REGION
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3A
County
bristles
at
Scotch
thistle
City set to OK
PENDLETON
$74.6M budget
East Oregonian
After sending it out of
committee, the Pendleton
City Council is set to
approve a $74.6 million
budget at a meeting
Tuesday.
Although that figure
represents a 21 percent
increase from the year
before, much of the
increase comes from a $10
million fire station bond
Pendleton voters approved
in May.
But even without the
bond, the city’s $16.8
million
discretionary
budget also represents
an increase, rising by 4
percent.
The city’s discretionary
fund and other revenue
sources will pay for new
projects, including $1.8
million in road repairs,
$628,000
in
airport
improvements, $240,000
for city hall complex
improvements
and
$650,000 for a fire engine
and a rescue vehicle.
The city also is
projecting new revenue,
like a doubling of revenue
from
the
Pendleton
Unmanned Aerial Systems
Range and $25,000 from
marijuana taxes.
While
the
budget
doesn’t go into effect
until July, city officials are
already beginning plans
for the fire bond.
The
council
will
consider authorizing staff
to begin negotiations with
the Mackenzie Group of
Portland for further design
work for the new fire
station.
The city previously
hired Mackenzie to provide
initial designs and updated
estimates, retaining the
right to negotiate final
architectural designs and
engineering services if the
bond passed.
In a report to the city
council, Fire Chief Mike
Ciraulo wrote that money
could be saved from
this set-up because of
the work Mackenzie has
already done on the station
designs.
Staff will return for
council approval if they
can agree to a favorable
contract with Mackenzie.
If they can’t, Ciraulo wrote
that staff would submit a
new request for proposal.
Ciraulo estimates that
the project, which will
move the fire department
primary station at 911 S.W.
Court Ave. to 1601 S.E.
Court, could be completed
as early as 2018.
Staff will also deliver
the first report to the
council on the city’s 2017-
2019 goals. Besides a
written report updating the
council on all of the goals,
staff will also provide a
more in-depth report on
sustainable infrastructure
and energy reduction.
Adopted in January,
the city goals prioritize
improving
infrastruc-
ture, land development,
economic
development
and housing.
PENDLETON
District attorney indicts
Lybrand on more cases
•Conspiring to deliver
meth on two occasions.
Downtown Pendleton According to the indict-
business owner and drug ment, Lybrand on April
offender Jason Lybrand 3 conspired with a man
faces three new criminal named Brandon James
cases in addition to charges to deliver the drug,
and
Lybrand
of sex crimes.
conspired
on
His arraignment
May 3 with
in all four cases
his wife, Sheri
is
Tuesday
Lybrand,
and
afternoon at the
with James.
Umatilla County
According to
Courthouse,
the court docu-
Pendleton.
ments,
James
Circuit court
testified at the
records
show
grand jury, along
the district attor-
with detectives
ney’s office filed Lybrand
with the Blue
the indictments
Enforcement
last week against Lybrand, Mountain
46, who remains in the Narcotics Team.
Lybrand also faces
county jail, Pendleton.
The state in the latest cases four counts of second-de-
accuses Lybrand of the gree sexual abuse and
two counts of witness
following:
•Using a minor to help tampering. Records also
commit a drug crime on show the minor victim in
May 8, as well as posses- the case also testified to
sion and delivery of meth- the grand jury about the
amphetamine on that date; drug crimes.
The district attorney’s
•Using a minor to help
commit a drug crime office also indicted Sheri
on May 12, as well as Lybrand with conspiracy
possession and delivery of to deliver meth. Her
methamphetamine on that arraignment on the charge
is June 27.
date;
East Oregonian
Umatilla County to
vote on budget, salaries
The Umatilla County
Board of Commissioners
are ready to approve the
annual budget.
The
board
votes
Wednesday morning to
adopt the $73.7 million
budget for 2017-18, along
with 2 percent cost of
living increases for admin-
istrative employees and
elected officials.
The meeting begins at 9
a.m. and is in room 130 at
the county courthouse, 216
S.E. Fourth St., Pendleton.
