NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, July 3, 2019
A5
911 tax bill passes in Oregon Senate
Findley’s bill will
provide increased
funding for
dispatch centers
By Richard Hanners
Blue Mountain Eagle
After numerous failed
attempts, Oregon legislators
recognized the statewide sig-
nificance of a bill that will
increase the existing 75 cent
fee on phone bills to support
911 dispatch centers.
The Oregon Senate passed
House Bill 2449 by 22-5 on a
busy June 30, the last day of
the session. The bill, which
passed in the House by 48-10
on June 6, was carried in the
Senate by Sen. Chuck Riley,
D-Hillsboro.
This was not just a rural
issue or an East-West bill,
said Mark Spross, execu-
tive director of METCOM
911 in Woodburn. Skyrock-
eting costs and new commu-
nication technologies made
the long-simmering need for
increased funding evident
across the state.
While support for the bill
came from both sides of the
aisle, from small rural com-
munities to large metropol-
itan areas, many pointed to
the work of Rep. Lynn Find-
ley, R-Vale, for introducing
the bill and seeing it through.
“Rep. Findley deserves so
much credit on carrying this
bill all the way,” said Val-
erie Maynard, director of the
Grant County Emergency
Communications Agency.
“He knew there was a fund-
ing deficit for this crucial
emergency service, and he
took the time to educate him-
self on all of the facts and
pushed forward.”
“Findley did an amaz-
ing job,” said Margie Mou-
lin, director of the Emer-
gency Communications of
Southern Oregon agency in
Medford.
Moulin noted that the bill
was first met with pessimism,
as past attempts to shore up
911 funding had failed. Pas-
sage needed a big team effort,
she said.
The latest legislative
Eagle file photo
Grant County Emergency Communications Agency director
Valerie Maynard, right, was credited with helping get an
increase in the phone tax that supports 911 centers.
attempt to increase a tax that
was last raised 24 years ago
originated in John Day and
from its city manager, Find-
ley pointed out.
“Nick Green played a sig-
nificant role in the creation
of HB2449,” Findley told
the Eagle. “The initial bill
was his concept, and his tes-
timony helped convey how
critical the increase in fund-
ing is for communities all
across the state.”
He also cited the support
from a long list of cities,
counties and first responder
agencies and organizations.
Passage of the bill was “truly
a group effort,” Findley said.
“Without the support of
all of the different public
service answering points,
the League of Oregon Cities,
the Association of Oregon
Counties, the Oregon State
Sheriffs’ Association, and
the APCO/NENA (Associa-
tion of Public-Safety Com-
munication Officers and
National Emergency Num-
ber Association), it’s doubt-
ful that HB2449 would have
made it through the Legisla-
ture,” Findley said.
Spross credited the bill’s
sponsors in addition to
Findley for the bill’s suc-
cess: Republicans Ronald
H. Noble, McMinnville,
and Greg Smith, Heppner,
and Democrats John Lively,
Springfield, and Pam Marsh,
Ashland, as well as Rep.
Paul Evans, D-Monmouth,
who chaired the House
Committee on Veterans and
Emergency Preparedness,
which held the first hearings
for the bill.
“I also want to thank
Nick Green and Valerie
Maynard,” Spross said.
As amended in the House,
HB 2449 will increase the
fee for wireless and wired
telephone accounts and pre-
paid wireless retail transac-
tions from 75 cents to $1 in
2020 and $1.25 in 2021.
That won’t be enough
to address rising 911 costs,
Spross said, but it was a crit-
ical first step.
“This will not cover us for
the next 20 years,” he said.
“We will need to find effi-
ciencies or other resources.”
The Grant County Emer-
gency
Communications
Agency was established
last year by an intergovern-
mental agreement between
the county, eight cities, one
community and three rural
fire districts under an Inter-
governmental Council. The
agency went into operation
Jan. 1 and moved into the
John Day Fire Hall in April.
Under a funding for-
mula, costs not covered by
revenue from the statewide
phone tax will be distrib-
uted among local 911 users,
including the sheriff, police
and fire departments, gov-
ernment agencies and Blue
Mountain Hospital, as well
as the member jurisdictions.
report of suspicious cir-
cumstances on Patterson
Drive in Canyon City.
