Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2018)
REGION Saturday, April 7, 2018 East Oregonian PENDLETON Resolute Eagle crash sparks fire at UAS range By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian The drone that crashed March 31 near the Pendleton Unmanned Aerial Systems Range had an 18-foot wing- span and weighed more than 100 pounds. Range manager Darryl Abling said Friday that PAE, a defense contractor from Arlington, Virginia, had been testing the “Resolute Eagle” drone when it fell to the ground and started a fire in a nearby wheat field. Abling again declined to provide details surrounding the incident. The Federal Aviation Administration is investi- gating the crash, which took place just north of an east- west runway at the Pendleton airport. FAA spokesman Allen Kenitzer wrote in an email Friday that the vehicle was in the middle of a test when it crashed. “No injuries were reported and there was no airport damage,” he said. In a follow-up email, Kenitzer said FAA investi- gations of such crashes typi- cally take one to two months. When the investigation is complete, Kenitzer said the details would be made public. PAE issued their statement on the incident, while adding context on the company’s operations. “All safety guidelines and procedures were observed during the event,” it states. “Field testing new equipment is standard procedure and essential to the continuous development of Unmanned Aerial Systems.” Abling said he could not share any other details until PAE filed their own report on the crash, which he expects to come soon. Abling said it doesn’t usually take as long to determine the root cause of the crash as it does to devise a plan on how to prevent it from happening again. PAE grounded its opera- tions in Pendleton while the FAA conducts its investiga- tion, although the range’s other customers are allowed to conduct testing without interruption. A longtime UAS operator with Northrop Grumman before he was hired by the city, Abling said he expects the FAA to take no further action against PAE beyond reviewing the incident. Test range officials frequently cite PAE as a customer, drawing attention to the economic impact of work crews who spend money locally and the company’s effort to create jobs that are based in Pend- leton. PAE has been testing its Resolute Eagle drone, an unmanned vehicle that weighs more than 115 pounds empty but can take on more than 65 pounds of payload. The drone can fly at an altitude above 15,000 feet for more than 15 hours and can operate outside the line of sight. Using its imaging and longterm hovering capabili- ties, PAE advertises Resolute Eagle as a UAS that can assist the military and other author- ities with various missions, such as anti-poaching, anti-piracy, humanitarian aid and infrastructure protection and inspection. HERMISTON Skid Row joins Umatilla County Fair lineup Blues Traveler, Sawyer Brown and Ned LeDoux coming to main stage By TAMMY MALGESINI East Oregonian Organizers with the Umatilla County Fair are looking forward to an exciting lineup of main stage performers during its second season at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center. The acts include: Country music group Sawyer Brown (Tuesday, Aug. 7); Ned LeDoux (Wednesday, Aug. 8); hair metal band Skid Row (Thursday, Aug. 9); Latino Night will feature still unnamed performers (Friday, Aug. 10); and rock band Blues Traveler (Saturday, Aug. 11). Fair-goers can sit in general admission seating for the concerts. For an additional fee, people can reserve seats in advance. Angie McNalley, fair administrative assistant, said the reserved ticket prices remain the same as 2017 at $12, and premium seats are $20, which provides an up-close experience in the first three rows. With more than 4,500 shows under their belts, Sawyer Brown has criss- crossed the country living the life of a “travelin’ band,” as one of their hit songs shares. In the early days, the group played everything from clubs to pig roasts. “There’s no such thing as a gig we wouldn’t take,” said Mark Miller, the band’s lead singer. Keyboardist Hobie Hubbard said there’s a synergistic energy between the band members and the audience. Their live shows have been described as “the Rolling Stones of country music.” Ned LeDoux, who played drums in his dad’s band, Western Underground — he is son of the late Chris LeDoux — never had a “Plan B.” “Once I got the taste of the road, and being in front Page 3A Police look into wolf shot on CTUIR land Confederated Umatilla Journal MISSION — Umatilla Tribal Police, with assistance from Oregon State Police, are investigating the shooting of a wolf found dead in early March up Kanine Ridge on the Umatilla Indian Reser- vation. The carcass was found partially skinned with its tail missing, according to Carl Scheeler, manager of the Wildlife Program for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. The first indication that a wolf might have been killed came when the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife was conducting exploratory flights looking for opportunities to get more collars on wolves in three separate packs that are moving across and through the Umatilla Indian Reser- vation. Scheeler said ODFW encountered a “mortality signal,” which emits when a radio collar becomes stationary for a long time, such as when it “falls off for some reason or when an animal is dead.” ODFW contacted OSP, which asked the CTUIR Wildlife Program to assist in locating the collar. Greg Rimbach, the local ODFW District Wildlife biologist, and Scheeler hiked in with a radio receiver and located the collar. The carcass was nearby. “The conditions indi- cated the animal was shot in the head,” Scheeler said. “It appeared to have been there several days. It had been scavenged heavily by coyotes and birds.” Scheeler said the wolf packs have been roaming the reservation for a couple of years now with