NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Senate contender
Perkins visits John Day
By BENNETT HALL
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY — U.S. Senate candidate Jo
Rae Perkins made a 90-minute campaign stop
in John Day on Sunday, March 27, visiting
with a half-dozen voters over lunch at the
Squeeze-In Restaurant and Deck.
Perkins, an Albany resident who owns
a jewelry design business, is one of seven
Republicans seeking the GOP nomination
to face off against incumbent Democrat Ron
Wyden in November.
Like others in the crowded primary fi eld,
Perkins has been criss-crossing the state look-
ing to line up votes in the run-up to the May
17 election.
“We agree on virtually everything,” Per-
kins said. “And we should, because we’re
all Republicans and most of us are very
conservative.”
Asked how she would diff erentiate her-
self from her GOP rivals, Perkins said, “I’m a
strict constitutionalist.”
As she has done in past campaigns, Pekins
said that if she’s elected she and her staff
would analyze every bill that comes to a vote
to make sure it’s within the parameters set by
the Constitution.
“If we found something there that’s not
constitutional… I would have to vote no,
because if I vote yes I’ve just violated my
oath of offi ce.”
As the conversation moved around the
table, Perkins responded to questions and
comments by airing her views on a variety of
issues, including:
• Social service programs: They should
be cut back or eliminated. “We have raised a
whole generation of people who just assume
people are going to give them stuff . … The
work ethic is gone.”
• Big government: It needs to be rolled
back. “The No. 1 role of government is to keep
people safe. … The government keeps taking
over what used to be private enterprises.”
• Federal forest management: It’s too
restrictive. More logging should be allowed
to create jobs and prevent catastrophic wild-
fi res. “They’re concerned about global warm-
ing and climate change, but they’re putting
all these pollutants up in the air with forest
fi res. … Private timber companies are manag-
ing their land, keeping the underbrush down,
(while) federal forest land is literally burned
to a crisp.”
• Federal land ownership: In general, it’s
unconstitutional. “The only land the federal
government has title to (in Oregon) is Cra-
ter Lake. … The federal government does
not own this forest (national forest land) out
here.”
• Government overspending: Congress is
too quick to spend money it doesn’t have. As
an example, she cited the $14 billion in aid to
Ukraine included in a recent federal spend-
ing bill. “Are you kidding me? What for?
Where’s this money coming from?”
• Federal vs. local management of natu-
ral resources on public land: “We’ve got to
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Grant County DA
seeks third term
Jim Carpenter is running
unopposed in reelection bid
By JUSTIN DAVIS
Blue Mountain Eagle
Bennett Hall/Blue Mountain Eagle
Jo Rae Perkins, who is running for GOP nom-
ination for U.S. Senate, speaks during a cam-
paign stop at the Squeeze-In Restaurant and
Deck in John Day on Sunday, March 27.
get the federal government out of the way. …
You’re over here in Grant County. You know
what your resources are.”
• Urban-rural divide in Oregon poli-
tics: The state should consider changing
how legislative seats are apportioned to give
less-populated rural counties more power and
more-populated urban counties less. “If we
did one senator per county and two represen-
tatives per county … it would give more of a
balance of power.”
• The Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot in Wash-
ington, D.C.: “There was not a mob and there
was no storming of the Capitol. … Was there
(some) storming? Yes. Was there a mob? No.”
As has been widely reported, Perkins took
part in the pro-Donald Trump demonstrations
outside the White House in Washington that
day and went with the crowd that overran
police barricades to the Capitol, where Con-
gress was certifying Joe Biden’s election vic-
tory. On her Facebook page, Perkins posted
a video that said she was standing just out-
side the Capitol but did not enter the build-
ing itself. She also suggested that the riot was
instigated by antifa infi ltrators.
Perkins has run for federal offi ce in every
election since 2014, when she entered the
Republican primary for one of Oregon’s
Senate seats. In 2016 and 2018, she ran for
the GOP nomination for the House of Rep-
resentatives in Oregon’s 4th Congressional
District.
She fi led to do so again in 2020, then
switched tracks and entered the Republican
primary for Senate, which she won. She lost
to Democratic incumbent Jeff Merkley in the
general election, garnering 39% of the vote
to Merkley’s 57% while carrying 24 of 36
counties.
In an election night video, she expressed
her support for “Q and the team,” but has
since distanced herself somewhat from the
QAnon conspiracy theory, telling Oregon
Public Broadcasting she considers QAnon
forums a “source of information.”
