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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 2018)
WEEKEND EDITION SCHOOL SUCCESS COMMITTEE’S WISH LIST STOCKS PLUNGE TO 8-MONTH LOWS HERMISTON TAKES ON PASCO NORTHWEST, A2 RECORDS, A6 SPORTS, B1 E O AST 143rd Year, No. 43 REGONIAN DECEMBER 15-16, 2018 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Homeless dilemma State’s request denied in EOCI death Mother of slain inmate lost suit, won’t have to pay state’s legal costs By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian The state of Oregon will not recoup thousands of dollars after prevailing in the wrongful death law- suit against the family of an inmate at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution. Corrections offi cer Charles Frates shot and killed inmate Jayson With- ers in August 2014 during a fi ght in the yard at the Pend- leton prison. Withers was 26. His mother, Kristen Wil- son of Salem, fi led the law- suit against the Oregon Department of Corrections, Frates and others. “I wasn’t trying to get rich,” Wilson said. “I only wanted to fi nd out what really happened. That was the only way I could do that.” Wilson got some answers when the case went to trial in August, but she lost the law- suit. The jury found Frates acted within the boundaries of Oregon’s law for the use of deadly force. Andrew Hallman, Ore- gon assistant attorney gen- eral, asked the court to order the losing side to pay for $11,445.83 for depositions and transcripts, witness fees and offi ce supplies. He explained in court fi lings the state is entitled to an award of costs after prevailing at trial. But Senior District Judge Anna J. Brown in late Octo- ber denied that request. “It is undisputed that the Estate does not have any assets and was opened only to pursue this claim for the purpose of determining the facts surrounding the death Staff photo by E.J. Harris The Walla Walla Homeless Alliance has been operating a sleeping center that off ers homeless residents a place to stay in one of their 31 Conestoga huts. The nonprofi t has been operating the sleep center for more than a year on the north side of Walla Walla. Pendleton council opens discussion on city’s homeless By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian n the midst of the Pendleton City Council’s fi rst in-depth discussion on homelessness in several years at a Tuesday work- shop, Mayor John Turner asked how the council is supposed to deal with resident complaints. “I’d like to talk about some of the complaints the council gets like ‘I come to my place of busi- ness in the morning and there’s a homeless person sleeping in my doorway,’ or ‘Homeless peo- ple are rummaging through my I dumpster and throwing stuff out into my parking lot,’” Turner said. “Or, what we tend to hear a lot, is ‘I walk out on the levee every day and people are coming out of the bushes. They’re camp- ing there and it bothers me and I’m concerned.’” The homeless have always existed in Pendleton, but the issue has taken on more urgency in recent months. In September, a fi re started by a homeless camp near the Uma- tilla River threatened homes on the North Hill before it was extinguished. The Pendleton Warming Sta- tion, the city’s only temporary shelter for the homeless, was forced to close on Dec. 4 due to See Homeless, Page A10 Staff photo by E.J. Harris Andy Johnson of Walla Walla checks his smartphone while charging it in a media tent on Thursday at the Walla Walla Homeless Alliance sleep center in Walla Walla. Johnson ended up homeless after a job opportunity fell through nearly six month ago. A SAFE PLACE TO SHARE Guardian Care Center offers forensic interviews, exams for young victims See EOCI, Page A10 By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian Staff photo by E.J. Harris Tracy Pozar is the pediatric sexual assault nurse examiner for the Guardian Care Center in Pendleton. Visits to the Guardian Care Cen- ter usually take less than an hour. Often, that’s all the time forensic interviewers and nurse examiners need to fi nd out key information in an abuse case — the discovery of a perpetrator’s DNA or a whispered disclosure by a child. The Pendleton nonprofi t has been an instrumental part of help- ing prosecute child abuse cases in Umatilla County. The center has been conducting forensic interviews with child phys- ical and sexual abuse victims since 1996. In 2014, they hired pediat- ric sexual assault nurse examiner Tracy Pozar. Pozar is the only pediatric SANE in the county, and can examine vic- tims under 15. She’s one of only six in the state with that certifi cation. Prior to her joining Guardian Care, children would have to travel either to Portland or La Grande for foren- sic exams. In 2018, the center has served 147 children in Umatilla County, usually victims of physical or sex- ual abuse. When children arrive at the center, they talk with forensic See Safe, Page A10 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. • Healthcare providers who play an active role in questions. 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.
