Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2016)
YOUTH CLEANS UP WOU ON THE HUNT SKATE PARK Page 2A FOR A TITLE Page 11A Volume 141, Issue 35 www.Polkio.com August 31, 2016 $1.00 Deputy cleared in shooting By Jolene Guzman the itemizer-Observer DALLAS — A Polk County deputy involved in a fatal shooting in early July will not face charges after a grand jury has unanimously deemed his actions as justi- fied. Deputy Casey Gibson shot and killed Joshua An- thony Bolster during a traffic stop and confrontation on Highway 22 on July 5 Bolster, 29, repeatedly threatened officers on scene and refused to follow com- mands to get out of his car, said Polk County District At- torney Aaron Felton on Wednesday (Aug. 24). He said because of Bol- ster’s refusal to follow com- mands and his movements in the vehicle, deputies on scene didn’t feel it was safe to approach the car. “He said he would not be taken to jail and that they would have to shoot him,” Felton said. He said because of Bol- ster’s “threatening manner- isms” deputies couldn’t de- termine if he had weapons with him. Bolster was ob- structed from view of the deputies. “The legal standard is whether Gibson reasonably believed that he (Bolster) did (have a weapon) and if the threat of deadly physical force was imminent based on Bolster’s actions,” Felton said. “That was the standard the grand jury looked at.” The grand jury reviewed evidence in the case for eight hours on Aug. 24 be- fore reaching its conclusion. Te s t i m o n y f r o m f o u r deputies involved and offi- cers from Salem and Mon- mouth police departments, Oregon State Police, the Ore- gon State Medical Examin- er’s Office and five citizen witnesses were heard by the grand jury. According to information provided by the district attor- ney’s office, at 9:18 p.m., Monmouth police officers re- sponded to a report that Bol- ster had threatened a man with a four- to five-inch fold- ing knife. Bolster left the apartment complex, where the incident took place, lo- cated at 302 Monmouth Ave. South before officers arrived. At 9:21 p.m., Monmouth officers issued an “attempt to locate” Bolster based on the description of his vehi- cle, a blue 1990s Honda Ac- cord. Because of the earlier incident, Monmouth PD had probable cause to arrest Bolster on unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and tres- passing. Polk County deputies Casey Gibson and Kelly Lorence found Bolster’s car heading east on Highway 22 near milepost 23 and decid- ed to conduct a “high risk” traffic stop. Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton said officers decide to use high risk traffic stops when they have reason to believe that the subject might pose a threat to offi- cers or when a crime is in progress. “Based on information that Bolster may have had a weapon in the vehicle and had threatened other per- sons, Gibson and Lorence elected to perform a “high risk” traffic stop in the inter- est of office safety in appre- hending Bolster and pre- venting further flight,” the DA’s account read. Bolster pulled over with- out incident and the deputies took cover behind the doors of their and drew their firearms and began giving commands for Bol- ster to get out of the vehicle. According to witnesses, they gave several commands. During the exchange, two more Polk County deputies a r r i v e d o n t h e s c e n e, Michael Smith and Michael Lauderback. They also drew their firearms and began giving commands for Bol- ster to get out of the car. Bolster did not comply with the orders, telling the deputies he would not go to jail, according to witnesses. He told deputies he needed to find his phone and, after that, began “rummaging in the car’s interior.” The deputies warned him that was threatening behavior, according to the DA’s de- scription. See DEPUTY, Page 6A IN YOUR TOWN DALLAS Glow run set to bring runners out after dark. »Page 11A FALLS CITY youths work summer jobs for Falls City Schools. »Page 14A INDEPENDENCE Hop and Heritage Festival seeks home- brewers. »Page 3A MONMOUTH monmouth Engaged committees work to- ward vision. HARVESTING HOPS »Page 5A SPORTS Panther Club gets re- invigorated. »Page 11A Assault, robbery suspects arrested Itemizer-Observer staff report Emily mEntzEr/itemizer-Observer About 50 farm workers are hired to work day and night during the hop harvest for Rogue Farms in Independence. Quality is good in this year’s hop harvest, continuing through September By Emily Mentzer the itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — Trucks filled with hop bines rumble down Wigrich Road, heading to the drying and baling facility at Rogue Farms in Independence. Hop cones lay scattered on the road, little thistles that got knocked from the bine on the journey. Most make it to the processing barns just down the road, where they are re- moved from the bine and dried over 150-degree heat for six to eight hours to preserve their valuable con- tests: lupulin. “It is a polleny, powdery sub- stance, and that’s the stuff that cre- ates the aromas and flavors that you get in your beer,” said Kyle Ward, Rogue Farms tasting room manager. Oregon has a reputation when it comes to aroma hops, said Michelle Palacios, administrator at the Ore- gon Hops Commission. “Because of our climate, we grow exceptional aroma varieties,” she said. As