Grant Union volleyball posts wins at Dig Pink Rally | Page A9
The
Blue Mountain
EAGLE
Grant County’s newspaper since 1868
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
151st Year • No. 41 • 18 Pages • $1.50
MyEagleNews.com
Sheriff’s Office: Hunter’s death ‘tragic accident’
Body found after
weeklong search in
Wallowa Mountains
By Jayson Jacoby
EO Media Group
Searchers found the body of
Andrew Dean Dennis of Haines
late Sunday morning in a nearly
sheer rock chute in the Wallowa
Mountains, eight days after the
60-year-old Haines man failed
to return from a planned one-day
deer-hunting trip.
It appears that Dennis died
from a fall in the steep terrain
near East Eagle
Creek, his niece,
Candy Sturm, said
Sunday.
Sturm said her
uncle’s body was
found near where
Andy
searchers trapped
Dennis
Dennis’ dog, Bar-
ney, on Saturday
evening. The site is near where
Curtis Creek crosses the East
Eagle trail, about 2 miles from the
trailhead where Dennis parked his
vehicle on Sept. 28.
Dennis’ body was initially spot-
ted by a drone, according to a post
Sturm made on her Facebook page.
Searchers found Dennis about
11:30 a.m. Sunday, according to
a press release from the Baker
County Sheriff’s Office.
“His death appears to be a
tragic accident,” according to the
press release. “No foul play is
suspected.”
Ashley McClay, the public
information officer for the sheriff’s
office, said a drone operated by the
Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office
search and rescue team located
Dennis’ body.
McClay said searchers later
found his body in what they
described as a “waterfall, crevice
area” on a steep slope above the
East Eagle trail. Sheriff Travis Ash
described the location as a chute.
McClay said it appears that
Dennis fell on Sept. 28, the day he
arrived in the area to hunt for deer.
“We believe that he died the day
he went hunting,” McClay said.
Sturm said Barney was reunited
with Dennis’ wife, Patty, and that
the dog, although he has lost some
weight, is doing well.
Sturm said she “cannot express
enough” thanks to all the people
who participated in the search for
her uncle over the past week.
On her Facebook page Sturm,
See Hunter, Page A18
Contributed photo/Baker County Sheriff’s Office
Andy Dennis’ body was found in
this steep rock chute above the
East Eagle Trail.
SUPPORT ON
DARK DAYS
Eagle file photo
From left, John Day City Manager Nick Green and Mayor
Ron Lundbom listen to discussion during the city council’s
June 25 meeting.
John Day receives
excellence award from
League of Oregon Cities
City one of 10 in
nation chosen for
EPA revitalization
assistance
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
The city of John Day is
receiving state and national
recognition for its efforts
to improve the community.
The city received the
2019 Award for Excel-
lence at the League of Ore-
gon Cities annual con-
ference Sept. 27 in Bend
for its Innovation Gate-
way and Riverfront Recre-
ation Area. The award rec-
ognizes progressive and
innovative city operations
and services.
“Eleven cities in Ore-
gon submitted to be in this
competition, and we got
the award,” said John Day
Mayor Ron Lundbom.
The Innovation Gate-
way includes several proj-
ects centered around the
revitalization of the Ore-
gon Pine mill site in John
Day, such as the restoration
of the John Day River,
increased public access
and recreational oppor-
tunities, a new wastewa-
ter treatment plant and a
hydroponic greenhouse.
“In the next four years,
John Day will be a place
to come, a place where cit-
izens can enjoy the river,”
Lundbom said. “The sewer
plant is going to happen,
but the (other plans) will
happen as money and per-
mitting allows.”
John Day City Manager
Nick Green said the river
access will be great for the
city.
“Opening up access to
the John Day River to mul-
tiple neighborhoods, in an
area where it was previ-
ously inaccessible, is a big
part of the plan,” Green
said. “The trail along the
north side of the river
that connects to Charolais
Heights to Valley View
Drive, south to Canton
Street in between Sev-
enth Street and the fair-
grounds will now be able
to give people access from
downtown to the river and
from the neighborhood
to the river, which has
been blocked from pub-
lic access for the last 100
years.”
