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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2018)
News Blue Mountain Eagle By Richard Hanners A Mt. Vernon man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after do- mestic violence charges. Andrew Murdoch Johnson, 40, pleaded guilty in Grant County Circuit Court May 9 to menacing constituting domestic violence and was sentenced to 30 days in Grant County Jail and 36 months of supervised probation, according to a press release from Depu- ty District Attorney Mara Houck. Additionally, Johnson’s probation for a 2017 felony fourth-degree assault con- stituting domestic violence charge involving the same victim was revoked, and A5 Severance package for Chief Gray reached Johnson’s probation revoked, sentenced to 16 months in prison Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, May 16, 2018 Johnson was sen- tenced to 16 months in prison, consecu- tive to the Andrew local jail Johnson term, and 24 months of post-prison supervision, Houck said. Johnson’s criminal his- tory includes unlawful delivery of marijuana to a minor and endangering the welfare of a minor in 2011, driving under the influence of intoxicants in 2008; fel- ony driving while suspend- ed or revoked in 2003; and DUII, fourth-degree as- sault and recklessly endan- gering another person and harassment in 2001, she said. Blue Mountain Eagle John Day City Manager Nick Green in- formed the city council May 8 that terms for a severance package for Police Chief Richard Gray were reached that morning. Gray has been on medical leave since April. The terms provide for nearly $30,000 and vacation leave, he said. The council gave its approval for Green to sign the severance package agreement once it was reviewed by the city’s attorney. Green hired Mike Durr with a May 1 start date with the intent of appointing him as the city’s interim police chief during Gray’s ab- sence. Durr had recently left the John Day Po- lice Department to work with the Baker City Police Department. In other city council news: • Green informed the council about the Intergovernmental Council’s interest in using the John Day Fire Hall for 911 dispatch. The IGC, which will oversee Grant County’s 911 dispatch service once John Day no longer runs it, discussed site options for the dispatch center at its May 7 meeting. Canyon City Mayor Steve Fischer, a member of the IGC board, told the Eagle he had expressed interest at the meeting in locat- ing the 911 dispatch center at the industrial park next to Grant County Regional Airport because of its line-of-sight communication with Eagle Peak, but Green did not favor that option. Green explained in the May 8 city council packet that zoning and development restric- tions placed on the industrial park lots require buyers to be a private sector business that cre- ates three new jobs and pays property taxes. “The communications agency will do nei- ther,” Green told the council. Fischer told the Eagle he then asked Grant County Judge Scott Myers about putting the 911 center in the airport terminal, but the available office in the terminal building does not meet certain 911 dispatch center require- ments. Fischer said Green then offered the IGC tentative terms for a 15-year lease at the John Day Fire Hall for the 911 dispatch cen- ter, at $750 per month for the first 10 years and $1,000 per month for the next five years. The IGC asked Green to come back with an offer in writing. Fischer noted that some IGC members were reluctant to be reliant on a city govern- ment again, while others favored the fire hall location. He also noted that Todd McKinley, a member of the John Day Rural Fire Pro- tection District who is knowledgeable about radio communications, told the IGC that the fire hall had line-of-sight opportunities with Eagle Peak. Green told the city council that final construction of the fire hall would begin in early July, which could include tenant im- provements suitable to the 911 dispatch cen- ter. The space could be available to the IGC by October, Green said. The council reached consensus for Green to go ahead and prepare plans for the 911 dis- patch center to be located in the fire hall, if the IGC chose to locate there. • The council also discussed overuse of the community room in the fire hall, par- ticularly by groups that are not local and requests for multi-day reservations. The council considered charging fees that might reduce demand for use of the room. C OPS AND C OURTS Arrests and citations in the Blue Mountain Eagle are taken from the logs of law enforcement agencies. Every effort is made to report the court disposition of arrest cases. Grant County Circuit Court Christopher Boyer, 29, John