customers look for more com- plex hop characters in their beers, the brewers seek a variety of hops to satisfy them. “Brewers are using multiple vari- eties to obtain the hop flavors cus- tomers want,” Palacios said. Matt Sage, of Indie Hops, buys and sells hops, including quite a few varieties from Coleman Farm, where Rogue Farm leases its land. THE NEXT 7 DAYS PLANNING FOR YOUR WEEK Emily mEntzEr/itemizer-Observer Inside the hop cone lies the lupulin, the powdery, aromatic substance that gives beer its hoppy flavors and inspires the brewer. “The reason we have 12 varieties is it gives a huge pallet for brewers to work with,” he said, noting that it would be impossible to choose a fa- vorite. Hops in Oregon were worth $34.56 million in 2015, and acreage has increased in Oregon by 16 per- cent. In 2015, Oregon farmers har- vested 6,612 acres. In 2016, 7,669 acres will be harvested. More than half the hops grown in the United States are exported. “We’re seeing the craft brewing in- dustry coming in Europe and, really, worldwide,” Palacios said. “Those (Oregon) hops are going to be de- manded nationally and internation- ally.” The harvest is good this year, Ward said, but Independence has a long history of growing quality hops. The area’s latitude — 45 degrees north — helps. Ward said it is con- sidered the Hop Belt. “If you follow it over to Europe, that’s where Germany is, with a sim- ilar climate to us, so it makes a lot of sense,” he said. “In the Willamette Valley, and especially being right along the river, this is the perfect at- mosphere for them.” Each year, the Willamette River floods the hop fields, which helps keep them saturated and soft — which helps keep them fertile, Ward explained. “And they really need as much sun- light as possible,” he continued. “So our hot and dry summers help create that sunlight they really need to flour- ish. Also, being along the river, we’re able to irrigate pretty easily.” Even so, it has been more than 80 years since Oregon has been consid- ered the top hop-producing state in the nation, Palacios said. In the 1930s, downy mildew arrived, and Washington shifted to growing hops while Oregon farmers worked to fight the disease. “We’ve never recovered that title,” Palacios said. It has been a good year for the hop harvest, which started a few days early. “Hop ripening is dependent on the daylight change,” Sage said. “It’s the shortening of days that triggers the hop to bloom. They got an early start with a warm April and May, with cooler in mid-June to mid-July. Even though it’s been on the hot side part of the week, the other part of the week it got cooler at night.” Sage said hops like the same weather as people: temperatures in the 80s during the day and cooler at night. “When it gets into the 90s, it’s kind of stressful,” he said. “They like water, but not too much rain on them.” Rains expected later this week likely won’t affect the harvest, which is in full swing, 24-hours a day, Pala- cios said. See HOPS, Page 6A DAllAS — All three suspects in an Aug. 6 as- sault and robbery in Dallas have been arrested. the first to be found by police was Brandon Allen in Prineville during an in- vestigation of a non-relat- ed domestic disturbance. He was taken into custody on Aug. 13, according to Dallas Police. the other two suspects, Stephanie tomlinson and Bradley Scott, were arrest- ed in lake Havasu, Ariz. According to Dallas Police, tomlinson was the sus- pect in a prostitution sting conducted by police in Arizona. When police there found the warrant for her arrest out of Ore- gon, they realized that Scott, who was in the area, had a warrant, too. the pair was arrested on Au- gust 22. the three suspects were wanted in connection with an assault at Dallas mobile Home Village, 573 E. Ellen- dale Ave. Police said tom- linson and Scott had re- cently met the victim of the crime. they went to the victim’s home accom- panied by Allen. Once in- side the home, they robbed the resident at gun point. the resident, an adult male, resisted and a shot was fired by a suspect dur- ing the altercation, accord- ing to police. the victim was not shot — the bullet was fired into the roof of the home — but was struck in the head, probably with the pistol. wed thu fri sat sun mon tue Come on out to the final music in the Park in monmouth to hear the Celtic rhythms of Coming Up threes. 6:30 p.m. Free. Pick up the latest, freshest vegetables and fruits at the Polk County Bounty mar- ket at the Academy Building lawn. Guthrie Park acoustic music jam session takes place on Kings Valley Highway in Dallas. Bring an instrument. 6:30 p.m. Free. A garage saler’s dream come true is at main Street Park today as the Com- munity yard Sale takes up the park. Free singing lessons are offered at St. thomas Episcopal Church during From the Heart Commu- nity Sing. 1:30 to 3 p.m. Free. Happy labor Day! most schools begin tomorrow, so re- member to drive safely and watch for more traffic — cars, bikes and walkers. James2 Community Kitchen will host free dinner for all who are hungry at St. Philip Catholic Church. 4:30-6 p.m. Free. Showers Hi: 71 Lo: 53 Cloudy Hi: 70 Lo: 50 Cloudy Hi: 68 Lo: 50 Partly cloudy Hi: 73 Lo: 49 Partly sunny Hi: 74 Lo: 50 Partly cloudy Hi: 75 Lo: 51 Partly cloudy Hi: 77 Lo: 52 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free.