A6
Year in Review
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
THE TOP STORIES OF 2017
clists, injures several others
(3,495 views): Lisa Ann Nie-
haus was charged with negli-
gent homicide after the crash
east of Fossil.
Facebook: Prairie City
man arrested on meth charges
(8,086 impressions): Thomas
Pfeifer, 47, faced drug charges.
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
In 2017, people viewed
pages on the Eagle’s website,
myeaglenews.com, more than
825,000 times.
The most-viewed story
was published Aug. 25 when
Thomas Joseph Elliott, 55,
was arrested and charged with
murder for the
death of Todd
Alan
Berry.
The incident
occurred the
evening
of
Aug. 24 on
Marysville
Thomas
Lane east of
Joseph
John
Day,
Elliott
where
both
men resided.
They were related by marriage.
On Aug. 29, a grand jury
dropped the murder charge but
indicted Elliott on charges of
first-degree manslaughter and
unlawful use of a weapon.
Elliott remains in the Grant
County Jail. A plea hearing is
set for 2 p.m. Jan. 18 in Grant
County Circuit Court.
Following are the top sto-
ries viewed on the Eagle’s
website and Facebook page,
month-by-month in 2017:
January
Website: John Day man
charged with sex crimes
(2,763 views): Kevin Andrew
Brown, 27, John Day, was
charged with 14 counts of sex-
ual abuse.
Facebook: Here’s a look
at downtown John Day today
as the snow continues to fall
this afternoon (78,697 impres-
sions): Snow blanketed the
city.
June
Website: Tensions rising:
Heated exchange erupts at
Rainbow Gathering communi-
ty meeting (7,956 views): Lo-
cals and visitors clashed over
the gathering held between
John Day and Seneca.
Facebook: Rainbow Gath-
ering attendees beware: You
will be jailed for shoplifting
and other crimes (46,907 im-
pressions): District Attorney
Jim Carpenter opted for exe-
cuted, not probationary, sen-
tences.
July
Eagle file photo
Ken Mayhead, left, demands to know how the Rainbow Gathering will benefit Grant County while Rainbow Gathering
attendee Kathleen Todd, right, waits to respond at a community meeting in Canyon City.
February
Website: Idaho murder sus-
pect arrested between Burns
and Vale (3,856 views): John
David Wurdemann, 46, Twin
Falls, Idaho, was arrested after
a high-speed chase.
Facebook: Man who killed
John Day cop will be freed
(32,112 impressions): Oregon
Supreme Court denied to re-
view the decision reinstating
Sidney Dean
Porter’s prison
release date for
murder.
March
We b s i t e :
Sidney
Porter released,
Dean
residing
in
Porter
Monument
(1,523 views):
Convicted cop killer Sidney
Dean Porter, 57, was released
from prison.
Facebook: Owyhee Res-
ervoir set to fill for first time
in six years (47,268 impres-
sions): Snowpack filled the
reservoir in Malheur County.
April
Website: Grant County
midwife’s license revoked
(1,917 views): A state mid-
wife license was revoked from
Sherry Dress, 69, John Day.
Facebook: Prairie City res-
ident remains in critical con-
dition after fire destroys home
(14,612 impressions): Eula
Waits was hospitalized after a
home fire.
May
Website: Memorial Week-
end crash kills two motorcy-
Website: Over the Rain-
bow: deaths, stabbings, beat-
ings, drugs (10,697 views):
Emergency personnel were
swamped with the influx for
the Rainbow Gathering.
Facebook: New concert
venue debuts in John Day
(14,068 impressions): The
Madden Brothers Performing
Arts Center opened.
August
Website: John Day man
charged with murder (15,615
views): Thomas Joseph Elliott
was arrested for the death of
Todd Alan Berry.
Facebook: John Day man
charged with murder (43,470
impressions): Same story.
See TOP, Page A7
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