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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 12, 2017)
REGION Wednesday, July 12, 2017 East Oregonian BRIEFLY HERMISTON City takes over portion of Highland Avenue By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian The city of Hermiston approved a request by Umatilla County on Monday to take over jurisdiction of West Highland Avenue between Southwest 11th Street and Southwest 15th Place. City Manager Byron Smith said the city already sweeps that portion of road, and most of the property on either side is within city limits. The county made the request after the city approved a conditional use permit for a mini-storage project along that stretch of roads, which the county said would cause problems in its permitting process if storm drains were required along their portion of road as part of the development. “This is a new approach the county is taking, I guess,” Smith said. On Monday the city council also authorized Smith to accept federal and state grant funding to hire Century West Engineering to update the master plan for the Hermiston Municipal Airport. Using Oregon Department of Aviation dollars as a match for the Federal Aviation Admin- istration funds, the city’s maximum out of pocket cost for the $300,000 project is expected to be no more than $3,333. During a work session preceding the regular council meeting Smith shared updates on a number of city projects that councilors and citizens have inquired about in recent months. He said that representa- tives from the Portland Trail Blazers (possibly including players) will be at Sunset Park sometime in September to help dedicate new play- ground equipment paid for by the Moda Assist online competition that Hermiston won. New play equipment for Greenwood Park is expected to arrive in August. The parks and recreation department is ready to start pouring concrete pads for a new disc golf course across from Good Shepherd Medical Center. The city is almost done finalizing an agreement with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to take over manage- ment of the Steelhead Park area, allowing the planned West Highland Trail project to loop under the Highland Extension bridge there and into Riverfront Park. Now that recreational immunity for cities has been restored by the legislature, the city is searching for an architect with experience designing skate parks to move forward on the planned skate park on North First Place across from the fire station. Parks and Recreation director Larry Fetter has been working on a plan with the Bureau of Reclamation to manage the dry grasses and weeds along the Oxbow Trail so that they pose less of a fire hazard. Police Chief Jason Edmiston said no suspect has been caught in the fire that recently swept through those grasses and burned down a duplex, which witnesses said was started by fireworks. He said the case shows the need for the department’s new arson officer that started July 1. The Oregon Department of Transportation project to place traffic signals at Northwest 11th Street’s intersections with Orchard Avenue and Elm Avenue did not receive any bids from contractors, so the department has postponed the project and hopes to put it out to bid again in the fall. The planning department continues to work on opening the door for increased housing development in Hermiston, including rezoning 40 acres off of Diagonal Road from industrial to residential mixed with some commer- cial. On Wednesday at 7 p.m. at city hall the planning commission has invited real estate professionals, devel- opers and lot owners to come discuss further ways the city can help clear away barriers to housing development. Smith said the city reached out to Hermiston Foods after hearing of its impending closure at the end of the year. The local managers referred the city to the vegetable-processing plant’s parent company NORPAC. Smith said the city would like to offer whatever services it can in helping market the building or otherwise clear the way for re-purposing the property. However, he said NORPAC has a history of not being very communicative. Smith also noted that the city has been pursuing all legal avenues available to address nuisance complaints against a property owner in the Highway 207/Feedville Road area that has been causing a strong rotting food odor. He said within a week or so there should be a form on the city’s website for citizens to directly submit complaints that can be used in court. Four Morrow County rape cases head to court Thursday East Oregonian Four Morrow County men facing rape and other sex crimes in unrelated cases have pretrial hearings Thursday. Two of the defen- dants remain in the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton, and two are out of jail on condi- tional releases. Corey Scott Baker, 40, of Ione, has been free on his own recognizance since his arrest March 22 for first-degree rape and sexual abuse of a girl younger than 12. According to court docu- ments, the Morrow County District Attorney’s Office alleged Baker raped and molested the girl between July and December 2016. Baker in May filed a motion asking for permission to travel to Gilliam County to service and repair farm equipment for Crum Farming Inc. Baker in the request told the court taking the job would end his reliance on unemployment payments. Circuit Judge Eva Temple on June 13 granted Baker’s request. Kenny Cole Blurton, 19, of Irrigon, remains free after posting $5,000 bail in January. According to the indictment, the district attor- ney’s office alleged Blurton raped and assaulted a girl younger than 14 between July 1 and Dec. 22, 2015. He faces four counts of second-degree rape, three of second-degree unlawful sexual penetration, two of first-degree sexual abuse, and one of second-de- gree sodomy. Jason Kane Kissler, 35, and Eduardo Salas, 60, both of Irrigon, remain in the jail. The Morrow County Sher- iff’s Office arrested Kissler on April 15 after responding to a disturbance at a home off Depot Lane, Irrigon. The victim told deputies that Kissler raped her, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office. The district attorney’s office subse- quently charged Kissler with rape, sodomy and unlawful sexual penetration, all in the first degree, and one count of fourth-degree assault. And the district attor- Page 3A ney’s office charged Salas with attempted first-degree sexual abuse, two counts of first-degree rape and nine of first-degree sexual abuse for harming two girls younger than 12 between April 1, 2016, and May 28, 2017. Salas filed motions on July 3 to disqualify circuit judges Christopher Brauer and Lynn Hampton. In the requests, defense attorney Dan Stephens of Hermiston asserted Salas “believes he cannot receive a fair and impartial hearing and trial” from either judge. Under Oregon law, that’s enough of a reason for a disqualification, and Circuit Judge Dan Hill approved both requests. UEC board member to resign HERMISTON — RoseEtta Ansotegui, of Pendleton, will resign from the Umatilla Electric Cooperative board of directors effective Saturday. Ansotegui, who represents District 6 southeast of Pend- leton, is stepping down to care for family members with health issues, according to a statement from UEC. “This was a tough decision but the right choice to make, and we wish the very best for RoseEtta and her family,” said Bob MacPherson, UEC board president. Ansotegui is a retired academic assistant for Blue Mountain Commu- nity College. She was first elected to the UEC board in 2005, and was Ansotegui re-elected four times. The board will choose a successor to complete Ansotegui’s current three-year term, which expires in 2020. MacPherson praised Ansotegui’s time on the board, which included support of the United Way, Pendleton Round-Up and service on the UEC Scholarship Committee. She also achieved the highest level of board director training offered by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. The UEC board is composed of seven members across Umatilla and Morrow counties. Members are charged with setting policy and electricity rates for the co-op. 16-year-old boy remains missing PENDLETON — A 16-year-old boy remains missing from the Umatilla Indian Reservation near Pendleton. Shaydin Jones-Hoisington went missing May 1. Chuck Sams, communications director for the tribes, said tribal police have responded to numerous reports of the boy’s whereabouts. Sams also said police along with tribal Children and Family Services are working with the family to help bring Jones-Hoisington home. Relatives and friends also have reached out to the boy on his Facebook page. The National Center for Missing & Jones-Hoisington Exploited Children in an alert about Jones-Hoisington described him as 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 175 pounds. Anyone with information about Jones-Hoisington can call the center at 800-843-5678 or the Umatilla Tribal Police Department at 541-278-0550. PSD to enter land swap negotiations PENDLETON — At a meeting Monday, the Pendleton School Board unanimously voted to begin negotiations with the city of Pendleton on a land swap. Under the agreement, the school district would get McKay Park in exchange for the soon-to-be vacated lot east of the Pendleton Early Learning Center. 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