NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Budget
Continued from Page A1
Carpenter said tax foreclosures,
which were not handled by the
county before he was elected, occur
between three and fi ve times a year.
Bench probation, he said, would
now be handled by the Circuit Court
judge.
He said child support enforce-
ment would be absorbed by the state
and will be handled out of an offi ce
in Pendleton.
However, Carpenter said the child
support enforcement program had
been put been put on hold since last
winter when his legal assistant, who
had been in charge of collecting it,
resigned.
The child support collection pro-
gram, which reimburses the county
for two-thirds of the legal assistant’s
salary, brings in up to $15,000 in rev-
enue to the county annually, accord-
ing to Ellison.
Carpenter said he has hired a new
employee and, once the county can
bring that person up to full time, he
will be able to get that person trained
and bring back the program.
In the meantime, he said, there
will be hiccups for single parents in
the county attempting to collect child
support when they do not have a
local person to call and talk to about
their case.
“We live in Grant County,” he
said. “So there’s a pretty high like-
lihood that when someone calls
our offi ce, we know who they are
and what their circumstances are,
as opposed to when they call the
Pendleton offi ce where they are just
another John Smith or Jane Doe.”
Justice Court
During Friday’s special County
Court session, Myers said that a
legal opinion from the county’s
attorney said that six-year elected
judges — regardless of what kind
of judge they are — cannot have
their pay reduced. While Myers
said that he would be reducing his
hours to 32 a week, Justice of the
Peace Kathy Stinnett said she had
not been asked to reduce her pay,
nor had she volunteered to do so.
She said her reasons are
threefold.
First, she said that she and her
husband, Frank Stinnett, were the
only couple that worked for the
county. So, she said, her house-
hold has already had one salary
reduced. Also, she said, her offi ce
had already been cut by one half-
time position during the budget
process. Lastly, she said, as a judge,
she is bound by certain restrictions.
For instance, given the constraints
of her job, she is not free to go out
and get a second job if she had to.
“The compensation that is given
to us during the term for which we
are elected is supposed to be guar-
anteed to maintain a separation of
powers, and create stability,” she
said.
In the meantime, the county has
adjusted its general fund budget by
Wednesday, June 29, 2022
about $30,000 to account for the
money it will not be receiving for
child support and to pay Stinnett
her full-time salary.
Independent audit
Carpenter said the county should
get a “competent” outside expert to
its fi nances and determine exactly
how the budget came up $800,000
short.
When reviewing budget fi gures
in early May, Ellison came across
what she termed a “miscalcula-
tion” and substantially reduced the
county’s reserve funds to off set a
roughly $800,000 shortfall.
Last year, she noted, the Budget
Committee abolished two reserve
accounts that totaled just under
$520,000 to make up for a shortfall.
This year, Ellison believed the
county appeared to be in better
fi nancial shape, so she cut those
accounts entirely.
On top of that, Ellison said, it
appeared that American Rescue
Plan Act funds — federal dollars
A5
allocated to state and local govern-
ments to respond to COVID-19 —
were added twice in the proposed
budget, leaving the county’s con-
tingency fund with just $20,000
instead of $300,000.
In a May interview, Ellison said
that she could not backtrack to pin-
point what happened more pre-
cisely because she did not keep the
calculator tape.
“The county administration,”
Carpenter said, “has been reticent
to take action in this direction.”
Ellison declined to comment
on Carpenter’s call for an outside
audit.
Myers said if someone thinks the
county needs an outside, investiga-
tive audit, then that person needs to
request it. The county, he said, is
not going to pay for it.
“I’ve not been convinced that
there was any wrongdoing other
than a mathematical error calcula-
tion,” he said. “Nothing was pur-
posely held from public view. It
was a mathematical error.”
COPS AND COURTS
Arrests and citations in the
Blue Mountain Eagle are taken
from the logs of law enforce-
ment agencies. Every eff ort is
made to report the court dispo-
sition of arrest cases.
