NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Cramer retires as circuit court judge
A5
Rep. Findley appointed
to Oregon Senate
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
On Jan. 2, Circuit Court Judge William
D. Cramer Jr. celebrated his retirement with
friends and coworkers inside a courtroom
full of refreshments and conversations.
Cramer said he was grateful for every-
body who attended. Cramer now carries
the responsibilities of a senior judge, which
means he will be sent throughout the state
for temporary assignments.
Cramer’s last day as an elected official
was Dec. 31, which leaves the circuit judge
seat for Grant and Harney counties open for
the upcoming 2020 elections. In the interim,
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown could appoint
a temporary judge to fill the position until
after the elections, Cramer said.
Harney County District Attorney Joey
Lucas and defense attorney Rob Raschio
sought the governor’s appointment to the
position and were both interviewed by the
governor last week, according to Tammy
Wheeler, the {span class=”st”}trial court
administrator for the 24th Judicial District.
{/span}Brown had not made a decision as
of Monday.
Grant County District Attorney Jim Car-
penter, Burns-based attorney John Lamborn
and Raschio have all filed to run for the cir-
cuit court judge position and will appear
on the May ballot. If none of the three can-
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Rudy Diaz
Circuit Court Judge William D. Cramer Jr.
and Justice of the Peace Kathy Stinnett greet
each other at Cramer’s retirement party on
Jan. 2.
didates earn 50% of the vote in May, then
the top two candidates will run against each
other in November.
For now, Cramer will continue his work
as judge in Grant and Harney counties,
he said, until a decision is made about the
vacancy.
Rep. Lynn Findley will be moving to
the Oregon Senate.
The Republican from Vale was
selected by the county commissioners
of Senate District 30 Monday afternoon
to replace former Sen. Cliff Bentz, who
resigned to run for U.S. Congress.
“I am looking forward to the oppor-
tunity to serve the people of Senate
District 30,” Findley said in a state-
ment. “I have worked hard to repre-
sent the voices of Eastern Oregonians
since I have been in the House of Rep-
resentatives and there is much more
work to be done. It has been an honor
to serve the people of House District 50
and I am looking forward to this new
challenge.”
Findley was appointed to fill the
vacancy in the Oregon House when
Bentz was appointed to the Oregon Sen-
ate in January 2018. Findley then ran
unopposed and was elected to the House
in November 2018.
“Representative Findley has been
a strong advocate for rural Oregon in
the House. His command of the unique
issues facing border
communities, increasing
quality of life and advo-
cating for good fam-
ily wage jobs has been
an invaluable resource,”
said House Republican
Lynn Findley Leader Christine Drazan
in a statement. “We know
he will continue to serve his constituents
and the state well in the Senate, and we
wish him success in his new role.”
Findley will resign from his seat in
the House Jan. 9 to take the oath for the
Senate.
The process to appoint a new represen-
tative involves two steps. First, Repub-
lican precinct committee people from
House District 60 will meet to nominate
three to five candidates to replace Find-
ley. County commissioners from Grant,
Baker, Malheur, Harney and Lake coun-
ties will then select their appointee from
the pool of nominees.
The appointee must live in the dis-
trict and have been a member of the
Republican Party for at least 180 days.
A date has not yet been set for those
meetings.
COPS AND COURTS
Two charges of third-de-
gree theft against Jef-
frey C. Cook of John Day
allegedly committed Aug.
15 were dismissed Jan. 2
because the state believed
there was insufficient evi-
dence to justify further
prosecution.
Counts of menacing,
recklessly
endangering
another person and crim-
inal trespass while in the
possession of a firearm
against Eugene I. Collier of
Turner allegedly commit-
ted Aug. 8 were dismissed
Dec. 30 because the defen-
dant is deceased.
Briann Danielle L. Lan-
caster, 35, was convicted
based on a guilty plea on
Dec. 12 for a count of bur-
glary and a count of crimi-
nal mischief committed on
July 10. She was sentenced
for both counts on Dec. 12
to 20 days in jail and 36
months of bench proba-
tion. She was also ordered
to serve 80 hours of com-
munity service. The court
fined her $300 in compen-
satory fines and dismissed
a $100 bench probation
fee. A count of theft and a
count of criminal trespass
were dismissed.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sher-
iff’s Office reported the
following for the week of
Jan. 1:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 6
Average inmates: 11
Bookings: 5
Releases: 9
Arrests: 1
Citations: 2
Fingerprints: 3
Civil papers: 3
Warrants processed: 2
A s s i s t a n c e / We l f a r e
check: 0
Search and Rescue: 1
Dec. 31: Kim Kimber-
ling, 68, Prairie City, was
cited for driving uninsured
and failure to drive within
lane.
Dec.
31:
Andrea
McGinty, 41, Sonoma, Cal-
ifornia, was cited for viola-
tion of the basic rule, 58/35
zone.
