NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
Page 2A
Friday, February 17, 2017
Eastern Oregon job
growth expected to
trail behind state
through 2024
Man who killed John Day cop will be freed
By SEAN HART
EO Media Group
The man who pleaded guilty
to killing a John Day police
officer in 1992 will soon be
freed.
The Oregon Supreme Court
denied a request Thursday
to review an appeals court
decision that reinstated Sidney
Dean Porter’s 2013 prison
release date due to legal errors
that year by the Board of Parole
and Post-Prison Supervision.
Grant
County
District
Attorney Jim Carpenter said the
board will now begin putting
together a release plan for
Porter, who killed Officer Frank
Ward on April 8, 1992.
“After all the hard work
that my staff and I put in to
ensure that Porter would remain
incarcerated, the decision of
the Supreme Court is disap-
pointing, but not unexpected,”
Carpenter said.
Porter had pleaded guilty to
aggravated murder. According
to the appeals court opinion,
Porter attacked Ward, who had
responded to a report
of domestic violence
at Porter’s residence.
Porter “bludgeoned
Ward with his fists and
a 10-pound piece of
firewood,” according
to the opinion, and
the autopsy revealed
a skull fracture and
contusions in Ward’s Porter
brain.
After Carpenter’s testimony
before the parole board in
2015, the board ruled Porter
was a danger to the community
and ordered him to remain in
custody until at least 2020.
In September 2016, however,
the Oregon Court of Appeals
overturned the parole board’s
decision to postpone Porter’s
2013 prison release date, stating
the board lacked authority to
rescind a release date “absent
a timely hearing,” according to
the court opinion.
“A defining principle of our
legal system is that both sides
have the opportunity to be
heard before decisions are made
which affect them,” Carpenter
said. “The Court of
Appeals found that
Porter was not given
such an opportunity,
and the Supreme
Court
apparently
agrees.”
The appeals court
ruled the parole board
should not have
postponed the 2013
release date without a
timely hearing. Carpenter, who
was elected in 2014, said a June
2013 release date was issued
after a former district attorney
failed to present evidence at an
exit interview earlier that year.
Although more evidence
was provided after that inter-
view, the parole board did
not hold a hearing with Porter
until September 2013, after
postponing the June release
date. The appeals court ruled
evidence presented after the
postponement of the release
date could not be used to justify
the postponement that already
occurred.
In his appeal, Porter argued
the parole board erred in
rescinding the planned release
date, in postponing the release
date and in reconvening an
exit interview after the planned
released date had passed.
In its opinion, the Court
of Appeals agreed the board
committed legal errors and
reversed the board’s determi-
nation, stating that Porter was
entitled to a timely hearing on
rescinding the release date,
that the board did not provide
a statutorily valid reason
for postponing the planned
released date and that the board
could not rely on information
received later to justify a prior
postponement of the release
date.
The appeals court opinion
states Oregon law at the time
required the imposition of a
life sentence with a 30-year
minimum period of incarcera-
tion. The law also required the
board to hold a hearing after 20
years “to determine if the pris-
oner is likely to be rehabilitated
within a reasonable period of
time” if the prisoner requested
it, which he did.
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — Job growth in Oregon’s rural
areas — particularly southeastern Oregon — is
projected to trail behind the rest of the fast-
growing state until 2024, according to the Oregon
Employment Department.
Oregon’s jobs are expected to grow 14 percent
between 2014 and 2024, more than double the
national expected rate for that period.
But in Harney and Malheur counties, the
number of jobs is expected to increase merely 3
percent until 2024. That’s compared to 6 and 7
percent in neighboring counties to the north and
west, which is a rate on par with expected job
growth nationally.
Counties near the central Columbia River
Gorge, meanwhile, are expected to see 11 percent
job growth until 2024.
The outlook comes in the broader context of
the slow post-recession jobs recovery in rural
areas of the state.
While Oregon as a whole has made up the
jobs it lost during the Great Recession, that’s not
the case for many of the state’s rural areas — such
as Gilliam and Wheeler counties. But the future
may be brighter for them: Both are projected to
exceed the country’s jobs growth rate until 2024.