In addition to the
budget, the board plans to
consider a proposal from
the Columbia Develop-
ment Authority for a sewer
line to run from Umatilla’s
urban growth boundary to
the former Umatilla Chem-
ical Depot. The authority
is waiting for the Army to
hand over control of the
former military site. To
install the sewer line, the
county board must approve
an exemption to land use
laws.
And the sheriff’s office
is asking the board to
approve the purchase of
a Cellebrite Universal
Forensic
Extraction
Device for “the purpose of
examining cellular phones,
tablets, GPS devices,
cameras, and other forms
of digital media.” The
device, according to the
memo from the sheriff’s
office, is the leading tool in
the field of digital forensic
examination.
The sheriff’s office
would apply a $9,149
grant to buy the device,
as well as use $1,584 in
its budget to cover the
difference.
And in other business,
the board is to receive
an update on the defunct
Rodeo City Inn, the former
hotel turned refuge and
crime housing about five
miles west of Pendleton.
George Newman has been fighting
Scotch thistle ever since he was a child.
The noxious weed, native to Europe
and Asia, is widespread across Umatilla
County and nearly all of Eastern Oregon.
It is instantly recognizable for its height,
growing 6-8 feet tall, its spiny leaves
and bright lavender flowers.
Newman, who farms and ranches
along the Umatilla River in Hermiston,
said Scotch thistle is a county-wide
problem. Farmers are especially, seeds
wind up in the river and irrigation
ditches where they are inadvertently
pumped and spread onto the land.
“You spend a lot of time and a lot of
money trying to control it,” Newman
said. “It’s just a never-ending battle.”
Scotch thistle is a particularly nasty
rangeland and woodland invader,
forming in dense patches and crowding
out native vegetation. Livestock won’t
eat the weed, Newman said, making it
nothing more than a headache for land-
owners to try and control.
Teddy Orr, Umatilla County weed
department supervisor, said Scotch
thistle has increased this year due to the
high amount of spring rain. The biennial
weed germinates during the wetter parts
of spring and fall, then produces flowers
in the summer.
Because it is so distinct, Orr figures
about 80 percent of all calls he gets are
about Scotch thistle.
“It’s the one (weed) everybody sees,”
Orr said. “It’s so big, and it’s such an
eyesore.”
Unfortunately, Orr said Scotch thistle
is what the county defines as a “B-list”
Photo contributed by Teddy Orr
Scotch thistle is an ongoing problem in Umatilla County and Eastern Ore-
gon, and can grow 6-8 feet tall.
weed, meaning it is well established and
not economically feasible to eradicate.
All people can do is try to control it and
keep it from spreading further.
“Basically, what it boils down to is
people need to be good stewards of the
land and treat it if it arises,” Orr said.
Each Scotch thistle plant is capable
of growing 50-100 flowers, and each
flower is capable of producing roughly
100 seeds, Orr said. If those seeds make
it into the soil, they can remain in the
seed bank for up to 30 years.
As for treatment, Orr mentioned
four possible methods: mowing, tilling,
pulling and spraying. Mowing is not
ideal, Orr said, and pulling can be tricky
because the plant is so large and prickly.
For anyone thinking about spraying,
Orr said residents can call the weed
department at 541-278-5462 for sugges-
tions on appropriate chemicals.
“It’s an ongoing problem,” he said.
“I would just like to see people be good
stewards.”
———
Contact George Plaven at gplaven@
eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0825.
BRIEFLY
UCFD fire chief Stanton
elected to statewide board
HERMISTON — Umatilla County
Fire District 1 Chief Scott Stanton
will now wear two hats: fire chief
and statewide board member. Stanton
was recently nominated to serve as
a director on the Oregon Fire Chiefs
Association board.
“It’s kind of an
honor,” Stanton
said. “I’m the only
one from Eastern
Oregon, so I get to
represent the entire
area.”
Stanton said he
was nominated by
a colleague, and
Stanton
he had to write his
own letter of intent to be selected.
