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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 25, 2018)
The Blue Mountain OURNEY EAGLE Through Grant County and beyond Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 Inside this week’s newspaper W edNesday , J uly 25, 2018 • N o . 30 • 26 P ages • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com Search continues for missing couple Cabin destroyed in fire, truck missing By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle The Grant County Sheriff’s Office has no new leads on the couple who are missing following a house fire in the Laycock Creek Road area last week. Sheriff Glenn Palmer said the “phone’s been off the hook” as numerous friends and family have called his office after Terry and Sharon Smith’s home on Nan’s Rock Road burned to the ground July 17-18. Foul play is not yet suspected, but law enforcement are still looking for the Smiths’ vehicle, Palmer said. Friends and family who have contacted the sheriff’s office said it was unusual for the Smiths to have lost contact with them, he said. “They’re a very social couple,” Palm- er said. Palmer confirmed cadaver dogs searched the debris from the house fire and found no human remains. A search effort was planned for the surrounding area Tuesday, he said. A statewide press release was issued by the sheriff’s office last week, asking anyone with information about the lo- cation of Terry Smith, 67, and Sharon Smith, 65, or their silver 2006 Toyota Ta- coma pickup truck with license plate 714 EGG to contact law enforcement. Palmer said the press release was not sent to Ha- waii, where the Smiths had a home. Cathy Hinshaw, Sharon’s sister who lives in Hawaii, said she spoke to Sharon the evening of the fire, and Sharon said they were headed to bed. Hinshaw said she then got a call about 4 a.m. from a friend of Sharon’s who lived near Nan’s Rock Road informing her about the fire. The Smiths’ disappearance is very unusual and could suggest foul play, Hinshaw said. She said the Smiths were See COUPLE, Page A16 Contributed photo Terry and Sharon Smith and their pickup are missing after a fire burned down their cabin in the Laycock Creek Road area July 17. COMING SOON The sign at Rocky Mountain Dispensary will change once the store begins selling recreational marijuana planned by the end of July. RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA SALES Planning commission considers zoning restrictions By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle R ecreational marijuana sales in Grant County could be happening by the end of July, ac- cording to Haley Olson, the store manager at the Rocky Mountain Dispensary in John Day. “The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has com- pleted their inspection and everything went smooth,” she said. “We passed with flying colors.” The business already has a land-use compatibility statement from the county approving the location of the business, but the store is undergoing some remodeling, Olson said. Same store, same location Rocky Mountain Dispensary has been selling med- ical marijuana just outside the John Day city limits in the city’s urban growth boundary since June 1, 2017. All cities in Grant County ban the sale of medical or recreational marijuana inside their city limits, including John Day. Olson, whose family owns the local business, led the effort to overturn a ban on sales of recreational mari- juana, succeeding on a second ballot measure this May. Fifty-three percent of Grant County voters supported overturning the ban. Rocky Mountain Dispensary will continue to sell medical marijuana in the same building alongside rec- reational marijuana, Olson said. The store’s name will remain the same, but some changes will take place as See POT, Page A16 The Eagle/Richard Hanners From left, Cindy Olson and daughter Haley Olson pose in front of Rocky Mountain Dispensary July 20. Council to look at new pool, new park Goal is to improve city’s recreational amenities Eagle file photo Ethan Moore, left, Damion Young and Hunter Wright play basketball at Gleason Pool in John Day. The city is looking into a feasibility study for future pool options. By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Recreational amenities, including a new city park and pool, were on the agenda for last night’s John Day City Council meeting. The council planned to vote on three action items past press time: the purchase of a 10-acre proper- ty on both sides of the John Day River near the north end of Canton Street, approval of funding for a feasibility study for a new aquat- ics facility to replace Gleason Pool and an agreement to proceed with appraisal and negotiations for the sale of city land at the Kam Wah Chung State Heritage Site to the state. These three actions will tie in with other city infrastructure projects, from the Innovation Gateway at the former Oregon Pine property west of town to a new trails network running along the John Day River to the Seventh Street Complex. Aquatics facility It’s been 21 years since a plan was written that tied the public pool and Kam Wah Chung, City Manager Nick Green told the Eagle. With all the oth- er city projects underway, public sup- port for more recreational amenities and the city taking over Gleason Pool at the end of the 2020 season, now was the time to bring these matters to the forefront for another public discus- sion, he said. The John Day-Canyon City Parks and Recreation District currently man- ages Gleason Pool, which is 60 years old and open only 12 weeks per year. A 2017 survey of Grant County resi- dents indicated strong public support existed for a new aquatics center and more outdoor recreational opportuni- ties. See COUNCIL, Page A16
