WRECK ON
RESERVATION
INJURES TWO
ATHLETE OF
THE WEEK:
TEHYA OSTROM
GOP DEPLOYS
‘NUCLEAR OPTION’
FOR GORSUCH
REGION/3A
SPORTS/2B
NATION/8A
FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2017
141st Year, No. 124
Your Weekend
•
•
•
Dancing With Your
Pendleton Stars
“Celilo: Progress Versus
Protest” exhibit opening
Chili Cookoff Competition
at Umatilla High School
For times and places
see Coming Events, 6A
Weekend Weather
Fri
Sat
61/40
47/34
Sun
U.S. missiles blast Syria
About 60 strikes fired
at suspected chemical
weapons base
Associated Press
PALM
BEACH,
Fla. — The United States
blasted a Syrian air base
with a barrage of cruise
missiles Thursday night
in fi ery retaliation for this
week’s gruesome chemical
weapons attack against
civilians. President Donald
Trump cast the U.S. assault
as vital to deter future use
of poison gas and called
on other nations to join
in seeking “to end the
slaughter and bloodshed in
Syria.”
It was the fi rst direct
American assault on the
Syrian government and
Trump’s most dramatic mili-
tary order since becoming
president just over two
months ago. Announcing
the assault from his Florida
resort, Trump said there was
no doubt Syrian President
Police
designate
zone for
internet
sales
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
If you’ve ever felt
nervous about picking up
something you’ve bought
or sold through the internet,
local police departments
may have a solution.
The Hermiston Police
Department has desig-
nated an area in front of
its station on South First
Street an e-commerce zone,
where citizens can come
and exchange items from
online transactions in a safe
location. They put up a sign
on Monday designating the
“E-Commerce Zone.”
“We’re not getting into
the middle of the transac-
tion,” said police chief Jason
Edmiston. “But it’s important
people feel they have a safe
place they can go.”
Even though police
don’t get involved in civil
matters, Edmiston said the
area designated for trade has
two cameras trained on it, so
police can see exactly what
transpires outside.
Edmiston said histori-
cally, people have used the
police station as a place to
exchange kids in custodial
arrangements. He hopes the
See ZONE/12A
“Assad choked out
the lives of innocent
men, women and
children.”
— Donald Trump,
President of the U.S.A.
President Donald Trump
speaks at Mar-a-Lago in
Palm Beach, Fla., Thurs-
day, after the U.S. fi red a
barrage of cruise missiles
into Syria Thursday night.
See SYRIA/11A
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
HERMISTON
54/39
HERMISTON
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Desert Rose helps those in need
Church provides
food, services
to homeless,
recovering addicts
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Jason Estle isn’t comfort-
able with the term “pastor,”
but he’s come to serve that
role for the congregation of
Desert Rose Ministries.
“The guys I call ‘pastor,’
I look up to them,” he said.
“I’m just one of the guys
here.”
Even so, Estle has
impacted a lot of people with
his leadership at the church,
which has become known
for providing services for the
homeless, as well as those
recovering from drug and
alcohol addictions.
Located in the western
half of a building on 512 E.
Main St., Hermiston, Desert
Rose Ministries usually has
something going on. Go in
at any time of day and you
might see people eating a
meal, having a discussion or
helping out with chores.
Many of the people who
come to Desert Rose have
had a rough road to get there
— including Taylor Morris
who, on a Tuesday morning,
is busy folding up boxes to
take out to recycling and
getting food for people who
come in.
“I was on a fair amount
of drugs,” Morris said.
“Someone told me I could
get food here, so I came. I
felt like I was abusing it, so I
asked if I could help out, and
Jason told me I was helping.”
Morris said he liked
Estle’s attitude and accep-
tance of others, and began
coming to the church. He
has now been sober for six
months after using drugs for
a couple of years.
More online
For video visit
eastoregonian.com
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Jason Estle and Barbara White pray with Marda Caroline of Kennewick at Desert
Rose Ministries on Thursday in Hermiston. Caroline had just been released from
the Umatilla County Jail and came to Desert Rose for comfort and a meal.
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Volunteers Jeanie Turner and Don Self prepare food
for guests at Desert Rose Ministries on Wednesday in
Hermiston.
Volunteer Taylor Morris organizes supplies in a
storage trailer outside on Desert Rose Ministries on
Wednesday in Hermiston.
“I got to the peak of my
addiction,” he said. “I went
to jail several times, but
now I turned my life around.
Jason’s helped me out, he’s
working in an environment
where many people are
struggling can be a chal-
lenge.
“You may work 12 hours
been my mentor.”
Morris now works as a
nail technician at a salon, but
he still comes to the church
and works. He admits that
a day,” he said. “Not a lot of
people thank you, or tell you
you did a good job. It can be
See DESERT ROSE/12A
PENDLETON
Pinwheels spin for a cause
Help raise awareness about
child abuse prevention
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A pinwheel garden has been places at the entrance to
St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton to help raise aware-
ness about child abuse prevention and it is part of Pin-
wheels for Prevention national campaign.
An innocuous toy is being planted
around Pendleton with a serious message in
mind.
In commemoration of Child Abuse
Prevention Month, three local organiza-
tions — Guardian Care Center, Greater
Oregon Behavioral Health Inc. and Umatil-
la-Morrow Head Start — have partnered
to coordinate the Pinwheels for Prevention
campaign.
Guardian Care Center executive director
Marisa Remington said campaigns have
been put together in the past to raise
awareness, but this is the fi rst time all three
organizations have combined forces.
On Tuesday, Remington, Chelsea
Maranville of GOBHI, and Erin Richards of
Head Start planted a pinwheel garden in a
patch of grass near the St. Anthony Hospital
entrance, complemented by a pinwheel
mural on the building’s front windows.
See PINWHEELS/12A