REGION
Saturday, July 30, 2022
East Oregonian
A3
Recent Hermiston girls soccer coach in jail on sex crimes
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Recent
Hermiston High Schools
girls soccer head coach
Freddy Delapaz Guizar is
in the Umatilla County Jail,
Pendleton, on four counts of
fi rst-degree sexual abuse.
Guizar, 31, has been the
head coach of the team since
2018. Before that, he was an
assistant coach on the Herm-
iston High School boys
soccer team from the 2014-15
season to the 2018-19 season.
The Hermiston School
District Athletics and Activ-
ities Director Larry Usher
on July 26 announced Omar
Medina as the next Hermis-
ton High School head girls
soccer coach. Hermiston
School District Superinten-
dent Tricia Mooney issued
the following statement
regarding the arrest:
“ He r m ist on Scho ol
District’s top priority is the
safety of our students in all
settings. Every teacher, coach
and adviser undergo a thor-
ough background and refer-
ence check and is required
to know and follow district
policy regarding interaction
with students at all times.
“In accordance with state
law, board policy and staff
training, we also require
that suspected abuse of any
kind be reported immedi-
New plant store owner sees changing
downtown landscape as positive
By ANTONIO
ARREDONDO
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — A Pend-
leton business owner branched
out this past month with a new
venture, and already is seeing
returns in a changing city.
Erin Purchase, co-owner
of the local dispensary Kind
Leaf, opened her latest proj-
ect, Prism Botanicals, just
more than a month ago at 421
S. Main St.
After stepping away from
full-time operations at the
dispensary, the entrepreneur-
ial Purchase looked for more
ideas. She said she hopes
Prism, a plant shop, can help
bring some big city atmosphere
to downtown Pendleton.
A native of the area,
Purchase said she wants Prism
to have the aesthetic of a “store
from the (Willamette) Valley,”
a place where small plant shops
are not uncommon. With the
cost of living near the Portland
area rising, she predicted many
residents will be moving to
Pendleton and said she wants
to have something in the area
that suits them.
Her selection of f lora
ranges from common house-
plants, such as the spider
plant, to more exotic gifts in
the variegated Monstera.
In addition to plants,
Purchase sells homemade
jewelry and metaphysical
products, while also putting
Yasser Marte/East Oregonian
Daughter Mykayla Comstock, 17, left, and mother Erin Pur-
chase, 35, talk about plants and trying to sell more local
art crafts Thursday, July 28, 2022, at Prism Botanicals, Pur-
chase’s new business on Main Street, Pendleton.
on exhibits where artists show
off their work.
“I built (Prism Botanicals)
to help local artists,” Purchase
said. “We carry a variety
of artists from the state of
Oregon.”
Starting the shop has
been a 10-month process for
Purchase and a way for her to
get out on her feet. The fami-
ly-oriented location also is
family operated. Purchase’s
mother Suzanne and daughter
MyKayla work there.
The Main Street store is
part of a recent revitalization of
the downtown area. Purchase
pointed to newer businesses,
including the 2018 addition
OMG! Burgers & Brew and the
2016 addition of Oregon Grain
Growers Brand Distillery as
examples. And the MotoLodge
recently opened several blocks
away at 310 S.E. Dorion Ave.
It’s a downtown section
of town that sees increased
traffic every September for
Round-Up, but also for other
events throughout the year. The
changing landscape is some-
thing Purchase said she sees as
a positive for the community.
As for Prism Botanicals, all
sales are in-store, but Purchase
said she has plans to add online
services as well as travel to
farmers markets. Even just
with the in-store sales, she said
she already has been pleased by
the early encouragement.
“The receptiveness has
been amazing,” Purchase
said. “We truly live in a
beautiful city.”
HealthyMC.org
Morrow County Health District, in conjunction with
St. Alphonsus’s Breast Care Center, is providing
MOBILE
MAMMOGRAPHY
SERVICES
ately, regardless of when or
where it happens, and we
work closely with the Herm-
iston Police Department
to follow up on all reports.
We encourage any parent
or student who suspects or
experiences abuse to alert
authorities, whether that be a
school administrator or law
enforcement.”
Hermiston Police Depart-
ment and Umatilla County
District Attorney’s Office
are handling all aspects of the
investigation into allegations
made against Guizar, accord-
ing to Mooney’s statement.
“When he applied to be
a coach, there was no crim-
inal history that would have
prohibited him from the posi-
tion,” she concluded.
