REGION
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3A
PENDLETON
PENDLETON
Ag automation the theme
at Future Farm Expo
Police arrest two
teenagers for arson
More than 250
people register for
three-day event
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
George Kellerman has
four predictions for the
future of farm technology.
Speaking before a crowd
of several hundred registered
guests at the Happy Canyon
Arena, Kellerman said he
expects all farm equipment
will be eventually be
connected to the Internet,
rigged with sensors, capable
of artificial intelligence and
able to operate autonomously
in the field.
“The future is now,”
Kellerman said. “If we build
the right kinds of vehicles,
equipment and technology, I
think it’s doable.”
Not only is it doable, but
Kellerman insisted it will
become imperative as farm
industries contend with a
growing labor shortage.
“A lot of people think
robots are going to take jobs
in agriculture,” Kellerman
said. “It’s just the opposite.”
Kellerman, a founding
member and chief operations
officer of Yamaha Motor
Ventures & Laboratory
Silicon Valley, delivered the
keynote address Tuesday
morning at the Future Farm
Expo in Pendleton, where
he discussed how robotics
and automation will save
farming in the 21st century.
With that in mind, the
Future Farm Expo serves
as a forum where high-tech
innovators from around the
world can rub elbows with
Eastern Oregon growers and
explain how the latest devel-
opments — from drones to
smartphone apps — will
boost efficiency and produc-
tion of local crops.
More than 250 people
registered for the three-day
conference. Jeff Lorton,
who manages the Oregon
UAS Future Farm program
in Pendleton, said the goal
is to build connections that
can ultimately unlock the
potential of agricultural
technology.
The Columbia Basin
is one of the world’s most
productive agricultural areas,
Lorton added, with a farm
gate value of $20 billion.
Staff photo by George Plaven
Austin Hawkins, right, territory manager for Intelligent Ag, discusses wireless block-
age monitoring technology for tillers and seeders Tuesday with Tom Jackson during
the Future Farm Expo in Pendleton.
Staff photo by George Plaven
John Church, professor of precision ranching at
Thompson Rivers University in British Columbia,
Canada, flies a drone as part of a presentation on
managing cattle Tuesday during the Future Farm Expo.
“This is the perfect place
for the creation of a future
farm,” he said.
Day one of the three-day
expo featured presentations
about precision agriculture
and how technology is
steering farms from auto-
mation to autonomy. John
Church, professor of preci-
sion ranching at Thompson
Rivers University in British
Columbia, Canada, provided
a live indoor demonstration
of drones he uses to manage
livestock from the sky.
Drones can be used on the
ranch to find lost cattle, map
pastures and take livestock
inventory using multi-spec-
tral cameras, Church said.
“We can not only manage
the cattle, but the pasture
these cattle are on with
these (unmanned aerial
vehicles),” he said.
The final panel of the day
brought together industry
experts who fielded ques-
tions about where they see
farm technology heading in
the next five to 10 years.
Mel Torrie, founder
and CEO of Autonomous
Systems Inc., said adoption
of any new technology boils
down to trust.
“I think the route is
going to be just greater and
greater automation until
that trust catches up to the
technology,” Torrie said.
The Future Farm Expo
continues
Wednesday,
including UAV field demon-
strations at Echo West
Vineyard. The conference
wraps up Thursday with
a pancake summit back at
the Pendleton Convention
Center.
———
Contact George Plaven
at gplaven@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0825.
East Oregonian
Pendleton
police
arrested two teenage boys
for first-degree arson after
two fires Sunday. Police
Chief Stuart Roberts said
social media played a key
role in finding the suspects.
The first report of a fire
came in Sunday at 4:21
a.m., he said, and was near
the Juniper House Assisted
Living Community, 301
S.W. 28th Drive. The next
report was at 10:56 p.m.
from between Blue Moun-
tain Village Apartments,
2700 S.W. Goodwin Ave.,
and the old U.S. Forest
Service building. He cred-
ited the swift response from
officers and firefighters for
keeping the blazes from
buildings and people.
Even so, he said, the
burns were around 70-100
feet across and given the
conditions the fires could
have been far worse.
One witness to the
second blaze reported
seeing three boys run away
from the area, according
to the Pendleton police
bulletin. Roberts said
officers found four boys
were connected to the fires,
but a 13-year-old and a
16-year-old from the neigh-
borhood were responsible.
They used fireworks to
start the fires, he said, and
police found social media
communications that led to
the arrests.
“And this was not just a
reckless act,” Roberts said.
“It is believed to be inten-
tional based on some of
the images and comments
discovered during the
investigation.”
First-degree
arson
falls under Oregon’s law
for mandatory-minimum
prison sentences. The
Umatilla County District
Attorney’s Office has the
discretion on whether to
prosecute the teens as
adults.
Third man takes plea deal
for fake money scheme
East Oregonian
The third of five Pend-
leton men facing charges
of forgery is about to take
a plea deal.
Dustin James Verrall,
25, has a hearing Friday
in Pendleton to change
his plea, according to
Umatilla County Circuit
Court records. He faces
five counts of first-degree
forgery.
He also has a plea
hearing that day on his
methamphetamine posses-
sion charge and faces a
new criminal case.
The district attorney’s
office
is
arraigning
Verrall on two counts of
first-degree theft. The state
accused Verrall of stealing
two rifles on April 22 from
a private owner.
Pendleton police in
April broke up a ring
that circulated fake $100
bills and arrested Verrall,
Zachary James Norton,
Timothy McMurphy, Dan
Elmer Wilson, Jr. and
Tyler Dunn for the crimes.
