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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 8, 2017)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, February 8, 2017 A5 Idaho murder suspect arrested Condemnation of Public Forest Commission nullification continues between Burns and Vale No liability cap for private fire management plan Blue Mountain Eagle By Rylan Boggs Eastern Oregon law en- forcement agencies arrested a man wanted for murder in Idaho Saturday evening on Highway 20 east of Burns. Following a high-speed chase, John David Wurde- mann, 46, Twin Falls, Idaho, was taken into custody and lodged in the Malheur Coun- ty Jail on two national felony warrants — one for homicide in Canyon County, Idaho, and the other for unlawful pos- session of a firearm — and charges of attempt to elude, felon in possession of a fire- arm, reckless driving and recklessly endangering anoth- er, according to a press release from the Oregon State Police. A passenger in the vehi- cle, Stormy Raine Allen, 22, Twin Falls, was also taken into custody, charged with at- tempt to elude, felon in pos- session of a firearm, hindering prosecution, tampering with evidence, offensive littering and interfering with a police officer. The incident began the evening of Feb. 4, when OSP was advised of an individu- al who had warrants for his arrest, who was known to have violent tendencies and to abuse drugs, was possi- bly traveling on Highway 20 between Burns and Ontario. With the assistance of the Harney County Sheriff’s Of- fice, Malheur County Sher- iff’s Office and an agent from Blue Mountain Eagle John David Wurdemann Stormy Raine Allen the Bureau of Land Manage- ment, OSP attempted to locate the blue Ford F150 pickup that the subject was reported to be driving. At approximately 8:45 p.m., a vehicle matching the description was located near milepost 163, parked off the shoulder of the roadway. As law enforcement pulled in behind the vehicle, the ve- hicle accelerated and fled eastbound, according to the release. As the vehicle fled, its speeds ranged from 50-100 mph, and the operator was driving recklessly, often- times traveling into the on- coming lanes of travel and into the path of oncoming vehicles. Numerous items, including a loaded firearm, were thrown from the vehi- cle as it eluded. Those items were recovered by the Har- ney County Sheriff’s Office. The Malheur County Sheriff’s Office successfully deployed spike strips at milepost 216 and flattened the two driver’s side tires. The vehicle slowed and at milepost 218, veered off the right shoulder of the roadway and into a snowdrift. Both occupants were taken into custody without incident. The vehicle was towed to the OSP office in Ontario where it was secured. The investiga- tion is ongoing. Both lanes of US 20 at milepost 218 were blocked for about 15 minutes while the two subjects were being tak- en into custody and the scene rendered safe. Tempers flared when the nullification of the Public For- est Commission was revisited on Wednesday. Former county judge Mark Webb brought up the offi- cial standing of the commis- sion during the weekly Grant County Court meeting. Grant County Judge Scott Myers and commissioner Boyd Brit- ton reaffirmed they did not support an appeal of Grant County Circuit Court Judge William D. Cramer Jr.’s deci- sion to nullify the measure that created the commission, after they declined to file an appeal before the Dec. 17 deadline to do so. Former members of the forest commission again ex- pressed their dismay at the commission being nullified without anyone notifying them of the circuit court proceedings. Former Grant County commissioner Chris Labhart stated each of the court dates had been publicly posted. In 2016, Cramer ruled the measure creating the com- mission should not have been placed on the ballot in 2002 because the measure sought to assume control of all pub- lic lands in the county, which conflicted with paramount state and federal law. People upset with the nullification have argued the Grant County Sheriff CANYON CITY — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office reported the following for the week of Jan. 26 - Feb. 1: con- cealed handgun licenses, 4; av- erage inmates, 3; bookings, 6; releases, 8; citations, 1; finger- prints, 5; civil papers, 17; war- rants processed, 6; asst./welfare check, 1. • Possession of marijuana by a person under 21: Brady Burch, 19, John Day, Jan. 31. Justice Court CANYON CITY — The Grant County Justice Court re- ported the following fines and judgments: • Minor in possession of alcohol: Angeline Smith, 18, fined $260 and driver’s license suspended for one year; Anto- nio M. Dancer, 19, fined $260 and driver’s license suspended • Careless driving, no acci- dent: Levi Robert McClellan, 20, John Day, Dec. 23, fined $220. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 133 calls during the week of Jan. 30 to Feb. 5. Along with the various traffic warnings, trespassing, injured animals, noise complaints and juvenile complaints, these calls includ- ed: • John Day Police Jan. 31: Responded to a report of fraud. Responded to a report of a domestic distur- bance at the Meadowbrook Apartments. Feb. 1: Received a report of a stolen vehicle, which was un- founded as the caller’s car was still in the parking lot. Feb. 4: Responded to a re- port of a stalking order viola- tion. • Grant County Sheriff Jan. 30: Responded to a re- port of a suspicious person in the Humbolt area. Jan. 31: Notified of a call- er who believed someone was The second installment of the 2016-2017 property tax is due Wednesday, February 15, 2017 by 5 p.m. Payments may be made at the tax collector’s office