NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, March 31, 2021 A7 The Eagle/Rudy Diaz Deputy Savannah Wyllie is excited to serve her community and serve the people of Grant County. Deputy Savannah Wyllie graduates from the academy New sheriff ’s offi ce employee excited to work in county By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle Grant County Deputy Savannah Wyllie gradu- ated from the police acad- emy and looks forward to serving the residents in Grant County. Wyllie said she enjoyed her time in the academy and learned a great amount on community policing. She said, at the acad- emy, they learned about how to communicate with people in tense moments and how to de-escalate any situation prior to ini- tial action. There were several highlights at the academy for Wyllie, such as the vari- ety and amount of classes she participated in and how they taught the offi cers how to speak to people. There was more than one correct way to talk to a person when making a contact on duty, she said. “We had so many dif- ferent classes and so many things to learn,” Wyllie said. “There was a diff erent thing to learn each day, and every day was a new day.” She learned about the importance of maintaining a good attitude every day, even when it’s a tough day. She said she tries to look for the positivity in everything since everybody has a dif- ferent background that she works with. “Your mindset changes once you go through the academy,” Wyllie said. “Once you start this job, you’re a whole new person.” Wyllie said she is excited to work for the county. “For me, I deal with the Eagle fi le photo Children on the prowl for colored eggs at the Seventh Street Complex in John Day during the 2019 Easter egg hunt. “I DEAL WITH THE SAME PEOPLE EVERYDAY, BUT IT’S EASY TO WORK WITH THEM BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYONE, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY REACH OUT TO EACH OTHER. IT’S NOT JUST THE POLICE DOING COMMUNITY POLICING; EVERYONE IS HELPING IN OUR COMMUNITY.” Mt. Vernon fi re department hosting Easter egg hunt Sunday Blue Mountain Eagle The Mt. Vernon Volunteer Fire Department will hold its annual Eas- ter egg hunt Sunday at 10 a.m. at Clyde Holliday State Park. According to a fi re department fl yer, face masks will be required for anyone 5 and up. The fi re department stated, while it would be diffi cult to keep within the social distancing guidelines, they expect participants to make an eff ort. The department asks any- one feeling ill to stay home. Those with questions can call city hall at 541-932-4688. While the John Day Elks Lodge will not hold their usual Easter egg hunt at the Seventh Street Complex, they invite those in the community to drop by Sunday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m to pick up an Easter basket full of goodies at 140 NE Dayton St. The John Day Fire Department will not be hosting its usual activities this year. County, cities receiving stimulus funding —Savannah Wyllie, Grant County Sheriff ’s Offi ce deputy By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle same people everyday, but it’s easy to work with them because everybody knows everyone, and a lot of peo- ple in our community reach out to each other,” Wyllie said. “It’s not just the police doing community policing; everyone is helping in our community. I’m excited to work for the people of Grant County.” Wyllie moved to Grant County in 2017, and said she enjoys the ability to go hunt- ing, fi shing, hiking and more within one county. Wyllie said, while there is a lot going on in the world regarding diff erent commu- nities and law enforcement, she said the police in Grant County care about the peo- ple in the community and want to help out. “I’m trying every sin- gle day to look out for peo- ple that I don’t even know, and I do care about even the strangers that I meet every- day,” Wyllie said. The American Rescue Plan, signed by President Joe Biden earlier this month, is pumping $360 billion into state and local governments to lessen the economic fall- out of the pandemic’s impact. The League of Oregon Cities released a list of how much cities in the county will receive. Grant County: $1.4 million John Day: $340,810 Canyon City:$135,753 Mt. Vernon: $104,363 Prairie City $178,558 Monument $25,479 Dayville: $$29,760 Seneca: $46,678 Long Creek: $38,728 The LOC said the funds would be direct payments to cities with a popula- tion greater than 50,000 and counties and the state. For those cities not receiving immediate payment, states have 60 days to distribute half of the money by the end of March or early April. The league noted that cit- ies and counties can expect more guidelines from the U.S. Treasury Department. State Sen. Lynn Find- ley said cities could not use the money to reduce taxes by legislation, regulation or administration during Thurs- day’s virtual town hall. He also noted that cities and coun- ties could not deposit money into pension funds. County Commissioner Jim Hamsher said he would like to wait for additional Treasury guidelines before commenting on how he thinks the money should be spent. “You’ve got to sit down and look at the guidelines and then sit down with your coun- cil or court to see what’s going to be the most benefi t to the county and the city as a whole, where it’s going to have the most use,” Hamsher said. Contributed photo Babette Larson Young Miles Larson enjoys the Dayville Easter egg hunt in 2019 at the city park. DMV to reopen in Eastern Oregon counties in May By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle Department of Motor Vehicles offi ces in East- ern Oregon counties plan to reopen in May. Amy Joyce, the DMV administrator, said Friday during a conference call with the Association of Ore- gon Counties that the DMV is reducing the number of appointment slots in most of its Eastern Oregon offi ces to expand to a “stand-by” model. Joyce said the appointment system with the DMV would never completely go away. She said people who come in for appointments appreci- ate the consistency that comes with having a scheduled time. She said the DMV’s future is a hybrid system, where they will keep appointments for some and have a “walk-up” capacity for people who do not want to make an appoint- ment or do not have access to the internet. Joyce said that renewal of driver licenses, permits and identifi cation cards would be allowed online beginning in early May. Joyce said the DMV expects the new feature to be available on DMV2U.Ore- gon.Gov in early May. While some DMV services have previously been avail- able online, most have been moved to appointment-only sessions at local DMV loca- tions during the pandemic. Timely appointments can be challenging to come by due to the reduced capacity at DMV offi ces. Joyce said customers had been telling the DMV they like both appointments and the ability to drop in. Recognizing our Local Dentists on Virginia McMillan, DDS, PC 150 Ogilvie Dr. John Day 541-575-0550 Shawna Clark, DNP, FNP www.johndaysmiles.com Put Your Best Smile Forward A MAN WAKES UP in the morning after sleeping on... an advertised bed, in advertised pajamas. Blue Mountain Eagle MyEagleNews.com Dr. Mike feels routine checkups and cleaning are essential, especially for children and adolesents, to keep dental work as simple as possible. Catching decay problems early with regular exams, allows placing smaller fillings, often lasting for decades. 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