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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 8, 2017)
REGION Saturday, April 8, 2017 BRIEFLY Two Rivers inmate dies unexpectedly UMATILLA — A Two Rivers Correctional Institution inmate died unexpectedly in Umatilla Friday morning. Oregon State Police is investigating the death of Michael Louis Shaw, 52, who was found unresponsive in his bed at 5:45 a.m., according to an Oregon Department of Corrections press release. Despite life-saving efforts from the medical staff, Shaw was pronounced dead at 6:32 a.m. Shaw has been in department custody since 2002 and is in prison on one count of sex abuse in the first degree and one count of mistreatment Shaw in the first degree out of Marion County. His earliest release date was Sept. 28, 2025. National Guard to conduct demolition training in Boardman April 20-22 The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight will conduct routine demolition and pyrotechnic training April 20-22 at its Naval Weapons System Training Facility in Boardman. All training activities will take place during the day and in the central section of the facility. Safety precautions have been taken to ensure the tests pose no threat to people or property, but dust clouds, smoke, airborne flares and ground vibrations may occur during the tests. Any questions can be directed to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island at 360-257-2286. Krazy Horse Quilters seek show entries PENDLETON — After a one-year hiatus, the Krazy Horse Quilters are back with their annual quilt show. Quilters and quilt lovers are invited to exhibit quilts. The non-juried show’s purpose is to bring together all quilt lovers and to showcase the work of local quilt makers. Those interested in showing their quilts — which can include antique quilts and art quilts, as well as recently completed quilts — must register by Monday, April 24. The show is May 6-7 at the Pendleton Convention Center. For more information, visit www.krazyhorsequilters.org or contact Marilyn Lohmann at lom1127@q.com. Heppner welcomes new city manager HEPPNER — The public is invited to meet Edie Ball, the new city manager in Heppner. An open house is set for Monday from 5-7 p.m. at Heppner City Hall, 111 N. Main St. People are invited to stop by and welcome Ball and enjoy refreshments. Also, the city council meets afterwards. For more information, call 541-676-9618. East Oregonian Wind power shut off as rivers flow high By COURTNEY FLATT OPB/EarthFix Northwest rivers are running high as all that winter snowpack melts into spring runoff. And that means the region is producing too much of a good thing: carbon-free, renewable energy in the form of both dam-generated hydropower along with electricity from spinning wind-farm turbines. That’s prompted the federal government to take an action it avoided during the last four years of drought conditions: shutting down wind power. That’s something the Bonneville Power Adminis- tration did each spring from 2010 to 2012, before more recent drought conditions kept rivers running so low that there was plenty of capacity on the power grid for all the electricity that Northwest wind farms could generate. But there’s one big differ- ence between this spring and the region’s pre-drought years: California’s increasing supply of solar power. Electricity suppliers in the Northwest used to sell a lot of their carbon-free energy from wind and hydroelectric dams to California to help it meet its renewable energy goals. But now, with more solar on the grid, California’s not buying as much of the Northwest’s surplus. That leaves the extra power with little place to go. Dam operators curtail generation and send extra water over the tops of dams. Wind operators are made to stop producing power. Wind power producers lose money with each day they’re not generating power. AP file photo A wind turbine near Arlington rests in 2011. The Bonneville Power Administration has ordered the shutdown of wind turbines for the first time since 2012 because of high flows in the Columbia River system. “In the Northwest, the timing of the runoff is a really important phenomenon.” — Ben Kujala, Northwest Power and Conservation Council Art Sasse, director of communication and brand for Avangrid Renewables, said his company is moni- toring the situation and complying with the BPA’s directives. A lot of the reason the BPA tells wind power gener- ators to shutdown has to do with snowmelt. “In the Northwest, the timing of the runoff is a really important phenom- enon,” said Ben Kujala, a senior resource analyst with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. It’s a tough balancing act. When rivers are running too high from snowmelt and precipitation there is only Trophy trout could earn anglers $50 at Willow Creek Reservoir HEPPNER — Anglers could earn a $50 Visa gift card if they catch one of 15 specially tagged trophy trout released into Willow Creek Reservoir. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will release a total of 1,500 trophy-size trout into the reservoir near Heppner during April and May. Of those, 150 fish will be marked with brightly colored tags, 15 of which will be eligible for the reward. The tag reward program allows ODFW to monitor the success of its trout stocking programs using fewer staff hours in the field, said Bill Duke, ODFW fish biologist in Pendleton. “We want to be sure these fish are being caught by anglers,” Duke said. The program is funded through a grant from the ODFW Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program. Anglers who catch one of the prize fish — as indicated by a four-digit number on the tag — must turn that tag in to the ODFW Pendleton office, 73471 Mytinger Lane, to claim their reward. Tags can be turned in by mail or in person. If the fish is going to be released back into the reservoir, anglers should cut the tag off rather than pulling it out. Anglers should also report any non-reward tags in person, by