Perkins holds a bachelor’s degree in politi-
cal science from Oregon State University and
a certifi cate in fi nancial planning from the
University of Portland.
A3
CANYON CITY — Grant County District
Attorney Jim Carpenter will be running unop-
posed for a third four-year term in the May 17
election.
No one fi led to run against him by the
March 8 deadline.
Carpenter has been a staple in Grant County
politics since 2001, when he became a mem-
ber of the John Day Planning Commission.
Carpenter has held the DA position since
2015, after defeating incumbent Ryan Joslin in
the 2014 election.
Carpenter passed the state bar exams in
both Oregon and Idaho in 2001 and began his
legal career as a civil litigator. Now, as district
attorney, Carpenter focuses on the prosecution
of criminal behavior.
“Mostly I think I do well. Sometimes
my constituents let me know there needs to
be a course correction; hopefully we are in
this together to make our community a safer
place,” Carpenter said.
The job hasn’t been without challenges,
however, as budget constraints and the elim-
ination of the John Day Police Department
have made law enforcement and prosecuting
crimes more diffi cult than it has been in the
past.
”When I took offi ce in 2015, the DA’s
Offi ce was staff ed with a deputy DA that was
funded with grants. That grant funding was
discontinued in 2018 and that position was
eliminated,” Carpenter said.
In 2019, to address the staffi ng issue, Car-
penter agreed to serve as county counsel with-
out pay, provided the county funded a dep-
uty DA position. That position was fi lled for a
short time and later vacated again.
Budgetary concerns also creep into discus-
sions surrounding which cases will be prose-
cuted by the DA’s Offi ce. The current deputy
district attorney, Riccola Voigt, isn’t full time,
meaning a lot of that work falls on Carpenter.
“The county does fund a deputy for 600
hours per fi scal year,” Carpenter said. Those
hours work out out to about 30% of full time,
which means some cases never make it to
court.
“As it is, I’m sometimes in the position
of deciding whether a case will be prose-
cuted based on available resources rather than
merit,” Carpenter said.
Aside from budget constraints, the elimina-
tion of the John Day Police Department has
added complications to the job.
“I’m often asked about the local police
situation. I am a law officer of the state
and county where I live. That being said,
my office does not have an investigative
function,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter also states that
while he works with local
police, he doesn’t direct
their activities or have the
authority to dictate how they
police.
“I would prefer to have
Carpenter
additional police resources.
All that needs doing sim-
ply can’t be done,” Carpenter said. “This is
another area where decisions will have to be
made based on resources available; many
situations that would generally merit police
responses will go without,” Carpenter added.
These diffi culties haven’t made the job all
bad, however. Carpenter said he is pleased
that his offi ce has been able to work through
the pandemic. He’s also encouraged by the
establishment of treatment and family courts,
although he adds they have been somewhat
slow to get off the ground because of COVID.
“Recently our circuit implemented a treat-
ment court along with a family court. I would
like to see these opportunities utilized to the
extent they were designed (for),” Carpenter
said.
Carpenter also stressed that he is “on
board” with providing opportunities for
change, but the consequences of illegal
behavior have to be of a higher magnitude
than the pain of changing illegal behavior.
“When we allow illegal behavior without
consequence, we are simply enabling further
illegal behavior,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter says that he’ll continue to work
within the justice system to hold off enders
accountable while still seeking resources to
help those off enders change their habits and
become productive members of society.
“As part of that, the state needs to step up
and provide resources for rural communi-
ties,” he added.
Singling out a particular event or accom-
plishment that defi nes his last term is chal-
lenging, according to Carpenter, given the
many changes that have taken place in that
time.
“Over the past four years, there have been
signifi cant changes to the law that benefi t
defendants to the detriment of the victims
and the public. Additionally, the local law
enforcement landscape has changed with the
election of a new sheriff and discontinuation
of the John Day Police Department,” Carpen-
ter stated.
Carpenter’s offi ce has been dealing with
an increased workload following the depar-
ture of a full-time deputy DA and the COVID-
19 pandemic bogging down the court process
and delaying trials for around a year. Despite
these circumstances, Carpenter says his offi ce
has been proceeding mostly on schedule
regarding cases and prosecutions.
“I’m grateful that my offi ce has pulled
together and been able to weather these
changes wile proceeding on a more or less
even keel,” Carpenter said.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
• 7 p.m., Sel’s Brewery,
113 Washington St., Canyon
City
Regular weekly meeting of
the Whiskey Gulch Gang to
plan this year’s ‘62 Days fes-
tivities. Anyone who wants
to help is welcome. For more
information, call Colby Farrel
at 541-620-0874.
SATURDAY,
APRIL 2
Lake Creek Youth Camp
Gala
• 5 p.m., Trowbridge
Pavilion, Grant County Fair-
grounds, 411 NW Bridge St.,
John Day
This third annual benefit
for the nonprofit youth and
family camp in Logan Val-
ley features a tri-tip dinner,
games, live music, drinks
by Spitfire Cocktails and
live, silent and dessert auc-
tions. Tickets are $25 at
the door or $20 in advance,
available at several loca-
John Day Senior Center
reopening
• Noon, John Day Senior
Center, 142 NE Dayton St.
The John Day Senior
Center is reopening for
group dining. Lunch will
be served at noon on Mon-
days and Thursdays. The
cost is $6 for those under
60, with a suggested dona-
tion of $5 for those 60 and
up. For more information,
call 541-575-1825.
WEDNESDAY,
APRIL 6
Prairie City Senior Cen-
ter reopening
• Noon, Prairie City Senior
Center, 204 N. McHaley St.
The Prairie City Senior
Center is reopening for group
Showing Movies Since 1940!
1809 1st Street • Baker City
APRIL 1-7
MORBIUS
Friday
Sat & Sun
Mon-Thurs
(PG-13)
4:20, 7:20
1:20, 4:20, 7:20
7:20
THE LOST CITY
Monday - Thursday
7am-
6pm
Monday
- Thursday
7am-
6pm
Friday
8am
- 5pm
Friday Sharpe
8am - 5pm
Mendy
FNP
Friday
Sat & Sun
Mon-Thurs
Mendy
Sharpe FNP
Apppointments
available
(PG-13)
4:10, 7:10
1:10, 4:10, 7:10
7:10
SPIDERMAN
NO WAY HOME
Friday
Sat & Sun
Mon-Thurs
( PG-13)
4:00, 7:00
1:00, 4:00, 7:00
7:00
**SHOWTIMES SUBJECT TO CHANGE. VISIT
OUR WEBSITE OR CALL AHEAD TO VERIFY**
S283715-1
www.eltrym.com
(541) 523-2522
com. The deadline is noon
Friday for publication the fol-
lowing Wednesday.
FRIDAY,
APRIL 8
’62
Days
planning
meeting
• 7 p.m., Sel’s Brewery,
113 Washington St., Canyon
City
Regular weekly meeting of
the Whiskey Gulch Gang to
plan this year’s ‘62 Days fes-
tivities. Anyone who wants
to help is welcome. For more
information, call Colby Farrel
at 541-620-0874.
Do you have a community
Serving Eastern Oregon since 1959!
Pharmacy • Hallmark Cards • Gifts • Liquor Store
Heppner
Condon
Boardman
(541) 676-9158
(541) 256-1200
(541) 481-9474
S282478-1
MONDAY,
APRIL 4
event in Grant County you’d
like to publicize? Email infor-
mation to editor@bmeagle.
www.MurraysDrug.com
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MARK WEBB
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Fundraising dinner and
bingo
• 5 p.m., Mt. Vernon Com-
munity Hall, 640 Ingle St., Mt.
Vernon
The evening begins at
5 p.m. with a taco dinner to
help cover medical expenses
for Jaclyn Clarry, who is
awaiting a kidney transplant.
Tacos are $6 apiece or two
for $10, with all the fi xings. A
bingo fundraiser for the Grant
Union High School Class of
2026 starts at 6. The cost to
play is $5 per card.
’62 Days planning meeting
HAPPENING
dining. Lunch will be served
at noon on Wednesdays. The
cost is $6 for those under 60,
with a suggested donation
of $5 for those 60 and up.
For more information, call
541-820-4100.
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FRIDAY,
APRIL 1
W HAT’S
S283676-1
139101
Lenten luncheon
• 11:30 a.m., St. Elizabeth
of Hungary Catholic Church,
111 SW Second Ave., John
Day
Part of a series of lunchtime
services during Lent spon-
sored by the John Day Min-
isterial Association. Lunch
includes choice of soup, bread
and beverage, followed by a
worship service at 12:15 p.m.
For more information, call
541-575-5840.
tions in John Day and Can-
yon City. For more infor-
mation, call Aimee Rude at
541-206-2421.
FOR
Grant County Commissioner
WRITE IN MARK WEBB
for Grant County Commissioner
Paid for by Mark Webb for County Commissioner.
S285994-1
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WEDNESDAY,
MARCH 30