Oregon State Police
June 20
3:13 p.m.: Peter Lewis, 78,
of Halsey, called to report a
crash that occurred Sunday,
June 19, in Wheeler County
on Highway 26, near milepost
72. Lewis reported that he fell
asleep and drifted off the road-
way and struck a fog marker
and road sign before correct-
ing back onto the highway. The
car was operable after the crash
and driven home by Lewis.
7:13 p.m.: Justin Randall
Combs, 33, of Prairie City, was
cited for failing to comply with
the annual sex off ender regis-
tration requirement.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce reported the following
for the week ending June 22:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 9
Average inmates: 12
Bookings: 6
Releases: 6
Arrests: 2
Citations: 3
Fingerprints: 5
Civil papers: 6
Warrants processed: 2
Assist/welfare check: 1
Search and rescue: 1
Circuit Court
June 17
Sabrina Mae Tippett, 29,
was found guilty of driving
under the infl uence of intoxi-
cants and reckless driving on or
about September of 2020. She
was sentenced to 24 months
of probation and 120 hours of
community service and was
fi ned $2,000.
Justice Court
The Grant County Justice
Court reported the following
activity for the week ending
June 22:
Traffi c citations fi led: 7
Cases on probation: 40
Hearings held: 4
Driver’s license suspen-
sions: 18
Violation of the basic
rule: Joseph Warren, 38, Can-
yon City, June 6, 73/55 zone,
fi ned $165; Taylor Lane, 21,
Estacada, May 25, 75/55 zone,
fi ned $115; William Barsky,
76, Bend, June 6, 78/55 zone,
fi ned $265; Tina Akeyson, 49,
Salem, May 30, 74/55, fi ned
$165.
Exceeding the speed limit:
Samuel Tiller, 24, Boise, May
25, 75/65 zone, fi ned $165;
Justin Teague, 19, Prineville,
May 30, 85/65, fi ned $265.
Driving while suspended:
Joshua Haskins, 38, Prai-
rie City, May 30, fi ned $440;
Joseph Warren, 38, Canyon
City, June 6, fi ned $440.
Driving uninsured: Joshua
Haskins, 38, Prairie City, May
30, fi ned $265; Joseph Warren,
38, Canyon City, June 6, fi ned
$265; Jason Nute, 26, Vancou-
ver, fi ned $265.
Unsafe passing on the left:
Ashley Henry, 18, Mt. Vernon,
May 26, fi ned $265
Dispatch
Grant County dispatch
worked 126 calls during the
week ending June 15, including:
• Oregon State Police
June 15
11:37 p.m. : Advised of a
non-injury accident on High-
way 26, near milepost 84.
June 19
12:04 p.m.: Advised of
cattle creating a hazard in
the road on Highway 26 near
milepost 126.
June 20
9:53 a.m.: Advised of an
RV that drove away from the
Canyon City Mini Market
without paying for fuel. The
driver was contacted and the
issue was resolved.
2:54 p.m.: Advised of a
driver dragging bundles of
wire behind a pickup on High-
way 26 and Dog Creek Road.
4:42 p.m.: Advised of a
black angus bull on Highway
395B between milepost 66B
and 67B.
• Grant County Sheriff
June 15
12:34 p.m.: Received a
fraud complaint on South
Humbolt Street in Canyon
City.
10:19 pm.: Advised of a sui-
cidal subject on Hillcrest Drive
in John Day.
June 16
12:45 p.m.: Responded to a
report of a vehicle hitting a gas
pump on East Front Road.
1:00 p.m.: Received a com-
plaint of criminal mischief on
Brent Street in John Day.
10:22 p.m.: Advised of a
dog as a public nuisance on
Main Street in John Day.
June 17
7:49 a.m.: Received a park-
ing complaint on West Main
Street in John Day.
9:52 a.m.: Advised of fraud
on West Main Street in John
Day.
June 18
1:06 a.m.: Responded with
Prairie City and John Day
Ambulance to East Front and
South Bridge Street for an
18-year-old male suff ering
from a possible overdose.
June 19
12:27 a.m.: Advised with
Oregon State Police that live-
stock was at large on Highway
26 and Hansen Lane.
