Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 14, 2018)
News Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, November 14, 2018 A5 County to settle over runway project By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle A $100,000 overpayment claimed by the Oregon De- partment of Transportation for a 2012 runway repaving proj- ect at Grant County Regional Airport was whittled down to about $55,000, thanks to a careful line-by-line review by the airport manager. Haley Walker told the Grant County Court at their Nov. 7 meeting that an audit revealed the payment dis- crepancy. She said she asked ODOT if they were willing to settle for half but was told the airport couldn’t show a profit for the runway project. Walker, who took over as airport manager in 2016, said she went through the billing with a fine-tooth comb and was able to reduce the claim by about half. The overpay- ment had already been spent The Eagle/ Richard Hanners Grant County Judge Scott Myers, left, and Commissioner Jim Hamsher listen to discussion about wages paid to cooks at the county’s senior centers during the Nov. 7 court meeting. on a tractor and payroll. Grant County Judge Scott Myers said Walker’s careful review amounted to the same result as a settlement. He also took note of Walker’s careful bookkeeping practices and The Eagle/ Richard Hanners Airport Manager Haley Walker provides details on an overpayment to the Oregon Department of Transportation at the Nov. 7 Grant County Court meeting. felt assured a similar discrep- ancy would not happen again. Commissioner Jim Ham- sher noted that the project came to nearly $1 million and was worthwhile to the community. The county was fortunate to get the ODOT funding, he noted. Hamsher agreed with Myers’ motion to settle with ODOT for $55,000, using the county’s contingency fund. Myers noted that the contin- gency fund was $550,000 as a result of a significant federal payment-in-lieu-of-taxes pay- ment this year. In other county court news: • The court agreed to raise the pay for cooks in area se- nior centers. Senior Program Director Veanne Weddle said the cooks have much of the same responsibilities as cooks at private restaurants, includ- ing licensing and shopping for supplies. But senior center cooks also must be ready for un- expected numbers of diners, interact with patrons and take feedback and clean the dishes and kitchen after each meal. The cooks at the Monument Senior Center have been there for two decades, she said, and relief cooks get paid more than permanent cooks. Hamsher noted that senior center cooks could easily find C OPS AND C OURTS Arrests and citations in the Blue Mountain Eagle are taken from the logs of law enforcement agencies. Every effort is made to report the court disposition of arrest cases. Grant County Circuit Court Brandon J. Elliott, 31, John Day, pleaded guilty Nov. 1 to mis- demeanor menacing constituting domestic violence committed July 1 and attempt to commit felony strangulation constituting domestic violence committed between May 15 and June 15. He was sentenced to 14 days in jail, 48 months probation and $525 in fines and fees. Charges of interference with making a report, menacing, second-degree criminal mischief and harassment were dis- missed. Jaremy V. Flanary, 24, Vero Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty Oct. 18 to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault committed on July 27, mis- demeanor second-degree failure to appear committed on Sept. 6 and felony first-degree criminal mis- chief committed on Oct. 1. He was sentenced to 105 days in jail, 36 months probation, 70 hours com- munity service and $1,467 in fines and fees. A charge of menacing was dismissed. A charge against Sarah L. Ake, 30, Ontario, was dismissed Nov. 7 on the district attorney’s recommen- dation as the conditions had been met for a conditional discharge. She pleaded guilty June 22, 2017, to felony possession of methamphet- amine committed on Feb. 20, 2016. A misdemeanor charge of stran- gulation constituting domestic vio- lence committed Nov. 25, 2015, by Michael A. Marcucci, 44, Mt. Ver- non, was dismissed Nov. 9 after the district attorney’s office stated that the conditions of a July 14, 2016, diversion agreement had been met. Tari L. Knop, 60, La Grande, pleaded guilty Nov. 8 to driving un- der the influence of intoxicants com- mitted on April 13. She was sen- tenced to five days in jail, 24 months probation, 120 hours community service and $2,355 in fines and fees. Her driver’s license was suspended for one year, and she was ordered to install an ignition interlock device on any vehicle she drives. Grant County Sheriff The