REGION
Friday, March 9, 2018
Umatilla County approves hand off
of EOTEC to city of Hermiston
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Hermiston is about to
become the sole owner of the
Eastern Oregon Event and
Trade Center.
Eastern Oregon’s biggest
city and Umatilla County
were 50/50 partners in
creating the center off
Hermiston’s Airport Road.
But in recent weeks, officials
from the two governments
have been hammering out a
deal to give Hermiston full
ownership.
The county board of
commissioners Wednesday
voted 3-0 to end the partner-
ship and transfer its share of
EOTEC to the city.
“The parties have decided
that for the long term oper-
ation of the EOTEC facility
and its financial viability, it
is best that only one entity
be the owner,” reads the
agreement.
County counsel Doug
Olsen said there are a few
details still to work out,
including a property list, but
otherwise the commissioners
a ready to sign the deal.
Byron Smith, Hermiston
city manager and EOTEC
board chair, said he appre-
ciated the county’s cooper-
ation. The Hermiston City
Council will take up the deal
Monday.
Commissioner
Larry
Givens praised Smith for his
leadership on EOTEC, and
Commissioner Bill Elfering
told him “good luck going
forth.”
▪ The county board also
voted 3-0 to funnel enterprise
zone payments of $500,000
a year for four years from
the Lamb Weston project
to Hermiston so the city
can make water system
improvements for a housing
development.
Smith said the develop-
ment north of Hermiston
is planned for 300 lots, but
that could expand to 600 or
more. The Hermiston School
District is also considering a
new education facility in the
area if development moves
forward.
Lamb Weston will make
15 annual payments of
$500,000 to the county and
the city beginning in 2020.
Commissioner
George
Murdock said the county’s
general practice has been to
pump these funds back into
community
development
projects.
PENDLETON
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
A car passes over the Eighth Street bridge on Thursday in Pendleton.
Eighth Street Bridge in final days
East Oregonian
Following years of prepa-
ration, the city is starting to
close off the Eighth Street
Bridge in Pendleton in antici-
pation of replacing it.
Pendleton Public Works
Director Bob Patterson said
Southeast Eighth Street
will see temporary closures
from March through May as
contractors install footings
for the new bridge and other
prep work.
The bridge will close to
vehicles in June and remain
closed for the next 10 months
as work crews dismantle
the 109-year-old bridge and
replace it with a new struc-
ture.
During that time, residents
on both sides of the Umatilla
River will have to make
some adjustments.
A temporary pedestrian
bridge will be built 60 feet
upstream from the existing
bridge in June to provide
access across the river.
Pedestrians on the Pendleton
River Parkway will be redi-
rected at Southeast Seventh
and Ninth streets to walk
around the construction zone
on Byers Avenue.
Additionally, houses on
Eighth Street will lose access
to their driveways during the
construction period and will
have to park on Southeast
Byers Avenue.
Patterson said the city
recently held a community
meeting with nearby resi-
dents to explain the latest
developments. He also
intends to send out contact
information for the project
superintendent
should
anyone have concerns.
As it stands now, the
project is behind schedule
and over-budget.
When the Pendleton
Enhancement Project, a
community group comprised
of local government officials
and nonprofits, became
interested in using the bridge
trusses for a beautification
project on Main Street, the
city was forced to delay the
project a year while the situa-
tion was sorted out.
Patterson said the delay
added another half million
dollars to the final cost,
PUBLIC SAFETY LOG
WEDNESDAY
7:13 a.m. - A Milton-Freewater resident
reported someone broke into his pickup on the
1500 block of Walnut Street and stole multiple
items.
8:33 a.m. - Two vehicles crashed near
the Bottle Drop Redemption Center, 740 W.
Hermiston Ave, Hermiston. The crash blocked a
stop sign and one person may have suffered a
head injury.
10:30 a.m. - A member of the Meacham
Neighborhood Watch on Loka Drive reported a
burglary in progress.
10:34 a.m. - An Irrigon business owner
reported she evicted a man from her home and
he stole items from her storage unit.
12:28 p.m. - Umatilla police received a
complaint about littering at Lind and Bensel roads,
but officers did not find the dump site.
1:20 p.m. - Clerks at Love’s Travel Stop,
78665 Tower Road, Boardman, refused to sell
beer to an intoxicated man, and he started
“bumming gas and money” from people at
the truck stop. Staff asked the Morrow County
Sheriff’s Office to send a deputy. The sheriff’s
office did not find the man or his vehicle.
3:46 p.m. - A caller at Lindsay West and Little
Juniper lanes, Lexington, reported the theft of 75
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9:35 p.m. - A male and female fought at
Jones Mini Storage, 1300 N. Elizabeth St.,
Milton-Freewater.
