REGION
Friday, January 13, 2017
Sen. Merkley to
continue to serve
on ag committee
Funding for
research station
remains on radar
Tubbs Ranch Road.
Once
again,
the
Columbia Plateau Conser-
vation Research Center
stands to lose nearly half
its funding under the Pres-
By GEORGE PLAVEN
ident’s 2017 budget, which
East Oregonian
aims to shift money within
the agency. A spokeswoman
Oregon
Sen.
Jeff for Merkley said the center
Merkley
announced will remain one of the sena-
Thursday he will continue tor’s priorities working on
the appropriations
to serve as the
subcommittee.
top-ranking
Otherwise,
the
Democrat on the
center may be
Senate appropri-
forced to cut
ations subcom-
$901,000
and
mittee for agri-
eliminate three
culture and rural
scientist positions.
development,
Other prior-
advocating
on
ities
include
behalf of farmers
funding
for
and
ranchers
Merkley
irrigation proj-
statewide.
ects, such as
As a ranking
member of the subcom- canal lining, and restoring
mittee for the past two habitat for sage grouse in
years, Merkley previously southeast Oregon, said
Martina
lobbied to keep full spokeswoman
funding at the Columbia McLennan.
“Oregon’s
farmers,
Plateau
Conservation
Research Center in Pend- ranchers and rural commu-
leton, where scientists nities deserve a strong
are conducting long-term voice in the Senate,”
experiments to improve Merkley said in a state-
farming practices for the ment. “I’m excited to keep
working for Oregon in this
region’s dryland crops.
The Columbia Plateau key position.”
In addition to the
Conservation
Research
Center is part of the Agri- USDA, the agriculture
cultural Research Service, subcommittee also over-
or ARS, which acts as sees the Food and Drug
the primary research arm Administration and related
It
controls
of the U.S. Department agencies.
of Agriculture. It is not funding for research, as
to be confused with well as programs related to
Oregon State University’s timber and biomass.
———
Columbia Basin Agricul-
Contact George Plaven
tural Research Center,
gplaven@eastorego-
though the two programs at
share a campus on nian.com or 541-966-
Tax season begins Jan. 23
East Oregonian
Oregon residents can
send in their tax returns
before Jan. 23, but the
Oregon Department of
Revenue and the Internal
Revenue Service will not
begin processing returns
until that date. They will
be processed in the order
received.
The soonest citizens can
get their refund from their
state income taxes is Feb.
15. According to a news
release from the Oregon
Department of Revenue,
the delay is an anti-fraud
tactic that allows the
department to confirm that
the amounts claimed on
returns matches the amount
reported by employers on
W-2 and 1099 forms.
A new law means the
IRS will also hold federal
refunds until after Feb. 15
for taxpayers claiming the
Earned Income Tax Credit
or Additional Child Tax
Credit. The department
estimates it paid out $3.1
billion in fraudulent tax
returns to identity thieves
for 2014.
Free tax preparation
services for seniors, low-in-
come and moderate-income
taxpayers are available
throughout the state. CASH
Oregon provides assistance
at the Hermiston Library
and Boardman Senior
Center. The AARP can be
contacted at 1-888-227-
7669 for times and loca-
tions that volunteers will be
available in Eastern Oregon
to help senior citizens with
their taxes before they are
due on April 17.
Once tax season begins,
the Oregon Department of
Revenue will also provide
a list of approved vendors
for free online tax prepa-
ration (usually available
to filers in certain income
brackets) on its website at
www.oregon.gov/DOR.
All Oregon taxpayers
who completed their own
returns can e-file them for
free using the fillable forms
on the website.
The state highly encour-
ages residents to e-file
their taxes online for faster
processing, but paper forms
and booklets can be ordered
by calling 1-800-356-4222.
BRIEFLY
City council
reschedules
monthly meeting
BOARDMAN — The
Boardman City Council
will meet Tuesday, Jan.
17 for its regular monthly
meeting. The meeting had
been scheduled for Jan. 10,
but was postponed due to
weather.
The council meets at
7:30 p.m. at city hall, 200
City Center Circle. For
more information, call
541-481-9252
Education
feedback session
coming to town
PENDLETON — The
Oregon Department of
Education is hosting a
community feedback
session on Wednesday,
Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at
Washington Elementary
School, 1205 S.E. Byers
Ave., Pendleton. The event
is free and open to the
public.
This event is part of a
series of feedback sessions
being organized by ODE
across the state for people
to give input on Oregon’s
plan to improve student
learning and determine
how to best support our
schools to meet the needs
of every student.
The Every Student
Succeeds Act will
be discussed, which,
according to the ODE,
“provides all states and
schools in the country with
a chance to be innovative,
and to strengthen our
public education system
by providing teachers with
more support and districts
with more flexibility to
address the unique needs
facing their communities.”
The public is
encouraged to attend to
learn more about ESSA,
contribute to a discussion
on the factors supporting
student success and get
questions answered by
state education leaders.
