ROCKETS
FALL TO
SCOTS
SPORTS/1B
MAIN STREET’S
MAYSON’S
CLOSES UP SHOP
PENDLETON/3A
RELIEF
EFFORTS
FAILING
PUERTO RICO/6A
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2017
141st Year, No. 249
One dollar
WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
STANFIELD
Your Weekend
State calls biodiesel plant plan a ‘scam’
Developer fi ned, says he will ‘do battle’ over project
•
•
•
Friday farmers markets
in Heppner, Pendleton
Wine & Swine at TERO
in Milton-Freewater
St. Peter’s Church open
house Sunday in Echo
For times and places
see Coming Events, 6A
Catch a movie
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
The Oregon Department
of Consumer and Business
Services is calling plans for a
$1.37 billion biodiesel plant
in Stanfi eld a “scam,” but
Ontario developer Robert
“Bob” Doughty says he fully
intends to build the project.
The state fi ned Doughty
and his companies
—
Inland
Pacifi c
Energy
Center LLC and Global
Alternative Energy Centers
LLC — $35,000 for
violating Oregon securities
law and ordered him to
cease offering and selling
unregistered securities.
According
to
the
department, Doughty lied
to investors about owning
land in Stanfi eld and other
aspects of the project,
convincing at least 12 people
to invest a total of $250,000
that he allegedly used on
“extensive” food and travel
expenses for himself.
“At various times since
2005, Doughty claimed
to have $120 million in
equity funding committed,
$545 million in funding
committed, and $5.6 billion
in
pending
fi nancing;
implied that local govern-
ments were involved with
the project; and said he
applied for permits to begin
construction,” the DCBS
wrote in a news release.
“None of these claims were
ever true and Doughty
continues to solicit invest-
ments via Linkedin.com.”
Doughty tells a different
story. He said preparation
for the Inland Pacifi c Energy
Center was “off and going”
when the 2008 fi nancial
crisis stalled investments.
He said “some” funding
has now become available
to move the project forward
but did not elaborate on the
source of the funds.
“We fully intend to
pursue the project to the best
of our ability,” he said.
Doughty said he never
lied to investors and told
them only that he had right of
fi rst refusal on a property in
Stanfi eld, not that he owned
it. He called the state’s inves-
tigation one-sided and said
See SCAM/8A
“Renewable energy, gold, silver, oil, gas, new tech ventures, and legal marijuana are all
buzzworthy industries that scammers like to use to take your money.”
— Jean Straight, Department of Consumer and Business Services interim director
Universal Pictures via AP
Tom Cruise is back in the
cockpit, but this time as an
amoral opportunist work-
ing both Columbian drug
kingpins and the CIA.
For showtimes, Page 5A
Weekend Weather
Fri
Sat
Sun
75/49
64/45
62/41
Watch a game
vs.
Hermiston vs. Hood River
Friday, 7 p.m.,
at Kennison Field
Ontario
approves
a sales tax
By AMANDA PEACHER
Oregon Public Broadcasting
Ontario is the only
Oregon city that will have a
retail sales tax, after the city
council approved a 1 percent
general sales tax Tuesday.
City leaders estimate it
will generate $3.7 million
each year toward the city’s
$26 million annual budget.
Ontario will use the revenue
to fund street repairs, law
enforcement, parks and other
city services.
Two other Oregon cities
— Ashland and Yachats
— have sales taxes on food
and beverages, but no other
Oregon city imposes a
general sales tax.
See TAX/8A
Classical music goes wild
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Pianist Hunter Noack of Portland plays on a Steinway grand piano on Thursday at the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute in Mission. Noack’s
performance was part of his In A Landscape — Classical Music in the Wild concert series.
PENDLETON
BMCC bets the FARM on agricultural education
New building adds
to school’s ag focus
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Inside the livestock lab at
Blue Mountain Community
College’s new Facility
for Agricultural Resource
Management, or FARM,
instructor Nick Nelson
beamed as he showcased the
high-tech Silencer hydraulic
cattle chute.
Not only is the latest
piece of equipment better
for animal welfare and
handling, but it is more
likely what students can
expect to fi nd working on
a large ranch operation,
Nelson said during the
FARM grand opening cere-
mony Thursday.
“It means easier employ-
ment when they know how
to operate these things
safely,” Nelson explained.
FARM is the third and
fi nal construction project to
be completed after voters in
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Instructor Nick Nelson explains the workings of a new hydraulic squeeze chute to
Jennifer Pambrun and her daughter, Analie Carnes, on Thursday during an open
house at the Facility for Agricultural Resource Management building in Pendleton.
Umatilla and Morrow coun-
ties passed a $23 million
capital bond for BMCC in
2015. Earlier this year, the
college also debuted its new
Workforce Training Center
in Boardman and Precision
Irrigated Agriculture Center
in Hermiston.
The two-story FARM
building
in
Pendleton
combines classroom and
lab space under one roof for
the agriculture department,
replacing an older, smaller
shop building. It is surrounded
by a 100-acre working farm
where BMCC students learn
hands-on how to manage
cattle and grow prominent
local crops — such as alfalfa
to feed those hungry cows.
“We essentially buy very
little feed for the livestock
here,” Nelson said.
Though classes offi cially
began Monday, guests
gathered Thursday after-
noon for a ribbon cutting
and dedication by school
leaders. BMCC President
Cam Preus said it was a long
road building the facility,
and thanked voters for their
support on the bond.
“This is a wonderful way
to celebrate BMCC’s nation-
ally recognized agriculture
program,” Preus said.
Chris Brown, chairman
of the BMCC Board of
Education, said the school
has fulfi lled its promise to
voters after completing all
three bond projects.
“This is certainly a
See FARM/8A