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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 2017)
REGION Tuesday, September 12, 2017 HERMISTON Two people were arrested Sunday for attempting to steal metal from two Herm- iston businesses — including Good Shepherd Medical Center. At about 4 p.m. Sept. 10, Hermiston police responded to the Hermiston hospital for a report of attempted theft. Surveillance footage showed a male and a female — believed to be Jona- than Price, 35, and Maria Martinez, 34, — attempting to steal two spools of high voltage copper wire from a storage room. The wire was valued at $2,000. Price and Martinez were interrupted by hospital security but fled in a Suzuki SUV. Later that same day, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s office received a call from Bruce Heating and Air Conditioning, Hermiston, of a theft in progress. A witness said they saw Price and Martinez stealing metal from behind the business. About an hour later, around 6:40 p.m., Sgt. Kelly Parsons of the Herm- iston Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the 400 block of Southeast 10th Street on an older Chev- rolet S10 pickup matching a description from earlier incidences. Umatilla County Under- sheriff Jim Littlefield said Price and Martinez were found in possession of some of the stolen items and admitted to stealing them. Both were taken into custody and later charged with one count of second-de- gree burglary and one count of first-degree theft. They will also be charged with first-degree theft and criminal mischief, criminal trespassing and second-de- gree burglary, according to police. Man drowns Saturday at Warehouse Beach HERMISTON — The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office reported a drowning Saturday at Warehouse Beach. Deputies responded to the area Saturday at about 6 p.m., according to a written statement from the sheriff’s office issued Monday, on a report that a male swam away from the shore, began to struggle, went under and did not resurface. Deputies conducted an initial search, then requested assistance from the Columbia Basin Dive Rescue team based in Richland, Washington. The dive team found the male about 8 p.m. The sheriff’s office also stated it would not release the identity of victim until notifying his family. Cattle truck crash sends driver to hospital Staff photos by Kathy Aney Dress-Up Parade kicks off Round-Up festivities (Above) Two girls perform on the Eastern Oregon Phil- ippine-American Commu- nity float during Saturday’s Dress-Up Parade in downtown Pendleton. The float won the sweepstakes award at the parade. (Right) Actors depict bath time at the underground laundry that is part of the Pendleton Underground tour during Saturday’s Dress Up Parade. For more photos from the parade, visit www.eastorego- nian.com. PENDLETON Two arrested after chase, crash onto railroad tracks By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Police arrested two men Monday evening in Pendleton after a car crash. Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts said neither the driver nor passenger were hurt — but both were going to jail. The pursuit started a little before 6:30 p.m. Monday when Pendleton officer Chase Addleman tried to stop a car for a traffic violation near Dean’s Market & Deli at the intersection of Southwest Frazer Avenue and 20th Street. Roberts said the suspect’s car “went straight to 60 mph” and headed east on Frazer. Addleman stopped his high-speed pursuit, Roberts said, but kept driving on Frazer. He soon found the car wrecked atop the railroad tracks near Southeast Fourth Street. “It looked the vehicle blew a tire, or something caused the tire to blow,” Roberts said. The car rolled and came to a rest on its wheels, he said, but the driver and passenger were not inside. Roberts said police later found the driver, Delbert Farriris, hiding near the tracks. And the passenger, Joseph Higheagle, tired to hide on nearby private property. He, too, was taken into custody. Both men are Pendleton residents. Police arrested Higheagle on a warrant, Roberts said, and arrested Farriris for felony attempt to flee, reckless driving as well as reckless endangering. Both men were booked both into the Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton. HEPPNER — The driver of a semi truck hauling cattle crashed Friday in Morrow County. The driver, Cesar Israel Eudave Avila, 27, of Washington, was trapped in the cab of the truck for about 20 minutes before being transported to Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston, for treatment of a laceration, according to Morrow County Sheriff Kenneth Matlack. Matlack said all of the cattle survived and only one needed medical attention, according to the crash report. They were moved to a secure field nearby and arrangements were made for the owner to pick them up. The 9-1-1 call came in at about 5:50 p.m. on Friday, with a report of a truck that had rolled over at the intersection of Big Buttercreek and Little Buttercreek roads. Matlack said the truck appeared to have been traveling fairly slowly when “for reasons we don’t know at this point” it slid off the shoulder and rolled over. Morrow County Sheriff’s Office and Umatilla County Fire District responded. The fire district also has stayed busy Friday night with a brush fire at Joy Lane and Kik Road, Hermiston. Firefighter James Franz said the blaze burned about 10 acres of grass and brush but did not threaten structures. The district as well as the fire department from Umatilla responded. Fire crews have gone back to the burn multiple times since Friday night, Franz said, because it keeps reigniting. That happened again Saturday at about 1:50 p.m., after the district was on the scene of a small and