Construction, health care and professional and
business services jobs are expected to grow the
fastest, according to a presentation employment
department officials made to lawmakers on the
state’s workforce committee Thursday.
The high-tech sector is also expected to
continue growing — a recent dip in jobs can
be attributed to layoffs in the semiconductor
industry, but the overall trend is upward, said
Nick Beleiciks, a state employment economist
with the Oregon Employment Department.
Filling those new jobs may be a challenge in
rural Oregon, too, though.
Some employers in rural areas say they
struggle to attract and retain young talent, Melisa
Drugge, a business development officer for Busi-
ness Oregon’s Eastern region, told lawmakers.
There are a number of factors at work. For
example, many millennials gravitate toward
urban centers with cultural amenities.
And finding adequate housing for workers in
communities such as Joseph in Wallowa County
— where many homes are vacation properties —
is a challenge, Drugge said.
State Rep. Mark Johnson, R-Hood River, said
some employers in the Columbia River Gorge
are busing in workers from the Portland and
Vancouver areas because they can’t find or afford
local housing.
“It really defeats the purpose of trying to
create communities,” Johnson said.
Environmentalists sue over USDA’s authority to kill wolves
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
Environmentalists claim the
USDA’s contract to kill wolves
on behalf of Oregon wildlife
officials is unlawful because the
federal agency hasn’t properly
analyzed the environmental
impacts.
The USDA, meanwhile,
argues a lawsuit over the
agreement is baseless because
Oregon can kill problematic
wolves even without federal
assistance.
“This is predominantly a
state program. The USDA is
very much a bit player,” said
Sean Martin, attorney for the
agency, during oral arguments
on Feb. 16 in Eugene, Ore.
Wolves in Eastern Oregon
are no longer listed as threatened
under the federal Endangered
Species Act but their population
in that region is still managed
under a state plan.
USDA’s Wildlife Services
division killed two wolves at
Oregon’s behest in 2009, which
prompted environmental groups
to sue the agency.
Under a settlement deal,
USDA agreed to conduct an
environmental assessment of its
lethal wolf removal agreement
with the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife.
In 2014, the USDA’s
analysis concluded its wolf
control activities didn’t have
significant
environmental
impacts, but five environmental
groups — Cascadia Wildlands,
Center for Biological Diversity,
Wildearth Guardians, Predator
Defense and Project Coyote
— challenged that finding in
federal court last year.
The
plaintiffs
asked
U.S. District Judge Michael
McShane to prohibit Wildlife
Services from killing wolves
in Oregon because USDA’s
environmental
assessment
of the contract violated the
National Environmental Policy
Act.
USDA failed to take a
“hard look” at the impact of
killing wolves on the species’
population and ecosystem, said
John Mellgren, attorney for the
environmental groups.
Reducing predation on
livestock by killing wolves
hasn’t conclusively shown to be
effective over the long term, so
the strategy requires a greater
degree of scrutiny by USDA,
he said.
“It’s not settled science.
There is controversy in
the scientific community,”
Mellgren said.
USDA’s analysis didn’t
sufficiently
consider
the
disruption to pack structure from
lethal removal and neglected
actions against wolves taken in
neighboring states, he said.
The plaintiffs also argued
that Wildlife Services will
dispatch
wolves
more
efficiently than Oregon wildlife
managers, which casts doubt on
the USDA’s claim that Oregon’s
lethal control activities will
proceed without federal help.
Non-target animals can be
also killed by traps intended
for wolves, but the USDA
didn’t analyze those impacts as
required, Mellgren said.
“We don’t know that because
it’s not disclosed anywhere
in the record,” he said of the
number non-target killings.
The cumulative effects
of USDA’s involvement in
Oregon’s wolf control program
should have triggered a more
comprehensive environmental
impact statement, or EIS, he
said.
The USDA countered that
even if Wildlife Services was
ordered to desist from killing
wolves, Oregon’s lethal control
efforts would continue.
“This isn’t some brand new
course of action,” Martin said.
The lethal expertise offered
by USDA doesn’t trigger the
need for an EIS because killing
a few problem wolves has
minimal consequences for the
species, said Martin.
