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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 25, 2017)
PRAIRIE CITY VOLLEYBALL WINS DISTRICT TOURNAMENT PAGE A9 Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 Blue Mountain The EAGLE W EDNESDAY , O CTOBER 25, 2017 • N O . 43 • 16 P AGES • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com Rapp charged with attempted murder By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle Kevin Rapp A John Day man has been arrested and charged with attempted murder for an Oct. 16 shooting in Grant County. Kevin J. Rapp, 32, was arrested Oct. 20, accused of shooting Kyler Weisenback, 27, Eugene, twice with a small-caliber fi rearm, Bentz: Form a committee to address major state reforms By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle Tackling spending, reve- nue and public retirement re- form at the state level will be diffi cult, but Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, believes it can be done. After a bipartisan commit- tee ushered in a state trans- portation package this year, Bentz said a similar commit- tee should be established and tasked with addressing what he described as the three big- gest issues in the state. This year, state lawmakers strug- gled to overcome a $1.4 bil- lion shortfall to balance the two-year budget, and no long- term solutions were reached. Bentz, one of four co- chairs on the 14-person trans- portation committee, said the Rep. Cliff Bentz new spending, revenue and re- tirement com- mittee should begin working now on legis- lation to be in- troduced at the next full legis- lative session according to a press release from Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter. Rapp was charged with attempted murder, fi rst-degree assault, unlawful use of a fi re- arm and possession of methamphetamine. Weisenback was camping at the Dixie Creek Campground, near Dixie Summit east of Prairie City, and was awoken in the early morning hours and shot, Carpenter said. Weisenback was fl own to St. Charles Medical Center in Bend and then to Ore- gon Health Sciences University in Port- land for medical treatment. Oregon State Police Sgt. Javier Mar- quez said last week Weisenback is still alive. Investigative work at the camp- ground has been completed, and it has been re-opened to the public. Rapp is lodged in the Grant County Jail, both for the new charges and for violation of a conditional release agreement from an earlier case in which he is accused of at- tempting to elude law enforcement. Bail is set at $145,000. Oregon State Police and Grant Coun- ty Sheriff’s Offi ce continue to investigate the shooting. Forest Service wants more public engagement in 2019. “Let’s put together a com- mittee,” Bentz told the Eagle. “We should be doing this right now.” Although the transporta- tion package was one of the last items to come out of the legislative session this year, Bentz said committee mem- bers had hundreds of conver- sations with constituents and interested groups before the See BENTZ, Page A7 Prairie City looks at water options By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Call it a perfect storm. Prairie City was tak- ing steps to improve water production for its residents when a lightning strike in June knocked out the electri- cal controls for its wells and slow-sand fi ltration system. “We were in the process of TV scanning our No. 2 well when the lightning struck a pole,” Public Works Director Chris Camarena told the city council during a workshop at city hall Oct. 18. “It could have been catastrophic,” he added, referring to the work- ers near the site. Crews scrambled to re- store service, but the water level in the city’s million-gal- lon reservoir dropped to four feet through the summer. It’s up to 23 feet now, Camarena said. The council imposed water restrictions on Prairie City’s roughly 450 water cus- tomers this past summer, but restrictions should be lifted this week, he said. The city has experienced water supply problems in the past, and the council considered options that could be taken to avoid raising water rates. Cus- tomers pay $90.50 per month for water and sewer service. See WATER, Page A7 Russ Comer helps build a mountain bike trail near Magone Lake in May. Eagle file photo Public trust and turning the battleship public, she said. “It’s hard to turn a battleship,” she said. mproving public engagement will Ediger noted that if the Forest Ser- increase support for forest projects, vice uses public input in making deci- Malheur National Forest offi cials sions, that will lead to more support for say. But developing public trust a project and public trust in the agency. But one man said it can’t be a “one-way and improving agency relationships street.” could take time. “Sometimes I feel About 50 people attended a workshop I need to hear people, and you need like I’m not being heard,” he said. at the Grant County to know I’m listening, but there is a A woman in the au- Regional Airport dience said she felt like on Oct. 16 to learn process I need to follow.” the Forest Service didn’t about public en- Dave Halemeier care about her. gagement opportu- Blue Mountain District ranger “I have deep feelings nities. Vernita Edi- about the land,” she said. ger, the facilitator Ediger noted that a who led the meeting One man said he was concerned lot of people probably felt that way and for the Forest Service, explained that it was best for the public to build a rela- about forest health and economic con- recalled how the area’s timber economy rapidly declined in past years, leaving tionship with the agency – even on a ditions in Grant County. “Those are pretty big targets,” Edi- many in the community “feeling pow- face-to-face basis. erless.” The goal was to improve the “We’re in this together, people work- ger noted. It takes a lot of energy and time ing with people,” she said. “We need to bring our best people skills to the table.” for agency staff to engage with the See TRUST, Page A7 By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle I “ But some in the audience had dealt with the Forest Service in the past and had trust issues. One man said he want- ed feedback from the Forest Service to be in writing, considering all the turn- over at area offi ces. “Five years in the future, a decision might be forgotten,” he said.
