NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
A5
John Day continues push for study session with county
City proposes repaying
county with interest
for investment in
system development to
encourage growth
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Eagle file photo
Canyon City Fire Chief Matt Turner
John Day City Council mem-
bers decided to continue the pursuit
of holding a study session with the
Grant County Court.
Council members shared their
thoughts on the court meeting
from Feb. 24 and the reception the
county court gave City Manager
Nick Green when he presented a
proposal for a study session to dis-
cuss a partnership with the city
and their urban renewal agency to
help offset land development costs
within John Day.
Under the city’s proposal to be
further discussed during a work ses-
sion, the county would pay to install
roads up front, and the URA would
repay the county with interest when
new developments increase the
taxes paid to the renewal agency,
according to Green.
Council member Elliot Sky said
he was disappointed in the recep-
tion because he felt that the plan
was well presented, but the court
did not seem to have much interest.
“I didn’t expect the county
court to be jumping in with, ‘Yeah,
we’re 100% in,’ but I also didn’t
expect them be so opposed and
adversarial right off the bat,” Sky
said. “It seemed like they didn’t
have much trust in the program or
something because it didn’t sound
like they wanted to pursue more
information.”
Multiple storage
units lost in
Canyon City fire
The Eagle/Rudy Diaz
No injuries or homes lost
Blue Mountain Eagle
The John Day City Council listens to a request from Stephanie LeQuieu, catalyst for Oregon RAIN, on March 9.
Council member Paul Smith,
who was at the court meeting
with Councilor Shannon Adair
and Green, said he was also dis-
appointed in the reaction from the
court.
“I feel like we’re looking for
reasons to get to no rather than
a path to get to yes,” Green said
regarding a possible study session
in the future. “We need to change
that.”
Adair said she sent an email to
the county court sometime after
the court session and asked if the
meeting would happen. She added
that she did not expect to get a
response, but wants to keep push-
ing and keep saying that action is
needed.
Grant County Commissioner
Jim Hamsher declined to answer
questions on working with the city
until the court received legal coun-
sel on the matter.
Smith said a concern he heard
from community members is that
they don’t want to change John
Day.
“We’re not asking to change;
we’re asking to thrive,” Smith said.
“If we increase the tax base and
get people housing, there’s more
employment. Then everybody ben-
efits, and the tax base benefits.”
A concern that came up from
some of the audience members at
the county court session was on
taxes being raised, according to
Smith.
Green clarified that when he
said taxes go up, it does not mean
the rates will rise. It means that the
tax base would go up because of the
increase of people and investors in
the area.
The John Day City Council also
discussed the importance of other
stakeholders and community mem-
bers in John Day to reach out to
the county and make their opinions
known.
“I think it would be beneficial if
we request the meeting again and
not just from the city council, but
from developers, the school district,
the hospital and the county, and all
of us are asking the county to par-
ticipate (in a study session),” Adair
said.
Sky said it is important that
community members who want to
see the work session happen voice
their opinion to the court and show
the interest goes beyond the city.
“My ask to the community is
that, if you value the quality of
life and you want to see this com-
munity thrive, reach out and make
that known to the county court,”
Sky said. “Write a letter or email.
Voice your opinion so it doesn’t just
sound like it’s the city of John Day,
and it sounds like we as a commu-
nity want it.”
A fire Sunday morning claimed multi-
ple storage units in Canyon City.
Canyon City Fire Chief Matt Turner said
the fire was on the property line of 309 and
311 S. Humbolt St. He said both residences
had storage units on the property line, and all
their storage buildings burned up.
“Neither house was affected, but they
lost a bit of personal property and their stor-
age buildings,” Turner said.
Turner said each resident lost two vehi-
cles, four-wheelers, motorcycles and what-
ever else was stored in the units that burned
down.
Canyon City fire, John Day fire and sev-
eral firefighters from Mt. Vernon reported
to the scene. Turner said nobody was
injured in the fire.
“The residents got burned out of their
house, and unfortunately they lost a lot of
property, but there was no injury and they
didn’t lose their houses on the plus side of
things,” Turner said.
The cause is currently under
investigation.
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
A charge of felon in pos-
session of a firearm against
Nathan M. Elledge, 29,
allegedly committed on June
17, was dismissed on March
10 based on a motion by
Grant County District Attor-
ney Jim Carpenter because it
is in the best interests of jus-
tice. Elledge pleaded guilty on
March 4 to a count of resist-
ing arrest committed on May
17. He was sentenced to two
days in jail, 18 months of
bench probation, 100 hours
of community service and
pay $300 in fees and a fine.
Elledge violated his probation
due to a new crime he com-
mitted, resisting arrest. The
defendant’s sentence will con-
tinue based on the same terms
and conditions previously
imposed and his probation
was extended by 12 months.
Jeremiah J. Alsop, 39,
pleaded guilty March 9 to
a count of criminal driving
while suspended or revoked
committed on Feb. 3. He also
pleaded guilty March 9 to a
count of driving under the
influence of intoxicants com-
mitted on July 2. He was sen-
tenced to 15 days in jail, 18
months of of bench probation
and ordered to pay $2,000 in
fines. His license was also sus-
pended for one year.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following
for the week of March 10:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 16
Average inmates: 7
Bookings: 4
Releases: 7
Arrests: 0
Citations: 1
Fingerprints: 2
Civil papers: 9
Warrants processed: 5
Assistance/Welfare check:
0
Search and Rescue: 0
Leann Musgrove, 41, of
John Day, was cited for hav-
ing no operator’s license.
