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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2020)
Court denies injunction in Hermiston property dispute | LOCAL, A6 E T O V THURSDAY, MAY 21, 2020 2020 PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS VOTER TURNOUT as of 5 p.m. Wednesday Statewide 46.03% Umatilla County 36.65% Morrow County 47.51% Up to date election results are at oregonvotes.gov Dawn and Harley Jeff ers, left, embrace as their family and neighbors help sandbag their home on Southwest Second Street in Pilot Rock on Wednesday afternoon. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan 144th Year, No. 148 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD $1.50 Floodwaters invade Pilot Rock Birch Creek overfl ows banks spilling into rural Umatilla County community By BEN LONERGAN East Oregonian PILOT ROCK — Dawn Jef- fers noticed Wednesday that Birch Creek was running a lit- tle high. By 2 p.m., the water had begun to enter the basement of her Southwest Second Street PENDLETON home, and by 3 p.m., water was covering Highway 395 through Pilot Rock. Jeffers, her husband, Harley, their three children and many neighbors quickly went to work setting sandbags to try and keep their basement dry, but the water proved stronger. As the family lamented the loss of their newly decorated front yard and added a few last sandbags to their base- ment entrance, they set to work evacuating their pets and essen- tial items from their home. “It came up really fast,” said Jeffers. “I wasn’t expecting any- thing like this. The community has been amazing at helping each other.” Dozens of neighbors, vol- unteers, city workers and fi rst responders descended on Pilot Rock and set to work fi lling and placing sandbags, checking on families living within the fl ooded area and helping in any way they could. Sunny Bernabe, who lives uphill from the fl ooded area, came running to help fi ll sand- bags, while Chris Bodewig directed machinery and checked See Floodwaters, Page A9 UMATILLA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Voters welcome new faces to council U.S. 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Democrats (Top 3) Alex Spenser 32.19% Nick Heuertz 30.96% Chris Vaughn 18.23%% Republicans (Top 3) Cliff Bentz 30.59% Knute Buehler 22.4% Jason Atkinson 19.67%% SECRETARY OF STATE Democrats Mark Hass 35.96% Shemia Fagan 35.55% Jamie McLeod-Skinner 27.73% Republicans Kim Thatcher 85.33% Dave Stauff er 13.69% OREGON SENATE DISTRICT 29 Republicans Bill Hansell 91.95% Garison Lee Alger 7.95% OREGON HOUSE DISTRICT 58 Democrats Nolan Bylenga 53.13% Barbara Wright 45.17% UMATILLA COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Position 3 Dan Dorran 37.83% HollyJo Beers 27.15% Patricia Maier 14.69% Jonathan Lopez 11.19% Mark Gomolski 8.79% PENDLETON CITY COUNCIL Pendleton voters reject tax measures during election Ward 2 Sally Brandsen 57.71% Melissa Shumake 41.53% Ward 3 By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian Dale Primmer 68.57% Larry Anderson 30.83% PENDLETON — Voters elected a couple new faces to Pend- leton area government Tuesday, and then promptly rejected its asks for more funding. Public relations specialist Sally Brandsen became one of those new faces after she won her election for the open Ward 2 seat Brandsen over Walla Walla, Wa s h i n g t o n , land use planner Melissa Shumake. Both campaigns were quietly run by necessity due to the COVID- 19 pandemic, but Shumake Brandsen said she thought her pos- itive campaign resonated with See Pendleton, Page A9 Staff photo by Ben Lonergan MEASURE 30-137 Ballots await sorting at the Umatilla County Elections offi ce ahead of the ballot deadline on Tuesday night. City of Pendleton Gas Tax Yes 35.42% No 64.58% On to November Pendleton School District Yes 47.61% No 52.39% Dorran, Beers emerge from primary for Umatilla County commissioner, will face off in general election Echo RFPD Yes 60.53% No 39.47% By ALEX CASTLE East Oregonian U MATILLA COUNTY — Dan Dorran of Hermiston and Hol- lyJo Beers of Mil- ton-Freewater emerged from a crowded fi eld Tuesday night to advance to the November gen- eral election in the 2020 race for Umatilla County commissioner. Dorran fi nished fi rst in the Beers Dorran primary with 34% of the vote and 5,482 total votes received, while Beers came in second with 24% of the vote and 3,935 total votes received. The two bested a trio of can- didates from Hermiston to advance, with Pat Maier collect- ing 13% of the vote for third, Jonathan Lopez receiving 10% for fourth, and Mark Gomolski fi nishing fi fth with 8%. “We’re really happy and hum- bled with how things went,” Dor- ran said of his campaign, noting See November, Page A9 Bentz wins GOP primary for Congress By GARY A. WARNER For the Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — Former Sen. Cliff Bentz of Ontario won the Repub- lican nomination for the 2nd Con- gressional District in Oregon on Tuesday. Former Rep. Knute Buehler of Bend called Bentz just before 9:30 p.m. to concede the race. For- mer Sen. Jason Atkinson of Cen- tral Point was running third. Jimmy Crumpacker, a recent transplant to Deschutes County who spent over $600,000 and was endorsed by anti-abortion and gun rights groups was running Bentz fourth. None of the other seven candi- dates on the Republican ballot had more than 10% of the vote. Alex Spenser of Klamath Falls and Nick Heuertz of Central Point were ahead in the fi eld of fi ve Dem- ocrats vying for the seat. Bentz thanked the voters of the district, who he said looked past the large amounts of advertising by Buehler and Crumpacker to give MEASURE 30-140 MEASURE 30-141 Milton-Freewater Public Transportation Yes 64.98% No 35.02% MEASURE 30-142 East Umatilla Fire & Rescue District Yes 71.70% No 28.3% MEASURE 30-143 East Umatilla Fire & Rescue District Yes 75.58% No 24.42% MORROW COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS 2ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Former state senator holds of challenge from Knute Buehler MEASURE 30-138 him the win. “I think people in this congressional district are smart and they study the candidates before they vote,” Bentz said. “Jimmy is a nice guy, but he doesn’t really live in the district. He’s a Portland guy with a ski cabin in Bend. Good on him for trying, but he has to know the district before running for Congress. “Knute ran as a moderate two years ago when he was running for governor, then tried to run as a conservative for Congress. People remember. Knute is a good physi- cian, but politically, he just doesn’t fi t this district.” The race drew 11 Republi- See Bentz, Page A9 Position 1 Jim Doherty 41.56% Joel Peterson 38.25% Joseph Armato 10.26% Michael Sweek 9.65% JUSTICE COURT Judge Glen Diehl 42.2% Theresa Crawford 39.68% Kelly Doherty 17.84% Treasurer Sabrina Bailey Cave 30.55% Jaylene Papineau 24.21% Erik Patton 23.65% Cody High 20.85% MEASURE 25-81 Boardman water and wastewater bond Yes 63.08% No 36.92%
