NEWS
BlueMountainEagle.com
Gold miner loses court fight
EO Media Group
Gold miner John Wasson is
leaving his claim in the Umatilla
National Forest for a 60-day stint
in jail.
Wasson, 74, of Irrigon, has
been fighting the federal gov-
ernment in court since 2013 over
how long he could live on Slip-
pery Rock, a 12-acre site on the
North Fork John Day River. He
lost that fight in November 2018
when a jury in federal court
found him guilty of depredation
of government property, a felony.
“Beginning in 2012, Wasson
developed a personal interpre-
tation of mining laws that per-
mitted him to take any action
on the claim that he believed
to be reasonably incident to his
mining,” according to the state-
ment from the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the District of Ore-
gon. “Over a period of years,
despite court orders, misde-
meanor convictions and the U.S.
Forest Service officials’ repeated
attempts to work with Wasson
to bring his conduct into com-
pliance, Wasson’s misuse of the
claim grew more expansive and
egregious.”
Wasson returned to court
Tuesday to face sentencing, and
U.S. Judge Michael H. Simon
sentenced him to five years pro-
bation, including 60 days in a
community corrections facil-
ity for the crime. The court also
ordered Wasson to pay $28,817 in
restitution.
Billy J. Williams, U.S. attor-
ney for the District of Oregon,
said in a written statement Ore-
gonians expect public lands to be
protected from degradation and
misuse and Wasson “treated For-
est Service land as if it were his
own, causing significant environ-
mental damage.”
He also stated his office takes
these crimes seriously and will
“continue to pursue those who
violate our shared resources.”
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
A5
Three arrested
in John Day
meth bust
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
EO Media Group file photo
This Feb. 14, 2013, file photo shows gold miner John Wasson on his mining claim on the North Fork John
Day River. Wasson was sentenced to 60 days in a community corrections facility for violating federal rules
on the property.
Forest Service officials by
2017 observed Wasson estab-
lished
a
semi-permanent
encampment on the claim, vio-
lating regulations that prohibit
occupancy for more than 14 days
in a 30-day period without For-
est Service authorization. Was-
son’s camp included three tents,
one with a foundation Was-
son constructed of treated lum-
ber, sand and gravel; a camper;
a truck and a pop-up outhouse.
Wasson had driven through a
riparian area, compacting soil
and native vegetation, to make
a new road, according to fed-
eral prosecutors, and he created
a walking path across the John
Day River and used plastic sheet-
ing to line a wing dam to hold
water.
That dam, however, caught
and held juvenile steelhead,
preventing them from access-
ing the flowing portion of the
river.
The Forest Service paid a
hazardous waste disposal com-
pany more than $19,000 to
remove three quarters of a ton
of contaminated soil, 90 gal-
lons of vegetable oil and quan-
tities of pesticides, insecti-
cides and rodenticides from
the campsite.
A search warrant served on a res-
idence on Highway 26 in John Day
on March 11 led to the arrest of
three people on methamphetamine
charges.
Two of them, Elizabeth Pace, 41,
and Olle Starnes, 48, were previ-
ously arrested in an April 30, 2018,
meth bust that swept up 10 individ-
uals in John Day and
Mt. Vernon.
The Grant County
Interagency Narcot-
ics Team along with
members of the Grant
County
Sheriff’s
Office, Oregon State
Elizabeth Pace Police,
John Day
Police
Department
and Grant County
Parole and Probation
participated in the
search.
Pace and Starnes
were arrested and
charged with distri-
Olle Starnes
bution of meth and
distribution of meth
within 1,000 feet of a school. The
charges stemmed from undercover
operations by the interagency team.
Also arrested was Stephanie
Briney, 40, of La Grande. She was
charged with unlawful possession of
meth, unlawful possession of cocaine
and frequenting a place where drugs
were used or sold.
Illegal drug use and sales is an
epidemic that is poisoning the local
community, Undersheriff Zach Mob-
ley said. The interagency team and
local law enforcement officers are
targeting those types of activities, he
said.
Anyone who has information
about illegal narcotics being used
or sold in the community is asked
to contact the sheriff’s office at
541-575-1131 or the state police at
541-575-1363.
COPS AND COURTS
Arrests and citations in
the Blue Mountain Eagle
are taken from the logs
of law enforcement agen-
cies. Every effort is made to
report the court disposition
of arrest cases.
tion of the basic rule, 74/55
zone.