———
Briefs are compiled
from staff and wire reports,
and press releases. Email
press releases to news@
eastoregonian.com
East Oregonian
Page 3A
Stolen tiny house found
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Lawrence Thomas will
soon be reunited with his
home — the custom-built
tiny house he thought he’d
never see again when it was
stolen from a Hermiston
truck stop in December.
The house was found
on Stable Lane, about half
a mile from where it was
stolen at the One Stop Mart
on Westland Road off Inter-
state 84 in late December.
“They took the tires off
and broke the door down,
but it looks like I’ll be able to
take it home,” Thomas said.
The house is now being
kept at a local storage yard,
and Thomas hopes to leave
Las Vegas and come pick up
the house this weekend.
He said he had been in
contact with the Umatilla
Sheriff’s Office, which
received a tip from a resident
this morning and then found
the house.
“I really wanted to thank
Deputy (Calvin) Meade,”
Thomas said. “He’s the
one who was keeping me
updated.”
Thomas said he won’t
know what other damage
has been done, or whether
Contributed photo
This tiny house, owned by Lawrence Thomas of Las Vegas, was reported stolen near
Hermiston on Dec. 31 after he left it at a travel stop on I-84 due to bad weather.
“They took the tires off and broke
the door down, but it looks like I’ll
be able to take it home.”
— Lawrence Thomas, tiny house owner
anything is missing from the
house, until he gets there.
Thomas built the house
last year, and had been living
in it for about four months.
He had been staying in
Seattle, and was in the middle
of a move to Las Vegas when
he stopped in Hermiston to
avoid driving in bad weather.
He decided to keep driving
but temporarily leave the
house, which he was pulling
behind his SUV through the
heavy snows. He talked to
the manager at the station,
who said he could leave the
house at the truck stop and
that there were surveillance
cameras on the house.
On New Year’s Eve,
Thomas found out the
house was gone. Someone
had used bolt cutters and
taken the structure, which
is 95 square feet, and 17
feet long by 7.5 feet wide.
The structure contained all
of Thomas’ possessions,
including official documents
like his birth certificate, and
sentimental items.
MISSION
Derailed train was carrying hazardous materials
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
A Union Pacific train that
derailed Monday night on the
Umatilla Indian Reservation
was carrying containers of
hazardous materials, though
none spilled and no one was
hurt, according to a railroad
spokesman.
UP initially reported no
hazardous materials were
involved in the 12-car
derailment near Bingham
Road, about 20 miles east
of Mission. However, the
company later confirmed
there was adhesive inside
shipping containers aboard
at least one of the derailed
cars.
The
Confederated
Umatilla
Journal
first
reported there was hazardous
material on the train.
Don Pettit, emergency
response planner for the
Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality, said
there was also sulfuric acid,
methanol and formaldehyde
Photo by Wil Phinney/Confederated Umatilla Journal
A dozen Union Pacific railcars derailed Monday night on Umatilla Indian Reserva-
tion land. No injuries or spills were reported.
solution on the train. He did
not know how many of the
cars may have contained
hazardous materials, but
reiterated there was no spill.
“The train was pretty
quickly put back on track,”
Pettit said. “We won’t have
any follow-up at this point.”
UP spokesman Justin
Jacobs said the cause of
the derailment is still under
investigation. Cold and
snowy weather remains a
possibility, Jacobs said.
This is the second time
a UP train has derailed in
Eastern Oregon within the
past two years. On March 2,
2015, 10 rail cars jumped the
tracks along Meacham Creek
in the Blue Mountains, due
to a misaligned track.
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0825.
COMING EVENTS
2744 or 541-566-0131)
CHRISTMAS CANTATA, 6
p.m., First Christian Church, 518 S.
Main St., Milton-Freewater. Choirs
from the First Christian and Ingle
Chapel Congregational churches
will perform “The First Noel,” cele-
brating the birth of Jesus. Originally
scheduled for December but post-
poned due to the weather. Free.
(Janet Collins 541-938-3854)
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6:30-8:30
p.m., Pendleton Recreation Cen-
ter, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pend-
leton. Half-court basketball. Adults
only. (541-276-8100)
FRIDAY, JAN. 13
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6-7 a.m.,
Pendleton Recreation Center, 510
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Half-
court basketball. Adults only. (541-
276-8100)
WALKING FOR WELLNESS,
8:30-9:30 a.m., Pendleton Rec-
reation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion
Ave., Pendleton. (541-276-8100)
STORY TIME, 10:15 a.m.,
Hermiston Public Library, 235 E.
Gladys Ave., Hermiston. (541-567-
2882)
TODDLER STORY TIME,
10:15-11 a.m., Pendleton Public Li-
brary, 502 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pend-
leton. (541-966-0380)
STORY AND CRAFT TIME, 2
p.m., Echo Public Library, 20 S. Bo-
nanza, Echo. (541-376-8411)
VFW BINGO, 6 p.m., Hermis-
ton VFW, 45 W. Cherry St., Herm-
iston. Doors open at 6 p.m., games
begin at 7 p.m. Everyone welcome.
(541-567-6219)
GAMER’S NIGHT, 7-10:30
p.m., Pendleton Recreation Cen-
ter, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendle-
ton. Tournament gaming and activ-
ities for teens. (541-276-8100)
SATURDAY, JAN. 14
AARP
SMART
DRIVER
COURSE, 8:45 a.m.-4 p.m., St.
Anthony Hospital, 2801 St. Antho-
ny Way, Pendleton. Brush up on
driving skills, learn the newest safe-
ty and advanced vehicle features,
learn how aging, medications,
alcohol and other health-related
issues affect driving and how to ad-
just for these changes, and more.
Cost is $15 for AARP members
(bring card) or $20 for non-mem-
bers. Geared for ages 55+, but
all licensed drivers are welcome.
Pre-registration suggested; class
size limited. Lunch is on your own.
(Nikii Murtaugh 541-861-0024)
FREE FOR ALL, 9:30-10:15
a.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendleton.
Free art classes for children up to
age 12. Children under 8 should be
accompanied by an adult. (Roberta
Lavadour 541-278-9201)
SATURDAY CRAFT TIME, 10
a.m.-2 p.m., Hermiston Public Li-
brary, 235 E. Gladys Ave., Hermis-
ton. Free craft projects for children
in 5th grade and younger. (541-
567-2882)
“SCALING
PARNASSUS:
THE SEQUENTIAL DEVELOP-
MENT OF PIANO MASTERY”
WORKSHOP, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., First
Presbyterian Church, 201 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Dr. Mi-
chael Seregow will offer guidance
in designing a curriculum for the in-
termediate student who is beyond
method books in two parts. Free
MONDAY, JAN. 16
EO Media Group file photo
Kristi Smalley performs with her dance partner Seth
Ward during the 2015 Dancing with the Hermiston
Stars. This year’s event is Saturday, 7 p.m. at the Herm-
iston High School performing arts auditorium.
and open to music teachers and
the general public. (Sue Nelson
541-276-0346)
SAGE SATURDAY, 10 a.m.-
1 p.m., SAGE Center, 101 Olson
Road, Boardman. Free admission
and activities for children and par-
ents. This month: make a sock
snowman. (541-481-7243)
HIP & HANDMADE, 11 a.m.-
12 p.m., Pendleton Center for the
Arts, 214 N. Main St., Pendle-
ton. Free drop-in project class for
adults. (Roberta Lavadour 541-
278-9201)
COUNTRY HOEDOWN, 1-4
p.m., Milton-Freewater Neighbor-
hood Senior Center, 311 N. Main
St., Milton-Freewater. Live music,
dancing and singing. Admission
$2, refreshments available for pur-
chase. (541-938-3311)
DANCING WITH THE HERM-
ISTON STARS, 7 p.m., Hermiston
High School performing arts audi-
torium, 600 S. First St., Hermiston.
Local community members pair up
with professional dancers from the
Utah Ballroom Dance Company
to vie for bragging rights and raise
funds for local charities. Tickets
are $20 for adults, $10 for stu-
dents in advance, $5 more at the
door, available at the Hermiston
Chamber of Commerce, Hermis-
ton Parks office or online at www.
desertartscouncil.com (Larry Fetter
or Phyllis Shovelski 541-667-5007
or 541-379-6992)
SUNDAY, JAN. 15
FAMILY BREAKFAST, 8:30-
9:15 a.m., First Christian Church,
516 S. Main St., Milton-Freewater.
Cost is by donation. Everyone wel-
come. (541-938-3854)
SPECIAL NEEDS OPEN
GYM, 12-1:30 p.m., Pendleton
Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Free for
special needs children and fami-
lies. (541-276-8100)
KBLU CITIZENS ADVISORY
GROUP, 3 p.m., Bowman Building
Suite 352, 17 S.W. Frazer Ave.,
Pendleton. Share ideas on format
of Pendleton area’s newest radio
station. (Vickie or Gary 541-566-
ADULT OPEN GYM, 6-7 a.m.,
Pendleton Recreation Center, 510
S.W. Dorion Ave., Pendleton. Half-
court basketball. Adults only. (541-
276-8100)
WALKING FOR WELLNESS,
8:30-9:30 a.m., Pendleton Rec-
reation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion
Ave., Pendleton. (541-276-8100)
TAI CHI: MOVING FOR BET-
TER BALANCE, 9-10 a.m., Good
Shepherd Wellness Center, 610
N.W. 11th St. (modular behind hos-
pital), Hermiston. Falls prevention
program for older adults. Space
limited to 15 participants. Free, but
registration is requested. (541-667-
3509)
TOT TIME, 10-11 a.m., Pend-
leton Recreation Center, 510 S.W.
Dorion Ave., Pendleton. For chil-
dren ages 0-5. Costs $1 per child
per session. (541-276-8100)
PRESCHOOL STORY TIME,
10:30 a.m., Athena Public Library,
418 E. Main St., Athena. For ages
birth to 6. (541-566-2470)