Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 2017)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, August 2, 2017 Myers sentenced to 90 days in jail County searches for new veteran service offi cer Travel management plan rolls forward By Rylan Boggs Blue Mountain Eagle Grant County is seeking a new veteran service offi cer. Funding for the position has almost doubled, and the Grant County Court plans to increase the position from 20 hours to 30 hours a week, the commissioners said at the July 26 meeting. The increase in funds comes from Measure 96, an initiative approved by Oregonians in the November 2016 election, which gives 1.5 percent of lottery funds to veteran services. In the interim, Harney County Veteran Services Of- fi cer Guy McKay has been fi lling in. Former service of- fi cer Jeff Wilcox left the po- sition roughly a month and a half ago, Grant County Judge Scott Myers said. Also at the meeting, Mal- heur National Forest Supervi- sor Steve Beverlin presented on the upcoming travel man- The Eagle/Rylan Boggs Grant County Commissioner Jim Hamsher makes a point during a Wednesday, July 26, Grant County Court meeting. court briefl y discussed the merits of selling Communi- ty Counseling Solutions, the building they are currently renting at 528 E. Main St., John Day. The building is ag- ing, and the county leases it to CCS for $15,000 a year. The court also: • approved a union con- tract between the Grant Coun- agement plan for the Malheur National Forest. Beverlin urged those in attendance to notify the Forest Service of dispersed campsites and other locations accessible by road that are important to them so the agency can be aware of them when creating the travel management plan. During the meeting, the Known Oregon wolf packs Confirmed pack/individual range NOTE: Polygons represent estimated ranges for known wolf packs with radio-collared animals. 82 395 84 Portland Pendleton 197 Unnamed Heppner 5 26 Salem Minam Meacham 97 101 Chesnimnus Wenaha Shamrock Snake Walla Walla River N. Emily OR30 Desolation 22 Mt. Emily Catherine 26 84 Harl Butte OR29/36 OR37 20 26 126 Bend Eugene 97 OREGON 20 58 Silver Lake OR25 5 101 Rogue N Keno (status unknown) 25 miles 199 Medford 5 *At least one breeding pair 395 Ontario Wolf pack population Pack/area Total Wenaha* Walla Walla* Snake River* Minam* 12 11 9 11 Mt. Emily Meacham* Rogue 8 7 6 Desolation Shamrock Catherine* 1 4 5 Source: Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife (cont.) Total Keno Heppner Silver Lake OR30 pair Chesnimnus* Harl Butte* N. Emily OR29/36 Lone/misc. Minimum total 1 3 1 2 9 10 3 2 7 112 Alan Kenaga/Capital Press Rancher asks ODFW to kill wolves after latest attack By Eric Mortenson EO Media Group A rancher in northeast Oregon’s Wallowa County requested the state Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife use lethal control against the Harl Butte wolfpack, which has attacked calves six times in the past year. An ODFW spokeswoman said the department received the request Friday afternoon and will make a decision in the coming days. The request came after ODFW confi rmed a calf found dead July 26 had been killed by wolves. The calf was estimated to have weighed 400 to 500 pounds but had been most- ly consumed by the time the carcass was discovered. Only the skeleton and hide were left. An ODFW investigator estimated the calf was killed July 20-22. Data from a GPS tracking collar showed a wolf des- ignated OR-50 was within 200 yards of the carcass four times from July 21 to 25. Bite marks on the carcass and fresh wolf tracks in the area contributed to the confi rma- tion. ODFW has confi rmed six attacks on calves by the Harl Butte pack between July 15, 2016 and July 22, 2017. In ad- dition to the calf found dead most recently, another calf was found alive July 21 with multiple bite marks, including one wound that was 4 inches long and 3 inches wide. That attack was estimated to have occurred about a week earlier. Both occurred on public land grazing allotments. The Harl Butte pack also was blamed for killing a calf on private pasture in April. Killing wolves is not a simple process, however. Un- der Oregon’s management rules, ODFW may autho- rize “lethal take” if there have been two confirmed livestock depredations by wolves in the area, or one confirmed depredation fol- lowed by three attempted attacks, which can include “testing or stalking,” depart- ment spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy said in an email. However, the person re- questing lethal control must document that non-lethal protection has been unsuc- cessful, and the producer must show nothing was done that attracted wolf-livestock confl ict and that he or she has complied with laws and con- ditions of any harassment or take permit. ODFW may authorize le- thal control to be done by its staff, by authorized agents or by USDA’s Wildlife Ser- vices. Blue Mountain Eagle A Mt. Vernon man will serve three months in jail for assaulting his daughter. Dillon Myers, 20, Mt. Vernon, was sentenced to 90 days jail, 72 months proba- tion and 80 hours of com- munity service July 26 in Grant County Circuit Court. He was fi ned $300. Myers pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree assault and one count of ty Road Department and the Operating Engineers Local 701. • approved an intergov- ernmental grant agreement between the Oregon Health Authority and the county to help fi nance public health. • approved an order from the Assessor’s Offi ce to desig- nate the Blue Mountain Eagle as the newspaper of record. • approved a property ac- cess permit for the Watermas- ter’s Offi ce to drill and install gauges on a bridge on the South Fork Road. • approved a request from Shannon Springer to allow the Grant County Youth Live- stock Auction Committee to use the