Grant County Sheriff’s Of- fice reported the following for the week of Nov. 7: Concealed handgun licenses: 8 Average inmates: 14 Bookings: 15 Releases: 8 Arrests: 3 Citations: 0 Fingerprints: 2 Civil papers: 11 Warrants processed: 3 Asst./welfare check: 0 Search and rescue: 0 Justice Court • Violation of basic rule: Jenelle A. Moulton, 62, Canyon City, Oct. 22, 81/55 zone, fined $265. • Violation of speed limit: Aus- tene L. Hendrix, 72, John Day, Oct. 28, 30/20 zone, fined $115. Oregon State Police Nov. 4: Responded to a sin- gle-vehicle crash with minor inju- ries on Highway 395 near the Vance Creek rest area that occurred the night before. The driver swerved to avoid deer and lost control, and the vehicle went airborne and ended up on its side in Vance Creek. Reuben P. Harvey, 22, Seneca, was cited for careless driving. Nov. 4: Dispatched to Thompson Avenue in Mt. Vernon and arrested Shelby M. Pickenpaugh on a felony arrest warrant from Grant County. Nov. 4: A reportedly stolen hand- gun was found by a hunter. The handgun was given to the Gilliam County Sheriff’s Office to be re- turned to its owner. Nov. 4: Investigated a single-ve- hicle rollover with serious injuries on Highway 7 east of Austin Junc- tion. The 2009 Honda Accord failed to negotiate a curve and went air- borne, rolling end over end down a steep embankment and striking sev- eral trees. The 19-year-old female driver and 19-year-old male passen- ger were transported to a hospital in Bend by air ambulance. Speed was determined to be a factor. Nov. 8: A hunter reported acci- dentally shooting an antlerless elk in a spike-bull only hunting unit. The hunting party had field dressed the elk, and a game trooper picked it up the next day for donation to a food bank. The hunter was warned for unlawful taking of an antlerless elk. Nov. 10: A hunting group was warned about not entering the Mur- derers Creek ranch house owned by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 166 calls during the week of Nov. 5-11, including: • John Day Police Department Nov. 5: Responded to a restau- rant on Main Street in John Day and arrested Tylor J. Gifford, 34, John Day, on a parole warrant. Nov. 8: Received a report of a suspicious person on Brent Drive in John Day. Nov. 9: Followed up on a bad check investigation at a snowmobile dealership in John Day. Nov. 9: Following a traffic stop on Highway 26 east of John Day, Jaden M. Corely, 18, Unity, was cit- ed for speeding, 55/35 zone. Nov. 10: Responded to a call about a dog at large attacking other dogs on West Main Street in John Day. Anne Mingus, 47, John Day, was citing for having a nuisance dog. Nov. 10: Received a report of a stalking order violation on West Main Street in John Day. Nov. 10: Responded to a restau- rant on Main Street in John Day to assist probation agents with a re- ported probation violation. Nov. 11: Dispatched to West Main Street in John Day for a pos- sible suicidal person. Nov. 11: Following a traffic stop on Highway 26 east of John Day, Sara Christiansen, 50, of Minnesota, was cited for speeding, 65/35 zone. • Grant County Sheriff’s Office Nov. 5: Advised of a burglary report on South Johnson Avenue in Prairie City. Nov. 6: Received a report of a noninjury crash on the road to Izee. Nov. 6: Advised of trespassing in Fox. Nov. 6: Received a theft report from Dog Creek Road in John Day. Nov. 6: Responded with state po- lice and Forest Service to Northwest Cozart Avenue in Prairie City for a report of shots fired. Nov. 7: Dispatched with John Day and Monument ambulance, Monument fire, state police and Or- egon Department of Transportation to Highway 19 for a report of a ve- hicle in the river. Nov. 8: Advised of a disorderly person on Nelson Road in Canyon City. Nov. 10: Received a report of a noninjury crash on Highway 26 west of John Day. Nov. 10: Advised of a domestic violation on West Sixth Street in John Day. Nov. 11: Received a call about custodial interference on Bradley Street in Long Creek. • John Day ambulance Nov. 5: Responded to Cotton- wood Street in Mt. Vernon for a lift assist. Nov. 5: Dispatched to South Main Street in Prairie City for an el- derly woman. Nov. 5: Responded to Northeast Front Street in Prairie City for a hos- pital transport. Nov. 5: Dispatched to Coyote Trail Lane in Mt. Vernon. Nov. 5: Responded to the hospi- tal in John Day for a patient trans- port to the airport. Nov. 8: Dispatched to a senior home in John Day for a 75-year-old woman. Nov. 8: Responded to Buckhorn Road in Canyon City for a man who had fallen. Nov. 8: Dispatched to a motel on Main Street in John Day for a man who had fallen. Nov. 8: Responded to Highway 395 in Canyon City for a 40-year- old