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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 12, 2018)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, September 12, 2018 A3 Ankle monitors track offenders in real time Alcohol monitors conduct tests on the half hour By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Tracking offenders has come a long way from the days of blood hounds and knocking on doors. Ankle monitors with real-time global-positioning sys- tem technology will soon be available for use by the Grant County Community Corrections office. Attached to an ankle with a bracelet capable of alerting staff if it’s tam- pered with, the GPS moni- tors will constantly transmit a signal informing correc- tions staff of an offender’s exact location. The goal is to allow of- fenders a chance to con- tinue working — earning money needed to support a family, make house pay- ments or even to pay fines and restitution while mak- ing sure they stay out of further trouble. A contract with Vigil- net to provide an unlimited supply of monitoring brace- lets to the Grant County Community Corrections of- fice is under review, but the staff has been trained and has 10 units available now, Community Corrections Director Todd McKinley said. The devices cost the county nothing until they are attached to an offender and put to use. The office has tested the monitoring system on a Grant County offender us- ing a Vigilnet unit borrowed from Harney County, which has seen success with the devices, he said. “I was pleasantly sur- prised at how well they work,” McKinley said. Vigilnet also provides continuous transdermal al- cohol-monitoring devices that detect chemicals emit- ted from the skin of anyone who consumes alcohol. The tests take place every 30 minutes but, unlike the GPS monitors, the data must be uploaded to special equip- ment on a regular basis. Offenders could have a wireless device in their home or come to the Com- Todd McKinley munity Corrections office, McKinley said. They sim- ply sit down near the de- vice for about five minutes while the data is uploaded, he said. McKinley said some type of ankle-monitoring devices may have been used in Grant County in the past, but they weren’t as sophisti- cated as the current devices. His office currently has five GPS monitors and five alcohol monitoring devices, but the contract with Vigil- net can be expanded for as many devices as are need- ed. As soon as the contract is approved, offenders who fit the criteria for release will be fitted with the de- vices. In some cases, use of the device will allow an offend- er to get out of jail and re- turn to work. In other cases, offenders who would have been released on probation can now be tracked more thoroughly. Corrections staff can set up inclusion and exclusion zones on a digitized map so offenders who cross those boundaries trigger an alarm. The monitors can be used on juveniles as well as adults, but that will depend upon the types of sentences a judge will issue. McKinley said he is de- veloping policies on how to use the ankle monitors, but he expects offenders who want to use them will end up helping to pay for them. If they damage a device, they will be responsible for the replacement cost, he said. Overall, the ankle mon- itoring system is expected to save money for the coun- ty and be a cost-effective method to monitor medi- um-risk offenders, McKin- ley said. The Eagle/Angel Carpenter Silvie Holliday, 9, and Clyde Holliday, 11, exit Frank Stinnett’s airplane during Saturday’s Fly-In at the Grant County Regional Airport in John Day. Fly-In draws a crowd Blue Mountain Eagle Saturday’s Fly-In & Breakfast gave the opportunity for 79 chil- dren and chaperones to soar over Grant County. Four seasoned pilots, Bob Bagett, Frank Stinett, Robert Watt and Doug Ferguson of Grant County Air Search provid- ed 33 flights in all. Tom Berry, also a longtime pilot with the air search crew, showed visitors his plane, discussing airplanes and avi- ation. Ron Lundbom flew his ul- tralight over the event with a candy drop for the children, and Dave Traylor did a flyby in his powered parachute with the Unit- ed States flag. Children also had the oppor- tunity to examine a Blue Moun- tain Hospital District ambulance. The Forest Service opened their helicopter simulators for exploration, and Oregon Depart- ment of Forestry conducted a water drop from one of their he- licopters pouring out 343 gallons of water. The Snafflebit Dinner House offered a breakfast menu. “We had a great turnout this year, and the weather was perfect for flying,” said airport manager Haley Walker who organized the event. Contributed photo/Charlene Ferguson Dave Traylor flies a flag over the Fly-In visitors on Saturday in his powered parachute aircraft. Crews mop up 30 acre wildfire near Starr Campground Blue Mountain Eagle Malheur National For- est crews extinguished a fire approximately 2 miles north- west of Starr Campground near Forest Road 4920. Forest Service officials stated in a press release that the fire, estimated at approx- imately 30 acres, started Thursday when a falling snag struck a powerline. Resources, including three engines and 11 firefighters, staffed the fire throughout the night. Additional crews were dispatched in the morning. Crews prepped existing roads and constructed about 200 hundred yards of line to contain the fire. For information about fire restrictions, visit fs.usda. gov/malheur or call 541-575- 3000. Contributed photo/Charlene Ferguson Children run on the tarmac toward the candy drop during Saturday’s Fly-In event at the Grant County Regional Airport in John Day. Contributed photo/Charlene Ferguson Ron Lundbom, left, chats with a visitor at Saturday’s Grant County Fly-In. Lundbom made a candy drop for children, flying his ultralight aircraft. September is CASH CAB MONTH! 4 questions, 4 prizes! Call 541-620-4255 for a ride & try your luck! Cowpie, formerly known as John Day Taxi, is not a taxi service, per se; we cannot pick up riders off the street who are hailing cabs. Instead, Cowpie is a car-for-hire service that relies on cell- phone tech to dispatch drivers and manage fees. Also unlike taxi services, Cowpie drivers do not possess special licenses; rather, we use our personal vehicles to offer discounted-fare rides - a snazzy bright blue Turbo for ride-sharing, a big Dodge Ram 4x4 for the heavier stuff. This month we’re celebrating our 2 year anniversary by starting a (cash cab) type quiz game based on Oregon history, reduced fare prize based on difficulty of the question. You may answer the question yourself, call a friend or shout out to a bystander, like the show. No fair Googling. $$$ Richie Colbeth Owner/Operator 78317 Committees are formal public bodies required to comply with Oregon Public Meetings Law ORS 192.610. ORS 410.210. Five members serve three year terms and meet semi-annually to define the needs of older adults, promote special interests and local community involvement, and represent senior citizens as an advocate to the local, state and federal government and other organizations. 78358
