Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • February 17, 2016 3A
Indy seeks ‘tech hub’ status
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
JOLENE GUZMAN/ Itemizer-Observer
Dallas Police Office Colby Hamilton takes photos of a car verses building crash in Dallas
on Monday morning. No one was injured in the accident.
Car smashes into Dallas building
Itemizer-Observer staf report
DALLAS — No one was
injured in a Monday morn-
ing crash in Dallas in which
a car ran into a building.
At about 11 a.m. police
and firefighters responded
to a report of a car crashing
Osborn
Nethery
into an office in Ellendale
Plaza at 289 E. Ellendale Ave.
The driver of a blue Acura
sedan appears to have acci-
dently drove over concrete
wheel stop and sidewalk
curb and into the lobby of
Weston K. Morrill Dentist
Burrow
Office while trying to park.
The car damaged the out-
side wall of the office and
broke a window. The car suf-
fered front-end damage.
Dallas Police did not issue
a citation to the driver of the
Acura.
Mirelez
Lee
Corrections posts ‘most wanted’
Itemizer-Observer staff report
POLK COUNTY — Polk
County Community Correc-
tions lists these individuals
as “most wanted” for Febru-
ary. Citizens with informa-
tion on the whereabouts of
any of them can call Com-
munity Corrections at 503-
623-5226.
• Scott Leroy Osborn,
born Oct. 29, 1971, 6-1, 185
pounds, brown hair, blue
eyes. Charge: Possession of
methamphetamine.
• Troi Nethery, born Feb. 2,
1989, 5-3, 140 pounds,
brown hair, brown eyes.
Charge: Felon in possession
of a firearm.
• Dasha Jacquelyn Burrow,
born Sept. 1, 1989, 5-4, 115
pounds, brown hair, brown
eyes. Charge: Supplying con-
traband.
• Antonio Monreo
Mirelez, born Feb. 21, 1990,
5-7, 150 pounds, black hair,
brown eyes. Charge: Second-
degree kidnapping.
• Christopher Shawn Lee,
born July 6, 1984, 5-11, 195
pounds, brown hair, blue
eyes. Charge: Second-degree
delivery of a controlled sub-
stance.
INDEPENDENCE — The
city of Independence con-
tinues its innovation efforts
through education and
smart agriculture programs,
said Shawn Irvine, economic
development director, at the
Feb. 9 council work session.
“The story that’s begin-
ning to form is we’re trying
to be this hub,” Irvine said.
“People will come to town,
spend money and shop.
Hopefully we’ll have people
coming to set up base to do
research.”
Independence has been
marketing itself as a techno-
logical hub with the help of
the high-speed fiber avail-
able through Monmouth In-
dependence Networks.
Irvine said the idea of in-
novation spreads to the
schools, where hopefully
students will learn about
coding and how to use and
manipulate technology, and
City Council
learn to be entrepreneurs.
Business Oregon has
shown interest in the efforts
because it is a model for a
new economy in Oregon,
Irvine said.
“That’s been a tough nut
to crack,” he said. “We want
to take tech and marry it to
smart ag. They’re interested
in learning more about it.”
Another thing that has
been percolating is the idea
of a tech incubator, a physi-
cal building where tech
companies can share office
space and try something
new, Irvine said.
Councilor Nancy Lodge
suggested that the old city
hall building, currently
under foreclosure proceed-
ings, would be a perfect lo-
cation for a technology in-
cubator.
“That’s one of the places
I’ve looked at,” Irvine said.
“These incubators, the
older the building, the bet-
ter. They’re the kind of place
you don’t want them to
stick around there. Get your
feet under you and get your
own office space.”
Foreclosure proceedings
on the old city hall have
been delayed for various
reasons.
Councilor Tom Takacs
asked what tech companies
are looking for.
“One, skilled workforce,
programmers, techies who
can say, ‘I’ve got an idea;
you’ve got an idea; our
ideas fit; let’s make a busi-
ness,’” Irvine said. Tech
companies are looking for
“those people and opportu-
nities to connect to those
people,” he said.
OSP investigates fatal crash
Itemizer-Observer staf report
POLK COUNTY — Oregon State Police
(OSP) is continuing the investigation into
the Feb. 10 single-vehicle fatal crash on
Highway 221 that took the life of a McMin-
nville woman.
At approximately 2 p.m. OSP troopers
and emergency responders were dis-
patched to Highway 221 near milepost 14
for a reported single vehicle fatal crash.
Once on scene, troopers determined that a
1999 Dodge Durango, operated by Deborah
Wall, age 55, from McMinnville, was south-
bound when it left the roadway and collid-
ed into a telephone pole on the south-
bound shoulder.
The front passenger, Shari Smith, age 50,
from McMinnville, suffered fatal injuries
and was pronounced deceased at the
scene. Wall was transported by ground am-
bulance to Salem Hospital with serious in-
juries.
Troopers are looking into the possibility
that Wall swerved in an attempt to miss a
vehicle that was in her lane. Troopers and
other officers searched the area for the
other vehicle without success.
OSP troopers from both the Salem and
McMinnville Area Commands are continu-
ing the investigation. Witnesses to the crash
contact Recruit Trooper Jason Robb of the
Salem Area Command at 503-378-3387.
Seatbelt usage is undetermined. The
highway was closed for approximately four
hours during the investigation. Detours
were set up by the Oregon Department of
Transportation (ODOT).
OSP was assisted by the Polk County
Sheriff's Office, ODOT, Portland General
Electric and Polk County Fire.
The Itemizer-Observer
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