at the Grant County Courthouse in Canyon City, or the payment may be mailed and POSTMARKED no later than February 15, 2017. Please remember that delinquent taxes accrue interest at the rate of 16% per year. 05226 Circuit Court CANYON CITY — The Grant County Circuit Court re- ported the following fines and judgments: • Ashley Dawne Hicks was convicted of driving under the influence of intoxicants and sentenced to 18 months proba- tion, 80 hours community ser- vice and fined $1,255. • Diana Marie Sandersfeld, 38, was convicted of driving under the influence of intox- icants and driving uninsured and was given a suspended sentence of one year suspended driver’s license, 24 months pro- bation, 10 days in jail and fined $1,885. for one year; Tanner J. George, 18, fined $260, required to at- tend victim impact panel and driver’s license suspended for one year; Ricky W. Weickum Jr., 19, fined $260, required to attend victim impact panel and driver’s license suspended for one year. • Minor in possession of marijuana: Angeline Smith, 18, fined $260; Tanner J. George, 18, fined $260 and driver’s li- cense suspended for one year; Ricky W. Weickum Jr., 19. fined $260, required to attend victim impact panel and driv- er’s license suspended for one year. • Improper use of emergen- cy reporting system: Billy D. Perez, John Day, fined $435. • Unsafe passing on the left: Richard Kenneth Sladky, 61, Mt. Vernon, Jan. 17, fined $220. • Dog as a public nuisance: Janelle Martens, 27, Canyon City, Jan. 7, fined $260; Katie Watt, 31, Union, Nov. 30, fined $260 with six month diversion and dismissed if no conviction prior to July 31. nomic Development Coordi- nator Sally Bartlett discussed the submission of a fire man- agement assistance grant to FEMA. She also updated the court on an addendum to a hazard mitigation plan that would add Canyon City to the Northeast Oregon Regional Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan to give the city access to emergency funds. Bartlett also informed the court of the dissolution of the Blue Mountain Resource Con- servation and Development area — a volunteer council that helped people protect and develop local resources — due to lack of USDA funding. The court also heard an update from Webb on Allan Mullin’s Zone 1 fire plan for his land and the subject of li- ability. Webb said there is no cap on liability costs if Mullin was unable to contain a fire on his lands. Grant County Com- missioner Boyd Britton said he would work with state rep- resentatives to communicate Mullin’s issues. Mullin presented a plan to fight fire on his land in con- junction with the Oregon De- partment of Forestry at a Dec. 21 court meeting. The plan states, “ODF will coordinate any fire-fighting efforts on this property with Allan Mullin. Mr. Mullin will have final say in how the ODF approaches wildfire containment, fire line placement and back-burns on his property.” The most valuable and respected source of local news, advertising and information for our communities. C OPS & C OURTS Arrests and citations in the Blue Mountain Eagle are taken from the logs of law enforce- ment agencies. Every effort is made to report the court dispo- sition of arrest cases. measure only intended to create a commission to man- age lands if and when they were legally conveyed to the county. This was the exact argument the county’s legal counsel, Ron Yockim, made when defending the measure on behalf of the county before Cramer in circuit court, but the judge was not convinced. “Chief petitioner (Dave) Traylor and the voters, even if they read only the summa- ry, were without doubt voting to manage public lands,” Cra- mer said in the opinion nulli- fying the measure. “To assert or argue otherwise demeans Mr. Traylor and the voters (sic) ability to express them- selves and comprehend what is written. ... To find that the purpose was to set up only a Forest Commission with no lands to manage would re- quire this Court to twist the language of the measure. That interpretation is not believ- able, not true, and would ask this Court to manufacture a legal fiction.” Cramer also said in the opinion a legally valid mea- sure could be developed to create a new forest commis- sion that functions as the for- mer commission had been — a new measure that does not conflict with paramount state and federal law by asserting authority it does not have to manage all public lands within the county. In other court news, Eco- If you have any questions, please call the Tax Office at 541-575-0107 or 541-575-0189. PO Box 185 Canyon City, OR 97820 R obbins Farm Equipment 3850 10th St. Baker City 10218 Wallowa Lake Hwy. La Grande 1160 S Egan Burns 86812 Christmas Valley Hwy. Christmas Valley 541-523-6377 541-963-6577 541-573-6377 541-523-6377 going to break into his house while he was away. Informed a 23-year-old Canyon City resident was arrested by Jack- son County officers on a Grant County Warrant. Feb 2.: Arrested a subject from a previous incident. • John Day ambulance Feb. 2: Dispatched for a male subject with a possible stroke. Feb. 4: Dispatched for a female subject with possible heart attack or stroke. Feb. 5:Responded for a 39-year-old male with extreme- ly low blood sugar. • Prairie City Fire Depart- ment Feb. 2: Responded to a re- port of a stove pipe fire in Prai- rie City. • John Day Fire Depart- ment Feb. 2: Responded to a fire on Blue Heron Road. www.eomediagroup.com OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER Get the inside scoop on state government and politics! Baker City 2830 10th St. • 541-524-0122 Every other Monday at Blue Mountain Hospital 170 Ford Rd. • 541-575-1311 The doctor sp eaks Spanish - El doctor habla Espanol ˜
