Biglow has record night at Farm-City Pro Rodeo | SPORTS, A8
E O
AST
143rd Year, No. 213
REGONIAN
TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 2019
Salmon
habitat gets
$15 million
grant
Mother
confi rms
Newsome
died
Federal and state
funding support
county and tribal
projects
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
By KATY NESBITT
For the East Oregonian
SALEM — Oregon’s
salmon and steelhead bearing
streams will benefi t from $15
million recently allocated by
the National Marine Fisheries
Service.
The Pacifi c Coast Salmon
Recovery Fund money, along
with Oregon Lottery pro-
ceeds, are granted to the
state’s soil and water conser-
vation districts and water-
shed councils by the Ore-
gon Watershed Enhancement
Board to improve habitat for
species listed on the federal
Endangered Species List.
Eric Williams, grant pro-
gram manager at the Water-
shed Enhancement Board,
said the state applies and
receives money from the fund
every year. He said nationally
the fund contributes $65 mil-
lion to Western states with
salmon runs to restore habitat
for endangered species.
Twice a year, county and
regional groups are encour-
aged to apply for fund-
ing through the Watershed
Enhancement Board.
“The program solicits a
broad range of water quality
and habitat projects for spe-
cies protection,” Williams
said. “It’s an awesome way to
leverage dollars and make the
money go so much further.”
The Joseph Field Offi ce for
the Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries
is one of the entities receiv-
ing money for salmon habitat
work. Katie Frenyea, water-
shed project leader for the
tribe, oversees some of that
funding.
“Typically they like to des-
ignate the money to stream
restoration involving channel
work for ESA salmonids,” she
said.
Frenyea said she doesn’t
know how much of the federal
money is used for her proj-
ects. However, Frenyea said
she is required to measure and
record data in such a way that
National Marine Fisheries
can tabulate how many miles
of stream were treated, what
amount of large wood was
put into streams for juvenile
habitat and how many acres
or miles of vegetation was
planted along stream banks.
Generally speaking, Wil-
liams said the habitat resto-
ration grants are funded one-
$1.50
WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Youth
livestock
auction a
bittersweet
day for fair
kids
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Blake Palzinski herds his pig down an alleyway on Saturday afternoon after auctioning off the animal at the
Umatilla County Fair.
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
ERMISTON — As Annikah Perez
waited to sell her 147-pound lamb
at the Umatilla County Fair’s youth
livestock auction on Saturday, her
voice wavered as she described the good
times she had with Tulip.
“I’m very sad,” the 13-year-old Herm-
iston 4-H student said, sniffi ng. “I love
Tulip very much.”
The sheep is stubborn, she said, “but
that’s my favorite part about her.”
It was Annikah’s sixth year showing
an animal at the fair, so she knew how
H
See Auction, Page A7
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Ayrin Davis, of the Farm City Wranglers, gets a hug from her
older sister after her 4-H sheep was auctioned off Saturday
morning at the Umatilla County Fair.
See Grant, Page A7
PENDLETON — Ryan
Corey Newsome of Pendle-
ton died this weekend after
fl eeing police Thursday and
shooting himself in the head.
Newsome, 28, was at
Kadlec Regional Medical
Center in Richland, Wash-
ington. His mother, Gina
Schertenleib, in a Facebook
message to the East Ore-
gonian confi rmed doctors
declared her son brain dead
Friday but kept the body on
life support to harvest his
organs.
“He will be able to help
at least eight people,” she
stated, “more if they can do
eyes and tissue.”
Pendleton police were
looking to arrest Newsome
in connection to a shoot-
ing early Thursday. He led
police that afternoon on a
chase that ended on Inter-
state 84 near milepost 210.
Oregon State Police in Pend-
leton continues to inves-
tigate his death. Lt. Mike
Turner with state police said
that includes how Newsome
got a gun.
The Oregon Depart-
ment of Corrections released
Newsome on May 1, 2017,
after he served more than
seven years in state prison
for felony sex crimes. Ore-
gon law prohibits felons
from possessing fi rearms.
Turner said state police
would try to trace the serial
number of the gun Newsome
had to fi nd out who owned it
last.
Pendleton police Chief
Stuart Roberts was at the
terrible scene and said New-
some had a quality hand-
gun, not some cheap, Satur-
day-night special.
Roberts also revealed the
background that led police to
look at Newsome as the sus-
pect for the Thursday morn-
ing shooting.
A woman in May 2018
told Pendleton police New-
some left her a verbally abu-
sive message. She went on
a few dates with Newsome,
Roberts said, but she did
not pursue the relationship.
After the message, she asked
police to tell Newsome to
leave her alone.
She complained twice
more in June 2018 about
Newsome leaving her harass-
ing messages and driving by
and yelling at her. Roberts
said she asked about get-
ting a stalking order against
Newsome. The police chief
See Newsome, Page A7
Republican delegates prep for Pendleton
Umatilla County
hosting Oregon GOP
Platform Convention
for fi rst time
By ALEX CASTLE
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Dele-
gates of the Oregon Repub-
lican Party will be fl ocking
to the Pendleton Conven-
tion Center from all around
the state next weekend, with
Umatilla County set to host
the 2019 Oregon GOP Plat-
form Convention on Aug. 23
and 24.
“It’s
about
putting
together what Republicans
in the state fi nd important,”
Umatilla County GOP chair
Suni Danforth said.
It’s the fi rst time that
Pendleton and Umatilla
County have been chosen to
host the convention, which
is held every two years to
confi rm that party’s state
platform. Attendance is lim-
ited to state delegates and
county chairs for the party
along with others, who are
known as “bonus” or “alter-
native” delegates according
to Danforth.
“This convention is
to take an entire look at
the platform and make
tweaks and adjustments,”
Danforth said.
Specifi c attention, she
said, is given to ensuring the
platform is up-to-date with
the current political climate.
In total, Danforth said
she is anticipating up to 350
people attending the con-
vention. Costs of registra-
tion were $140 for pre-reg-
istration, which ended on
Sunday, and can still be pur-
chased for $200.
For those who aren’t offi -
cial party delegates, Dan-
forth said there’s still an
option available to be a part
of the event.
A fundraiser will be held
Saturday night of the con-
vention with guest speaker
Stephen Yates, who most
recently served as the chair
of the Idaho Republican
Party and most notably
served as former Vice Pres-
ident Dick Cheney’s Dep-
uty to the National Security
Advisor from 2001-2005.
Those interested in
attending the speech can
purchase a ticket for $50
from the Oregon Republican
Party’s website, or pay $250
for a VIP ticket that includes
a meet and greet, photo and
dinner with Yates.
When it comes to the
business of the convention,
Danforth said the delegates
will start on Friday by meet-
ing and then breaking into
smaller groups based on
issues or platform points that
they have particular inter-
est in. The groups will then
reconvene to open up dis-
cussions about each of the
groups’ thoughts and then
suggesting those “tweaks”
or “adjustments.”
Danforth said that all
changes to the platform will
be voted on by the delegates
present and then at the end
of the day on Saturday they
will vote on and approve the
entire Oregon Republican
Party Platform for the next
two years.
While he hasn’t regu-
larly attended the conven-
See GOP, Page A7