WELCOME BMW RIDERS
The
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
W EDNESDAY , J UNE 15, 2016
• N O . 24
• 18 P AGES
• $1.00
www.MyEagleNews.com
School board votes to develop drug-testing policy
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant Union student athletes will like-
ly be tested for drugs next school year.
The Grant School District board unani-
mously voted to develop a drug-testing pol-
icy at the regular meeting Wednesday, June
8. Once developed, the policy would still
need to be approved in the fall.
Vice Chair Zach Williams made the mo-
tion to pursue the policy, calling for testing
all high school athletes at the beginning of
the season with random weekly tests fol-
lowing, after hearing from parents, a drug
counselor and administration offi cials at
the meeting.
Michael White said he wanted to be
able to raise his children, rather than having
According to a U.S. Department of Education study,
fewer substance abuse problems were reported in
schools with random drug testing, and the testing
did not affect sports participation rates.
the school board do so. He recommended
allowing parents to have the option to have
their children partake in the testing.
“I think it should be up to the parents,”
he said.
White said he would support the school
board in its decision but also mentioned
he has seen case studies from Washington
where students turned to alcohol when drug
testing was implemented.
Thad Labhart, from Community Coun-
seling Solutions, said Burns has had a
drug-testing program for years, and he
recommended testing for alcohol as well.
He said allowing parents to opt in would
have benefi ts but wouldn’t reach as many
people.
Labhart said, if students tested positive,
they should be evaluated by CCS, and the
district should then follow the recommen-
dations stemming from the evaluation. He
said not all students who tested positive
would be in the same situation, and the
treatment could vary.
See POLICY, Page A18
The Eagle/Sean Hart
Grant School District School Board Chair Chris
Cronin, second from left, discusses a proposed
drug-testing policy at the board meeting Wednesday,
June 8, as Superintendent Curt Shelley, from left, and
board members Tracie Unterwegner and Amy Stiner
listen. The board unanimously voted to develop a
policy to be voted on in the fall.
FUN IN THE SUN
County pays
settlement
after sheriff’s
offi ce arrest
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Cheryl Hoefler
Cloudy, cool weather didn’t deter several children from lingering at Gleason Pool late Monday afternoon for opening day.
According to Kim Ward, pool manager and program coordinator for John Day-Canyon City Parks and Recreation, a good
crowd had filled the pool earlier that afternoon. The pool is open 1-4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.
Smorgasbord of summer programs includes sports, art and reading
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
A
rea youth can take part in a variety of ac-
tivities this summer.
The list includes swimming, summer
lunches with a reading program, the
Youth Arts Program, junior golf camp
and Cinnabar Mountain Playdays youth rodeo series.
Eagle file photo
Youths ages 8 to 18 can sign up for Grant
County Youth Golf this summer, as well as
several other youth programs.
Swimming
Gleason Pool, 250 NW Canton St., opened Mon-
day, June 13, with recreational swimming 1-4:30 p.m.
Mondays through Fridays.
Kimberly Ward, pool manager and program coordi-
nator for John Day-Canyon City Parks and Recreation,
said the schedule and costs for the pool are the same as
last year (see box for schedule and costs).
Swim classes start Monday, June 20.
Ward said swimming will be free during the Satur-
day, June 18, Family Fun Day event.
See SUMMER, Page A18
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Weston Hamilton of
Monument has a little
help from his dad in
the Figure 8 event at
Saturday’s Cinnabar
Mountain Playdays in
John Day.
Grant County paid a $12,000
settlement to a man who was
arrested after he called to report
hearing gunshots in 2015.
County Judge Scott Myers
said the county’s insurance pro-
vider recommended settling the
case out of court after an attor-
ney for Jim Koitzsch, John Day,
fi led a complaint based on his
arrest Jan. 26, 2015.
Grant County Sheriff’s
Offi ce Deputy Zach Mobley,
who has since been promoted
to undersheriff, responded to a
report of shots fi red and even-
tually arrested Koitzsch for ini-
tiating a false report.
Koitzsch told Mobley the
gunshots originated from the
residence of his neighbors, Ter-
ry and Leann Coalwell. Mob-
ley’s wife is Leann Coalwell’s
sister. Koitzsch also told Mo-
bley to confer with another
neighbor, Dorothy Thexton.
Mobley had called his niece
at the Coalwell residence who
said only children were there
and they did not hear shots.
Mobley called Sheriff Glenn
Palmer, who instructed him to
arrest Koitzsch for a false report.
Palmer said there was a history
of disputes between the neigh-
bors and he was unaware at the
time there were other witnesses.
Thexton told Mobley she
heard gunshots. Mobley then
arrested Koitzsch.
Grant County District At-
torney Jim Carpenter declined
to prosecute Koitzsch and
said investigations of relatives
would be “reviewed with a
skeptical eye.”
The Eagle is investigating
the incident. See the full story
in next week’s edition or online
at MyEagleNews.com.
Just don’t say, ‘There’s nothin’ to do’
three days of exploring Grant County’s road-
ways and scenery. For more information, call
541-525-5315. Visit www.bmwro.org/.
Busy weekend on tap
By Cheryl Hoefl er
Blue Mountain Eagle
Farmers Market ‘Spring
Festival’ — Saturday, June 18
Anyone who says “There’s nothin’
to do around here” this weekend just
isn’t looking hard enough.
Year after year, the third weekend
in June seems to be one of the busiest
in Grant County. Most of the upcom-
ing activities are in and around John
Day, although a geocaching event on
Saturday will take participants on a
searching adventure to all points of
the county, and an evening concert
Sunday in Kimberly will satisfy those
who’ve been craving live music.
When it comes to variety, however,
this weekend’s slate can’t be beat, with
something likely to suit all tastes and
ages.
The “Spring Festival” launches the seventh
season of the successful John Day Farmers
Market, located on Southwest Brent Street in
John Day. Weekly features include vendors
offering a variety of locally grown produce,
homemade food and handmade crafts, plants,
food and recipe samples and more. Opening
day activities include a seed exchange, youth
entertainment from Monument and drawings
for prizes from the John Day Community
Garden. The social event provides people
throughout the county and the surrounding
area with the opportunity to support one
another and strive toward self-reliance. The
markets continue every Saturday through
mid-October. Call 831-596-0656, email
johndayfarmersmarket@gmail.com or visit
johndayfarmersmarket.com.
Eagle file photo
From left, Katherine Wood,
JJ Collier, Becky Carey and
Sarah Russ at the John Day
Community Garden’s prize
drawing table during a John Day
Farmers Market day last year.
So with that, here’s the fun-filled
schedule:
BMW Rally —
Friday-Sunday, June 17-19
BMW riders gather annually at the Grant
County Fairgrounds in John Day, to enjoy
Stockgrowers Ranch Rodeo
— Saturday, June 18
Held at the Grant County Fairgrounds,
John Day, the ranch rodeo starts at 9 a.m.
with such events as open calf branding,
women’s calf branding, team doctoring,
60-plus branding and team load and tie. The
cost is $25 per person per event. Pre-entry is
appreciated, but not required. All proceeds
benefi t the Grant County Stockgrowers.
Call 541-620-0945 or 541-477-3880.
Geocoin Challenge —
Saturday, June 18
This event combines scavenger hunting,
treasure seeking, hiking and a good dose of
adventure. Participants will meet at 9 a.m.
at the Grant County Chamber of Com-
merce offi ce, 301 W. Main St., John Day,
where they will be handed passports to be-
gin their day of searching. The route starts
in Canyon City and continues through
See WEEKEND, Page A18