101/69
GENE-REPAIR
HOLDS PROMISE
FOR INHERITED
DISEASE NATION/7A
RANGERS SNAP
MARINERS’
STREAK
SPORTS/1B
THURSDAY, AUGUST 3, 2017
141st Year, No. 208
WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
One dollar
Air quality declines as temps rise
DEQ issues advisory
for portions of region
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A blood-red sun dips below a set of utility wires Wednesday evening
on a ridge west of Pendleton. The sun appears red due to heavy smoke
from wildfi res that has blown into the Columbia Basin.
The Columbia Basin has
been socked in by heavy smoke
from multiple large wildfi res
across the Northwest, and it
may be a few days before hazy
skies begin to clear.
The Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality has
issued an air quality advisory for
portions of Umatilla, Morrow,
Gilliam, Sherman and Wasco
counties until noon Saturday,
with air quality alternating
between good and unhealthy
depending on factors such as
wind direction and time of day.
Tom Hack, air quality
specialist for DEQ in Pend-
leton, said the smoke is coming
primarily from wildfi res burning
in British Columbia, Canada,
and western Montana. There are
no major fi res burning locally,
according to the Blue Mountain
Interagency Dispatch Center.
Pollutants in smoke can cause
burning eyes, runny nose and
aggravate other serious health
problems. Children, the elderly
and people with respiratory
problems are especially at risk,
and should limit outdoor activi-
ties if conditions are smoky.
In addition, the region is
dealing with an intense heat
wave that is expected to bring
triple-digit
temperatures
through the end of the week. An
excessive heat advisory remains
in effect through Friday, when
temperatures may reach as high
as 107 degrees in Hermiston.
Elsewhere in Oregon, the
lightning-sparked Whitewater
Fire in the Mount Jefferson
Wilderness east of Detroit
has grown to 1,500 acres
and is 10 percent contained.
The Diamond Creek Fire in
northern Washington is nearly
7,000 acres and was ruled to
be human-caused. In Montana,
the Lolo National Forest is
dealing a number of blazes
covering tens of thousands of
acres, including the 12,775-acre
Sapphire Complex.
Anyone experiencing respi-
ratory diffi culties due to the
smoke should speak with their
doctor.
———
Contact George Plaven at
gplaven@eastoregonian.com
or 541-564-4547.
HERMISTON
Spray park
hours cut
for safety
concerns
East Oregonian
Hermiston’s spray park
will operate on shorter hours
the rest of the summer after
complaints about children
slipping and falling.
The splash pad at Butte
Park will be open from 11 a.m.
to 3 p.m. seven days a week
through the rest of August to
allow for an attendant from
the Hermiston Family Aquatic
Center to supervise.
Parks and recreation
director Larry Fetter said when
the city painted the cement
surface a few years ago, they
mixed sand into the paint for
traction. But the water has
since worn down the surface.
Barefoot children dripping
slippery sunscreen over the
smoother surface and then
running over it have caused
some spills this summer.
After a few parents called
to complain, Fetter said the
department will add more
traction to the cement in the
off-season and look for other
ways to increase safety, but
he didn’t want to completely
close down the spray park
during the year’s hottest
weather to perform the work.
The new hours were
selected via informal feed-
back from parents on Face-
book. Fetter said some people
have complained about the
shortened hours, but overall
seem glad the city is trying to
address the problem.
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Morgan Brown, 13, of Hermiston positions Sadie, a 4-year-old mini Australian shepherd, during the master showmanship class at the
Umatilla County Fair 4-H dog show on Wednesday in Hermiston.
Start with a bark
Dog show kicks off early 4-H
events for Umatilla County Fair
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The fi rst scheduled event for the 2017
Umatilla County Fair went to the dogs.
Dogs were sitting, dogs were standing and
dogs were heeling during the 4-H dog show
at McKenzie Park on Wednesday morning.
In between bouts of showing off their obedi-
ence and skill, the dogs’ owners were trying
to keep them cool and hydrated.
Redbear, a three-year-old golden retriever,
lapped up water from a bowl in the shade after
being judged on his obedience. His owner,
Devin Fisher of Hermiston, patted him on
the head and told him he was a good boy for
staying put each time he was asked to.
Devin said it was his fi rst year showing
a dog through 4-H, after his family adopted
Redbear from their grandmother. The dog
and owner have been meeting with other 4-H
members at the park each Monday to practice
the skills required to gain a high score from
the judges.
See DOGS/8A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Alyssa Long, 12, of Hermiston leads Asta, a 2-year-old
golden retriever, during the master showmanship class
of the Umatilla County Fair 4-H dog show.
PENDLETON
Councilors praise UAS range, ask for more data
‘Water bomber’ to be tested in October
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Abling
Pendleton City Council
continues to voice its support
for the Pendleton Unmanned
Aerial Systems Range, but
they want evidence that it’s
making an economic impact.
Range Manager Darryl
Abling delivered a report
updating the council on the
UAS range’s latest business
Tuesday, hoping to prove that
case.
Abling noted that Project
Vahana — an air taxi project
from A 3 , the Silicon Valley
subsidiary of Airbus — is
moving forward at the test
range.
After the city revealed that
Vahana would be the fi rst
tenant of its new hangar in
June, A 3 agreed to rent the
range’s mobile command
center on a six-month lease.
Abling said two Vahana
vehicles are being built in
Santa Clara, California, with
testing in Pendleton expected
to begin in November.
• Another drone that will be
tested at the range is the Flyox,
a 8,800-pound “water bomber”
capable of carrying 4,000
See DRONES/8A