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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2017)
MYSTERIOUS QUERREY STUNS WATER FLOWS MURRAY IN IN HERMISTON QUARTERFINALS REGION/3A 92/58 WIMBLEDON/1B THURSDAY, JULY 13, 2017 141st Year, No. 193 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD OSU Extension proposes new tax districts Programs include 4-H, Master Gardeners, farm research By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Corp Hamm Oregon State University Extension Service is looking to taxpayers for help funding local outreach and education programs in Umatilla and Morrow counties. A citizens advisory committee has proposed creating two new service districts for OSU Exten- sion — one in each county. If approved by voters, the districts would tax at a rate of 33 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. That money would go toward paying for things like additional staff, supplies, maintenance and utility costs. OSU Extension not only has farm and livestock agents working across both counties, but supports educational programs such as 4-H and Master Gardeners. HERMISTON The Umatilla County exten- sion district would also include OSU’s Columbia Basin Agricul- tural Research Center north of Pendleton and Hermiston Agri- cultural Research and Extension Center, where scientists conduct experiments to improve farming practices. See EXTENSION/8A MILTON-FREEWATER Suspect told detectives he burned body By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Staff photo by Kathy Aney A fi refi ghter sprays a mountain of burning cardboard Wednesday at a recycling facility south of Hermiston on Highway 395. Cardboard goes up in fl ames East Oregonian A fi re started around 1:30 p.m. at the cardboard recycling facility on South Highway 395 and spread to a nearby fi eld. Around 5 p.m., crews were still out at the site, and fi re offi cials said they would likely be out there for several hours. Fire Marshal Tom Bohm said he didn’t know what had caused the fi re or exactly how wide it had spread, and neither did the owner of the facility, Medelez Trucking. More than 30 fi refi ghters from Umatilla County Fire District, as well as fi re departments from Umatilla, Pendleton, Boardman, Echo and East Umatilla County were on scene to help control the blaze. Bales of cardboard were engulfed in fl ames, and fi refi ghters were fi lling large containers with water to help tackle the fi re. The Oregon Department of Transportation briefl y shut down Highway 395 due to smoke crossing the roadway. UCFD Battalion Chief J.W. Roberts said no structures were affected by the blaze, though he estimated $60,000 in losses for cardboard and $5,000 in equip- ment at the facility. “It’s just a pain with this wind,” Roberts said. “These things don’t go out. This’ll burn all night.” Roberts said the fi re would likely continue to burn into the grass as well, so crews would probably just burn the whole fi eld. Crews responded to a fi re at the recycling center last year as well, Roberts said. The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce late Wednesday revealed what led to the arrest and charges in the fi re-related death of Marcos Jesus Gutierrez-Rodriguez in Milton-Freewater. The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce in a written statement reported detectives received new information in the case that led to charging Conor Michael Dayton, 24, of Milton-Freewater, with abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. “At the time of the fi re and discovery of Mr. Gutierrez-Rodriguez’s body, there was insuffi cient evidence to prove a criminal case,” according to the statement. Depu- ties and detectives continued to follow leads and talk to witnesses and persons of interest, including Dayton, an acquain- tance of the victim. Dayton Sheriff’s detective Kacey Ward and Oregon State Police detective Damian Acosta on Friday ques- tioned Dayton, according to the statement, and Dayton “provided information that he started the fi re that burned Mr. Gutier- rez-Rodriguez.” Firefi ghters and police found Gutier- rez-Rodriguez’s body after extinguishing an outdoor fi re early May 22 under the Eastside Bridge along the Walla Walla River. The sheriff’s offi ce at the time it appeared he died from a cooking fi re mishap. The sheriff’s offi ce Wednesday stated Dayton told the detectives he found Guti- errez-Rodriguez’s body at the location and started the fi re to hide his drug use. The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Offi ce reported Gutierrez-Rodriguez “had very high levels of methamphetamine in his system,” according to the sheriff’s offi ce, “and his body was badly damaged from the fi re.” The sheriff’s offi ce reported its inves- tigation continues with the support of the Oregon State Police, Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Offi ce, the Hermiston Police Department and the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Offi ce. Circuit Judge Jon Lieuallen set bail at $50,000 for the case. Dayton’s next court hearing is Tuesday. Nomination of Bounds to Ninth Court stuck in limbo Hermiston man recommended by Rep. Walden in Jan. House Republican leader Mike McLane for U.S. attorney, has gotten plenty of attention, another President Donald has not. Walden has Trump is expected to stock recommended a relatively the ranks of federal judges unknown federal prose- and top prosecutor posts cutor, Ryan Bounds, to fi ll with hard-line conserva- an opening on the powerful tives. But in Oregon the U.S. Ninth U.S. Circuit process has barely started, Court of Appeals — a giving rise to speculation Bounds choice that could rever- that dark-horse picks could berate for decades. have a chance. Bounds, from Hermiston, is a In January, Oregon’s lone Repub- lican member of Congress, U.S. former White House adviser whose Rep. Greg Walden, recommended family is close to Walden. His sister is lawyers to take over top posts in the the congressman’s chief of staff. Like state’s federal legal apparatus. See BOUNDS/8A While one of those suggestions, By NICK BUDNICK Portland Tribune Staff photo by Kathy Aney 26 days until the county fair Steven Hartsteen, of Bothum Construction, uses a saw Wednesday to cut siding for a ticket booth at the Eastern Ore- gon Trade and Event Center. The event center will be the site of next month’s Umatilla County Fair and Farm-City Pro Rodeo.
