REGION
Friday, October 13, 2017
East Oregonian
Page 3A
Grant County sheriff cleared by Department of Justice
By CLAIRE WITHYCOMBE
Capital Bureau
SALEM — The Oregon
Department of Justice has
found no “concrete evidence”
that Grant County Sheriff
Glenn Palmer unlawfully
destroyed public records or
issued concealed handgun
licenses to out-of-state resi-
dents who occupied a national
wildlife refuge in Harney
County last year.
Palmer had been under
investigation by DOJ since
March 2016, in the aftermath
of the 41-day armed standoff
at the Malheur National Wild-
life Refuge.
The state agency that over-
sees training and discipline
for public safety officials
received multiple complaints
about Palmer, and recom-
mended DOJ investigate
him, according to previous
reporting by Oregon Public
Broadcasting.
The sheriff, who has been
in office since 2000, met with
occupiers of the remote wild-
life sanctuary in January 2016.
County residents filed
Thomas Boyd /The Oregonian via AP, File
In this 2015 file photo, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, left, hugs Grant County Sheriff
Glenn Palmer as they enter a meeting with homeowners in Canyon City. The Ore-
gon Department of Justice found insufficient evidence to file a criminal case against
Palmer based on complaints that he destroyed public records and issued concealed
handgun licenses to out-of-state residents.
complaints alleging Palmer
had issued concealed handgun
licenses to occupiers from
other states.
Palmer also faced accu-
sations that he deleted public
records after John Day Police
Chief Richard Gray filed a
HERMISTON —
Oregon State Police Sgt.
Seth Cooney identified
the man a car struck
Wednesday afternoon north
of Hermiston.
Victor De Diego
Delmaral, 71, of Umatilla,
tried to cross Highway 395
near Bensel Road when
he stepped in front of a
northbound Toyota sedan.
The driver, Ralph Lortie of
Stanfield, said he had nearly
come to a stop when the
collision occurred.
Cooney said a nearby
commercial truck with a
video cam caught clear
footage of the incident.
Delmaral was crossing
illegally, but Cooney said
state police don’t plan on
giving him a citation.
A helicopter ambulance
flew Delmaral to Kadlec
Regional Medical Center,
Richland, Washington.
Cooney also said he did not
know Delmaral’s medical
condition but confirmed he
was alive.
Free flu shots
for area veterans
BOARDMAN —
Veterans can get free flu
shots Friday at the Veterans
Administration Telehealth
Clinic in Boardman.
The Jonathan M.
Wainwright Memorial VA
Medical Center is spon-
soring the walk-in flu shot
clinic from 8:30 a.m. to 3
p.m., except from 12-12:30
p.m. Flu shots are free for
veterans who show valid
identification. The Walla
Walla VA’s full flu shot
clinic schedule is available
online at www.wallawalla.
va.gov.
The VA is also partnering
with Walgreens to offer
enrolled veterans free
flu shots at their local
Walgreens store. Some
restrictions may apply.
Pendleton man
avoids rape charge
in plea deal
PENDLETON — John
Harmon Calvert of
Pendleton pleaded guilty
to harming his wife and
two children. In taking a
deal, the state dismissed
several charges, including
first-degree unlawful sexual
penetration and first-degree
rape.
Calvert on Monday
in Pendleton changed his
plea to guilty to charges
of felon in possession of
a firearm, fourth-degree
assault, first-degree
criminal mistreatment and
third-degree assault. Court
documents also show he
turned 50 that day.
Circuit Judge Jon
Lieuallen sentenced Calvert
to two-and-half years in
prison per the plea deal.
Pendleton police
investigated and arrested
Calvert in March after the
Oregon Department of
Human Services received
information he was abusing
five children, ages 5-12, all
in his custody. Pendleton
Police Chief Stuart Roberts
at the time said they
allegedly were subjected to
the physical abuse for 10
years.
Recreation
department seeks
Halloween help
PENDLETON — The
Halloween Carnival is
just around the corner
and Pendleton Parks &
Recreation is seeking
sponsors and volunteers to
assist with the event.
Open to preschool-aged
children through sixth
grade, the free activity
features safe Halloween
fun Tuesday, Oct. 31 at
the Pendleton Convention
Center. Last year’s event
drew more than 1,500
people and 100 volunteers.
