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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 2017)
The Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 Blue Mountain EAGLE PROSPECTORS CLINCH LEAGUE TITLE W EDNESDAY , O CTOBER 18, 2017 • N O . 42 • 16 P AGES • $1.00 For complete game coverage see Page A9 www.MyEagleNews.com Sheriff Palmer cleared by DOJ Investigation limited to potentially criminal matters By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle The Oregon Department of Justice announced its inves- tigation into complaints about Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer revealed no evidence of criminal conduct. At least eight people sent formal complaints about Palmer to Oregon’s police li- censing agency after he met with people who participated in the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in 2016. The agency forwarded the complaints to the Department of Justice, rec- ommending an investigation. Most of the complaints focused on Palmer’s involve- ment with the refuge occupi- ers, after Palmer met with three occupiers and the president of a militia group in John Day in January 2016. A complaint from John Day Po- lice Chief Rich- Sheriff ard Gray also Glenn accused Palmer Palmer of destroying a public record, and an anonymous complaint accused Palmer of issuing concealed handgun licenses to out-of-state residents. Department of Justice Chief Counsel Michael Slauson said in an Oct. 10 letter to Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter the department had reviewed all complaints sub- mitted but limited the scope of its investigation to allegations involving potentially criminal conduct, specifi cally wheth- er Palmer destroyed public records or issued concealed handgun licenses unlawfully. See PALMER, Page A8 OSP investigating Dixie Campground shooting Injured party transported by air ambulance By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle A person was injured during a shooting incident at the Dixie Campground around 6:30 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 16. The Oregon State Po- lice are heading up an active shooting investigation. The injured person was fl own by air ambulance to a hospital in Bend, according to Lt. Mark Duncan at the Oregon State Police offi ce in Ontario. The investigation contin- ues, Duncan said on Monday, with offi cers interviewing in- volved parties. Dixie Campground is in the Malheur National Forest east of Dixie Summit and north of Highway 26. Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer confi rmed on Tuesday that the investiga- tion was still ongoing and he couldn’t comment. He said a major crimes team with investigators and forensics experts was working on the case. Eagle file photo Chief Dispatcher Valerie Maynard keeps track of numerous computer monitors at the John Day Emergency Communications Center. Ballot measure 12-69 would create a local option tax to keep the local dispatch center open. Offi cials support 911 ballot measure Dispatch costs exceed state funding By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Many local public safety offi cials are in favor of retaining local 911 dispatch services. The John Day City Council dis- cussed the upcoming 911 dispatch bal- lot measure at their Oct. 10 meeting. City manager Nick Green reminded the council that the 911 dispatch funding is- sue has been “a long time coming.” The 911 dispatch center operated by the city of John Day services all of Grant County, but the state 911 tax allo- cated to the city does not cover the cost of its operation. Ballot measure 12-69 would create a short-term local option tax throughout the county to fund the defi cit to keep the local dispatch center open. “The topic has been raised at every city budget meeting in the past sev- Eagle file photo A desk in the John Day Dispatch Center includes a map monitor, a radio monitor, a multi-use monitor, a keyboard, a radio, a telephone and a monitor displaying cameras on the premises. Ballot measure 12-69 would create a local option tax to keep the local dispatch center open. en years,” Green said, describing it as “creeping normalcy” and an “unsustain- able situation.” If allowed to continue, funding for 911 dispatch would take the city’s entire property tax revenue, he said. The city had managed to keep some personnel costs down, but others such as retire- ment that were beyond the city’s control were driving dispatch costs higher. “Just about every city in Oregon is facing this same issue,” he said. Green noted that it was unusual to see one city pay for another city’s dis- patch services. “I’m not sure residents are aware of this,” he said. The $420,000 appropriation from the Oregon Legislature to bridge the city’s funding gap for the next two years was “fantastic,” Green said, “but it has to be a bridge to somewhere.” If it passes, the impact of the local option tax would be $38 for a home with an assessed value of $100,000, and the tax could run from 2019 through 2023. Green noted, if the ballot measure fails, the city would likely be forced to outsource dispatch services to Frontier Dispatch, a regional dispatch center in Condon that benefi ts from economies of scale by consolidating four counties. Councilor Gregg Haberly expressed concern that emergency dispatchers See 911, Page A8 Prairie City seeks new site for cell tower Water workshop to be held at 6 p.m. Oct. 18 By Angel Carpenter Blue Mountain Eagle It was standing room only at Prairie City’s Oct. 11 city council meeting, where a pro- posal to consider a conditional use permit for a U.S. Cellular cellphone tower was turned down. A total of 33 people fi lled the council room, including Mayor Jim Hamsher and six council members. The meeting started with an hour-long hear- ing to address the cell tower. Loren Bebb sought a permit to place a 195- foot cellphone tower on his Prairie City property at Joe 10th Street and Phippen Hall Avenue. Tracey Malone, a zoning specialist for Faulk & Foster, made a presentation about the ben- efi ts of placing the tower in that area, which happens to be next to the school. Cellphone providers cur- rently available in Prairie City are Verizon and AT&T. Malone said the nearest U.S. Cellular tower is in John Day. “It’s a challenging terrain,” she said, noting surveyors studied the area for two years, looking for the most con- structible and feasible area, which is also zoneable. Malone said the benefi ts of a cell tower would include more choice and competitive pricing. Council members Car- ole Garrison, Dottie Miller, Les Church, Frank Primozic, Joe Phippen and Georgia Patterson voted unanimous- ly against the proposed site. Some council members said they heard from constituents who didn’t like the location. Joe Phippen said some res- idents told him the proposed See TOWER, Page A8 The Eagle/Angel Carpenter The Prairie City City Council votes unanimously against the proposed cellphone tower plan. Later, the council voted unanimously to approve the cellphone tower if it is placed in the industrial park, away from the residential and school zones. Clockwise, from left, Frank Primozic, Joe Phippen, Georgia Patterson, Mayor Jim Hamsher, Carole Garrison, Dottie Miller, Les Church and, standing, Faulk & Foster representative Tracey Malone.
