Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 4, 2020)
REGION Saturday, January 4, 2020 East Oregonian BRIEFLY Foggy mountain boys near Pilot Rock Warrant issued for woman accused of fraud, theft Photo contributed by Mike Morehead A herd of bull elk stands in the fog in a fi eld south of Pilot Rock on Thursday. Raices offers grants to help pay for DACA applicant fees Fundraiser generates more than $2,000 MAKING A DONATION Anyone who wishes to donate to the cause can send money to @ raices541 via the Venmo app or $raices541 via Cash App. For more infor- mation, email raices541@ gmail.com. By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian HERMISTON — A local organization is offering grants for people who would otherwise struggle to pay the fee to renew their Deferred Action for Childhood Arriv- als (DACA) status. Raices, a grassroots organization in Hermis- ton that advocates for the needs of the Latino com- munity, held a fundraiser at the Union Club on Satur- day with 220 participants. Raices member Roy Barron said the event was the orga- nization’s largest yet, rais- ing more than $2,000. DACA does not provide a path to citizenship, but it does protect undocumented immigrants who meet cer- tain criteria from deporta- Contributed photo by Raices Board members of Raices pose for a photo at the organiza- tion’s DACA fundraiser at the Union Club on Dec. 28, 2019. tion. DACA recipients must have been born after 1981, been brought to the coun- try before their 16th birth- day, have lived in the United States continuously since June 15, 2007, be a current high school student or high school graduate and not have any felonies or serious mis- demeanors on their record. “I feel like this is one of the few things most Americans can get behind, because these are peo- ple who were brought here through no fault of their own, and there are very stringent requirements,” Barron said of DACA. Recipients must apply for a renewal every two years. Currently, the total fee for renewal $495, but the Trump administration announced last fall that they intend to raise it to $765 in 2020. Barron said that much money can be a signifi - cant fi nancial hardship. A “scholarship,” or grant, from Raices can help cover the cost. The application is posted on the Raices Face- book page at www.face- book.com/roots541. Appli- cants must be a DACA recipient living in Umatilla or Morrow counties. The deadline to apply is Jan. 15 and recipients will be announced on Jan. 31. Umatilla County Sheriff’s offi ce adds patrol deputy By ALEX CASTLE East Oregonian PENDLETON — The Umatilla County Board of Commissioners authorized adding another deputy posi- tion to the sheriff’s offi ce Thursday morning, giving the county its 18th patrol deputy on staff. The authorization moves a deputy who had previ- ously been contracted from the Umatilla County Sher- iff’s Offi ce to serve in the county’s community cor- rections division back to the UCSO. While the deputy had also requested a transfer back to the sheriff’s offi ce, Commissioner George Murdock said, the commu- nity corrections division lacks the state funding to continue its contract. The move also continues the county’s commitment to expanding its patrol force, which has remained a pri- ority since a public safety levy was voted down in 2013. Murdock said the county only had seven deputies on staff at the time and pub- lic comments and polling indicated it was the high- est priority for taxpayers. The levy would have added 18 deputies to the county in one fell swoop and was a surprise when voters rejected it resoundingly. Entering 2020, Mur- dock highlighted the need to continue the county’s criminal division expansion as something he hoped to accomplish. “We’ve made a lot of headway over the years,” he said in an interview on Monday. “Our polling data and conversations with the public show that pub- lic safety remains a high priority.” Later during Thurs- day’s meeting, the com- missioners reappointed Robert Wolfe to the Uma- tilla County Fair Board and fi lled the board’s upcom- ing vacancy by appointing Michael Engelbrecht as the board-elect. “He was primarily selected because of his experience,” said Commis- sioner Bill Elfering, who was a part of the interview process for candidates. “He was very familiar with the board duties and has inter- acted with the board in the past.” Engelbrecht works at Barrett Business Services Inc. (BBSI) in Hermiston and has volunteered and contributed to the fair in previous years, according to Elfering. Engelbrecht will fi ll the seat vacated by Stephen Anderson, who’s not eligi- ble for reappointment when his term concludes at the end of 2020. As the fi rst board meet- ing of the new year, Thurs- day also marked the offi cial appointment of Commis- sioner John Shafer as the new county chair, while Murdock’s role reverts to vice chair. The change mostly means Shafer becomes the board of commissioners’ spokesperson, or the “voice A3 of the county” as he’s put it, and he’ll lead the board’s meetings. Murdock, who has held the role for several years, said the chair takes the lead on overseeing much of the day-to-day operations because the county doesn’t have a manager. WALLA WALLA, Wash. — A bench war- rant was issued Monday in Walla Walla County Superior Court for a Mil- ton-Freewater woman accused of fraud and theft in multiple states total- ing tens of thousands of dollars. Marky L. Hill, 24, was charged locally with two counts of defrauding an innkeeper, second-degree organized retail theft, and third-degree theft. Hill was tied to using or trying to use her Ban- corp Chime prepaid debit Visa card earlier this year at Walla Walla businesses, including three times at Comfort Inn and Suites, Walla Walla Garden Motel, multiple times at Taqueria Mi Pueblito, and Vape ‘N Goods, records stated. Police also discov- ered Hill allegedly used the card at SD Car Audio in Pasco, Washington, as well as at Pioneer Auto Sales in Engelwood, Col- orado, for two vehicles, records stated. She has a non-extraditable warrant from Colorado, records stated, and police believed the two vehicles are in Walla Walla. She allegedly bought items totaling or tried spending $43,219.02 in Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon, records stated. In the cases, she reportedly entered a code to override the card being declined at stores, which initially worked, but later stopped working. Since Hill was sum- moned to her fi rst appear- ance Monday, but failed to arrive, a warrant was granted by Judge John Lohrmann. Walden announces $1.6 million grant for Port of Morrow BOARDMAN — The Port of Morrow will receive a $1,623,000 grant from the federal Depart- ment of Transporta- tion for improvements to equipment and infrastruc- ture related to its marine terminals. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Hood River, announced the grant Friday. Accord- ing to a news release, the funding will help extend the port’s barge service. The port was eligible to apply for the grant due to its recent designation as a Maritime Highway Proj- ect. Walden wrote a letter of support for the grant application in October. “The Columbia River system is a valuable asset for transporting wheat and other products from east- ern Oregon to the world and the Port of Morrow plays a pivotal role in that system ... I want to thank Secretary Chao and the Trump Administration for awarding these funds and continuing to provide for Oregonians,” he said in a statement. Ryan Neal, director of the Port of Morrow, said in a statement that secur- ing the fund was a com- plicated process, and he was grateful to Walden, Sen. Jeff Merkley and Sen. Ron Wyden for the assistance. “With their help, the expanded barge service under this project will help create family wage jobs in the region, reduce transportation costs, and alleviate highway and rail congestion,” he said. Wyden and Merkley also released announce- ments of their own later Friday afternoon, prais- ing the port’s work in eco- nomic development and applauding the news of the grant. Juvenile passenger dies in Hermiston- area crash UMATILLA COUNTY — The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce continues to investigate a fatal crash that occurred on New Year’s Day. Emergency services responded to a two-vehi- cle crash on Highway 207 around 4 p.m. Wednesday near milepost 21, south of Hermiston. In a safety bulletin released the fol- lowing day, the sheriff’s offi ce referred to the crash as a “head-on collision.” A juvenile passen- ger in one of the vehi- cles sustained fatal inju- ries, according to a press release issued Friday by the sheriff’s offi ce. The agency has not released the victim’s name. Undersheriff Jim Little- fi eld told the East Orego- nian that the party driving the other vehicle — who also remains unnamed — was not injured. The sheriff’s offi ce declined to offer addi- tional information about the possible cause of the crash, the vehicles involved or if any cita- tions were issued due to the pending investigation. — EO Media Group and wire services Bank of Eastern Oregon new branch Saagers Shoe Shop WINTER CLEARANCE SALE in progress! & SAVE Up 50%-70% off Women’s apparel! To 50% off Men/Women’s Shoes! Boots, flats, casuals, booties, clogs, athletic, trail shoes and boots, dress shoes, performance comfort, hiking boots and more! Huge selection of the finest comfort brands and top rated performance footwear. JANUARY 9TH • 5:30-7:00 PM New Branch/Current Loan Office Location! 1475 N. 1ST STREET, HERMISTON ChamberRibbon Cutting @ 5:40! Raffles Giveaways Food & Drinks Tours Join us! Mon - Sat: 9 AM - 6 PM Sun: 12 PM - 4 PM 613 N. Main St., Milton-Freewater, OR www.saagershoeshop.com • 541-938-5162 Member FDIC NMLS# 414459
