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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 2018)
Free football contest. Cash prizes. Page A13 The Grant County’s newspaper since 1868 Blue Mountain EAGLE TIGERS FACE OFF AGAINST PROSPECTORS – PAGE A9 W edNesday , s ePtember 12, 2018 • N o . 37 • 18 P ages • $1.00 www.MyEagleNews.com Investigation into couple missing after fire treated as homicide Possible remains being tested By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Eagle file photo With the round-trip to John Day and back to the dumping station at Ricco Ranch Road in Prairie City being about an hour, as many as three water tenders at a time can be seen adding water to the city’s water system. Well tests at Faiman Springs produced 475 gallons per minute on average, enough to meet the city’s water demands. Drought conditions have lowered water tables in the area and impacted the infiltration galleries on Dixie Creek and the city’s main wells nearby. The city declared a water emer- gency Aug. 6 after the level in the city’s million-gallon water reservoir dropped to 1.5 feet over the Aug. 4-5 weekend. Water tenders continue to haul water from John Day to Prairie City, Brown said. The total cost since trucking began Aug. 12 is around $40,000, she said. The cost of trucks, drivers and fuel can run from $80 to $100 per day. Brown said John Day City Manager Nick Green “has been very generous” in providing the treated water to Prairie City at no cost. cide. Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer said evidence collected at the scene of the fire on Nan’s Rock Road between Mt. Vernon and John Day is believed to be of human origin, and testing is being conducted by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office in Clackamas. The possible remains have not been identified, Palmer said in a Sept. 5 press release. “This agency is not prepared to re- lease any identities in this case of any- one,” Palmer said. “As the investigation progresses we will release information to the public as it becomes available.” Terry Smith, 67, and Sharon Smith, 65, have been missing since their off- the-grid and isolated home was de- stroyed by a fire July 17-18. Their sil- ver or light gray 2006 Toyota Tacoma with Oregon license 714EGG also went missing. Two cadaver dogs from the Crook County Sheriff’s Office searched the scene following the fire with negative results, Palmer said in an Aug. 2 press release. Family and friends told the Eagle about the social nature of the Smiths and how unusual it would be for them to disappear for any length of time without communicating with their friends and family. Cathy Hinshaw, Sharon’s sister who See WATER, Page A18 See HOMICIDE, Page A18 Faiman Springs well produces enough water for Prairie City Water fees will increase to repay state loan By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Prairie City is making prog- ress on addressing its water emergency, but a water fee in- crease is on the horizon, City Recorder Bobbie Brown told the Eagle. Marciel Well Drilling & Pumps of Mt. Vernon has been testing the three wells at Faiman Springs and found that one well produced 475 gallons per min- ute on average, Brown said. That’s enough water to meet the city’s demand. The compa- ny is now testing the other two wells at the site. T he investigation into the couple missing after their house in the Laycock Creek area burned in July is being treated as a homi- Contributed photo Sharon and Terry Smith Missing couple always working, always busy ‘Terry would give you the shirt off his back’ By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle The two people who have been missing since a fire burned their cabin on Nan’s Rock Road July 17- 18 were a social couple who kept in touch with friends and family on a daily basis. Terry and Sharon Smith were also known to let people stay on the 80- to 100-acre property in the Laycock Creek area between Mt. Vernon and John Day that the couple bought in the mid-1990s, according to Sha- ron’s sister Cathy Hinshaw, who lives in Hawaii. Terry and Sharon first met in ju- nior high school in Springfield, Hin- shaw said. He was 13, and Sharon See COUPLE, Page A18 Several contested races slated for November Prairie City to see new faces in city hall By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle The deadline for local elections was Aug. 28. Several contested races have emerged with new and familiar names, and one city saw no candi- dates file for three city council posi- tions. Gordon Larson and Sam Palmer, the top two candidates in the May election for Grant County commis- sioner, will face off in the Nov. 6 gen- eral election. A four-way race for three seats in the John Day City Council includes three incumbents and a challenger who served as mayor and councilor. In Prairie City, Mayor Jim Hamsh- er did not file for re-election, and two candidates are vying to take his place. Six candidates have filed for three seats on the city council, including one incumbent. A three-way race for two city coun- cil seats will take place in Mt. Vernon, and two contested races are lined up for Long Creek — three candidates for Position 3 and two candidates for Position 4. No candidates filed for three seats on the Monument City Council. Grant County County clerk — four-year term Brenda Percy County commissioner — one po- sition, four-year term Gordon Larson Sam Palmer Canyon City City council — three positions, four-year term Jim Johnston Francis Kocis Don Mooney Dayville Mayor — two-year term Ilah Bennett City council position 2 — four- year term Emmaleigh Larson City council position 3 — four- year term Joseph M. Letosky City council position 4 — four- year term Valli Hettinga Granite Mayor — two-year term Ronald Ray Simonis City council at large — four-year term Todd E. Lounsbury John Day Mayor — four-year term Ron Lundbom City council — three positions, four-year term Chris B. Labhart Shannon Adair Paul C. Smith Gregg Haberly Long Creek Mayor — two-year term Don Porter City council position 3 — one po- sition, four-year term Leslie Barnett Louis Springstead Alvin C. Hunt City council position 4 — one po- sition, four-year term Denise Porter Daniel T. Morrow See RACES, Page A18
