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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 15, 2019)
NEWS BlueMountainEagle.com Wednesday, May 15, 2019 A5 Court hears suggestions on compensation changes By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle Compensation proposals for county employees and elected offi - cials were raised during the Grant County Court meeting May 8. Justice of the Peace Kathy Stin- nett said she fully supported cre- ating a full-time human resources position for the county, and she offered some suggestions on how to reorganize the county’s compen- sation system. Stinnett suggested eliminat- ing some job categories as well as stipends for work outside of a job description. She also described the benefi ts of implementing a step system based on training and merit. Commissioner Jim Ham- sher said he agreed that employ- ees should be paid for what they do and not for how much educa- tion they have. He noted that some employees handle responsibilities far beyond their offi cial education levels and that they might leave if not compensated for that work. Commissioner Sam Palmer raised his earlier suggestion that Hamsher be compensated for tak- ing on additional work during the April fl oods while County Judge Scott Myers was absent for medi- cal reasons. The Eagle/Richard Hanners Grant County Justice of the Peace Kathy Stinnett addresses the county court May 8. Seated left to right are Grant County Economic Development Coordinator Allison Field and economic development specialist Beth Simonsen. Grant County Roadmaster Alan Hickerson addresses the county court May 8. Laurie Wright, who will head up the county’s new human resources offi ce, said that suggestion could “open up a can of worms” as other elected offi cials would request the same benefi t and then the pro- cess would “snowball” to other employees. commissioner compensation topic on a future court agenda. In other court news: • The court approved several requests from Grant County Road- master Alan Hickerson, including purchasing a new low-boy trailer to haul road graders, advertising The Eagle/Richard Hanners Wright also addressed earlier opinions raised in a court meeting about appointing someone to fi ll in for Myers in his absence, not- ing that only the governor could do that. Hamsher said he agreed with Palmer and suggested putting the for a new position at Long Creek and purchasing a shipping con- tainer to store fl ood supplies. Hickerson said he’d like to store pallets of fi lled sandbags, bales of unfi lled bags and a sandbag-fi lling machine in the shipping container to keep the bags out of harmful sunlight and ready for instant use. Hamsher said the April fl oods caused an estimated $1.5 mil- lion in damages to public property and maybe more than that to pri- vate property. He said one land- owner needed numerous dump truck loads of material to repair a private road. • The court appointed fi ve vol- unteers to the Transient Room Tax Review Committee: Jenny Shaw, Karin Barntish, Larry Pierce, Bob Quinton and Mike Springer. • The court issued a procla- mation designating the month of May from this year forward as Older Americans Month in Grant County. The proclamation noted that, according to U.S. Census esti- mates, 29.6 percent of the county’s residents are 65 years or older com- pared to 17.1 percent for the state and 15.6 percent for the nation. Hamsher pointed out that many committee volunteers serving the county are older people. COPS AND COURTS 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 Sheriff The Grant County Sher- iff’s Offi ce reported the fol- lowing for the week of May 8: Concealed handgun licenses: 6 Average inmates: 11 Bookings: 11 Releases: 6 Arrests: 1 Citations: 3 Fingerprints: 6 Civil papers: 15 Warrants processed: 5 Asst./welfare check: 0 Search and rescue: 0 May 6: Edward Lix, 63, Orangevale, California, was cited for exceeding the posted speed, 44/25 zone. May 6: Joshua Stalcup, 30, Burns, was cited for vio- lating the basic rule 75/55 zone. May 8: James Jones, 20, John Day, was cited for driv- ing without insurance. Justice Court • Violation of basic rule: Norman R. Woodham Jr., 71, Prineville, April 16, 75/55 zone, fi ned $165; Michael S. Bass, 29, Prairie City, April 14, 71/55 zone, fi ned $125; Sherry L. Dress, 71, John Day, April 3, 80/55 zone, fi ned $225. • Exceeding speed limit: Tina L. Stearly, 57, Can- yon City, April 14, 81/65 zone, fi ned $165; Chelsey L. McDaniel, 34, Prairie City, April 25, 74/65 zone, fi ned $140. • Violation speed limit: Daniel W. Wagner, 26, Hines, March 17, 82/65 zone, fi ned $265. • Driving uninsured: Michele Trimble, 43, Mt. Vernon, Jan. 17, fi ned $265; Stephen P. Hancock, 43, Canyon City, April 2, fi ned $265, April 13, fi ned $265, April 16, fi ned $265. • Driving while sus- pended: Michele Trimble, 43, Mt. Vernon, Jan. 17, fi ned $440. • Failure to register vehi- cle: Michele Trimble, 43, Mt. Vernon, Jan. 17, fi ned $115. • Failure to renew regis- tration: Stephen P. Hancock, 43, Canyon City, April 2, fi ned $115, April 13, fi ned $115. • Failure to install an igni- tion interlock device: Dan- iel W. Wagner, 26, Hines, March 17, fi ned $440. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 154 calls during the week of May 6-12, including: • John Day Police Department May 6: Responded to a reported death on South Hillcrest Road in John Day. May 6: Received a harassment report from an apartment on East Main Street in John Day. May 6: Advised of a harassment complaint at a mobile home park on West Main Street in John Day. May 7: Responded to Northwest Second Ave- nue in John Day. Rob- ert D. Herrera was arrested and charged with domestic assault. May 10: Dispatched to a report of a rattlesnake at a mobile home park on West Main Street in John Day. May 10: Received a call about a suspicious vehicle on East 11th Street in John Day. May 11: Responded to a report of suspicious circum- stances at an automotive shop on South Canyon Bou- levard in John Day. • Grant County Sher- iff’s Offi ce May 6: Advised of sus- picious circumstances on West Franklin Avenue in Dayville. May 6: Received a theft report from Laycock Creek Road. May 8: Advised of a bur- glary report on North Cozart Avenue in Prairie City. May 8: Responded to Highway 26 near Aus- tin Junction for a noninjury crash. May 10: Advised of a crash with injuries on High- way 395 near Meadowbrook Pass. May 10: Received a domestic dispute call from Ingle Street in Mt. Vernon. May 10: Advised of a suspicious vehicle on Patter- son Drive in Canyon City. May 10: Received a domestic dispute call from Ingle Street in Mt. Vernon. May 10: Advised of a theft on Wilderness Lane in John Day. May 11: Received a report of a theft at the Billy Fields Campground up Fields Creek Road. PRAIRIE AMERICAN LEGION 0106 WISHES TO ANNOUNCE THE WINNERS OF OUR SPRING FUNDRAISING EVENT. May 11: Advised of a sus- picious vehicle at a church in Canyon City. • John Day ambulance May 6: Dispatched with Seneca ambulance to Park Avenue in Seneca for an elderly woman. May 6: Responded to Northwest Third Avenue in John Day for a hospital transport. May 6: Transported a patient to the hospital in John Day. May 6: Received a 911 call from South Washington Street in Prairie City. May 7: Dispatched with Prairie City ambulance to North Cozart Avenue in Prairie City for a man who had fallen. May 8: Responded with Prairie City ambulance to North Cozart Avenue in Prairie City for a man who was unable to move. May 8: Received a call from Aslin Avenue in Mt. Vernon for an 81-year-old man with abdominal pain. May 8: Responded to East Main Street in John Day for a 46-year-old man with uncontrolled vomiting. John Day police were sum- moned for an unattended death. May 9: Received a 911 call from Northeast Seventh Avenue in John Day. May 11: Transported a patient to the hospital in John Day. May 11: Responded to Hansen Lane in Mt. Vernon for a 96-year-old man who was nonresponsive. May 11: Dispatched to Southwest Violet Street in Mt. Vernon for a 70-year- old woman with diffi culty breathing. May 12: Responded to a mobile home park on West Main Street in John Day for a 36-year-old woman with an electrical burn. • John Day fi re May 6: Responded to Luce Creek Road for a report of a hay fi eld fi re. • Prairie City fi re May 7: Advised of a possible fi re near the water tower northeast of Prairie City. May 9: Received a report of a possi- ble fi re near the timber mill site west of Prairie City. • Forest Service May 9: Advised of a possible fi re in the Cinna- bar Mountain area south of Mt. Vernon. American Legion Auxiliary POPPY BOOTH will be at Chester’s Thriftway Thursday - Saturday, May 16-18 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 1st: $300.00 gift certificate from Better Blooms & Gardens – Roger Lee 2nd: Garden Wagon & Accessories from John Day True Value Hardware – Fran Bunch 3rd: Woodland Ripple Afghan handmade and donated by Fonda and Ted Thompson – Ray Thielke IN 541-523-6377 We thank our Sponsors and Participants and Congratulate the Winners! 541-573-6377 541-576-2160 120563 Seneca’s 28th Annual TER FEED S OY $30 ALL YOU CAN EAT For more info A man wakes up in the morning after sleeping on an ADVERTISED BED, in ADVERTISED PAJAMAS. call 541-542-2161 MA Y 18th oo at N n Hamburger Stand will be open for you non-oyster eaters! He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR, have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE. Then it’s too late. AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK? DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE S OFTBALL T OURNAMENT Call Zach 541-792-0788 G OLF S CRAMBLE 7am/9am, register 1/2 hour prior 4-person teams, $10 per person Call Shane 541-620-4910 LIVE MUSIC & CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT 115868 120571 Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it! 541-963-6577 M IA R O EM M Blue Mountain Eagle MyEagleNews.com Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710 Raffle and Silent Auction OVER $1000 IN PRIZES Top Prize of Ruger American Rifle 100004
