ROCKY MOUNTAIN
NURSERY
THOMAS GNIADECKI
Page 7A
Volume 141, Issue 14
LIVING IT UP Page 11A
www.Polkio.com
April 6, 2016
75¢
IN
YOUR
TOWN
DALLAS
Dallas holds its first
budget committee
meeting with a focus
on the city’s long-term
outlook.
»Page 6A
FALLS CiTY
NOW HIRING
Jolene Guzman/Itemizer-observer
An employee at MAK Metal welds a component on Monday. The company recently finished an expansion.
Local businesses seek qualified workers for living wages
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-observer
DALLAS — Like the rest of
us, Ray Tate is waiting for the
end of the rain.
The founder and CEO of
American Gas & Technology,
the company converting the
former Tyco building off
Monmouth Cutoff Road in
Dallas into its new produc-
tion facility, said the fre-
quent showers — or down-
pours — has the remodel in
a holding pattern.
At issue is the work re-
maining on the 127,000-
square-foot building’s roof.
Tate said about 40 struc-
tures need to be removed,
leaving holes that rain
could pour through.
“We can’t do a lot of that
until the weather improves,”
Tate said, noting he’s en-
couraged by last week when
the valley saw its first con-
tinuous days of sunshine
this year.
He hopes having to dodge
rain like a baseball team in
March won’t last much
longer, and it certainly hasn’t
diminished the company’s
plans in Dallas.
AG&T’s rain delay is not
unlike what Dallas and the
wider community endured
during the recession and re-
covery — and like the
weather reports, indicators
suggest sunnier times may
be on the way.
The arrival of the compa-
ny, which specializes in the
development of inexpensive
Jolene Guzman/Itemizer-observer
The economic outlook in Polk County looks brighter.
liquefied natural gas fueling
stations, and growth in ex-
isting businesses has played
a part in those more hopeful
expectations.
AG&T picked Dallas after
looking at several other loca-
tions across the country, in-
cluding Tennessee, Missouri,
Oklahoma and California,
Washington and other com-
munities in Oregon.
AG&T leaders found what
they needed in Dallas.
“I just came up here and
the more we looked, the bet-
ter it got,” Tate said.
Dallas was more than will-
ing to welcome the business
into the long-vacant facility
that stood as a symbol of lost
jobs in the community.
“I think just the fact that
something positive is hap-
pening there and that you’ve
got ownership that is opti-
mistic and wanting to locate
here and believes that this is
the place for their company,
is pretty great,” said Jason
Locke, Dallas’ economic de-
velopment director. “Suc-
cess builds on success.”
AG&T believes it has de-
veloped technology that will
lead to plenty of success.
Tate said investors in the
technology will receive a
healthy return on their in-
vestment, estimating a 13
times their initial contribu-
tion in five years. With gov-
ernment subsidies given to
companies producing alter-
native fuels, that figure
grows to 18 times.
See BuSineSS, Page 6A
Indy man arrested Adams steps down as publisher
after long standoff Leppin, Mentzer to take reins as leadership team of I-O
itemizer-Observer staff report
INDEPENDENCE — On
Sunday, just after 5 a.m., 49-
year-old James Michael
Munoz, of Independence,
was taken into custody with
the assistance of Salem
SWAT after an almost six-
hour standoff, according to
a press release from Inde-
pendence Police Sgt. Tino
Banuelos.
On Saturday, at 11:05
p.m., Independence Police
officers were dispatched to
a domestic disturbance in-
volving firearms on South
Sixth Street near Mon-
mouth Street.
The first responding offi-
cers encountered Munoz,
who was armed at the time,
Banuelos said. Munoz en-
tered his residence and re-
fused to come out. With
victims away from the loca-
tion, officers from sur-
rounding agencies assisted
THE NEXT
7
DAYS
PLANNING
FOR YOUR
WEEK
in preparing the scene for
negotiations with Munoz
based on reported threats
to engage law enforcement.
Neighborhood residents
were notified and evacuat-
ed as necessary in prepara-
tion for a Salem SWAT re-
sponse, Banuelos said.
Munoz ultimately came
out and was taken into cus-
tody without incident.
Banuelos said. He was
lodged at the Polk County
Jail pending charges of un-
lawful use of a weapon,
menacing, coercion,
fourth-degree assault and
three counts of reckless en-
dangerment.
