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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 2018)
SPORTS: Thul named EO Volleyball Player of the Year | PAGE 1B TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2018 143rd Year, No. 34 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Post offices to close for national day of mourning Newspaper delivery delayed until Thursday By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Pool photo by Morry Gash via AP Members of the Bush family walk past as former Presi- dent George H. W. Bush lies in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Monday in Washington. More inside President George H.W. Bush remembered as a ‘gentle soul’ and a ‘great man’. Page 11A Head of prison replaced following inquiry The United States Postal Service is suspending opera- tions Wednesday in remem- brance of former President George H.W. Bush. The shutdown means post offices will close and not deliver mail that day. The East Oregonian and other papers rely on the Postal Service for delivery to subscribers. That deliv- ery will not occur Wednes- day, but the edition will be available on newsstands and on the e-edition at eas- toregonian.com, and will be mailed on Thursday. Bush died Friday at the age of 94. President Don- ald Trump signed an exec- utive order Saturday direct- ing federal departments and agencies to close Wednes- day “as a mark of respect for George Herbert Walker Bush, the forty-first Presi- dent of the United States.” The Postal Service on Monday announced it would “suspend regular mail deliv- eries, retail services and administrative office activ- ity” out of respect for Bush’s “vast contributions to our country” and because of the proclamation. Kerry Schwartz, postmas- ter in Pendleton, said this was a national day of mourn- ing. She referred questions to Postal Service’s commu- nications office, where Rod Spurgeon stated, “Regular mail deliveries, retail ser- vices, and administrative activity are suspended on Dec. 5,” and provided the corporation’s statement. See MOURNING/12A PENDLETON Radiation center plans unveiled Amsberry out, Washburn in at EOCI By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian The Eastern Oregon Cor- rectional Institution has a new superintendent. Sue Washburn begins her new role on Mon- day, accord- ing to Colette Peters, direc- tor of the Ore- gon Depart- ment of Amsberry Corrections. Current superinten- dent Brigitte Amsberry will retire at the end of the month under a cloud. Amsberry, who took the helm at EOCI in July of 2017, was placed on leave in early September and until recently was the subject of an internal human resources investigation. In addition, interim Superin- tendent Richard McGraw is also under investigation. Washburn’s corrections career started in 2005 when she was hired as human resources manager at the Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla and later became TRCI’s food services manager, and then acting assistant superinten- dent of general services. Most recently, she served as superintendent at Powder River Correctional Facility in Baker City. The minimum security facility has a capac- Photo courtesy of Radiation Business Solutions The new radiation oncology center in Pendleton will have a linear accelerator, which uses X-rays to destroy cancer cells. Cancer treatment clinic buys land to develop near St. Anthony By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian G etting diagnosed with can- cer won’t get any easier, but getting radiation treat- ment is set to become more acces- sible for residents of Pendleton and the surrounding area. Through its development com- pany RBS Evolution, Radiation Business Solutions announced it plans to open a radiation oncol- ogy center in 2019. The Joelton, Tennessee, com- pany already operates three oncol- ogy centers in Alaska and Okla- homa, specializing in rural areas where access to radiation therapy isn’t readily available. In an area where many cancer patients have Staff photo by E.J. Harris Radiation Business Solutions announced it plans to open a ra- diation oncology center in this lot adjacent to St. Anthony Hos- pital in Pendleton. to travel to Walla Walla, Tri-Cit- ies or further for treatment, RBS thought Pendleton was a good candidate for its services. Although RBS has no facilities in the Northwest, President Greg Merrill said the company has con- nections to the region through its other services, like billing for other oncology practices. Merrill said RBS is in negotia- tions to hire an oncologist to staff the center, and it expects to make a hire within the next few months. After a year of research and planning, RBS bought a nearly 2-acre lot on Southwest 24th Street across from Rice Blakey Park. The oncology center is being planned within close proximity to St. Anthony Hospital, and Merrill said RBS has been in discussions with hospital officials on how to collaborate with each other. Merrill said St. Anthony will still offer medical oncology ser- vices like chemotherapy infu- sions, and RBS will make use of the hospital’s imaging equipment. St. Anthony President Harry Geller said the hospital and RBS See CLINIC/12A See PRISON/12A Sharpshooter unit training for quick response Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office puts together four-man team By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian The Umatilla County Sher- iff’s Office is developing a team of sharpshooters. Sheriff Terry Rowan said the “designated marksman program” is new but aims to fill a crucial need for crack shot officers who can respond to local crises. The Oregon State Sheriff’s Asso- ciation pushed the initiative this year, Rowan explained, for sheriffs to develop teams with sharpshoot- ing skills. “There has been a little bit bigger push to create these regional spe- cialized teams,” Rowan said. Beyond having interests in such a program, he said, the key was for agencies that could equip and train officers. Rowan, who serves on the association’s executive committee, said Umatilla County could han- dle it. The team consists of four members: Capt. Stewart Harp, Lt. Thoren Hearn, detective Erik Palmer and retired court security officer Cliff Pease, who also has a military background. The sheriff’s office has not made a public splash about the program. But Wednesday, Hearn approached the county board of commissioners for approval to purchase 16,000 rounds of ammu- nition for $8,021.50. He said the bulk purchase would provide ammo for training, on-duty deputies and the designated marksman program. See SHARPSHOOTER/12A CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic is recognized as a Patient -Centered Primary Care Home. What does that mean for you? • Better-coordinated care. • Healthcare providers who will help connect you • Listening to your concerns and answering with the care you need in a safe and timely way. questions. • Healthcare providers who play an active role in your health. • After-hours nurse consultation. 844.724.8632 3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG Mon through Thurs, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat and Sun, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred.