NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, July 1, 2020
A5
Multiple
thefts
reported in
Prairie City
Blue Mountain Eagle
Eagle file photo
The Malheur Lumber Co. mill in John Day.
DEQ fines Malheur Lumber $2,400
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Malheur Lumber received a small
fine for air pollution in 2018.
The Oregon Department of Envi-
ronmental Quality fined Ochoco
Lumber Company, doing busi-
ness as Malheur Lumber Company,
$2,400 for exceeding the grain load-
ing particulate matter emission limit
in their Air Contaminant Discharge
Permit, according to a DEQ press
release.
The violation occurred Nov. 7,
2018, during an emissions test of one
of the boilers at Malheur Lumber.
Ochoco Chief Operating Officer
Wanda Rasmussen said a stack test
on a boiler was out of compliance so
they retested it.
“It was reduced down substan-
tially knowing that we got it tested
as quick as possible and did the
right things, and it was reduced to
$2,400,” Rasmussen said.
The report from DEQ states that
they appreciated the efforts to cor-
rect the violation by tuning up and
retesting the boiler and demonstrat-
ing compliance with the grain load-
ing limit. DEQ considered this effort
when determining the amount of
civil penalty.
“Our stance was that the test
results came out of scope of what
the boiler usually performs at and
the testing company didn’t have
experienced people on site,” Ras-
mussen said. “We’ve figured that
there was a lot of mitigating circum-
stances to say we shouldn’t have
the penalty, but that’s your rules.
We had it retested, and everything
was fine.”
Rasmussen said that Ochoco
works well with DEQ, their permit
writer and his team.
In the span of about nine
hours, Grant County 911 dis-
patch received nine calls
from citizens in Prairie City
reporting thefts.
The first call came in just
after 7 a.m. Friday, June 26,
and each report came from
the lower half of Prairie City
south of Highway 26.
Due to the complex-
ity and number of victims
and case reports generated,
Grant County Sheriff Glenn
Palmer said they did not cur-
rently have information to
release.
“It will take staff some
time to get interviews done
and reports written,” Palmer
said. “From what I know,
we have roughly 12 victims
and thefts from a number of
vehicles involving firearms,
money and fuel.”
The theft calls to dis-
patch came from South Bridge
Street, Southwest Kilbourne
Street, South McHaley Ave-
nue, 11th Street and 12th
Street.
COPS AND COURTS
Arrests and citations in the
Blue Mountain Eagle are taken
from the logs of law enforce-
ment agencies. Every effort is
made to report the court dispo-
sition of arrest cases.
Grant County Circuit
Court
Christopher S. Compton,
49, pleaded guilty June 25 to
a count of driving under the
influence of intoxicants com-
mitted on April 1. He was sen-
tenced to serve 48 hours in jail,
24 months of bench probation
and pay $2,255 in fines and an
intoxication conviction fee.
Brian L. Gregg, 27,
pleaded guilty Aug. 17, 2018,
to a count of driving under
the influence of intoxicants
committed on June 24, 2018.
According to information filed
in court by District Attorney
Jim Carpenter, Gregg failed to
obtain an evaluation and com-
plete the recommended treat-
ment as required. The diver-
sion agreement was revoked
June 29, and the DUII con-
viction was entered on the
record. Gregg’s license was
suspended for a year, and he
was sentenced to 24 months of
bench probation and ordered
to pay a $2,000 intoxication
conviction fee.
A count of harassment con-
stituting domestic violence
against Keith B. Landon,
allegedly committed on March
8, was dismissed on June 25
based on a motion by Carpen-
ter because it was in the best
interest of justice and a lack of
resources.
A count of harassment
constituting domestic vio-
lence against Amy B. Brey,
allegedly committed on March
8, was dismissed on June 25
based on a motion by Carpen-
ter because it was in the best
interest of justice and a lack of
resources.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following
for the week of June 24:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 7
Average inmates: 11
Bookings: 15
Releases: 14
Arrests: 1
Citations: 1
Fingerprints: 4
Civil papers: 27
Warrants processed: 6
Assistance/Welfare check: 0
Search and Rescue: 1
Theresa Briney, 65, of Can-
yon City was cited for keeping
a dog as a public nuisance.
