamaroke Sept 30–Oct 1 Oct 7–8 Oct 14–15 Oct 21–22 Oct 28–29 H A L LOW W E EN P ARTTY Entertainment: James Dean Kindle and the Eastern Oregon Playboys CONCEALED CARRY PERMIT CLASS Oregon - Valid 35 States Please no masks T HUR RS D AY NIGHT FOOTB BALL L! Hosted with Power 99.1 PENDLETON Red Lion - 304 SE N ye Ave. Thursday Oct. 20 th • 1:00 pm & 6:00 pm W alk-Ins W elcom e! T h u ur r s sd d a y s 5 :30 : 3 0p m – 8 : 3 30p 0 p m M ulti-state: $80 or Oregon only: $45.00 w w w .Firearm TrainingN W .com Firearm TrainingN W @ gm ail.com 360-921-2071 CASINO • HOTEL • GOLF • CINEPLEX • RV • MUSEUM • DINING • TRAVEL PLAZA 800.654.9453 • PENDLETON, OR • I-84, EXIT 216 wildhorseresort.com Owned and operated by CTUIR. Management reserves all rights to alter, suspend or withdraw promotions/ofers at any time. 650.7505.BA.9.16