March 4: Calvin Hack,
27, John Day, was cited for
violation of the basic rule,
74/55 zone.
Grant County Circuit
Court
• Violation of basic rule:
William V. Wetherald, 57,
Bend, Nov. 3, 71/55 zone,
fined $165; Sharon A.
Fritsch, 57, Beavercreek,
Jan. 13, 78/55 zone, fined
$225.
• Exceeding speed limit:
Gud F. Leal Ponce, 47, Prai-
rie City, Feb. 3, 85/65 zone,
fined $225; Dale J. Bogar-
dus, 51, Baker City, Feb.
13, 59/40 zone, fined $165;
Natalie C. Morgan, 41,
Baker City, Feb. 15, 75/65
zone, fined $165.
• Violation speed limit:
Andrew E. Long, 55, Bend,
Jan. 14, 55/30 zone, fined
$225.
• Driving uninsured:
Tamara L. Michael, 48, Mt.
Vernon, Jan. 3, fined $265;
Tena K. Montange, 46, John
Day, Jan. 2, fined $265;
Christine N. Daum, 30,
Prairie City, Feb. 15, fined
$1,000; Tanaya S. Robin-
son, 38, John Day, Feb. 21,
fined $200; Andria L. Kel-
ley, 24, Mt. Vernon, Jan. 13,
fined $265.
• Driving while sus-
pended: Tamara L. Michael,
48, Mt. Vernon, Jan. 3,
fined $440; Tena K. Mon-
tange, 46, John Day, Jan. 2,
fined $440; Joseph S. Hay-
zlett, 43, John Day, Dec.
26, fined $440; William V.
Wetherald, 57, Bend, Nov.
3, fined $440; Christine N.
Daum, 30, Prairie City, Feb.
15, fined $2,000; Tanaya S.
Robinson, 38, John Day,
Justice Court
Kristopher M. Good-
win, 28, John Day, was
found guilty March 6 of
violating probation condi-
tions for a 2017 harassment
case, including failing to
pay fines and fees and fail-
ing to complete anger man-
agement counseling. He was
also found guilty of violat-
ing probation conditions for
a 2018 unlawful possession
of a firearm case, including
failing to complete anger
management
counseling,
community service and pay-
ing fines and fees. He was
sentenced to 40 days in jail.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office reported the
following for the week of
March 6:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 18
Average inmates: 12
Bookings: 11
Releases: 11
Arrests: 2
Citations: 3
Fingerprints: 6
Civil papers: 6
Warrants processed: 1
Asst./welfare check: 1
Search and rescue: 2
March 4: Harry Hosey,
72, Walla Walla, Washing-
ton, was cited for speeding,
44/25 zone.
March 4: Bradford Wil-
liams, 57, San Jose, Cali-
fornia, was cited for viola-
Feb. 21, fined $400.
• Failure to register vehi-
cle: Tamara L. Michael, 48,
Mt. Vernon, Jan. 3, fined
$115; Tena K. Montange,
46, John Day, Jan. 2, fined
$115.
• Operating a motor vehi-
cle while using a cellphone:
James R. Tippett, 39, Union,
Jan. 12, fined $265.
• Careless driving caus-
ing an accident: Ronald B.
Hodge, 77, John Day, Feb.
10, fined $340.
• Operating a motor vehi-
cle without required light:
Riley T. Clark, 22, Long
Creek, Feb. 2, fined $165.
• Michael C. Mokres,
34, Grants Pass, pleaded
guilty March 6 to driving
with a suspended or revoked
license. He was sentenced
to 30 hours community ser-
vice, 18 months probation
and $708 in fines and fees.
A charge of driving without
insurance was dismissed.
• Gregg A. Chambers,
30, Cape Coral, Florida,
pleaded guilty Feb. 28 to
second-degree failure to
appear. He was sentenced
to 30 days jail and $100 in
fines and fees.
• Tommy J. West, 59,
McMinnville,
pleaded
guilty Feb. 20 to second-de-
gree criminal trespass. He
was sentenced to 12 months
probation and $350 in fines
and fees.
• Chance West, 19,
McMinnville,
pleaded
guilty Feb. 20 to hunting on
enclosed land. He was sen-
tenced to 12 months pro-
bation and $850 in fines
and fees. His hunting privi-
leges were suspended for 36
months.
• Colton J. David, 23,
Dayville, pleaded guilty
Feb. 6 to driving with a sus-
pended license. He was sen-
tenced to 30 hours commu-
nity service and $1,185 in
fines and fees.