Pendleton police detective
Howard Bowen said at
the time the group used
chemicals to wash out $1
bills, then printed over the
paper to make them look
like $100s.
Co-defendants Norton,
33, and McMurphy, 30,
pleaded guilty in June
to first-degree forgery.
Norton also pleaded guilty
to possession of metham-
phetamine. He is serving
two years probation while
McMurphy is serving 18
months for the crime.
Two of the defendants
remain at large.
Wilson, 33, did not
show up for his June 23
arraignment on one count
of first-degree forgery. And
Dunn, 18, faces two counts
of first-degree forgery and
failed to appear for his Aug.
1 court hearing. Both have
warrants for their arrests.
SUBMIT COMMUNITY NEWS
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.
BRIEFLY
Anti-hate march
planned for Thursday
in Pendleton
PENDLETON — In light of
recent national events, Pendleton
Against Hate has organized a
march.
The event is Thursday at 5:30
p.m. starting at the park near the
Pendleton Chamber of Commerce,
501 S. Main. The group will
march down Dorion Avenue to the
Umatilla County Courthouse, back
to Main Street and conclude at
Brownfield Park. Participants are
asked to remain on sidewalks and
obey crosswalks.
Prior to the march, a
signmaking session will begin at
5 p.m. at the park. Posterboard
and markers have been donated
by Walmart. Participants may also
bring their own signs. Organizers
request that people create signs
that are family-friendly.
Ashley Jones of Pendleton,
with input from local activist
Casey Brown, organized the
event. The purpose of the march
is to provide a forum for the
Pendleton community to speak
up about the negativity of
racism. Guest speakers include
Pendleton Mayor John Turner
and community activist Willa
Wallace. Anson Crane is donating
his sound system for the event,
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Pendleton police catch
wanted man as he flees
downtown hotel
Students partner with
PENDLETON — Pendleton
Portland community
police captured a man Tuesday
service group
morning after he fled a downtown
hotel.
Police Chief Stuart Roberts
said police were monitoring Jose
Medrano, 32, of Pendleton, and
waiting for an opportunity to arrest
him. Medrano was wanted in
connection to a hit-and-run in July
that damaged property at Wild-
horse Resort & Casino, Roberts
said. Medrano was also wanted on
another detainer.
“There was information he was
armed and made statements he
wasn’t going to go back to prison,”
Roberts said. “We have to be
considerate of all those things.”
Police found Medrano at the
Rodeway Inn & Suites, 205 S.E.
Dorion Ave. A witness said a gray
minivan with its side door open
left from the hotel around 11:15
a.m. and turned east onto Dorion.
Roberts said officers used their
cars to block Medrano, who then
bolted on foot, only for police to
HERMISTON — Hermiston
High School’s college savings
group will partner with a Portland
organization to raise money
and learn about the needs of the
Hermiston community.
Students from the high school
club, which teaches students how
to save for college, will partner
with Portland’s CommuniCare
Program, which teaches
youth about the importance
of community service. HHS
students will be awarded $250
in seed money and have to raise
$1,000, which they worked to
do by selling water bottles at the
Umatilla County Fair. If they are
able to meet that goal, the CARE
Foundation will supply a matching
grant of up to $10,000.
In the process of partnering
with the community service
program, HHS students will do
research and determine how
to re-invest the money into the
Hermiston community.
The water bottles that students
are selling at the fair were donated
by Oxford Suites, and Smitty’s
Ace Hardware donated coolers
and wagons to help the students
fundraise.
Quilts of Valor hosts
sewing event
PENDLETON — All area
quilters are invited to a work
day to create quilts for combat
veterans.
Even those who don’t know
how to quilt are invited to
participate in the Quilts of Valor
Under Our Wings program.
The Northeast Oregon Quilt
of Valor sewing event is Saturday
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Thimbles
Fabric-N-More, 1849 Westgate
Place, Pendleton. Quilt kits are
available. Participants of all ages
are invited to bring a sewing
machine, sewing supplies and a
sack lunch. In addition, donations
of fabric, thread and cash are
always welcome.
Quilts of Valor creates quilts
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and then presents them to veterans
who have served the country.
The first quilt was awarded in
November 2003 to a young
soldier who had lost his leg in
Iraq at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center. Since that time, more than
166,000 quilts have been given to
veterans and service members.
For more information, contact
J. Marie Norris at j.marie.norris@
qovf 541-966-1190 or visit www.
qovf.org.
Umatilla gets ready to
rock ‘almost totality’
UMATILLA — While
Umatilla County isn’t in the path
of totality, the Umatilla Chamber
of Commerce & Visitor Center
is welcoming people to join the
celestial celebration.
The Path of Almost Totality
Tailgate Party is Sunday, Aug.
20 from 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. at
Umatilla Marina Park. There is no
admission charge. Live music is
presented by Blue Tattoo and The
Outsiders. A beer garden and food
will be available for purchase.
Also, recreational vehicle and tent
sites available for a fee by calling
541-922-3939.
For more information,
call 541-922-4825 or
visit www.facebook.com/
umatillaoregonchamber.
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catch him a couple of blocks later.
“Although we had information
he was in possession of firearms,
none were discovered,” noted
Roberts.
Hotel staff would not talk about
the event, and police remained on
the scene late into the afternoon.
and Jones and Jim Tibbits will
perform music.
For more information, contact
Jones at brooklynlady_1414@
yahoo.com or 541-215-7201.
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