Polk County News
2A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • December 23, 2015
SCHOOL NOTES
DEADLINES
NEWS DEADLINES
For inclusion in the
Wednesday edition of the
Itemizer-Observer for the
holiday weekend:
Social news (weddings,
engagements, anniver-
saries, births, milestones) —
5 p.m. on Wednesday.
Community events —
Noon on Thursday for both
the Community Notebook
and Community Calendar.
Letters to the editor —
10 a.m. on Monday.
Obituaries — 4 p.m. on
Monday.
Rotarians distribute dictionaries
DALLAS — The Rotary Club of Dallas has donated more than
4,000 dictionaries to fourth-grade students in the city of Dallas
in the last 20 years.
The Rotary Club of Dallas has provided dictionaries to all
fourth-grade students in Dallas public schools since 1995. Since
2013, Webster’s Student Dictionaries have been presented to all
private, charter and home-schooled fourth-graders.
In 1995, 100 dictionaries were distributed. This year, 350 were
given to students. The primary fundraiser for the dictionary
project is the annual Rotary Club of Dallas Breakfast in the Park
during Summerfest.
KVCS class sells art at coffee shop
KING VALLEY — Student-run coffee shop, Kings Crossing, in
Kings Valley is now selling Kings Valley Charter School’s first-
and second-grade class’ horseshoe art.
Teacher Jannet White’s students used individual horseshoes
to make designs that they traced onto white paper, voting for
their favorite designs.
Those designs were taken to a welder, White’s father, who do-
nated his time. Then students selected colors to paint them.
The class decided on the price and made the price tags, as well.
Horseshoe art will be for sale at Kings Crossing, located at the
church across the street from the school, open Saturdays from
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Proceeds go to the class fund for field trips and an iPad.
Clyne earns OSBA’s bronze award
INDEPENDENCE — Central School Board member Peggy
Clyne was one of 22 locally elected board members to earn a
bronze award. Members earned the award for completing
course work through the Oregon School Board Association’s
Leadership Institute.
The OSBA presented the awards on Nov. 14 at its annual con-
vention in Portland.
There are four levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.
The OSBA is a member services agencies for more than 200
locally elected boards serving school districts, education service
districts and community colleges. It also provides services to
charter schools and their boards.
NEWS IN BRIEF
Man arrested on sex abuse charges
WEST SALEM — Hugh Reeves of West Salem was arrested Fri-
day on sex offense charges while he was awaiting a February
trial on other sex abuse allegations.
On Friday, Polk County deputies charged Reeves, 58, with sec-
ond-degree rape, four counts of third-degree rape, two counts of
second-degree sodomy, seven counts of third-degree sodomy,
one count of first-degree sex abuse, three counts of second-de-
gree sex abuse and four counts of third-degree sex abuse. The
charges involve a juvenile female unrelated to Reeves.
The sheriff’s office believes there may be more victims.
If you have information, call Detective John Williams at 503-
623-9251.
New Year’s Eve
Gospel Music Celebration
The Knox Brothers
Cornerstone & SONrise
Featuring:
Salt Creek Baptist Church
15075 Salt Creek Rd, Dallas, OR
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Info: 503-930-8177 • Love Offering
Food and fellowship after the concert.
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE / for the Itemizer-Observer
Citizens of Independence may trap and euthanize nutria with pellet guns, but it is more
humane to drown them, according to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Nutria exception to rule
Pellet guns may be used to euthanize creatures after they
have been caught in a live trap in the city of Independence
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
INDEPENDENCE — Dis-
charging a firearm in Inde-
pendence city limits is
against the law, but there are
a few exceptions, including
dispatching nutria with a
pellet gun.
That’s not to say property
owners may go around with
a rifle hunting nutria, said
Independence Police Chief
Bob Mason.
To be in compliant with
city codes, a nutria must be
caught in a live trap before
being dispatched with a pel-
let gun.
Also, property owners
must notify the Independ-
ence Police Department
prior to shooting the animal.
And, honestly, shooting a
nutria is not the best way to
go about it, Mason said.
“The most humane thing
to do, that we are told from
the Department of Fish and
Wildlife, is drown them,”
Mason said. “You can shoot
them with a pellet gun and
kill them, but it’s hard. I have
reports of people shooting
Government
them with a .22 and hours
later, they’re still alive.”
Nutria are classified as
“unprotected, nongame
wildlife” with the state of
Oregon. The animal is native
to South America, first re-
leased into the wild in the
United States in the 1930s
for fur production, accord-
ing to ODFW.
It damages vegetation and
destroys wetland habitat,
and is a danger to Oregon’s
native muskrat. Population
control is considered a “high
effort,” by the ODFW.
Nutria cannot be relocat-
ed if trapped.
Mason said nutria can be
mean and angry — especial-
l y a f t e r t h e y ’v e b e e n
trapped.
“When cornered or cap-
tured, nutria are aggressive
and can inflict serious injury
to pets and humans,” the
ODFW website states. “Ex-
treme care should be taken
when handling captured nu-
tria.”
Once the animal has been
trapped, a property owner or
designee can legally eutha-
nize it, but if it is done with a
pellet gun, he or she needs
to call the IPD first and let
them know, according to the
city’s codes.
Nutria should not be ap-
proached, Mason said.
“They may not be friend-
ly,” he said. “We haven’t had
any nutria attacks in our
area, but people should have
caution when approaching
them.”
ODFW’s website offers tips
for hazing nutria, but states
that not many types of ha-
rassment work for very long.
To catch one in a live trap,
ODFW recommends using
sweet potatoes or carrots
placed along active trails or
wherever nutria are seen.
For more information:
www.ci.independence.or.us,
search city codes.
