News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
A5
G RANT C OUNTY C OURT
Failing radio facility needs replacement
Residents
protest road
closures
By Rylan Boggs
Blue Mountain Eagle
County radio equipment is
in jeopardy because of a fail-
ing facility.
Grant County Sheriff
Glenn Palmer presented a re-
quest during a Feb. 8 Grant
County Court meeting to re-
place a facility housing radio
equipment on Ritter Butte. He
said the building has signifi-
cant structural issues that were
exposing radio gear to the el-
ements and allowing pack rats
to get in. The court gave him
approval to look into alternate
sites or to build a new housing
facility. Palmer also requested
an additional $8,000-10,000
for a new department vehicle.
The court told him to continue
The Eagle/Rylan Boggs
Grant County Commissioner Boyd Britton listens to
feedback from the public during a county court meeting.
searching for a suitable vehi-
cle while they acquired the
necessary funds.
Palmer also submitted a
Title III reimbursement re-
quest for search and rescue
expenses incurred. Palmer
stated search and rescue is
performing more operations
than they have in past years.
In other county news,
Grant County Economic
Director Sally Bartlett’s re-
quest to the court for a part-
The Eagle/Rylan Boggs
Grant County Sheriff
Glenn Palmer speaks to
the court during a Grant
County Court Meeting on
Wednesday, Feb. 8.
time employee to help with
research for projects was
granted. Commissioner Boyd
Britton commended her ser-
vice to the county and wished
her luck finding an additional
staffer.
Justice of the Peace Kathy
Stinnet’s request to the court
to expand clerk Jamie McK-
ay’s hours from 30 to 40
was approved. Stinnet said
McKay is an integral part
of the justice court’s oper-
ations and that case loads
are becoming increasingly
demanding.
Grant County resident
Steve Parsons expressed
displeasure at road closures
related to the Magone Lake
Project. He asserted the For-
est Service was eliminating
access public lands for senior
citizens like himself. Malheur
National Forest Supervisor
Steve Beverlin thanked him
for voicing his concerns and
assured him they had been
heard.
Commissioner Boyd Brit-
ton presented the court with
his plan to pursue a natural re-
source consultant to aid with
the county’s natural resource
plan. In this year’s budget,
$50,000 was set aside for this
purpose. Britton said, while
the court was capable, they
were sometimes not equipped
with the expertise to deal with
large regulatory agencies like
United States Fish and Wild-
life Service.
The court also:
• approved the district at-
torney’s request to send an
employee to St. Louis for
training in a new software
program.
• discussed adding an ad-
ditional fire exit to the second
floor of the courthouse.
• approved the purchase of
new computer towers for the
county clerk and assessor
• approved former com-
missioner Chris Labhart’s
continued service on the Lo-
cal Community Advisory
Council.
C OPS & C OURTS
Arrests and citations in the Blue
Mountain Eagle are taken from the
logs of law enforcement agencies.
Every effort is made to report the
court disposition of arrest cases.
Circuit Court
CANYON CITY — The Grant
County Circuit Court reported the
following fines and judgments:
• Jamie Alan Zimmerlee was
found convicted of felon in posses-
sion of a firearm and sentenced to 18
months probation and five days in
jail, and fined $350.
• Nicky Joe Ballou was convicted
of felon in possession of a restricted
weapon and sentenced to 18 months
probation and 30 days in jail, and
fined $200.
• David Edwin Hall was convict-
ed of driving uninsured and fined
$260.
• Jeremiah Obadaai Gwalthney
was convicted of driving uninsured
and driving under the influence of
intoxicants and sentenced to one
year driver’s license suspension, 18
months probation and 48 hours in
jail, and fined $1,515.
• Attoway Davis was convict-
ed of driving under the influence
of intoxicants and sentenced to one
year suspended driver’s license
and 18 months probation, and fined
$1,255.
• Ernest Andrew Chavira was
convicted of refusal to test for intox-
icants and fined $500.
Grant County Sheriff
CANYON CITY — The Grant
County Sheriff’s Office reported the
following for the week of Feb. 2-8:
• Concealed handgun licenses: 2
• Average inmates: 3
• Bookings: 12
• Releases: 5
• Citations: 1
• Fingerprints: 3
• Civil papers: 8
• Warrants processed: 4
• Asst./welfare check: 3
• Karen Broemeling, 60, cited for
dog as a nuisance.
Justice Court
CANYON CITY — The Grant
County Justice Court reported the
following fines and judgments:
• Exceeding speed limit: Stevie
Lynn Porter, 33, Prairie City, 74/65
zone, Jan. 25, fined $160.
• Careless driving accident: Tyler
Duane Dehiya, 23, Terrebonne, Jan.
3, fined $370.
• Driving uninsured: Tyler Duane
Dehiya, 23, Terrebonne, Jan. 3, fined
$260.
• Driving while suspended: Rob-
in Renae Elliott, 54, Mt. Vernon, Jan.
17, fined $370.
• Semi trailer exceeding 53 feet:
Kevin Ray Bailey, Stanfield, Jan. 25,
fined $95.
• Violation of the basic rule: Col-
by Trent Bradford, 26, Unity, 74/55
zone, Jan. 24, fined $135.
• No operator’s license: Jim Ed-
ward Koitzsch, 58, John Day, Jan.
19, fined $260.
• Take possession of a buck deer:
Richard E. Valade, Dayville, 12
months probation, 20 hours com-
munity service, hunting privileges
suspended for three years and fined
$1,125.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked 138
calls during the week of Feb. 6-12.
Along with the various traffic warn-
ings, trespassing, injured animals,
noise complaints and juvenile com-
plaints, these calls included:
• John Day Police Department
Feb. 8: Received a report from a
caller that her phone had been stolen
at Chester’s Thriftway.
Feb. 9: Dispatched to a report
of kids playing in the creek. Ar-
rested a 26-year-old on a probation
violation.
Feb. 10: Arrested a 28-year-old
John Day resident on a Grant Coun-
ty warrant.
Feb. 12: Seized marijuana and
narcotics at Grant Union High
School.
• Grant County Sheriff’s Office
Feb. 6: Responded with Oregon
State Police to a strong chemical
smell on Ingle Street in Mt. Vernon.
Feb. 8: Responded to a report of a
restraining order violation. Received
a report of a possible burglary at a
Canyon City residence.
Feb. 9: Advised along with OSP,
emergency manager and Oregon
Department of Transportation of wa-
ter on Highway 395 at milepost 5.
Emergency manager dispatched to a
report of a house flooding; the coun-
ty road department assisted with
sandbags.
• John Day ambulance
Feb. 8: Responded to an 80-year-
old with extreme pain.
130 S. Canyon Blvd.
John Day
541-575-0544
05099