NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
A7
Review
Continued from Page A1
The state bases its risk rat-
ings on the numbers over a two-
week period. From Dec. 27
to Jan. 9, the county reported
25 cases; from Jan. 3-16, the
county reported 45 cases; and
for Jan. 10-23, the county
reported 25 cases.
The “moderate” risk level
that the county moved into
required restaurants to close at
11 p.m. and limited other estab-
lishments’ capacity.
“Our concern is evident,”
Lindsay and the county com-
missioners wrote to Rep. Mark
Owens, R-Crane, on Jan. 27.
“We do not feel that Grant
County should be required to
move to the medium risk level
when indeed our true case
count by date does not support
that. ... We should not be penal-
ized due to a data issue that is
not originating on our end of the
system.”
Grant Union High School’s
weight and conditioning pro-
gram provided an outlet for
exercise and provided mental
health benefi ts for its students
amid the pandemic.
The program’s teacher,
Jason Miller, said physical
activity had been even more
critical during the pandemic.
“I think the kids who can
participate in weights and con-
ditioning, and any vocational
activity in general, can help
relieve stress and get around
and move,” Miller said. “It’s
been huge for the mental aspect
of the kids during these times.”
Later in the month, a court
dismissed murder charges
related to the missing couple
whose house on Nans Rock
Road near Mt. Vernon burned
in July 2018 after it learned
that Grant County Undersher-
iff Zach Mobley improperly
obtained a murder confession.
Isaac Connery, 23, and his
mother, Gabrielle Connery, 47,
had been charged with fi rst-de-
gree murder and arson in the
From left, the former chief of the now defunct John Day Police Department, Mike Durr; his wife, Pam; and Grant County Sheriff Todd McKinley during an August John
Day City Council meeting.
deaths of Terry and Sharon
Smith.
Judge Daina Vitolins ruled
that the confession by Isaac Con-
nery obtained by Mobley could
not be used at trial. The judge
said state prosecutors could not
prove the confession was know-
ing, intelligent and voluntary
because of Miranda violations.
Vitolins said Mobley never
asked whether Connery under-
stood his Miranda rights — the
right to remain silent and have
an attorney present during ques-
tioning. After Connery invoked
his right to defense counsel, she
also said that Mobley contin-
ued talking to him in violation
of the law.
“Once an individual invokes
their right to counsel, law
enforcement must scrupulously
honor that request and stop
questioning,” she said.
Vitolins said Mobley’s tes-
timony at the Feb. 10 hearing
was “not helpful” because he
did not review the interview
tapes before the hearing and
often said he was unsure and
would have to check the record-
ings on the witness stand. She
also said a face mask blocked
the camera in one of the record-
ings, and a bag of chips blocked
the view in another.
Without the confession,
District Attorney Jim Carpen-
ter said in a press release that
the state had only “limited cir-
cumstantial evidence that does
not prove beyond a reasonable
doubt” that Isaac and Gabrielle
Connery murdered the Smiths.
MARCH
In March the Eagle reported
that two out of three convictions
of theft and possession of a sto-
len vehicle against former Mon-
ument Fire Chief Roy Peterson
were overturned by the Oregon
Court of Appeals.
The appeals court reversed
the two convictions and
remanded them to the lower
court for resentencing. The
appeals
court
otherwise
affi rmed the lower court’s rul-
ing, including a conviction on a
charge of fi rst-degree theft.
The charges stem from Peter-
son’s acquisition of money and
equipment for fi re protection in
Monument and his subsequent
refusal to turn over the resources
to the Monument Rural Fire
District, which voters formed in
November of 2012.
Later that month, the Blue
Mountain Hospital District
announced that it paid off its
20-year bond before its Feb. 1
due date, thus giving property
owners a break on their taxes.
The total amount of the bond,
according to Grant County
Assessor David Thunnell, was
$7 million, and the hospital
received $740,223.27 for the
2020-21 tax year.
Amy Kreger, hospital board
chair, told the Eagle in March
that the 2001 bond measure
narrowly passed and caused
controversy.
Kreger, a landowner and a
rancher, said the tax reduction
would make a big diff erence for
the county’s taxpayers.
A request for peanut butter
turned into a 15,000-pound food
donation to the Grant County
Food Bank. Grant County resi-
dent George Sintay, who recog-
nized peanut butter was becom-
ing an expensive item for the
food bank to get, called The
Church of Latter-Day Saints
in La Grande to see if it could
help as the church makes its
own peanut butter in Texas.
See 2021, Page A8
Sponsor:
Omicron
Continued from Page A1
Given that, Lindsay said
it is likely that more Grant
County residents would
contract the virus and expe-
rience severe illness and
would likely need to be
hospitalized.
With so many variables,
though, she said she can-
not say if the omicron vari-
ant would be worse than
the county’s most recent
COVID-19 surge in the fall
of this year, which saw an
increase in infections, hospi-
talizations and deaths.
She said vaccinated peo-
ple are less likely to become
severely sick, and early
research tells health offi cials
that a booster dose further
builds antibodies to continue
fi ghting the virus.
Lindsay noted that the
Health Department is already
seeing cases increase, with
13 new infections reported
Monday, Dec. 27, and nine
more reported on Tuesday,
Dec. 28.
However, she added,
those numbers probably
don’t provide an entirely
clear refl ection of the amount
of virus in the county, given
the uptick in home testing.
People who test at home, she
noted, don’t always report
positive test results to the
Health Department.
Lindsay added that her
department is making sure
it has supplies and staff on
hand in the event of a grow-
ing surge of new COVID-19
cases, and vaccines will be
off ered during the evening
and on weekends in the third
week of January.