ADVERTISING DEADLINES
Retail display ads —
Noon Thursday.
Classified display ads
— 11 a.m. on Monday.
Classified line ads —
Noon on Monday. Classified
ads are updated daily on
www.polkio.com.
Public notices — Noon
on Thursday.
CORRECTIONS
The Polk County Itemizer-
Observer is committed to
publishing accurate news,
feature and sports reports. If
you see anything that re-
quires a correction or clarifi-
cation, call the newsroom at
503-623-2373 or send an e-
mail to nadams@polkio.com.
WEBSITE
The Polk County Itemizer-
Observer website,
www.polkio.com, is updat-
ed each week by Wednes-
day afternoon. There, you
will find nearly every story
that appears in the print
version of the newspaper,
as well as some items, in-
cluding additional photos,
that do not appear in print
due to space limitations.
The Itemizer-Observer is
also on Facebook and Twit-
ter. Watch for breaking
news, links to stories, sports
scores updates and more.
WEATHER
RECORDED
HIGH LOW
Dec. 15.............. 42
Dec. 16.............. 46
Dec. 17.............. 55
Dec. 18.............. 55
Dec. 19.............. 50
Dec. 20.............. 48
Dec. 21.............. 53
35
40
44
43
41
43
43
RAIN
.T
.37
2.31
.52
.03
.30
.67
Rainfall during Dec. — 13.71 in.
Rain through Dec. 21 — 39.14 in.
Be ready for winter road hazards
A Pleasant Place to Buy or Sell Your RV
Itemizer-Observer staff report
CALL TODAY FOR A NO-CHARGE EVALUATION.
OPEN K!
WEE
Y
A
7 D S A • Sat 9-5
Mon-Fri 9-6 -4
Sun 10
Ruben 503-915-2080
Rick 503-437-5398
4075 NE Three Mile Lane, McMinnville, OR
www.macrvsales.com Next to the Spruce Goose Aviation Museum macrvsales@gmail.com
POLK COUNTY — Con-
tractors for the Oregon De-
partment of Transportation
are making progress on two
emergency culvert repairs
that closed area roads earlier
in the month because of the
recent storms.
Among those roads was
Highway 22 at milepost 12 in
Polk County, which should
DALLAS UPHOLSTERY
HAS MOVED!
VISIT US AT OUR NEW
EXPANDED LOCATION!
732 SE MONMOUTH CUT OFF
Solution on Page 6A
DALLAS, OR 97338
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL
FURNITURE • AUTO • MARINE • ATV
Matinees are all shows
before 6pm. New pricing for
matinees are: Adult $7.25
Children $6.75 • Senior $7.00
Pricing does not reflect
3D showings.
Visit our website, www.polkio.com
for local news, sports and community events.
WE’RE ALSO ON FACEBOOK!
Check us out on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/pages/
polk-county-itemizer-observer
/205062686252209
Friday - Dec. 25 Only
CONCUSSION (Digital) (PG13)
(1:05 3:55)
DADDY’S HOME (Digital) (PG13)
(2:40 5:00)
POINT BREAK (Digital 2D) (PG13)
(4:55)
POINT BREAK (NEC DOLBY 3D) (PG13)
(2:15)
*STAR WARS: (NEC Dolby 3D)
THE FORCE AWAKENS (PG13)
(3:20)
*STAR WARS: (Digital 2D)
THE FORCE AWAKENS (PG13)
*STAR WARS: (Digital 2D)
THE FORCE AWAKENS (PG13)
(12:40 3:50)
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS:
THE ROAD CHIP (Digital) (PG)
(1:10 3:20 5:30)
SISTERS (Digital) (R)
(2:05 4:45)
JOY (Digital) (PG13)
(1:30 4:20)
6:45 9:35
7:20 9:40
7:35
10:20
9:40
6:30
7:00 10:10
7:40 9:45
7:30 10:15
7:10 10:00
Saturday - Thursday Dec. 26 - Dec. 31
CONCUSSION (Digital) (PG13)
(10:30 1:05 3:55) 6:45 9:35
DADDY’S HOME (Digital) (PG13)
(12:20 2:40 5:00) 7:20 9:40
POINT BREAK (Digital 2D) (PG13)
(11:35 4:55) 7:35
POINT BREAK (NEC DOLBY 3D) (PG13)
(2:15)
10:20
*STAR WARS: (NEC Dolby 3D)
THE FORCE AWAKENS (PG13)
(12:10 3:20)
9:40
*STAR WARS: (Digital 2D)
THE FORCE AWAKENS (PG13)
6:30
*STAR WARS: (Digital 2D)
THE FORCE AWAKENS (PG13)
(9:30 12:40 3:50) 7:00 10:10
ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS:
THE ROAD CHIP (Digital) (PG) (11:00 1:10 3:20 5:30) 7:40 9:45
SISTERS (Digital) (R)
(11:25 2:05 4:45) 7:30 10:15
JOY (Digital) (PG13)
(10:50 1:30 4:20) 7:10 10:00
* Starred attraction. No passes accepted.
be open by Wednesday
(today).
The storms caused land-
slides, sink holes and flood-
ing throughout Northwest
Oregon.
ODOT crews have kept
busy cleaning and patching
damaged roads. Also, crews
continue to monitor loca-
tions on state highways
where the record rainfall has
caused unstable hills and
some roads to sink in places.
ODOT encourages all trav-
elers to be cautious while
using all area highways, es-
pecially those on the Coast
and in the Coast Range,
where there are a number of
hazards caused by record
rainfall and strong winds.
Be prepared for winter
conditions through moun-
tain passes, always carry
chains and be ready to use
them.