WEEKEND EDITION FORMER TIMBERWOLVES HAVE THEIR WAY ON DAY 3 | SPORTS, B1 Spencer Wright of Milford, Utah, bursts out of the chutes for an 86-point ride on the third day of the Pendleton Round-Up on Friday afternoon. SEPTEMBER 14-15, 2019 143rd Year, No. 237 Staff photo by Ben Lonergan $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD PENDLETON ROUND-UP Murdock to make visit to border Umatilla County Commissioner wants to see U.S. southern border crisis for himself By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian PENDLETON — Umatilla County Commissioner George Murdock leaves Monday on a fact-fi nding visit to the United States’ southern border. Murdock, commissioner since 2013, is one of the fi ve vice chairs on the National Association of Counties’ Immigration Reform Task Force. NACo, a pro-county lobbying organization, put 54 members on the task force, and Murdock is the lone Oregonian. About a dozen task force members are traveling to El Paso, Texas, he said, and over the course of next week will go into Mexico to see fi rsthand what is happening on the border. The group plans to meet with local offi cials there as well as members of the U.S. Border Patrol. “One of our major focuses is trying to fi nd ways we can bring workers into the country,” Mur- dock said. While immigration is a hot political issue, Murdock said NACo is nonpartisan and looking for practical solutions to a serious problem counties are facing — the need for migrant labor. He said Umatilla County alone relies on 8,000-10,000 Hispanic workers in multiple job sectors. Agriculture tops that list, and Murdock said local farmers have reminded him they need migrant labor. A new tradition Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Sunsky Buck watches a mule exit Lynda Claypool and Larry White’s truck as they arrive at the Pendleton Round-Up on Thursday afternoon. By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian P ENDLETON — A nos- talgic event at its core, the Pendleton Round-Up is governed by traditions. Traditions determine what the rodeo looks like, how the parades operate, and who occupies Main Street during Round-Up week. But not all traditions are so ingrained, and some have developed much later in the event’s 109-year history. Take the case of teamsters Lynda Claypool and Larry White. The couple arrived at the Round-Up Grounds late Thursday afternoon, parking a box truck fi lled with mules Watching the Round-Up through a camera lens By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian PENDLETON — As bareback riding got underway at the Pendleton Round-Up Thurs- day, the third horse of the afternoon decided to add a little extra excitement to the show. Free Shipping, ridden by Austin Foss, veered suddenly to the right and barreled straight into a scrum of photographers and cowboys, hooves fl ying as everyone Staff photo by Ben Lonergan scattered. The sight of photographers scrambling out Photographers watch from behind the pro- tection of a PVC pipe fence as bull riders exit See Border, Page A14 See Mules, Page A14 See Camera, Page A14 the chutes nearby. Umatilla prison boss resigns in wake of investigation Troy Bowser served as the boss of Two Rivers Correctional Institution since 2017 By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian UMATILLA — Troy Bowser is out as superintendent of the state prison in Umatilla. Bowser served as the boss of Two Rivers Cor- rectional Institu- tion since 2017. He was under a human resources investigation since April and on administrative Bowser leave since June for allegations of inappropriate and unprofessional conduct. Michael Gower, assistant director of operations for the Ore- gon Department of Corrections, sent an email Friday morning to all department employees stating Bowser tendered his resignation effective the day before. Beyond that, Gower stated, Tyler Blewett will continue as acting superintendent until fur- ther notice. The East Oregonian fi led a public records request for Bowser’s resignation letter. The Department of Corrections denied the request. “The agency’s Department of Justice attorney will contact Mr. Bowser’s legal counsel to offer him an opportunity to hold a name clearing hearing,” accord- ing to an email from Jennifer Black, communications man- ager for corrections. “We cannot release any documentation until that decision is made.” See Prison, Page A14