Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 2020)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Object found at Prairie City football field not a bomb By Sean Hart Blue Mountain Eagle The bomb threat at Prairie City School Thursday afternoon turned out to be a false alarm. Superintendent Casey Hallgarth said Friday morning that, after the bomb squad completed its investigation, they reported it was not a bomb but an electronic device that was discarded at the football field. Hallgarth said, at about 5 p.m. Thurs- day evening, officers were securing the football field, and the bomb squad was en route from Pendleton. He said officers and staff had already conducted a thorough search of the rest of the school property but found nothing of concern. No school was scheduled Friday, but Hallgarth said other activities have returned to normal, including the bas- ketball games scheduled Saturday at the school. Hallgarth said he received a call from Sheriff Glenn Palmer at about 1:15 p.m. Thursday stating that someone had reported finding a pipe bomb at the foot- ball field. Two people walking at the field found the object that looked like a small pipe bomb wrapped in plastic, Hallgarth said, so they called the bomb squad. Hallgarth said he asked Palmer if the students were in danger but was told the device was too far away to endanger the school itself. He said, however, he wanted to be cautious and decided to call parents and send students home. “This really wasn’t a bomb threat that endangered our kids because it was far enough away and the cops secured the scene, but I just felt it was in the best inter- est of our students to have them out of the way,” Hallgarth said. While parents were being notified, offi- cers and school staff began the sweep of the school grounds. “Our entire staff did an amazing job working together and making the phone calls and making sure the kids were safe,” Hallgarth said. “They got home to their parents and guardians. I’m very impressed with my staff.” Wednesday, February 19, 2020 A5 McLaughlin sentenced to three years in prison By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle A man was sentenced to three years in prison, with three years of post-prison supervision, and his license was suspended for five years after a high-speed chase in December that ended west of Mt. Vernon. Jeremy W. McLaughlin, 29, of Strasburg, Colorado, was con- victed based on a guilty plea on Feb. 6 for a count of third-de- gree assault, a count of fleeing or attempting to elude a police offi- cer, a count of unlawful posses- sion of methamphetamine, five counts of recklessly endanger- ing another person and a count of driving under the influence of intoxicants committed on Dec. 6, according to court documents. He was also ordered to pay $1,000 for a DUII fine and $255 for an intoxicant conviction fee. A count of third-degree assault, four counts of recklessly endan- gering another person, a count of reckless driving, a count of unlawful possession of heroin and a count of felon in posses- sion of a restricted weapon were dismissed. McLaughlin was the driver of the high-speed vehi- cle in December with two pas- sengers in the car: Robert Mal- loy, 57, of Strasburg, Colorado, and Nadia Runkle, 27, of Dallas, Oregon. At about 2:45 p.m. Dec. 6, Oregon State Police troopers received a call from McLaugh- lin’s mother who reported that McLaughlin and his girlfriend were in the backseat injecting heroin, according to OSP Public Information Officer Capt. Timo- thy R. Fox. On Highway 26, near milepost 131, law enforcement officers located the vehicle, and a pursuit ensued after an attempt to stop the vehicle, Fox said. Fox added that OSP and John Day police officers successfully deployed spike strips on the sus- pect’s vehicle near milepost 145. The suspect’s vehicle traveled a short distance and crashed into two pickups stopped on the side of the roadway, Fox said. Runkle was charged with two counts of recklessly endanger- ing another person, according to information filed in Grant County Circuit Court by former Deputy District Attorney Greg Goebel Jan. 8. Malloy was charged with a count of felon in possession of a restricted weapon, accord- ing to information filed in Grant County Circuit Court by Dis- trict Attorney Jim Carpenter Dec. 9. Malloy failed to appear for a hearing scheduled Jan. 23, and a warrant was issued for his arrest, according to court documents. 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 One count of second-de- gree disorderly conduct against Ty B. Prusak of John Day allegedly committed Jan. 3 was dismissed Feb. 12 because the defendant is coop- erating with treatment. Kristin A. Ray, 38, pleaded guilty Feb. 13 to driving under the influence of intoxicants and criminal mischief in the second degree committed on Nov. 16. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail, and her license was suspended for a year. She was placed on bench probation for 48 months, sentenced to 60 hours of community service and ordered to pay $8,251 for a DUII fine, a bench probation fee and restitution. A count of reckless driving and a count of refusal to take a test for intox- icants were dismissed. A $255 intoxicant conviction fee was waived. Tanner J. Prock, 23, was convicted based on a guilty plea on Jan. 28 for a count of delivery of methamphet- amine within 1,000 feet of a school committed on June 11. He was sentenced to 36 months of supervised proba- tion and 80 hours of commu- nity service. Prock was also convicted based on a guilty plea on Jan. 28 for a sepa- rate case on a count of theft in the first degree committed on Nov. 7. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 24 months of supervised probation and 60 hours of community service. He was also ordered to pay $1,562 for restitution. A count of theft in the third degree was dismissed. Grant County Sheriff The Grant County Sheriff’s Office reported the following for the week of Feb. 12: Concealed handgun licenses: 9 Average inmates: 20 Bookings: 9 Releases: 10 Arrests: 1 Citations: 0 Fingerprints: 1 Civil papers: 12 Warrants processed: 2 Assistance/Welfare check: 0 Search and Rescue: 0 Justice Court Violation of the basic rule: David P. Ford, 60, Nampa, Jan. 19, 71/55 zone, fined $165; Leana S. Hast, 25, Bend, Nov. 7, fined $165. Open container of alcohol: Rodger W. Wright Jr., 46, John Day, Jan. 14, fined $265. Off-road vehicle on high- way: Todd D. Miller, 54, Salem, Oct. 24, fined $135; Flynn D. Case, 60, Salem, Oct. 24, fined $130. Exceeding max weight limit: William G. McMaanma, 57, Mt. Vernon, Jan. 6, fined $150; Anthony I. Reeves, 52, Canyon City, Jan. 6, fined $200; Joshua A. Moulton, 35, Mt. Vernon, Jan. 6, fined $150. On Feb. 13, the court granted a judgment for Ray Kleins Inc., Professional Credit Service, against Mol- lie J. Gill of Prairie City for $621.80. On Feb. 13, the court granted a judgment for Ray Klein Inc., Professional Credit Service, against Sarah L. Ake of John Day for $744.17. On Feb. 13, the court granted a judgment for Dale Mosier, Mosier’s Home Fur- nishing, against Kirby Bliss of John Day for $1,134.03. On Feb. 13, the court dis- missed a general judgment for Ray Klein Inc., Professional Credit Service, against Ray- mond Stender. Oregon State Police Feb. 2: Responded to a report of a man assaulting a woman in the street near North Cozart Street in Prai- rie City. Nicholas P. Gibson, 28, of Prairie City was vis- ibly impaired on controlled substances and was arrested on three outstanding misde- meanor arrest warrants issued out of the Grant County Cir- cuit Court. Gibson was trans- ported to the Grant County Jail and lodged for second-de- gree forgery, second-degree theft and two counts of failure to appear. Feb. 3: Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife per- sonnel at the Philip Schneider Wildlife area discovered that an ODFW trail camera had been stolen from the closure area. There was evidence that a locked gate was accessed by breaking a lock. No suspect information at this time. Feb. 7: Investigated a sin- gle-vehicle, minor-injury crash near milepost 188 on Highway 26. The driver was driving at 45 mph, traveling up a slight grade. The car lost traction on the icy road, going into a counter clockwise rota- tion, and the driver lost control of the car. The car traveled up onto the guardrail and snow berm coming to an area of uncontrolled rest. The driver, a juvenile, was transported by ambulance to Blue Moun- tain Hospital. The driver was later issued a citation for care- less driving involved in an accident and failure to regis- ter vehicle. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 160 calls during the week of Feb. 10-16, including: • John Day Police Department Feb. 12: Received a report of theft on Northwest Fifth Street. Feb. 12: Received a report of theft on Canton Street. • Oregon State Police Feb. 11: Received a driv- ing complaint on Highway 26 near milepost 162. Feb. 14: Received a call for pigs on Highway 26 near milepost 143. • Grant County Sheriff’s Office Feb. 10: Provided assis- tance to JDPD for a report of shots fired on East Main Street. Feb. 12: Responded to a report of a man with an acci- dental gunshot wound to the leg on Ferguson Road. • John Day ambulance Feb. 12: Paged for a sin- gle-vehicle crash on Highway 26 near milepost 187. Feb. 14: Received a call for a 54-year-old man with trou- ble breathing on Brent Drive. Feb. 14: Received a call of a 71-year-old man with back pain on Northwest Canton Street. Feb. 14: Received a report of a 71-year-old man with shallow breathing on Ridge Road. Feb. 14: Called for an 86-year-old woman who fell near Highway 395N. It’s official! We are now Strawberry Mountain Law, PC Now Strawberry Mountain Law, PC Rob Raschio, Kati Dunn, Will Thomson, and Greg Goebel S173038-1