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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 2018)
A basket on the ferris wheel passes in front of the setting sun on Thursday at the Umatilla County Fair in Hermiston. Staff photo by E.J. Harris FRIDAY, AUGUST 10, 2018 142nd Year, No. 200 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Your Weekend • • • Last day to check out Umatilla County Fair Hear Blues Traveler after dark Final night of the Farm- City Pro Rodeo For times and places, see www.eastoregonian.com Weekend Weather Fri Sat Sun 102/65 85/56 84/55 International strains bump wheat prices Staff photo by E.J. Harris By MATTHEW WEAVER EO Media Group Steve Steele of Hermiston alleges his former caretakers, Elizabeth and Pedro Avila, took advantage of him bilking hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and property from the senior citizen. U.S. wheat prices are climbing due to weather problems in Russia, Europe and southern Asia, but mar- ket analysts expect the bump to be relatively small. Soft white wheat prices this week increased to $6.09 to $6.15 per bushel on the Portland market, up from $5.80-$5.90 a month ago. Nearby futures traded in a range between $6.19 and 6.27 per bushel. Senior’s mettle tested in abuse case Couple stepped in to help after Steve Steele’s partner died, and soon owned all of his assets By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian S See WHEAT/7A Staff photo by E.J. Harris teve Steele of Hermiston lost the love of his life in September 2016. Then he lost all his money, two homes and his dignity, he claims, to Pedro and Elizabeth Avila of Hermiston. “They were promising me if I were to sign things over to them, they would take care of me the rest of my life,” Steele said. Instead, he ended up in jail for felony assault and now lives in someone else’s home. The Avilas contend Steele has it backwards. They say he gave them his property and money out of deep gratitude and love for their care, and they loved him like family. Until Steele turned on them in a violent attack, they said, and has since left them with nothing. Steele is suing the Avilas to get back his homes and money. The Elizabeth and Pedro Avila became caretakers for Steve Steele after Steele’s long-term partner passed away on Sept. 10, 2016. See ABUSE/8A Mid-Columbia Bus struggling to compete for employees By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian It’s not easy finding bus drivers. Aimee Cook, manager of Mid-Columbia Bus Com- pany in Hermiston, said about 15 to 20 percent of their drivers turn over every year, and finding new ones takes active recruitment. “School bus drivers, the shortage of them, is a nationwide epidemic,” she said. The Umatilla County unemployment rate in May was 5.2 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Sta- tistics. But local employ- ers say it can be hard to find employees who show up on time, drug free and with the right skills for the job. Cook said it is particularly hard to find people interested in a part-time, split-shift job that entails picking up kids early in the morning and drop- ping them off in the after- noons for three and a half to seven hours a day. Many of the people will- ing to work that kind of schedule are retirees, she said, who then decide after a year or two that they’re ready to retire completely. Other drivers are young people who then quit after starting a family, or people lured away by plentiful jobs at food processors or data centers. For many years MidCo has recruited by post- ing signs on school buses parked around town, but Cook said this year the Hermiston office offered the school districts they serve — Umatilla, Stanfield See BUS/8A
