NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
A5
County department heads express concern Interim emergency
over lack of clarity amid COVID-19 closure management coordinator
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County Court mem-
bers confronted criticism
from department heads over a
lack of leadership and clarity
amid the closure of the coun-
ty’s offices during its May 27
session.
Justice of the Peace Kathy
Stinnett told the court it has
seemed like the members
have been hyper-focused
on the county’s COVID-19
response and happenings at
the Emergency Operations
Center since mid-March and
have been ignoring other
county departments.
Since mid-march, Plan-
ning
Director
Shannon
Springer said they were
not given specific guide-
lines about how to operate
during closure of the county’s
offices.
“Silence is killing the
morale of your county
employees,” Springer said.
County Judge Scott Myers
said that all departments were
given the opportunity to work
from home and said Springer
chose to come in to the office.
County
Commissioner
Jim Hamsher said the county
wrote a telecommuting pol-
icy and that the department
heads were given autonomy
on how to implement the
policy.
Stinnett said other depart-
ments have been dealing
with issues and problems
since mid-March, and they
have rarely heard from their
department liaisons during
the crisis.
Hamsher said, while
he understood where the
employees were coming
from, the county has been
waiting for more direction
from the state and its insur-
ance company about how to
reopen.
Stinnett said she tried
working from home on a
“10-year-old,
hand-me-
down” laptop. After learning
the EOC purchased new lap-
top computers, she said had
no idea federal reimburse-
ments were available to the
county.
“If I had any idea that my
department could have come
to the county and said its an
emergency I need to have
a new laptop, I would have
been in here,” Stinnett said.
“Don’t forget about these
other department heads.”
“I’ll be the first one to
admit I’ve been focused on
a lot of different things and
not so much things happen-
ing here at the courthouse,”
County Commissioner and
EOC Public Information
Officer Sam Palmer said.
The best thing the court
could do, Palmer said, is learn
from these things and do bet-
ter in the future.
Myers asked Grant County
Regional Airport Manager
Haley Walker whether the
EOC, which is currently
housed at the airport, and the
county’s firefighting efforts
could co-exist during a heavy
firefighting season.
Walker said an increase in
aviation activity and the air-
port terminal being blocked
off could pose a problem
during a busy fire season.
Currently the EOC rents
out three offices, a conference
room and storage space.
EOC Incident Commander
Dave Dobler said the opera-
tions of the EOC are not ham-
pering firefighting efforts.
Hamsher said adjustments
can be made at the EOC to
accommodate firefighting.
In other county court
news:
• The court moved to
reopen the county offices on
Monday.
• The court approved
$320,000 in funding to begin
the construction project of
Grant County Fairground’s
Trowbridge Pavilion.
• The court approved
$3,000 in funding for John
Day Senior Center until the
senior center can find another
funding stream.
• The court moved to
appoint Haley Olson to a
position on the Planning
Commission.
stepping down
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County’s interim
Emergency
Management
Coordinator and Emer-
gency Operations Center
Incident Commander Dave
Dobler has resigned from
those positions, according to
County Commissioner Sam
Palmer.
Dobler told the Eagle he
planned to stay on as search
and rescue coordinator and
as a deputy sheriff, and he
plans to continue serving as
interim emergency manage-
ment coordinator until the
position is filled.
County Human Resources
Manager Laurie Wright said
the county court told her
to advertise the job in the
newspaper, and she posted
the opening on the county’s
website.
County Judge Scott
Myers said May 27 that he
had not seen anything regard-
ing Dobler’s resignation.
Palmer said he had two
emails from Dobler regard-
ing his resignation.
Palmer said Dobler is
leaving the position to avoid
losing his law enforcement
certifications.
The county appointed
Dobler as incident com-
mander of the county’s
response to the coronavirus
on March 6, during a spe-
cial session of county court
at the recommendation of
Grant County Sheriff Glenn
Palmer.
Ted Williams, the coun-
ty’s former emergency
management
coordinator,
resigned after the session,
and Dobler was moved into
the role of interim emergency
management coordinator.
Sheriff Palmer and Under-
sheriff Zach Mobley were at
the May 27 Grant County
Court session at Commis-
sioner Palmer’s request to
share their thoughts on the
recruitment process of a new
coordinator.
COPS AND COURTS
Arrests: 1
Citations: 1
Fingerprints: 1
Civil papers: 14
Warrants processed: 0
Assistance/Welfare check:
0
Grant County Circuit
Court
Caitlin E. Brooks, 35,
pleaded guilty Sept. 13, 2018,
to a count of first-degree bur-
glary and two counts of
third-degree theft, committed
on May 13, 2018. Her judg-
ment was amended because her
diversion was revoked, and she
was convicted for count one on
May 21 while counts three and
four remained unchanged. She
was sentenced to serve 60 days
in jail, 72 months of super-
vised probation and pay $625
in court, probation and diver-
sion fees. A count of first-de-
gree burglary was dismissed.
Dennis Asher, 53, pleaded
guilty on May 21 for sec-
ond-degree criminal mischief
and unlawful possession of
methamphetamine commit-
ted on Feb. 3, a count of fail-
ure to report as a sex offender
committed on Feb. 28 and a
count of harassment constitut-
ing domestic violence commit-
ted on April 17. He was sen-
tenced to serve 45 days in jail,
78 months of supervised pro-
bation and 130 of community
service. A count of attempt
to commit a class A misde-
meanor and a count of first-de-
gree criminal mischief were
dismissed.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following
for the week of May 27:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 9
Average inmates: 8
Bookings: 6
Releases: 6
Search and Rescue: 0
Noella Crocetti, 20, Oregon
City, was cited for violation of
basic rule, 83/65 zone.
