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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 10, 2019)
FAMILY Blue Mountain Eagle OBITUARIES Monte Lee Gibson Monte Lee Gibson, 59, of John Day passed away on May 16. There will be a potluck to celebrate Monte Gibson’s life at Clyde Holliday State Park at 1 p.m. Saturday, July 20. Jim ‘Mike’ Stovall Jim “Mike” Stovall, 66, of John Day, Oregon, passed away on May 6. A celebration of life will be held on Satur- day, July 13, at the John Day Golf Club beginning at noon. Lola Theta Chapman Lola Theta Chapman, 87, of La Grande, formerly of Long Creek, died June 15 at her home. A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13, at Daniels~Knopp Funeral, Cremation & Life Celebration Center, 1502 Seventh St., La Grande. An interment will be held at 2 p.m. July 14 at the Ham- ilton, Oregon, Cemetery. Peter William Ryder Peter William Ryder, 88, of John Day passed away June 23 at Blue Mountain Care Center. A funeral service was held on Saturday, June 29, at Driskill Memorial Chapel in John Day with Pastor Terence Crabb of the Victory Baptist Church in Canyon City officiating. Peter was born on April 28, 1931, in Granite, Oregon, to William and Nancy (Walker) Ryder. He attended Sumpter Elementary and Grant Union High School. Peter worked as a mill- worker and security guard for Huds- peth for 31 years. On July 2, 1955, he married Gayle Darleen McCall in Eugene, Oregon, and together they had four children. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, gold panning, going to church, CB Club, Sportsman Club, woodcutting and pickling cucumbers. He was a member of the Victory Baptist Church and senior center. He is survived by his sons, Eric Ryder of Spring Creek, Nevada, Mitchell Ryder of Nampa, Idaho, and Corbett Ryder of Terrebonne, Oregon. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nancy and William Ryder; his wife, Gayle Ryder; and his daughter, Loretta Ryder. To offer online condolences to his family, visit driskillmemo- rialchapel.com. Philip Michael ‘Mike’ Murphy March 17, 1955 — Oct. 8, 2018 Philip Michael “Mike” Murphy was born March 17, 1955, at Blue Mountain Hospital in Prairie City, Oregon. He attended Bates and Monument schools. After graduat- ing from high school, Mike went to work in Milton-Freewater for Carroll Adams Tractor Company where he helped design and build equipment. He received a degree in mechanics from OIT in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Mike spent most of his life man- aging and working on forms and ranches, selling real estate and operating heavy equipment. Mike married Shelley Whale March 15, 1980. They were married for 30 years. Mike adored his children, daughter Amanda and son Shane, and his granddaughter Ashton. He was passionate about gold mining and cars, especially his ‘55 Chevy pickup that he entered in every car show he was able to attend. He enjoyed collecting and shooting guns, and he loved the Lord. Philip Michael Murphy is survived by his ex-wife Shelley, daughter Amanda (Walker), son Shane, brother Monte Mur- phy (Cheryl), sister Peggy Murphy (Glen Johnston), sister Trish Montgomery (Mike), nieces and nephews Keith Brown, Michael Crothers, Brianna Murphy-Johnston, Caleb and Emma Montgomery and granddaughter Ashton. Mike was preceded in death by his parents, Philip and Jean Murphy. A celebration of Mike’s life will be announced at a later date. Barbara Ann Cox Barbara Ann Cox, 78, of John Day passed away July 9 at her residence with her family by her side. A rosary will be recited at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 18, at Drisk- ill Memorial Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 19, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church in John Day with interment following at Canyon City Cemetery. A reception will follow at the St. Elizabeth Catholic Church Parish Hall. To offer online condolences, visit driskillmemorialchapel.com. Vance Creek cold case victim identified Man indicted for sex crimes believed killed in 1997 By Richard Hanners Blue Mountain Eagle The mummified body of a man found in Vance Creek 22 years ago has been identified, thanks to DNA and genealogical evidence and assistance from a pop- ular TV show. Long believed to be a homicide victim, the man’s identity remained a mystery ever since Sheriff Glenn Palmer was a John Day police officer. After he was elected sheriff in 2000, Palmer turned to media announce- ments and contacted agen- An inquiry into the Oregon Law Enforce- ment Data System and the National Crime Informa- tion Center turned up a valid Washington County warrant for David Larry Stroh, 51, Sheridan. Stroh had been indicted by a grand jury for first-degree sodomy, first-degree sex abuse and second-degree sex abuse. The FBI office in Portland issued a warrant against Stroh in April 1997 for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Human remains were initially found in the Vance Creek drainage about a mile and a half west of Highway 395 and south of John Day by Chad Holli- day in 1997. Interest in the case was renewed seven months later when Ted Ferri- oli discovered a corpse in the cold rushing waters of Vance Creek. An autopsy determined that the deceased white man was 49-73 years old, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed about 225 pounds. The forensic lab determined the man was killed between May and November 1997. No per- sonal items, teeth or hair were found in the area, but the autopsy determined the man had severe athero- sclerotic coronary artery disease. Palmer took over the case in 2000. After gather- ing all available informa- tion and reaching a stand- still, he went to the public in 2011 seeking assistance. Read more about this story in next week’s Eagle. Contributed photo June colder than normal Blue Mountain Eagle Temperatures in John Day averaged colder than normal during the month of June, according to preliminary data received by NOAA’s National Weather Service in Pendleton. The average temperature was 59 degrees, which was 2.5 