Update on Pendleton food bank warehouse expansion | REGION A3
TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2022
146th Year, No. 79
EDUCATION
$1.50
WINNER OF 16 ONPA AWARDS IN 2021
Pendleton High School senior Tatum Paullus
walks to receive her diploma June 4, 2022, at
the Pendleton Round-Up Arena. Paullus will
attend West Point Military Academy.
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
Kathy Aney/East Oregonian, File
A Hermiston High School graduate
exults after receiving her diploma
during commencement ceremo-
nies June 9, 2022, at the Toyota
Center in Kennewick. Hermiston
School District reported 355 stu-
dents graduated on time. The
school had 382 seniors, plus eight
students from the district’s Next
Steps program.
Local high
schools tout
graduation
numbers
Preliminary fi gures
show Class of 2022
made it through
pandemic years in
good shape
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregon
HERMISTON — Local high
schools have reported preliminary
stats show promising graduation
numbers for the Class of 2022.
Local school offi cials and grad-
uates said the Class of 2022 was
unique for enduring the coronavi-
rus pandemic, a subject that became
a common theme in several gradu-
ation speeches. This class adapted
through lockdowns with online
learning and returned to classrooms
to complete their schoolwork.
Hermiston High School had 355
students graduate on time, accord-
ing to Hermiston School District
communications officer Briana
Cortaberria. The school had 382
seniors, plus eight students from
the district’s Next Steps program.
The Pendleton School District saw
223 students from Pendleton High
School and Hawthorne Alternative
High School earn diplomas, and
another fi ve earned a GED diploma.
Matt Yoshioka, director of
Curriculum, Instruction and
Assessment for the Pendleton
School District, explained the state
of Oregon bases graduation rates on
the number of students who enter a
freshman class and then fi nish as
seniors. But it does appear the PHS
Class of 2022 is going to fi nish with
a very high graduation rate.
See Schools, Page A10
Pendleton
grad plans to
‘SLAY the
BEAST’
Road to West
Point held many
twists and turns
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
P
ENDLETON — The phrase
“steely determination”
seems custom made for
18-year-old Tatum Paullus.
The recent Pendleton
High School graduate powered her
way through all the necessary tasks
to secure nomination and acceptance
to the United States Military Academy
West Point, where she begins cadet
basic training at the end of the month.
The to-do list for applying to West
Point is daunting. A U.S. senator or
representative must nominate a candi-
date, who also has to write essays,
pass academic muster, send evalua-
tions from teachers and complete an
ethics test that analyzes such quali-
ties as resiliency and study habits. A
fi tness assessment requires perform-
ing a mile run, pushups, a shuttle run,
sit ups and other physical tasks.
Paullus obt ai ned recom-
mendations from Oregon Rep.
Cliff Bentz and Sen. Jeff Merk-
l e y. B e n t z c o n t a c t e d h e r
at school.
“I was all giddy and ran out of the
classroom to fi nd a quiet place to go,”
she said.
When Merkley called on Feb. 10,
she let it go to voicemail, not recog-
nizing the number. She has no plans
to delete the voicemail — ever.
“I wanted to call and congratu-
late you on your appointment to West
Point,” Merkley said. “That is terrifi c.
Your record was stellar in high school
and you really earned this.”
See Beast, Page A10
Left, right and unaffi liated
Gubernatorial candidates take stage at
2022 Eastern Oregon Economic Summit
By ERICK PETERSON
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Oregon’s three
gubernatorial candidates took the
stage Friday, June 17, at the East-
ern Oregon Economic Summit in
Hermiston and spoke of lessons
from the pandemic, crossing the
urban/rural divide and how they
would make the state better.
Tina Kotek, Democrat, and
Betsy Johnson, unaffi liated, were in
person, while Republican Christine
Drazan appeared via prerecorded
video.
Johnson on June 16 issued a
statement challenging Drazan
and Kotek to participate in seven
debates or forums across Oregon
during the gubernatorial campaign.
Kotek’s campaign the same
day announced she agreed to
eight debates and candidate
forums across the state. The Kotek
campaign also challenged Repub-
lican Drazan and Johnson to agree
to an issue-specifi c forum on gun
safety policy.
Johnson and Kotek included the
event at the economic summit on
their lists.
See Summit, Page A10
Yasser Marte/East Oregonian
Oregon Republican gubernatorial candidate Christine Drazan speaks
via video Friday, June 17, 2022, at the Eastern Oregon Economic Summit,
Hermiston.