Grant County Justice
Court
Violation of the basic rule:
Jackie E. Smith, 50, Coburg,
April 9, 74/55 zone, fined
$140; Brian P. Danahue, 61,
John Day, April 6, 79/65 zone,
fined $265; Holt G. Porfily, 20,
Prineville, March 13, 74/55
zone, fined $165; Austin P.
Henry, La Centre, Washington,
20, 85/55 zone, fined $265;
Alexzandrea J. Smith-Peter-
son, 23, Minden, Nevada,
71/55 zone, fined $165.
Exceeding speed limit: Lori
A. Short, 43, Redding, Califor-
nia, April 15, 80/65 zone, fined
$265.
Driving while suspended:
Rodney R. Cowger, 52, Kim-
berly, April 22, fined $440.
Oregon State Police
May 24: OSP stopped a
Toyota pickup for failure to
drive within lane near mile-
post 174 on Highway 26. On
contact with the driver, OSP
saw indicators of impairment.
Benjamin W. Combs, 18, of
Dale admitted to drinking
four beers. Combs consented
to field sobriety tests where
OSP saw further indicators of
impairment. OSP arrested the
driver for driving under the
influence of intoxicants and
released the pickup to a sober
passenger. OSP transported the
driver to the Grant County Jail.
Combs submitted to a breath
test, which indicated a blood
alcohol concentration result
of 0.08%. OSP issued Combs
citations for DUII-Alcohol and
minor in possession of alcohol,
and released him to a responsi-
ble person.
May 28: OSP stopped a
pickup near milepost 154 on
Highway 26 after learning the
passenger, a 30-year-old man,
had a statewide felony warrant
for a parole violation. OSP had
stopped the same vehicle less
than 20 minutes earlier and did
not learn of the warrant until
after the contact was broken.
Dispatch confirmed the warrant,
which was entered by the Ore-
gon State Parole Board on July
15, 2019. OSP arrested Bryan S.
Eaves, 30, of Dexter and trans-
ported him to the Grant County
Jail where he was lodged.
May 29: OSP responded
to the report of single motor
vehicle crash near milepost
6 on State Route 7. A motor-
cycle driven by a 23-year-
old man crashed off of a steep
embankment due to driver
error. The driver was taken to
St. Alphonsus Medical in Baker
City where he was treated and
released for minor injuries. The
driver arranged for his own tow.
A warning was issued for fail to
maintain lane.
May 30: OSP contacted a
pickup on Front Street in Prai-
rie City. The passenger, Wayne
R. Presley, 53, of Idaho, had
a misdemeanor warrant out
of Malheur County for fail-
ure to appear. Malheur County
requested Presley be cited and
released on the warrant. OSP
issued him a citation for failure
to appear.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
168 calls during the week of
May 23-31, including:
• John Day Police
Department
May 23: Responded to a
report of drug paraphernalia on
Northeast Seventh Street.
May 24: Responded to a
report of a restraining order vio-
lation that was unfounded on
Southwest First Avenue.
May 24: Responded to a
report of a bull loose and walk-
ing down Third Street.
May 25: Searched for a
driver who had been reported
as intoxicated on South Canyon
Boulevard.
May 26: Cited Astrid J.
Anaya, 22, of Parkville Mis-
souri for speeding, 44/25 zone.
May 26: Received a report
of theft on Southwest First
Avenue.
May 28: Received a report
of theft on West Main Street.
May 29: Answered a request
for contact regarding a restrain-
ing order violation on South-
west First Street.
May 30: Advised of a possi-
ble domestic dispute on South-
west Brent Drive.
May 30: Assisted with the
Grant Union High School
graduation.
May 30: Received a report
of a possible rattlesnake at the
Seventh Street Complex.
• Oregon State Police
May 23: Along with Grant
County
Sheriff’s
Office,
advised of a vehicle speeding
on Highway 26 near milepost
157.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Office
May 26: Received a report of
trespassing on Miller Mountain.
May 26: Received a report
of a noninjury crash at a busi-
ness on Highway 26 heading
toward Mt. Vernon.
May 27: Received a report
of identity theft on West Bench
Road.
May 28: Received a report
of a domestic dispute on Farra
Lane.
May 29: Received a report
of theft at Silvies Valley.
• John Day ambulance
May 23: Dispatched for a
woman with difficulty swallow-
ing and speaking with a high
heart rate.
May 26: Responded for an
87-year-old woman who was
feeling ill on Northeast Seventh.
May 26: Responded to a
72-year-old person who fell,
was in pain and could not get up
on Seventh Avenue.
May 27: Responded to for a
65-year-old man with chest pain
on West Main Street.
May 27: Dispatched for a
woman who was vomiting and
weak on West Riverside.
May 27: Dispatched for a
man with a possible heart attack
on Green Horn.
May 29: Responded for a
subject who fell and cut his
head on Charolais Heights.
May 30: Responded for a
61-year-old woman with chest
pains.
• Prairie City ambulance
May 25: Responded to an
elderly man who fell on McCal-
lum Avenue.
• Long Creek ambulance
May 29: Along with John
Day ambulance, responded for
a 76-year-old man with tingling
in his arms and legs on West
Third Street.
• Dispatch
May 25: Received a report
of theft in Granite.
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