90/55
How did this
cyclist end up
in the stocks?
BUCKS
SPRINT
TO SEMIS
CROC RIDE/6A
SPORTS/1B
TUESDAY, MAY 30, 2017
141st Year, No. 161
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
HERMISTON
No arrests, suspects in
weekend fatal shooting
Victim was a 38-year-old man; police seeking ‘person of interest’
East Oregonian
A Hermiston man was shot to
death early Saturday morning at
an apartment complex on South-
west 13th Place in Hermiston
near West Highland Avenue,
and police continue the search
for a person they believe may be
connected to the death.
Police were dispatched at 2:31
a.m. after receiving a report of
gunshots in the area of 525 S.W.
13th Place, the Viewcrest Apart-
ment complex. While en route,
police received an update that a
man had been shot.
When an offi cer arrived at 2:35
a.m., he began administering CPR
to James John Cragun, 38, who
lived in the apartment complex.
A medic, who arrived a short time
later, began working on him but
Cragun was pronounced dead at
the scene.
The area major crime team was
activated, including offi cers from
Boardman, Umatilla, Umatilla
County, Morrow County, Oregon
State Police and the Umatilla
Tribal Police.
As of Monday afternoon,
Hermiston Police Capt. Travis
Staff photo by Tammy Malgesini
Eynon said there were no updates A member of the Oregon State Police forensic services division works
to the case and wouldn’t confi rm at the scene of a fatal shooting Saturday at Viewcrest Apartments in
Hermiston.
See SHOOTING/9A
MEMORIAL DAY TRIBUTES
PENDLETON
District drafts
new strategy to
combat decline
in enrollment,
state funding
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
ABOVE: Anthony Bow-
man, of Veterans of Foreign
Wars Let’er Buck Post 922,
salutes the fl ag Monday
during a Memorial Day cer-
emony at Olney Cemetery
in Pendleton.
FAR LEFT: Rhys Lundquist,
9, listens during a the cer-
emony at Olney Cemetery.
NEAR LEFT: Two members
of the U.S. Army Honor
Guard present the colors
in honor of Alvin “Bruce”
Christopher, who died April
27, 2017. Christopher, who
was 71, served in the U.S.
Army.
For more on these services,
see Page 3A.
Staff photos by Kathy Aney
and Jayati Ramakrishnan
Lost class ring comes home after 42 years
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
Kurt Kildow remembers the
exact moment he lost his Pend-
leton High School class ring.
It happened 42 years ago
as Kildow skied down a run
at Anthony Lakes Ski Area.
Suddenly, he and another skier
collided into a painful tangle of
arms, legs, skis and poles. As
the 17-year-old detached, he
checked himself for injury.
“I sorted myself out,” Kildow
remembers. “Nothing was
broken.”
Later, he realized he had lost
his class ring during the crash.
Since the bulky ring wouldn’t fi t
inside his glove, he had tucked it
into a shirt pocket where it likely
stayed secure until the collision,
when, Kildow fi gures, “The
snap popped open and it fl ew
out.” The loss was a bummer,
but the teen didn’t dwell on it.
Life went on. He graduated and
headed to college.
Turns out, Kildow would see
his class ring again — more than
See RING/9A
Contributed photo
Kurt Kildow’s lost class ring is
back on his hand 42 years after
it went missing after he collided
with another skier at the Antho-
ny Lakes Ski Area.
Whatever fi nal form the Pendleton
School District’s strategic plan takes,
district offi cials are insisting it won’t just
be left on a shelf.
Pendleton School Board chairwoman
Debbie McBee said the district’s previous
strategic plan was well-intentioned but
used sparingly.
District staff and elected offi cials are
now charting a new path for the district
amidst the continual
uncertainty
on
education
funding
at the state level and
Pendleton’s declining
school
enrollment
numbers. If imple-
mented successfully,
they believe that the
plan will be heavily
integrated into almost Fritsch
everything the district
does.
“Our prior strategic
plan required a lot of
work and identifi ed
great
information,
but did not become
a functional tool,”
McBee said. “With
this one, we’re taking
a completely different
approach, completely McBee
different focuses so
we have this very
usable and functional
and
measurable
(plan). We’ll be using
this very actively.”
The
district
convened a committee
of educators, board
members and district
residents to help draft Yoshioka
the strategic plan and
met several times during the school year.
Aided by a consultant, interim superin-
tendent Matt Yoshioka said the committee
devised six initiatives that will set the
goals for the strategic plan.
Yoshioka added that the initiatives
could be consolidated and further refi ned
before they’re adopted, but the gist of the
committee’s priorities is there.
The initiatives recommend building
the Pendleton School District brand;
providing continual support for all staff;
hiring, supporting and retaining effective
educators; supporting holistic well-being;
See STRATEGY/9A
Hermiston Offi ce:
Pendleton Offi ce:
GLENN SCOTT
JENNIFER OLSON
Veteran's Service Offi cer • 435 E Newport Ave.
Veteran’s Service Offi cer • 17 SW Frazer
Ph: 541.667.3125 • Cell: 541.848.8120
Ph.541.278.5482
glenn.scott@umatillacounty.net
jennifer.olson@umatillacounty.net
VETERANS SERVING VETERANS
NS
LET US ASSIST YOU WITH YOUR BENEFITS
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