REGION
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
Man’s death in Columbia River appears to be accidental
By CAMERON
PROBERT
Tri-City Herald
KENNEWICK — Inves-
tigators believe a Pendleton
man found dead on Friday,
May 14, in the Columbia
River accidentally drowned.
The Snohomish County
Medical Examiner’s Offi ce
wrapped up an autopsy on
Oscar Castaneda last week,
and concluded he wasn’t
injured before he went into
the river, slightly upstream
of the Lampson hydroplane
pits in Kennewick, Benton
County Coroner Bill Leach
said.
While everything indi-
cates he died from drown-
ing, the coroner’s office is
performing blood tests to
make sure he wasn’t under
the infl uence of drugs and
alcohol, Leach said.
“At this point, it’s look-
ing like an accident,” he said.
“They just want to make sure
there isn’t any underlying
intoxicants.”
While the coroner’s
office didn’t initially plan
for an autopsy, it now wants
to make sure foul play
was not involved.
No more information has
been released about what
Castaneda, 29, was doing in
Columbia Park overnight.
Castaneda was fully clothed,
so it didn’t appear that he
was swimming. He lived in
Pendleton, but had family in
Pasco.
A woman reported seeing
what appeared to be a body
or a mannequin in the river
at 8:15 a.m. on May 14 and
called police.
When they arrived, they
found Casteneda’s body
fl oating near the east end pits
where Columbia Basin Dive
Rescue divers helped take
him out of the water.
A GoFundMe account was
set up to help with funeral
expenses for the family.
Hermiston 2040 asks residents
to envision the city’s future
LOCAL BRIEFING
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
John Hughel/Oregon Military Department Public Aff airs
Umatilla fi fth and sixth grade students spend the afternoon designing and testing straw
rockets at the new STARBASE Academy at the Umatilla Chemical Depot on Friday, May 21,
2021. As the fourth STARBASE Academy in Oregon, the students are getting an early start
before the formal grand opening in September when all area students return to classrooms
as COVID-19 conditions improve for all local students.
Academy to
educate kids in
STEM
UMATILLA — Local
officials got their first
glimpse at the Oregon Mili-
tary Department’s new
STARBASE Academy at the
Umatilla Chemical Depot in
Umatilla on Friday, May 21,
according to a press release.
T he f r e e p r og r a m
provides fi fth and sixth grad-
ers the opportunity to hone
their science, technology,
engineering and math skills
for “real-world” settings. It
includes 25 hours of STEM
instruction for fi fth graders
and 20 hours on hands-on,
project-based after school
instruction for sixth graders,
the press release said.
Several eager Umatilla
students volunteered to
try out the academy in
advance of its grand open-
ing in September, which
will make it the fourth acad-
emy of its kind statewide.
The students at the May 21
preview designed and tested
straw rockets and learned
from Oregon National Guard
members, the press release
said.
The other academies are
in Portland, Klamath Falls
and Warrenton, and will
serve 17 school districts
with nearly 4,650 students in
2022, the press release said.
A total of 67 STARBASE
Academies in 39 states and
territories educate more than
75,000 students annually
nationwide, the press release
said.
Hermiston School
District to provide
free summer camp
HERMISTON — Hermis-
ton School District is provid-
ing a free summer program
to enrolled students grades
kindergarten through fourth
grade this summer.
The program will take
place June 21 to July 31
(except July 5), Monday
through Friday, from 7 a.m.
to 7 p.m.
According to an announce-
ment from the school district,
the academic portion of the
day will take place from
7:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. with
math, literacy and science
activities, plus fi eld trips and
swimming lessons. After-
ward students will have the
option of participating in
sports, attending the Champi-
ons daycare or going home for
the day. Breakfast, lunch and
dinner will be provided free
on site and transportation to
and from the program is also
available.
Registration is May 24-28.
Visit the Hermiston School
District Facebook page or
hermiston.k12.or.us to regis-
ter.
Hermiston’s budget
sees 19.5% increase
HERMISTON — The
city of Hermiston’s budget
committee is recommend-
“We lost a very special
person in this world physi-
cally, but we will always have
great memories of him in our
hearts,” organizer Rosana
Villalpando wrote. “I appre-
ciate any help you can give
the Castaneda Torres family.”
According to Facebook
posts from his fi ancee, they
were expecting their first
child together in September.
ing the city council pass a
proposed 2021-22 budget that
is $11.2 million larger than the
previous year.
City Manager Byron Smith
told the committee the 19.5%
increase was due to a number
of large capital projects the
city is undertaking in the
coming year. Those include
construction of a new city hall,
an infrastructure project at the
South Hermiston Industrial
Park, resurfacing the apron
at the Hermiston Municipal
Airport and various water and
sewer projects.
Some of the city’s capital
projects will be paid for at least
in part by grants from the state
or federal government. The
$2 million airport project, for
example, will be covered by a
combination of money from
the Federal Aviation Admin-
istration and Oregon Depart-
ment of Aviation.
Smith said the pandemic
didn’t aff ect some of the city’s
revenues, including the tran-
sient room tax, as much as
feared, but the city did lose
about $800,000 on the parks
and recreation side.
The proposed budget
includes a 1% cost of living
increase for staff in July 2021
and a 1.5% increase that will
take eff ect in 2022 if revenues
come in as expected. The
budget includes a one-per-
son increase in staff , from the
equivalent of 121.47 full-time
employees to 122.47 FTE with
the hiring of an extra water
utility worker.
— EO Media Group
HERMISTON — The
city of Hermiston is asking
residents to think big as they
imagine what the city might
look like 20 years from now.
The city, led by a steer-
ing committee representing
various community part-
ners, has launched Hermis-
ton 2040, an eff ort to create
a 20-year vision plan for the
community.
