GOP ON THE
VERGE OF HUGE
TAX OVERHAUL
41/24
CASTILLO
VOTED THE
STATE’S BEST
NATION/6A
SPORTS/1B
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2017
142nd Year, No. 45
WINNER OF THE 2017 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
One dollar
PENDLETON
DA: Police justifi ed in shooting theft suspect
Two BB guns
found at the scene
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Baker
County
District
Attorney Matt Shirtcliff deter-
mined Pendleton police Sgt.
Tyler Reddington was justifi ed
in shooting Matthew Lucas
Hoisington.
The shooting took place
the night of Nov. 29 near the
Pendleton Walmart, where
offi cers’
conduct
Reddington and Pend-
that night, including
leton police Cpl. Jon
“Reddington’s deci-
Lehman
responded
sion to fi re his weapon
to a report of a theft.
at Hoisington followed
Shirtcliff in a written
standard
police
statement
reported
protocol
regarding
Hoisington, 38, of
use of force and was
Mission, pointed a gun
completely justifi ed.”
at Reddington during a
Pendleton Police
foot chase. The offi cer
Chief Stuart Roberts
fi red his gun, shooting Hoisington
said the fi nding is good
Hoisington twice.
Police found two BB guns at news for the offi cers and depart-
the scene, Shirtcliff stated, and ment, but the actions of that
both looked like real .45-caliber night may weigh on Reddington
semi-automatic handguns.
See SHOOTING/10A
Shirtcliff concluded the
State audit
critical
of efforts
to boost
graduation
Matt Hoisington
allegedly stole
two BB guns
that resembled
handguns from
Walmart in Pend-
leton. Hoisington
was shot by po-
lice while running
and turning to
point one of the
guns at the offi -
cers, according to
the Baker County
District Attorney.
Photo courtesy Baker County
District Attorney’s Offi ce
HERMISTON
75 percent of high school
students graduate on time
By PARIS ACHEN
Capital Bureau
The Oregon Department of
Education has failed to help school
districts use data to identify students
most at risk of not graduating on
time, according to an audit released
Tuesday by Oregon Secretary of
State’s Offi ce.
For instance, pupils who change
school districts during high school
have graduation rates about 30
percent worse than those who
remain in the same school system.
The group makes up more than 25
percent of high school enrollees,
yet the education department does
not track, analyze or report their
graduation performance.
The percentage of Oregon
students who graduate on time has
inched up for the past fi ve years —
even with increases in the number
of credits required — but the rate
remains third worst in the nation.
Only 75 percent of Oregon public
high school students graduate on
time. The average rate nationwide
is 84 percent.
“We need Oregon’s Department
of Education to step up its game and
assume its leadership role to make
Oregon a leader in education,” said
Secretary of State Dennis Rich-
ardson. “Oregon students deserve
a world-class education, and it’s
ODE’s job to show how to get
there.”
See AUDIT/10A
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
La Ley 99.5 FM general manager Gaudencio Filipe watches customers in the parking lot of Fiesta Foods from the roof of the store
Tuesday in Hermiston. Filipe has been camping out on the store to raise donations for families in need.
La Ley manager camping on Fiesta Foods to raise Christmas donations
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
La Ley 99.5 radio station is getting
dispatches from an unusual location this week
— the roof of Fiesta Foods in Hermiston.
Gaudencio Felipe, the Spanish-language
station’s manager, climbed up to the roof
on Sunday and will be there until 5 p.m. on
Wednesday night (a total of 99.5 hours).
“He’s even got a little tent up there,” said
Fiesta Foods manager Leo Leal, who gave
permission for the unusual campout.
Felipe is broadcasting from the roof to
draw attention to a Christmas campaign
to collect food and clothing for children in
See ROOF/10A
“The reason he’s up there is he is
transmitting live, and asking
people to donate food and
clothing for needy children.”
— Clara Bea Fitzgerald, city councilor and
member of the city’s Hispanic Advisory Committee
PENDLETON
College freshmen talk roommates and re-dos at high school
Discuss the importance of
managing time and schedule
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Pendleton graduate Joshua Mendoza talks to students
about attending Western Oregon University while sitting on
a panel of graduates Tuesday at Pendleton High School.
It was their fi rst winter break back from
college, and a handful of recent Pendleton
High School graduates were ready to
share their newfound wisdom.
Sitting in front of a group of high
school students who were their peers
a little more than six months ago, the
fi rst-year college students explained the
challenge of living independently for
the fi rst time, including making time to
sleep, eat and maintain a schedule.
Avery Madril of Western Washington
University said he was nervous to meet
his roommate for the fi rst time, someone
whose name he had only known for two
weeks before he moved into the dorms.
He eventually learned that they have
much in common.
Hailey Kendrick, a fi rst-year student at
Oregon State University, said her room-
mate’s snoring was prevalent enough that
she contemplated shoving and kicking her.
“Obviously, I didn’t because we’re still
friends,” she said, adding that she’s able to
sleep now with the aid of ear plugs and fans.
Blue Mountain Community College
student Emily Griffi n only lives a
few blocks away from the college’s
Pendleton campus and doesn’t have
to worry about living with people she
doesn’t know, although she admitted it
was a fun idea.
Griffi n encouraged her former peers
See COLLEGE/10A