mail or by calling 541-276-2344. so much water that can be spilled over the top of dams, bypassing turbine generators. Too much spill can harm threatened and endangered fish. Add to that springtime winds and there could be too much power on the grid. That could cause a blackout. This year, BPA started the wind-power curtailments in mid-March, earlier in the season than ever before. “One of the things we saw in previous curtailments was [extra generation] during the evening hours and over the weekends, which tends to be when people are using less electricity around here. This time a lot of the curtailments have happened during the day, which is different than in the past,” Kujala said. That’s likely because of California’s surplus of solar energy and changing power markets, which Kujala called a “moving target.” “While there’s a lot of water, there’s also a lot of solar; there’s also a lot of wind,” Kujala said. “And all of those things are [power] generation, where you’re either going to take what you can get, or you’re going to have to curtail some of it.” So far BPA has curtailed about 600,000 megawatts of wind power. Kujala said it doesn’t look like the rivers will be quite as swollen as during the largest curtailment in 2011. “However, we definitely look like we’re going to be on-track to do as much curtailment, if not more,” he said. HERMISTON Follett’s Meat Company brings home the bacon Business awarded for which garnered reserve champion in 2016. Calhoun their fine pepper bacon also tipped his hat to Jose East Oregonian Program helps families with childcare SALEM — Help with paying childcare expenses is available through the Employment Related Day Care program. The program assists working families by paying some of their childcare costs. Parents, foster parents or a caretaker who is working may be eligible for help. The program also can help cover childcare expenses for school hours if people are working and going to school. Families can apply at any Department of Human Services office. Eligibility includes income limits — a family of three with gross income of less than $3,149 per month could qualify. DHS childcare payments are made directly to the provider. Eligible families will still pay a portion of their childcare costs. They can choose someone who is a DHS-approved provider or they can list a new provider, including a family member, a friend or their current childcare provider. For more information on how to apply, or the location of the nearest DHS office, visit www.211info.org or dial 2-1-1, a free 24-hour live support line. Page 3A Contributed photo Owner Justin Follett and manager Travis Calhoun of Follett’s Meat Company of Hermiston are all smiles after winning grand champion for their fine pepper bacon at the 2017 Northwest Meat Processors Association Convention and Trade Show, held March 23-25 at Ocean Shores, Washington. Follett’s Meat Company of Hermiston came home with a major win from the 2017 Northwest Meat Processors Association Convention and Trade Show. Owner Justin Follett and manager Travis Calhoun were thrilled to receive grand champion in the bacon category with their fine pepper bacon. The pair were on hand to receive the award during the conven- tion, held March 23-25 at Ocean Shores, Washington. The award, Calhoun said, comes on the heels of the company’s jalepeño cheese summer sausage, Martinez and Luis Duarte, who work as meat cutters and trimmers. “It was a team effort with the Follett’s team working side-by-side to achieve great meat and accomplishments at the convention,” Calhoun said. Family-owned and oper- ated since 1921, Follett’s Meat Company is based in Hermiston. It provides custom meat processing for beef, pork, lamb and wild game that offers both stationary and mobile slaughter. Follett’s is open Monday through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 31019 Follett Lane, Hermiston. For more information, call 541-564- 2780. H AMLEY S TEAK H OUSE Medical Aesthetic Appointments Botox • Fillers • Kybella • IPL • Ultherapy available with Dr. Marcea Wiggins at Exhale Day Spa • Joseph, OR. April 15 & April 17 WASHINGTON STATE PENITENTIARY Opening Opening for for Plumber/Pipefitter/ Plumber/Pipefitter/ Steamfitter Supervisor Supervisor Steamfitter Perform preventative maintenance on all plumbing/steam systems facility-wide Repair steam pipes, valves, gaskets, traps, regulators & strainers Consult and assist vendors & contractors on projects See online for entire job posting Salary: $4,697-$5,316 monthly Recruitment: Extended, Closing 4/16/17 Qualifications: Two or more years of Call 971.407.3066 to schedule for a complimentary consultation, a specifi c service or with questions. - Featuring Visit Santepdx.com to learn more about Dr. Wiggins and the service she off ers! SATURDAY APRIL 15 6 PM AT THE ROY RALEY ROOM Trivia Games 2017 experience as a journey-level plumber/ steamfitter. Valid WA State Journeyman Plumbers license and valid drivers license. To Apply: Please visit www.doc.wa.gov , view Job Opportunities Maintenance and apply directly. For more information, please email karla.smith@doc.wa.gov or call www.doc.wa.gov 509-526-6343 Sunday A PRIL 16 10am 2pm 108 SW Frazer Avenue Pendleton, Oregon 97801 541-276-0012 • Fax 541-276-7989 info@heritagestatonmuseum.org An evening of fun, food, and friendly competition Prizes and bragging rights! Build a team and win the day! Tickets available at Heritage Station and at the door $25 / person, $120 / table of six SLOW ROASTED PRIME RIB CARVING STATION HONEY MAPLE HAM ROASTED RED POTATOES FRESH GREEN BEANS WITH BACON & BUTTER CHICKEN BUNKHOUSE PENNE PASTA WHISKEY MEATBALLS FESTIVE SCRAMBLED EGGS APPLEWOOD SMOKED BACON AND SAUSAGE HAMLEY BISCUITS AND SAUSAGE GRAVY CHEESE BLINTZES WITH BERRY SAUCE SEASONAL FRESH FRUIT SALAD HAMLEY CAESAR SALAD HAMLEY CRANBERRY SPINACH SALAD HOT ROLLS & BUTTER ASSORTED DESSERTS o $ ALL YOU CAN EAT $ 1 6 26 o per person kids 5-12 CALL TODAY FOR RESERVATIONS 541.278.1100 OPTION 2 COURT & MAIN, PENDLETON