NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Cow Fire is 73% contained and
transitions back to local control
Blue Mountain Eagle
Despite abundant lightning Thurs-
day and Friday and at least 34 new
fires reported, fire crews quickly
responded and contained most of the
fires at less than one-tenth of an acre.
With the cool, wet weather, most
firefighters and equipment were
released from the one large blaze, the
Cow Fire southeast of Prairie City,
Monday.
On Tuesday, command of the Cow
Fire transitioned to a local Type 3 inci-
dent management team. This team
will complete the repair of firelines
to prepare the ground for wet weather
and prevent erosion by building water
bars to divert runoff from the firelines.
On Monday, crews completed
removing pumps, hoses and other fire-
fighting equipment. Chipping cleared
roadside vegetation is complete.
The road closure has been lifted.
Road barriers and closure points were
being removed Tuesday.
Contributed photo/Steve Kadel
The Cow Fire seen from 8,000 feet
coming down from Strawberry
Mountain’s summit Aug. 28.
The area closure will remain in
place for an extended period. It is
A5
Eagle file photo
Grant County
Sheriff’s Office
Deputy Tyler Smith,
pictured here
when he joined the
John Day Police
Department in 2014,
was arrested Monday
on charges including
attempted rape,
according to the
Oregon State Police.
not safe to travel off-road in recently
burned areas. Trees killed or weak-
ened by the fire will continue to fall
for months, even during calm weather.
There are hidden burned-out areas
beneath the surface that are not evi-
dent, and the ground may collapse
under foot.
Firefighters assisted in the ini-
tial attack of a new fire in the Prairie
Hill area east of the Cow Fire over the
weekend. Rainfall and high humidity
are increasingly penetrating deeply
into burnable material. Isolated con-
centrations of heavy fuels will con-
tinue to smolder and produce smoke.
Most firefighters and equip-
ment were being released Monday.
Remaining resources include three
hand crews, two engines and two
excavators.
Monday was the last day of updates
for the Cow Fire Facebook page.
Additional updates may be posted on
the Malheur National Forest Face-
book page.
Grant County deputy
arrested on attempted
rape, other charges
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County Sheriff’s
Office Deputy Tyler Smith
has been arrested on mul-
tiple charges including
attempted rape.
Smith was arrested Mon-
day on charges of attempted
adult rape, child neglect
and fourth-degree assault,
according to an Oregon
State Police press release.
The OSP Criminal Inves-
tigations Division received a
request to conduct the inves-
tigation Sept. 6.
Smith was placed on
administrative leave Aug. 9,
according to Grant County
Human Resources Manager
Laurie Wright.
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 Circuit
Court
Garland J. Weissenfluh,
53, of Mt. Vernon was con-
victed by court verdict Aug.
29 of third-degree sexual
abuse committed on May
18. He was sentenced Sept.
5 to 50 days in jail and 36
months of probation. He was
ordered to complete a sex
offender treatment program,
not to visit places primarily
for children and not to have
contact with anyone under
age 18. He was fined $500.
Weissenfluh was acquitted
of a count of harassment.
Jared J. Baker, 24, of
John Day pleaded guilty
Sept. 4 to a count of interfer-
ence with making a report
committed on July 30. He
was sentenced to 10 days in
jail and 24 months of pro-
bation. He was fined $100.
A count of harassment was
dismissed.
Daniel J. Heuston, 40,
of Richland, Washington,
pleaded guilty Sept. 5 to
possession of methamphet-
amine and possession of
cocaine committed on Dec.
10. He was sentenced to 15
days in jail, 18 months of
probation and 80 hours of
community service. He was
fined $200. A count of driv-
ing under the influence of
intoxicants was diverted.
Counts of possession of
cocaine and reckless driving
were dismissed.
Ty Prusak, 21, of Cous-
hatta, Louisiana, pleaded
guilty Sept. 5 to reckless
driving committed on March
25. He was sentenced to 120
hours in jail, 18 months of
probation and 48 hours of
community service. He was
fined $200 and ordered to
pay $1,969 in restitution to
Blue Mountain Hospital.
