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Polk County News Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 17, 2017 5A Budget: Passed Ax: Incident started with a fight by a 16-2 vote Continued from Page 1A “ We c o u l d h a ve p u t $25,000 (in revenue) and $25,000 (in expenses), but realistically we wanted to get it started with $10,000 and go from there,” Foggin said. “If we find there is a lot of activity and it’s costing more, that budget number can be adjusted.” Lawson said she isn’t comfortable with a posi- tion at 25 hours per week for $30,000. “I don’t see justification for a position at a rate that’s almost double what we pay our EMTs,” she said. “I would be much more inclined that we have that $20,000 in cost at about a 15-hour week, 16-hour week position, until they prove that they would be able to come up with that many more ideas that would justify more revenue, more expendi- tures.” Part-time EMT’s work- ing for the city will be paid $10.25 per hour in 2017- 18. She proposed a motion to amend the budget to re- duce the funding for the rec position to $20,000. Councilor and budget committee member Micky Garus said the city should focus on other priorities – such as public safety and infrastructure. He also pointed out that a volunteer group has begun to pick up organiz- ing recreational activities in Dallas. Those who supported adding the position said it provided opportunity to expand recreation oppor- tunities for citizens and helped organizations and volunteer groups create more programs. “My understanding is that the rec coordinator position is not going to take away from anyone who’s volunteering. Those groups are going to do their best … and we need to support them,” said Jen- nie Rummell, the coun- cilor and budget commit- tee member who proposed the position be added to the budget at the first budget meeting. She said the group Garus referred to is new and will only serve adults, and that the rec position could help it grow and serve as a liaison between the city and the county and school district. The motion to decrease funding failed, with Law- son, Garus and Councilor and committee member Terry Crawford voting in favor of the motion. Fo l l ow i n g t h a t v o t e, Crawford asked for more information regarding how part-time EMT pay is de- termined. “How are those salaries established?” he asked. “Are they established in re- lation to what other cities pay for those positions? Is there any way to come up with some contingency money to equalize those things?” Foggin said each de- partment is asked for a budget recommendation for personnel needs, which include raises, pro- motions and moving part- time positions to full- time. Chief Fred Hertel, the Dallas Fire & EMS admin- istrator didn’t ask for more money for EMTs, he said. Hertel, who was in the room, nodded in agree- ment. “I will tell you that it is somewhat problematic for us, in the way that we are structured,” Foggin said. “We have a straight-up EMS department. Our peo- ple are not cross-trained. EMTs, paramedics don’t r u n f i re s e r v i c e. T h a t makes it extremely difficult for us to compare to a lot of other organizations.” The budget, with the recreation coordinator in- cluded, passed 16-2 with Garus and Lawson voting no. In other business, the committee approved the Dallas Urban Renewal Dis- trict budget. Continued from Page 1A The confrontation be- come physical when the man threw a punch at Old- ham, grazing him. Oldham tried to punch back, but the ex-roommate told police the victim threw a plastic chair at Oldham and ran from the house. Oldham chased him in his truck. The ex-roommate told police he tried to stop him. “He told me he had at- tempted to get Tyler to stop and told him not to do any- thing stupid, but he would- n’t listen,” the affidavit stat- ed. The male victim told po- lice as he was walking west on East Ellendale away from the house, he heard an engine revving behind him. He was at the stop light and turned around in time to see Oldham’s truck driv- ing at him, according to po- lice. “He jumped out of the way at the last second and was still able to feel the passenger side mirror fly past his ear,” the affidavit reported. The victim told police Oldham had jumped the curb on the north side of the street in an attempt to run him over, the report said. The victim stopped walk- ing because he was close to Oldham’s home in the 700 block of East Ellendale Av- enue and waited for his girlfriend, who was on her way to meet him, to arrive, according to police. The girlfriend was walk- ing east on Ellendale when she too was confronted by Oldham. She said she had just seen Oldham attempt to run over her boyfriend before he pulled into his driveway. She was ap- proaching the sidewalk in front of the driveway. “She told me Tyler got out of his truck and ap- proached her with an ax in his hand,” the report read. “Tyler asked her, ‘Where is he?’ to which she replied, ‘Where is who?’” The report said Oldham lifted he ax and swung it at her. She jumped out of the way and the ax hit a tree. “The ax getting stuck made Tyler mad, and she used the opportunity to run away,” the report said. Upon investigation, po- lice found the ax head, but did not find Oldham at his house the night of the inci- dent. Officers encountered the two victims when they re- turned to their patrol cars after talking Oldham’s brother. The next day the female victim told police she be- lieved Oldham was sending her threatening messages on Facebook. She said the messages said he was going to slice her throat, kill her and rape her. Later she re- ceived a phone call from and unknown number say- ing, “Enjoy laying on the couch and watching TV while you can.” She had been watching TV on her couch at the time. The next day, Dallas po- lice found Oldham at his home and asked him about the incidents on May 9 and the threatening Facebook messages and phone call to the female victim. Oldham told police he was defending his friend and didn’t throw the ax at the woman, but “swung it purposefully into a tree to scare her and to make sure she knew he was serious.” He told police his Face- book account had been hacked, according to the report. Police arrested Oldham without incident and taken to the Polk County Jail, where he is held on $117,500 bail. POINT investigation results in arrests Itemizer-Observer staff report POLK COUNTY — Start- ing in the month of March, the Polk Interagency Nar- cotics Team began an inves- tigation which lasted more than a month involving the trafficking of heroin in the Polk and Marion county areas by Samantha Gaines, Levi McCleskey and others. With the assistance of the Salem Police Street Crimes Unit, on April 21, McCleskey Visit our website, was taken into cus- t o d y. A t the time McCleskey was found to be in possession of 22.5 Gaines grams of heroin, danabol steroids, and a significant amount of cash and gold. A search warrant was ex- ecuted at McCleskey’s resi- dence and a storage unit held by Gaines, where more contraband was located. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office asked for help finding Gaines on Friday morning . Police said she could have been carrying a firearm and should be considered dan- gerous. Gaines was arrested booked into the jail on Fri- day on three counts of deliv- ery of heroin and two counts of possession of heroin. She’s also charged with possession of methamphet- amine in a separate case. Marion County asked for a hold on her on a charge of delivery of heroin. Bail was set at $715,000. An arraignment took place on Monday in Polk County Circuit Court with another court appearance scheduled for Thursday at 1:14 p.m. Solution on Page 6A www.polkio.com West Valley Housing Authority will hold their Work Session Meeting on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 be- ginning at 11:30 a.m. at 204 SW Walnut in Dallas, Oregon. The Regular Meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. at 204 SW Walnut in Dallas, Oregon. An Executive Session pursuant to ORS 192.660 will be held immedi- ately following the Regular Meeting, if required. Agenda for the meeting is posted on the Housing Authority website at www.wvpha.org. The loca- tion for the meeting is handicapped accessible. Please advise the West Valley Housing Authority if you need any special accommodations to at- tend the meeting. For information, please call 503-623-8387, TDD 1-800-735-2900. What’s YOUR neighbor up to? Find out in the Itemizer Observer. You may find your neighbor, your boss, your friend or yourself in the pages of the Itemizer Observer. Local stories on local people—that’s our specialty. No one has Polk County covered better! ✭ June 14 • Pre-Eclipse Guide ✭ Graduations Coverage ✭ 4th of July Guide ✭ Summerfest Guide ✭ Polk County Fair Guide ✭ The BIG ECLIPSE (souvenir edition) And so much more! All found inside your subscription to the Itemizer-Observer. 503-623-2373