degrees below normal. High temperatures averaged 75.3 degrees, which was 2.3 degrees below normal. The highest was 89 degrees on June 13. Low temperatures averaged 42.7 degrees, which was 2.7 degrees below normal. The lowest was 35 degrees, on June 9. Precipitation totaled 0.57 inches during June, which was 0.86 inches below normal. Measurable precipita- tion was received on six days with the heaviest, 0.27 inches reported on June 7. Precipitation this year has reached 7.20 inches, which is 0.52 inches below normal. Since October, the water year precipitation at John Day has been 10.27 inches, which is 1.03 inches below normal. The outlook for July from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center calls for above-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation. Normal highs for John Day during July are 88.2 degrees, and normal lows are 49.6 degrees. The 30-year normal precipita- tion is 0.60 inches. Grant County students make OSU honor roll Blue Mountain Eagle Two Grant County students were named to the Oregon State University honor roll for spring term 2019. Jennifer McCloskey of John Day, a senior studying applied visual arts, and Jessica Carter, a junior studying animal sciences, were both honored with a 3.5 GPA or better. A total of 1,327 students earned straight-A (4.0 GPA). Another 4,352 earned a B-plus (3.5 GPA) or better to make the listing. To be on the honor roll, students must carry at least 12 graded hours of course work. Road work planned on Silvies-Hopper Lane through July 31 Blue Mountain Eagle Tidewater Contractors will be work- ing on a road construction project on County Road 73, Silvies-Hopper Lane, during the month of July. Grant Soil and Water Conservation (District) has a job opening for the full time position of Noxious Weed Control Program Conservation Technician. Minimum qualifi cations: must be 18 years of age; possess or obtain within 45 days of hire an Oregon Public Pesticide Applicators License; possess a valid driver’s license; and be physically capable of lifting 50 pounds and performing backpack herbicide applications with 3 gallon sprayer. Position primarily performs tasks associated with coordinating and conducting fi eld herbicide applications using ATV’s and other spray equipment to control noxious weed populations, along with other related natural resource conservation technical and offi ce work. Salary range $2,666.67 - $3,500.00 per month DOE, plus benefi ts. Application Deadline: 3:00 pm, July 18, 2019 for initial review and position will remain open until fi lled. Application and full job description are available from the District at 721 S. Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR. For more information contact Matt Wenick at 541-575-0135 ext. 112. The Grant Soil and Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity employer. Last Week’s Temps 24/7 F ORECAST A UTOMATED : 541-575-1122 R OAD CONDITIONS : 511; TRIPCHECK . COM NOAA W EATHER R ADIO FOR J OHN D AY 162.500 MHz cies with DNA databases in an attempt to track down the story behind the Vance Creek corpse. Palmer began work- ing with former Las Vegas Metro Police crime scene investigator Yolanda McClary and the produc- tion team of “Cold Jus- tice” in November 2018. Using new DNA evi- dence and assistance from a genealogist hired through McClary, a full name and date of birth came forward in May, Palmer announced in a July 9 press release. An out-of-state fam- ily was contacted and per- mission was obtained for a DNA sample from a poten- tial family member. A pos- itive match to DNA from the Vance Creek body was made on July 8, Palmer said. Temperatures in John Day were colder than normal during June. Above-normal temperatures, and below-normal precipitation expected in July. NOXIOUS WEED CONTROL PROGRAM CONSERVATION TECHNICIAN John Day ...........................................................HI/LO Tuesday ........................................................... 74/49 Wednesday ..................................................... 71/49 Thursday .......................................................... 79/46 Friday ............................................................... 88/51 Saturday .......................................................... 86/55 Sunday ............................................................. 77/49 Monday............................................................ 78/49 Wednesday, July 10, 2019 The work, including grinding, base rock and paving, is scheduled to begin July 8, according to Tidewater. The project is expected to be com- pleted by July 31. The project begins at the junc- tion of U.S. Highway 395 and con- tinues 3 miles onto Silvies-Hopper Lane. Travelers should expect traffic con- trol closures and delays of about 20 minutes. www .M y E aglE N Ews . coM HOME SCHOOL PARENTS Home school students are required by law to be tested by a qualified neutral person following grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. [OAR581-021-0026 (5) (a) (A)] However, students who participate in interscholastic activities are required by OSAA rules to be tested every year and must score in the 23rd percentile to be eligible to participate in interscholastic activities. Grant ESD will offer assessment testing for home school students finishing grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. Cost $20.00 per student. Payment is due at the time of testing. Register your student for assessment testing by calling Grant ESD, 541-575-1349 on or before, July 24, 2019. Testing begins promptly at 8:30 Thursday and Friday morning. Testing Dates: July 25, 2018 – 8:30am to 2:00pm July 26, 2018 – 8:30am to 2:00pm If you have any questions you may contact: Robert Waltenburg or Jo Sproul Grant County ESD | 541-575-1349 128910 A2 W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF J ULY 10-16 Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Partly sunny Partly sunny Partly sunny Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Mostly sunny Mostly cloudy 86 85 90 91 87 83 93 57 58 58 59 54 47 52