She said the Health
Department would release
more information in the com-
ing weeks.
S235004-1
Committee Volunteers Needed
Grant County is now Recruiting Volunteers to Serve on Active Boards and Committees
Applications are Due by WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2022
Obtain an Application to Volunteer from the County Court, 201 S. Humbolt, No. 280, Canyon City, OR 97820
Online at Committee Volunteer Application or contact (541-575-0059) GCCourtAdmin@grantcounty-or.gov
Committees are formal public bodies required to comply with Oregon Public Meetings Law ORS 192.610.
College Advisory Board
Seven members plus three ex-officio members serve a three year term and meet monthly to promote local educational
opportunities and identify educational needs within the community.
Extension & 4-H Service District Advisory Council
Eleven members serve three year terms and meet semi-annually to provide guidance and assistance to local OSU
Extension staff in planning, developing, and evaluating balanced educational programs directed to high priority needs
of county residents. Membership is limited to one re-appointment.
S270874-1
Extension & 4H Service District Budget Committee
Members include two advisory members and a member-at-large serving three year terms. Annual meetings include
the County Court and are held to receive, deliberate, revise and approve the annual budget as provided by the District
Budget Officer. Any proposed programs are discussed and considered.
FEEL THE SPEED,
EVEN AT PEAK TIMES.
Get strong, fast Wi-Fi to work and
play throughout your home. ^
Mental Health Advisory Board
Seven members (including two consumer representatives) serve three year terms and meet no less than quarterly
to facilitate the provision of quality mental health services to county residents and enhance community knowledge
of available programs and services. Acts as the Local Alcohol and Drug Planning Commission and Developmental
Disabilities Advisory Board. The board is a formal public body required to comply with Oregon Public Meetings Law
ORS 192.610.
No annual contract.
Based on wired connection to gateway.
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AT&T
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Call or goto att.com/internetto see if you qualify.
Over 99% reliability.
Excludes DSL. Based on network availability.
Planning Commission
Contact your local DIRECTV dealer
IV Support Holdings
888-486-0359
INTERNET OFFER: Subj. to change and may be discontinued at any time. Price for Internet 100 for new residential customers & is after $5/mo. autopay & paperless bill discount. Pricing for first 12 months only. After 12 mos., then prevailing rate applies. Autopay & Paperless Bill
Discount: Discount off the monthly rate when account is active & enrolled in both. Pay full plan cost until discount starts w/in 2 bill cycles. Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue discount. Additional Fees & Taxes: AT&T one-time transactional fees, $10/mo.
equipment fee, and monthly cost recovery surcharges which are not government-required may apply, as well as taxes. See www.att.com/fees for details. Installation: $99 installation for full tech install, plus tax where applicable. Credit restrictions apply. Pricing subject to change. Subj. to Internet
Terms of Service at att.com/internet-terms. ^AT&T Smart Wi-Fi requires installation of a BGW210, 5268AC, or NVG599 Wi-Fi Gateway. Standard with Internet plans (12M or higher). Whole home Wi-Fi connectivity may require AT&T Smart Wi-Fi Extender(s) sold separately. ††Internet speed claims
represent maximum network service capability speeds and based on wired connection to gateway. Actual customer speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on several factors. For more information, go to www.att.com/speed101.
©2021 DIRECTV. DIRECTV and all other DIRECTV marks are trademarks of DIRECTV, LLC. AT&T and Globe logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.
S274984-1
A MAN
WAKES
UP in the
morning
after sleeping on...
an advertised bed, in advertised
pajamas.
Blue Mountain Eagle
MyEagleNews.com
Senior Citizens Advisory Council
ORS 410.210. Five members serve three year terms and meet semi-annually to define the needs of older adults,
promote special interests and local community involvement, and represent senior citizens as an advocate to the local,
state and federal government and other organizations.
Sera
The alliance provides a forum for local government agencies and the private sector to discuss, understand and coor-
dinate long range transportation issues affecting the south east Oregon region including Grant, Harney and Malheur
counties. The alliance acts as the Area Commission on Transportation. It reviews the process for determining trans-
portation infrastructure and capital investments in the south east region, recommends priorities, and advises Oregon
Transportation Commission on state and regional policies affecting the region’s transportation system. Five members,
plus one alternate, serve three year terms as Grant County representatives. Daytime meetings are held monthly, or as
needed, at locations rotating among the three counties.
Wildlife Advisory Board
Created by Resolution 1993-29. Nine members serve three year terms and meet as needed to discuss issues re-
garding big game management and make recommendations to Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, including tag
allocation and hunting season structure as they relate to population and damage of property.
Wolf Depredation Advisory Committee
S275246-1
He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an
ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person
hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
Then it’s too late.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
Nine members serve a four year term and two alternates serve a two year term, meeting as needed to review land
use and zoning applications and discuss city and county growth issues and siting new facilities. Members must be
residents of various geographic areas within the county and no more than two voting members shall be engaged in
the same kind of business, occupation, trade or profession with agriculture designations of livestock / forage crop
production and horticulture / specialty crop production. Commissioners serving in this capacity must file an Annual
Verified Statement of Economic Interest with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission. Members must re-apply
to the County Court before their term ends if they wish to be re-appointed. The commission is a formal public body
required to comply with Oregon Public Meetings Law ORS 192.610.
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710
OAR 603-019-0015. Members include one County Commissioner, two members who own or manage livestock and
two members who support wolf conservation or coexistence with wolves. These members agree upon two business
representatives to serve as additional members. The committee oversees the procedure established by Grant County
for its Wolf Depredation Compensation Program. The current vacancy is for a business representative.
S274425-1