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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 7, 2017)
REGION Friday, July 7, 2017 Defendant takes deal in deadly reservation shooting By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Victor Joseph Contreras pleaded guilty Wednesday for his role in the 2016 shooting on the Umatilla Indian Reservation that left one man injured and another dead. Contreras made a deal with the United States Attorney’s Office in federal court in Portland, according to court records, and admitted his guilt to two counts of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. “I knowingly assaulted B.W., who I understand is a Native American man,” Contreras stated in his plea petition, referring to victim Beau Welch. “That assault resulted in B.W.’s serious bodily injury. During that assault I possessed a firearm and I discharged it.” The gun crime carries a maximum prison a party March sentence of 10 19, 2016, at the years, according home of Beau to court docu- Welch on the ments, while the reservation. Court assault carries documents state a minimum Welch decided sentence of 10 to end the party, years consec- and Contreras utive. Federal objected. Tony prosecutors in Contreras Jimenez Jr. of exchange for the Pendleton stepped plea promised to recom- in to help Welch. During mend a prison sentence “no the confrontation outside greater than the low-end of the house, Contreras and his sentencing guideline Julian Simpson opened fire. range” plus five years of Welch took a bullet in his post-prison supervision. lower left leg, and Jimenez Judge Anna J. Brown set died at in the driveway. sentencing for Nov. 20. Simpson faces first-de- The government also gree murder and related dismissed the following charges stemming from charges against Contreras: Jimenez’s death. Simpson’s assault with the intent to attorney on June 16 asked commit murder; assault for another trial delay. with a dangerous weapon Judge Brown moved the with the intent to do start of the trial from bodily harm; and felon in July 11 to Oct. 31. possession of a firearm. He Brown also noted she remains in custody pending would not grant any more sentencing. continuances “absent Contreras and Julian extraordinary circum- Simpson were attending stances.” Names released after two deaths at Rainbow Gathering By SEAN HART EO Media Group The two men who died in unrelated incidents at the Rainbow Gathering have been identified. George Ernest Rogers III, 43, of Dumas, Texas, and William Pasko, 74, of Takoma Park, Maryland, are the only deaths reported so far at the annual gath- ering taking place this year on the Malheur National Forest, Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer said Thursday afternoon. Rogers collapsed near a makeshift medical station at the gathering July 2, Palmer said. An emergency room doctor from Kentucky who was attending the gath- ering provided medical treatment, and CPR was attempted for 15-20 minutes without success. The man’s identity was unknown, so fingerprints were sent to the Oregon State Police Identification Bureau. The FBI notified the sheriff’s office of the identity of the body late Monday evening. To notify his family, Palmer tracked down leads from Texas, California, Alaska and Colorado. The family was notified the morning of July 5. Palmer said he was unaware of the cause of death. Grant County Medical Examiner Raffa- ella Betza could not be reached for comment. Pasko died of natural causes from a heart attack July 3, Palmer said. A doctor from California provided treatment at the gathering. These have been the only deaths reported at the gathering so far, and Palmer said he hoped they were the last. He said, however, Forest Service officials warned bodies may be found in tents as the gathering winds down. “They typically find a couple after the fact,” he said. “Everything they’ve told us so far has happened.” East Oregonian Page 3A BRIEFLY Rivoli Theater selects contractor for first phase PENDLETON — The first phase of the Rivoli Theater restoration could start as soon as this summer. According to a Historic Rivoli Theater Performing Arts Center Restoration Coalition press release, the nonprofit has selected Kirby Nagelhout Construction to handle the Pendleton theater’s first phase of construction. The first phase includes skilled demolition, excavation and basic structural work. The coalition expects Phase 1 to cost $560,000 and has already secured a $100,000 grant from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department and $96,000 from the Pendleton Development Commission. Other first-phase donors include Oregon Main Street, Umatilla County community and economic development fund, Pendleton Development Commission, the Aetna Foundation and the EO Media Group and anonymous donors. The EO Media Group is the parent company of the East Oregonian. The coalition’s goal is to turn the old movie theater into a modern performing arts center. The project could be completed in 2021. HHS grad promoted in national wheat organization A Hermiston native is among those recently promoted at the U.S. Wheat Associates. Amanda Spoo, a 2009 Hermiston High School graduate, has been promoted to Assistant Director of Communi- cations for the national organization. Spoo joined U.S. Wheat Associates in October 2014, after two years as director of commu- nications at Kansas Pork Association. At U.S. Wheat Associates, she manages social media outreach and communicates with stakeholders and overseas customers. “I knew I wanted to do something with agricul- ture,” Spoo said. “We didn’t have a farm, but I grew up around agriculture, and