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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 26, 2018)
A6 NEWS Blue Mountain Eagle 2018 and stolen firearms were seized. The Intergovernmental Coun- cil and the 911 User Board voted to keep emergency dispatch ser- vice in Grant County and not contract services from Fron- tier Regional 911 in Condon. The two volunteer groups had not met regularly for years but quickly re-organized and went to work after learning John Day would no longer provide 911 dis- patch service after June 2019. Continued from Page A1 Center business to her home. Predator control services returned to Grant County after last operating here in 1999. Nick Lulay was the new Wildlife Ser- vices agent, operating with fund- ing from the county and the state. John Day city staff proposed a housing incentive program with the goal of seeing 100 homes built in the next 20 years. The city would provide builders of new homes inside the designated district a 7 percent cash rebate and waive all system develop- ment fees. The Forest Service released a facility master plan for the Malheur National Forest for the management of its numerous lookouts, guard stations, fire- fighter housing, developed rec- reation sites and other structures. Facing mounting deferred main- tenance costs, many of the struc- tures would be demolished, sold or left to “melt in place.” Historic structures would be protected. John Day notified Prairie City of plans to no longer pro- vide police services. The cost of police services and 911 dispatch were increasing faster than reve- nue, creating a budget crunch for John Day. March A petition to overturn Grant County’s ban on recreational marijuana businesses was sub- mitted to the county clerk. Haley Olson, a manager and owner at Rocky Mountain Dispensary, gathered 293 signatures for the petition. Medical marijuana businesses had been allowed to operate in the county. Chester’s Thriftway Oper- ations Manager Bill Wyllie announced plans to expand the business with a variety store in the former King’s Discount Store site next door. The variety store opened in June following Wednesday, December 26, 2018 May Eagle file photo Haley Olson stands in front of the safe at the Rocky Mountain Dispensary west of John Day. Voters overturned a ban on recreational marijuana businesses in Grant County on May 15. remodeling. Sheriff Glenn Palmer and Civil Deputy Sally DeFord filed a lawsuit against Grant County claiming the county had a duty pay for their attorney fees in a public records case brought by The Oregonian in May 2016. The two had incurred $41,355 in attorney fees. April Grant County learned it would receive more than $3.7 million in federal Secure Rural Schools funding and payment in lieu of taxes. The money was earmarked for schools, roads and law enforcement. County court members noted that the inconsis- tency of the funding made plan- ning difficult. Grant County Commis- sioner and Prairie City Mayor Jim Hamsher filed to run against Grant County Judge Scott Myers for county court judge. If Ham- sher lost, he could remain on the court as commissioner. Hamsher was in his first term as commis- sioner, and Myers was in his first term as judge. Mike Durr returned from a position at the Baker City Police Department to serve as interim police chief while Chief Rich- ard Gray was on medical leave. To address a temporary short- age of police officers, the city contracted for law enforcement services from the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. Gray later retired, and Durr took over as chief. Following the shooting deaths at a school in Florida, the Grant School District 3 board initiated a discussion on improving secu- rity, including door locks, alarm systems, school resource offi- cers and arming teachers. Sher- iff Glenn Palmer told the board during a meeting in the Sen- eca School that arming teachers would deter shooters from con- sidering those schools. While surveys indicated support by some students and staff for arm- ing teachers, most people at an April 25 meeting opposed the idea. Ten locals were arrested in an April 28 methamphetamine drug bust that involved law enforce- ment from multiple agencies serving two warrants in Mt. Ver- non and one in John Day. Drugs, money, vehicles, paraphernalia John Day City Manager Nick Green announced that after two years of negotiations, the Grant County Digital Network Coa- lition had formed a partnership with the Oregon Telephone Cor- poration to promote improved internet service in Grant County. The coalition planned to apply for a $3 million federal grant, using part of the $1.8 million leg- islative appropriation it received in 2017 as a match. The goal was to begin running a fiber line from John Day to Burns. The Grant School District 3 board selected Bret Uptmor to replace Curt Shelley as district superintendent starting July 1. The board received 18 applica- tions for the position. Uptmor had been the superintendent of the Wallowa School District since 2011. After taking input at three public meetings about school security, the Grant School Dis- trict 3 board reached a consen- sus not to arm teachers. The board agreed to pursue other options and not make that policy change. John Day offered to pro- vide a school resource officer if the school district would pay half the costs, and Chief Mike Durr became the SRO at the begin- ning of the school year. A Grant County ordinance banning recreational marijuana businesses was overturned in the May 15 election with 53 See Review, Page A7 Water Continued from Page A1 to use 20,000 to as much as 100,000 gallons per month. City residents expressed their anger over recurring water emergencies at city meetings. Meanwhile, Ham- sher went to work contacting various state and federal agencies, requesting emergency funding to solve Prairie City’s water supply problem. The city needed to recognize that Dixie Creek was not a viable water source any longer, Camarena told the city council. More work could be done to improve existing city wells, but Hamsher wanted to connect the city to wells at Fainman Springs that he believed could answer the city’s water supply problems. The cost to develop the Fainman Springs site was estimated at $900,000, but tests had shown a well at Fainman Springs could produce 600 gpm — enough to meet all the city’s needs. While the city continued to pay for hauling water from John Day and looked at wells around town that could fill in during the emergency, Hamsher received important news — the state had offered up to $1.5 million to develop the Fainman Springs site, one-third as a grant and two-thirds as a low-interest loan. Calls to Rep. Greg Walden, Sen. Ron Wyden and Gov. Kate Brown had paid off. The city held water rights at Fainman Springs, but 2 miles of access road, water main and power line construction was needed. City residents had indicated at an Aug. 22 town hall meeting that they would support a water rate increase to address water problems, but a federal emergency grant that could be used to pay off the state loan and the cost of hauling water might be 24 months away, if approved at all. Good news for Prairie City resi- dents in September was that a well company had tested the Fainman Springs site again. The well produced 475 gpm — sufficient to meet city demand. Church Services In Grant County 92687