June 25: Advised of a
fight on Ingle Street in Mt.
Vernon.
June 29: Received a
complaint about a pig run-
ning loose on Pine Creek
Road.
• John Day ambulance
June 25: Paged to a
mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day
for a man with difficulty
breathing and chest pain.
June 25: Responded to
Second Street in John Day
for a 68-year-old man.
June 26: Dispatched to
North Canyon City Boule-
vard for a 66-year-old man.
June 26: Responded to a
bar on Main Street in John
Day for a woman.
June 26: Dispatched to
East Fifth Street in John
Day for a transport to the
hospital.
June 28: Responded
with Long Creek ambu-
lance to a repair shop in
Long Creek for a person
with a head injury fol-
lowing a four-wheeler
accident.
June 29: Transported
a patient to the airport in
John Day.
June 29: Dispatched to
a senior home in John Day
for a woman who was not
feeling well.
June 29: Responded to a
mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day
for a man with difficulty
breathing.
June 29: Dispatched to
Southwest First Street in
John Day for a 77-year-old
man with a diabetic issue.
June 30: Responded to a
mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day
for a 53-year-old man with
difficulty breathing.
June 30: Dispatched to
a senior home in John Day
for a man with leg pain.
• Forest Service
June 25: Advised of a
fire in the Antone Road
area near Dayville.
June 25: Received a
report of smoke seen in the
Fields Creek or Moore’s
Crossing area east of
Dayville.
June 26: Dispatched to
the Waterman Flats area
on Highway 26 in Wheeler
County.
June 26: Received a
report of a fire on Clear
Creek Road in Granite.
June 28: Responded
with Mt. Vernon fire and
Oregon Department of For-
estry for a lightning-caused
fire near Picnic Creek Road
in Mt. Vernon.
• Mt. Vernon fire
June 25: Received a
report of a forest fire on
Highway 395 north of Mt.
Vernon.
June 30: Responded to
a fire in the Clarks Creek
Road and Dustin Creek
area near Mt. Vernon.
• Bureau of Land
Management
June 25: Advised of a
fire on Highway 402 near
Monument.
• John Day fire
June 28: Responded to
West Main Street in John
Day for a tree on fire.
June 30: Dispatched to
Main Street in John Day
for a report of fireworks
causing a small fire on the
sidewalk.
• Prairie City fire
June 30: Advised with
Forest Service of a fire in
the Reynolds Creek Road
area.
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
James G. O’Neill, 51,
Bend, pleaded guilty June
27 to driving under the
influence of intoxicants
and refusing to take a test
for intoxicants, both com-
mitted March 11. He was
sentenced to 10 days jail,
24 months probation, 40
hours community service
and $2,355 in fines and
fees. His license was sus-
pended for one year. A sec-
ond charge of refusing to
take a test for intoxicants
was dismissed.
Sharon M. Korff, 64,
John Day, was found guilty
June 27 of violating proba-
tion in two cases. For a 2016
case of driving while under
the influence of intoxicants,
she was found guilty of fail-
ing to complete treatment
and pay fines and fees. For
a 2017 case of driving with
a suspended license, she
was found guilty of failing
to pay fines and fees. For
both cases, her probation
was extended 12 months.
Sheila A. Owens, 49,
John Day, pleaded no con-
test June 21 to driving under
the influence of intoxicants
committed on March 3. She
was sentenced to 30 days
jail, 24 months probation,
80 hours community ser-
vice and $2,255 in fines and
fees. Her license was sus-
pended for one year.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office reported the fol-
lowing for the week of June
26:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 10
Average inmates: 17
Bookings: 7
Releases: 10
Arrests: 2
Citations: 4
Fingerprints: 5
Civil papers: 17
Warrants processed: 4
Asst./welfare check: 0
Search and rescue: 0
June 24: Tammy Winton,
51, John Day, was cited for
violating the speed limit,
43/25 zone.
June 24: David Bohnert,
51, Burns, was cited for
violating the speed limit,
86/65 zone.
