THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022
146th Year, No. 35
WINNER OF 16 ONPA AWARDS IN 2021
JAN UAR
Y 13–1 9,
2022
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INSIDE EAGLE CAP EXTREME RETURNS TO JOSEPH
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PAGE 8
Pilot Rock loses its ‘tireless and dedicated cheerleader’
PA GE 3
PA GE 4
PA GE 12
Mayor Virginia
Carnes dies at 77
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
PILOT ROCK — Virginia
Carnes, the stalwart mayor of Pilot
Rock, died Saturday, Jan. 8. She
was 77.
The small town in Eastern
Oregon may not have had a stron-
ger advocate than Carnes.
She had lived in Pilot Rock since
1966, and retired as a teacher after
34 years, according to East Orego-
nian reporting in 2004. Carnes
began serving on the city council
in 1992 and ran for mayor in 2004.
She won and had held the position
since.
Carnes suff ered health issues
later in life, but she remained a
vibrant political and civic force in
the community. She helped over-
see signifi cant improvements in the
city, including the installation of
new sewer lagoons in 2019, a major
undertaking for the city.
No one worked more closely
with Carnes than City Recorder
Teri Bacus, one of the former
mayor’s biggest fans.
“The city of Pilot Rock has
lost an exemplary public servant,”
Bacus said. “Virginia Carnes was
a great woman and touched many
lives. She was highly respected and
beloved by everyone. She took the
position of mayor personally and
always looked out for the best inter-
est of the city of Pilot Rock. She
dedicated her life to this city, and I
was honored to have had the oppor-
tunity to work with her.”
Umatilla County Commissioner
George Murdock knew Carnes
and called her “special,” and in his
weekly address to public offi cials
and others eulogized her.
“When we began publishing
the Weekly Update 87 issues ago,
it was primarily read by mayors,
city managers, school superinten-
dents, and other community lead-
ers. While circulation has expanded
dramatically, one of the most ardent
consumers from Day One was Pilot
Rock Mayor Virginia Carnes.
“That was typical of almost
everything the tireless and dedi-
cated cheerleader for that commu-
See Mayor, Page A8
Cattle neglect
investigation
still underway
Wallowa County
exploring possibility
of seizing Dean
Oregon Ranch cattle
By BILL BRADSHAW
Wallowa County Chieftain
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Flags fl utter Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, at the entrance to the Port of Morrow Industrial Park, Boardman. The Oregon Department of
Environmental Quality that day announced it fi ned the Port of Morrow $1.3 million for applying excessive amounts of nitrate-con-
taining water to area farmland.
ENVIRONMENTAL VIOLATIONS
DEQ fi nes Port of
Morrow $1.3M
for nitrate excess
By GEORGE PLAVEN
Capital Press
B
OARDMAN — Oregon environ-
mental regulators have fi ned the
Port of Morrow $1.3 million for
repeatedly over-applying agricul-
tural wastewater on nearby farms in an
area that already has elevated levels of
groundwater nitrates.
The Oregon Department of Environ-
mental Quality announced the fi ne Tues-
day, Jan. 11.
The Port of Morrow responded in a
press release that evening.
WALLOWA COU NTY —
Wallowa County Sheriff Joel Fish
said his offi ce continues to inves-
tigate possible animal neglect by
Dean Oregon Ranches and others in
the stranding of cattle in the moun-
tains during recent snowstorms.
“I do not have any specific
number of cows that have been
gathered or died,” Fish said. “The
staff for Dean Oregon Ranches
are collecting the cattle. Most of
the cattle belong to Dean Oregon
Ranches.”
The sheriff said he expects the
investigation to take time as his
office gathers statements from
those involved.
County Commissioner Todd
Nash, who is a rancher and often
addresses agricultural issues on
the board of commissioners, said
Fish’s statement of Dec. 31 that
the county was “moving toward
seizing the Dean Oregon Ranch”
was not exactly accurate. Nash
said it’s the cattle — not the ranch
itself — that may be seized and it
is unknown if the small number
of cattle owned by other ranchers
would be included.
“We’re looking at seizing the
livestock,” Nash said. “We’re in the
process of considering that.”
He said there is no timeline in
sight, as the proper legal measures
— such as Fish’s investigation —
must be taken.
“We need to have all our ducks
in a row,” the commissioner said.
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
See DEQ, Page A7
Industrial facilities operate Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022, at the Port of Morrow near Boardman.
See Cattle, Page A8
‘We don’t want the past to repeat itself’
MLK program will
include peace march
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — John
Carbage, president of the
Hermiston Cultural Awareness
Coalition, is looking forward to
hosting the Martin Luther King
Jr. Day Peace March.
“We call it a peace march
because we want to promote
peace in the land,” he said. “We
don’t want to cause a divide —
we want peace.”
With planning underway
to host the in-person program,
Carbage said the event will
begin at 11 a.m. Monday, Jan.
17, with a short walk through
downtown Hermiston — start- always chooses a person of
ing and ending at the Hermis- color who can share how the
ton First United Methodist legacy and work of Martin
Church, 191 E. Gladys Ave.
Luther King Jr. has impacted
After the march and some their life.
words by city leaders,
Jordan, who started
participants are invited
preaching as a 14-year-
to enter the church,
old, became the youth
pastor in 1996 at Word
where the program
of Faith Center — now
will include a short
known as Sozo Church
scholarship presenta-
tion by the Hermiston
— in Kennewick. He
Cultural Awareness
was called as senior
Jordan
pastor in 2015.
Coalition, followed
Driven by passion
by Pastor Marlando
Jordan’s keynote address.
and enthusiasm, Jordan shares
COV I D -19 prot o c ols a message of faith, hope and
require people attending the love. In addition, he urges
program at the church to wear Christians to unite in an eff ort
a face covering at all times. to heal the racial divide in our
A mask will be provided for nation.
anyone who does not have one.
Carbage said the coalition
See MLK, Page A7
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
John Carbage, president of the Hermiston Cultural
Awareness Coalition, welcomes speakers to the po-
dium at the Hermiston First United Methodist Church
on Jan. 20, 2020, as a part of the annual Martin Luther
King Jr. Day Peace March.