Lethal removal isn’t meant to
be a long-term strategy against
livestock predation, but rather
a response to an immediate
problem, he said.
“We’re talking about very
limited removal of wolves under
very circumscribed conditions,”
Martin said.
The USDA minimizes
unintentional
killing
of
non-target species by using
devices that reduce the chances
smaller animals, such as coyotes
and foxes, are caught in traps.
Larger animals, such as
cougars and bears, are unlikely
to be caught in traps set for
wolves anyway, the USDA said.
Even if some coyotes, foxes,
cougars and bears are caught in
the wolf traps, they’re abundant
enough in Oregon to render
the environmental impact
negligible, the agency said.
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REGIONAL CITIES
Forecast
TODAY
SATURDAY
Chilly with clouds
and sun
Cloudy, showers
around; chilly
45° 33°
41° 32°
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Mostly cloudy with
a little rain
Clearing, a shower
Rain, mixed with
snow early
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
44° 34°
47° 36°
52° 32°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
42° 31°
46° 36°
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
LOW
57°
47°
66° (1902)
37°
29°
-8° (1936)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.34"
0.84"
0.66"
2.49"
2.17"
2.04"
HERMISTON
through 3 p.m. yesterday
TEMPERATURE
HIGH
Yesterday
Normals
Records
LOW
39°
48°
69° (1982)
32°
29°
-5° (1936)
PRECIPITATION
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
0.22"
0.66"
0.55"
2.35"
1.34"
1.83"
SUN AND MOON
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Last
New
Feb 18
Feb 26
6:54 a.m.
5:25 p.m.
none
10:19 a.m.
First
Full
Mar 5
46° 37°
52° 33°
Seattle
53/42
ALMANAC
Yesterday
Normals
Records
44° 33°
Mar 12
Today
TUESDAY
Spokane
Wenatchee
43/29
39/29
Tacoma
Moses
53/39
Lake
Pullman
Aberdeen Olympia
Yakima 40/32
47/33
51/39
53/38
44/33
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
53/39
49/33 Lewiston
46/34
Astoria
53/36
52/40
Portland
Enterprise
Hermiston
52/39
Pendleton 43/29
The Dalles 46/36
45/33
43/33
La Grande
Salem
46/33
54/41
Albany
Corvallis 53/40
53/43
John Day
44/32
Ontario
Eugene
Bend
41/33
53/41
44/30
Caldwell
Burns
48/38
38/30
Astoria
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Burns
Enterprise
Eugene
Heppner
Hermiston
John Day
Klamath Falls
La Grande
Meacham
Medford
Newport
North Bend
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Redmond
Salem
Spokane
Ukiah
Vancouver
Walla Walla
Yakima
Hi
52
42
44
55
38
43
53
46
46
44
45
46
43
54
52
56
41
45
45
52
48
54
43
45
53
49
44
Lo
40
30
30
43
30
29
41
33
36
32
31
33
31
41
42
44
33
33
33
39
33
41
29
31
40
33
33
W
pc
pc
c
r
c
pc
c
c
pc
pc
r
pc
c
r
c
c
c
pc
pc
c
c
c
pc
c
c
pc
c
Hi
50
40
39
50
39
40
51
42
42
43
44
44
40
52
51
52
41
41
41
49
44
52
38
42
51
38
45
Today
Beijing
Hong Kong
Jerusalem
London
Mexico City
Moscow
Paris
Rome
Seoul
Sydney
Tokyo
Lo
21
63
33
41
43
29
36
49
19
73
41
W
s
pc
s
pc
pc
sn
pc
pc
pc
t
s
Lo
38
28
30
42
25
30
39
30
31
32
29
33
29
38
42
43
29
28
32
37
30
38
30
29
37
32
31
W
sh
sn
c
pc
c
sn
c
c
sh
c
sn
sn
sh
r
sh
c
sh
sh
sh
sh
c
sh
sn
c
sh
sh
sn
Lo
27
63
35
41
45
27
34
40
24
66
38
W
s
s
s
pc
s
sf
pc
sh
s
t
r
WINDS
Medford
54/41
Klamath Falls
45/31
(in mph)
Today
Saturday
Boardman
Pendleton
NE 3-6
ENE 4-8
WNW 2-4
VAR 2-4
UV INDEX TODAY
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
REGIONAL FORECAST
Coastal Oregon: Mostly cloudy today; a
little rain in the south.
