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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2019)
FOREST SERVICE MONITORING EAGLE CAP LIGHTNING FIRE NATIONAL NIGHT OUT MEDALLION FOUND IN HERMISTON NORTHWEST, A2 COMMUNITY, A5 E O AST 143rd year, No. 206 REGONIAN Friday, august 2, 2019 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Your Weekend Milton-Freewater man sues Walmart over broken spine By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian • Oinkari Basque Dancers, Heritage Station Museum •Community Night Out, downtown Athena • Oldies Night: The Rolling Stones, Milton-Freewater M iLtON-Fr EEWa- tEr — Milton-Freewater youth pastor Joshua ash- ley is suing Walmart for more than $2 million after he broke his neck while wearing an inflatable ball the company’s store sold. ashley strapped him- self into the Bubble Ball while playing games at a church camp on July 20, 2017, according to the complaint Portland attor- ney Ron Cheng filed two weeks ago in federal court in Portland. ashley’s wife, Katie ashley, is the other plaintiff in the complaint. ashely, 32, referred questions to Cheng, who said his client bought the ball new, inflated it and followed the meager instructions in the manual for wearing the shoulder harness. He tried to bump into someone else who donned another of the plastic bub- bles. But the shoulder strap of ashley’s ball snapped, flinging him headfirst into the ball and the other user. the impact fractured his cervical spine. an emergency heli- copter flew Ashley to a Portland hospital. He was about 30. He worked as an See Walmart, Page A7 ALL CHARGED UP FOR DATES, TIMES AND VENUES, SEE COMING EVENTS, A3 Weekend Weather FRI SAT SUN 90/30 90/59 96/63 Boquist’s threats triggered fear Protective measures considered after state senator’s threats against senate president, OsP By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press saLEM — an Oregon state senator’s threats against the senate president and the state police on the eve of a walkout by senate republicans in June sent a wave of fear through the Capitol. some who work in the mar- bled, domed building wept, expressing fear of returning to the job, emails obtained late Wednesday by the associated Press show. among protective measures that were considered: escorting employees from their vehicles to their desks, creating secured work areas and even having state police at the dais in the senate chamber. republican sen. Brian Boquist warned on June 19 that if the state police were sent to force him to return during the walkout by gOP senators that they should “send bachelors and come heavily armed.” He Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Jordan McDonald poses for a portrait at the proposed site of a four-car electric charging station in the parking lot of the Heritage Station Museum. Pendleton closes in on grant for electric vehicle charging station By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian ENdLEtON — Pendleton has long been a pit stop for drivers looking to refuel, and it could soon be a des- tination for them recharge. the city is in the pro- cess of securing a $68,995 grant from Pacific Power to install a four-car electric charging sta- tion near Heritage station Museum at 108 P s.W. Frazer ave. the driving force behind the grant was Jordan Mcdonald, a Pendleton res- ident who served on the city’s library committee and development commission advisory committee. although he personally owns an elec- tric vehicle, Mcdonald said he usually charges his car at home and he was more motivated by the charging station’s poten- tial with travelers. the charging station will include two “quick charge” ports that can charge a vehicle in about 30 minutes. But some models don’t have quick charge capabil- ities, and they can use the station’s other ports, which will charge a car in four to Staff photo by Ben Lonergan See Charging, Page A7 A Tesla charges in the parking lot of the Wildhorse Resort & Casino parking lot. See Boquist, Page A7 Pendleton development Commission mulls new marketing plan By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian PENdLEtON — the urban renewal district has been trying to improve downtown Pendleton and the surrounding area for 16 years. But as it stares down the last four years before its scheduled sunset, the associate director of the Pendleton development Commis- sion is drafting a plan to make it more well known. associate director Charles denight recently released a draft of a marketing plan that aims for a specific audience. “this marketing plan focuses on increasing private develop- ment and on business building,” the plan’s introduction states. “the idea is to encourage build- ing owners to restore buildings Staff photo by Ben Lonergan The downtown urban renewal district can be seen from the top of the North Hill in Pendleton. to maximize use and value of the buildings. in addition, the plan would encourage developers to build new projects. Finally, the plan reaches business and potential business operators. the last seg- ment, by occupying the restored or new buildings, ensures the financial success of the develop- ers and building owners, which means higher building values and increased tax revenues to the city.” in an interview thursday, denight said there are some pro- grams, like the Jump start loan program, that could use some more publicity. But he said the main thing he would like to achieve through a marketing campaign is to have potential developers and owners identify needs so the urban renewal district can help meet them. denight, who had a career in marketing before being hired by the commission in 2015, wants to reach that audience through new and updated brochures, a new and regularly updated website, social See Marketing, Page A7