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A group of women take on Fox News
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FRIDAY
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SAT & SUN (1:00) (4:00) 7:00
MON-THURS
7:00
STAR WARS: RISE OF SKY-
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The surviving Resistance faces the First
Order once more in the final chapter of
the Skywalker saga.
FRIDAY
(3:30) 6:30
SAT & SUN (12:30) (3:30) 6:30
MON-THURS
6:30
JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL
(PG-13)
Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart.
The gang is back, but the game has changed.
FRIDAY
(3:45)
6:45
SAT & SUN (12:45) (3:45)
6:45
MON-THURS
6:45
$9 Adult, $7 Senior (60+), Youth
Oregon State Police
Dec. 24: Responded to
a driving complaint on the
intersection of State Route 7
and Highway 26. The vehi-
cle was reported to be driv-
ing at speeds ranging from
20 to 60 mph, and traveling
into the opposing lane of
travel. Stopped the vehicle
near milepost 181 on High-
way 26 for failure to drive
within lane and an equip-
ment violation. The driver,
Ethan J. DeLong, 29, Kuna,
Idaho, had his 4-year-old
son in the vehicle with him.
The driver showed indica-
tors of impairment. He con-
sented to field sobriety tests
and was arrested at their
conclusion. Child Services
responded to the scene and
took custody of the child,
who was later released to a
family member. The driver
was transported to the Grant
County Jail, where he pro-
vided two breath samples,
with a final result of 0.0%
blood alcohol concentra-
tion. The subject refused
a drug recognition expert
evaluation, but did provide
a urine sample. The vehicle
was secured at the scene,
per the driver’s request. The
driver was issued a citation
for DUI/Drug and failure to
drive within lane.
Dec. 24: Called to
respond to a rollover crash
on Highway 395B, near
milepost 107. The inves-
tigation revealed that the
driver of a Suzuki passen-
ger car was southbound
at an undetermined speed,
when it encountered a patch
of icy roads. The Suzuki
lost traction and went into
an uncontrolled slide. The
Suzuki left the roadway
and crashed into an earthen
side-slope. The Suzuki
then traveled back onto the
paved roadway, where it
tipped and rolled over onto
its top. The Suzuki came to
an uncontrolled rest in the
northbound lane. Michelle
R. Daniels, 55, of John
Day was not injured and
received a citation for driv-
ing uninsured. The vehicle
was removed by Frontier
Towing.
Dec. 28: Saw Delayne
Dice, 46, operating a motor
vehicle near milepost 1 on
Highway 395C. Knew that
Dice had a misdemeanor
suspension for a BAC fail.
Stopped Dice and con-
firmed again through Ore-
gon DMV records she had
a misdemeanor suspension.
Arrested Dice and trans-
ported her to the Grant
County Jail where she was
issued a citation for driving
while suspended. Released
Dice’s vehicle to her
licensed passenger.
Jan. 1: A vehicle trav-
eling east on Highway 26,
near milepost 183, lost trac-
tion with the roadway due
to black ice roadway con-
ditions. The vehicle went
into an uncontrolled side-
ways slide, crossing the
westbound lane. The vehi-
cle slid off the road and
onto the shoulder of the
westbound lane. It then slid
down a steep embankment,
where it tipped and rolled
over. The vehicle came
to an uncontrolled rest on
a private property access
road, upright. Minor inju-
ries were sustained by two
of the three occupants. The
third occupant was unin-
jured. The driver, Mor-
gan P. Westphall, 21, was
issued a citation for driving
uninsured.
Jan. 1: Responded to a
single-vehicle versus deer
crash at milepost 140 on
Highway 26. The vehi-
cle was going eastbound at
about 50 mph when a deer
crossed the highway from
north to south, directly in
front of the driver. The
driver was unable to avoid
a collision, striking the deer
and severely damaging the
radiator of the car. Neither
driver or passenger were
injured, and the vehicle was
towed by Doug’s Motor
Vehicle Repair.
Dispatch
John
Day
dispatch
worked 206 calls during the
week of Dec. 27 to Jan. 5,
including:
• John Day Police
Department
Dec. 27: Dispatched to a
report of cyber harassment
and bullying in John Day.
Dec. 27: Conducted a
traffic stop and warned the
driver on Highway 26.
Dec. 29 Conducted a traf-
fic stop. Steven Warrington,
30, of John Day was cited
for driving while suspended
and driving uninsured.
Dec. 31: Received a
report of a stolen chainsaw
on West Main Street.
Jan. 1: Conducted a traf-
fic stop on a drunk driver on
Hillcrest Drive.
Jan. 1: Gave a courtesy
ride for a passenger of a
drunk driver.
Jan. 1: Received a call
of a 4-month-old boy not
breathing on West Main
Street.