Day, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-de- gree assault committed on April 5. He also entered an Alford plea of guilty, while maintaining innocence, to misdemeanor harassment committed on Oct. 13, 2017. Two counts of fourth-degree assault and one count of ha- rassment were dismissed. He was sentenced to 180 days in jail and fined $200. Benjamin L. Keith, 38, Canyon City, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment committed on Feb. 2. A sec- ond count of misdemeanor harassment was dismissed. He was sentenced to 120 hours in jail, 12 months of probation, 40 hours of com- munity service and $300 in fines and fees. Ronald G. Fry, 53, Or- egon City, settled a civil claim for $9,000 after he was charged with fourth-de- gree assault committed on Oct. 1, 2017. The assault charge was dismissed. Brandi L. B. Anderton, 46, Prairie City, pleaded guilty to two counts of driv- ing under the influence of intoxicants committed on March 26 and March 30. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 24 months probation, 60 hours community service and $4,010 in fines and fees. She was ordered to install an ignition interlock on any vehicle she operates, and her driver’s license was revoked for life. Noah P. Fulfer, 24, Baker City, was convicted of driv- ing while suspended or re- voked committed on March 28. He was sentenced to 48 hours in jail and a $1,000 fine. Kenneth Kingston, 57, Granite, pleaded guilty to failure to report as a sex of- fender committed on March 24. He was sentenced to 12 months probation, 60 hours community service and $300 in fines and fees. Grant County Sheriff The Grant County Sher- iff’s Office reported the fol- lowing for the week of May 9: Concealed handgun li- censes: 12 Average inmates: 26 Bookings: 10 Releases: 10 Arrests: 3 Citations: 2 Fingerprints: 6 Civil papers: 23 Warrants processed: 6 Asst./welfare check: 0 Search and rescue: 0 May 3: Jacob Lortie, 27, Stayton, was cited for violat- ing the basic rule 85/55 zone. May 7: Timothy Keith, 34, Prairie City, was cited for driving while suspended and uninsured. Oregon State Police May 7: Responded with Grant County Sheriff’s Of- fice to a dispute at a resi- dence where a man allegedly took his 2-month-old child away from its mother after a physical confrontation and then locked himself in a bed- room with the child. Connor Johnston Broemeling, 23, John Day, was arrested and charged with harassment, menacing, domestic vio- lence and criminal mischief. May 9: Responded with John Day police to the Grant County Fairgrounds in pur- suit of Tyler D. Dehiya, 24, Mt. Vernon, who was want- ed on a felony warrant and reportedly had been seen there. During the search, Dehiya was seen entering a blue Volkswagen Jetta. The Jetta was pursued to the John Day River, where De- hiya fled on foot. The driv- er, Ashley Perkins, 22, John Day, allegedly lied to law enforcement about Dehiya’s identity and his location of travel. She was arrested and charged with hindering pros- ecution. May 9: Dennis B. Asher, 51, John Day, was arrested and charged with failing to register his address as a sex offender. He allegedly had been arrested multiple times in recent months for failing to register his address. May 10: Following a re- port of a shot fired two days earlier, Glen W. J. Wadley, 53, Mt. Vernon, was arrest- ed and charged with being a felon in possession of a fire- arm. May 11: Following a traf- fic stop on Highway 395 near Long Creek, Jeremiah O. Gwalthney, 40, John Day, was arrested and charged on a misdemeanor arrest war- rant. He was transported to the jail where a methamphet- amine pipe allegedly was found in his coat pocket. He was charged with two counts of possession of metham- phetamine. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 152 calls during the week of May 7-13, includ- ing: • John Day Police De- partment May 8: Dispatched to a residence in Prairie City for a dispute. May 9: Responded with Grant County Sheriff’s Of- fice and Oregon State Police to Valley View Drive in John Day. Tyler D. Dehiya, 24, Mt. Vernon, was arrested on a Grant County warrant. May 10: Following a traffic stop on Washington Street in Canyon City, Tiffa- ny Huffaker, 35, Boise, Ida- ho, was arrested for viola- tion of a conditional release. May 10: Received a re- port with Grant County Sheriff’s Office on a domes- tic abuse case in John Day. May 11: Following a traf- fic stop at West Main Street and Third Avenue in John Day, Jeramy F. Gibson, 31, John Day, was cited for driv- ing with a suspended license. May 11: Responded to an apartment on Southwest First Street in John Day for a civil problem. May 11: Dispatched to a report of a dog bite at an apartment complex in east John Day. Marcia A. Holm, 44, John Day, was