NEWS
BlueMountainEagle.com
Wednesday, June 12, 2019
911 tax bill passes
in Oregon House
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.
Grant County Circuit
Court
Misdemeanor charges
against Gerald C. Ebeltoft,
71, Canyon City, of
fourth-degree assault con-
stituting domestic violence
and strangulation allegedly
committed June 2 were dis-
missed June 4 following a
motion by the district attor-
ney to dismiss the charges
in the best interest of justice
and because the victim was
not cooperating.
Misdemeanor charges
against Jesse A. Weaver, 30,
of Spring, Texas, of driv-
ing under the influence of
intoxicants, allegedly com-
mitted on July 7, 2017, and
second-degree failure to
appear, allegedly commit-
ted on Dec. 12, 2017, were
dismissed June 4 follow-
ing a motion by the district
attorney on the grounds that
it was in the best interest of
justice. Arrest warrants were
recalled.
A conditional discharge
agreement with Melinda Jo
Moss, 40, John Day, was
terminated June 5 after she
failed to report as required,
complete treatment and pay
fines or fees. She pleaded
guilty on Sept. 20, 2018, for
felony possession of meth-
amphetamine
committed
on March 1, 2018, and was
sentenced to 30 days jail,
100 hours community ser-
vice and 100 hour commu-
nity service. Charges of con-
spiracy to commit a Class
B felony and delivery of
methamphetamine were dis-
missed at that time.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office reported the fol-
lowing for the week of June
5:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 7
Average inmates: 18
Bookings: 11
Releases: 9
Arrests: 3
Citations: 1
Fingerprints: 6
Civil papers: 11
Warrants processed: 6
Asst./welfare check: 0
Search and rescue: 0
Nathan Romney, 18,
Springville, Utah, was cited
for violating the posted
speed limit, 70/35 zone.
Justice Court
• Violation of basic rule:
Morgan A. Bennett, 18,
Baker City, April 21, 70/55
zone, fined $140; Nehe-
maiah J. Logsdon, 18, Burns,
May 17, 79/55 zone, fined
$165; King Williams, 68,
Canyon City, May 5, 79/55
zone, fined $265; Alexsan-
dra M. Warren, 24, Red-
mond, April 30, 75/55 zone,
fined $165; John H. Seger
Jr., 60, Redmond, May 13,
75/55 zone, fined $165;
Monica J. Cole, 46, Mar-
shall, Texas, May 16, 75/55
zone, fined $165; Carlton W.
Dehart Jr., 74, Fort Lauder-
dale, Florida, May 6, 70/55
zone, fined $165.
• Exceeding speed limit:
Kalene K. Cook, 24, Mt.
Vernon, May 16, 75/65
zone, fined $165; Avaley R.
Mortimore, 18, John Day,
May 24, 75/65 zone, fined
$85; Guy K. Fidler, 34,
Redmond, April 24, 39/25
zone, fined $165; Phanny
K. Thong, 51, Temecula,
California, Jan. 26, 57/25
zone, fined $440; Colin
E. Hobbs, 35, Portland,
Jan. 15, 44/30 zone, fined
$165; Daniel E. Harris, 52,
Baker City, April 25, 75/55
zone, fined $165; Denise
J. Wood, 61, Prairie City,
May 15, 80/65 zone, fined
$265; Devon R. Starnes,
45, Winder, Georgia, May
15, 75/65 zone, fined $165;
Maisie A. Taylor, 26, Sen-
eca, April 25, 75/65 zone,
fined $165; Tristan Morris,
18, Adams, April 25, 73/65
zone, fined $165.
• Violation speed limit:
Edward S. Lix, 63, Oran-
gevale, California, May 3,
44/25 zone, fined $140.
• Driving uninsured:
Joshua W. Haskins, 35,
Prairie City, March 10,
fined $1,000, April 6, fined
$500, April 15, fined $500;
Latasha L. Smarr, 27, Prai-
rie City, March 9, fined
$265; Kellyn A. Joslin, 33,
John Day, March 21, fined
$265; Katie P. Thomas, 36,
John Day, April 29, fined
$265; James M. Jones, 20,
John Day, May 7, fined
$265; Thomas V. Busby,
47, Canyon City, April 17,
fined $265; Marcia L. Kim-
ball, 74, Bend, Feb. 23,
fined $265, April 23, fined
$500.
• Driving while sus-
pended: Joshua W. Haskins,
35, Prairie City, March
10, fined $500, April 6,
$750; Marcia L. Kimball,
74, Bend, April 23, fined
$1,000.
• Failure to operate with
a standard light: Morgan
A. Bennett, 18, Baker City,
fined $140.
• Failure to properly use
safety belt: Richard D. Ran-
dall, 50, Mt. Vernon, Feb.
18, fined $115.
• No operator’s license:
Katie P. Thomas, 36, John
Day, April 29, fined $265;
Garrett K. Mercier, 38, Seat-
tle, Washington, May 11,
fined $265; Kellyn A. Jos-
lin, 33, John Day, March 21,
fined $440.
• Marijuana canister in
public view: Jacob A. Dod-
son, 24, John Day, May 11,
fined $265.
