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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 21, 2020)
REGION Tuesday, January 21, 2020 Remembering Martin Luther King Jr. East Oregonian Umatilla River north bank committee to meet Wednesday East Oregonian Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Marchers gather in the Hermiston First United Methodist Church for speeches and food fol- lowing the annual Martin Luther King Jr. March on Monday morning. The march, which cele- brated its 20th year this year, drew dozens of marchers to downtown Hermiston in celebra- tion of Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy. McKell Wilson, left, and Izzy Soto, both members of the Blue Mountain Community College soccer team, wash windows at the Pendleton Center for the Arts. The team decided to help out as a part of the MLK Day of Service, which celebrates the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Staff photo by Kathy Aney Suspect in custody connected to armed robbery in M-F By ALEX CASTLE East Oregonian MILTON-FREEWATER — A suspect in custody for allegedly robbing the First Stop Mart at gunpoint in Milton-Freewater earlier this month had been released from jail less than 24 hours prior to the incident. Documents fi led with the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Offi ce reveal Michael James Metcalfe, 19, was arraigned on Thurs- day for four felony charges, including two counts of fi rst-degree robbery, one count of second-degree kid- napping and one count of violating his probation. Umatilla County Sher- iff Terry Rowan confi rmed Saturday that Metcalfe was arrested on Jan. 6 and is suspected of being one of the two men who robbed the Milton-Freewater store on Highway 11 at about 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 3. According to court doc- uments, Metcalfe was pre- viously lodged in the Uma- tilla County Jail until he was issued an “emergency release due to overpopula- tion” at 8:12 a.m. on Jan. 2. Rowan said the jail can typically hold up to 230 inmates, though the capac- ity can fl uctuate depending on whether there are prison- ers who are going through a drug or mental health crisis. When mattresses and temporary housing for inmates starts to run out, Rowan said the jail will evaluate the risk assess- ments that are performed on each inmate when they are brought in. The assess- ments, he said, include crim- inal history, current offenses and factors like whether the inmate has a job or residence to return to. Inmates are deemed either a low, medium or high risk, Rowan said. Those in the low to medium category are selected for release when necessary. “It’s supposed to be a pre- dictive tool,” Rowan said of the risk assessment. “But we can’t predict the future. NW Shade Co LLC Sometimes the tool can be spot-on, and some- times it can miss out on someone Metcalfe who is just hell-bent on wrecking our community.” Metcalfe was previously arrested Dec. 28, 2019, on four felony charges, including one count each of unlawful possession of methamphetamine and her- oin, possession of a prohib- ited fi rearm and violation of probation. Metcalfe was on pro- bation for a prior felony conviction from when he pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2019, to fi rst-degree theft of a fi rearm and unlawful pos- session of a fi rearm. Metcalfe failed to appear for his scheduled court date the morning of Jan. 3, and Milton-Freewater police arrested him on Jan. 6 for a detention warrant. Metcalfe was listed as a “transient” on the department’s media bulletin. While Rowan said he’d need to pull fi les to know exactly what prompted the Jan. 2 release, he added it’s likely Metcalfe was graded as a low or medium risk. Metcalfe is being held at the Umatilla County Jail with a bail of $300,000. As Measure 11 crimes, fi rst-degree robbery carries a mandatory minimum sen- tence of seven years and six months, while second-de- gree kidnapping carries a sentence of fi ve years and 10 months. The second suspect in the First Stop Mart armed robbery remains at large, Rowan said, and the investi- gation is ongoing. In the initial release from the sheriff’s offi ce on Jan. 3, one suspect was identifi ed as a possibly white male of an unknown age who is 6 feet tall. The employee reported he was wearing blue jeans and his face was covered. The second suspect was identifi ed as a male of unknown age and race Solar Shades, Screens, Retractable Awnings & More! “Enhancing the Art of Outdoor Living” who is 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-9 in height. The employee reported he was wearing blue jeans, tan work boots, a dark-colored ball cap and black backpack. The sus- pect’s face was covered with a light blue bandana. Metcalfe is listed as a white male standing at 6-foot-1 and 150 pounds on the jail roster. Rowan said there are no additional details known about the sec- ond suspect at this time. The robbery was the