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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 2019)
MCC FOOTBALL: Ryan Arnold leads the pack | SPORTS, B1 E O AST 143rd Year, No. 260 REGONIAN THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2019 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD MILTON-FREEWATER FUN IN THE MUD Ambulance service in hands of M-F voters Voters to decide on two measures in November By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian MILTON-FREEWATER — Mil- ton-Freewater could lose its ambulance service unless residents there support a tax rate increase come November. The Milton-Freewater Area Health District collects about $165,000 a year on a rate of 25 cents per $1,000 of assessed value and contracts with Mil- ton-Freewater Emergency Medical Services for ambulance services. The fi ve-year contract ends June 30, 2022, but district chair Dan Kilmer and fel- low members told a small crowd Tues- day night in Milton-Freewater there is no way the private company is going to re-up for another fi ve years at such a See Ambulance, Page A8 Pendleton High School’s annual tradition continued Wednesday Staff photo by Ben Lonergan A group of Mud Wars participants jumps and plays in the mud pit following Wednesday night’s tug-of-war competition at the Happy Canyon Arena in Pendleton By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian ENDLETON — Every year, teams of adrenaline-charged Pendleton High School girls jump into a muddy pit for a slip- pery tug-of-war combat. The girls begin the slimy tug fest in pris- tine costumes that quickly darken to chocolate brown. It’s all good, not exactly clean fun to raise money for charity and school organizations. It’s Mud Wars. On Wednesday night, to music pulsing from the Happy Canyon Arena speakers, teams scrambled into the ooze and squared off at opposite ends of the mud Staff photo by Ben Lonergan See Mud Wars, Page A8 A team of competitors attempts to win the tug-of-war at Pendleton High School’s Mud Wars at the Happy Canyon Arena on Wednesday night. P Umatilla County OKs Amazon deal By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian PENDLETON — The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners gave its approval for a 15-year property tax break to Amazon to build new data cen- ters near Stanfi eld. In exchange, the mul- tinational tech giant agrees to pay tens of millions over that span to the county and Hermiston. The Hermiston City Council approved the deal Tuesday night, requiring Ama- zon Data Services to invest no less than $200 million in the Greater Hermiston Enterprise Zone, which the city and the county co-sponsor. The county board of commissioners took on the matter Wednesday morning in Pendleton. County counsel Doug Olsen told the county board that in lieu of taxes, Ama- zon agrees to pay at least $2 million a year to the county and city. The local governments are working on an agree- ment about how to spend the money. Amazon also will pay an annual amount equal to the property tax on an assessed value of $25 million, but that won’t be on the tax rolls. Still, Olsen said, See Amazon, Page A8 2 Oregon counties offer smartphone option to overseas voters Umatilla and Jackson counties participating in pilot project By ANDREW SELSKY Associated Press PENDLETON — Two Oregon counties are offer- ing the opportunity for U.S. military members, their dependents and others liv- ing overseas to vote in spe- cial elections this November with smartphones, offi cials announced Wednesday. While some technology experts have warned that such systems could be inse- cure, the two counties have already advised hundreds of registered voters living overseas about the option to cast ballots using block- chain-based mobile voting. Oregon residents normally vote by mail. Jackson County in Southern Oregon has noti- fi ed almost 400 voters over- seas about the pilot proj- ect. Umatilla County in northern Oregon is also participating. “This is very, very new to me,” said Kim Lin- dell, elections manager of Umatilla County. “I’m not sure how well received it will be.” The county has sent 63 notices to overseas voters that they can vote using the new system, Lindell said. “It’s said to be very secure, and I think that our overseas people will benefi t from it if they decide to give it a try,” Lindell said. Blockchain is a digital public ledger that can be shared and used by a large, decentralized network, making it theoretically more resistant to tampering. Jackson County Clerk Christine Walker expressed confi dence in the system and said it will help ensure the votes of those overseas See Smartphone, Page A8 EO fi le photo Umatilla County elections manager Kim Lindell, left, gives directions on how to handle a replacement ballot to Norma Staebler and Deanna Brandhagen while tabulating ballots in May 2018 at the Umatilla County Elections Division offi ce in Pendleton.