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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 23, 2018)
NORTHWEST College safety officer pleads guilty to killing woman East Oregonian Page 2A BEND (AP) — A man accused of killing a woman during his shift as a campus safety officer at an Oregon community college pleaded guilty Monday to aggravated murder. Edwin Lara accepted a plea deal that spared him a possible death sentence but will keep him in prison for life. Author- ities said Lara kidnapped, sexually assaulted and killed Kaylee Sawyer, 23, in July 2016. He then kidnapped a woman in the state capital of Salem and drove to California, where he was accused of shooting and wounding a man and carjacking a vehicle, police said. In his plea, Lara acknowl- edged holding Sawyer in the back of his security vehicle, where he strangled and then killed her with a large rock. His sentencing began just after his plea, with prosecutor Mary Anderson telling the packed courtroom that Lara will serve a life sentence with no chance for parole. Members of Sawyer’s Joe Kline/The Bulletin via AP, File In this March 23, 2017 file photo, Edwin Lara sits with his defense team during a hearing in Judge A. Michael Adler’s courtroom at the Deschutes County Circuit Court in Bend. Lara who is accused of killing a woman during his shift as a campus safety officer at an Oregon community college has pleaded guilty to aggravated murder. Lara entered the plea Monday. family gave emotional state- ments, with her grandfather, Jim Waldren, saying he hoped Lara would rot, The Bulletin newspaper reported. Sawyer and her boyfriend lived on the edge of Central Oregon Community College and she had gone for a walk on July 24, 2016, shortly after midnight. Lara, uniformed and equipped with pepper spray, handcuffs and a ballistics vest, was working a night shift. Lara’s wife, Isabel Ponce- Lara, later noticed that her Tuesday, January 23, 2018 BRIEFLY Ore. voters poised to have say on national popular vote bill husband was “acting out of the ordinary,” according to a statement she made to police in their hometown of Redmond, just north of Bend. Ponce-Lara, who had recently became a Bend police officer, told investigators she confronted her husband and that he broke down and told her he struck Sawyer with his patrol vehicle, killing her, and then panicked and hid the body. Ponce-Lara said her husband then grabbed a pistol and fled. Sawyer’s body was later found in a canyon west of Redmond. Lara traveled 130 miles to Salem and took a 19-year-old woman hostage as she left her job at a clothing store, police say. They went to Yreka, Cali- fornia, where he’s accused of shooting and wounding a man at a motel. The carjacking occurred at a gas station with a woman and her two sons inside the vehicle. They were later released along Interstate 5 before the car was pulled over by the California Highway Patrol. PORTLAND (AP) — Senate President Peter Courtney has repeatedly blocked a bill that would permit Oregon to give all seven of its electoral college votes to the winner of the national popular vote during presidential elections. But that is poised to change at next month’s legislative session. Courtney has said he would allow the Senate to vote on a popular-vote bill only if Oregon voters have the final say on the matter. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that a bill introduced Monday satisfies that demand. If passed next month, Senate Bill 1512 would send the popular-vote question to Oregon voters for their approval or rejection. Supporters of the popular vote model claim it would be a more fair process than the current Electoral College system, which they said tends to underrepresent people living in more populous states. Feds make more than $2M available to reduce fishing bycatch (AP) — Federal ocean managers are making more than $2 million available to try to help fishermen catch less of the wrong fish. “Bycatch” is a longstanding issue in commercial fisheries, and fishermen have long sought solutions to the problem of catching rare species when seeking exploitable ones. