NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Saturday, February 23, 2019
BRIEFLY
with second-degree assault, unauthorized
use of a vehicle, strangulation, hit and
run with injury, reckless driving, driving
while suspended, reckless endangerment,
criminal mischief, failure to appear and
failure to pay fines.
Hermiston man arrested for
running over a woman
A Hermiston man was arrested Thurs-
day night and lodged in the Umatilla
County Jail on charges of domestic vio-
lence and assault, which included stran-
gulation and attempting to run over a
woman.
Jason Eugene Dungan, 38, was arrested
at Northwest 13th Street late Thursday
evening. According to a
Hermiston Police Depart-
ment press release, offi-
cers responded to a
domestic disturbance on
Northwest 13th Street
around 6:35 p.m. Thurs-
day, and found a 47-year-
Dungan
old woman lying on
the ground with what
appeared to be multiple injuries.
Umatilla County Fire District crews
transported the woman to Good Shep-
herd Medical Center, and she was later
flown to Portland for specialized treat-
ment for some of her injuries. Police said
they do not know her status as of Friday
afternoon.
The police investigation revealed that
Dungan and the woman had been argu-
ing verbally, but the fight turned physical.
Neighbors who witnessed the fight allege
that Dungan strangled the woman and
verbally threatened her life. The neighbor
intervened and stopped the assault. Dun-
gan allegedly grabbed the victim’s keys,
stole her vehicle and, according to the wit-
ness, drove the vehicle over the victim as
she was lying on the sidewalk, nearly hit-
ting witnesses as well.
Dungan returned to the scene around
11 p.m., was contacted by HPD officers,
and was taken into custody. He is lodged
in the Umatilla County Jail, and is charged
Pickup strikes pedestrian
in Pendleton
PENDLETON — A woman suffered
minor injuries Tuesday when a vehi-
cle struck her in a downtown Pendleton
crosswalk.
Pendleton police Lt. Tony Nelson
reported the slow-speed collision occurred
at 5:07 p.m. when the driver of a Dodge
pickup on Southwest Frazer Avenue was
turning left on Southwest First Street.
“He saw a pedestrian on the sidewalk
but did not realize she was crossing the
road within the crosswalk,” according
Nelson.
The driver turned into First and
stopped once he realized the woman was
crossing, but that was too late. The pickup
struck her in the crosswalk, knocking her
to the asphalt and causing her to suffer
minor injuries, Nelson reported.
An ambulance transported her to St.
Anthony Hospital, Pendleton, as a precau-
tion, and police cited the driver for failure
to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.
More snow predicted for
Blue Mountains, region
The National Weather Service is warn-
ing of a “prolonged snow event” to begin
Saturday night and last through Wednes-
day morning across the Northwest.
The winter storm could bring heavy
snow — 5-8 inches — in the lower Colum-
bia Basin and to the foothills of northern
Blue Mountains.
Forecast for Pendleton Area
TODAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Mostly cloudy and
cold
Cold with periods
of snow
Cold with snow,
total 4-8 inches
Cloudy, snow
possible; very cold
Mostly cloudy and
quite cold
39° 27°
31° 26°
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
29° 19°
35° 25°
29° 23°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
40° 27°
34° 29°
31° 20°
34° 27°
31° 24°
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
44/33
31/21
37/24
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
37/26
Lewiston
44/35
37/26
Astoria
45/34
Pullman
Yakima 33/24
42/31
36/25
Portland
Hermiston
46/36
The Dalles 40/27
Salem
Corvallis
46/38
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
37/29
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
46/40
40/32
38/33
Ontario
41/33
Caldwell
Burns
39°
16°
50°
30°
71° (1988) 13° (1993)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
46/39
0.00"
1.47"
0.75"
3.00"
1.61"
2.03"
Today
Boardman
Pendleton
Medford
47/39
Questions raised about
cannabis growers’ water use
Associated Press
BEND — Charles Cook
and Suezan Hill-Cook
didn’t think much of a medi-
cal marijuana growing oper-
ation when it set up shop
next to their home near Red-
mond in 2015. Over the next
few years, however, they
and other neighbors grew
increasingly frustrated with
the noise, smells and traffic
that come with a cannabis
operation.
Then, during the hot-
test part of last summer, the
well the couple relies on for
water went dry, and they
had to drill a new one. They
blamed the marijuana grow-
ing operation.
“That was the last straw,”
Hill-Cook said, The Bulletin
reported Friday.
State
and
federal
research does not link drops
in the water level to can-
nabis-growing operations.
While everyone agrees
that groundwater levels are
declining in parts of the
county, the research shows
recent declines are part of a
larger trend.
Still, the couple’s claim
is far from unique in
Deschutes County. In areas
of the county where canna-
bis operations have sprung
up, anecdotal reports of
wells running dry have fol-
lowed. While a state inves-
tigation determined that
growing operations had a
relatively limited effect on
groundwater near Tumalo,
that hasn’t stopped rural
Deschutes County residents
WINDS (in mph)
41/33
37/29
0.00"
1.72"
0.90"
3.79"
2.25"
2.28"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 35/23
47/38
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
39/27
39/31
40°
18°
49°
30°
68° (2002) 5° (1894)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
44/31
Aberdeen
29/16
30/22
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
45/35
AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File
In this Sept. 30, 2016, file photo, a marijuana harvester examines buds going through a trim-
ming machine near Corvallis.
Sun.
SSW 4-8
WSW 6-12
N 4-8
NW 6-12
from drawing a connection
between uses.
After recreational canna-
bis was legalized in Novem-
ber 2014, subsequent legis-
lation defined it as a farm
crop, to be protected under
Oregon’s Right to Farm laws
and subject to Oregon’s agri-
cultural water quality rules.
