REGION
Friday, May 31, 2019
McNary Olympians shine
East Oregonian
BRIEFLY
Evangelists to speak at
Stanfield church
STANFIELD — Nathan and Tracy
Webber will serve as guest speakers
during a pair of services at Crossroads
Community Church in Stanfield.
The public is invited to hear the
couple speak Sunday at 9:30 a.m. and
10:30 a.m. The church is located at 350
N. Sherman St., Stanfield.
More than 30 years ago, Rev. Michael
Kinlock talked Nathan into presenting
a message at a Stanfield High School
assembly.
According to Kinlock, who recently
retired from the ministry at the Stanfield
church, that was the start of Webber’s
ministry to the nation.
Nathan Webber went on to become
an evangelist, speaking before 250,000
to 350,000 students a year in secondary
schools and churches across the nation.
Tracy is an accomplished musician and
actor on local stages in the Willamette
Valley.
For more information, call 541-449-
3434 or 541-449-1251.
ODFW Fish Passage Task
Force meets in John Day
Above, Edgar Rosales, a Mc-
Nary Heights fifth-grader,
throws the turbo javelin at
Thursday’s McNary Olym-
pics at Umatilla High School.
At left, Rachael Salas, a
McNary Heights fifth-grad-
er, races the 100-yard dash
during Thursday’s McNary
Olympics at Umatilla High
School.
Staff photos by Kathy Aney
PGE establishes scholarship
fund for laid-off workers
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
BOARDMAN — Port-
land General Electric is
attempting to dull the sting
of upcoming mass layoffs
at Boardman Coal Plant
by offering employees free
classes at Blue Mountain
Community College.
PGE spokesman Ste-
ven Corson said the com-
pany’s $30,000 donation to
BMCC to establish the pro-
gram was one of the ways
PGE was avoiding leaving
its employees high and dry.
“We don’t want to be
that company,” he said.
PGE announced its
intention to cease coal-
based energy production
at the plant back in 2010,
but they recently started
talking with the more than
70 employees who work in
Boardman about their post-
coal plant options as the
deadline loomed.
Corson
said
some
employees talked about
transferring to another
PGE worksite while others
mulled retiring.
But for those employees
who were looking to stay
in the area, the company
is offering them a chance
to switch careers by get-
ting a degree or certificate
at BMCC.
Corson said the program
was not only meant to ben-
efit their employees, but
act as a retention tactic to
SALEM — Oregon’s Fish Passage Task
Force will meet June 7-8 in John Day.
On June 7, the meeting will be held
from 8 a.m. to noon at the Grant County
Regional Airport conference room in
John Day.
The meeting is open to the public and
the agenda includes general ODFW fish
passage program updates, updates on the
2019 Statewide Barrier Prioritization,
seven new fish passage waiver requests
as part of the ODOT Fish Passage Miti-
gation Banking Pilot Project and discus-
sions on local John Day Basin fish pas-
sage priorities.
As with all Task Force meetings, there
is a public comment period that starts at
11 a.m. June 7. Public participation is
encouraged.
Multiple project site visits are sched-
uled for both days. Transportation to site
visits is not provided.
The nine-member Task Force meets
regularly to advise ODFW on fish pas-
sage policies and issues.
Task Force members represent water
users and owners-operators, fisheries
EO File Photo
The Boardman power plant is set to close at the end of 2020.
arship recipients will get
as much as $1,500 toward
their tuition.
Recipients must be
enrolled in at least one
class, and if they main-
tain at least a 2.5 grade
point average, they will get
another $1,500 for a second
term.
Corson said the schol-
arship fund will remain
active through the end of
2021, one year after the
Boardman Coal Plant is
slated to close.
White-Zollman
said
six PGE employees have
already applied for the
scholarship.
and conservation interests, and the gen-
eral public-at-large.