• Failure to yield before
entering: Keith C. Elliot,
84, John Day, May 13, fined
$200.
• Exceeding maximum
weight limit: Walker D.
Erickson, 25, Pendleton,
April 15, fined $200.
• Exceeding truck or
bus speed limit: Rosalio V.
Robles, 54, Fontana, Cali-
fornia, May 2, fined $165.
• Benjamin H. Monroe,
22, John Day, was convicted
May 29 of hunting turkeys
with a prohibited method
and was fined $440.
• Britt M. Wilcox, 24,
John Day, pleaded guilty
May 29 of third-degree
theft. He was sentenced to
12 months probation, 40
hours community service
and $475 in fines, fees and
restitution.
Oregon State Police
June 6: Located a man
with an outstanding warrant
for domestic assault from
outside Grant County at a
home on McCallum Ave-
nue in Prairie City. Thomas
V. Busby, 47, was arrested
and charged on the warrant.
June 7: Responded with
Grant County probation
officers to North Cozart
Street in Prairie City.
Thomas E. Pfeifer, 49, Prai-
rie City, was arrested on a
probation violation warrant
from out of Grant County.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch
worked 151 calls during the
week of June 3-9, including:
• John Day Police
Department
June 3: Advised of a sus-
picious person at a drug
store on Main Street in John
Day.
June 3: Received a report
of unauthorized use of a
motor vehicle on Bridge
Street in John Day.
June 4: Responded to the
post office in John Day for
a suspicious person.
June 4: Notified of a
fraud complaint in John
Day.
June 4: Received a bur-
glary report from Hillcrest
Road in John Day.
June 5: Advised of a
fawn stuck in a fence on
North Canyon Boulevard in
John Day.
June 6: Following a traf-
fic stop on South Canyon
Boulevard in John Day,
Bryon D. Bean, 61, Mur-
rieta, California, was cited
for speeding, 62/35 zone.
June 7: Dispatched to
East Main Street in John
Day for a suspicious person.
June 7: Responded to
West Main Street in John
Day for a report of a bicy-
cle vs. motor vehicle crash.
Larry A. De Cew, 59, John
Day, was cited for careless
driving.
June 7: Advised of a sus-
picious vehicle on South
Canyon City Boulevard.
June 9: Notified of an
unattended death at a senior
home in John Day.
June 9: Responded to an
apartment complex on East
Main Street in John Day for
a harassment complaint.
June 9: Notified of a
fight or dispute at a mobile
home park on West Main
Street in John Day.
• Oregon State Police
June 7: Received a live-
stock complaint from High-
way 395 near Ritter junction.
• Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office
June 3: Advised of a
prowler on Quail Lane in
John Day.
June 3: Notified of a
harassment complaint in
Prairie City.
June 4: Advised of sus-
picious circumstances on
South Fork Road near
A5
Dayville.
June 4: Notified of a
domestic
incident
on
Belshaw Creek Lane in Mt.
Vernon.
June 4: Advised of a sui-
cidal person at Highway 395
and Vance Creek Road.
June 4: Notified of a
criminal mischief complaint
in Mt. Vernon.
June 8: Received a tres-
passing report from Miller
Mountain Road in Canyon
City.
June 8: Advised of a
domestic report on Bridge
Street in Prairie City.
June 8: Received a theft
report from Courtrock Road
in Monument.
June 9: Advised of a
prowler on South Johnson
Avenue in Prairie City.
June 9: Received a live-
stock complaint from near
the senior center in Prairie
City.
• John Day ambulance
June 3: Responded to
Blue Heron Road in John
Day for a 69-year-old man
with chest pain.
June 3: Dispatched to a
senior home in John Day.
June 3: Responded with
Seneca ambulance to A Ave-
nue in Seneca for a 53-year-
old woman with difficulty
breathing.
June 4: Dispatched to
a report of a man slumped
over a guard rail on High-
way 26 east of John Day.
June 4: Transported a
patient to the airport in John
Day.
June 5: Responded to
Thompson Avenue in Mt.
Vernon for a 53-year-old
woman with difficulty
breathing.
June 5: Paged to a mobile
home park on West Main
Street in John Day for a man
with chest pain.
June 5: Transported a
patient to the airport in John
Day.
June 6: Dispatched to a
mobile home park in John
Day for a man with diffi-
culty breathing.
June 6: Responded to
South Johnson Avenue in
Prairie City for an elderly
woman.
June 6: Dispatched to
North Johnson Avenue in
Prairie City.
June 6: Responded to
West Main Street in John
Day for a 20-year-old man
with an asthma attack.
June 8: Transported a
patient to Bend.
June 8: Dispatched
to a senior home in Prai-
rie City for an 88-year-old
man with extreme hypo-
tension and altered state of
consciousness.
June 8: Responded to a
senior home in John Day for
a 69-year-old man with dif-
ficulty breathing.
June 9: Dispatched to
Southwest First Avenue in
John Day for a 40-year-old
woman.
• U.S. Forest Service
June 4: Notified of a non-
injury crash at forest roads
13 and 336.
