REGION
Thursday, April 1, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
Counties cleared to start vaccinating all essential workers
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
PEN DLETON
—
Umatilla County Public
Health an nou nced on
Wednesday, March 31, that
Oregon Health Authority
gave the county approval
to start vaccinating people
in Phase 1B Group 7 effec-
tive immediately. Morrow
County was also among the
counties given approval to
move ahead.
The phase includes all
essential frontline workers
as defined by the Centers for
Disease Control and Preven-
tion, everyone over the age
of 16 with underlying condi-
tion considered at higher risk
from COVID-19, and people
in multigenerational house-
holds.
The CDC’s list of frontline
workers includes employ-
ees whose work requires
regular contact with the
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Motorists wait in line for a vaccination at a Umatilla County
Public Health COVID-19 mass vaccination site in Pendleton
on Friday, March 26, 2021.
A dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine awaits distribution
at a Umatilla County Public Health mass vaccination site in
Pendleton on Friday, March 26, 2021.
public or co-workers for a
prolonged period of time or
within 6 feet, who are work-
ing in essential industries,
such as food service, energy,
construction, news media,
manufacturing, law and
banking.
disease, obesity, pregnancy,
sickle cell disease, smoking,
solid organ or blood stem
cell transplant, stroke, and
substance abuse disorders.
Multigenerational house-
holds are defined as house-
holds with at least three
The list of qualifying
underlying health conditions
includes cancer, chronic
lung disease, chronic kidney
disease, dementia, diabe-
tes, Down syndrome, heart
conditions, HIV, immuno-
compromised state, liver
Two arrested in robbery, assault, kidnapping
Pair surrendered,
once officers
threatened to send
K-9 unit
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The
Pendleton Police Depart-
ment reported a complaint
about a robbery, assault and
kidnapping that began in a
motel room and led a SWAT
team on Tuesday, March 30,
to arrest two suspects.
Tyler James Schacht-
sick, 32, and Whitney Ann
Anderson, 26, were booked
at the Umatilla County Jail
on probable cause affida-
vits charging first-degree
robbery, first-degree kidnap-
ping, the unlawful use of
a weapon, second-degree
assault, first-degree theft,
strangulation and menacing,
according to a press release.
Anderson
Schachtsick
Police began investigating
a report made on Monday,
March 29, by a 30-year-old
man from Pendleton who
said he was assaulted and
robbed of money earlier
that evening in a room at
the Rugged Country Lodge,
1807 S.E. Court Ave. The
victim alleged that four
people had been involved in
the incident, according to the
press release.
The victim told police
the alleged perpetrators
then took him to an area on
Highway 37 where he was
dropped off. The victim then
walked to a residence where
emergency services were
called, the press release said.
Police learned that some
of the suspects were at a resi-
dence in the 800 block of
Northwest 11th Street. Police,
including Pendleton Police
Department SWAT, entered
the home on March 30 and
located two suspects in a
bedroom, the press release
said.
The suspects initially
refused to surrender, “but
once they were advised
that K9 Bali was going to
be deployed, the suspects
surrendered without inci-
dent,” the press release said.
Schachtsick is also facing
charges of violating proba-
tion and failing to appear in
court.
Schachtsick’s bail is
currently listed at $587,500,
according to the Umatilla
County Jail’s website. Ander-
son’s is listed at $545,000.
Police said two suspects
remain at large, “but are not
believed to pose a risk to the
general public,” the press
release said.
Police are encouraging
anyone with information
about this case to contact the
Pendleton Police Department
at 541-276-4411, or Dispatch
at 541-966-3650.
The press release said that
“no further information will
be released at this time.”
“Due to this investigation
being ongoing,” Pendleton
Police Chief Charles Byram
said in an email to the East
Oregonian, “I will not be
providing sound bites or in
person interviews until after
the conclusion of the inves-
tigation and in conjunction
with the Umatilla County
District Attorney’s Office.
Sorry for any inconvenience
that this may cause, but the
integrity of the investigation
is my main priority due to
the seriousness of the crimes
involved.”