cited for maintaining a dog as a nui- sance. May 11: Following a traf- fic stop on South Canyon Boulevard in John Day, Gar- land J. Weisenfluh, 52, Mt. Vernon, was cited for driv- ing with a suspended license and no insurance. • Grant County Sher- iff’s Office May 7: Responded to West Bench Road in John Day for a report of a run- away. May 7: Dispatched to a convenience store in Mt. Vernon for a suspicious per- son. May 7: Responded to Marks Creek Road in Mt. Vernon for a theft report. May 7: Received a report of a theft at the Packrat Mine east of Galena. May 7: Received a re- port of menacing on Bumpy Road in John Day. May 7: Received a report of a dispute on South Hum- bolt Street in Canyon City. May 7: Responded to Middle Fork Lane in Green- horn for an unattended death. May 7: Advised of crim- inal mischief in Mt. Ver- non. May 8: Dispatched to Screech Alley Loop in John Day for a suspicious person. May 11: Responded with John Day police and Oregon State Police to South Can- yon Boulevard near Grant Union Junior-Senior High School for a report of a male subject screaming and running at traffic. May 11: Dispatched to Spring Road in Canyon City for a criminal mischief re- port. May 11: Advised of a custodial interference com- plaint on Highway 26 in west John Day. May 11: Responded with Oregon State Police to Highway 26 west of John Day for a report of suspi- cious persons. May 11: Dispatched to Main Street in John Day for a report of a suspicious per- son. May 12: Responded to a report of vandalism at a rest room in a business in Day- ville. May 12: Advised of a grazing allotment dispute in the Vester Creek area north of Izee. May 12: Responded to the Canyon Mountain Trail- head for a report of a per- son blocking the access and driving while intoxicated. Frederick B. Gardner, 65, Canyon City, was arrested. May 13: Dispatched to a motel in Prairie City for a theft report. May 13: Responded to Southwest Moore Street in Mt. Vernon for a dispute. May 13: Follow-up on a domestic dispute investi- gation in Mt. Vernon led to Miller Lane in John Day. Dillon Winters, 20, John Day, was arrested. May 13: Responded to Northwest Third Avenue in John Day for a theft report. • John Day ambulance May 7: Responded to Highway 395 in Mt. Vernon for an 84-year-old woman. May 7: Dispatched to Boyce Place in John Day for a 52-year-old man. May 8: Responded with Prairie City ambulance to East Sixth Street in Prai- rie City for an 82-year-old woman. May 8: Dispatched with Prairie City ambulance to a senior home in Prairie City for a male with a possible stroke. May 8: Responded to West Main Street in John Day for a 57-year-old man with chest pains. May 9: Dispatched to a senior home in John Day for a man with high temperature and shortness of breath. May 10: Responded to a senior home in John Day for a 65-year-old man. May 10: Dispatched with Prairie City ambulance to North Johnson Avenue in Prairie City for a pregnant woman with cramping. May 10: Responded to a senior home in John Day for a woman with head pain and labored breathing. May 11: Dispatched to Northeast Dayton Street for an 86-year-old man. May 11: Responded to Ervin Street in Dayville for a 73-year-old man with dif- ficulty breathing and chest pain. May 12: Dispatched to North Johnson Avenue in Prairie City for a 59-year- old woman who had fallen. May 13: Responded to an apartment on Southwest First Street in John Day for a 75-year-old man. • Seneca ambulance May 7: Dispatched to a location in Seneca. May 8: Responded with John Day ambulance to C Avenue for a woman with a possible stroke. • Oregon Department of Transportation May 9: Advised of a deer that had been hit on Highway 26 near Dog Creek Road. • Mt. Vernon fire May 9: Responded with Oregon Trail Electric Co- operative to a power pole fire on Highway 26 near Mt. Vernon. T HE L AW O FFICE OF D ONALD J. M OLNAR A General Practice Law Firm • Wills, Trusts, and Estates • Divorce and Family Law • Contracts, Real Estate, Business • Personal Injury • Criminal Defense 118 S. Washington Street, Canyon City, OR 97820 (541) 620-5127 54384 Monday - Thursday 7am- 6pm Friday 8am - 5pm Let our family of Pharmacists Mendy Sharpe FNP serve you! 54395 Apppointments available 54388 THANK YOU The High Desert League Prom would like to thank the John Day Elks Lodge for their generous support. I would like to thank the Fire Department and the Ambulance crews for their quick response and professionalism. Sincerely, Charlie Moore Burnt River Four Rivers Spray Dayville Long Creek Mitchell Monument Prairie City Ukiah Huntington 57219 57445 Give us a call today 541- 676-9158 - Heppner 541- 348-2801 - Condon We welcome the opportunity to visit with you about our services! Heppner & Condon 46958