NEWS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Eagle adds new reporter
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — The Blue
Mountain Eagle has a new
reporter.
Justin Davis joined the
paper on Wednesday, March
2, fi lling the position vacated
by the departure of Rudy Diaz
in June.
Davis, 38, was born and
raised in Ontario and has lived
in John Day since 2019. He
and his wife, Lisa, have two
children, son Kalem, 8, and
daughter Elly, who will turn 5
next week.
He served in the Army
from 2001 to 2005, work-
ing in the intelligence branch,
with deployments in South
Korea, Germany and Iraq. He
also did a stint as a freelance
sportswriter for the Ontario
Argus Observer from 2010-
Bennett Hall/Blue Mountain Eagle
Justin Davis has joined the Blue Mountain Eagle staff as a reporter.
12, and is returning to the
work force for the fi rst time
after eight years as a stay-at-
home dad.
He will cover sports,
schools and other beats for
the Eagle.
“I’m excited to get back
into journalism,” Davis said.
“I’m super-excited to cover
sports again, yeah, but also
to branch out and have other
journalistic duties besides
sports.”
Davis joins reporter Ste-
ven Mitchell in the Eagle
newsroom.
Mitchell,
44, is orig-
inally from
Concord,
California,
in the San
Francisco
Mitchell
Bay
area,
and has lived
in John Day since 2018. He
is engaged to Randa Webb of
John Day.
Mitchell joined the
Eagle staff in January of
2020 and has covered a
wide range of assignments,
including sports, county
government and natural
resources.
He has been the paper’s
sole full-time reporter for
the past nine months.
Teen charged following Prairie City shooting
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
PRAIRIE CITY — A 16-year-old male
has been charged in the Friday, March 4,
shooting of a Prairie City teen at a resi-
dence in the 400 block of North Washing-
ton Street, according to the Grant County
Sheriff ’s Offi ce.
In a Saturday, March 5, press release,
Sheriff Todd McKinley said that the sus-
pect — who is not the victim’s boyfriend,
as had been stated in early reports of the
incident — is charged with recklessly
endangering another person and unlawful
use of a fi rearm.
McKinley said the shooter, who knew
the victim and her boyfriend, was at the
house on Washington Street before a
caller reported the shooting a little after
4 p.m. Friday.
According to emergency dispatch-
ers on Friday, the person who called
911 stated the girl’s boyfriend acciden-
tally shot the girl and then fl ed the scene;
McKinley has since confi rmed that was
not the case.
According to McKinley, Grant
County Juvenile Department trans-
ported the suspect to a juvenile facility
in Bend.
The victim, a 16-year-old girl, suff ered
signifi cant trauma to the head and was
fl own to another medical facility after ini-
tially being transported to Blue Mountain
Hospital in John Day.
The names of the suspect and the vic-
tim have not been released.
The
Grant
County
Sheriff ’s
Offi ce was assisted by the Ore-
gon State Police and John Day
Ambulance.
County in line for big funding boost
By STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain
SALEM — As the 2022
Oregon Legislature wound
down last week, Grant County
received word it was in line
for a nearly $5 million boost
in funding for a slate of infra-
structure projects.
In a Thursday, March 3,
text message, Rep. Mark
Owens, R-Crane, told the
Eagle the county’s fairgrounds
would be receiving $2 million
to improve the grounds.
That project is one of many
around the state that will get a
cash infusion from House Bill
5202, a budget reconciliation
package that includes $100
million for capital projects in
rural districts.
Fairgrounds,
schools,
seniors and community health
were the main priorities for
that funding, Owens said.
“I think we did really
well,” Owens said.
The bill’s text shows $12
million for fairs in Grant, Mal-
heur, Crook, Harney, Baker
and Lake counties.
According to Owens, each
county fairground will receive
$2 million.
Steven Mitchell/Blue Mountain Eagle, File
Rep. Mark Owens, R-Crane, addresses constituents during a 2020
session of Grant County Court. Owens said the county is on track
to get a huge infusion of state funds.
In a Monday phone inter-
view, Mindy Winegar, the
Grant County Fairgrounds
manager, said she had not
received any specifi cs on the
money.
However, Winegar said
when she does, the fair-
grounds staff and board plan
Wilma Kathryn Griggs
July 13, 1943 ~ March 3, 2022
Wilma Kathryn Griggs, age 78, of Canyon City passed away
March 3, 2022, at her residence. Services will be announced at
a later date.
Wilma was born July 13, 1943, in Manhattan, Kansas to Betty
J. Van Pelt. She went to school in Fort Laramie, Wyoming and
later she studied Nursing Training.
She enjoyed reading, puzzles, fishing, crocheting, playing
games and camping.
Survivors include her loving husband, Doyle Griggs of Canyon
City; daughter, Katrina (Greg) Frey; grandchildren, Devon, Peyton
and Maxon; son, Mitchell Hauke; grandchildren, Miranda, Mor-
gan, Megan and Max; daughter, Sherrie Ann (Brenden) Croser;
grandchildren, Makenna and Thane; son, Robert W. (Shanley)
Cobb Jr; grandchildren, Robert W. Cobb III, Garrett, Noah, and
Cooper.
Memorial contributions can be made to Blue Mountain Hos-
pice through, Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd., John
Day, OR 97845.
Paid for by the family of Wilma Griggs.
S285234-1
to meet with the public to
talk about potential projects
and gather feedback from the
community.
Winegar said remodel-
ing Keerins Hall and repav-
ing the parking lot are the two
high-priority projects for the
fairgrounds. But, she said, the
fair always has projects on the
to-do list and always looks at
others.
“We’re so excited and feel
very fortunate to be blessed
with this funding from our
state representatives,” Wine-
gar said.
Winegar said county
fairs across the state are a
24/7 F ORECAST
A UTOMATED : 541-575-1122
R OAD CONDITIONS : 511; TRIPCHECK . COM
NOAA W EATHER R ADIO FOR J OHN D AY
162.500 MHz
Wyden slates Grant County town hall
JOHN DAY — U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden,
D-Oregon, will hold a virtual town hall for
Grant County constituents at 11 a.m. Saturday,
March 12.
Wyden, who is running for his fi fth full
term in the Senate, will discuss current issues
and take questions from the audience.
The town hall will be streamed live over
Wyden
Facebook. To view the town hall, or to sign up
to submit a question, either online or on live video, go to https://
tinyurl.com/447y83t8.
Farm Bureau seeks FFA video entries
SALEM — The Oregon Farm Bureau is putting out a cal for
entries for its second annual #GrowingOregon video contest.
FFA students are invited to submit short videos – up to one
minute long – that feature the #GrowingOregon hashtag and
highlight something interesting about Oregon agriculture. The
topic could be an FFA project or program, what’s happening
on the farm or the ranch, or a look at an Oregon agricultural
product.
Students have until April 30 to submit their videos via email
to annemarie@oregonfb.org.
The winner of this year’s contest will be determined by
which video gets the most likes and views on the Farm Bureau’s
social media platforms by May 31. The winner will receive a
cash prize of at least $400 to be donated to their FFA chapter.
For more information, visit www.oregonfb.org/
growingoregon.
OTEC opens kids safety art contest
BAKER CITY — Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative is
taking submissions for its annual Kids Electrical Safety Art
Contest.
The aim of the contest is to allow youngsters to be creative
while learning about electrical safety.
Children of OTEC members from kindergarten through
eighth grade can participate by downloading coloring sheets
from OTEC’s website to create an original poster with an elec-
trical safety theme.
First-place winners in three categories will each receive
a $50 gift card, and there are also prizes for second and third
place.
The deadline for submissions is April 22. Last year OTEC
received more than 70 submissions from kids across its service
territory, which encompasses Grant, Baker, Union and Harney
counties.
For more information or to download a coloring sheet, go to
https://tinyurl.com/3mmkt2p9.
Contributed Photo
Weston Suchorski, center, stands with Rick Shipley, Oregon
State Elks Association President, left, and Steve May, OSEA
State Hoop Shoot chairman, after winning his age group in
the state free throw competition in Silverton on Feb. 26, 2022.
Local youth wins state
free throw competition
Blue Mountain Eagle
SILVERTON — A Grant
County youth will represent
Oregon in the regional round
of the Elks Hoop Shoot
contest.
Weston Suchorski won his
age group at the state com-
petition at Silverton Mid-
dle School on Feb. 26, mak-
ing 23 of 25 free throws to
advance.
He was one of three Grant
County youths, along with
Wyatt Lieuallen and Gracee
Hueckman, who competed
in the state contest after
winning their age groups at
the district tournament in
Prineville on Jan. 29.
Weston and the other
Oregon winners will travel
to Pasco, Washington, on
March 26 to compete against
youths from Alaska, Idaho
and Washington.
The regional champions
will advance to the national
competition in Chicago on
April 30.
The Elks Hoop Shoot
is open to boys and girls
between the ages of 8 and 13.
TOM CHRISTENSEN
CHRISTENSEN
TOM
CONSTRUCTION
(541) 410-0557 • (541) 575-0192
CCB# 106077
REMODELS • NEW CONSTRUCTION • POLE BUILDINGS
CONCRETE EXCAVATION • SHEET ROCK • SIDING
ROOFING • FENCES • DECKS • TELESCOPING FORKLIFT SERVICES
S283677-1
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Wednesday ..................................................... 56/39
Thursday .......................................................... 44/32
Friday ............................................................... 40/32
Saturday .......................................................... 39/28
Sunday ............................................................. 41/22
Monday............................................................ 51/31
Tuesday ........................................................... 38/25
big draw for tourism in their
communities.
County fairgrounds are
essential to economic growth,
and during emergencies, com-
munities lean on them — be it
vaccine clinics during the pan-
demic or a shelter during the
Canyon Creek Fire.
Meanwhile, the Grant
School District got a total of
$2.25 million for Grant Union
High School’s roof and Hum-
bolt Elementary’s HVAC
system.
The Prairie City School
District received $430,000 to
renovate the Bates Building
and $113,870 to renovate the
city’s senior center. In addi-
tion, the John Day Senior
Center received $36,129 for
its fl oor and air purifi cation
system.
Owens said the bill was
fueled by $1.5 billion in
money the state did not
expect to have, partly due to
an unprecedented amount of
funds available from the fed-
eral government and high-
er-than-expected state tax
revenue.
“We were very success-
ful in securing funding for
Grant County,” Owens said.
“Our priorities were schools,
seniors, the fairgrounds and
community health. I think we
did really well.”
The bill has an emergency
clause, meaning it goes into
eff ect immediately. Once
Gov. Kate Brown signs it, the
state can start distributing the
funds.
LOCAL BRIEFING
S283672-1
A2
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF M ARCH 9-15
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Partly
cloudy
Mostly
cloudy
Partly
cloudy
Partly
cloudy
Mostly
cloudy
Mostly
cloudy
Showers
30
41
53
59
50
57
50
10
21
29
38
32
40
32