To help fund some of
the projects, the city sub-
mitted multiple grant appli-
cations. On Sept. 19, it was
announced that John Day
was awarded $511,927
through two grants from
the Oregon Parks and
Recreation Department.
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
Providing support for victims of domestic violence in Grant County are, from left, Cindy Kalin, Kimberly Neault
and Shelly Whale. Kalin is a domestic violence and sexual assault victims advocate, Neault is the director of Victim
Assistance and victims advocate at the Grant County District Attorney’s office and Whale is the executive director
and an advocate at Heart of Grant County. The ladies are standing in front of a Domestic Violence Awareness Month
‘clothesline’ at the Heart office in John Day, which displays T-shirts with positive messages created by clients.
Local help available for victims of domestic violence
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
H
elp is available in Grant County for any-
one experiencing domestic violence.
Three women who provide assistance
to those experiencing domestic trauma
say being there for victims experiencing
dark days and seeing them progress to survivors make
their efforts worth it.
Shelly Whale is executive director of Heart of Grant
County in John Day, and she and Cindy Kalin are both
domestic violence and sexual assault advocates.
Kimberly Neault is the director of the Victim Assis-
tance Program at the Grant County District Attorney’s
Office at the courthouse in Canyon City.
Sometimes the two agencies assist the same clients,
and although some of their roles differ, their goal is the
same: to support clients experiencing abuse.
At Heart, trained advocates are available through a
confidential 24/7 crisis and support hotline, for calls or
texts, and at their office located at 518 S. Canyon Blvd.
Heart can also assist with emergency shelter, sup-
port groups, legal advocacy, services for children and
youth, prevention education and confidential advocacy,
safety planning and referrals to other services. Heart
hopes to break ground on a new shelter and office
called the Meredith House next year.
Neault provides support for victims and protects
their rights as they navigate the judicial system. She
and other staff members at the office can also provide
victims with transportation to court hearings.
While the police speak with an abuser or make an
arrest, advocates from Heart and Victim Assistance can
help the person experiencing the trauma.
“— with tissues, a hug or a cup of tea,” Whale said.
One difference between the two agencies is that con-
See Support, Page A18
See Award, Page A18
Governor announces six-month ban on flavored vaping products
By Claire Withycombe
Oregon Capital Bureau
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has
imposed a six-month ban on the
sale of flavored vaping products.
Eight cases of respiratory illness
associated with vaping have been
reported in Oregon as of Oct. 1.
In two of those cases, the
patients died, according to the Ore-
gon Health Authority.
People vape by breathing in
through electronic cigarettes or
vape pens that heat liquid to cre-
ate an aerosol. That liquid can con-
tain nicotine, THC and other ingre-
dients such as
flavorings. The
industry
has
been criticized
for
promoting
sweet-flavored
products
that
Oregon Gov. appeal to chil-
Kate Brown
dren, such as
bubble gum and
crème brulee flavors.
The ban does not cover unfla-
vored vaping products.
“My first priority is to safe-
guard the health of all Oregonians,”
Brown said in a statement Friday,
Oct. 4. “By keeping potentially
unsafe products off of store shelves
and out of the hands of Oregon’s
children and youth, we prevent
exposing more people to potentially
dangerous chemical compounds,
and help lessen the chance of fur-
ther tragedy for any other Oregon
family.”
Brown added that the “saf-
est option” for people right now is
stop vaping altogether, in line with
what State Health Officer Dean
Sidelinger advised Sept. 26.
“Until we know more about
what is causing this illness, please,
do not vape,” Brown said. “Encour-
age your friends and family mem-
bers to stop vaping immediately.
Talk to your children about the dan-
gers of vaping. The risks are far too
high.”
Last week, the state health
agency had suggested a six-month
ban as one of the policy options
Brown could consider.
She is also ordering state agen-
cies to develop “long-term solu-
tions” for the legislature to consider.
Within three months, Brown
wants state agencies to come up
with plans with respect to consumer
warnings about vaping, ingredient
See Vaping, Page A18