11:04 p.m. - Irrigon residents on Southwest
Nevada Avenue reported someone hit their
mailbox and the neighbor’s fence.
ARRESTS, CITATIONS
Wednesday
•Oregon State Police arrested Michael
Charles Wilmot, 46, of the Milton-Freewater area,
for felony in possession of a handgun.
Thursday
•Stanfield police reported arresting Danny
Roman Siguenza, 21, of Hermiston. He faces
charges of unlawful dissemination of an intimate
image, a misdemeanor, and first-degree invasion
of personal privacy, a felony.
The arrest was the result of an investigation
regarding Siguenza “sharing private images taken
of another partygoer without their consent on
his phone,” according to Stanfield police, “and in
a place where someone has an expectation of
privacy.”
Siguenza now is a guest at the Umatilla
County Jail, Pendleton. Stanfield police also
reported he does not have his phone.
meaning the budget is now
more than $8 million for
a project that has funding
from the federal govern-
ment, the state, the city and
Umatilla County. With the
city agreeing to provide a
more than 10 percent match,
the city is responsible for
roughly $50,000 more than
anticipated.
As for the Pendleton
Enhancement
Project,
Patterson said the group
wants to raise the rest of the
money needed to relocate the
trusses from Eighth Street
to the Eagles parking lot off
Main Street. If the group
can’t raise the money by the
time the trusses are removed
in August, they will be stored
on city property on Byers.
East Oregonian
Page 3A
HERMISTON
Houfmuse hearings
pushed to end of month
contact his ex-girlfriend.
Davis cited in court docu-
ments, and again in court
on Thursday, several text
A Hermiston
man messages Cragun sent to
seeking release before his his girlfriend. She said the
murder trial will
texts referred to
have his request
Houfmuse, who
heard at the end
is black, using
of the month, a
a racial slur and
judge decided on
stated that he
Thursday.
was going to kill
T y r e e
Houfmuse.
Houfmuse, 35,
Houfmuse
appeared
in
was aware of the
the
Hermiston
threats the night
Circuit Court on Houfmuse
they
fought,
Thursday.
His
Davis said, and
attorney
Kara
contends Cragun
Davis requested a motion had a gun and charged
to release, while District Houfmuse. Cragun died
Attorney Dan Primus from a gunshot wound.
requested a motion to
Davis said the state
continue the trial. The trial had already received tests
was set to begin April 30, saying the primary DNA
but at the end of February on the gun belonged to
the state asked to delay Cragun.
while prosecutors waited
“The only new tests say
for more test results from they can’t locate Mr. Houf-
the state crime lab. Davis muse’s DNA on the gun
said Houfmuse would that fired the fatal bullet,”
then have had to sit in jail she said.
for six additional months
Davis said all the
while being presumptively evidence that the prosecu-
innocent.
tion has is consistent with
Judge Eva Temple set the information that’s been
a new hearing date for shared so far.
March 27, when she will
“How this would justify
hear requests for a motion continuance, I don’t know,”
to release and a motion to Davis said. “They’ve had
continue the trial.
eight months. At any point
Temple also told Houf- during that time, they could
muse, who did not speak in have requested testing.
court, that he could poten- Meanwhile, my client is
tially have another settle- sitting in jail, presumptively
ment hearing. Houfmuse innocent.”
had a settlement conference
Primus said at the
in December 2017, but no pre-trial conference the
deal was reached.
state expressed concern that
Houfmuse is charged they would not be able to
with murder, manslaughter, move forward as expected.
felon in possession of a
“The state’s failure to talk
firearm and unlawful use to the crime lab for a case
of a weapon in the death of that happened Memorial
James Cragun. He has been Day weekend of 2017 is not
in jail since he was arrested a justification for keeping
in June, with bail set at my client in jail for six more
more than $1 million.
months,” Davis said.
Houfmuse is claiming
–——
self defense. In court docu-
Contact
Jayati
ments, Davis states Cragun Ramakrishnan at 541-564-
was violent and violated 4534 or jramakrishnan@
restraining orders not to eastoregonian.com.
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
Student removed after
report of gun at Riverside
East Oregonian
Riverside Junior/Senior
High School administration
was informed Thursday
that a student had a gun in
school, though no firearm
was found.
According to a release
from Morrow County
School District Superinten-
dent Dirk Dirksen, River-
side principal David Norton
immediately contacted law
enforcement after hearing
the report. The student was
removed from class and his
belongings were searched,
but no weapon was located.
Dirksen said there was
no imminent threat to
students or staff at any time.
The student was taken
home by his parents and is
not in the custody of law
enforcement. Dirksen said
a mental health evaluation
is underway and an investi-
gation continues.
Students, parents, staff
and community members
are encouraged to use
SafeOregon, a statewide tip
line for reporting student
safety threats. The website
is www.safeoregon.com.