It cost roughly $2,250.
Monetary donations are
needed to purchase game
prizes, snacks and candy
for the children. In addition
to city staff, community
volunteers are needed to
help put on the holiday
carnival.
If interested in staffing
a carnival activity booth,
call Lisa Patrick, recreation
supervisor, at 541-966-0228.
In addition, checks can be
mailed to Pendleton Parks
& Recreation, ATTN: Lisa
Patrick, 865 Tutuilla Road,
Pendleton, OR 97801. For
more information, stop
by the parks office or visit
www.pendletonparksandrec.
com.
AARP classes
cruise into region
Drivers can gain useful
information that can assist
when on the road during
upcoming driving classes.
The AARP Smart
Driver course also provides
policies, and court documents
as part of a public records
lawsuit filed by The Orego-
nian against the Grant County
Sheriff’s Office.
Palmer produced the
records after the lawsuit was
filed, but was ordered in June
to pay $28,000 of the paper’s
legal fees.
Linsay Hale, director
of DPSST’s professional
standards division, was not
immediately available for
comment Thursday.
Other
news
outlets
reported that an administrative
committee within DPSST will
look into the complaints about
Palmer. Their review would
have to do with professional
standards for Oregon public
safety professionals, not with
state law.
A Grant County dispatcher
said the sheriff’s office was
unavailable for comment
“after hours” Thursday at 4:30
p.m.
———
The Capital Bureau is a
collaboration between EO
Media Group and Pamplin
Media Group.
Joint meeting first in years for county boards
BRIEFLY
OSP identifies man
struck by car
complaint with the Oregon
Department of Public Safety
Standards and Training
alleging that Palmer deleted
a 2012 report that involved
Gray.
Palmer had accused Gray,
his then-opponent in the 2012
race for sheriff, of going into
his office, a claim the Oregon
State Police found no evidence
to support.
Knowingly destroying a
public record is considered a
misdemeanor under Oregon
law.
But DOJ Chief Counsel
Michael Slauson said there
was insufficient evidence
to prove Palmer’s criminal
wrongdoing beyond a reason-
able doubt in a letter to Grant
County District Attorney Jim
Carpenter, dated Oct. 10.
Slauson said that the
investigation was limited to
“potentially criminal matters,”
and the department did not
opine upon whether Palmer
complied with county policies
or public records retention
laws.
DOJ reviewed complaints
submitted to the state’s
Department of Public Safety
Standards and Training, inter-
viewed witnesses, reviewed
sheriff’s office records and
information about how
age-related factors can
impact driving and ways to
make adjustments. While
the classes are designed for
older drivers, anyone with a
license is welcome to attend.
To register for upcoming
classes, numbers are listed:
•Friday, Nov. 3 from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Blue
Mountain Community
College, Milton-Freewater
(541-938-7176).
•Saturday, Nov. 11
from 8:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at St. Anthony Hospital,
Pendleton (541-861-0024).
The fee for the class is
$15 for AARP members
and $20 for non-members.
For more information, call
503-861-1813.
Northwest Cancer
Clinic opening
Hermiston office
HERMISTON — The
Northwest Cancer Clinic
is opening an office in
Hermiston.
Patients will still have to
visit the clinic’s Kennewick
location for radiation
treatment but will now be
able to stay in Hermiston
for new patient consults,
follow-up care and inte-
grative oncology services
starting Oct. 19.
The Hermiston office
is located at 1050 W. Elm
Ave., Suite 150, in the
Columbia Professional
Plaza across from Good
Shepherd Medical Center.
Brian Lawenda, M.D.,
of Northwest Cancer Clinic
said in a statement that the
company was “pleased” to
announce the satellite office.
“This will allow us to
continue providing conve-
nient, state-of-the-art cancer
care to our patients where
they live,” he wrote.
According to the news
release Lawenda is a
Harvard-trained radiation
oncologist and Stanford/
UCLA-trained medical
acupuncturist. He incorpo-
rates integrative oncology
into his practice, which
combines conventional
treatments such as radiation
with lifestyle changes and
complementary treatments
such as acupuncture.
For more information
visit www.nwcancerclinic.
com or call 509-987-1800.
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
The boards of commis-
sioners for Morrow and
Umatilla counties will make
a rare move Friday — a joint
meeting.