Oregon State Police
March 7: Information was
received of a group of hunt-
ers trespassing on a neighbor-
ing property and field dress-
ing an elk. Wheeler County
deputies arrived and obtained
the property owner’s informa-
tion and made initial contact
with the hunters. An Oregon
State Police Fish and Wild-
life trooper arrived on scene
and interviewed the offend-
ing party as well as con-
tacted the complaining party.
At the conclusion of the con-
tact, the owner of the property,
which had been trespassed on,
wanted the offending hunt-
ers charged. The hunter who
shot the elk was criminally
cited for hunting while in vio-
lation of criminal trespass, and
failure to immediately vali-
date a big game tag. His hunt-
ing partners were charged
with second-degree criminal
trespass. The elk and unvali-
dated tag were seized. The elk
was taken to Russell’s Cus-
tom meats in Canyon City for
processing.
March 8: A John Day Fish
and Wildlife trooper was pro-
vided information that there
was an in-progress violation
of the winter range closure on
the Phillip Schneider Wildlife
Area. The trooper responded
and located two individuals
who had driven an ATV into
the winter range closure. Ryan
G. Chapman, 46, was cited for
the offense and arrested for
an outstanding warrant. The
other subject, Ty J. Round, 41,
was cited in lieu of custody for
unlawful entry into the wild-
life area.
March 9: A state trooper
contacted Valerie N. Hendrix,
44, of Seneca who was parked
in the lane of travel on South-
west Brent Street in John Day
for illegal standing and stop-
ping. She exhibited indicators
of impairment and was asked
to participate in field sobri-
ety tests. Further indicators
of impairment were observed
during the tests. She was
arrested and transported to
the Grant County Jail, where
she provided a breath sample
with a result of 0.00% blood
alcohol content. She coop-
erated with a Drug Recogni-
tion Expert exam. At the con-
clusion of the DRE exam, the
driver was found to be under
the influence of cannabis. She
was issued a citation for DUII/
Drug and released.
March 9: A Fish and Wild-
life trooper recognized a
pickup truck parked along
Highway 26 from a photo
taken by a trail camera placed
in the Philip Schneider Wild-
life Area during the closure.
The driver, Austin Walker, 20,
was contacted and identified.
During the roadside inter-
view the individual admitted
to driving on the closed road
in the wildlife area. Arrange-
ments were made to meet at a
later date for citation issuance.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
177 calls during the week of
March 8-14, including:
• John Day Police
Department
March 10: Responded to a
report of elder abuse on South
Humbolt Street.
March 11: Along with Ore-
gon State Police, responded to
a report of a restraining order
violation on East Main Street.
March 13: Keith A. Mark,
49, of Hillsboro was arrested
on an Oregon State Parole
Board Warrant and domestic
assault.
March 13: Cited David J.
Darling, 46, of John Day for
driving while suspended and
no insurance.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Office
March 8: Received a report
of fraud on Highway 402.
March 9: Received a report
of fraud on Vista Lane.
March 9: Conducted a traf-
fic stop and warned for fail-
ure to yield to a pedestrian in
a crosswalk on South Canyon
Street and Second Street.
March 11: Received a
report of fraud in Long Creek.
March 11: Conducted a
traffic stop and warned for
speeding on Highway 26 near
milepost 153.
March 12: Along with
OSP, advised of the location
of a subject who fled from
enforcement on Highway 26.
March 13: Kenneth Kin-
caide, 70, was arrested for vio-
Strawberry Mountain Law, PC
206 S. Humbolt Street • Canyon City, OR 97820
541-575-5750 • office@strawberrymountainlaw.com
• Criminal Law • Family Law • Wills & Probate • Notary Public
lation of conditional release.
March 13: Cited Christo-
pher M. Van Cleave, 78, of
Bend for no Oregon driver’s
license on East Main Street.
• John Day ambulance
March 8: Responded for a
74-year-old woman with dif-
ficulty breathing on North
McHaley Avenue.
March 9: Along with Prai-
rie City ambulance, dis-
patched for a woman with dif-
ficulty breathing and shortness
of breath at Blue Mountain
Care Center.
March 12: Responded to a
Prairie City woman with diffi-
culty breathing.
March 12: Dispatched for
a man with chest pain and
nausea on Southwest First
Avenue.
March 12: Dispatched for a
75-year-old woman who fell.
March 12: Responded for
a 71-year-old man with fever
and vomiting on Screech
Alley.
March 13: Along with
Grant County Sheriff’s Office,
responded for a 72-year-old
man with abdominal pain on
Adams Road.
March 14: An elderly man
fell an hit his head on West
Main Street.
• Mt. Vernon fire
March 14: Received a call
for a grass/bush fire on High-
way 26 near milepost 142.5.
Kati Dunn, Kyra Rohner,
Greg Goebel, Thomas Boone,
Fianna MacGregor-Whitman,
Marcus Oatman
S234533-1