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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 13, 2020)
REGION Friday, March 13, 2020 East Oregonian A3 Accused killer to get sanity eval at public’s expense By EMILY THORNTON Walla Walla Union-Bulletin WALLA WALLA, Wash. — The man accused of murdering a Whitman College employee last sum- mer has been ordered to receive a sanity or dimin- ished capacity evaluation at the public’s expense. Colby J. Hedman, 24, which Pendleton police list as a transient from the Hep- pner area, was ordered in November 2019 to receive three months of “compe- tency res- toration t reat ment ” at Eastern State Hospi- tal in Med- ical Lake Hedman after law- yers doubted his ability to stand trial. This new order, for a san- ity or diminished capacity evaluation, was signed Fri- day by Walla Walla County Judge John Lohrmann and grants $1,000 for an evalu- ation and report. No specifi c hospital or doctor was named, but the order allowed defense attor- ney Robin Olson to retain an expert since Hedman was not able to pay for an evaluation. The order also stated “funds are reasonable, and an evaluation is necessary to adequately represent defendant in this matter.” Hedman’s trial is sched- uled for March 24, but that could be delayed as the defense seeks additional information. Hedman’s bail was set at $1 million in September 2019, after he was extra- dited from Baker County, in connection with the July slaying of Kyle Martz, 35, of Walla Walla. Hedman admitted to police at his arrest that he struck Martz with an ax multiple times before steal- ing his car and fl eeing to Oregon, where he was arrested trying to elude offi cers. Offi cials suspect Hed- man and Martz didn’t know each other. Plans to formally arraign Hedman, or hear charges and record his plea, were postponed pending the earlier treatment evalua- tion. He fi nally pleaded not guilty to fi rst-degree mur- der and vehicle theft in late January. Walla Walla County Prosecuting Attorney Jim Nagle said, in an earlier interview, that Hedman would plead only “if his competency is restored.” However, Hedman’s BRIEFLY Field burn Winter weather expected this weekend Staff photo by Ben Lonergan A man is silhouetted against the smoke and sky as he watches a fi eld burn near County Road 1096 outside of Pendleton on Thursday afternoon. Rogers Toyota breaks ground on new dealership By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian Name & Phone Number HERMISTON — North Highway 395 in Hermiston is about to get a shiny new addition. Rogers Toyota held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday morning for their new dealership on the cor- ner of Highway 395 and Punkin Center, which will cover 7 acres of ground and include a 30,000-square-foot main building and a detail- ing shop. It is expected to be complete in November. Owner Ryan Rogers said when Larry Campbell, who owned Hermiston’s former Toyota dealership, asked if he would be inter- ested in buying the dealer- ship in 2014, accepting that offer was “one of the best business decisions ever.” The Hermiston community has embraced Rogers Toy- ota with open arms, he said, making it an easy decision to expand. “Normally, I would be nervous as heck to put this big of an investment in, but it’s a no-brainer,” he said. Rogers’ father started the company in 1971. At the time, he was the youngest Pontiac dealer in the country at age 19, Rogers said. His father taught him the impor- tance of putting customers fi rst. At Thursday’s ground- breaking, Hermiston Cham- ber of Commerce director Kimberly Nevil noted that Rogers Toyota is a major sponsor of many of Hermis- ton’s events, and said she was excited to see their growth. “Of all the community events the chamber does, Rogers is always a partner,” attorney said at the arraign- ment he planned to fol- low up with the insanity evaluation. Competency refers more to the defendant’s ability to understand what’s happen- ing in court, while insanity refers to his state of mind during the alleged crime and is used as part of the defense’s argument. Hedman’s former attor- ney, Jesse Montagnino, withdrew as he said he would be moving out of state, records stated. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Rogers Toyota of Hermiston offi cially broke ground on their new dealership and service center Thursday morning in Hermiston. she said. “We’re very thank- ful for Rogers.” She and Umatilla County Commissioner Bill Elfering both praised the project for helping to develop Herm- iston’s main thoroughfare through town. The car deal- erships up and down High- way 395 have helped make the community a “car deal- ership capital” in the area, Elfering said. “We’re excited to see this development here on this corner, and excited to see ALL YOU CAN EAT development all the way up and down Highway 395,” he said. The dealership’s general manager, Glenn Silaski, told the East Oregonian that the new dealership will address crowding problems at the current location farther south on the highway, from parking to bathrooms. There will be space for more inven- tory on the lot and twice as many service bays, includ- ing three enclosed drive-thru lanes that will shelter people from the weather as they get out of their vehicle. The business currently employs 50 people, and Silaski said the extra ser- vice bays will result in hir- ing additional staff after the project is complete. On Thursday, as heavy construction equipment moved dirt around in the background, Silaski told the community members gath- ered on a corner of the lot that he understands peo- ple are always skeptical that construction projects will stay on timeline, but he had a good feeling about meet- ing the projected timeline to move into the new building in November. “Just since yesterday, you can hardly recognize (the site),” he said. The project is being built by McAlvain Companies, Inc. of Boise. 3/13-3/15 Cineplex Show Times $5 Classic Movie Showing Wednesday @ 12p Mean Streets Bloodshot (PG13) 2:10p* 4:40p 7:10p 9:40p The Hunt (R) 12:30p* 2:40p* 4:50p 7:00p 9:10p I Still Believe (PG) 1:20p* 4:00p 6:40p 9:20p Onward (PG) 1:30p* 4:10p 6:50p 9:30p The Call of the Wild (PG) 12:10p* 2:30p* 5:00p 7:20p 9:50p * Matinee Pricing PENDLETON — A winter weather advisory is in effect from 5 p.m. Fri- day until 5 p.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service. A late season win- ter storm will affect most of Eastern Washington and Eastern Oregon Fri- day through Sunday with heavy snow in the moun- tains and light to moder- ate snow in the lower ele- vations, the NWS said, adding that drier air will spread from the north with snow tapering off over most of Eastern Washing- ton on Sunday, while East- ern Oregon will see drier conditions Monday and Monday night. Snow accumulations are expected to range from 1-2 inches on Friday night to less than 1 inch possible on Saturday and Sunday in the Pendleton area. Near Meacham, 1-3 inches is possible on Fri- day night, with 1-2 inches possible on Saturday and Sunday. Overnight lows are expected to plummet into the low 20s on Fri- day night and mid-teens on Saturday and Sunday night. Northeast Oregon forests seeking committee members PENDLETON — The Northeast Oregon Forests Resource Advisory Com- mittee is seeking nomi- nees for new members to serve on a vital Resource Advisory Committee. The committee is tasked with recommending proj- ects to improve forest health, watersheds, roads and facilities around Mal- heur, Umatilla and Wal- lowa-Whitman National Forests. The projects that are funded through the RAC are varied in focus and scope, ranging from fi sh passage restoration to constructing new trails. Beyond getting important work done, projects have also utilized youth crews which provide young peo- ple with unique opportu- nities to develop a love of the outdoors while gaining valuable hands-on work experience. RAC committee members are offi cially appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture for a term of two years, and although not compensated for their work, members can get reimbursed for travel expenses to, during and from meetings. In order to ensure that the group can accomplish its goals, members are expected to participate in two full-day meetings each year. Res- idents of Baker, Crook, Grant, Harney, Malheur, Morrow, Union, Wallowa, and Wheeler counties are particularly encouraged to submit applications although others may apply. Nominations will be accepted until Sept. 30, 2020. Instructions can be found at the SRS RAC website, www.fs.usda.gov/ main/pts/specialprojects/ racs. — EO Media Group VISIT US ON THE WEB AT: www.EastOregonian.com LENT F riday M eals Y D - A Fridays - Feb. R 28th April 10th I F S L L 5pm to 7pm L A A M E Hospital @ the St. Anthony T D E E N Mountain L L Blue E C Café CAN Brown Sugar Glazed Salmon $8.00 Adults $7.25 Seniors & Children Served with a baked potato and vegetable of the day wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850 Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216 SPAGHETTI FEED Clam Chowder Bread Bowl WITH SALAD & HOMEMADE BREAD DOORS OPEN @ 5PM • LIVE MUSIC @ 5PM • BINGO @ 7PM $20.00 PER TICKET INCLUDES 2 BINGO CARDS Raising money to continue excellent treatment for low income and homeless members in our community suffering from substance use disorders. EORC (EOAF) celebrates 60 years of service this year! Eastern Oregon Recovery Center • 216 SW Hailey Avenue, Pendleton • 541 276-3518 Saturday • March 14, 2020 Tickets can be delivered or purchased at the door. $4.25 Single Cup $2.00 Pizza Bar $5.00 with Lent Friendly Options 2801 St. Anthony Way Pendleton, OR 97801 WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG
