RECORDS/COMMUNITY
Tuesday, May 3, 2022
PUBLIC SAFETY
FRIDAY, APRIL 29
9:10 a.m. — Milton-Freewater police received a report of a graf-
fi ti in the alley on the 900 block of Perkins Street.
1:49 p.m. — A resident on Tyler Road, Boardman, reported his
neighbor’s cows were in his pasture and damaged his fence. He said
this is an ongoing issue.
3:51 p.m. — Umatilla County sheriff ’s deputies responded to Yel-
low Jacket Road, Milton-Freewater, on a report of harassment.
4:43 p.m. — Pendleton police received a report of child abuse/
neglect.
8:08 p.m. — A resident on Southeast Cannon Street, Heppner,
called the Morrow County Sheriff ’s Offi ce to request fi ling a miss-
ing person report on her daughter. The sheriff ’s offi ce responded.
SATURDAY, APRIL 30
8:03 a.m. — A caller on Diablo Court, Umatilla, reported a
domestic disturbance. Police responded.
8:28 a.m. — Irrigon Rural Fire Protection District conducted a fi re
hydrant test at the fi re station, 500 N.E. Main Ave., Irrigon.
10:10 a.m. — Umatilla County sheriff ’s deputies responded to
Milton-Freewater Spanish Seventh-day Adventist Church, 84667
Highway 11, to take a report on a vehicle theft.
1:59 p.m. — Stanfi eld police responded to Stanfi eld City Hall,
160 S. Main St., for a burglary.
3:10 p.m. — Umatilla County sheriff ’s deputies responded to
North Water Street, Weston, for a theft complaint.
5:31 p.m. — Pendleton police responded to the 1600 block of
Westgate on a report of an assault.
5:58 p.m. — A caller reported he was loading up furniture on the
300 block of East Main Street, Lexington, when someone a block
over on Arcade Street called his dog and left in a vehicle. The Mor-
row County Sheriff ’s Offi ce responded and found the dog.
SUNDAY, MAY 1
9:45 a.m. — Umatilla County sheriff ’s deputies took a report of
vehicle theft on South Water Street, Weston.
10:04 a.m. — A caller on East Appleton Road, Milton-Freewater,
made a report of harassment.
11:40 a.m. — Umatilla police responded to Third Street, Uma-
tilla, on a report of harassment.
1:45 p.m. — A caller on Highway 11, Milton-Freewater, reported
a burglary. Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce took a report.
1:22 p.m. — Hermiston police responded to the 900 block of
East Newport Avenue on a report of a burglary.
1:59 p.m. — Pilot Rock police responded to J&D’s Food Mart, 111
S.W. Birch St., for a disturbance.
2:49 p.m. — An ambulance responded to Love’s Travel Stop,
78665 Tower Road, Boardman, for a 50-year-old man who slipped,
fell and injured his back. The ambulance took the man to Good
Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston.
2:51 p.m. — Emergency services responded to Castle Rock
Apartments, 451 Tatone St., Boardman, for a 22-year-old man who
asked what to do about waking up and not remembering. An ambu-
lance took the man to Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston.
4:16 p.m. — A caller at the rest area on the westbound side of
Interstate 84 near Boardman reported a juvenile Black girl and a
white man who appeared to be in his 50s got out of a truck and
walked away from everyone in the parking lot. The caller said the
juvenile appeared to be uncomfortable with the man. The Morrow
County Sheriff ’s Offi ce checked the area but did not fi nd anything
suspicious.
6:45 p.m. — Hermiston police responded to Southwest Ninth
Street for a domestic disturbance after receiving a report of a male
and female physically fi ghting at this location.
7:56 p.m. — Umatilla police responded to Van Buren Drive on a
report of harassment.
8:49 p.m. — A caller on North Loop Road, Stanfi eld, reported a
domestic disturbance.
ARRESTS, CITATIONS
April 29
• Boardman police arrested Sergio Lopez Antonio, 28, for driv-
ing under the infl uence of intoxicants and hit-and-run involving
property.
• Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce arrested Kash Michael Leon, 31,
for second-degree burglary and vehicle theft.
• Umatilla Tribal Police arrested James Brian Halfmoon Jr., 25, for
two counts of assault of a police offi cer, two counts of criminal mis-
chief, one count of resisting arrest, a felony probation violation and
on three warrants for failure to appear.
April 30
• Umatilla County Sheriff ’s Offi ce arrested Markus Paul Davis, 20,
for hit-and-run involving property and a felony probation violation.
• Hermiston police arrested Gage Darrell Woods, 23, for menac-
ing, felon in possession of a weapon and fi rst-degree theft.
May 1
• Pendleton police arrested Brian Allen Palmer, 41, for violating
a restraining order, fi rst-degree burglary and fi rst-degree criminal
trespass.
East Oregonian
Echo High School
CRYSTAL APPLE AWARDS INFORMATION
Award programs, which include biographies of the winners
will be available on the InterMountain Education Service
District website after each event at www.imesd.k12.or.us/
page/crystal-apple-award-ceremonies.
More information about the Crystal Apple Awards is online
at www.imesd.k12.or.us/page/crystal-apple-awards.
ers, parents, students and
c om mu n it y me mb e r s.
Winners are selected from
these nominations by school
district administration.
“Celebrating the hard
work that school district
employees do each and
every day in our region is
always exciting during the
Crystal Apple Awards,”
IMESD Superintendent
Mark Mulvihill said in
the press release. “But it’s
especially wonderful this
year, since we can return to
in-person award events.”
Below is the list of the
2022 Crystal Apple Award
winners.
2022 Crystal Apple
Award Winners
INTERMOUNTAIN ESD
Brandi Audis, educational assistant,
Early Intervention/Early Special
Education Program
Rhonda Dockweiler, administrative
assistant, Teaching & Learning
Department
Rachael Olson, third and fourth
grade teacher/special program
liaison, Virtual Learning Academy
Jennifer Richardson, graphic
design specialist, Communication &
Print Solutions Department
MORROW COUNTY
IONE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tracey Johnson, principal, Ione
Elementary School
Stephanie McElligott, preschool/
instructional aide, Ione School
Morrow County School District
Katie Burton, counselor, Sam
Boardman Elementary School
Michelle Gale, special education
assistant, A.C. Houghton Elementary
School
Lori McCabe, head cook/assistant
custodian, Heppner Jr./Sr. High
School
Laura Winters, sixth grade teacher,
Windy River Elementary
UMATILLA COUNTY
ATHENA-WESTON
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Ashley Tompkins, agriculture
science teacher, Weston-McEwen
High School
Karen Webb, secretary/district
kitchen supervisor, Athena
Elementary/District Offi ce
ECHO SCHOOL DISTRICT
Anna Bench, classroom aide, Echo
School District
Shana Schmidt, science teacher,
HELIX SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tim Kahl, language arts/social
studies teacher, Helix School
Katie Zmuda, school cook, Helix
School
MILTON-FREEWATER
UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Melissa Cunnington, choir/drama
teacher, McLoughlin High School
Steff any Esser, social studies
teacher, McLoughlin High School
Jennifer Kessler, lead cook, Gib
Olinger Elementary School
Heather Vaughn, special education
teacher, Gib Olinger Elementary
School
PENDLETON SCHOOL DISTRICT
Tammy Hillmick, paraprofessional,
Sherwood Heights Elementary
School
James McDonough, maintenance,
Pendleton High School
Karen Smith, special education
teacher, Sherwood Heights
Elementary School
Fred Wolotira, math teacher,
Sunridge Middle School
PILOT ROCK SCHOOL DISTRICT
Lela Thieme, science/wellness
teacher, Pilot Rock Jr./Sr. High School
Jacob Try, music teacher, Pilot Rock
School District
STANFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT
Adam Lemmon, PE teacher,
Stanfi eld Elementary School
Michelle Reeser, kindergarten
teacher, Stanfi eld Elementary
School
UKIAH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Thomas Conner, athletic director/
basketball coach, Ukiah School
UMATILLA SCHOOL DISTRICT
Danette Prindle, paraprofessional,
McNary Heights Elementary School
Tim Young, fi fth grade teacher,
McNary Heights Elementary School
Dorothy Ann Benjamin
Walla Walla
Dec. 18, 1945 — April 24, 2022
Dorothy Ann Benjamin, 76, of Walla Walla, died
April 24, 2022, in Walla Walla. She was born Dec. 18, 1945,
in Pendleton. A funeral service will be May 8, 1 p.m. at
the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 855 W. Highland Ave.,
Hermiston. Burial will follow at the Hermiston Cemetery.
Arrangements are with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston.
Share memories at www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Lorraine Adele Brown
Walla Walla
Jan. 24, 1929 — April 27, 2022
Lorraine Adele Brown, 93, of Walla Walla, died
April 27, 2022, at her home. She was born Jan. 24, 1929.
Arrangements are with Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home
of Milton-Freewater.
John Elwin Kelly
Milton-Freewater
April 13, 1929 — April 25, 2022
John Elwin Kelly, 93, of Milton-Freewater, died
April 25, 2022, at his home. He was born April 13, 1929.
A gathering will be at a later date. Arrangements are with
Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home of Milton-Freewater.
George Donald ‘Don’ Rankin
Hermiston
Sept. 24, 1938 — April 28, 2022
George Donald “Don” Rankin, 83, of Hermiston, died
April 28, 2022, in Hermiston. He was born Sept. 24, 1938,
in Camden, New Jersey. Services are pending. Arrange-
ments are with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Share
memories at www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Mable Ruth Petty Smith
Milton-Freewater
Feb. 20, 1926 — May 1, 2022
Mable Ruth Petty Smith, 96, of Milton-Freewater, died
May 1, 2022, at her home. She was born Feb. 20, 1926.
Arrangements are with Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home
of Milton-Freewater.
Ival R. Sullivan
Irrigon
Sept. 9, 1936 — Feb. 9, 2022
Ival R. Sullivan, 85, of Irrigon, died Feb. 9, 2022, in
Hermiston. He was born Sept. 9, 1936, in Upton, Missouri.
A celebration of life graveside service will be May 21, 1 p.m.
at Desert Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Irrigon. Arrangements
are with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Share memories at
www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
Willard D. Wood
Pendleton
Oct. 7, 1936 — April 22, 2022
Willard D. Woods, 85, of Pendleton, died
April 22, 2022, in Pendleton. He was born Oct. 7, 1936,
in La Grande. Services will be announced. Arrangements
are with Burns Mortuary of Hermiston. Share memories
at www.burnsmortuaryhermiston.com.
UPCOMING SERVICES
SATURDAY, MAY 7
Comstock, Kathy —
Memorial, 11 a.m. at Olney
Cemetery, Pendleton.
McCann, Tom —
Memorial service, 11 a.m. at
The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints, 850
S.W. 11th St., Hermiston.
Neal, Ryan — Celebra-
tion of life, 3 p.m. at Marker
40 Golf Club, 78873 Toms
Camp Road, Boardman.
Oertwich, Ronald —
Memorial service, 1 p.m. at
Peace Lutheran Church, 210
N.W. Ninth St., Pendleton.
Olsen, Ole — A cele-
bration of life and burial
of ashes, 1 p.m. at the
Arlington Masonic Ceme-
tery. Potluck follows in the
basement of the Arlington
United Methodist Church,
150 Hemlock St.
SUNDAY, MAY 8
Benjamin, Dorothy —
Funeral service, 1 p.m. at
the Seventh-day Adventist
Church, 855 W. Highland
Ave., Hermiston. Burial
will follow at the Hermis-
ton Cemetery.
Ronald Oertwich
August 8, 1944 - April 23, 2022
PHS Ag Mechanics teams bring home blue banners
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — The
two first lines of the FFA
motto encompass all that the
Blue Mountain District Ag
Mechanics contest is about
— learning to do and doing
to learn.
That learning and doing
led the Pendleton FFA Chap-
ter to success at this year’s Ag
Mechanics Career Develop-
ment Event. The chapter’s
advanced and beginning
teams both placed fi rst during
the April 14 event hosted by
the Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College Ag Department.
Students demonstrated
their abilities in events rang-
ing from shielded metal arc
welding to electrical wiring.
The two teams were thrilled
to bring home blue banners
for their eff orts. In addition,
each team had students place
in every event on the way to
their district championships.
The advanced team was
led by wins from Crae Camp-
bell in both plasma cutting
and surveying, as well as a
fi nish as the master mechanic
after adding his score on the
written Ag Mechanics test
with his other scores.
Other advanced winners
A5
DEATH NOTICES
IMESD announces 2022 Crystal Apple Award winners
PENDLETON — The
InterMountain Education
Service District and its
component school districts
announced in a news release
the winners of the 2022
Crystal Apple Excellence in
Education Awards.
School districts in East-
ern Oregon are proceeding
44 Crystal Apples in early
May to deserving educa-
tion staff , according to the
announcement.
Mor row County and
Umatilla County school
districts honor their educa-
tors Monday, May 9, with a
ceremony at the Pendleton
Convention Center.
The events include recep-
tions, according to the press
release, and the IMESD
invites and winners’ fami-
lies and friends and school
district staff .
Each year, the Inter-
Mountain ESD partners with
its school districts to recog-
nize outstanding adminis-
trators, teachers, educational
assistants and office and
building staff for their dedi-
cation and commitment to
students and for their will-
ingness to go above and
beyond their regular duties.
Nominations are submitted
over a two-month period
by administrators, cowork-
East Oregonian
Pendleton High School FFA/Contributed Photo
The Pendleton High School FFA Chapter’s advanced Ag Me-
chanics team placed fi rst in the Ag Mechanics Career Devel-
opment Event on April 14, 2022, at Blue Mountain Communi-
ty College, Pendleton.
Pendleton High School FFA/Contributed Photo
The beginning Ag Mechanics team of the Pendleton High
School FFA Chapter took home fi rst place in the Ag Mechan-
ics Career Development Event. The Blue Mountain Commu-
nity College Ag Department hosted the event April 14, 2022.
included James Savage
in MIG welding; Drew
McAnally, oxyfuel cutting;
Kinley McAnally, oxyfuel
welding; and Gage Strzelczyk,
advanced electrical wiring.
Also, the land surveying
team of Crae Campbell, Drew
McAnally and Cahill Robin-
son were champions. And
Brielle Youncs and Cahill
Robinson placed second in
the oxyfuel welding and the
plasma cutting events, respec-
tively.
The beginning team had
multiple event winners as
well, including Adrie Fisher,
oxyfuel welding; Will Huber,
oxyfuel cutting; and Gus
Dunfee, woodworking. Also,
reserve champions were
Michael Rosselle, master
mechanic test; Korrie Siro-
vatka, oxyfuel welding; and
Cameron Weidert, oxyfuel
cutting.
Mar t y Campbell,
Pendeton’s’ FFA advisor,
congratulated all of the partic-
ipants. He said the students
worked hard to develop their
skills.
“I’m tickled they did as
well as they did,” Campbell
said. “It’s just a testament to
what focus and work ethic can
accomplish for young people.”
Ronald O.A Oertwich, 77, of
Pendleton, Oregon, passed away
on April 23, 2022.
Ron was born in Norfolk,
Nebraska, to Oran C. Oertwich and
Mabel M (Starkel) Oertwich on
Aug. 8, 1944.
In 1955, Ron’s parents moved
their family to Hillsboro, Oregon,
where he graduated from Hillsboro
Union High School in 1962. After high school, Ron
joined the Navy serving his country as a Petty Officer
Third Class airplane engine mechanic and in October
1962 married Mardell Bischoff. Ron received an
honorable discharge from the Navy in 1965 and moved
his family back to Oregon where he worked as a diesel
mechanic for many years.
In 1989, Ron, his wife, Mardell, and youngest son,
Richard, moved to Togiak, Alaska, where they owned
and operated Togiak River Lodge. During his years in
Alaska, Ron’s life was blessed with many friends he met
while owning the lodge and continued these friendships
up until his passing.
In 2017, Ron moved back to Oregon and settled in
Pendleton to be near his cherished family.
Ron is preceded in death by both parents, Oran C.
Oertwich and Mabel M. Oertwich.
Ron is survived by his ex-wife, Mardell Oertwich
of Pendleton, Oregon; his children, Jeffrey (Brenda)
Oertwich of Umatilla, Oregon, Ronda (Bruce) Carson
of Adams, Oregon, Lori Brinker of Lake Wawasee,
Indiana, Richard (Naomi) Oertwich of Pendleton,
Oregon, and Angelique Garris of Pendleton, Oregon;
his sister, Marlene Blackburn of El Mirage, Arizona; 15
grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May
7, 2022, at Peace Lutheran Church, 210 NW Ninth St.,
Pendleton, Oregon, at 1 p.m.
The family wishes memorial donations to be made to
Peace Lutheran Church in memory of our dad