Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 13, 2021)
REGION Saturday, February 13, 2021 A3 East Oregonian School board opposes bill to end school resource offi cer program By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian PENDLETON — A bill introduced in the Oregon Legislature is seeking to end police contracts with schools, but the Pendleton School Board is taking action to preserve its relationship with the local police department. The board unanimously voted on Monday, Feb. 8, to send a letter to the Legislature supporting its school resource offi cer program after hearing a presentation from Police Chief Chuck Byram and Lance Zaugg, the officer assigned to the district. School board chair Debbie McBee said the district and police department have avoided the controver- sies that have plagued other districts. “ W e really have a strong police department with no major Byram tension,” she said. Zaugg told the board that he prefers a collabora- tive approach with students, parents and staff. In addition to acting as a law enforcement officer and first responder, Zaugg said he also provides other services like student mentorship and administrative assistance. The position was fi rst established in 1986 as the “youth services offi cer,” with Zaugg serving as the school McBee Zaugg resource offi cer since 2016. In the wake of the George Floyd protests over summer 2020, student groups in the Portland metro area and Salem pushed their districts to drop school resource offi - cer programs, arguing that police interactions dispropor- tionately impacted students of color and led to incarceration. In June 2020, Portland Public Schools announced it was withdrawing police offi cers from its high schools. “Black students repre- sent 31% of school-related arrests nationwide, accord- ing to the American Civil Liberties Union,” the Salem Statesman-Journal reported. “They also are three times more likely to be suspended or expelled than their white peers. And students who are suspended or expelled, accord- ing to the ACLU, are nearly three times more likely to be in contact with the juvenile justice system the following year.” But in a follow-up report, Byram said concerns over the discriminatory impact of school resource offi cers isn’t refl ective of the work done by Zaugg. Byram wrote that during Zaugg’s tenure, he has responded to more than 1,000 calls for service, and only about 1 in 10 resulted in an enforcement action, and in 2018 and 2019, none resulted in a student lodged in juvenile detention. Across those two years, more than 70% of the students who received citations were white, which is a higher share than the school population. The proportion of Latino students cited was slightly lower than their school popu- lation, while American Indian citations were roughly in line with their share of the student body. Of the citations connected to American Indian students, four were given to the same student in the same school year for marijuana-re- lated offenses. Six percent of Zaugg’s cita- tions went to Black students in a district where less than 1% of students identify as Black. “One could make the argu- ment that the number for Black students is dispropor- tionate, but when you look at the actual citations issued (4), that is too small a sample size to be statistically signifi cant,” Byram wrote. “However, one could also make that argument for white students as well.” Senate Bill 238, the legis- lation that would effectively ban school contracts with law enforcement, has been referred to the Senate Educa- tion Committee. Health department changes drive-thru site By BRYCE DOLE East Oregonian UMATILLA COUNTY — The Umatilla County Health Depar t ment announced plans to hold future drive-thru COVID- 19 vaccination clinics at a new site in Pendleton as residents over the age of 75 become eligible to receive the vaccine on Monday, Feb. 15. The health department will be holding its first vaccine clinic at 2260 S.E. Court Ave., the former home of Gilbert Auto, on Friday, Feb. 19. The department has moved all future vaccine clinics from the Pendle- ton Convention Center to the new location due to the possibility of future inclem- ent weather, according to health offi cials. “Obviously, we don’t know what the weather is going to do,” Joe Fiumara, the county’s public health director, said. “The move in location is to make it so we can better withstand some of this weather. But obviously, road conditions are going to” potentially impact future events. In addition, local Safe- ways in Pendleton, Herm- iston and Milton-Freewater are now offering the vaccine after receiving shipments from the federal govern- ment’s Federal Pharmacy Partnership on Thurs- day, Feb. 11, according to Fiumara. Each Safeway has received from the federal government a box with 100 doses of the vaccine, Fiumara said, effectively doubling the county’s expected allocation. Fiumara said the county is expecting that 100 doses will be provided to local Safeways from the federal government each week. “Again, 600 is not nearly enough, but it’s a lot better than 300, which is all we had received.” he said. At the drive-thru clinic, health offi cials will be vacci- nating people who received their fi rst dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on or before Jan. 22. Offi cials will also be vaccinating people with first doses, though supply will be limited. “We’re only going to have a couple hundred (fi rst) doses to give,” Fiumara said. “Most of what happens at the drive- thru is going to be second doses from four weeks ago.” People who are eligi- ble to receive the vaccine are encouraged to select an arrival window online at bit. ly/ucohealthcovidvaccine. Fiumara said the new online tool is intended to prevent delays and speed up vacci- nations. Residents who wish to be vaccinated at Safeway can schedule appointments at www.safeway.com/COVID- 19. LOCAL