DMV to reopen in Eastern Oregon counties in May
By STEVEN
MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
SALEM — Department
of Motor
Ve h i c l e s
offices in
Eastern
Oregon
counties
plan
to
reopen in
May.
Joyce
A m y
Joyce, the DMV adminis-
trator, said recently during
a conference call with the
Association of Oregon Coun-
ties that the DMV is reducing
the number of appointment
slots in most of its Eastern
Oregon offices to expand to
a “stand-by” model.
Joyce said the appoint-
do not have access to the
internet.
Joyce said that renewal of
driver’s licenses, permits and
identification cards would be
allowed online beginning in
early May.
Joyce said the DMV
expects the new feature to
be available on DMV2U.
Oregon.Gov in early May.
W hile some DM V
services have previously
Blue Mountain Eagle, File/Blue Mountain Eagle been available online, most
A sign at the Department of Motor Vehicles in John Day have been moved to appoint-
lines out instructions about accessing the DMV for in-per- ment-only sessions at local
son appointments.
DMV locations during the
pandemic. Timely appoint-
ment system with the DMV
She said the DMV’s ments can be challenging to
would never completely go future is a hybrid system, come by due to the reduced
away. She said people who where they will keep capacity at DMV offices.
come in for appointments appointments for some and
Joyce said customers had
appreciate the consistency have a “walk-up” capacity been telling the DMV they
that comes with having a for people who do not want like both appointments and
scheduled time.
to make an appointment or the ability to drop in.
Man arrested for acting as lawyer to steal cash
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Police
arrested a man last week for
allegedly purporting to be
the lawyer of a local business
to convince employees to
bring him cash, according to
a press release from Pendle-
ton Police Department Chief
Charles Byram.
Police received a report
at around 10:20 p.m. on
Saturday, March 27, and
responded to Thur’s Smoke
Shop on 502 S.E. 16th St.
The business owner, Bryson
Thurman, told police an
employee had taken money
from the business, the press
release said.
Police would learn that,
earlier in the evening, the
same employee had received
a phone call from someone
who claimed to be Thur-
man’s lawyer. The caller
convinced the employee that
Thurman needed money
from the safe.
The caller directed the
employee to deliver the cash
from the safe to an individual
waiting near Pendleton Fire
Station 1, 1455 S.E. Court
Ave.
As the employee deliv-
ered the cash to the unknown
individual, the real Bryson
Thurman arrived on the
scene and took the money
from the unknown suspect,
who fled in a vehicle.
Pendleton police eventu-
ally stopped the driver near
Southeast Court Avenue and
Goad Road, identifying the
man as Silvino Mata-Abarca,
31, of Hood River, the press
release said.
Mata-Abarca was taken
into custody on charges
of first-degree aggravated
theft and was lodged in the
Umatilla County Jail, accord-
ing to the press release.
He was cited, given a
date for court appearance in
late April, and then released
from the jail on Monday,
March 29, when the Umatilla
County District Attorney’s
office said they would not be
filing charges that morning,
according to a spokesperson
from the Umatilla County
Sheriffs Office.
The investigation is ongo-
ing, the press release said.
generations living together,
or individuals residing with
and caring for a relative who
is not their own child, such
as a grandparent raising their
grandchild.
The current date set for
those groups to become
eligible statewide is Monday,
April 5, followed by all
Oregonians becoming eligi-
ble by May 1. But the state
has been allowing some
counties to move ahead on
their schedule if they can
show they have been able to
“largely complete” vaccina-
tions for the previous group.
Umatilla and Morrow
counties moving ahead early
means people in the new
categories are eligible to
schedule appointments with
local pharmacies or doctors
offices now, or to partici-
pate in clinics scheduled for
this week. Umatilla County
Public Health is holding clin-
ics in Pendleton on Thursday,
April 1 and Friday, April 2,
with appointments sched-
uled ahead of time through
bit.ly/ucohealthcovidvaccine.
