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About Polk County itemizer observer. (Dallas, Or) 1992-current | View Entire Issue (June 7, 2017)
RELAY FOR LIFE MAGIC OF RELAY Volume 142, Issue 23 Page 9A www.Polkio.com June 7, 2017 $1.00 Dallas softball team takes second in state IN YOUR TOWN DAllAS Dallas council ap- proves budget includ- ing the recreation coor- dinator position. »Page 7A FAllS CIty Students learn life and work lessons through FaCES pro- gram. »Page 3A INDEPENDENCE luKaS EGGEn/Itemizer-Observer Dallas High School girls softball team took second place in the state championships Saturday. For more on the story, see Page 13A. »Page 2A Sheriff talks online ‘stranger danger’ By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer INDEPENDENCE — On- line safety for children is a lot more complicated than “don’t talk to strangers.” That’s still critical advice, but Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton had much more to tell fourth- and fifth-graders at Independ- ence Elementary School about safe internet use and cyberbullying during a pres- entation May 31. He started with explaining why children shouldn’t chat with people they don’t know while gaming. “Stop doing that,” Garton said. “I will tell you why. That’s really scary because you don’t know who you are talking to. If the other per- son is grown up and they are talking to you, sometimes that can be bad.” He added to pay attention when downloading a game. “A lot of times when you download a game to your phone or your tablet, it will ask to look at your contacts or use your camera or use GPS,” Garton said. JOlEnE Guzman/ Itemizer-Observer Polk County Sheriff Mark Garton leads a presentation on online safety for fouth- and fifth-graders at Independence Elementary School on May 31. Garton said never allow GPS to be activated. “Because it can track you, right?” he said. “If the police can figure out where you are by tracking your phone, so can bad guys.” No less crucial is avoiding arranging to meet in person strangers they’ve met online. “Just don’t meet anyone that you’ve met online,” he said. “You just don’t do it.” The presentation is part of a program the sheriff’s of- fice started last year empha- sizing safety and drug pre- vention education for chil- dren and parents. The pro- gram consists of presenta- tions and school visits from a deputy dedicated to work- ing in schools — or some- times, the sheriff himself. Garton stresses educa- tion, but also positive inter- actions between police and children. “When I was their age, the only time a cop ever showed up, it was for something bad,” he said. “It’s neat to have kids come up to you and not just look at you and turn around. That is what school resource stuff is all about, connecting.” That worked at IES. After his presentation, Garton was mobbed with questions from children who were supposed to be headed back to class. Nina Bravo, the school’s counselor, had to encourage them to get back on schedule. “Boys, boys. Class,” she said, then laughing after they disappeared down the hallway. See SAFEty, Page 5A Program quiets cycle of repeat crime By Jolene Guzman The Itemizer-Observer DALLAS — Polk County’s new Mental Health Court, or Friday Court, helped give Anthony Brown and Kelly Fields their lives back. Brown and Fields are the first two graduates of Friday Court, which began April 1, 2016. It was formed to help those charged with crimes whose actions were caused in part by symptoms of mental illness. A team including representatives from Polk County Circuit Court, the Polk County District Attorney’s Of- fice, Polk County Behavioral Health, Community Corrections, the Polk County Board of Commissioners, THE NEXT 7 DAYS PLANNING FOR YOUR WEEK and law enforcement and defense attorneys, met for about a year to design Friday Court, modeled after similar programs in Marion and Clackamas counties. Polk County Circuit Court Judge Norm Hill said the intent was to break the cycle of defendants com- mitting crimes, getting sentenced to probation, failing to get treatment, and then committing more crimes. Friday, during Brown and Field’s graduation ceremony, Hill said he’s seen proof that has worked. Fields, 38, the first participant in the program, started when he was in recovery and receiving treatment with the help of his family. “But this is not easy. Kelly, you struggled with some personal things,” Hill said. “You had chal- lenges that you overcame. You never looked back. You moved forward through each of the steps. I know other members of the program looked up to you as a role model.” Robin Rogers, Field’s mother, said that stands in contrast to where her son was not that long ago. “Kelly was here in the Polk County Jail for six weeks and, during that time he was, in my opinion, psychot- ic,” she said. “He had delusions and he heard voices. He had all the symp- toms of schizophrenia. At that time, the program hadn’t started yet.” During his time in jail, he wasn’t receiving treatment and had to be little Free library dedicated on Friday at mount Fir Park’s Inspira- tion Garden. placed in solitary confinement, said Robin’s husband, Brett Rogers, Field’s stepfather. “I said, ‘How is it that this kid was locked up when he obviously had significant mental illness issues,’” Robin recalled thinking then. “At that time, that was what happened.” He was released, but found himself in the system again later. This time, he was placed with Friday Court. “It was amazing. I just can’t say enough good things about the pro- gram,” Robin said. “My son today — through their help, their guidance, through their medication manage- ment — they have just turned him around. I’m so grateful to this.” See Court, Page 5A MoNMoutH los angeles Chargers wide receiver and WOu alum Tyrell Williams will help with a youth foot- ball camp. »Page 13A EDuCAtIoN Falls City High School Class of 2017 graduated Friday. »Page 15A Fire causes damage to home in Perrydale Itemizer-observer staff report PERRYDalE — a lawn debris fire got out of hand monday night, damaging a house in Perrydale. Firefighters were called to a home in the 800 block of Perrydale Road at 7:27 p.m. after a fire the home- owner thought he had put out reignited and caught a hot tub on fire. “He and a neighbor were trying to put it out,” said april Welsh, spokes- woman for Dallas Fire & EmS. By the time firefighters arrived, the fire had reached the home. Com- plicating matters were nearby powerlines that needed to be shut off for firefighters to safely fight the fire. “The house and con- tents are a 50 percent loss,” Welsh said. The man living in the house is staying with fam- ily. Firefighters responded from Southwest Polk, Dal- las Fire & EmS and Polk Fire no. 1. Crews were on scene for about two hours. no injuries were reported. monday proved to be an active night for emer- gency crews in the area. See FIrE, Page 6A wed thu fri sat sun mon tue Knitters and cro- cheters meet monthly to make clothing and acces- sories for those in need. 3-5 p.m. Free. See what’s new and fresh at the Polk County Bounty mar- ket on the corner of academy and main streets. Donate blood, save a life at the ameri- can Red Cross blood drive at the Polk County Fire District no. 1 Station 90. Noon-5 p.m. “Free.” Skip cooking and head to Buell Grange Hall, on mill Creek Road, just off Highway 22, for breakfast. 8-11 a.m. $6. Today is national loving Day, marking the Supreme Court decision to overturn laws banning inter- racial marriages. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Free. Soar with the Young Eagles and take a free flight in an ex- perimental aircraft at the Independ- ence airport. 8:30-11:30 a.m. Free for ages 8-17. The Independence Riverview Farmers market adds Tues- days starting today at the top of Riverview Park. 1-6 p.m. Free. Mostly cloudy Hi: 76 Lo: 56 Showers Hi: 65 Lo: 47 Chance thunder Hi: 61 Lo: 46 Cloudy Hi: 64 Lo: 46 Partly cloudy Hi: 68 Lo: 45 Mostly sunny Hi: 66 Lo: 46 Showers Hi: 62 Lo: 46
