89/62
STUDY
FROM
THE SKY
MARINERS
SLUG WAY
TO WIN
U.S.’s fi rst
all-wood
high-rise
REGION/3A
SPORTS/1B
NORTHWEST/2A
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7, 2017
141st Year, No. 167
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
BOARDMAN
UMATILLA
Permitting begins for
state’s largest solar farm
Two new
voices join
city council
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
State permitting is underway
on the western edge of Morrow
County for what may become
Oregon’s largest solar farm.
Invenergy LLC, a develop-
ment company based in Chicago,
has proposed building the
Boardman Solar Energy Facility,
a sprawling 600-acre array
that would generate roughly
75 megawatts of electricity. If
approved, the project would
increase overall solar energy
production statewide by nearly
30 percent.
But fi rst, Invenergy needs
to obtain a site certifi cate from
the Oregon Department of
Energy. The company submitted
its preliminary application
in January. Regulators also
approved Invenergy’s request
for an expedited review, which
allows developers to skip fi ling
a Notice of Intent for facilities
producing less than 100 mega-
watts.
Katie Clifford, siting analyst
for the Department of Energy,
said the next step is to issue a
draft proposed order that will
include a staff recommendation
to the Energy Facility Siting
Council, which has fi nal say on
the site certifi cate. The public
See SOLAR/8A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Umatilla County Director of Human Services Amy Ashton-Williams and Umatilla County Health prevention education
specialist Amanda Walsborn talk about suicide prevention Thursday in Pendleton.
Teen lives on the line
County mental health
professionals discuss
suicide prevention
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHAN
East Oregonian
About a dozen people
commit suicide each year in
Umatilla County, and 1 in 5 of
those are under the age of 24.
Though not often discussed
openly, mental health profes-
sionals say its an issue that
needs to be acknowledged,
and that there are resources for
people who might be at risk or
want to help prevent a tragedy.
In Umatilla County between
2003 and 2012, 24 people
between the ages of 10 and 24
committed suicide. Between
2013 and 2015, nine people in
that age group died by suicide,
according to the Oregon Violent
Death Reporting System.
Oregon Public Health data
collected between 2003 and
2012 shows that Umatilla
County’s rate of suicide was
roughly the state average. A
report by the Center for Disease
Control in 2012 found suicide
See SUICIDE/8A
Who to call in a crisis
Crisis Text Line: 741741
Good Shepherd Medical Center
541-667-3400
Oregon Youth Line
1-877-968-8491 or
text “teen2teen” to 839863
Umatilla County Crisis Line
541-240-8030
National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline
1-800-273-TALK (8255)
The Trevor Project
1-866-4-U-TREVOR
(for LGBTQ youth)
Native Youth Crisis Hotline
1-877-209-1266
Spanish Language National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline
1-888-628-9454
Military Helpline
888-457-4838 or
text MIL1 to 839863
SafeOregon reporting line
844-472-3367
or tip@safeoregon.com
Alcohol and Drug Helpline
800-923-4357 or
text RecoveryNow to 839863
Torres-Medrano, Keith
chosen out of a fi eld of eight
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
A recent college graduate and a director
at the Umatilla Medical Clinic will serve as
Umatilla’s newest city council members.
Selene Torres-Medrano and Mark
Keith were appointed out of a fi eld of eight
candidates during Tuesday’s city council
meeting.
“I’m very excited eight community
members were willing to step up. That’s
amazing. I love that,” Mayor Daren
Dufl oth said.
Keith was appointed outright after the
fi rst round of voting
by the council, while
To r r e s - M e d r a n o
won her seat after a
third round of voting
came down to her and
former city council
member Lyle Smith.
At that point Smith
asked Dufl oth, who
was tasked with Torres-Medrano
breaking a tie, to vote
for Torres-Medrano
and give her a chance
to serve.
Torres-Medrano
graduated three weeks
ago from Washington
State
University’s
Tri-Cities
campus
with a bachelor’s
degree in biological Keith
sciences. She said
during her time as a
college student she juggled schoolwork,
commuting, two part-time jobs, moth-
erhood and participation in fi ve or six
different campus organizations. She also
served on the last bond committee for
Umatilla School District. She applied for
the council position because she is looking
for new ways to serve now that she is back
in Umatilla full time.
“I’ve always been busy and I like being
busy,” she said.
Umatilla’s population is now more than
50 percent Latino, but there was no Latino
representation on the council. Torres-Me-
drano said she was raised not only in
the community of Umatilla, but also the
Hispanic community, and she felt she
could be a diverse voice on the council.
“I think I can bring one of those unique
perspectives,” she said.
She also said her vision for Umatilla
was one of increased community engage-
ment, which will help make Umatilla more
successful, and a destination instead of a
place just to pass through.
Keith said his inspiration to run for city
council started in January, when he had
lunch with Congressman Greg Walden
while attending President Donald Trump’s
inauguration.
See COUNCIL/8A
PENDLETON
Nearly sold out, Whisky Fest announces opening acts
East Oregonian
EO fi le photo
The Zac Brown Band performs at the 2016 Pendleton Whisky Music Festival at
the Round-Up Grounds.
Having already conjured
Maroon 5, the Pendleton
Whisky Music Fest is now
summoning MAGIC!
Andy
McAnally,
a
co-organizer for the July 15
music festival at the Pend-
leton Round-Up Grounds,
announced Tuesday that
MAGIC! will perform as one
of the openers for Maroon 5.
A reggae-pop band based in
Los Angeles, MAGIC! scored
a No. 1 hit on the Billboard
charts with “Rude.”
MAGIC! will be joined by
three other opening acts span-
ning styles and genres.
Although Whisky Fest
decided to move away from a
country headliner in its second
year, the genre will still be
represented at the event by
Runaway Jane.
The country trio has opened
for Garth Brooks and Willie
Nelson, acted as the backing
band to Carrie Underwood at
the Country Music Awards and
has already put out a Top 25
country song called “Lipstick.”
The band also features guitar-
ist-vocalist Jennifer Wayne,
the granddaughter of John
Wayne.
The local music scene will
also be represented by Little
McKay Creek Band. And as
See MUSIC/8A