Eastern Washington: Times of clouds and
sun today.
Eastern and Central Oregon: Mostly cloudy
today; however, some sun across the north;
a shower near the Cascades.
Western Washington: Mostly cloudy today;
a brief shower or two at the coast.
Cascades: Cloudy today with a shower in
places during the afternoon.
Northern California: Cloudy today; rain, but
a shower in the interior mountains.
0
1
2
1
0
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Manager: Mike Jensen
541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
Sat.
Hi
50
74
50
53
76
36
51
58
36
82
49
NEWS
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NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
Sat.
WORLD CITIES
Hi
44
74
46
52
73
31
52
59
35
92
66
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Subscriber services:
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— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
The East Oregonian works hard to be
accurate and sincerely regrets any errors.
If you notice a mistake in the paper, please
call 541-966-0818.
0
8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m.
0-2, Low
3-5, Moderate 6-7, High;
8-10, Very High;
11+, Extreme
The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num-
ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.
Forecasts and graphics provided by
AccuWeather, Inc. ©2017
-10s
-0s
showers t-storms
0s
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
40s
snow
ice
50s
60s
cold front
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
National Summary: A storm will bring heavy rain and major flooding to California today.
Showers will dampen parts of Texas and Louisiana. Warmth will build in the Midwest and
Southeast as chill holds on over the Northeast.
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 80° in Tamiami, Fla.
Low -9° in Champion, Mich.
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Albuquerque
Atlanta
Atlantic City
Baltimore
Billings
Birmingham
Boise
Boston
Charleston, SC
Charleston, WV
Chicago
Cleveland
Dallas
Denver
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Fargo
Honolulu
Houston
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Little Rock
Los Angeles
Hi
61
68
47
49
54
67
50
36
71
61
59
52
75
64
47
66
19
50
83
71
60
75
75
61
69
62
Lo
38
48
34
31
30
48
40
25
47
42
42
42
57
33
39
47
-4
34
69
58
43
44
44
52
48
55
W
pc
s
s
s
pc
s
c
s
s
pc
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
sh
s
s
s
r
pc
r
Sat.
Hi
61
63
64
64
52
63
50
46
75
67
61
61
78
65
60
68
14
47
82
82
60
74
68
57
66
64
Lo
41
49
48
46
36
47
38
37
53
47
36
39
58
37
37
47
-11
35
67
62
42
52
46
50
48
52
Today
W
c
c
pc
pc
pc
sh
sh
pc
c
pc
s
s
pc
pc
s
c
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
t
pc
r
c
sh
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Milwaukee
Minneapolis
Nashville
New Orleans
New York City
Oklahoma City
Omaha
Philadelphia
Phoenix
Portland, ME
Providence
Raleigh
Rapid City
Reno
Sacramento
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Diego
San Francisco
Seattle
Tucson
Washington, DC
Wichita
Hi
66
69
79
46
60
68
67
42
72
74
44
76
36
35
65
59
47
57
71
51
65
62
53
74
53
75
Lo
47
52
66
42
35
48
55
35
47
33
34
57
16
23
41
32
35
49
50
41
58
51
42
54
37
41
W
s
s
pc
s
s
s
sh
s
s
s
pc
c
s
s
s
pc
c
r
s
c
c
r
c
pc
s
s
Sat.
Hi
61
64
84
56
55
60
76
58
68
63
62
67
39
47
70
62
52
62
67
56
64
59
50
66
67
70
Lo
46
51
70
38
35
45
58
43
49
41
47
53
33
35
47
39
35
44
47
41
54
49
38
47
51
46
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.
W
c
sh
pc
s
pc
sh
pc
pc
c
s
pc
r
pc
pc
pc
pc
sh
sh
pc
c
r
c
r
r
pc
s