Doug Olson, long-serving
attorney for Umatilla County,
said he could not recall the
last time the two governing
bodies sat down together.
Umatilla County board
chairman Larry Givens has
been commissioner since
2007 and said the last joint
meeting was years ago.
Morrow County has
two new commissioners
— Melissa Lindsay and
Jim Doherty won elections
last fall. Givens said that
makes this a good time
to sit down with Umatilla
County’s neighbor to the
west and work on some
bridge-building on issues
of mutual concern. Kim
Cutsforth, Morrow County
interim
administrative
officer, echoed the sentiment
and added the two counties
also have overlap in certain
programs and services.
Workforce and water
East Oregonian
Fire season will officially
come to an end Saturday on
state-protected forests in
northeast Oregon.
Despite wetter and
cooler
weather,
Matt
Hoehna, unit forester for
the Oregon Department of
Forestry in Pendleton, said
people should remain vigi-
lant when out in the woods.
“We’ve gotten some
moisture and it has reduced
our fire danger, but the
condition of the light fuels,
grasses and light brush can
change quickly with wind
or sunny days,” Hoehna
said.
If weather conditions
become warm and dry,
Hoehna said landowners
should check their burn
piles for remaining heat that
could cause problems.
“We often find ourselves
fighting escaped burns in
October and November,”
he said.
Fire season was declared
FRI.- OCT. 13th, 5:00pm -7:00pm
71671 SW BRIDLE LANE, PENDLETON
R
1.3 EDUC
AC ED
RE
S
What: The board of
commissioners of Umatil-
la and Morrow counties
hold a joint meeting to
discuss key mutual top-
ics. The meeting is open
to the public.
When: Friday starting
at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Bartholomew
Building Upper Con-
ference Room, 110 N.
Court St., Heppner
All three of Umatilla
County’s commissioners are
going, along with Olson. The
meeting is open to the public,
and there is time at the
beginning for individuals to
address commissioners about
issues not on the agenda.
Cutsforth said the boards
may also have a working
lunch and no board will vote
on anything. The boards also
plan on taking a tour around
1 p.m. of the Bartholomew
Building, Morrow County’s
new administrative center.
———
Contact Phil Wright at
pwright@eastoregonian.
com or 541-966-0833.
June 26 in the ODF North-
east Oregon District, which
covers more than 2 million
acres in mostly Umatilla,
Union, Baker and Wallowa
counties. Despite numerous
large wildfires across the
state, the Blue Moun-
tains escaped relatively
unscathed — according to
the Blue Mountain Inter-
agency Dispatch Center,
the total number of acres
burned locally was just
5,419 acres.
With fire season over,
landowners do not need to
obtain a burn permit for
residential yard debris,
though slash piles must be
registered with ODF at least
seven days prior to burning.
Anyone under the protec-
tion of a rural or city fire
department should check
their burning restrictions
ahead of time. Burning on
tribal land also requires a
permit from the Confeder-
ated Tribes of the Umatilla
Indian Reservation.
For smoke management
forecasts, call 541-963-
9781 or visit the ODF
website at www.odf.state.
or.us.
Thank you to the staff and
residents of
Elizabethan Manor
for your care and support of
Janet Rotherock.
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W H I T N E Y & A S S O C I AT E S
At a glance
Fire season coming to end in northeast Oregon
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Carolyn
Rovier
Broker
issues lead off the discussion
topics for the public meeting,
which begins Friday at 10:30
a.m. at the Bartholomew
Building Upper Conference
Room, 110 N. Court St.,
Heppner. Givens said the
boards likely are going to
discuss workforce housing
as well as water projects near
the counties’ border, plus
siphoning more Columbia
River water for development.
Givens said he didn’t
know
if
watermasters
would be a topic. Umatilla
County used to provide its
watermaster to Morrow
County for a fee, but last
year the Oregon Water
Resources
Department
absorbed the department
and its employees. Still, the
two counties share other
programs, Cutsforth said,
including public health
inspections and veteran
services. Both are on the
agenda, as is 911 dispatch.
Morrow
County’s
dispatch center backs up
Umatilla county’s and vise
versa, and Givens said
the ability for emergency
services to communicate
could come up.
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WH I T N E Y & A S S OC I AT E S
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