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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2019)
MUELLER REPORT MEMO DELIGHTS TRUMP, REPUBLICANS DUCKS KEEP DREAM ALIVE SPORTS, B3 E O AST 143rd year, No. 114 Transit dollars headed to local projects NATION, A6 REGONIAN Tuesday, March 26, 2019 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD HIGH WATER Rivers rise along with temperatures to swamp yards, roads hermiston to Boardman route among planned expansions By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Eastern Oregon is reap- ing the benefits of the state’s payroll tax for public transit. Umatilla County, Mor- row County and the Con- federated Tribes of the umatilla Indian reserva- tion were among the first 18 transit providers whose applications were approved to receive Statewide Trans- portation Improvement Fund money. Union, Wal- lowa, Baker, Grant and Har- ney counties were also on the list. The funds come from a one-tenth of 1 percent pay- roll tax instituted as part of the legislature’s 2017 trans- portation package. The money is to be dedicated to public transit improve- ments, from adding routes to upgrading bus fleets. Bob Waldher, director of Umatilla County’s depart- ment of land use planning, said Umatilla County is eligible to pull in nearly $1 million per year. As a result of its first applica- tion, the county will receive $398,000 in 2019, $692,000 in 2020, and $794,000 in 2021 to fund 11 projects rec- ommended by the county’s STIF advisory board. The seven-person board cur- rently has one opening. “In Umatilla County, the funding will help fund projects that improve and expand public transit for seniors and the disabled, low-income families, and the county’s growing work- force population,” Waldher said in an email. Some of the money will go toward creating a new hermiston to Boardman route by Kayak Public Tran- sit that would connect cities See Transit, Page A8 Staff photo by E.J. Harris High water inundates the bases of trees along the Umatilla River on Monday in Pendleton. High temperatures, melting snow and and rain over the week- end has local rivers and streams cresting over their banks. By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian Larry Stone awoke Sunday morning around 7 and looked out the window over his backyard where Tutuilla Creek flows by in Pendleton. “My backyard was gone,” Stone said. Rather than grass, muddy water from the usual yard-wide Tutuilla Creek washed about 80 feet up his yard. The National Weather Ser- vice in Pendleton issued a flood advisory for the weekend cover- ing much of Eastern Oregon. But Stone said the scene surprised him and the flooding even eroded a 3-foot earthen berm he built along the banks. “I’ve lived there seven years,” he said, “and it’s never come this high.” Several locations in Umatilla and Morrow counties experienced flooding that started Saturday from fast melting mountain snow. Wil- low Creek swamped the rodeo arena at the Morrow County Fair- grounds, Heppner, and the debris in the creek’s high water took out a footbridge at the town’s golf course. Umatilla County emergency manager Tom Roberts said Monday afternoon he surveyed the flooding at Noble road outside hermiston. He said water from Butter Creek appears to have dumped into a nearby canal. “Right now, Noble Road is closed for high water,” he said. Roberts said he didn’t have an exact depth of the water on the road, but it was enough to reach the grill on high-profile rigs. “I’m not taking my (Chevrolet) Trailblazer across it, I’ll tell you “I’VE LIVED THERE SEVEN YEARS, AND IT’S NEVER COME THIS HIGH.” Larry Stone, who lives near Tutuilla Creek in Pendleton. He awoke Sunday to find his back yard under water. See Flooding, Page A8 Hermiston dance team wins state competition By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian The hermiston Bulldogs have their first Washington title. In its first year compet- ing north of the state border, the Hermiston High School dance team took home a first-place trophy Friday at the Washington Interscho- lastic Activities Associa- tion dance competition in Yakima. hermiston, a 3a team, competed in the Show divi- sion, one of several perfor- mance categories. Twenty dancers performed, and the theme of their show was “Taken.” Head coach Ashley Sei- bel said they were one of three teams in their division. “This is our first season competing in Washington, and things are a little dif- ferent than in Oregon,” she said. In order to go to the state competition, the team had to first qualify for the district competition, and then use that to qualify for state. Seibel said this year brought a lot of changes for the dance team. In addi- tion to competing in a new state, and in a division they’d never entered, they also had several new mem- bers join the team later in the season. Most of the team starts doing conditioning in June, and has a full nine- month schedule of 5 a.m. weekday practices, ballet lessons every Monday, and Photo contributed by Ashley Seibel See Dance, Page A8 The Hermiston High School dance team took home first place in the WIAA state competition’s Show division on Friday. 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.