His license was suspended
for 90 days.
A charge of first-degree
aggravated theft against
Matthew A. Brindell of Fair-
view was dismissed Sept. 5
after the court determined
he took sufficient steps to
satisfy the requirements of
a diversion program for the
crime committed between
2010 and 2013.
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 14
Average inmates: 15
Bookings: 9
Releases: 9
Arrests: 3
Citations: 4
Fingerprints: 3
Civil papers: 14
Warrants processed: 1
Asst./welfare check: 0
Search and rescue: 2
Aug. 30: Contessa Men-
doza, 44, Van Nuys, Califor-
nia, was cited for violating
the basic rule, 75/65 zone.
Sept. 4: Miles Hart, 41,
of Eugene was cited for vio-
lating the basic rule, 49/30
zone.
Sept. 4: Kayla Lambeth,
25, of John Day was cited for
operating without a license,
driving uninsured and fail-
ure to properly secure a
child in a safety seat.
Sept. 4: Brandon Miller,
31, of Long Creek was
cited for having a dog as a
nuisance.
Justice Court
• Violation of basic rule:
William C. Percell, 81,
Shedd, Sept. 3, 79/55 zone,
fined $265.
• Violation of speed limit:
Kevin G. Kimberling, 47,
Prairie City, July 5, 52/35
zone, fined $165; Judith
R. Lopez, 66, Ritter, Aug.
20, 55/35 zone, fined $140;
Brendan A. Vonkienast, 22,
White City, Sept. 1, 56/35
zone, fined $165; Windi
M. Deiter, 52, John Day,
Aug. 13, 75/65 zone, fined
$165; Kathryn E. Kemp, 25,
Joseph, 75/65 zone, fined
$165; Bryan Cunningham,
44, Pleasant Hill, Pennsyl-
vania, Aug. 28, 75/65 zone,
fined $165; Jamie L. Trinkle,
31, Portland, Aug. 25, 75/65
zone, fined $140; Pamela J.
Kopecky, 61, Prairie City,
Aug. 27, 78/65 zone, fined
$265.
• Driving uninsured:
Cindy B. Bolin, 55, Mt. Ver-
non, Aug. 7, fined $135.
• Driving with a sus-
pended license: Joseph D.
Tirico, 56, Mt. Vernon, June
15, fined $440.
• Expired registration
sticker: Charles T. Church,
87, Prairie City, June 13,
fined $65.
Oregon State Police
Aug. 27: After stop-
ping a vehicle for not dim-
ming the bright lights, it
was determined the driver,
Jacob A. Dodson, 24, of
John Day had a felony war-
rant out of Wayne County,
Ohio, for illegal cultiva-
tion of marijuana. He was
lodged in Grant County
Jail and cited for no oper-
ator’s license and driving
uninsured.
Aug. 29: Arrested Glen
W.J. Wadley, 54, of Mt. Ver-
non on a Grant County fel-
ony warrant. He was lodged
in Grant County Jail.
Sept. 2: Responded to
a single-vehicle crash on
Highway 26 near mile post
169 where an eastbound
Toyota Tacoma drove onto
a gravel shoulder and then
across the westbound lane
and into a power pole. The
driver, Lisa F. Miller, 57, of
Mt. Vernon was transported
to Blue Mountain Hospital.
Sept. 3: Assisted John
Day Police Department
with a vehicle versus pedes-
trian collision on West Main
Street in John Day. Witness
statements indicate Ray L.
Freeman, 23, of John Day
ran into traffic, trying to
cross the street, and was
struck by a passing vehicle.
Freeman was transported
to Blue Mountain Hospi-
tal for non-life-threatening
injuries.
Sept. 3: A John Day
Fish and Wildlife trooper
received a report of a doe
killed in the Northside Unit.
The reporting party found an
arrow in the carcass location
and also reported finding a
girls dress near the carcass
in a remote location.