Jan. 2: Melanie R. Del-
gado, 24, of John Day was
cited for child neglect.
Jan. 3: Responded to a
report of theft of heating
oil on Northwest Second
Avenue.
Jan. 4: Received a report
of civil issue and child
neglect.
Jan. 4: Cited Wade Frank-
lin Keith, 27, of Prairie City
for driving while suspended
and for no insurance.
Jan. 4: Responded to
a report of harassment on
East Main Street.
Jan. 5: Cited Elyse R.
Lemaire, 27, of Bend for
expired plates.
Jan. 5: Responded to a
report of suspicious circum-
stances at a church on East
Main Street.
• Oregon State Police
Jan. 4: Advised of a
motorist who had hit a deer
and disabled their vehicle
on Highway 26.
• Grant County Sher-
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crash on Highway 26.
Jan. 1: Called for a
63-year-old man with trou-
ble breathing on West Main
Street.
Jan. 3: Called for an
81-year-old woman with
difficulty breathing on
South Main Street.
Jan. 4: Paged for an
81-year-old woman with
difficulty breathing on East
Main Street.
Jan. 4: Responded to a
report of a woman who had
lost consciousness.
•
Prairie
City
ambulance
Jan. 4: Dispatched for a
man with severe vertigo on
Indian Creek Road.
•
Long
Creek
ambulance
Jan. 4: Along with John
Day ambulance, paged for
a woman that had fallen
and possibly broke her hip.
• Dispatch
Dec. 31: Report of a
grass fire near the shoe
tree in Wheeler County on
Highway 26.
• All units
Jan. 4: All Grant County
Law Enforcement agen-
cies were asked to attempt
to locate overdue motorists
from Morrow County.
Phone and Internet Discounts
Available to CenturyLink Customers
The Oregon Public Utility Commission designated
CenturyLink as an Eligible Telecommunications
Carrier within its service area for universal service
purposes. CenturyLink’s basic local service rates
for residential voice lines are $18.48-$19.48 per
month and business services are $26.00-$30.00
per month. Specific rates will be provided upon
request.
CenturyLink participates in a government benefit
program (Lifeline) to make residential telephone or
broadband service more affordable to eligible low-
income individuals and families. Eligible customers
are those that meet eligibility standards as defined
by the FCC and state commissions. Residents
who live on federally recognized Tribal Lands
may qualify for additional Tribal benefits if they
participate in certain additional federal eligibility
programs. The Lifeline discount is available for
only one telephone or qualifying broadband service
per household, which can be either a wireline or
wireless service. Broadband speeds must be 20
Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload or faster to
qualify.
A household is defined for the purposes of the
Lifeline program as any individual or group of
individuals who live together at the same address
and share income and expenses. Lifeline service is
not transferable, and only eligible consumers may
enroll in the program. Consumers who willfully
make false statements in order to obtain Lifeline
telephone or broadband service can be punished
by fine or imprisonment and can be barred from
the program.
Regular and High
Risk Foot Care done
by specially trained
RN or CNA.
Ears are examined
and cleaned by
Registered Nurses.
iff’s Office
Dec. 29: Received an
animal complaint on Farra
Lane.
Dec. 29: Received a
report of an injured animal
on Highway 26.
Jan. 1: Conducted a traf-
fic stop on Johnson Avenue.
Jan. 3: Received a report
of theft on North Johnson
Street in Prairie City.
• John Day ambulance
Dec. 27: Received a call
for a 60-year-old woman
who fell on Green Acres
Lane.
Dec. 27: Responded to
Prairie City for a woman
with chest pain and diffi-
culty breathing on South
Main.
Dec. 29: Responded to a
50-year-old man on Frank-
lin Street.
Dec. 30: Responded to
a 65-year-old man with
stroke symptoms on West
Main Street.
Dec. 30: Responded to
a 59-year-old woman with
chest pain on North John-
son Avenue.
Jan. 1: Along with Prai-
rie City ambulance, Oregon
Department of Transporta-
tion and OSP, responded to
a report of a single-vehicle
If you live in a CenturyLink service area, please call
1-855-954-6546 or visit centurylink.com/lifeline
with questions or to request an application for the
Lifeline program.
S162183-1
Grant County Circuit
Court
Justice Court
Violation of the basic
rule: Matthew M. Phlaum,
33, Baker City, Nov. 7,
73/55 zone, fined $165.
Violation of speed limit:
Leroy Gatling, 46, Balti-
more, Maryland, Nov. 1,
58/35 zone, fined $265.
On Dec. 30, the court
granted a judgment for
Bonneville Billing and
Collections Inc. against
Cody Brown, Boise, Idaho
for $2923.38.
On Dec. 30, the court
granted a judgment for
John Day River Veteri-
nary Center against Tami
Sasser of Canyon City for
$457.12.
A total of 49 cases were
dismissed in the month of
December.
S164450-1
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.