knowing there were other careers in ag besides just farming.” Her father Tom, now Hermiston High School’s principal, used to be the school’s Ag Science teacher. Amanda said while participating in the school’s Future Farmers of America, she realized she wanted to do something with commu- nications. U.S. Wheat Associates promotes American-grown wheat to international markets. The Dalles artist paints western colors PENDLETON — Using watercolor and fluid acrylics, an artist from The Dalles takes inspiration from the natural world. “A Love of Western Color,” a gallery show by Mary Rollins, opens Friday from 5-7:30 p.m. at Pendleton Art + Frame, 36 S.W. Court Ave. Rollins will be on hand to talk about her work. Refreshments will be served during the free reception. Growing up, Rollins spent countless hours sitting on the banks of a creek on the farm — mesmerized by the complexities in nature. That special connection continues today as the artist enjoys painting streams and riparian wildlife, as well as other animals. Pendleton Art + Frame is open Monday through Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show will remain through Aug. 31. For more information, contact 541-276-3617, artofframing@eotnet. net or visit www. pendletonartandframe. com. For more about Rollins’ work, visit www. maryrollins.com. History comes alive in teen writing class PENDLETON — Teenagers interested in creative writing, history and/or genealogy are invited to participate in a four-week workshop. Creative Writing: Local History meets Mondays beginning July 10 from 5-6 p.m. at the Pendleton Recreation Center, 510 S.W. Dorion Ave. Open to ages 12-18, it costs $18. The Pioneer Park Cemetery was the first cemetery in Pendleton and contains lots of history related to the town’s founding. Together, participants will discover things in the cemetery to write about. The focus of the class will be to show that when local history comes alive, it can connect people to their community. Lessons in the class will cover writing, revision and research techniques. No experience is required and all supplies are provided. To register, visit www. pendletonparksandrec. com or stop by the parks office, 865 Tutuilla Road. For more information, call 541-276-8100. ——— Submit information to: community@eastoregonian. com or drop off to the attention of Tammy Malgesini at 333 E. Main St., Hermiston or Renee Struthers at 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton. Call 541-564-4539 or 541-966- 0818 with questions. Sale In Progress Saager’s Shoe Shop Up to 50% Off Milton-Freewater, OR ؏ EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY ؏ ENTER THE EAST OREGONIAN’S Part Time - Inside Salesperson MAROON 5 Great work environment. Super awesome team. Good base pay PLUS commissions. Retirement plan. Weekends off . Interested? CONCERT TICKET SWEEPSTAKES We are looking for a motivated, self-confi dent individual to join our inside sales team at East Oregonian in Pendleton. Get a one-year subscription to the East Oregonian (in print or online) for yourself or for someone you love or extend your existing EO subscription for a year at our special price of $150 (a 14% savings!) or donate $150 to the EO’s Newspapers in Education program and you’ll be entered into a drawing for premium tickets to the Pendleton Whisky Music Fest concert featuring Maroon 5 at the Pendleton Round-Up Stadium on July 15! CALL NOW TO ENTER: 800-522-0255 ext. 1 or stop by our offi ce at 211 SE Byers Ave. in Pendleton, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed on July 4). GRAND PRIZE – $438 value • Two VIP wristbands for access to the sponsor’s building, with pre-party dinner and open bar starting at 4:30 p.m. • Two Premium Grandstand We have an opening for a part time inside salesperson position. No newspaper experience? No problem, as long as you understand the importance of great customer service, working hard and a desire to enjoy your job. Could this be you? We are seeking a dynamic salesperson to make prospecting phone calls to potential customers and businesses of all types, service existing accounts, be organized and have excellent computer and communication skills. If you’ve been looking for the opportunity to excel in a sales environment, this is it! The right candidate will be organized with a high attention to detail, have a desire to learn and grow their skills and work well in a team environment. Must be very accurate and detail oriented plus have excellent customer service and communication skills. Job qualifi cations include accuracy and speed when typing and spelling, excellent organizational, phone and communication skills. No sales experience required. Part-time, wage plus commission. Benefi ts include Paid Time Off (PTO) and 401(k)/Roth 401(k) retirement plan. concert tickets (Section G, Row C) • One VIP parking pass for lot next to Pendleton Convention Center SECOND PRIZE – $312 value • Three Premium Grandstand concert tickets (Section G, Row C) THIRD PRIZE – $312 value • Three Premium Grandstand concert tickets (Section G, Row D) Deadline for entry: Monday, July 10 at 12 noon. Winners will be drawn July 10 at 1 p.m. and contacted that day. Winners will be announced on July 11 in the East Oregonian and on the EO’s Facebook page. No purchase required. One entry per person. Sweepstakes open to residents of Oregon and Washington age 21+ only. Complete rules can be found at www.eastoregonian.com/eo/sweepstakesrules. Send resume and letter of interest to EO Media Group, PO Box 2048 • Salem, OR 97308-2048, by fax to 503-371-2935 or e-mail hr@eomediagroup.com Come work with us! We are an awesome team.
