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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2018)
COUNTY TEAMS MOVE ON IN POSTSEASON – PAGE B1 The Blue Mountain CLASS OF EAGLE 2018 Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 PAGES A8-A9 C ONGRATS TO P RAIRIE C ITY , L ONG C REEK , D AYVILLE AND M ONUMENT GRADUATES ! W edNesday , M ay 16, 2018 • N o . 20 • 20 P ages • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com DANGERS OF METH An insidious drug that affects entire communities Meth deaths on the rise 400 The number of methamphetamine-related deaths in Oregon tripled from 2007 to 2016. Total drug-related deaths 334 Meth-related drug deaths 300 Source: Oregon State Medical Examiner Alan Kenaga/EO Media Group 212 200 By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle 73 232 deaths: Up 217.8% from 2007 100 T he April 28 methamphetamine bust that netted 10 locals in John Day and Mt. Vernon ex- posed a dark underworld that may have been unknown to many resi- dents in Grant County. “This community, just like communi- ties all across the country, is reeling from the illegal drug epidemic,” Oregon State Police Sgt. Tom Hutchison told the Eagle. “Methamphetamine use is rampant, and the ramifications are felt in just about ev- ery call for service that law enforcement officers deal with. Thefts and property crimes, assaults, domestic abuse, child abuse, rapes and other crimes are among some of the byproducts of drug abuse.” Contributed photos Syringes and methamphetamine in an illegal drug kit confiscated by local police in 2016. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office said the investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected, but meth use is more than a crime story. Its impacts can be felt throughout communities. “Meth destroys all loyalties,” Grant County District Attorney Jim Carpenter told the Eagle. “Meth users will lie to, steal from and hurt anyone, family, friend or foe, to obtain meth to fuel their need. Meth users and dealers will readily turn on anyone, especially those they use with or buy from, to escape the consequences of their actions.” A glass pipe with methamphetamine residue that was seized by local police. 0 ’10 2007 Insidious drug Meth is a synthetic drug that stimulates the nervous system and is sold as pills, pow- der or small chunks. Common street names for meth include crank, speed and chalk. In its pure form, which is smoked in a pipe, snorted, swallowed or injected, the drug is known as ice, crystal, glass and quartz. According to the Oregon Health Au- Local police found methamphetamine and glass pipes in a kit sitting on the passenger seat of this vehicle during a traffic stop in 2016. ’13 2016 thority, the toxic properties of meth use include agitation, psychosis, seizures, respiratory arrest and death. Because it is produced in illegal clandestine laborato- ries, impurities and byproducts are often found in meth that can cause unpredict- able effects on users. “Injury to the liver, kidneys, brain, See METH, Page A10 Baggies containing methamphetamine and two glass pipes used for smoking in a drug kit confiscated by local police during a traffic stop in 2016. Ortelco partnering with broadband coalition Network to expand south in phases By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle A public-private partnership between the Grant County Digital Network Coalition and Oregon Tele- phone Corporation, and a plan for phased expansion of broadband in- ternet service south from John Day to Burns, were unveiled by John Day City Manager Nick Green May 8. After nearly two years of private negotiations with Ortelco, a mem- orandum of understanding is being drafted to explain the relationship between the coalition, composed of John Day, Grant County and Seneca, and the local internet provider and telephone company, Green told the city council. “Ortelco is excited to be able to continue to do what we do best, which is to continue to offer service to outlying areas comparable to our existing service areas,” Ortelco Gen- eral Manager DeeDee Kluser told the Eagle. “We look forward to op- portunities ahead.” Phased construction Green announced the news as the council prepared to vote on a reso- Kick-starting construction Housing incentive program moving forward By Richard Hanners Pricing gap Blue Mountain Eagle Kick-starting the home con- struction sector in a rural econo- my that’s seen significant popu- lation decline over the past three decades will not be easy, but a housing incentive plan proposed by the city of John Day has the support of the state and local builders, according to City Man- ager Nick Green. The city’s goal is to see 100 new homes built in the 20-year life of the program. To encourage new home construction as well as remodeling, the city will offer builders or homeowners cash in- centives based on the increased assessed value of the property. About 158 acres of suitable res- idential land exists in John Day for new home construction, but only five new homes have been built in the city over the past 10 years. In addition, many existing homes were constructed in the post-World War II boom and are in serious need of repair. Green noted it’s hard to find homes for sale in John Day that are in the mid-range price of around $250,000. What’s blocking new home con- struction or extensive remodeling is a “cost-value disconnect,” accord- ing to the urban renewal program’s draft report. The average price of a See HOUSING, Page A10 lution authorizing an application for a U.S. Department of Agriculture Community Connect grant worth up to $3 million and requiring a 15 per- cent match. According to the resolution, the city would use a portion of the $1.8 million in broadband funding it re- ceived from the state last year to pay the $450,000 match required by the federal grant. The council unani- mously approved the resolution. Green told the council he didn’t want to see the entire $1.8 million in state funding spent in one shot run- ning a cable the 70 miles from the fiber backbone in Burns to John Day. Instead, he wanted to use the state money to leverage additional fund- ing for the network in three phases. In Phase 1, a fiber backbone would be run from John Day to Seneca, with See BROADBAND, Page A10 County seeks to dismiss Sheriff Palmer’s lawsuit By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle The county is asking a judge to dis- miss a lawsuit filed against it by the sheriff seeking legal fees. Attorney Gerald Warren, on behalf of the county and Grant County Court, filed a motion to dismiss May 2, argu- ing the lawsuit was legally deficient and that it was submitted too late and incorrectly. Attorney Benjamin Boyd, on behalf of Sheriff Glenn Palmer, former civil deputy Sally DeFord and the sheriff’s office, filed a complaint in court March 16, asking a judge to declare that they are not liable for legal fees from a law- suit filed by The Oregonian newspaper. The Oregonian sued Palmer, DeFord and the sheriff’s office to compel the disclo- sure of public records in May 2016. The suit was dismissed when the records were disclosed, but a judge awarded Sheriff The Oregonian $28,337 Glenn in attorney fees. Palm- Palmer er and DeFord also in- curred $41,355 in fees while represented by a private law firm, Hostetter Law Group, according to their complaint, which claimed the county is legally required cover all of the fees. Warren argues in the motion to dis- miss that Boyd’s complaint fails to state the “ultimate facts constituting a claim” See PALMER, Page A10
