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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2017)
COLUMBIA GORGE FIRE 100 PERCENT CONTAINED BUCKS DROP BLAZERS NORTHWEST/2A SPORTS/1B FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2017 142nd Year, No. 32 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Weekend Weather WESTON Fri Sat Sun 48/35 45/34 43/30 PENDLETON Police say theft suspect failed to drop pistol Condition of man that was shot is unknown By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Pendleton police reported an offi cer shot a theft suspect Wednesday night near Walmart after he fl ed a confrontation and did not drop a pistol. Pendleton Police Chief Stuart Roberts said an ambu- lance took the male victim to St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton, where he under- went surgery and was fl own to Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, for further treatment. No offi cers were injured and the condi- tion of the man is unknown. Roberts did not identify the victim nor the offi cer who shot the man. The offi cer is on an automatic 72-hour leave. Roberts said Oregon State Police would handle the investigation. The shooting occurred around 8:45 p.m. near the busy intersection of South- west 20th Street and Court Avenue in Pendleton. In a written statement Thursday morning, Roberts said offi - cers responded to Walmart for a theft in progress. Loss prevention employees described the suspect to offi - cers. Police confronted him near the front of the store, according to the statement, and he “failed to comply with verbal commands.” The man took off running through the parking lot. Offi cers caught up to him on Southwest 20th Street. Roberts said the offi cers saw a dark colored pistol, and the offi cer fi red when the suspect failed to drop it. Roberts did not identify the type of pistol. Pendleton police, Umatilla County sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police troopers all responded to the scene, along with Pendleton ambulances. Police blocked access to Southwest 20th See SHOOTING/8A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Senior planner Nick Foster, with Kittelson & Associates Inc. of Boise, third from right, talks with Weston Mayor Jennifer Spurgeon, second from left, while doing a walking tour of the area around Athena-Weston Middle School on Thursday in Weston. Schools hope to step-up street safety District looks to improve sidewalks, crosswalks for students By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian As the sun crept over the Blue Mountains, students came at Weston Middle School from all sides. During the usual morning rush before school starts, students Thursday trekked down the steep decline of Wallace Street to access the school from its south side. Other kids hoofed it from the north through Broad Street, vying for space with cars and buses as they all made their way to the set of concrete stairs that lead to the main entrance. The young pedestrians spend most of their walk to school in the street, not necessarily because they want to, but due to the fact that there isn’t another option. A group of offi cials from the city of Weston, the Athena-Weston School District, and a consulting Staff photo by E.J. Harris Student exit school buses in front of Athena-Weston Middle School on Thursday in Weston. fi rm watched foot traffi c patterns early Thursday morning in an effort to fi gure out a way to increase pedes- trian safety at a school surrounded by few sidewalks. Over a two-day period the group held a joint city council-school board meeting, a walking tour of the middle school and a series of open houses on the topic. The events rose out of a transpor- tation plan Weston adopted a few years ago. According to Nick Foster, a senior planner with transportation consultant Kittelson & Associates, Weston’s poor pedestrian access was one of the top issues raised by the community during the planning process. When Weston received a grant to focus on the middle school, the city rehired Kittelson. The new set of plans comes as the school district carries out capital improvement projects associated with an $8 million bond. That bond has already spurred the school district to consider rearranging the school bus and car drop-off zones. “We don’t want to slow down the bond,” said Jennifer Spurgeon, the mayor of Weston and the vice-chair of the Athena-Weston School Board. “That’s why this is rapid response.” The city and school district will spend the next few months studying the issue before seeing what they can fi x quickly and what would need to be taken care of later through additional dollars. Weston fi fth grade teacher Jackie Culham and middle school principal Ann Vescio pointed to Wallace See SCHOOL/8A HERMISTON Farm Fair seminars highlight latest research, trends By GEORGE PLAVEN East Oregonian Heading into its second year at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center, the Herm- iston Farm Fair continues to add new lectures and seminars highlighting previously over- looked aspects of Columbia Basin agriculture. Historically speaking, the Farm Fair has focused on the latest and greatest develop- ments in potato production — the signature crop supported by Oregon State University’s Hermiston Agricultural Research and Exten- sion Center. The 44th annual event, however, introduced a number of new presentations Thursday covering topics such as organic crops, precision irrigation and pollinators. Phil Hamm, station director at HAREC, said he did not know the exact attendance, but estimated it was in the hundreds. “What we’re trying to do is (reach) as many of our stakeholders as possible in our region,” Hamm said. Last year’s move to EOTEC from the Hermiston Conference Center has certainly helped, Hamm said, providing a larger venue Staff photo by E.J. Harris Guests mingle with vendors during the Hermiston Farm Fair on Thursday at EOTEC in Hermiston. See FARMING/8A
