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
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