The
Blue Mountain
YOU GO
GIRLS!
EAGLE
Grant Union girls
basketball team
advances to
quarteri nals
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
W EDNESDAY , M ARCH 2, 2016
N O . 9
– PAGE 10
18 P AGES
$1.00
CANYON CREEK COMPLEX
County Court votes not
to fund investigation
Commissioners cite
cost, duration, objectivity
in denying request
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
D
The Eagle/Sean Hart
Malheur National Forest Supervisor Steve Beverlin speaks
at the Grant County Court meeting Feb. 24 regarding the
Public Forest Commission’s request for the county to fund an
investigation of the Canyon Creek Complex fire. Beverlin said
the agency has nothing to hide.
espite heated testimony, the Grant County
Court opted not to fund an investigation into
the Canyon Creek Complex ¿ re at the behest
of the Public Forest Commission Wednesday.
Many residents — many of whom lost property
in the ¿ re — urged the commissioners to undertake
the investigation, but they cited concerns such as the
cost and duration of the investigation and the forest
commission’s request to oversee the investigation in
denying the request.
Members of the forest commission said in a
statement they could not ignore the devastation
caused by fires on the Malheur National Forest:
“The pattern of fires being uncontrolled in their
early stages show evidence of questionable judg-
ment. The responsible authority must have an at-
titude of fighting initial fire immediately, aggres-
sively and relentlessly until the fires are out — not
controlled, but out.”
Forest commission member Dave Traylor said the
county could “ill afford” another year of devastating
¿ res, and member Tad Houpt agreed.
“There’s something causing these ¿ res to get so
big,” Houpt said. “... We desperately need to have this
investigation done.”
Dean Elliott, who lost his home in the ¿ re, said
there was no effort made to save his home. Other
property owners shared similar sentiments.
Others, however, did not want the county to spend
resources investigating the ¿ re.
Dan Becker, who lost 160 acres of timber and
his home, said he was not against an investigation,
but he didn’t want the county to pay for it. He said
people often get punished after investigations, but
rarely the person responsible. He also mentioned a
long list of other devastating ¿ res in the area in pre-
vious years.
See COURT, Page A18
www.MyEagleNews.com
County
condemns
refuge
occupation
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Court passed a resolu-
tion condemning the armed occupation of the
Malheur National Wildlife 5efuge Feb. 24.
The three-member county governing
board unanimously approved the resolution
after public discussion at three separate meet-
ings.
The topic drew large crowds. People were
lined up in the hall unable to enter the regu-
lar County Court meeting room at the second
meeting, so the third meeting Wednesday was
scheduled in the larger Circuit Court room
upstairs.
The larger room was also ¿ lled to capacity,
with people sitting in the jury chairs, standing
along the walls and some still in the hallway.
Many people spoke out, offering opinions
both for and against the resolution.
Kay Steele, 5itter, said she believed the
resolution was “more relevant than ever” after
the occupation ended to show Grant County’s
attitude. She urged the court to approve the
resolution.
John Day resident Callie Moss, however,
said she believed the resolution turned into a
personal attack against Grant County Sheriff
Glenn Palmer. She said everyone has different
beliefs, but she was not happy with the reso-
lution language.
“If I’m standing here with my pistol, does
that make me militia?” she asked.
Elaine Mezzo, John Day, said it was not an
attack on the sheriff. She said it sends a mes-
sage of peace.
John Day resident Jesse Madden said he
would probably support a version of the reso-
lution, but he did not believe the current draft
was complete. He said it mentioned state and
federal laws but failed to mention the Consti-
tution.
Commissioner Chris Labhart said he
drafted the resolution. He said the refuge oc-
cupation reminded him of the Aryan Nation
trying to locate in Grant County, and he felt
the county needed to show support for Harney
County.
United States Department of Agriculture
Narrative Timeline of the
Pacific Northwest
2015 Fire Season
John Day
resident
garners
$50,000
The First Creek FiUe burns towards residences
Structure protection on the Okanogan Complex
)LUH¿JKWHURQWKH
Wolverine Fire
for the greatest good
Canyon Creek Complex from Indian Creek5RDG
View the report online at
myeaglenews.com
The Eagle/Sean Hart
Jim Sproul speaks out in favor of an investigation into the Canyon Creek
Complex fire at the Grant County Court meeting Feb. 24. After listening to
testimony, the commissioners ultimately decided not to fund the investigation.
Chester’s Thriftway sells
winning ticket
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Coyote hunter pleads guilty
of violation in wolf shooting
Blue Mountain Eagle
CANYON CITY — A Baker City man
pleaded guilty Tuesday, Feb. 23, to a Class A
violation of Taking a Threatened/Endangered
Species for shooting a radio-collared wolf last
October.
The plea hearing took place at the Grant
County Justice Court in Canyon City before
Judge Kathy Stinnett.
Brennon Witty, 26, formerly of John Day,
had a companion charge of Hunting With a
Center¿ re 5iÀ e With No Big Game Tag dis-
missed as part of a negotiated plea agreement.
The incident happened near Crane Prairie,
south of Prairie City, while Witty was report-
edly hunting coyotes on private land.
See HUNTER, Page A18
A male wolf, OR 22,
that separated from
the Umatilla River
Pack in February
2015, is pictured
walking through a
Northeast Oregon
forest on Jan. 26,
2015. The lone
wolf spent several
weeks in Malheur
County before
heading from Grant
County where it
was shot, mistaken
for a coyote.
Courtesy of Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wildlife
JOHN DAY — John Day resident Lisa
Holland picked up a $50,000 Powerball
prize in Salem last week.
Her husband Dave Holland was the
one who drew the lucky lottery numbers
at Chester’s Thriftway in John Day with a
quick pick.
When he checked his ticket that morning
on TV, Dave said to himself, “Give me a
heart attack!” because he was one number
off from winning millions of dollars.
“I wasn’t sure how much I’d actually
won,” he said.
He took the ticket to Chester’s to scan
the bar code, and that’s when he con¿ rmed
it was worth $50,000.
Dave said he talked to a tax consultant
and put the ticket in a safety deposit box.
Then Lisa traveled to Salem to pick up the
winnings Feb. 24.
He said Lisa will purchase new counter-
tops in their home, and he already saved up
previously to buy a new trolling motor for
his boat.
See WINNER, Page A18