Oregon State Police
June 26: OSP responded to
the report of a hit and run near
milepost 73 on Highway 395B.
The suspect’s vehicle was
located and stopped near mile-
post 119 on Highway 395B.
The driver, David M. Curtis,
69, consented to field sobri-
ety tests and performed poorly.
He was arrested and taken to
the Grant County Jail where
he was lodged for DUII, reck-
less driving, and failure to per-
form the duties of a driver. The
suspect’s vehicle was towed by
Doug’s Motor Vehicle Repair
to their lot, the suspect’s dog
was taken to the John Day Vet-
erinary Clinic.
June 27: OSP stopped a
Ram pickup on Highway 26
near milepost 161 for several
traffic violations. On contact,
the driver, Shaun P. Yuhas, 35,
Springfield, Utah, had glassy,
bloodshot eyes. There was a
slight odor of an alcoholic bev-
erage coming from the vehicle.
The driver admitted to drinking
two or three beers. The driver
initially refused field sobriety
tests, then did field sobriety
tests after being read the Rohr’s
admonishment. During field
sobriety tests, OSP noted sev-
eral indicators of impairment.
OSP arrested the driver for
DUII. OSP secured the driver’s
pickup and left it at the scene.
OSP transported the male to
the Grant County Jail where
he refused to take a breath test.
OSP obtained a search war-
rant for a sample of the driv-
er’s breath or blood. Under the
warrant, the driver submitted to
a breath test, which indicated a
blood alcohol result of 0.07%,
over three and a half hours after
he was stopped. OSP issued the
driver citations for DUII-Alco-
hol, speeding 43/25 zone and
refusing to take a breath test.
OSP lodged the driver at the
jail for DUII.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
181 calls during the week of
June 22-28, including:
• John Day Police
Department
June 22: Received a report
of assault on the Third Street
Extension.
June 22: Dispatched to a
report of a possible break in on
East Main Street.
June 22: Responded to a
report of assault at a business
on South Canyon Boulevard.
June 22: Responded to a
report of a burglary in progress
on Southwest Brent Drive.
June 23: Responded for a
commercial burglary alarm on
West Main Street.
June 23: David McNeil of
John Day was arrested.
June 23: Arrested Kevin
Chamberlain, 29, on a state-
wide felony warrant.
June 24: Arrested Kevin
Mason, 26 of Eugene on a war-
rant out of Arizona.
• Oregon State Police
June 17: Advised of cows
on the road on Highway 26
near milepost 138.
June 26: Received a report
of a hit and run on Highway
395 North.
June 28: Dispatched for
a report of a hit and run with
vehicle damage on Highway
26.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Office
June 22: Along with OSP,
dispatched to a report of an
impaired driver on Highway
395C near milepost 5.5.
June 23: Received a report
of criminal mischief on North
McHaley Street.
June 24: Received a report
of theft on A Avenue.
June 25: Received a report
of fraud in John Day.
June 25: Received a report
of a felon in possession of a
weapon in John Day.
June 26: Received a report
of theft on South Bridge Street.
June 26: Received a
report of theft on Southwest
Kilbourne.
June 26: Received a report
of theft on South Bridge Street.
June 26: Received a report
of theft on West 12th Street.
June 26: Received a report
of theft on 12th Street.
June 26: Received a report
of theft on South McHaley
Street.
June 26: Received a report
of theft on West Sixth Street.
June 28: Received a report of
theft on North McHaley Street.
• John Day ambulance
June 26: Responded for a
woman with pain in her left
arm on Highway 26.
June 28: Along with OSP,
Monument fire, Monument
ambulance, GCSO and Park
Service law enforcement,
responded for a rollover crash
near Kimberly. One patient
was airlifted.
June 28: Responded to a
man who passed out in front of
his home on Dayton Street.
• Monument ambulance
June 26: Along with John
Day ambulance and Monument
fire, responded to a report of a
60-year-old woman with dif-
ficulty breathing on Highway
402.
No Matter
how big or small your trophy was
or if you just want to share a hunting adventure,
send or drop off your best
hunting photos or stories
to
195 N Canyon Blvd., John Day, OR 97845 • kim@bmeagle.com
Your photos could be published in this year’s EAGLE HUNTING JOURNAL
Please have them to the Eagle by August 8.
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S189136-1