man. Nov. 8: Dispatched to a motel in Mt. Vernon for a 68-year-old man. Nov. 9: Responded to Forest Road 4550 in the Middle Fork area for an unconscious 71-year-old man. Nov. 10: Dispatched to West Main Street in John Day for a 48-year-old woman with flu-like symptoms. Nov. 11: Responded to East Fifth Street for a 63-year-old man. Nov. 11: Dispatched to North- east Front Street in Prairie City for a 27-year-old man with loss of feeling in his extremities. Nov. 11: Responded to Northeast Seventh Avenue in John Day for an 85-year-old woman who had fallen. • John Day fire Nov. 7: Dispatched to North Canyon Boulevard in John Day for a report of a flue fire. Nov. 9: Received a call from a resident at Third Avenue and Elm Street in John Day that he was let- ting his chimney burn out and didn’t want anyone to call the fire depart- ment. • Oregon State Police Nov. 6: Responded to a noninju- ry crash on Highway 395 north of Mt. Vernon. Nov. 6: Dispatched with John Day and Prairie City ambulance, sheriff’s office and Forest Service to a motor vehicle crash on Highway 7 east of Austin Junction. Nov. 7: Advised of a calf on Highway 26 near Moon Creek. Nov. 8: Responded to Highway 395 south of Fox for a noninjury crash. • Oregon Department of Trans- portation Nov. 5: Received a livestock complaint for Highway 26 at Moon Creek. • U.S. Forest Service Nov. 5: Responded to a forest fire report near Galena. Nov. 6: Received a theft report from Forest Road 3945 north of Ma- gone Lake. TREAT YOUR FEET work elsewhere. The court agreed to raise the pay for assistant cooks from $10.71 to $12 per hour and for head cooks from $10.81 to $12.50 with both effective Oct. 26. • The court approved a $14,520 bid by Red’s Electric to upgrade lighting fixtures in the Grant County Courthouse to energy-efficient LED fix- tures. The cost to upgrade the jail to LED fixtures cost about $14,000 with a rebate of about $12,000 from Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative. Savings from electric bills at the jail were expected to make up for the difference, Myers said. • The court appointed April Bieber, a certified physician’s assistant at Strawberry Wil- derness Clinic, as the county medical examiner after Dr. Raffaella Betza resigned from the position. • The court’s next meeting is Nov. 28. Comments solicited for Ragged Ruby Project Deadline to offer suggestions or changes is Dec. 17 Blue Mountain Eagle The 45-day comment period for the Ragged Ruby Project Draft En- vironmental Impact Statement on the Malheur and Umatilla national forests began Nov. 2. The Ragged Ruby Project proposes alternatives for upland restoration activities (8,210- 9,200 acres), prescribed burning (31,500-34,000 acres), road activ- ities (11.6-12.4 miles temporary road construction, 2.9 miles road opening, 7.3 miles road closure, 1.7 miles road decommissioning, 1.2 miles conversion of road to trail, 9.9 miles seasonal wildlife road closures modified and 25.3 miles confirmation of past admin- istratively closed roads), recre- ation opportunity improvements (2.8 miles new trail construction, 8.4 miles co-designation of roads as trails, 5.1 miles trail un-desig- nation, four new trailheads, three new parking areas at trailheads, four trailheads un-designated and one interpretive sign installed) and forest plan amendments. Ad- ditionally, typical road mainte- nance activities designed to meet Malheur Forest Plan standards and guidelines would be per- formed. Comments must be postmarked or received within 45 days, Dec. 17. An open house is scheduled from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 in Ju- niper Hall at the Malheur Nation- al Forest Supervisor’s Office, 431 Patterson Bridge Road, John Day, OR 97845. From 5:30-6:30 p.m., the format will be an open house style with members of the interdisciplinary team available to answer questions about the project. At 6:30 p.m., there will be a group round-robin session where people can provide feedback. The Ragged Ruby Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement is available at fs.usda.gov/pro- ject/?project=49392 or by contact- ing Sasha Fertig at 541-575-3061 or sashafertig@fs.fed.us. Our Services by a registered nurse include: • Pedi-Spa treatment for your feet • Particular attention to Diabetic Foot • Multifunctional massage chair • Skin Inspection • Callus Removal • Nail Cutting We also check your blood pressure, blood sugar level and oxygen saturation. Call 541- 575-1648 for an appointment $35 00 fee Blue Mountain Hospital 541-523-6377 541-963-6577 541-573-6377 FOOT CLINIC 541-576-2160 84502 www.bluemountainhospital.org Services available at the Home Health Office, 422 W. Main, John Day.