Findley sponsored
bill to increase
dispatch center
funding
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
A bill that would increase
the existing 75 cent fee on
phone bills to support 911
dispatch centers across the
state was overwhelmingly
approved in the Oregon
House of Representatives
June 6.
As amended, House Bill
2449 will increase the fee
for wireless and wired tele-
phone accounts and prepaid
wireless retail transactions
to $1 next year and to $1.25
in 2021.
The bill passed in the
House by 48-10 and will
move on to the Senate where
it will be assigned to a com-
mittee by Senate President
Peter Courtney. Rep. Lynn
Findley, R-Vale, sponsored
the bill.
“As a legislative body,
we take very few votes
that literally have the abil-
ity to save someone’s life.
If we continue to underfund
our public service answer-
ing points, Oregonians all
over the state, from Mult-
nomah County to Malheur
County, will suffer,” Find-
ley said. “Oregonians expect
and deserve to have the best,
most reliable access to emer-
gency services.”
Using estimates from the
Oregon Military Depart-
ment, the Association of
Oregon Counties projects
the increased fee will gen-
erate $15.1 million in quar-
terly revenue beginning in
January 2020 and $18.9 mil-
lion beginning in January
2021.
Supporters of the bill
noted that the phone tax
hasn’t increased in 24 years,
while new technologies and
other requirements placed
an increasing financial bur-
den on emergency com-
munications agencies and
rural counties with small
populations.
As originally proposed,
the phone tax would have
doubled to $1.50. It was
opposed in House Revenue
Committee hearings by Ver-
izon, T-Mobile and CTIA,
a trade association for the
wireless communications
industry.
ODF declares fire
season has begun
Blue Mountain Eagle
Oregon Department of
Forestry’s Central Oregon
District implemented fire
season June 10.
The fire season declara-
tion heightens awareness of
increasing hazardous fuel
conditions and fire growth
potential in wildland fuels.
“Late May rain really
helped reduce the fire risk
in our fuels, but the recent
warming trend is quickly
drying fuels again, and with
limited moisture in the fore-
cast, it is unlikely that the
risk will drop again.” said
Rob Pentzer, district forester
for central Oregon.
With the implementa-
tion of fire season, logging
and other industrial oper-
ations must meet require-
ments for fire prevention,
such as fire tools, water sup-
ply and watchman service
when those operations are
occurring on lands protected
by ODF.
In addition to fire season
restrictions, Industrial Fire
Precaution Level 1 will be
in effect for lands protected
by ODF in Hood River and
Wasco counties. Details for
fire season and IFPL require-
ments are available at ore-
gon.gov/ODF/Fire/pages/
FirePrevention.aspx, or from
the local ODF office.
Campfires are currently
still allowed, but should
be dead out and cool to the
touch when visitors leave.
The use of tracer ammuni-
tion and exploding targets
is prohibited during fire sea-
son. Sky lanterns and other
luminaries are prohibited at
all times in Oregon.
This year, there have
been 14 human caused fires
burning more than 15 acres
within the district. Nine
of these fires are linked to
escaped debris burns. Land-
owners who burned earlier
this winter or spring should
check their burn piles to ver-
ify there is no longer heat in
the burned area.
Burn barrels are allowed
by permit in The Dalles
Unit (Wasco and Hood
River counties) until 11 a.m.
through June 30. However,
open burning is no longer
permitted across the District.
Fire season in the district
typically starts early to mid-
June based on current condi-
tions and forecast weather.
In 2018, June 1 marked the
start of fire season.
The Central Oregon Dis-
trict includes approximately
2.3 million acres of private,
state and municipally owned
forestland throughout cen-
tral Oregon.
For additional informa-
tion on ODF’s Central Ore-
gon District, including con-
tact information and unit
offices, visit odfcentralore-
gon.com.
Michael B. DesJardin
Dentistry, PC
Preventive, Restorative & Endodontics
New Patients
Welcome!
Monday - Thursday
7am- 6pm
Friday 8am - 5pm
208 NW Canton
John Day
541-575-2725
mbddental@live.com
michaelbdesjardinmd.com
Mendy Sharpe FNP
124284
Apppointments
available
98769
124275
3rd Annual Rummage Sale!
Monument Senior Center
Big thank you to Ty’s Mobile
Welding and the Holly Ranch
for sponsoring our Breakaway
Roping. Thank you Broken
Legg Ranch for the use of
the arena.
- Trisha and Monte
• Furniture, beds, linen, toys, clothing, fabric, small appliances, paper
back & hard cover books, art supplies, shoes, winter boots, coats in like-
new condition, youth bicycle, putting range, golf clubs, 1898 antique
clock (still runs), nice air bed, 3 man raft , tubes for fl oating the river,
cookware, dishes, luggage, and lots more!
Sunday will be $5 bag sale!
• Refreshments will be available with lunch available by donation.
• All profi ts go toward the general fund for operating cost of the senior
center. Your donation is tax deductible!
• Any questions or donations, contact Judy Harris at 541-934-2244
DONATIONS WILL BE TAKEN UNTIL THE DAY OF THE SALE
541-523-6377
541-963-6577
541-573-6377
541-576-2160