News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
A3
Ferguson pleads guilty to felony sex crime
By Sean Hart
Blue Mountain Eagle
A former Grant County
resident pleaded guilty to at-
tempted first-degree sodomy
Aug. 2.
Chancee Ferguson, 29,
of Bend was indicted by a
grand jury in Wheeler Coun-
ty in 2017 on two counts of
first-degree sodomy and one
count of first-degree sexual
abuse for a 2006 incident with
a single victim younger than
12 at the time.
As part of a plea deal, Fer-
guson pleaded guilty to a less-
er attempt-to-commit charge,
a Class B felony, and the other
charges were dismissed.
The Wheeler County
indictment was filed soon
after Ferguson pleaded
guilty to several charges in
Grant County — attempted
first-degree sexual abuse,
a Class C felony, and two
misdemeanor charges of
sexual misconduct — as
part of a plea deal in which
eight felony charges were
dismissed.
The charges in both coun-
ties stemmed from the same
victim, who lived in Grant
County at the time. Wheel-
er County District Attorney
Gretchen Ladd said in a state-
ment Ferguson at age 17 mo-
lested a relative in Wheeler
County while traveling back
to John Day from Bend.
A judge denied Ferguson’s
motion to dismiss the Wheeler
County case, ruling the Grant
County settlement did not
follow the correct protocols
to address incidents in other
counties, despite the belief of
some of the participants that
it was a global settlement. As
part of the Wheeler County
settlement, Deschutes County
agreed not to pursue charges
from the investigation.
In last year’s Grant County
case, Ferguson was sentenced
to 364 days in jail and five
years of probation and was
ordered to complete sex of-
fender treatment and register
as a sex offender.
In the recent Wheeler
County case, Ferguson was
sentenced to five years of pro-
bation with a possible prison
sentence of 35-40 months if
revoked, according to Ladd,
and was ordered to wear an
ankle monitor with GPS lo-
cator for 10 months, rather
than serve jail time. He was
ordered to pay $3,553 in resti-
tution and complete 400 hours
of community service.
The victim said in court
the abuse began at age 7 and
lasted until age 14.
“The man who sodomized
me was an older, trusted fam-
ily member,” the victim read
in court. “... It did not feel like
abuse at the time, but it was
sodomy. I did not know the
impact it would have on me
until I found myself on the
brink of suicide.”
The victim also criticized
the criminal justice system,
stating “survivors deserve
a trauma-informed system
that provides support and
protection,” but said the pro-
cess helps people regain their
voice.
“Fellow survivors, trust
the process,” the victim read.
“Justice may not always be
served adequately, but an
overwhelming sense of em-
powerment comes with break-
ing the silence. Our stories
need to be heard. I am proud
to have persevered the chal-
lenges of prosecution to hold
my abuser accountable and to
see this door close.”
Tax-foreclosed eyesores
could be cleaned up soon
Part-time help
approved for
Justice Court
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
Residents in Prairie City
and Long Creek could soon
see two eyesores cleaned
up now that the county has
moved forward to taking
possession of the abandoned
properties.
Both properties are in tax
foreclosure. The Grant Coun-
ty Court held a public hearing
Aug. 8 for an ordinance to
reduce the redemption period
for the two properties. The
normal period is two years,
but it can be sped up under
emergencies, such as for
health and safety.
The hearing will contin-
ue Aug. 29. If the ordinance
is approved, the county can
take possession of the proper-
ties right away. Grant County
Assessor David Thunell said
his staff spent significant time
trying to notify the owners of
the two properties about the
process.
The house on Bridge Street
in Prairie City has posed a
safety hazard since it burned
down April 9, 2017, with
loose metal siding blow-
ing around in strong winds.
Taxes on the property have
been delinquent since 2005,
Thunell said.
Two abandoned sin-
gle-wide trailer homes sit
among tall weeds at the Long
Creek property along High-
way 402. A neighbor told
the court the property hasn’t
been occupied for 10 years.
Taxes on the property have
been delinquent since 2012.