Family Health Associates is
holding a clinic at Umatilla
High School on April 2 from
3-7 p.m.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Police spot cougar
in M-F at edge of
city limits
MILTON-FREEWATER
— City officials said three
law enforcement person-
nel spotted a young cougar
on the ridge
west of the
Milton-Free-
w a t e r
mu n ic ip a l
golf course,
just outside
city limits,
a t a b o u t Boedigheimer
10:30 a.m.
on Tuesday, March 30.
The cougar, spied from
South Andrea Street, was
not exhibiting any signs of
aggression, police Chief
Doug Boedigheimer said in
a social media post.
Oregon State Police and
Department of Fish and
Wildlife officials are being
asked for advice on the situ-
ation, Boedigheimer said.
Residents are cautioned to
not allow their pets outside
unattended, especially in the
area of the sighting, which
lasted several minutes.
People are also asked to
make sure all household food
waste is securely placed in a
garbage bag, tied off and put
in city refuse cans.
Any resident who has
seen or is seeing a cougar is
asked to call the Milton-Free-
water Police Department at
541-938-5511 to report it.
Construction blocks
portion of Umatilla
River Road
HERMISTON — Umatilla
River Road between North-
east 11th Street and Cooney
Lane outside Hermiston is
closed for the next three to
four weeks for construction.
Tom Fellows, public works
director for Umatilla County,
said the road is going through
a realignment that will include
general improvements and
repaving, underground utility
work, removing a “hump” in
the road, and adding a center
turn lane for drivers enter-
ing the city’s Recycled Water
Treatment Plant.
“We’ll add a turn pocket so
they can get out of the traffic
flow,” he said.
Fellows said the project
is being paid for by a federal
grant administered by the state
known as an All Roads Trans-
portation Safety Grant, which
is triggered by the number of
traffic crashes in an area of
road, including fatal crashes.
During construction, driv-
ers using Umatilla River Road
will need to connect to the
road farther north or use an
alternate road between Herm-
iston and Umatilla.
Beginning this week,
Umatilla River Road between
Northeast 11th Street and
Cooney Lane will be closed
for up to four weeks as the
Umatilla County Road
Department undertakes a
construction project.
This will impact travel in
Northwest Hermiston and to
Umatilla. Detour signs are
in place and motorists are
advised to use alternate routes,
including Highway 395 when
traveling between Hermiston
and Umatilla.
Free trees available
in Hermiston for
Arbor Day
HERMISTON — The
city of Hermiston Parks and
Recreation and Hermiston
Rotary Club are teaming up
to donate 1,500 trees to the
community for the the 35th
annual Arbor Day Tree Give-
away.
Trees will be available
at a drive-thru giveaway
on Saturday, April 3, in the
Smitty’s Ace Hardware park-
ing lot, 1845 N. First St.
The event starts at 9 a.m.,
and will last until all 1,500
trees are gone.
There is no limit on the
number of free trees per
household, but the news
release states that partic-
ipants are asked to “only
take as many as they can
comfortably plant.” People
are also asked to have their
order ready when they arrive.
An attendant will take their
order, and then have some-
one bring the trees to their
vehicle.
Available tree species are
red maple, river birch, red
osier dogwood, Washington
hawthorn, Callery pear, little
leaf linden, Japanese Zelkova
and giant sequoia.
— EO Media Group
4/2-4/8
Cineplex Show Times
Theater seating will adhere to social distancing protocols
ALLELUIA!
Come celebrate Easter with us at
ST. JOHN’S
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Every showing $7.50 per person (ages 0-3 still free)
Godzilla Vs. Kong (PG13)
1:20p 2:00p 4:20p
5:00p 7:20p 8:00p
Nobody (R)
1:40p 4:40p 7:40p
- 9:00 AM • April 4, 2021 -
Raya and the
Last Dragon (PG)
1:00p 4:00p 7:00p
We are resuming in-person worship with
County Covid Guidelines in place.
The Courier (PG13)
12:40p 3:40p
665 E. Gladys Avenue, Hermiston
Chaos Walking (PG13)
6:40p
Holy Eucharist & Easter Liturgy
wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216