REGION
Saturday, July 28, 2018
Hay truck fire shuts down Interstate 84
East Oregonian
BRIEFLY
Wolves kill dog
guarding sheep in
Umatilla County
East Oregonian
Staff photo by Jayati Ramakrishnan
A truck carrying hay caught on fire on Interstate 84 westbound, around milepost 185, on Friday afternoon.
The blaze spread to the median of the highway.
East Oregonian
A hay truck fire on Interstate 84
shut down westbound traffic on Fri-
day afternoon near Stanfield for
more than an hour.
Corey Gorham, battalion chief
for Umatilla County Fire District
1, said the cause of the fire was a
blown tire, and the blaze spread to
the north shoulder and median of
the highway. He said no one was
injured, and only one vehicle was
affected in the fire.
Traffic was stopped shortly after
1 p.m. and began moving at about
2:30 p.m. with the opening of one
lane.
FAA decides to stop maintaining
Pendleton airport’s secondary runway
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Pendleton’s Eastern Ore-
gon Regional Airport could
eventually be reduced to a
single runway.
Airport Manager Steve
Chrisman said the Federal
Aviation
Administration
recently decided to pull main-
tenance funding from the air-
port’s secondary runway.
The FAA normally picks
up 95 percent of the tab when
it comes to runway mainte-
nance projects, but Chrisman
said the agency determined
the airport’s primary runway
can handle all of the airport’s
traffic.
According to Chris-
man, the FAA’s top rea-
son for defunding the sec-
ondary infrastructure was
that its primary runway can
accommodate aircraft under
many wind conditions, which
means there does need to be
a secondary landing or take-
off area.
The city lobbied the fed-
eral government to prevent
them from closing the run-
way. Mayor John Turner met
with FAA officials during
a trip to Washington, D.C.,
this spring and a representa-
tive from the agency traveled
to Pendleton in June to meet
with city officials.
Although the FAA will
no longer provide money for
repairs and improvements
to the second runway, the
administration does offer a
five-year period to appeal its
decision.
Chrisman said convincing
the FAA to reverse their deci-
sion will not be easy.
“It’s a hard argument
when you’re talking about
millions of dollars in mainte-
nance,” he said.
While it isn’t considered
the airport’s primary runway,
Chrisman said the secondary
airstrip is still under frequent
use.
The secondary runway
actually runs closer to the ter-
minal than the primary one,
and for pilots looking to taxi
as little as possible it is the
best choice.
Despite the lack of fund-
ing, Chrisman said the sec-
ondary runway is in good
enough condition that it can
continue to handle air traffic
for the next five years without
federal upkeep.
If the FAA decides to
make its decision perma-
nent in 2023, Chrisman said
the city would be faced with
a decision on whether to use
its own money for mainte-
nance, or to close the runway
entirely.
It isn’t the first time the
Pendleton airport has been
forced to close a runway.
Chrisman said the airport
had six runways when it was
an airbase during World War
II. The airport had three run-
ways as recently as 2013, but
the FAA declined to continue
fund the third one and it was
converted to a taxiway.
Page 3A
Wolves killed a sheep
dog guarding a herd
in Umatilla County on
Monday.
A depredation report
from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wild-
life states that on July 23 a
sheep herder heard wolves
howling and then wit-
nessed six livestock guard
and herding dogs engage
with two wolves near a
sheep pen at about 3 a.m.
The wolves retreated,
but one dog gave chase
through the forest. The
80-pound
male
dog
returned about 20 min-
utes later with severe inju-
ries and died the following
night.
The incident happened
in the area of Ruckel
Ridge south of Tollgate.
The sheep were on a U.S.
Forest Service grazing
allotment.
ODFW examined the
dog after its death and
found “multiple paired
canine punctures” on its
neck, right armpit and lum-
bar vertebra and smaller
bite marks on the right
hind leg, right flank and
abdomen. A wolf from the
Ruckel Ridge pack with
a radio collar had a GPS
location about half a mile
from the sheep band before
the attack.
“The size, number, and
locations of the bite marks
with the associated mus-
cle trauma are sufficient to
attribute the death of this
livestock dog to a wolf or
wolves of the Ruckel Ridge
pack,” ODFW concluded.
County to verify
signatures for
gun rights measure
PENDLETON — Gun
rights activists in Umatilla
County submitted almost
1,700 signatures so far to
place the Second Amend-
ment Preservation Ordi-
nance on the November
ballot.
The initiative would
restrict Umatilla County
from using any resources
to enforce state or federal
laws infringing “on the
right of the People to keep
and bear arms.” The initia-
tive designates the county
sheriff as the authority to
decide which of those laws
would cross the infringe-
ment line.
Umatilla County elec-
tions director Kim Lindell
said petitioners Jesse Bon-
ifer of Athena and Kevin
Pettey of Hermiston deliv-
ered 1,695 signatures this
week. The elections divi-
sions needs a few days to
verify those, Lindell said,
and the petition needs
1,131 to land the proposal
on the ballot.
The deadline for sub-
mitting signatures is Aug.
8 at 5 p.m. Lindell said
Bonifer and Pettey plan
to continuing gathering
signatures until then. The
election is Nov. 6.