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says it is providing about $2.4 million for “projects that increase collaborative research and partnerships for innovation” in reducing bycatch. The agency says it is prioritizing projects such as gear modifications, avoidance programs and improved fishing practices. NOAA also says it wants to learn more about possible reduction of mortality of fish that are released. The agency is looking for pre-proposals by Jan. 31 and full proposals by March 30. Prisons face worker shortages as retirements loom grappling with an employee shortfall. Agencies across the country are struggling to find qualified applicants. Prisons face the additional challenge of trying to overcome the negative perception people have of public safety jobs. As employees become eligible for retirement, the shortfall could worsen. “If you went to an elemen- tary school and you interviewed a bunch of fifth graders, you would have some that say ‘I want to be a police officer,’ ‘I want to be a fireman,’ ‘I want to be a ballerina’,” Cox said. “It’s not often you hear someone say, ‘I want to be a correctional officer because it’s just not a very recognized profession.” The number of Oregon corrections retirements has climbed steadily since 2014 when 98 employees retired. By the third quarter of 2017, 178 employees retired. Almost 20 percent of the staff is eligible to retire today, Cox said. And in the next five years, more than one-third of the workforce could retire. “If they all decide to file their paperwork today ... we could be By WHITNEY WOODWORTH Statesman Journal SALEM — With a staff of 4,700, the Oregon Department of Corrections is struggling to attract new employees as almost one-fifth of its workforce becomes retirement eligible in 2018. Officials with the state’s second-largest agency said part of the blame rests on the region’s flourishing economy. The employee market is similar to the stock market — it goes up, it goes down, said Steve Cox, workforce planning administrator with the correc- tions department. When the economy is bad, people tend to flock toward jobs in law enforcement and corrections. “Right now, the economy is very strong, which makes it more difficult for public safety agencies to hire,” he said. “We have a shortfall because there’s just not the inventory of quali- fied applicants out there.” DOC spokeswoman Betty Bernt said the department has about 330 job vacancies. Oregon is not the only state in a world of hurt,” he said. Thankfully, he added, many have chosen not to retire because they enjoy their work, feel like part of a family or believe in the agency’s mission. The operations divisions, which include 2,549 security staff, could see the most retirements. Just under 300 correctional officers are eligible to retire this year. Within five years, that number will almost double. The department is also facing a shortage of medical professionals, especially nurses. Officials have changed their tactics to draw in a new genera- tion of employees and retain the ones they have, Cox said. The department offers good health benefits and retirement benefits. Although they struggle to compete with private sector pay and hiring bonuses, espe- cially when it comes to nursing jobs, wages are still decent. Many jobs, like correctional officers, do not require a college degree and come with great benefits, Cox said. But security jobs are only a fraction of what the department offers. 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. 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Circulation Manager: Marcy Rosenberg • 541-966-0828 • mrosenberg@eastoregonian.com Copyright © 2018, EO Media Group A shower this afternoon Cloudy and breezy; rain at night 46° 42° 51° 32° THURSDAY A shower in the afternoon FRIDAY Some sun, a shower in the p.m. 45° 33° Occasional rain and drizzle 48° 40° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 53° 31° 46° 41° PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH LOW 49° 31° 42° 28° 67° (1897) -26° (1930) PRECIPITATION 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date Trace 1.15" 1.07" 1.15" 1.33" 1.07" HERMISTON through 3 p.m. yesterday TEMPERATURE HIGH Yesterday Normals Records LOW 52° 32° 43° 29° 64° (1968) -33° (1930) PRECIPITATION 