Planning Depart- ment’s printer. • extended the expira- tion date of the agreement for financing of community disability development ser- vices. • approved budget trans- fers for the county treasurer. • approved a request from the fairgrounds to purchase a shade tent. • paid dues to the Eastern Oregon Counties Association for 2017-18. fourth-degree assault July 13. T h e charges stem from separate incidents be- Dillon tween May Myers 15 and June 3, where Myers admitted to unlawfully and intentionally causing injury to his infant daughter. One charge of third-de- gree assault was dismissed. Fix pleads not guilty in death of Pilot Rock man Angela Marie Fix, the 40-year-old Pilot Rock woman charged in the death of Larry Castro, pleaded not guilty to fi rst-degree arson and second-degree man- slaughter. Fix entered the pleas Monday morning during her arraignment in Umatilla County Circuit Court. She remains in Umatilla County Jail, Pendleton, on $500,000 bond. A jury trial is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 11-12 before Judge Chris Brauer. A pre- trial hearing has also been set for 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 24. Fix was ar- rested July 16 for arson fol- lowing a fi re Angela that ravaged Marie Fix Castro’s home at 439 S.W. Birch Place, Pilot Rock. Pilot Rock Police Chief Bill Cal- dera said Castro’s body was inside the home. He was 72. Fix has been assigned an attorney, Kara Davis, from Intermountain Public De- fender. C OPS AND C OURTS (As of Dec. 31, 2016) Estimated pack/individual range A5 Arrests and citations in the Blue Mountain Eagle are taken from the logs of law enforcement agencies. Every effort is made to re- port the court disposition of arrest cases. Grant County Circuit Court Robert L. Crosby, II, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of attempt to commit a class A misdemeanor and was sentenced to one year probation, 30 hours com- munity service and 10 days in jail. He was fined $300. Cherith Rose Sheedy pleaded guilty to pointing a firearm at another and was issued deferred adjudica- tion with a sentence of 24 months bench probation and 35 hours community ser- vice and a $200 fine. Upon successful completion of probation, the charges will be dismissed without enter- ing a judgment of guilt. Oregon State Police Responded July 23 to a serious motorcycle-deer crash near milepost 172 on Highway 395. The driver was transported by ambu- lance to Blue Mountain Hospital. Cited Ren Matthew Kirk- patrick Sr., 41, John Day, for driving under the infl uence and open container after he was pulled over and showed signs of impairment. Kirk- patrick had his 14-year-old child with him and admit- ted to previously smoking marijuana. He consented to a blood alcohol test and had a BAC of .12 percent. Grant County Sheriff The Grant County Sher- iff’s Office reported the fol- lowing for the week of July 21-27: • Concealed handgun li- censes: 1 • Average inmates: 15 • Bookings: 13 • Releases: 10 • Arrests: 1 • Citations: 1 • Fingerprints: 3 • Civil papers: 16 • Warrants processed: 2 • Asst./welfare check: 5 Justice Court The Grant County Jus- tice Court reported the following fines and judg- ments: Exceeding the speed limit: Coleman Kerry My- ers, 19, Happy Valley, 65/35 zone, July 7, fined $260; Joan Devine, 73, Eu- gene, 57/35 zone, July 16, fined $160. Beegie Julius Smith, Klamath Falls, pleaded guilty to one charge of failure to install an inter- lock ignition device and one charge of driving while suspended and was sentenced to 24 months probation, five days in jail, suspended if proba- tion is successfully com- pleted, 80 hours com- munity service and fined $1,560. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 178 calls during the week of July 24-30. Along with the various traffic warnings, trespass- ing, injured animals, noise complaints and juvenile complaints, these calls in- cluded: • John Day Police Department July 24: Responded to a report of illegal camping behind The Outpost restau- rant. July 25: Responded with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office to a report of a do- mestic disturbance. OREGON CAPITAL INSIDER July 26: Dispatched to a report of a theft in the River- side Trailer Park. Advised of a restraining order violation. July 29: Responded to a report of kids jumping off the Patterson Street Bridge. July 30: Received a complaint of an ATV rid- er speeding in a residential neighborhood in John Day. • Grant County Sheriff’s Offi ce July 25: Responded to a report of trespassers on pri- vate property near the Mul- lin Ranch. Responded to a report of telephonic harass- ment. July 27: Responded to a report of shots fi red on Lay- cock Road. July 28: Advised of a re- straining order violation in Mt. Vernon. July 29: Investigated a report of harassment at the Rainbow Gathering. July 30: Responded with Oregon State Police to a re- port of underage drinking at Magone Lake. • John Day ambulance July 27: Responded for a 62-year-old man with a head injury at Strawberry Lake. • Oregon State Police July 24: Responded to a report of an unwanted sub- ject on Ritter Road. July 25: Responded to a hay truck that lost its load near milepost 13.5 on High- way 395. July 27: Received a re- port of a driver passing in no-passing zones and al- most running cyclists off the road near milepost 186 on Highway 26. • United States Forest Service July 24: Advised of a forest fire near Fields Creek and Rooster Combs. July 30: Advised of a forest fire on Highway 7. We’re investing in Salem coverage when other news organizations are cutting back. Get the inside scoop on state government and politics! If it has been 7 yrs since you had your septic tank pumped do it now before you have extra usage during the eclipse. Call today to schedule Don Moss Enterprises, Dayville, Or 05960