Teen rock camp
set for 13th year
File photo
Counselor Levi Cecil of
Portland sets up a mi-
crophone to record a
song by Sophie Arnold.
PENDLETON — A
number of Pacific North-
west indie bands and
musicians will converge
on Pendleton to serve as
instructors for the teen
Rock & Roll Camp.
In its 13th year, there
is no fee for participants.
The five-day camp kicks
off Monday, Aug. 13 from
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in and
around Pendleton Center
for the Arts, 214 N. Main
St.
Activities include put-
ting together bands, writing
original music and record-
ing songs, working on rock
journalism, putting together
a camp zine and generating
videos for YouTube. The
event crescendos with a big
camp concert Friday, Aug.
17 at 7 p.m. on Main Street,
Pendleton.
For more information
or to register, call 541-278-
9201 of stop by the arts
center.
Animal control district would be under county umbrella
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
The Pioneer Humane Society would
not control the purse strings of the ani-
mal service district it’s asking Umatilla
County voters to approve. Rather, the
Umatilla County Board of Commis-
sioners would oversee the new district.
The Pendleton nonprofit will make
a pitch Wednesday to the county board
to put the question to voters in Novem-
ber. It is asking for a tax rate of 10 cents
per $1,000 of assessed property value
to fund an animal control district.
Jackie Carey, humane society board
president, said she believes the orga-
nization would be in charge of that
revenue.
County counsel Doug Olsen has a
different understanding.
He explained the Pioneer Humane
Society is petitioning for the formation
of a new county service district, and the
new district — not Pioneer Humane
Society — would receive the taxes.
“The new district would need to
contract with PHS to provide the ser-
vices,” he said. “The board of commis-
sioners would be the board for the new
district.”
The society operates the Pendleton
Animal Welfare Shelter and asserted
it needs the tax revenue to continue
operations.
Carey also said the humane society
is working on holding public forums
and speaking to groups about the
proposal.
The humane society had to ask
local city councils to approve the peti-
tion before going to the county. Carey,
who is a Pilot Rock city councilor, said
only Milton-Freewater and Hermiston
refused the petition.
Thus the matter will not go to voters
in either city, and taxpayers there will
pay nothing even if the measure passes
elsewhere.
County Commissioner George Mur-
dock said that presents an awkward sit-
uation for county government, which
has the obligation to provide services
equally throughout the county.
Murdock also said he did not know
how the board would vote Wednesday
on the petition. The board on past peti-
tions for special or service districts has
usually let voters decide.
John Shafer, Athena mayor and
commissioner-elect, said that was his
philosophy. The Athena City Council
in March approved a resolution to put
the petition on the ballot.
County
commissioners
meet
Wednesday at 9 a.m. in room 130 at the
Umatilla County Courthouse, 216 S.E.
Fourth St., Pendleton.
McKay Creek Estates
We need to talk
about your driving.
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independence for people of all ages. Asking
an aging parent to hand over their keys can
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even when safety is the main concern.
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• How will they react?
This could be one of the most challenging
talks you’ll have with your loved one.
We’re here to help.
Visit TheyDeserveTheBest.com to learn more about transitioning
your loved one from driver to passenger.
McKay Creek Estates
1601 Southgate Pl.
Pendleton, OR 97801
(541) 704-7146
www.PrestigeCare.com
7/27 - 29
7/30 - 31
Cineplex Show Times
Cineplex Show Times
$5 Classic Movie • 8/1 • 12pm
$5 Classic Movie • 8/1 • 12pm
Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia
$5 Children’s Classic Movie • 8/1 • 10am
Horton Hears a Who
Free Small Popcorn & Small Soda
$5 Children’s Classic Movie • 8/1 • 10am
Horton Hears a Who
Free Small Popcorn & Small Soda
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE -
FALLOUT (PG13)
12:30* 6:50
3:40* 10:00
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE -
FALLOUT (PG13)
6:50
3:40* 10:00
TEEN TITANS GO!
TO THE MOVIES (PG)
12:20* 2:30* 4:50 7:20 9:30
TEEN TITANS GO!
TO THE MOVIES (PG)
4:50 7:20 9:30
THE EQUALIZER 2 (R)
1:10* 3:50* 6:40 9:20
THE EQUALIZER 2 (R)
3:50* 6:40 9:20
SKYSCRAPER (PG13)
2:20* 4:40 7:00 9:40
SKYSCRAPER (PG13)
4:40 7:00 9:40
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
(PG13)
1:50* 4:30 7:10 9:50
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP
(PG13)
4:30 7:10 9:50
* 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
Diabetes Education Series
Diabetes Self
Management Series
August 1 st , 8 th , 15 th & 22 nd
5:30PM to 7:30PM
A dvan ce Registratio n Requ ired
M o st M ajo r In su ran ces,
M edicare, M edicaid
Fo r m o re in fo rm atio n o r to register
541-278-3249
Melissa Naff, RD, LD, CDE
Diabetes Educator • 541-278-3249
2801 St. Anthony Way
Pendleton, OR 97801
www.sahpendleton.org