• Jacob C. Brown, 30,
John Day, pleaded guilty
Feb. 28 to keeping a dog as
a nuisance. He was ordered
to pay a $500 fine.
• Spencer R. Polzel, 42,
Redmond, pleaded guilty
Dec. 19 to hunting without a
game tag. He was ordered to
pay a $440 fine.
Oregon State Police
March 3: Following a
traffic stop for no license
plate light on Highway 26
east of John Day, Sheila A.
Owens, 49, John Day, was
arrested and charged with
driving under the influence
of alcohol. Her blood alco-
hol content was allegedly
0.17 percent.
March 3: Following a
traffic stop for crossing the
fog line on Highway 26
in Dayville, Mark D. Rea-
soner, 52, John Day, was
arrested and charged with
driving under the influence
of alcohol. His blood alco-
hol content was allegedly
0.328 percent.
March 4: Responded to
a residence on Dog Creek
Road in John Day and
arrested John C. Hopper, 56,
John Day, for failing to reg-
ister as a sex offender.
Dispatch
John
Day
dispatch
worked 135 calls during
the week of March 4-10,
including:
• John Day Police
Department
March 4: Responded to
22nd
Street in John Day.
March 9: Search and res-
cue personnel responded for
persons stuck in a cabin on
Dixie Creek Road in Prai-
rie City.
March 9: Received a
report of a theft on South
Humbolt Street in Canyon
City.
March 9: Advised of
rocks on Highway 26 in Pic-
ture Gorge.
• John Day ambulance
March 5: Dispatched to
Park Avenue in Seneca for a
911 call.
March 7: Paged to a
mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day for
a 79-year-old man.
March 7: Responded to
Northeast Seventh Street in
John Day for a man with a
nose bleed.
March 8: Dispatched
to Highlan Drive in Mt.
Vernon.
March 10: Transported a
patient to the airport in John
Day.
• Grant County Proba-
tion and Parole
March
5:
Arrested
Melissa A. Haynes, 28, John
Day, on a Umatilla County
warrant.
• John Day public
works
March 5: Received a call
for a burst water line on
Southwest Brent Drive in
John Day.
• John Day fire
March 6: Responded to
an electrical fire on North
Canyon City Boulevard.
The AmericaM LegioM came to life iM Paris, FraMce,
March 15-17, 1919. War-weary members of the AmericaM
ExpeditioMary Forces, who had fought to victory iM World
War OMe aMd remaiMed iM Europe, aMd were restlessly
awaitiMg passage home, gathered for what became
kMowM as the Paris Caucus. IM the moMths that followed the
armistice of November 11, 1918, they had time to thiMk about
life after the war aMd what they might do…
IM support of their wouMded comrades,
IM hoMor of the falleM,
To help surviviMg spouses aMd orphaMs,
To protect the democracy they pledged their lives to defeMd,
AMd to chart a Mew course for future geMeratioMs of AmericaMs.
These troops eMvisioMed a differeMt kiMd of veteraMs associatioM.
It would be like MoMe before it, or aMy that would follow.
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a noninjury crash on West
Main Street in John Day.
March 6: Dispatched to
a noninjury crash on South
Canyon Boulevard.
March 7: Following a
traffic stop on South Can-
yon Boulevard at Fourth
Street, Tammy Hoherz, 49,
Bentley, North Dakota, was
cited for driving while using
a cellphone.
March 9: Advised of
shots fired on East Main
Street in John Day.
March 9: Responded to
an empty home near the
Seventh Street Complex
in John Day for suspicious
circumstances.
March 10: Received a
911 call for an intoxicated
suicidal person on North
Canyon Boulevard.
March 10: Advised of a
theft near the Grant County
Fairgrounds in John Day.
• Oregon State Police
March 5: Advised about
calves on Highway 26 near
Dog Creek Road.
March 5: Received a
report of a traffic hazard on
Highway 26 near Laycock
Creek Road.
March 8: Advised of
a jackknifed semi truck
with no injuries on High-
way 395 near Ritter Butte
Summit.
March 10: Received a
report of a black calf on
Highway 26 in Mt. Vernon.
• Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office
March 4: Advised of a
theft on Northwest Bridge
541-523-6377
541-963-6577
541-573-6377
American Legion Dinner at the John Day Senior Center,
6 p.m., Friday, March 15 | Dinner by Donation
541-576-2160
109141