slow-moving grass fire on the 80400 block of Sagebrush Road, Hermiston. The Pendleton Fire Department at around noon Saturday put out a small fire on a dry, brushy hillside on the 600 block of Airport Road near the property of Pacific Power and just Oregonians encouraged to stock up on emergency supplies By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian As a string of natural disasters tests Americans’ emergency preparedness, the Oregon Office of Emergency Management is encouraging all Oregonians to assess their own readi- ness. “We have had several high-level events, not only in Oregon but around the nation, that have really underscored the importance of being prepared,” Umatilla County emergency manager Tom Roberts said. In honor of National Preparedness Month in September the OEM and Regional Water Providers Consortium have issued the #14Gallons Challenge, which encourages people to stock up on 14 gallons of water per person in their household and share a photo on social media with the hashtag #14Gallons. Photos will be entered into a drawing for a seven-gallon emergency water storage container or emergency kit. The idea is to get people thinking about the recom- mendation to store enough food, water, batteries and other emergency supplies to last for two weeks. Roberts said he encourages Umatilla County residents to partici- pate. “You’ll be decreasing the probability that first responders will have to put themselves in harm’s way to assist you,” he said. In some disasters, such Page 3A BRIEFLY Two arrested in metal theft from Good Shepherd and local business East Oregonian East Oregonian as an earthquake, there is no advanced warning that allows people to run to the grocery store for supplies. In other cases people can avoid the danger by packing up supplies and sentimental items and evacuating when told to by law enforcement. Roberts said one thing he has noticed in news coverage of Oregon’s wild- fires and hurricanes in Texas and Florida is that residents will appear on the news to say that they have chosen to ride out the disaster at home instead of participating in the evacuation order that has been issued. “That’s a very dangerous thing to do,” he said. “If you’re under mandatory evacuation it’s because we’re not going to be able to help you, potentially, if things go as bad as we think they might.” At least eight people have been found dead so far after Florida was hit by Hurricane Irma, despite evacuation orders from the governor. The Miami Herald has reported it will take “weeks” for the electricity to come back on in some cities after a power outage that wiped out electricity for more than half of the state. To be alerted to local evacuations and other disaster-related information, Umatilla County residents can sign up for the county’s emergency alert notification system by going to the county website (co.umatilla. or.us) and clicking on the AlertSense button in the upper right-hand corner. All landlines in the county are already registered, but residents can add a cell phone and/or email address to receive alerts of evac- uations, standoffs, Amber alerts, hazardous materials spills and other emergency information while on the go. Those who sign up can also choose to receive severe weather notifications from NOAA. The AlertSense system can be used to warn residents county-wide or can be targeted to a specific neighborhood or city. For list of recommended supplies for a two-week emergency preparedness kit, visit redcross.org/get-help/ how-to-prepare-for-emer- gencies. below the headquarters of the Pendleton Police Department and the local office of Oregon State Police. The fire blackened maybe a couple of hundred square feet before a team put it out. Colby Pipe to re-open factory in Pendleton PENDLETON — When it comes to Rocky Mountain Colby Pipe Co., Denver’s loss is Pendleton’s gain. Rocky Mountain Colby Pipe Vice President Bill Quinn said the company will re-open its Pendleton plant Sept. 18 and has rehired 40 workers to staff it. The factory at 4650 McKennon Rd. closed in February due to “market conditions,” laying off all but four employees. During that time, Rocky Mountain Colby Pipe sold its Denver facilities and used the proceeds to invest $10 million in equipment upgrades to the Pendleton plant. Quinn said the Pendleton plant will no longer manufacture PVC pipe, focusing its efforts on electrical conduit. The employees being brought back to work represent a little more than half of the employees who worked the plant before the shutdown. Quinn said the plant could eventually go back to a 75-person staff, but it won’t happen in the near future. The company had an estimated $99 million in sales last year. Riverside goes into half-hour lockout Monday BOARDMAN — A miscommunication led to a Boardman school lockout Monday. According to a Morrow County School District press release, Riverside Junior/Senior High School locked its doors from 11:24 a.m. to 11:58 a.m. while the Boardman Police Department responded to an incident in the area. Boardman Police Chief Rick Stokoe said a school staff member had a conversation with a parent Monday morning where the staff member heard the parent saying he was going to “shoot” the school. As the school was put on lockout, the police spoke with the parent, who told authorities that he had said he was going to “sue” the school and not “shoot” it. Once police determined that the school wasn’t under threat, Riverside lifted the lockout. Under the lockout procedure, a school’s outside doors are locked while students and staff maintain normal business. Make EXTRA CASH during ROUND-UP September 12th - 16th Become an East Oregonian Hawker and sell the East Oregonian and Round-Up Magazine 211 SE Byers Ave. Pendleton or call: 541-276-2211 1-800-522-0255
