News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Conservation District annual meeting on tap
Wednesday, Jan. 27, at the
Monument Senior Center.
The event will begin
with a welcome and in-
troductions at 10 a.m.
Three seminars are scheduled:
“Water Rights” from
10:15-11 a.m., led by Grant
Blue Mountain Eagle
MONUMENT — Water
rights and toxic plants are
among the topics at Monu-
ment Soil and Water Conser-
vation District’s 2016 land-
owner seminars and meeting,
County Watermaster Eric Ju-
lsrud.
“Allocation of Conserved
Water Program” from 11-12
p.m., led by Assistant Water-
master Hailey Boethin.
“Toxic Plants in Your
Fields and Around Your
House” from 1-2 p.m., led by
Mark Porter, Oregon Depart-
ment of Agriculture noxious
weed representative from the
northeast Oregon Region.
From noon to 1 p.m.,
Monument FFA will serve a
barbecue brisket lunch for $8
a plate.
The seminars will be fol-
lowed by the Monument
SWCD annual meeting and
election of of¿cers at 2:15 p.m.
RSVP by Friday, Jan. 15,
by calling 541-934-2141, or
mswcd@centurytel.net.
Armed group accesses
government ¿les at refuge
By Rick Bowmer
Associated Press
BURNS — The lead-
er of a small, armed group
occupying a national wild-
life refuge in southeastern
Oregon said Monday he
and his followers are going
through government docu-
ments stored inside refuge
buildings.
Ammon Bundy told re-
porters the documents will
be used to “expose” how the
government has discrimi-
nated against local ranchers
who use federal land for cat-
tle grazing.
Bundy said the docu-
ments would also help se-
cure the release of Steven
and Dwight Hammond,
two area ranchers con-
victed of arson who re-
turned to prison last week
to serve longer sentences.
The Hammonds’ case set
off the occupation of the
Eagle file photo
The Grant County Courthouse will be closed Jan.
15-18 for asbestos abatement.
Grant County Courthouse to
close for asbestos abatement
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY — The
Grant County Courthouse
will be closed Friday, Jan. 15,
through Monday, Jan. 18, for
asbestos abatement.
The entire building will
be closed, and no one will
be allowed to enter, with no
POT
exceptions. All other county
departments will remain open
on Jan. 15.
All county of¿ces will be
closed on Monday, Jan. 18, in
observance of Martin Luther
King Jr. Day.
Regular of¿ce hours
will resume Tuesday, Jan.
19.
reational marijuana.
“We believe that the
county court will do what
the people of Grant Coun-
ty expect and give them a
voice in this process through
a vote,” he said. “... My cli-
ents and I are confident that
the people of Grant County,
if given a chance to vote on
whether they want jobs and
tax revenues from a legal
activity in (the) State of Or-
Continued from Page A1
majority of whom he believes
will vote to allow “making
money and bringing jobs
here” through marijuana
businesses, despite the fact
65 percent of the county
voted against Measure 91 in
2014, which legalized rec-
egon or no jobs and no tax
revenues, they will (choose)
to reject the Measure 91 opt-
out passed in Grant County
Ordinance 15-01 and allow
businessmen in Grant Coun-
ty access to the free market
to bring jobs to our county
suffering nearly 10 percent
unemployment.”
Although bills enacted
by the Oregon Legislature in
2015 only allow taxes to be
Burns-area refuge on Jan. 2.
Bundy said his group is
not accessing government
computers at the Malheur
National Wildlife Refuge,
including personnel ¿les.
After the news confer-
ence, the group drove in
a convoy to a ranch near
the refuge and tore down a
stretch of government-erect-
ed fence. The goal, accord-
ing to the armed men, was
to give the rancher access
to the range that had been
blocked for years. It’s not
clear where the fence was
located or which rancher
sought the group’s help.
The refuge is adminis-
tered by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Spokes-
man Jason Holm said be-
cause the documents and
files at the refuge may
have personally identi-
fiable information, the
agency “is taking neces-
sary steps to ensure em-
collected from retail mari-
juana sales, county residents
who argued against the ban
on marijuana growers and
expressed interest in growing
— including Russell and Paul
Cooper — volunteered to pay
a 3-percent fee of their grow-
ing revenues to the county.
The complaint that was
withdrawn alleged the Grant
County Court improperly
passed the ordinance as an
ployee and family safety.”
The agency strongly
condemned the destruction
of the fence and said the
action undermines hard-
earned conservation impacts
achieved in the area.
“Removing fences, dam-
aging any Refuge proper-
ty, or unauthorized use of
equipment would be addi-
tional unlawful actions by
the illegal occupiers,” Fish
and Wildlife said in a state-
ment. “Any movement of
cattle onto the Refuge or
other activities that are not
speci¿cally authorized by
USFWS constitutes tres-
passing.”
Sixteen full time em-
ployees and one part time
employee usually work at
the refuge, Holm said. Some
who can’t work away from
the refuge have taken ad-
ministrative leave, while
others are working from
home or another of¿ce.
emergency, effective imme-
diately, without a unanimous
vote. The complaint further
alleged that, although the
commissioners discussed
the ordinance at four con-
secutive weekly meetings in
December, Myers’ language
stating the hearing was con-
tinued from one meeting to
the next legally indicated
the four dates were a single
meeting.
A5
Steele
sentenced 25
months for
drug charges
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
Anthony Scott Steele was
sentenced to more than two years
in prison after pleading guilty to a
number of drug-related charges.