Stanton said as far as he could
recall, no other chiefs from Hermiston
had served on the board of that group.
Like most boards of directors,
Stanton said he expects his new role
will include setting policies and best
practices, and prioritizing certain issues
for firefighters.
“The big ticket items right now
are firefighter health and wellness,
combating cancer in firefighters and
PTSD — those are probably big things
on the horizon,” he said.
Stanton will attend his first meeting
as a board member in mid-June.
Wyden to hold Pendleton
town hall June 10
PENDLETON — Oregon Sen. Ron
Wyden is coming to Umatilla County
for a town hall on June 10.
The public event will be held at 1
p.m. at Nixyaawii Community School,
73315 July Grounds Lane in Pendleton.
He will also hold a town hall later
that evening at 6 p.m. on the Wheeler
County Courthouse lawn, 701 Adams
Street in Fossil. There will be another
town hall in the public park in Condon
at noon on June 11.
Wyden has pledged to hold at least
one town hall meeting in each county
in Oregon each year. This will be his
second in Umatilla County this year.
“It’s clear from the incredible
turnout at my 42 town halls so far in
2017 throughout Oregon that there’s
unprecedented interest in issues such
as climate change, healthcare and the
Russia investigation,” Wyden said in a
statement. “With such strong evidence
that participatory democracy is alive
and well in our state, I want Oregonians
to have every possible opportunity to
share their views with me.”
Hermiston School District
seeks community feedback
HERMISTON — The Hermiston
School District is seeking community
feedback after voters rejected a $104
million bond measure this May.
If passed, the bond would have
allowed the district to build one new
elementary school, completely rebuild
two elementary schools, and make
significant upgrades and additions to the
high school.
The district will collect information
from the community through an online
platform called “Thought Exchange,”
which allows people to submit
comments and opinions anonymously.
District administrators and school
board members will use the feedback
to inform their decisions about how
to approach the school’s growing
population, and to decide when they
might put another bond measure on the
ballot.
To comment, community members
can go online signup.thotex.com/
hermiston/Lnj and sign up, and then
click on the “Share your thoughts” link.
Participants will then answer a series
of questions, and can add, delete, or
change their answers any time after
completing it, until the forum closes on
June 11.
Pendleton man dies after jumping into traffic
East Oregonian
Oregon State Police Lt.
Mike Turner reported a
Pendleton man jumped into
traffic Saturday near Pilot
Rock and died after a vehicle
struck him.
State police troopers at
about 11:22 a.m. Saturday
responded to a report of a
vehicle versus pedestrian
crash on Highway 395 near
milepost 14B. Turner said
the preliminary investiga-
tion revealed Kelly Rae
Flanagan, 46, of Halfway,
was driving a white 2014
Ford Edge southbound when
Bradley Deshawn McMann,
23, of Pendleton, jumped
in front of her vehicle.
Flanagan was unable to
avoid a collision and struck
McMann.
“We believe it was
intentional,” Turner said.
“Witness and family inter-
views at the scene indicate
McMann
intentionally
jumped into traffic.”
Bystanders
performed
CPR on McMann, who died
at the scene. Turner also said
the driver of the Ford coop-
erated with the investigation.
The Pilot Rock Rural
Fire Protection District and
Pendleton Fire and Ambu-
lance Service responded to
the scene, as did the Pilot
Rock Police Department
and Oregon Department of
Transportation.
Suicide is preventable,
and help is available for
community
members
struggling from a mental
health crisis and/or suicidal
thoughts. If you or someone
you know needs help with
suicidal thoughts or is other-
wise in an immediate mental
health crisis, professionals
are on call to handle mental
health emergencies 24 hours
a day, 365 days a year.
Call the Umatilla County
mental health crisis number
at 800-452-5413 or 541-278-
5720; and the Lifeways, Inc.
crisis number is 866-343-
4473 or 541-276-6207.
More information is
available online at www.
co.umatilla.or.us/AD/index.
html
Help also is available at
the National Suicide Preven-
tion Lifeline, 800-273-8255,
or visit suicideprevention-
lifeline.org.
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