CELEBRATING
THE FOURTH OF
JULY
– PAGES A6-A7
The
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
W edNesday , J uly 11, 2018
• N o . 28
• 16 P ages
• $1.00
www.MyEagleNews.com
President Trump pardons Hammonds
Burns ranchers granted clemency after terrorism conviction for range fire
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
President Donald Trump fully par-
doned Burns ranchers Dwight and Ste-
ven Hammond Tuesday.
Dwight Hammond and his son
Steven were resentenced on appeal to
the five-year minimums mandated by
the federal terrorism law under which
they were convicted after they lit a
fire on their grazing land that burned
onto federal land in 2012. The original
judge issued lesser sentences, which
had been served before the Ham-
monds were re-imprisoned in 2016.
“The evidence at trial regarding the
Hammonds’ responsibility for the fire
was conflicting, and the jury acquitted
them on most of the charges,” a state-
ment from the White House press sec-
retary said. “At the Hammonds’ orig-
inal sentencing, the judge noted that
they are respected in the community
and that imposing the mandatory min-
imum, 5-year prison sentence would
‘shock the conscience’ and be ‘gross-
ly disproportionate to the severity’ of
their conduct.”
U.S. Rep. Greg Walden told the
Eagle Friday he had recently spoken
with the president, who was “sym-
pathetic” to the Hammonds’ case.
Walden described the pardons as “a
win for justice” after Dwight and Ste-
ven Hammond had served three and
four years, respectively.
“For far too long, Dwight and Ste-
ven Hammond have been serving a
mandatory minimum sentence that was
established for terrorists,” Walden said
in a statement. “... As ranchers across
eastern Oregon frequently tell me, the
Hammonds didn’t deserve a five year
sentence for using fire as a manage-
ment tool, something the federal gov-
ernment does all the time.”
Walden said he has introduced
John Day man
charged with
rape against
multiple victims
Dwight
Hammond
Steven
Hammond
a bill in Congress to ensure farm-
ers and ranchers are not prosecut-
ed as terrorists for using fire for
See HAMMONDS, Page A16
The Eagle/Sean Hart
Malheur Lumber Co. Managing
Director John Shelk, left,
gives a tour of the John Day
mill to U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley,
D-Oregon, Friday.
Blue Mountain Eagle
A homeless John Day man has
been charged with sex crimes against
multiple victims.
George Earl McLean, 42, was
charged July 6 with
two counts of first-de-
gree rape, first-de-
gree sexual penetra-
tion, three counts of
first-degree sexual
George Earl abuse, one count of
McLean
strangulation and two
counts of harassment,
according to court documents filed by
Grant County Deputy District Attor-
ney Mara Houck.
Six of the charges relate to one
victim and allegedly occurred in Feb-
ruary, according to court documents,
and three of the charges relate to an-
other victim and allegedly occurred in
July 2016.
Grant County Undersheriff Zach
Mobley said the sheriff’s office and
the John Day Police Department in-
vestigated the case jointly July 5. He
encouraged any other victims, or any-
one with more information, to contact
the sheriff’s office or police depart-
ment.
McLean was convicted of harass-
ment in 2002 and 2008, fourth-degree
assault in 2011, menacing in 2013 and
strangulation and menacing in 2014,
according to court documents.
Merkley meets with locals
New Farm Bill could be boon for rural areas
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
A trade war with China, immigration at the
Mexican border and President Donald Trump’s
pick for a vacant U.S. Supreme Court seat were
on many people’s minds when Sen. Jeff Merk-
ley traveled to John Day on July 6, but his big
announcements had more to do with rural de-
velopment and the timber industry.
Merkley toured the Malheur Lumber Co.
mill and led a well-attended town hall meeting
in the John Day Senior Center. He has attend-
ed a town hall meeting in each of Oregon’s 36
counties every year since 2009, he said.
The ranking member of the Appropriations
Committee’s subcommittee on Agriculture and
Rural Development, Merkley also sits on the
Senate’s Budget, Foreign Relations, and Envi-
ronment and Public Works committees.
Infrastructure
Improving the nation’s infrastructure is
high on Merkley’s to-do list. Infrastructure
funding could be key to completing several
critical projects in John Day.
“John Day is doing exciting new stuff,”
Merkley told the Eagle, such as using re-
claimed water to create a tourist attraction.
“This is not just pie in the sky. This is real ac-
tion.”
See MERKLEY, Page A16
Commissioner Boyd Britton steps down after 15 years
Brittons close welding shop, ready to move
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
Boyd Britton stepped down from
his position as a Grant County com-
missioner after more than 15 years,
completing nearly four terms.
Britton, easily recognized for his
handlebar mustache, resigned June
29, attending his last county court
meeting on June 27.
Attorney Rob Raschio, who has a
firm in Canyon City, was appointed
interim commissioner on July 3 to fill
out the remainder of Britton’s term.
Sam Palmer and Gordon Larson will
be on the November ballot for the
position.
Britton and his wife, Bonnie, have
lived in John Day for 22 years and
owned Boyd Britton Welding, which
they opened six months after arriv-
ing. They plan to move to Show Low,
Arizona, near family.
Britton served as a commissioner
with three judges, Dennis Reynolds,
Mark Webb and Scott Myers.
County Judge Scott Myers said
there were ups and downs at times on
different issues serving with Britton.
“It was interesting to work with
him,” Myers said. “We agreed on
several things and disagreed on sev-
eral things, but we always respected
each other’s right to an opinion.”
Britton said his approach to serv-
ing as a commissioner was “Let’s get
it done,” noting the court has to work
together to accomplish goals.
He said he advocated for Com-
munity Counseling Solutions to take
over the management of the county
health department.
“I think it’s a model for the rest
of the state to have mental health and
public health in the same building,”
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Boyd Britton does the
announcing at the 2017 ’62 Days
Parade in Canyon City.
he said. “CCS has done a fantastic
job. It’s something I feel strongly
about.”
Britton said he recalls walking
with a group, led by park manager
Dennis Bradley, around the perim-
eter of Bates State Park. He said he
was proud to help establish it.
He said the best thing he’s done
for Grant County was inviting Su-
san Jane Brown, an environmental
attorney who litigated many timber
sales, to tour the area. The discussion
eventually led to the creation of the
Blue Mountains Forest Partners col-
laborative, in which Brown still par-
ticipates. He said because of the for-
mation of the collaborative, there has
been a significant increase in timber
volume harvested with few lawsuits.
“The collaborative group and
the stewardship contract will leave
the longest lasting impact on the
county,” he said. “The pendulum
has started swinging the other way.
With the choking of the forest with
all this fuel, the environmentalists
see that with the halting of timber
activities, our forests are becoming
unhealthy.”
See BRITTON, Page A16