The draft meeting agenda and addi-
tional information on the Task Force
and the ODFW Fish Passage Program is
available on the Task Force website or by
contacting Greg Apke, ODFW Fish Pas-
sage Program Coordinator, at 503-947-
6228 or greg.d.apke@state.or.us.
Tribal Health Center
receives bomb threat
MISSION — On Thursday, the Yellow-
hawk Tribal Health Center announced that
it had dealt with a bomb threat it received
more than a week ago.
In a press release, Yellowhawk states
that a patient made a “verbal bomb threat”
to an employee on May 21.
Staff reported the patient to the Uma-
tilla Tribal Police Department, which later
arrested the person off-site.
Yellowhawk reported no damage or
injuries from the threat.
Defense in Umapine murder
case to argue mental illness
PENDLETON — The defense team for
murder suspect Antonio Vasquez-Var-
gas intends to argue their client suffered
extreme emotional disturbance or men-
tal illness.
Attorney Kara Davis of Pendleton
filed the notices Tuesday in Umatilla
County Circuit Court. The mental dis-
ease notice also applies to diminished
capacity. Evidence for either defense
includes expert testimony.
Vasquez-Vargas of Walla Walla has
pleaded not guilty to charges of felon in
possession of a firearm and murder stem-
ming from the Nov. 26, 2018, shooting
death of Renee Luiz-Antonio where they
worked on a dairy in Umapine.
Vasquez-Vargas, 53, has been in the
Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton, since
Nov. 30 following his capture in Kenne-
wick, Washington.
According
to
court
records,
Vasquez-Vargas told police the vic-
tim tried to harm and even kill him in
months and weeks prior, and he had no
choice but to take action first.
The case had a status check Wednes-
day in circuit court in Pendleton and
another coming up June 12.
Clinic at Hermiston High
School will open June 3
East Oregonian
ensure that employees have
an incentive to continue
working at the plan through
its closing date on Dec. 31,
2020.
Casey
White-Zoll-
man, BMCC’s vice pres-
ident of public relations,
said she and BMCC Foun-
dation Executive Direc-
tor Margaret Gianotti vis-
ited the Boardman facility
a few months ago and were
impressed by PGE’s plan.
“This is a pretty amaz-
ing thing they’re doing,”
she said.
According
to
White-Zollman, the PGE
Boardman
Scholarship
Fund is open to anyone who
is or will become unem-
ployed due to the closure of
the Boardman Coal Plant.
Starting with the sum-
mer term in June, schol-
A3
HERMISTON — The
Hermiston School Dis-
trict is partnering with
the Good Shepherd Health
Care System to open a
new Wellness Clinic at
Hermiston High School.
By using Good Shep-
herd Urgent Care staff
to offer illness evalua-
tion and treatment, vac-
cines, routine physical
exams and sports physi-
cals, both parties are hop-
ing the clinic will have
wide-ranging effects.
“A significant part of
our mission is to make
health care accessible to
our community. By part-
nering with the Hermis-
ton School District to pro-
vide a Wellness Clinic for
teachers, students, and
staff members we will
be able to provide for the
health care needs of our
community,” Good Shep-
herd Medical Group Vice
President Troy LeGore
said in a press release.
“The Wellness Clinic will
provide easy access to dis-
trict employees, teachers,
and students — reducing
absenteeism — providing
parents with an accessible
care option for their chil-
dren — all while provid-
ing high quality and com-
passionate care.”
The clinic will begin
operations on June 3 and
June 10 from 8 a.m. to
noon and on June 5 and
June 12 from noon to
4 p.m.
Students under 18 must
have a parent or guardian
turn in a parent consent
form and medical history
to receive care. If patients
have insurance, the clinic
will bill it.
Parents,
students,
and staff can make an
appointment by calling
541-667-6199.
Walk-ins
are
also
welcome.
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St. Anthony Provider Spotligh t
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is now accepting
new patients.
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Education: Boise State University,
Western University of Health Science
Board Certifi cation: Board Certifi ed
American, Board of Obstetrics and
Gynecology
5/31 - 6/2
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