few problems. “Apparently somebody thinks it’s OK to kill wolves,’” Scheeler said. “The only instance when it is permissible in Oregon and on the reservation is when a wolf is actively taking live- stock or pets, or is posing an immediate threat to human safety.” Scheeler said that although wolf and livestock conflicts make headlines, “concerns of impacts to local big game here are overblown.” Because wolves are coursing predators, they run their prey singling out the sick, weak and aged. “That actually creates a positive demographic effect on the population, leaving healthier, more vigorous animals on the landscape,” Scheeler said. Emergency drill planned for schools East Oregonian Contributed photo Skid Row will perform Thursday, Aug. 9 at the Umatilla County Fair in Hermiston. of a crowd and just the sound of it — it was freedom,” the younger LeDoux said about performing. When his father died in 2005, Ned LeDoux picked up a guitar and belted out “Western Skies.” In 2015, LeDoux traveled to Nashville — digging through some of his dad’s unfinished songs for inspiration. While he wants to carry on his father’s legacy, he’s also bringing a new voice to the LeDoux name with music from his debut EP, “Forever a Cowboy.” In addition, Brewer’s Grade Band (with frontman Zac Grooms of Hermiston) will perform Wednesday, Aug. 8. The band’s name is a tip of the hat to their roots in The Dalles and the vast array of microbreweries in the Pacific Northwest. New Jersey kids with a punk and metal attitude, Skid Row started out in 1986. They stormed stages with a single purpose — an “us-against- them musical coup d’état.” Despite an ill-advised tour in 1996 that took a toll on the band, the core camaraderie never died — and the band refused to fade into obscurity. After opening for Kiss in 2000, the band was reinvigo- rated. “When we put the band back together, we needed to reintroduce Skid Row as relevant without relying too much on past success,” said bassist Rachel Bolan. “We wrote songs and hit the road. We sunk our heart and soul into it, letting people know we weren’t doing it for lack of anything better to do.” Blues Traveler emerged in the late ’80s and possess a reputation for improvi- sational live shows and tireless touring. Featuring John Popper (lead vocals, harmonica), Chan Kinchla (guitar), Tad Kinchla (bass), Brendan Hill (drums), and Ben Wilson (keyboard), the group’s most recent release, “Blow Up The Moon,” was its first collaborative album. It enlists a range of artists across the musical spectrum, representing country, pop, reggae and hip-hop. The group’s 12 studio albums include four gold, three platinum and one six-times platinum. Their hit “Run-Around” is the longest-charting radio single in Billboard history, earning them a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Reserved and premium seats for the fair concerts can be purchased at www. umatillacountyfair.net, by calling 541-567-6121 or by stopping by the fair office, located at EOTEC, 1705 E. Airport Road, Hermiston. The concert tickets do not include fair admission, which is $10 for ages 13 and up, $8 for seniors, $6 for ages 6-12 and free for kids under 6. ——— Contact Community Editor Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@eastoregonian. com or 541-564-4539 RE-ELECT Bryan Wolfe District 3 Umatilla Electric Board Member • P roven leadershiP & exPerience • B oard memBer since 1996 • c ertified credentials Paid for by Bryan Wolfe 80897 Wolfe Lane, Hermiston, OR 97838 BOARDMAN — Morrow County School District staff will get to prepare for every worst-case scenario next week, during the all-day emergency drill at all three Boardman schools. On Friday, April 13, all district staff will congregate at Sam Boardman and Windy River elementaries, and Riverside Junior/Senior High School, to participate in an emergency drill that will go over how the district would respond in a situation like a natural disaster, a gas leak, or a violent incident. The day of the drill is a no-school day for students, but some students will still assist with the practice, said Morrow County School District superintendent Dirk Dirksen. Staff members will play the roles of both staff and students in order to help school employees and law enforcement prepare for a potential emergency. The drill will end with a “reuni- fication,” with students and staff (both roles played by staff members) being bused to a separate location where their families would be reunited with them. “This is more a staff training,” Dirksen said. “Maybe a next step would be getting students involved.” Several local law enforcement and emer- gency services will partic- ipate, including Boardman police, fire and ambulance, the Morrow County Sher- iff’s Office and Oregon State Police. A press release from Morrow County School District said locals should be aware that during the drill, it will seem like a real emergency is happening, and that law enforcement will be traveling to and from the schools and performing work they’d do in a real emergency. 4/6-8 4/9-10 Cineplex Show Times Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie • 4/11 • 12:00 PM $5 Classic Movie • 4/11 • 12:00 PM Funny Girl A Quiet Place (PG13) 12:10* 2:30* 4:50 7:10 9:40 Funny Girl A Quiet Place (PG13) 4:50 7:10 9:40 Blockers (R) 12:20* 2:40 * 5:00 7:20 9:50 Blockers (R) 5:00 7:20 9:50 Ready Player One (PG13) 1:00* 7:00 • 3D 4:00 10:00 Ready Player One (PG13) 7:00 • 3D 4:00 10:00 Sherlock Gnomes (PG) 12:00* 2:20* 4:30 6:40 9:20 Sherlock Gnomes (PG) 4:30 6:40 9:20 Tomb Raider (PG13) 1:30* 4:10 6:50 9:30 Tomb Raider (PG13) 4:10 6:50 9:30 * Matinee Pricing * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Accepting New Patients in The Lounge Saturday April 7th, from 7 pm - 10 pm. No Cover Charge. 541-276-6111 Red Lion Lounge • 304 SE Nye, Pendleton We are open from 7:30am - 4:30pm M-Th McEntire Dental 1100 Southgate, Suite 3 Pendleton OR 97801 541.276.5272