A8
NATION/WORLD
East Oregonian
BRIEFLY
Georgia family
discovers owl in
Christmas tree
ATLANTA — A Geor-
gia family got a real hoot
from its Christmas tree:
More than a week after they
bought it, they discovered a
live owl nestled among its
branches.
Katie McBride Newman
said Friday that she and her
daughter spotted the bird on
Dec. 12. They had bought
the 10-foot tall tree from
a Home Depot, brought it
back to their Atlanta area
home and decorated it with
lights and, coincidentally,
owl ornaments.
“It was surreal, but we
weren’t really freaked out
about it,” McBride New-
man said. “We’re really out-
doorsy people. We love the
wilderness.”
Trump to deliver
State of Union
on Feb. 4
WASHINGTON
—
President Donald Trump
will deliver the State of the
Union to a joint session of
Congress on Feb. 4.
House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi sent a letter to the
president on Friday for-
mally inviting him to
deliver the address at the
U.S. Capitol.
“In the spirit of respect-
ing our Constitution, I
invite you to deliver your
State of the Union address
before a Joint Session of
Congress,” Pelosi wrote.
UK charges U.S.
diplomat’s wife
over teen’s death
LONDON — An Ameri-
can diplomat’s wife who left
Britain after being involved
in a fatal road accident that
killed a British teenager has
been charged, British pros-
ecutors said Friday.
British
police
say
19-year-old
motorcycle
rider Harry Dunn died
when he was hit by a car
driven by Anne Sacoolas,
whose husband was sta-
tioned at a U.S. military
base in England. Sacoolas
claimed diplomatic immu-
nity and left Britain after
the crash.
Dunn’s family has urged
her to return and face Brit-
ish justice, and met Presi-
dent Donald Trump as part
of their campaign.
Britain’s Crown Prose-
cution Service said it had
authorized police to charge
Sacoolas with causing death
by dangerous driving “fol-
lowing a thorough review
of the evidence available.”
A spokesman for the family
said they had been informed
of the charges.
Christian
magazine calls for
Trump’s removal
WASHINGTON
—
President Donald Trump
blasted a prominent Chris-
tian magazine on Friday,
a day after it published an
editorial arguing that he
should be removed from
offi ce because of his “black-
ened moral record.”
Trump tweeted that
Christianity Today, an
evangelical
magazine
founded by the late Rev.
Billy Graham, “would
rather have a Radical Left
nonbeliever, who wants to
take your religion & your
guns, than Donald Trump
as your President.”
The magazine “has been
doing poorly and hasn’t
been involved with the
Billy Graham family for
many years,” Trump wrote.
He later questioned whether
the magazine would prefer
a Democratic president “to
guard their religion.”
Some of his strongest
evangelical
supporters,
including Graham’s son, ral-
lied to his side and against
the publication. Their push-
back underscored Trump’s
hold on the evangelical vot-
ing bloc that helped pro-
pel him into offi ce and sug-
gested the editorial would
likely do little to shake that
group’s loyalty.
Rev. Franklin Gra-
ham, who now leads the
Billy Graham Evangelis-
tic Association and prayed
at Trump’s inauguration,
tweeted Friday that his
father would be “disap-
pointed” in the magazine.
Graham added that he “felt
it necessary” following
the editorial to share that
his father, who died last
year after counseling sev-
eral past presidents, voted
for Trump. The president
thanked Graham for the
disclosure.
Christianity Today “rep-
resents what I would call
the leftist elite within the
evangelical
community.
They certainly don’t rep-
resent the Bible-believing
segment of the evangeli-
cal community,” Graham
told The Associated Press
in an interview. He wrote
on Facebook: “Is President
Trump guilty of sin? Of
course he is, as were all past
presidents and as each one
of us are, including myself.”
The magazine’s cir-
culation is estimated at
130,000. In the editorial
titled “Trump Should Be
Removed from Offi ce,”
Editor-in-Chief Mark Galli
wrote that Democrats “have
had it out for” the president
since he took offi ce.
But Galli asserted that
the facts “are unambiguous”
when it comes to the acts
that led to the president’s
impeachment this week by
the Democratic-controlled
House of Representatives.
Prince Philip
in hospital as
a precaution
LONDON — Prince
Philip, the husband of
Queen Elizabeth II, was
admitted to a London hospi-
tal Friday “as a precaution-
ary measure,” Buckingham
Palace said.
The palace said the
98-year-old Philip was
admitted to the King
Edward VII hospital for
observation and treatment
of a preexisting condition.
“The admission is a pre-
cautionary measure, on the
advice of His Royal High-
ness’ Doctor,” the palace
said in a statement.