Sept. 4: Responded to
an injury crash on High-
way 395B near mile post 90
where a driver was attempt-
ing to fix a brake issue when
the vehicle began to roll
backward down a grade,
dragging the driver 175 feet
before the vehicle struck a
utility pole. Michael Clif-
ton, 65, of Ukiah was trans-
ported to the hospital for
treatment.
Sept. 5: After stopping a
sport utility vehicle pulling
a trailer for a lighting viola-
tion, the driver showed signs
of impairment. The driver
consented to field sobri-
ety tests. Kevin G. Kim-
berling, 47, of Prairie City
was arrested for driving
under the influence of a con-
trolled substance. A search
revealed a package of sus-
pected methamphetamine
in his pants pocket. A breath
test showed a blood alcohol
content of 0%. He allegedly
admitted to smoking meth-
amphetamine shortly before
the traffic stop.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
94 calls during the week of
Sept. 2-9, including:
• John Day Police
Department
Sept. 3: Responded with
Prairie City ambulance and
OSP to a vehicle versus
pedestrian accident on West
Main Street in John Day.
Sept. 3: Advised of pos-
sible stalking on West Main
Street in John Day.
Sept. 5: Received a report
of underage drinking on West
Main Street.
Sept. 7: Assisted John
Day fire and Blue Moun-
tain Hospital with a smoke
investigation.
Sept. 7: Responded to a
report of theft at a business in
John Day.
Sept. 8: Responded to a
theft report on West Main
Street.
• Oregon State Police
Sept. 2: Received a report
of a large horse on Highway
26 near mile post 156.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Office
Sept. 6: Received a report
of elder abuse on Marysville
Lane.
Sept. 8: A theft was
reported on Marysville
Lane.
Sept. 8: Responded to a
domestic dispute on Ingle
Street in Mt. Vernon.
• John Day ambulance
Sept. 2: Dispatched with
Prairie City fire and OSP to
a report of a vehicle that hit
a power pole.
Sept. 3: Dispatched with
Dayville fire for a man pos-
sibly seizing.
Sept. 3: Dispatched for an
elderly female who passed
out on Indian Creek Road.
Sept. 3: Dispatched for a
woman who fell on North-
west Seventh Avenue.
Sept. 5: Dispatched for
a pregnant 20-year-old
woman who was in labor on
West Main Street.
Sept. 5: Dispatched for a
possible overdose in Canyon
City.
Sept. 8: Dispatched for
a 72-year-old with severe
abdominal pain on Belshaw
Creek Lane.
Sept. 8: Responded to
North Cozart Avenue for an
81-year-old woman.
Sept. 8: Responded to an
ATV accident on Highway
26 near Dry Fork.
• Prairie City fire
Sept. 6: Responded to
assist Oregon Department of
Forestry on a rural fire near
Thompson Gulch.
• Mt. Vernon fire
Sept. 5: Received a report
of a forest fire on Ingle
Creek.
• Forest Service
Sept. 5: Received a report
of a fire at John Young
Meadows.
Sept. 5: Received a report
of a fire at Happy Camp
Creek.
Sept. 6: Advised of a
lightning fire near Four
Corners.
Sept. 6: Advised of a
small fire near Magone
Lake.
• Long Creek ambulance
Sept. 4: Received a report
of a man pinned under an
RV in Long Creek.
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Now, I’m talking about it.
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screened because they’re encouraged
by someone they know and trust. So
if you’ve been screened, please talk
about your experience. And encourage
others to get screened too.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following
for the week of Sept. 4:
COLORECTAL CANCER
1809 First Street • Baker City • (541)523-5439
The cancer you can prevent.
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MOVIE SCHEDULE SEPT. 13 - 19
IT CHAPTER TWO (R)
27 years after their first encounter with
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THE OVERCOMER (PG)
A high-school basketball coach
volunteers to coach a troubled teen in
long-distance running.
FRI-SUN
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ANGEL HAS FALLEN (R)
Secret Service Agent Mike Banning is
framed for the attempted assassination
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the real threat.
FRI-SUN
(4:10) 7:20
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Jenelle Moulton
Canyon City, Oregon