Grant County Judge Scott
Myers said the county could
sell the properties as is, and
the new owners would be re-
sponsible for cleaning them
up. Thunell said he already
knew of interested buyers.
In other court news:
• The county court ap-
proved a request by Justice of
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Demolition at the Iron Triangle apartment complex on South Canyon Boulevard
underway Aug. 8 to make way for six new apartment units.
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Left to right, Forest Planner Kathleen Schnider and
Prairie City District Ranger Ed Guzman present the Cliff
Knox Project to the Grant County Court on Aug. 8.
the Peace Kathy Stinnett for
part-time help handling cleri-
cal duties in Justice Court.
The court clerk works 32
hours per week, but a grow-
ing caseload is overwhelm-
ing the court, which is closed
on Fridays. The court agreed
to create a regular part-time
position for Justice Court at
19 hours per week. Budget-
ing for the $17,000 per year
position will be determined
at a later time, Myers said.
Stinnett agreed to try and
keep Justice Court open at
least half a day on Fridays.
• The court discussed in
general terms how it will re-
view and comment on the
proposed Blue Mountains
Forest Plan revision. Myers
said he is the only remaining
court member from when the
court commented on the plan
in 2014.
Commissioner Jim Ham-
sher noted that one of the
county’s 2014 comments
referred to protecting Grant
County’s customs and culture.
Court members met with
the Eastern Oregon Counties
Association the prior week
and discussed concerns about
provisions in the forest plan
for grazing, roads, wilderness
and study areas. EOCA com-
mented on the forest plan in
2014, Myers noted.
Objections to the plan must
be linked to comments made in
2014, but the plan documents
are lengthy and complex, so a
review is time-consuming and
difficult. The current 60-day
objection period ends Aug. 28.
Commissioner Rob Ra-
schio suggested it might not
be a good idea to make an
objection that the county
isn’t willing to back up with
time-consuming and expen-
sive litigation. He said it might
be better to save that time and
money for the upcoming Mal-
heur National Forest travel
management plan.
Several people urged the
court to take testimony from
the public to help them prepare
objections. Hamsher suggest-
ed holding a public hearing for
input, but Myers said he’d pre-
fer to take written comments
from the public.
• The court unanimously
agreed to not pay membership
dues to the Local Government
Personnel Institute. Raschio
said he was opposed to paying
the $1,559 per year dues if the
county can still pay for ser-
vices on a case-by-case basis.
Myers noted the county didn’t
use LGPI’s services very of-
ten.
• The next Grant County
Court meeting will be Aug.
29.
Housing stock to get a boost
Iron Triangle
project will
feature 11
apartments
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
A construction project in
John Day with 11 apartment
units will give the housing
stock in Grant County a
boost.
Iron Triangle crews have
been remodeling five apart-
ment units at 611 South Can-
yon Boulevard, while anoth-
er building was demolished
to make way for six more
units.
Iron Triangle consultant
Zach Williams said Russ
The Eagle/Richard Hanners
Young, the company’s own-
er, recognized the need to Demolition at the Iron Triangle apartment complex on
provide more rentals in the South Canyon Boulevard underway Aug. 8 to make way
community and, seeing the for six new apartment units.
condition of the apartment
complex, decided to fix it up. of the renovated units. When building will start in late
The company acquired completed, the south build- August and possibly be com-
the apartments in March ing will have one two-bed- pleted by next summer, Wil-
2014. Project manager Bran- room and four one-bedroom liams said. Landscaping and
don Glimpse said crews units.
parking will follow that, he
nearly gutted units in the
Iron Triangle crews de- said.
The intent of project is
south building, and wiring, molished the north building
plumbing, windows, cabi- Aug. 8. The new building to provide workforce rent-
nets, sheet rock and appli- will have four one-bedroom al housing in Grant County,
ances were replaced.
and two two-bedroom units, such as for Forest Service
Williams said one tenant Glimpse said.
and Blue Mountain Hospital
has already moved into one
Construction of the north workers.
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