Deschutes County code
requires a business look-
ing to grow marijuana to
provide a water right per-
mit, a statement that water
is available from a public
or private water provider,
or proof from the Oregon
Water Resources Depart-
ment that the property does
not require a water right.
Some growers hop-
ing to break into the recre-
ational market eschew tra-
ditional irrigation water,
which is typically available
only from April to Octo-
ber. Instead, some growers
have secured rights to use
groundwater to grow canna-
bis year-round.
In 2017, Bill Tye, a long-
time Alfalfa resident with a
background in water man-
agement, began looking
into the impacts stemming
from cannabis operations
in response to one proposed
near his home. He found
that between 2015 and 2017
seven domestic wells in his
region had to be redrilled
and deepened. Tye, who
died in January, included
the findings in written tes-
timony opposing the pro-
posed cannabis operation.
A 2013 study from the
U.S. Geological Survey
concluded that parts of the
Deschutes Basin saw water
level declines of up to 14
feet between the mid-1990s
and mid-2000s, years before
recreational marijuana was
legalized.
In response to concerns
expressed by the Deschutes
County Commission, the
Oregon Water Resources
Department
investigated
11 marijuana growers near
Tumalo during the sum-
mer of 2018. Central Oregon
Watermaster Jeremy Giffin,
who conducted the investi-
gation, concluded the hand-
ful of growing operations
that had gotten up and run-
ning in the area had a very
small impact on the over-
all decline in groundwater
levels.
“At the end of day, we
were surprised at how little
water they were using,” Gif-
fin said.
Giffin attributed the
declines to a prolonged
period of dry weather,
which has resulted in less
snowmelt replenishing the
region’s groundwater sup-
ply, along with more peo-
ple using the groundwater in
rural Deschutes County and
less water seeping into the
system as more irrigation
canals get piped.
He said the average mar-
ijuana grower uses about
3,000 gallons of ground-
water per day, significantly
more than most homes, but
less than many agricultural
uses.
“That is just a drop in the
bucket,” Giffin said.
CORRECTIONS: The East Oregonian works hard to be accurate and sincerely
regrets any errors. If you notice a mistake in the paper, please call 541-966-0818.
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
39/29
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
6:45 a.m.
5:33 p.m.
10:53 p.m.
9:15 a.m.
Last
New
First
Full
Feb 26
Mar 6
Mar 14
Mar 20
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 90° in Immokalee, Fla. Low -36° in West Yellowstone, Mont.
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
A BENEFIT FOR THE WOOLERY PROJECT
COUNTRY
COWBOY
EXPERIENCE
MARCH 2؏2019
JONI HARMS
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
-10s
-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
50s
ice
60s
cold front
E AST O REGONIAN
— Founded Oct. 16, 1875 —
211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211
333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211
Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed major holidays
EastOregonian.com
To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255
or go online to EastOregonian.com
and click on ‘Subscribe’
East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday,
Monday and postal holidays, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers
Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. Periodicals postage paid at Pendleton, OR.
Postmaster: send address changes to
East Oregonian, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801.
Copyright © 2019, EO Media Group
70s
80s
90s
100s
warm front stationary front
110s
high
low
Subscriber services:
For mail delivery, online access, vacation stops
or delivery concerns call 1-800-522-0255 ext. 1
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
EZPay
52 weeks
26 weeks
13 weeks
Local home delivery Savings (cover price)
$14.50
41 percent
$173.67
41 percent
$91.86
38 percent
$47.77
36 percent
*EZ Pay = one-year rate with a monthly credit
or debit card/check charge
Single copy price:
$1.50 Tuesday through Saturday
Circulation Manager:
Bonny Tuller, 541-966-0828
IS A GREAT SINGER,
SONGWRITER AND ENTERTAINER
WHO HONORS THE TRADITIONS OF
WESTERN LIFESTYLE THROUGH HER MUSIC.
PENDLETON, OREGON
LET’ER BUCK ROOM
CHUCKWAGON DINER 5:30 PM
LIVE MUSIC 6:30 PM
TICKETS $40
FACEBOOK.COM/THEWOOLERYPROJECTINC
ADVERTISING
Regional Publisher and Revenue Director:
• Christopher Rush
541-278-2669 • crush@eomediagroup.com
Advertising Services:
• Angela Treadwell
541-966-0827 • atreadwell@eastoregonian.com
• Grace Bubar
541-276-2214 • gbubar@eastoregonian.com
Multimedia Consultants:
• Kimberly Macias
541-278-2683 • kmacias@eastoregonian.com
• Jeanne Jewett
541-564-4531 • jjewett@eastoregonian.com
• Dayle Stinson
541-278-2670 • dstinson@eastoregonian.com
• Audra Workman
541-564-4538 • aworkman@eastoregonian.com
Classified & Legal Advertising
1-800-962-2819 or 541-278-2678
classifieds@eastoregonian.com or legals@eastoregonian.com
NEWS
• To submit news tips and press releases:
call 541-966-0818 or email news@eastoregonian.com
• To submit community events, calendar items and Your EO News:
email community@eastoregonian.com or call Tammy Malgesini
at 541-564-4539 or Renee Struthers at 541-966-0818.
• To submit engagements, weddings and anniversaries:
email rstruthers@eastoregonian.com or visit eastoregonian.
com/community/announcements
• To submit sports or outdoors information or tips:
541-966-0838 • sports@eastoregonian.com
Business Office Manager:
541-966-0822
COMMERCIAL PRINTING
Production Manager: Mike Jensen
541-215-0824 • mjensen@eastoregonian.com