At a plea hearing Thursday
in Grant County Circuit Court,
Steele pleaded guilty to one
count of manufacture of meth-
amphetamine, four counts of
delivery of methamphetamine,
six counts of possession of meth-
amphetamine and one count of
menacing. He entered an Alford
plea — pleading guilty with-
out admitting to committing the
criminal act — on one count of
felon in possession of a ¿rearm.
The plea came after negoti-
ation with District Attorney Jim
Carpenter, whereby additional
charges — three counts of man-
ufacture of methamphetamine,
four counts of delivery of meth-
amphetamine, three counts of
possession of methamphetamine
and two counts of felon in pos-
session of a restricted weapon
— were dismissed. Per the plea
agreement, the parties stipulated
to a crime severity and crimi-
nal history level for a 25-month
sentence for the manufacturing
charge. Carpenter said Steele was
also required to assign his $2,500
bail security to the Grant County
Sheriff/Drug Task Force.
Judge William D. Cramer Jr.
sentenced Steele to the 25-month
prison sentence, with a variety
of lesser sentences for the other
charges to be served concurrent-
ly. Cramer also imposed three
years of post-prison supervision,
with added recommendations of
substance abuse treatment and
no contact with Shelby Picken-
paugh, and a $250 ¿ne. Cramer
said Steele could receive credit
for time already served and was
eligible for consideration for ear-
ly release.
C OPS & C OURTS
Circuit Court
CANYON CITY — The
Grant County Circuit Court
reported the following ¿nes
and judgments:
Brett Anson Nelson,
53, pleaded guilty to two
counts of third-degree crim-
inal mischief. For each, he
was sentenced to supervised
probation for 18 months and
10 hours community service.
He was ordered to pay com-
pensatory fines of $100 each
to the Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office and to the vic-
tim. He was ordered to have
no contact with the victim.
He pleaded guilty to men-
acing and was sentenced to
jail for five days, supervised
probation for 18 months and
40 hours community ser-
vice. He was fined $350 and
ordered to have no contact
with the victim. He plead-
ed guilty to second-degree
disorderly conduct and was
sentenced to jail for two
days, supervised probation
for 18 months and 20 hours
community service, and he
was ordered to have no con-
tact with the victim. The sen-
tence is to be consecutive to
the previous ones. The court
dismissed counts for attempt
to commit second-degree as-
sault, recklessly endangering
another person, driving under
the inÀuence of intoxicants,
third-degree criminal mis-
chief, failure to perform the
duties of a driver when prop-
erty is damaged and third-de-
gree theft.
Jeanne Marie Moles, 29,
pleaded guilty to possession
of methamphetamine. She
was sentenced to jail for 120
hours, supervised probation
for 18 months, 110 hours
community service, ordered
to report for a mental health
evaluation and ¿ned $350.
Her conditional discharge
for Jan. 7, 2016, was revoked.
The court dismissed one count
of endangering the welfare of
a minor.
Grant County Sheriff
CANYON CITY — The
Grant County Sheriff’s Of¿ce
reported the following for the
week of Jan. 1-7:
Concealed handgun li-
censes: 6
Average inmates: 15
Bookings: 11
Releases: 9
Arrests: 1
Citations: 2
Fingerprints: 7
Civil papers: 10
Warrants processed: 4
Asst./welfare check: 5
Garrett Grif¿th, 27,
Burns, was cited for driving
while suspended-violation.
Justice Court
CANYON CITY — The
Grant County Justice Court
reported the following ¿nes
and judgments:
Driving while suspend-
ed: Travis James Freniere, 29,
John Day, ¿ned $435.
Driving uninsured: Tra-
vis James Freniere, 29, John
Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
OPEN WED. & THUR.
9 am - 5 pm
541-575-1113
24 hrs/7 days wk
debbie.ausmus@
countryfinancial.com
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Day, ¿ned $260.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
114 calls during the week of
Jan. 4-10. Along with the
various traf¿c warnings,
trespassing, injured animals,
noise complaints and juvenile
complaints, these calls includ-
ed:
John Day Police:
Jan. 4: Cited a John Day
man for two vehicles illegally
parked.
Jan. 5: Arrested on John
Day man on a Grant County
warrant; arrested a John Day
woman on a Grant County
warrant.
Jan. 6: Report of an assault
in the 100 block of North
Canyon Boulevard.
Grant County Sheriff:
Jan. 7: Report of forgery in
Canyon City; report of con-
tempt of court in Canyon City.
Jan. 8: Fraud reported on
North Humbolt; cited a John
Day man for driving unin-
sured.
Jan. 9: Criminal mischief
reported in Mt. Vernon.
Jan. 10: Hit-and-run re-
ported at Canyon City Park.
John Day ambulance:
Jan. 7: Dispatched for an
elderly man.
Jan. 8: Responded for
a woman with chest pain,
shortness of breath and
dizziness.
Prairie City ambulance:
Jan. 4: Responded to
an accident on State Route
7.
Long Creek ambulance:
Jan. 10: Responded for a
77-year-old woman.
Mt. Vernon Fire De-
partment:
Jan. 10: Flue ¿re reported
west of Mt. Vernon.
Pro Saw
Shop and
a Whole
Lot More
02131
Arrests and citations in
the Blue Mountain Eagle are
taken from the logs of law en-
forcement agencies. Every ef-
fort is made to report the court
disposition of arrest cases.