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143rd Year, No. 61
SHUTDOWN
MAKES IT HARDER
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REGONIAN
JANUARY 12-13, 2019
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WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
HERMISTON
Concussion
case moves
to fed court
District denies
most claims, asks
for dismissal
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
East Oregonian
A lawsuit against the
Hermiston School Dis-
trict seeking $38.9 million
alleging failure to protect
a student from concus-
sion harm has been moved
to federal court, and doc-
uments from the school
district’s side are denying
major portions of the fami-
ly’s claims.
A suit fi led by a Herm-
iston family on behalf of
their son in September will
now be heard by the U.S.
District Court, moved up
from the state level. Dawna
and Todd Martin allege
that their son, Connor,
was allowed to play foot-
EO fi le photo
Two horses run through a pasture at the Buck Brogoitti Animal Rescue outside Pendleton in 2011. The pair of
horses were found abandoned near the Cold Springs Reservoir.
Buck Brogoitti Animal
Rescue shuts down
ball after he had already
had a concussion while on
the fi eld, and claim that
district and athletic staff
did not take proper mea-
sures to inform them, or
to make sure their son was
physically and medically
sound before returning to
the fi eld. The family has
sued the district for med-
ical costs and emotional
distress.
The district’s response
lists eight defenses, includ-
ing contributory negli-
gence — stating that the
“plaintiff’s damages were
caused in whole or in part
by his own intentional acts,
or the negligence (sic) of
intentional acts of other
parties, or non-parties.”
Roy Blaine, the trial
court administrator for the
Umatilla County Court-
house, said there are
See Concussion, Page A10
Jogging in the fog
back and mortgaged her rentals and drained her sav-
ings to trudge on with the sanctuary. Her health is in
decline and she continues to grieve for her daughter,
he Buck Brogoitti Animal Rescue just outside
who died in 2017. With no more money coming in
Pendleton is in its fi nal days. Director Tamara
and only enough hay to last through the weekend for
Brogoitti said circumstances have
the 15 horses at the rescue, she was done.
forced her to shut it down.
“I was at the breaking point,” Bro-
“It’s sad,” she said. “I gave it my best.”
‘IT’S SAD. goitti said.
John Trumbo, former Umatilla County
She reached out on the operation’s
I GAVE IT Facebook page, asking for donations
sheriff, worked with Brogoitti in 2010 to
use her land to provide a home to horses
hay. Someone on Facebook notifi ed
MY BEST.’ of
the sheriff’s offi ce seized in abuse and
Laura Zirjacks-Stark about the circum-
neglect cases. The large-animal sanctu-
stances at Buck Brogoitti. Zirjacks-Stark
Tamara Brogoitti,
ary became a charitable nonprofi t and
is the president and co-founder of the
director of The
operated under a six-member advisory
nonprofi t Community Equine Outreach
Buck Brogoitti
board that included Umatilla County
of Eastern Washington.
Animal Rescue
Sheriff Terry Rowan and Pendleton attor-
“We kind of had to step up — we’re
ney Rob Collins, now Umatilla County
the closest one to her,” she said.
circuit judge.
Community Equine Outreach is a nonprofi t
Brogoitti said the board stopped meeting a few
in Mesa, Washington, about a 90-minute drive
years ago and some of its members moved from
See Rescue, Page A10
Pendleton. She had to stop taking horses a while
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
T
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Rosemary Chapman and her dog, Annie, go for a jog in the
fog Friday along County Road 1003, north of Pendleton.
Pacifi c Power seeks to soothe ire of local customers
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Local Pacifi c Power cus-
tomers irked at what they
saw as unfair power bills
remain on the hook for
payment.
Pacifi c Power spokes-
person Drew Hanson said
the company is aware of the
complaints and is working
with the customers. He said
until last Friday, the compa-
ny’s customer service team
had not seen an uptick in
calls from the Pendleton
area nor an increase on its
social media channels.
“That said, our top con-
cern is for our customers,”
Hanson said, “and we take
any and all questions seri-
ously and welcome feed-
back about our system and
service.”
Amanda Lofting, of
Pendleton, saw her bill
increase from $122.50
in November to $287 in
December. She said that was
baffl ing because she works
12-hour shifts so she is not
home half the time.
Pacifi c Power sent some-
one to check her meters, she
said, and “they came back
that they were still reading
right, according to them.” A
customer service representa-
tive also called and listened
to her concerns, she said,
and set her up an equal pay-
ment plan, which dropped
her bill to $34.
“That’s a lot better than
$300,” she said.
Hanson explained the
equal payments plan does
not provide a discounted rate
but rather levels out pay-
ments to make monthly bud-
geting more predictable.
See Bills, 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.