fi rst of three armed robberies that occurred in the area in recent weeks. On the early morning of Jan. 6, a paper carrier for the Union-Bulletin was struck in the face and robbed at gunpoint by a suspect cov- ering their face with a blue bandana. One week later on the morning of Jan. 13, a suspect who was armed and masked stole cash from Sam’s Cor- ner Market on Broadway Avenue in Milton-Freewater. At a city council meet- ing later that night, the Union-Bulletin reported Milton-Freewater Police Chief Doug Boedigheimer said evidence was begin- ning to support the theory that the robberies are con- nected and people were working together to commit them. In previous emails with the East Oregonian, Boedigheimer declined to comment on the connection between the robberies. “These are open investi- gations with progress being made,” he wrote. “When the cases have run their courses, I’ll proactively send out appropriate information on my timeline.” 1/21 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie Showing Wednesday @ 12p Gone With the Wind License #188965 PENDLETON — When the Pendleton City Council considered taking steps to sell property on the Uma- tilla River’s north bank in 2017, some nearby resi- dents opposed the move. The city never sold the land and, three years later, is in the process of fi guring out the best use for it. The city formed the North Bank of the Umatilla Advisory Committee to help address the issue. The committee will be holding a community meeting at the Pendleton Recreation Center’s Foundation Room on Wednesday at 7 p.m. A committee press release lists many of the benefi ts of having the Umatilla River run through town: The Pendleton River Parkway on the south side of the river connects sev- eral parks and landmarks and provides exercise opportunities, the river attracts wildlife, making it ideal for hobbyists like birdwatchers and fi shers, and the river waters and trees make it a prime cool- off spot in the summers. But the city also admits there are problems sur- rounding the river, some of it on the north side. A recent increase in the outdoor homeless popu- lation means illicit camps are sprouting up in more secluded areas along the river, sometimes creating fi re hazards. With little in the way of offi cial paths that lead down to the north bank, people often trespass onto private property to access the north side of the river and leave behind trash that can create environmental hazards. Debate also continues over how to best maintain the vegetation that grows along the river. While the herd of goats that graze along the river each year can prevent overgrowth from turning into a fi re hazard, some residents say the lack of plants the goats leave behind hurts local wildlife. The north bank com- mittee hopes to solicit input and create “a shared vision” around how the city should utilize the area. BRIEFLY Man killed in Morrow County crash is conducting a crash investigation. It is currently unclear what other agencies provided aid during the accident. MORROW COUNTY — A Wasco County man died Monday morning in a single-vehicle car accident on Bombing Range Road. Mark Steven Willis, 44, of Wamic, was driving a logging truck northbound on Bombing Range Road towards Board- man early Monday morning. According to the Morrow County Sheriff’s Offi ce, Willis pulled the truck over the road’s narrow shoulder near milepost 18 and the truck tipped onto its side and rolled, spill- ing logs. Willis was found deceased shortly before 6 a.m. Law enforcement offi cials said he was not secured in the vehicle by his seatbelt when found, and that he died from trauma to his head and body. There was a fi re which may have orig- inated in the engine, but the vehicle was not fully engulfed. The Morrow County Sheriff’s Offi ce Milton-Freewater garage damaged by fi re Friday MILTON-FREEWATER — The garage on a home in Milton-Freewater was damaged by a small fi re Friday night. It took place at a residence near the U.S. Bank branch in central Milton-Free- water in the 100 block of South Elizabeth Street. Milton-Freewater Fire Chief Shane Garner said his department received the call around 7:45 p.m. and his fi refi ghters had the fi re out within about 10 minutes. Garner said about 30% of the garage was damaged. He said there were no signs of suspicious activity, and an investiga- tion is pending. There were no injuries. — EO Media Group VISIT US ON THE WEB AT: www.EastOregonian.com “It’s not what we do, it’s who we choose to be.” Read About How We are Working Together to be a Healthier Community Today and HealthyMC.org Maximize the value of our relationships with community and regional partners through initiatives that promote health and bring valuable health services to Morrow County residents. Advance the quality of care provided in each patient care area while enhancing your patient and customer service experience. 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