Hermiston police on
Wednesday, July 27, arrested
Guizar. State court records
show a Umatilla County
grand jury the day before
indicted Garza on four counts
of fi rst-degree sexual assault.
The indictment accuses
Garza of abusing one youth
on three occasions between
Dec. 20, 2013, and June 13,
2016, and another youth one
time between April 30, 2012,
and April 29, 2014. Both youths
were under the age of 14.
This is a breaking news
story. The East Oregonian
will update with more infor-
mation as soon as possible.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Walchli Farms hopes
for watermelon harvest
to begin Monday
HERMISTON — Walchli Farms of
Hermiston hopes to start watermelon harvest
by Monday, Aug. 1.
“We have seeded and seedless melons,”
Patrick Walchli said. “Both varieties ripen at
the same time.”
Walchli Farms has grown Hermis-
ton watermelons for generations, its Face-
book page read. Besides its famous melons,
Walchli grows a variety of in-season produce,
such as potatoes, hay and wheat. Asparagus
is available from mid-April to June.
“We are waiting for those melons to be
just perfect before we start harvesting,” the
site said. “Our team has been busy getting
things ready. Our shop will open once harvest
begins. Thank you for your patience and
please stay tuned. We will post right here
once we get rolling.”
Watermelons had a slow growing season,
but are coming on rapidly, Mike Walchli said.
“The melons are sure going to be sweet,
thanks to the heat,” he said. “Our workers are
seasoned and know how to take care of them-
selves during heat waves. They stay hydrated.
We start work at 5 o’clock and knock off at
3 to 4.”
Umatilla County reports 2
new COVID-19 deaths
PENDLETON — The Umatilla County
Public Health Department reported two
new deaths attributed to COVID-19 for
Monday through Thursday, July 25-28. The
total toll for the county now stands at 237
fatalities for the disease.
The health department’s dashboard
recorded 57 new COVID-19 cases for the
same reporting period, and a pandemic total
of 24,076.
Morrow County reported two new cases
July 28, bringing its total to 3,147. The
county has suff ered 37 deaths from or with
COVID-19.
— EO Media Group
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SCHEDULE YOUR ANNUAL MAMMOGRAM TODAY
Due to the ongoing confusion about the current situation, we are
sharing this statement with media and concerned Morrow County
residents.
Morrow County Health District is the designated ambulance service
provider for all of Morrow County and has been providing these
services for over 27 years.
It’s Easy!
St. Alphonsus Mobile Mammography Coach will be here:
SEPT 1
SEPT 27 - 29
THURSDAY
9:00AM-3:00PM
TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY
8:00AM-5:00PM
Irrigon
Medical Clinic
220 N. Main St.
Irrigon
Pioneer
Memorial Hospital
564 E. Pioneer Dr.
Heppner
Call to schedule your mammography today:
Patients will need their driver’s license and insurance card.
541-922-1461
541-676-2931
Morrow County Health District has requested that the EMS
Advisory Committee enforce the Morrow County Ambulance
Service Area Plan with respect to how Boardman Fire Rescue
District is dispatched. Currently, BFRD is engaging in a practice
known as call jumping, where multiple providers respond to a
single incident. In Oregon, call jumping is illegal. The state of
Oregon has determined that this practice presents risks to the
public and patients that do not outweigh the benefits of that
action. These concerns were cited in the Determination order
prepared by the EMS Advisory Committee and MCHD in March
2022. Actions taken by MCHD and the EMS Advisory Committee
are undertaken for the sole purpose of ensuring emergency
resources are efficiently and appropriately regulated in an effort to
ensure community safety.
MCHD has made no requests involving Boardman Police
Department. Boardman Police Department has never been a party
to the ongoing dispatch issues.
MCHD has made many attempts to resolve this issue and develop a
partnership with BFRD to enhance EMS services. Those attempts
have not been successful. At this point, due to the continued public
safety risk, MCHD is following the legal process outlined in the ASA
Plan as we constructively work toward a reasonable, community-
based resolution.
Boardman Fire Rescue District is very good at what they do, and we
are beyond grateful for their firefighting services. MCHD’s EMS first
responders are also very skilled at what they do and have been
saving lives in our communities for 27 years. Changing the way
emergency medical services are deployed in Morrow County does
not make sense. Not when there is already a system in place that is
safe, effective, efficient and proven to save lives
MCHD appreciates community feedback and inquiries. Questions
and comments can be sent to community@mocohd. More
information about MCHD’s EMS services is available at http://
www.morrowcountyhealthdistrict.org/emergency-medical-services