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