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victim was revoked, and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.
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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