Philip had been at the
royal family’s Sandringham
estate in eastern England,
where the queen and her
family usually spend Christ-
mas. The palace said Philip
didn’t travel by ambulance
and his admission wasn’t an
emergency. He is expected
to be in the hospital for a
few days.
— Associated Press
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Washington state lawmaker
engaged in ‘domestic terrorism’
By NICHOLAS K.
GERANIOS
Associated Press
SPOKANE, Wash. — A
Washington state lawmaker
took part in “domestic ter-
rorism” against the United
States during a 2016 standoff
at a wildlife refuge in Ore-
gon and traveled through-
out the West meeting with
far-right extremist groups,
according to an investigative
report released Thursday.
The report prepared for
the state Legislature said
Rep. Matt Shea, a Repub-
lican from Spokane Val-
ley in Eastern Washington,
also found that he trained
young people to fi ght a
“holy war,” condoned intim-
idating opponents and pro-
moted militia training by the
Patriot Movement for possi-
ble armed confl ict with law
enforcement.
Shea was suspended from
the state House Republican
Caucus Thursday evening,
and advised to resign, House
Minority Leader J.T. Wil-
cox tweeted. “He cannot use
House Republican staff, he
cannot meet with the caucus,
his offi ce will be moved,”
Wilcox said. Shea will also
be removed from his House
committee assignments.
The incoming House
Speaker, Democratic Rep.
Laurie Jinkins, said the
report had been forwarded
to federal prosecutors and
the FBI. She said her cau-
cus would continue to work
with Republicans to explore
options based on the report’s
fi ndings.
Both Democratic and
Republican
politicians
had
demanded
Shea’s
resignation.
Shea did not respond
to phone and email mes-
sages requesting comment
by The Associated Press on
Thursday.
Prior to the release of the
report, Shea was defi ant.
“I will not back down,”
Shea said. “I will continue
to fi ght for our shared values
that have made this country
such a blessing to the rest
of the world.”
Shea said he has been
denied any opportunity
to review and respond to
the report, prepared by an
outside investigator. The
report noted Shea declined
to be interviewed as part
of the probe.
“Due process is the
right of every citizen, and
should be afforded to all
members of the House
regardless of their views
or party affi liation,” Shea
said.
The investigative team,
headed by a former FBI
agent and a former law
enforcement offi cer, was
hired in July.
The team’s fi ndings,
fi rst reported by the news
website Crosscut, said:
“Investigators obtained
evidence that Repre-
sentative Shea planned,
engaged in, and promoted
a total of three armed con-
fl icts of political violence
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AP Photo/Rachel La Corte
House Republican Leader J.T. Wilcox, left, and caucus chair
Rep. Paul Harris talk to the media on Thursday in Olympia,
Wash. Wilcox has called on Republican Rep. Matt Shea to
resign following an investigative report that found he took
part in “domestic terrorism” against the United States
during a 2016 standoff at a wildlife refuge in Oregon.
AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File
Washington state Rep. Matt Shea, R-Spokane Valley, in suit
and yellow tie at center, poses for a group photo in 2015
with gun owners inside the Capitol in Olympia, Wash., fol-
lowing a gun-rights rally.
against the United States ...
in three states outside the
State of Washington over a
three-year period to include
2014, 2015 and 2016.”
The report said Shea
“participated in an act of
domestic terrorism” when in
2016 he visited the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge to
support its armed occupa-
tion by two sons of rancher
Cliven Bundy.
Shea “engaged in conver-
sations with Ammon Bundy
and other militia members
in the planning and prepara-
tion of the armed takeover of
the Malheur National Wild-
life Refuge in Burns, Ore-
gon,’’ the report said. He
also issued a press release
on Dec. 11, 2015, asking for
patriot and militia groups
near the takeover to rally
against the U.S. government,
according to the report.
After the occupation of
the wildlife refuge ended,
Shea posted on his Facebook
page: “After much prayer,
I’m afraid violence might be
necessary to take our coun-
try back,” the report said.
Shea also went to Cliven
Bundy’s Nevada ranch in
2014 during a standoff with
FBI agents in a dispute over
grazing rights. And in 2015,
in Idaho, Shea resisted the
planned removal of fi re-
arms from a military vet-
eran who was not eligible to
have them.
The report also said that
Shea in 2012 engaged in
the intimidation when he
posted a photo of himself on
his Facebook page standing
in front of a political oppo-
nent’s home, and refused to
remove the photo despite
requests from his adver-
sary, GOP offi cials and law
enforcement.
A 2017 online chat indi-
cated the lawmaker joined
a discussion in which some
suggested violence against
left-wing protesters. Reports
of the chat surfaced in the
Guardian earlier this year
and were expanded by
The
Spokesman-Review
newspaper.
Based on chat transcripts,
there’s no indication Shea
advocated violence himself,
although he offered to do
background checks on politi-
cal opponents.
The texts came after
Shea, a lawyer who was fi rst
elected in 2008, attracted
international attention over a
document he wrote that laid
out a “biblical basis for war”
against gay marriage and
abortion. He later said that
the document was taken out
of context.
Shea has also pursued
creation of a 51st state in
Eastern Washington that
would be called Liberty and
run on biblical principles.
The Army veteran hosts a
weekly show on the Ameri-
can Christian Network and
in 2017 complimented mem-
bers of Team Rugged, a
group that one member said
provides special forces-type
gun training for young men
so they can be effective in
Christian warfare.
Shea last year lost a
House leadership position
after acknowledging he dis-
tributed the “biblical basis
for war” document that also
calls for killing non-Chris-
tian males who refuse to fol-
low fundamentalist biblical
law.
Shea is popular in his
very conservative district
and was re-elected in 2018
with 58% of the vote.
24 th Annual
Christmas Spirit Award Presentations
Good Shepherd Community
Health Foundation is pleased to announce
Roger & Karen Bounds and Charlie & Carol Clupny
as the 2019 Christmas Spirit Award Recipients.
Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation is pleased to honor Roger & Karen Bounds as
recipients of the 24th Annual Christmas Spirit Award.
This award is given to those who exemplify the Spirit of Christmas by giving of themselves to
others all throughout the year.
Roger & Karen Bounds have a long history of community service in the greater Hermiston area.
They have spent countless hours seeking to help individuals in need or to enhance the ability of
others to be successful.
Karen has participated as a charter member of the Desert Arts Council and chaired many events.
They are both enthusiastic supporters of the Hermiston Warming Station, dedicating countless
hours to help the indigent or underserved of our community. They have provided two buildings
to house the station at various times when there was a need.
Roger & Karen have given many unsolicited and anonymous acts of kindness to those in
need. They quietly support a multitude of non-profit organizations through donations and
contributions, and volunteer the use of their personal skills and abilities to promote education
and literacy within our community.
Their various acts of kindness include visiting the shut-ins, the aged, providing dinners for
the underserved and to those who are grieving. They are examples of benevolent service and
a willingness to dedicate their time and energy to assist others and make the Hermiston
community a great place to live.
It is for these reasons that Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation, which strives to make our community a better place to live, has
selected Roger & Karen Bounds as 2019 Christmas Spirit Award recipients.
Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation is pleased to honor Charlie & Carol Clupny
as recipients of the 24th Annual Christmas Spirit Award.
This award is given to those who exemplify the Spirit of Christmas by giving of themselves to
others all throughout the year.
Charlie & Carol Clupny are kind, compassionate, and enthusiastic members of our
community who give of their time, talents and resources to various organizations to benefit
others. Their dedication and work ethic has blessed the lives of many community members.
They actively give service to the Lions Club, been avid supporters of the Hermiston High
School band, and volunteered to help individuals in need without hesitation and formal
requests. They exemplify the virtues of integrity, compassion, and caring concern for others
less fortunate.
Both have served the Parkinson’s Support Group that brings comfort and understanding
to those who are afflicted with Parkinson’s disease. Carol has written a book that has been
widely acclaimed in documenting her journey and experiences that has helped others
through this debilitating and life-changing experience. Charlie has been an emcee for various
worthy causes, and is a CASA worker, and both are supporters of Made to Thrive helping the
youth within our community.
You will not find a more kind, loving or gentle couple to grace any community. They do not
seek the limelight but are known for their benevolence by friends and strangers alike.
It is for these reasons that Good Shepherd Community Health Foundation, which strives to
make our community a better place to live, has selected Charlie & Carol Clupny as 2019 Christmas Spirit Award recipients.
Holiday Design by
Addalyn Pointon of
Lewiston, ID.
www.communitybanknet.com
Member FDIC
Pendleton
Hermiston
157 S. Main St
541-278-9000
50 E. Theater Ln
541-289-4480
Heppner
Milton-Freewater
127 N. Main St
541-676-5745
504 N. Main St
541-938-6361
The Foundation mission is to enhance the quality of life and general health of residents living in West Umatilla and
Morrow County communities by raising funds and giving to community projects. Good Shepherd Community Health
Foundation reviews funding requests and makes awards for worthwhile projects twice a year.
The next deadline for submitting grant applications to the Foundation is January 31, 2020.
Groups or individuals interested in making a donation or being considered for funding are
encouraged to call the Foundation office at 667-3419.
Best wishes for a happy holiday season.