“We would like to thank
the Salem Police Depart-
ment, the Monmouth Police
Department, the Polk Coun-
ty Sheriff’s Office and the
Dallas Police Department for
their prompt response and
assistance,” Banuelos said.
itemizer-Observer staff report
DALLAS — Heidi Leppin
and Emily Mentzer will
share day-to-day managerial
re s p o n s i -
bilities at
the Polk
County
Itemizer-
Observer ,
as long-
time pub-
l i s h e r
Leppin
N a n c y
Adams transitions into re-
tirement.
Leppin, advertising and
production manager, and
Mentzer, news editor, will
team up to lead the I-O, Joe
Petshow, president of Eagle
Newspapers Inc., an-
nounced to employees last
week. Eagle is the parent
company of the I-O.
Adams, publisher and edi-
tor, will be transitioning to
other work for the corporate
wed
thu
Put your spelling
cap on and head to
Indy Public library
for Scrabble with
Betty. Prizes are
available.
1 p.m. Free.
Save a life and do-
nate blood during
the american Red
Cross blood drive at
Dallas High School.
redcrossblood.org.
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free.
Sunny
Hi: 76
Lo: 47
Sunny
Hi: 83
Lo: 48
fri
Relay for life will
hold its annual
spaghetti feed and
silent auction at
Christ’s Church in
monmouth.
5 p.m. $5.
Mostly sunny
Hi: 72
Lo: 44
office, Petshow said. She is a
former board member of
Eagle.
“Nancy’s professionalism
is
un-
matched;
her loyalty
unwaver-
i n g ,” h e
s a i d .
“Nancy will
be explor-
ing options
Mentzer
over the
next months, including
some within the Eagle fami-
ly.”
Leppin has worked for the
Itemizer for more than 17
years in the advertising de-
partment.
“I am excited about all the
new media we will be taking
advantage of,” she said. “The
business community de-
serves it.”
Leppin grew up in Dallas
and Independence and
raised three sons here.
She will oversee the ad-
vertising and production
staff as well as continue to
sell ads to local businesses.
Mentzer started with the
Itemizer-Observer as the
Monmouth-Independence-
Western Oregon University
reporter in 2013. She has
lived in Monmouth since
2008.
“I am eager to serve the
Itemizer and the community
in this new capacity as edi-
tor,” Mentzer said.
Mentzer will oversee the
new staff as well as the cir-
culation employees while
continuing to provide cov-
erage of the Monmouth, In-
dependence and Western
Oregon communities.
Mentzer and Leppin look
forward to continuing the
transition from a strictly
print product to a multi-
media news operation.
Brittany Varney takes
first at invite to lead the
mountaineers’ track
and field squad.
»Page 12A
inDePenDenCe
Second-grader Is-
abell Garcia-Becerra
takes the helm as prin-
cipal for the day at In-
dependence elemen-
tary School.
»Page 14A
MOnMOuTH
Western oregon uni-
versity is part of a pro-
gram to redefine mas-
culinity.
»Page 11A
SPORTS
Perrydale senior Kirk
Fairchild’s love of track
and field overrides
physical challenges.
»Page 11A
POLK COunTY
Polk County adminis-
trator Greg Hansen re-
ports 12 percent higher
budget numbers for
2016-17.
»Page 3A
Independence
man sentenced
for crimes
itemizer-Observer staff report
DallaS — eric Spier,
29, of Independence, was
sentenced by Polk County
Circuit Judge monte
Campbell to serve seven
and a half years in prison
after pleading guilty to a
series of theft, drug, and
weapon-related crimes
that occurred between
may 2014 and may 2015
involving multiple victims.
Spier was convicted of
first-degree aggravated
theft, second-degree bur-
glary, first-degree theft,
theft of a firearm, posses-
sion of methampheta-
mine, possession of a de-
structive device, and felon
in possession of a firearm.
He was also ordered to
pay restitution to the vic-
tims of his crimes. The
case was investigated by
the Independence, mon-
mouth, and Dallas police
departments and the Polk
County Sheriff’s office.
sat
sun
mon
tue
Swing your partner
at the second Satur-
day old-time square
dance at Guthrie
Park Community
Center.
7-10 p.m. $5-$15.
Buell Grange Hall
will be the place for
Sunday breakfast
this morning, just
off Highway 22
north of Dallas.
8-11 a.m. $6.
learn about the his-
tory of Chinese
americans, hosted
by the Independ-
ence museum, at the
Indy Civic Center.
7-8 p.m. Free.
overeaters anony-
mous, a support
group, meets at
Salem Health West
Valley each Tues-
day.
noon-1 p.m. Free.
Cloudy
Hi: 63
Lo: 42
Partly sunny
Hi: 64
Lo: 42
Partly sunny
Hi: 63
Lo: 43
Showers
Hi: 62
Lo: 42