“We’re looking to those
of you who live, work and
play here to help us create
the guiding vision for
Hermiston’s future,” the
fl yer announcing the proj-
ect reads. “This road map,
anchored in the people of
Hermiston’s values, will
chart the way our city will
look, feel and work over the
next 20 years.”
To launch the proj-
ect, the city created a new
website, hermiston2040.
com. The website encour-
ages people to sign up to
get involved throughout the
feedback-gathering process.
It also contains a link to
the city’s first Hermiston
2040 survey. The survey
asks people connected
to Hermiston a series of
questions about how they
perceive Hermiston and
what they would like to see
change.
City Manager Byron
“I THINK
PEOPLE ARE
SOMETIMES
SKEPTICAL,
BUT THIS IS
A SINCERE
EFFORT TO
FIND OUT
WHAT THE
COMMUNITY
WANTS US TO
WORK ON.”
— Byron Smith, city manager
Smith said the initial
survey is to help the steer-
ing committee fi nd overall
themes and trends, before
drilling down on those
specific topics with more
surveys and focus groups
with residents. They also
plan to do other types of
outreach, including booths
at community events and
open houses, as COVID-19
conditions permit.
“I think people are some-
times skeptical, but this is a
sincere eff ort to fi nd out what
the community wants us to
work on,” Smith said.
He said the fi nal docu-
ment, which likely will be
produced sometime this fall
after a summer of gathering
feedback, will be available to
the entire community so that
other organizations can use
the information provided.
Smith said the city has
done similar 20-year vision-
ing eff orts before and it has
been helpful in guiding
community leaders. Past
feedback about the need for
more parks and recreation
off erings prompted the city
to improve parks and add
trails, for example.
For more information
about the eff ort, visit www.
hermiston2040.com or email
info@hermiston2040.com.
The most valuable and respected
source of local news, advertising and
information for our communities.
www.eomediagroup.com
Shine a light on
spring savings.
NEW 2021 RAV4 LE
$ 249 36 $ 2,999
MOS.
PER MO.
AFTER $500 LEASE BONUS
CASH APPLIED TO AMOUNT
DUE AT SIGNING
DUE AT SIGNING, PLUS
TAXES AND FEES
GET THE NETWORK
THAT WORKS
AS HARD AS YOU DO
Our Lifeline Calling Plans bring discounted wireless service
to participants in certain government-assisted programs.
NEW 2021 VENZA LE
Visit uscellular.com/lifeline or call 1-800-447-1339 for more information.
To find out if you qualify for the Lifeline program, contact the Oregon
Telephone Assistance Program at rspf.org or 1-800-848-4442.
$ 259 36 $ 2,999
PER MO.
Plans starting at
$
34 25
before Lifeline
discount.
Things we want you to know: Lifeline is a federal government benefi t program and only qualifi ed persons may participate. Lifeline service may not be
transferred to any other individual. Applicants must present documentation of household income or participation in qualifying programs. Lifeline is only
available for one phone line per household, whether landline or wireless. The Lifeline Calling Plan/Lifeline discounts are only available to residents in
states where UScellular is an Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC). Eligibility to receive Lifeline discounts will be verifi ed annually. Lifeline
Calling Plans support all of the federal universal services provided for in 47CFR Sec. 54.101. Additional terms and conditions apply. See store or
uscellular.com for details. ©2021 UScellular
TOYOTA.COM
MOS.
AFTER $750 LEASE BONUS
CASH APPLIED TO AMOUNT
DUE AT SIGNING
DUE AT SIGNING, PLUS
TAXES AND FEES
See Your Local
Toyota Dealer
*
Prototypes shown with options. Extra-cost color shown. Excludes TRD Pro models. Customer cash from Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. Must be
applied to the transaction. No cash payment will be made to consumer. Lease a new 2021 RAV4 LE for $249 a month for 36 months with $3,499
due at signing on approved credit through Toyota Financial Services. $500 Subvention Cash applied to amount due at signing. TFS lease due
at signing of $3,499 includes $2,600 Cap. Cost Reduction, $650 acq. Fee which totals $3,250 down, and 1st month’s payment. Base MSRP excl.
freight is $27,550. Cap cost $27,824. Lease-end purchase option $18,846. $350 disposition fee due at lease end. Total lease cost is $12,214.
Lease a new 2021 Venza LE for $259 a month for 36 months with $3,749 due at signing on approved credit through Toyota Financial Services.
$750 Subvention Cash applied to amount due at signing. TFS lease due at signing of $3,749 includes $2,840 Cap. Cost Reduction, $650 acq.
fee which totals $3,490 down, and 1st month’s payment. Base MSRP excl. freight is $32,470 Cap cost $33,127. Lease-end purchase option
$22,542. $350 disposition fee due at lease end. Total lease cost is $12,814. Call 1-800-79-Toyota for details. Does not include taxes, license,
title/registration fees, dealer fees and Oregon tax (.05%). Down payment may be required. Does not include College Grad or Military Rebate.
Varies by region. See dealer for details. †$350 disposition fee due at lease end unless customer purchases vehicle or decides to re-finance
through Toyota Financial Services. Customer responsible for maintenance, excess wear and tear and $0.15 per mile over 12,000 miles per year.
Lease does not include taxes, license, title fees, insurance, regionally required equipment and other dealers’ charges are extra and not
included in the amounts shown. Closed-end lease. Payment may vary depending upon final transaction price. Subject to availability. Offers
may vary by region. See participating dealer for details. *ToyotaCare Covers normal factory scheduled service for 2 years or 25,000 miles,
whichever comes first. See Toyota dealer for details and exclusions. Valid only in the continental U.S. and Alaska. Offers end 6/1/21.