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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 22, 2019)
REGION Tuesday, October 22, 2019 East Oregonian A3 Pendleton crowns homecoming queen ODOT Photo Highway 204, known as the Tollgate Highway, was closed for much of the weekend. Heavy snow and high winds brought trees and branches onto the highway, prompting its closure Saturday afternoon. Tollgate Highway reopens after closure EO Media Group Staff photo by Kathy Aney Brooklyn Lunny gives hugs after being crowned homecoming queen at halftime of Friday’s Pendleton High School game against Parkrose. Former nonprofi t treasurer charged Robin Lynn Pickard charged with eight counts related to theft from Sunset Housing By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian PENDLETON — Robin Lynn Pickard of Athena has an arraignment Thursday to face eight felony counts of theft for stealing from a nonprofi t. The charges come three months after the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce arrested Pickard, 39, for siphoning thousands of dollars from Sunset Hous- ing, where she served as treasurer. Sunset Housing pro- vides housing for the elderly and selected Pickard as its treasurer on Nov. 29, 2016. Accord i ng to a search warrant affi davit in Pickard the case, she wrote a $15,000 check from Sun- set to her personal business, Athena Income Tax Ser- vices. Throughout the fol- lowing year, Pickard sucked out more than $63,000 from Sunset Housing. The sheriff’s offi ce began its investigation in early 2018 and made the arrest July 25. State court records show a Uma- tilla County grand jury on Oct. 4 indicted Pickard on eight counts of felony theft. Circuit Judge Chris- topher Brauer is presiding over Pickard’s arraignment Thursday at 3 p.m. in his Pendleton courtroom. The state is charging her with four counts of fi rst-de- gree aggravated theft for stealing at least $10,000 from Sunset on four dates from 2016-17, including on Nov. 30, 2016. The other four are fi rst-degree theft charges for stealing at least $1,000 on four dates from 2017-18. Court records show Pick- ard signed a security release and and paid $2,000 to stay out of jail the same the day the grand jury handed up the charges. Pickard’s attorney, Michael Breiling of Pend- leton, fi led a motion com- pelling the state to provide its reports, documents and other discovery, including who it plans to call as wit- Court OKs delay in Mattila trial Defense attorney delays start of trial to investigate fatal February crash By PHIL WRIGHT East Oregonian PENDLETON — John McKenzie Mattila of Weston no longer goes to trial in early November for manslaughter and related charges. Mattila’s attorney, Jody Stutsman Vaughan of Pendleton, asked Umatilla County Circuit Judge Jon Lieuallen to delay the trial so she could have more time to investigate the deadly crash her client was involved in the night of Feb. 22. The trial was to start Nov. 4. Lieuallen on Mon- day signed the order grant- ing the delay and has not set new trial dates. Instead, Vaughan and the prosecu- tor in the the case, Deputy District Attorney Daniel Pachico, will head to court on that date to continue a rg u me nt s over several motions. Pachico in a motion Mattila in July asked the court to decide whether he could show a jury Matti- la’s hospital records, includ- ing test results for his blood alcohol level, derogatory slurs Mattila made against the victim and jail book- ing photos showing Mat- tila grinning. Court records also show Pachico’s exhibit list includes video of Matti- la’s attempt to escape, the St. Anthony Hospital records and photos of the crash scene. Vaughan has asserted the state does not have the right to present the hospi- tal records and Mattila’s comments about the victim and the photos would preju- dice the jury. She also fi led a motion to suppress other statements Mattila made, arguing Oregon State Police Awnings · Patio/Sun Shades Pergolas ·Patio Covers · Solar Shades Solar Screens & More! Ask about our Monthly Specials! 10/22 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie Dr. Jim Hejmanowski Pioneer Memorial Clinic & Hospital Since 2019 “It’s not just what I do, it’s who I choose to be.” Excited to join the MCHD Family of Caregivers! A Healthier Morrow County is Within Me. My career has taken me to many places. From Illinois to Colorado to Wyoming, each place I’ve had the privilege of practicing medicine has been a rewarding experience. My diverse background in family and emergency medicine, as a hospitalist and director of palliative care, have prepared me well for this next chapter. My family’s roots are in rural and we’re so happy to now call Heppner our home, and MCHD the place where I can make a difference. Showing Wednesday @ 12p Uncle Buck Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (PG) 2D 6:50p 4:00p 9:30p Read About How We are Working Together to be a Healthier Community Today and Zombieland: Double Tap (R) 5:00p 7:20p 9:40p HealthyMC.org The Addams Family (PG) 2D 4:30p 6:40p 8:50p Gemini Man (PG13) 4:10p 7:00p 9:40p 509-308-1354 Joker (R) 4:20p 7:10p 9:50p FREE ESTIMATES! www.nwshadeco.com 102 E Columbia Dr. Kennewick 99336 Senior Trooper Jeremy Gunter planned on arresting Mattila for felony hit-and- run, but did not advise him of his rights at the start. The state has accused Mattila, 24, of driving drunk the evening of Feb. 22 and killing Adelaida Solis Torres in a car crash on Highway 11 near Weston. Solis Torres, 52, worked for the Oregon Department of Human Services and was driving a state vehicle at the time. Mattila has pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter, hit-and-run on an injured person, driv- ing under the infl uence of intoxicants and more. nesses. Breiling also noti- fi ed the state his client will not waive her right to con- front all persons testifying against her. Breiling also fi led a motion to disqualify Cir- cuit Judge Dan Hill because Pickard does not believe he would give her a fair trial. ELGIN — Fallen trees closed Tollgate Highway for most of the weekend. Highway 204 reopened Sunday at about 12:30 p.m. after the Oregon Depart- ment of Transportation closed the route Saturday around 5 p.m. after heavy snowfall and strong winds caused trees and branches to collapse and fall on to the highway. The closure extended for all 37 miles of Highway 204 from a few miles west of Elgin at Summerville and High- way 204 west to Weston. ODOT crews began work- ing to remove between 100 and 150 downed trees and trimming others, said department spokesman Tom Strandberg. The situation improved Sunday by 9 a.m. to the point the state reduced clo- sure to the stretch of high- way running 14 miles from Summerville Road and Highway 204 west to the Spout Springs ski area. But as of 8 p.m. Sunday, shoul- der closures remained in effect on Highway 204 from mileposts 27-30, a stretch that runs about 14-17 miles west of Elgin. Crews placed safety cones along those shoulders, which had debris from trees that were cut up. Standberg said what happened this weekend occurs every few years on Highway 204 at the end of October or in November. However, he noted, while this was unusual for trees to fall this early in autumn, Highway 204 is vulnerable to the situation because so many trees are close to the highway. “There is not a buffer (between Tollgate High- way and the trees),” he said. License #188965 * Matinee Pricing wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 Where healthier is happening... 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