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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2016)
The Blue Mountain EAGLE COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL COVERAGE – PAGE A11 Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 W EDNESDAY , J ANUARY 6, 2016 N O . 1 18 P AGES $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com /RQJ&UHHNPDQGLHVLQKRXVH¿UH Wood stove indicated as likely cause Blue Mountain Eagle LONG CREEK — A 68-year-old man died in a house fire early Sunday morning. At about 4:10 a.m., a house fire was reported at 122 N. Highway 395 in Long Creek, according to a press release from Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer. When Long Creek Volunteer Fire Department arrived, the house was fully engulfed in flames. Subsequent investigation indicated the occupant, Ronald Roy Horsman, was not ac- counted for. Due to the amount of damage to the structure, cadaver dogs from Deschutes and Crook counties were called to search the residence. At about 6:30 p.m., after ex- cavating the scene, the sheriff’s office, fire department and the Oregon State Fire Mar- shal’s Office located Horsman’s body inside the residence. Long Creek Mayor Don Porter, who called 9-1-1 to report the fire, said nine fire personnel and two engines from the Long Creek Volunteer Fire Department responded immediately. Porter said the building was al- ready “totally engulfed” upon their arrival. He said it took about an hour to control the fire, which he called a “tragic event.” Palmer said in the statement the fire was likely caused by a wood stove, and the struc- ture and contents were completely destroyed. Contributed photo Fire fully engulfs a home at 122 N. Highway 395 in Long Creek early Sunday morning. On the Town ‘IT’S SMALL, AND IT’S HOME’ Contributed photo A sign on a car in Burns this weekend urges armed protesters to leave. Armed standoff continues in Burns Life is Monument-al in northern Grant County town %\&KHU\O+RHÀHU Blue Mountain Eagle By Rebecca Boone and Gene Johnson M ONUMENT — 6HOIVXI¿FLHQF\ LV a requisite for liv- ing in Monument. Given the dis- tance from the town to larger ones in the region — about 60 miles from John Day to the south, 40 from Spray to the west and 56 from Heppner to the north — Monument residents often need to rely on their own resources. But make no mistake, gas, food, lodging, groceries and even a bank machine provide comforts and amenities for both locals and travelers. A spacious and shady commu- nity park in the heart of town has a playground, basketball and tennis courts, horseshoe pits, restrooms and covered picnic areas. Thomas Cavender Reservoir just west of town and Monument River Park to the south offer opportunities for nearby water recreation fun. Monument’s picturesque valley setting, surrounded by juniper-cov- ered rimrocks, is an attractive lo- cale for outdoor activities — hunt- LQJ ¿VKLQJ KLNLQJ SKRWRJUDSK\ and more. A temperate climate — Monument sits at about 2,000 feet in elevation — combined with DORFDWLRQDWWKHFRQÀXHQFHRIWKH North and Middle forks of the John Associated Press The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler A picturesque view overlooking the Monument area from above Cavender Pond, which is just west of town. Despite being without a mayor at present, a dedicated team of city officials and staff keep things moving smoothly in Monument. Back, from left, councilor Bill Turner; Public Works Director Michael Schafer; councilors Phil Merricks and Steve Ussery; Council President Carrie Ussery; and Councilor Pat McCary. Seated, from left, Finance Manager Robert Yukawa; City Recorder Dorothy Jordan; and Maintenance Assistant Cinimon Derowitsch. See TOWN, Page A3 Contributed photo BURNS — A pickup truck blocked the entrance Tuesday to a national wildlife preserve where a small armed group upset over federal land policy has occupied the frozen swath of remote Oregon since the weekend. From a watchtower, a member of the group looked out over the snowy grounds. The activists who came to the Malheur National Wild- life Refuge were bundled in FDPRXÀDJH HDU PXIIV DQG cowboy hats in the bleak, high desert of eastern Oregon where they seemed more like- ly to encounter wildlife than people. That may be a key reason why law enforcement has not taken action against the group of about two dozen activists opposing the imprisonment of father-and-son ranchers who VHW¿UHWRIHGHUDOODQG “These guys are out in the middle of nowhere, and they haven’t threatened any- body that I know of,” said Jim Glennon, a longtime po- lice commander who now owns the Illinois-based law See BURNS, Page A5 New laws take effect in the new year By Jade McDowell EO Media Group With the new year comes a slate of new laws that went into effect Jan. 1. Here’s a look at how they will affect the lives of Oregonians. Workplace: Some of the most notable laws are part of the “fair shot” package passed by the legis- lature this summer in an effort to expand protections and opportuni- ties for workers. Every business with more than 10 employees will be required to provide sick leave for their workers in 2016 — even those who are part-time or paid by the hour. Sick leave policies can still vary by employer, but each will be re- quired to provide at least one hour Some of the most notable laws are part of the ‘fair shot’ package passed by the legislature last summer in an effort to expand protections and opportunities for workers. of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to 40 hours a year. Oregon is also “banning the box” in 2016, making it illegal for employers to ask on a job ap- plication whether an applicant has a criminal history. They can still ask during an interview, but the idea is to prevent blanket dis- crimination of ex-offenders by allowing them to get a foot in the door. Employers will no longer be allowed to forbid workers to in- quire about their co-workers wag- es, or disclose their own salaries. And employers will be barred from requiring their employees create personal social media accounts, provide the passwords to their ac- counts or promote the company on their personal profiles. Domestic workers such as nan- nies and housekeepers will be ex- tended several new protections in 2016, including mandatory breaks, paid vacation time and recourse against harassment. Law enforcement: The legis- lature also worked to provide in- creased protections to crime vic- tims. The statute of limitations on rape will double in 2016, allowing prosecution up to 12 years after the crime occurred instead of six. If the crime happened to a minor, the victim has until age 30 to come forward. Secretly filming someone in a place of “presumed privacy” — including bathrooms and locker rooms — will be upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony in 2016. That law complements a slew of other invasion-of-privacy laws that came into effect in 2015, in- cluding a ban on “upskirting” (in- tentionally photographing up a woman’s skirt or down her blouse without permission) and “re- venge porn” (posting nude pho- tographs or video of someone on- line with the intent to humiliate them). See LAWS, Page A5