BRIEFING Hermiston police arrest armed man HERMISTON — Herm- iston police arrested a man they believe w a s “o n a mission to cause incredible ha r m” to the occu- pants of a Califf Hermiston home o n Wednesday, Feb. 10. Howard Califf, 46, of Hermiston, was detained after offi cers arrived at the 250 block of East Gladys Avenue at about 9:40 a.m. on Feb. 10 after receiving a report of a man with a gun, according to a news release from Hermiston Police Department. Califf had previously lived at the residence in question, but was no longer allowed there after a court order issued in December 2020. According to police, Califf allegedly f ired “several rounds” inside the residence at a 47-year- old male relative of the residents, who was doing repairs inside the home at the time. A dog belonging to the relative was shot multi- ple times while protecting its owner, the news release stated, but is expected to make a full recovery. Califf was lodged at the Umatilla County Jail on charges, including attempted murder, animal abuse, fi rst degree burglary, menacing, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, Pendleton Right to Life announces the winners of 2021 poster contest East Oregonian House Fire Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian Fire crews respond to a house fi re on the 200 block of Southeast Third Street in Pend- leton on Friday, Feb. 12, 2021. Pendleton Fire Chief Jim Critchley said it was a two-sto- ry structure fi re where the fi re had penetrated the walls. He said six people were evac- uated from the house and none received medical treatment. Fire offi cials have yet to determine a cause. The Pendleton Fire Department was assisted by the Umatilla Tribal Fire Department, the Pilot Rock Rural Fire Protection District and East Umatilla Fire and Rescue. unlawful possession of a firearm, reckless endan- germent, interfering with a peace offi cer, and resisting arrest. His bail is listed at $340,000. “It is our belief based on statements and evidence collected, Mr. Califf was on a mission to cause incredi- ble harm to all tenants of the house,” Police Chief Jason Edmiston wrote. “Fortu- nately, the tenants were not home and the protective actions of the dog coupled with quick decisions by the victim along with a city of Hermiston employee, who happened to be in the area at the time, thwarted the plan.” Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian Pendleton Right to Life poster contest winners, from left to right, Gabriel Lawn, 8, Anna DeSomber, 15, Gabrielle Kenne- dy, 12, and Rosemary LeGore, 7, pose for a photo at The Yo- gurt Shoppe in Pendleton on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Umatilla County reports 18 new COVID-19 cases UMATILLA COUNTY — Umatilla County Public Health announced 18 new cases of COVID-19 for Friday, Feb. 12, according to the Region 9 COVID-19 Dashboard. The Feb. 12 total comes after the county announced 27 new cases on Feb. 11. The new cases put the county at 7,438 known cases since the pandemic began last year. The county also reported one new death, bringing the county’s total to 77. Umatilla County’s 77th death with COVID-19 is a 71-year-old male who tested positive on Jan. 19 and died on Jan. 21 while incarcer- ated, according to a Umatilla County Public Health press release. This individual had underlying medical condi- tions. Morrow County reported four new cases on Feb. 12 and six cases on Feb. 11, raising its total at 1,011 cases since the pandemic started. The county did not report any new deaths from the pandemic, leaving its total at 13. — EO Media Group PENDLETON — After a brief hiatus last year, Pend- leton Right to Life named its 2021 billboard poster contest winners on Tuesday, Feb. 10. Rosemary LeGore, 7, and Gabriel Lawn, 8, placed fi rst in the elementary school categories, each taking home a $25 prize, while Gabrielle Kennedy, 12, and Anna DeSomber, 15, won the middle and high school competitions, respectively. For t he f i r st-pla ce f inishes, Kennedy and DeSomber each took home a $50 prize and will have their posters featured on Pendle- ton Right to Life’s billboard space along Southgate in Pendleton. This year’s competition saw 16 total submissions across all the age groups. Bot h Ken nedy a nd DeSomber said they put several days into working on their posters and it was rewarding to be recognized for their work. D e S o mb e r’s p o s t e r features multiple genera- tions of an extended family and the tagline “All Life is Precious.” “I wanted to make sure I got all the different age generations in it,” said DeSomber. K e n n e d y ’s d e s i g n features a pair of hand- prints with a smaller hand- print stacked together, and features the tagline “Life is Precious.” “It just came to my head and I went with it,” said Kennedy of her poster. Peggy Wallis has been a member of Pendleton Right to Life for many years and said she enjoys seeing what children come up with each year. “It’s always fun to see the children’s artwork,” she said. “We have some amaz- ing pictures submitted every year.” ROCK CREEK RANCH Recreation – Hunting – Fishing Privacy - Hay – Cattle Enjoy the seclusion on this 6,000 acre ranch in picturesque Rock Creek Canyon with 202+ acres of water rights and ~3 miles of Rock Creek Frontage. Recreational opportunities include mule deer and bird hunting; steelhead, trout and bass fishing; rafting, wind surfing; or just riding the hills on your favorite pony. The ranch includes a nice 2,090 sf main home, 2 manufactured homes, shop, equipment shed, horse and cattle facilities. New on market $3,650,000. BRIAN MEECE, ALC, CCIM Principal Broker 541.480.1630 brian@REALoregon.com MCKINZIE CHARLTON, Broker 541.601.1531 Mckinziecharlton.remax@gmail.com The most valuable and respected source of local news, advertising and information for our communities. eomediagroup.com RE/MAX Key Properties 431 NW Franklin Ave, Bend 97703