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date Trace 0.79" 0.92" 0.79" 1.39" 0.92" SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today First Full Jan 24 Jan 31 7:26 a.m. 4:48 p.m. 10:50 a.m. 11:50 p.m. Last New Feb 7 48° 33° 51° 38° Seattle 47/44 ALMANAC Yesterday Normals Records 49° 36° Feb 15 Today SATURDAY PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 46° 35° Spokane Wenatchee 37/34 32/28 Tacoma Moses 47/44 Lake Pullman Aberdeen Olympia Yakima 39/37 39/37 49/45 47/44 42/35 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 48/46 47/42 Lewiston 44/41 Astoria 43/38 53/46 Portland Enterprise Hermiston 49/45 Pendleton 40/35 The Dalles 46/41 46/42 42/37 La Grande Salem 42/39 50/46 Albany Corvallis 49/45 48/44 John Day 45/41 Ontario Eugene Bend 42/31 49/43 46/37 Caldwell Burns 44/34 38/26 Corrections The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818. Astoria Baker City Bend Brookings Burns Enterprise Eugene Heppner Hermiston John Day Klamath Falls La Grande Meacham Medford Newport North Bend Ontario Pasco Pendleton Portland Redmond Salem Spokane Ukiah Vancouver Walla Walla Yakima Hi 53 40 46 52 38 40 49 45 46 45 45 42 40 50 50 54 42 44 46 49 49 50 37 40 48 47 42 Lo 46 33 37 46 26 35 43 41 41 41 31 39 37 38 46 46 31 40 42 45 35 46 34 36 46 42 35 W r sf r r c sf r c c c c sn sn r r r c c c r r r sn sh r c sn Hi 50 42 45 49 42 43 47 51 53 48 41 45 43 46 49 49 44 51 51 50 48 49 40 42 50 50 49 Lo 40 25 26 40 19 25 35 31 31 25 23 25 25 31 40 39 31 33 32 39 24 38 30 23 39 34 29 W r c r r c sn r r r c r c c r r r c r r r r r r c r r sn WORLD CITIES Today Beijing Hong Kong Jerusalem London Mexico City Moscow Paris Rome Seoul Sydney Tokyo Hi 24 73 52 56 71 20 52 61 17 87 48 (in mph) Klamath Falls 45/31 Boardman Pendleton Lo 4 63 45 50 46 12 51 41 0 74 32 W s s sh sh pc pc sh s s c s Wed. Hi 27 70 52 56 66 20 55 58 14 83 41 Lo 9 63 43 42 44 9 47 42 0 74 28 W s pc pc r pc pc c s s c pc REGIONAL FORECAST Eastern Washington: Snow, accumulating 2-4 inches in the north, with a mix turning to rain in the south. Cascades: Periods of snow today, ac- cumulating 3-6 inches. More snow expected tonight. Northern California: Cloudy today; a little morning rain at the coast. Today Wednesday NE 3-6 SSE 7-14 S 7-14 S 10-20 UV INDEX TODAY Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. 0 1 1 Classified & Legal Advertising 1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678 classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com 1 0 NEWS • To submit news tips and press releases: call 541-966-0818 or email news@eastoregonian.com • To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News: email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini at 541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers at 541-966-0818. • To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries: email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit www.eastoregonian. com/community/announcements • To submit sports or outdoors information or tips: 541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com Business Office Manager: Janna Heimgartner 541-966-0822 • jheimgartner@eastoregonian.com COMMERCIAL PRINTING Production Manager: Mike Jensen 541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY Wed. WINDS Medford 50/38 Coastal Oregon: Breezy today with periods of rain. Breezy tonight with rain, heavy at times. Eastern and Central Oregon: Mostly cloudy today. A morning rain or snow shower, then rain and drizzle near the Cascades. Western Washington: Periods of rain today into tomorrow. Thursday: remaining cloudy with occasional rain. PORTLAND (AP) — A Multnomah County grand jury has cleared a U-Haul employee in the shooting death of a man who tried to rob the business at gunpoint earlier this month. Portland police said 53-year-old Robert Porter brandished a handgun while demanding money at the U-Haul location on Southeast Powell Boulevard. Employee Tyson Pfau fired his handgun, striking Porter multiple times. The grand jury decided Friday that no criminal prosecution was warranted. The 27-year-old employee is licensed to carry a concealed handgun. Detectives believe Porter had robbed other Portland businesses before hitting U-Haul on Jan. 3. REGIONAL CITIES Forecast WEDNESDAY Grand jury: U-Haul worker justified in killing robber ADVERTISING Advertising Director: Marissa Williams 541-278-2669 • addirector@eastoregonian.com Advertising Services: Laura Jensen 541-966-0806 • ljensen@eastoregonian.com Multimedia Consultants: • Kimberly Macias 541-278-2683 • kmacias@eastoregonian.com • Jeanne Jewett 541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com • Dayle Stinson 541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com • Angela Treadwell 541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com • Audra Workman 541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com • Grace Bubar 541-276-2214 • gbubar@eastoregonian.com Subscriber services: For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1 — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — TODAY Each prison is like a small town, needing maintenance, public safety, medical, psycho- logical, food service, electrical and transportation officials. “Anything that is in a small city, we pretty much have those same jobs,” Cox said. Each prison faces different hiring struggles and employee markets. Snake River Correc- tional Institution, with its prox- imity to the Boise metro area, draws in applicants from Idaho because of its higher wages. Coffee Creek Correctional Facility in Wilsonville and Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla struggle the most with attracting new hires. Turnover rates also vary, with Snake River reporting a turnover of about 4 percent and Two Rivers logging a rate of more than 12 percent. As part of its 10-year mission plan, the agency has made mental and physical wellness a priority. “The focus we have as an agency toward work-life balance and focusing on our staff and their families, I think is one thing that does help retain employees,” Cox said. 0 8 a.m. 10 a.m. Noon 2 p.m. 4 p.m. 6 p.m. 0-2, Low 3-5, Moderate 6-7, High; 8-10, Very High; 11+, Extreme The higher the AccuWeather.com UV Index™ num- ber, the greater the need for eye and skin protection. Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018 Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. -10s -0s showers t-storms 0s 10s rain 20s flurries 30s 40s snow ice 50s 60s cold front 70s 80s 90s 100s warm front stationary front 110s high low National Summary: Rain and thunderstorms will extend from Florida to Maine today, as ice is forecast to change to rain in northern New England. Snow will wind down over the Upper Midwest as rain returns to the Northwest. Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 84° in Immokalee, Fla. Low -18° in Jeff rey City, Wyo. NATIONAL CITIES Today Albuquerque Atlanta Atlantic City Baltimore Billings Birmingham Boise Boston Charleston, SC Charleston, WV Chicago Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit El Paso Fairbanks Fargo Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Kansas City Las Vegas Little Rock Los Angeles Hi 44 55 54 62 37 54 44 54 74 47 35 44 60 38 40 57 -14 26 82 66 38 74 40 60 53 74 Lo 22 34 38 33 25 29 34 36 40 30 22 25 38 18 22 28 -30 16 73 40 24 41 25 39 29 50 W s s r r pc s c r pc c sf sh s s sn s sf pc pc s sf pc pc s s s Wed. Hi 47 50 45 45 45 52 46 40 61 36 33 30 63 50 30 58 -24 29 83 63 34 61 47 61 56 74 Lo 24 31 27 24 31 28 34 20 37 24 24 23 37 28 21 30 -29 17 71 37 23 37 33 38 31 47 W s s pc s pc s c pc pc sf pc sf s s c pc c pc pc pc pc pc s pc s pc Today Louisville Memphis Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis Nashville New Orleans New York City Oklahoma City Omaha Philadelphia Phoenix Portland, ME Providence Raleigh Rapid City Reno Sacramento St. Louis Salt Lake City San Diego San Francisco Seattle Tucson Washington, DC Wichita Hi 42 48 82 34 27 45 62 58 53 33 62 72 47 55 70 40 51 54 38 40 71 55 47 68 66 50 Lo 31 29 69 20 17 28 42 37 28 21 35 44 34 37 35 18 31 39 25 23 50 44 44 40 38 25 W c s t sf c c pc r s pc r s i r sh s c c c pc s c r s r pc Wed. Hi 39 50 78 30 30 46 58 42 57 39 43 76 36 41 53 46 56 56 44 45 73 56 49 73 47 56 Lo 28 33 63 24 18 26 40 26 35 23 26 48 12 21 29 26 29 41 28 32 51 46 39 43 29 36 Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice. W s s sh pc c s c pc s s pc s pc pc s pc r r s pc s r r s s s