June 24: Margaret Samp-
son, 68, Portland, was cited
for violating the basic rule,
79/55 zone.
June 24: Sergio Her-
nandez, 30, Hillsboro, was
cited for exceeding the
posted speed limit, 65/45
zone.
Justice Court
• Violation of basic rule:
Dominique Del Sarto, 52,
Henderson, Nevada, May
23, 80/55 zone, fined $265;
Austin M. Schmitt, 23,
Edwardsville, Illinois, May
23, 81/55 zone, fined $265;
Lee R. Kramer, 44, Long
Creek, April 8, 79/55 zone,
fined $265.
• Exceeding speed limit:
Megan N. Workman, 28,
Bates, 79/65 zone, fined
$225; Alex C. Black, 31,
June 3, 74/65 zone, fined
$165; Danese D. Linder-
man, 66, Roseburg, June 3,
77/65 zone, fined $225.
• Violation speed limit:
D. Byron Bean, 61, Mur-
rieta, California, June 6,
62/50 zone, fined $265.
• Driving uninsured:
Darline P. Hancock, 29,
John Day, March 23, fined
$265.
• Driving while sus-
pended:
Christina
R.
Ramey, 48, Woodland,
Washington, June 15, fined
$440.
• Careless driving: Dar-
line P. Hancock, 29, John
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Day, March 23, fined $265.
• Exceed maximum
weight: Chase A. Gies-
brecht, 33, Baker City, June
6, fined $150.
• Failure to register vehi-
cle: Talon W. Collins, 25,
Prineville, June 14, find
$115.
Oregon State Police
June 27: Investigated a
fatal crash on Highway 26
near the Wheeler and Grant
county line. A eastbound
Chevy Equinox failed to
follow a left-hand curve and
went off a steep embank-
ment into Rock Creek. The
driver was ejected. Brian
A. Hubble, 63, Milwaukie,
was pronounced deceased
at the site.
June 29: Following a
traffic stop on Highway 26
east of Moon Creek Road,
David A. Bergin, 72, was
arrested and charged with
driving under the influence
of cannabis.
Dispatch
John
Day
dispatch
worked 164 calls during
the week of June 24-30,
including:
• John Day Police
Department
June 24: Responded to a
grocery store parking lot in
John Day for a hit-and-run
crash.
June 25: Advised of a
hit-and-run crash on West
Main Street in John Day.
June 25: Following a
traffic stop at First Avenue
and Brent Drive, Audrey
Johns, 40, John Day, was
cited for failing to register
her vehicle.
June 26: Responded
to a mobile home park on
West Main Street in John
Day for a report of illegal
fireworks.
June 26: Advised of an
assault at a mobile home
park on West Main Street
in John Day.
June 28: Received a
report of a suspicious vehi-
cle at a restaurant on West
Main Street in John Day.
June 28: Advised of sus-
picious circumstances at a
mobile home park on West
Main Street in John Day.
June 29: Received a
report of a verbal dispute
over loud noise at a mobile
home park on West Main
Street in John Day.
June 29: Responded to
a report of a woman stand-
ing and sitting on Highway
26 at the west end of John
Day.
June 30: Dispatched
to a mobile home park on
West Main Street in John
Day for a report of phone
harassment.
June 30: Advised of
fraud at a bar on Main
Street in John Day.
June 30: Following a
traffic stop on Main Street
in John Day, Charles Toft-
dahl, 83, Junction City,
was cited for speeding.
• Oregon State Police
June 25: Received a
report of suspicious cir-
cumstances on Belshaw
Creek Road.
• Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office
June 24: Advised of
criminal mischief at Hum-
bolt Elementary School.
June 24: Received a
report of a suspicious per-
son at a fuel company’s
office in Canyon City.
June 25: Advised of a
hit-and-run crash on North
Mountain Boulevard in Mt.
Vernon.
June 25: Received a
Blue Mountain Eagle
Office Closure
Our office will be closed on Thursday,
July 4th, in observance of
Independence Day. No early deadline
will be in place. We hope you spend
this day celebrating with friends and
family!