8:24 a.m.: Warned a driver
for violation of basic rule and
failure to update address of
concealed carry permit.
12:17 p.m.: Warned a driver
for speeding on Highway 395
near milepost 2.
1:21 p.m.: Assisted a
motorist on Highway 26 near
milepost 170.
3:59 p.m.: Received a
Friday, July 1 st | Dayville Community Hall
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony – 3:30
Walk and Gawk – 3:30-4:30
Program – 4:30
Potluck – 5:30 (Meat & Rolls Provided)
Linger Longer with Visiting & Music by the James Gang – 6:30-9:00
Red, White,
& Blue
Coloring Contest
Dayville Rocks Contest
Sidewalk Chalk Art
Contest
Hometown Treasure Hunt
Patriotic Lampost Contest
7:30 – 9:00 Breakfast , Community Church
9:00 – Car Show Registration , City Hall
9:30 – Parade Line-up & Judging
10:30 – Parade
11:00–2:00 Come One, Come
All, to Visit in our Community
● 3 Divisions—Motorized, Non-motorized, & Kids
●Best of Parade – special ribbon & Dayville Dollars given to
the entry that best depicts the theme.
Hall – The Hall will be open for touring
and visiting. Lemonade will be provided.
4:00–7:00 – Tri-Tip by Guyon
Springs, Fish House Inn
6:00–9:00 – Karaoke , Fish House
Following Parade at the Park – Jake-
burgers & the Jake Streeter Memorial
Classic Car Show
11:30 – Baked Good Auction
1:00 – Goat Roping , Letosky’s Corral
Immediately Following Auction – Prizes &
Cookies! Prizes will be awarded to all contest win-
ners, drawing for the Town Quilt will take place & there
will be free ‘thank you for coming’ cookies for all!
4:00–6:00 – Hamburgers & Hot
11:45 – Jackpot Horseshoe Tournament
Dogs , Fish House Inn
1:00 Goat Roping , Letosky’s Corral
11:00 – Church Service,
Community Church
5:00-9:00 – Music “Red Headed Step
Child”, Fish House Inn
Events may be added or deleted from this schedule. Please, call 541-987-
2188 or email dville@ortelco.net for up-to-date information.
report of a theft at the Ugly
Truth Bar and Grill, John
Day.
June 20
11:12 a.m.:
Responded
with the Oregon State Police
to assist Umatilla County
with an accident on Highway
395B.
11:34 a.m.: Responded to
West Main Street, John Day,
to a report of a theft and a sep-
arate request for offi cer con-
tact on the same complaint.
11:56 a.m.: Advised of
telephonic harassment on
North Humbolt Street, Can-
yon City.
1:53 p.m.: Responded to a
report of fraud on Patterson
Drive, John Day.
2:24 p.m.: Warned a driver
for speeding on Highway 26
near milepost 158.
3:28 p.m.: Received a
driving complaint on West
Highway 26 and arrested
Shawn Allan Miller, 52, of
Corbett for driving under the
infl uence of an intoxicant.
5:40 p.m.: Responded to
a dispute on Highland Place,
John Day.
8:10 p.m.: Cited Conner
Oguinn of Darby, Montana,
for speeding, 50/30 zone, on
Highway 395 near milepost 2.
June 21
12:32 p.m.: Received a
report of criminal mischief at
Blue Mountain Care Center,
Prairie City.
• John Day Ambulance
June 15
10:03 a.m.:
Dispatched
to Suds Pub, Mt. Vernon, for
a 35-year-old male having a
seizure.
June 16
3:04 p.m.: Dispatched to
Cottonwood Street, Mt. Ver-
non, for an 83-year-old female
with breathing problems.
7:23 p.m.: Dispatched to
Brent Lane for an 83-year-old
male who fell.
June 17
11:34 a.m.: Dispatched to
Washington Street in Canyon
City for a 67-year-old female
with a possible urinary tract
infection.
June 18
12:21 a.m.: Dispatched to
Riverside Street for an 84-year-
old female with low blood
sugar.
7:06 p.m.: Did a trans-
fer from the Grant County
Regional Airport.
June 19
8:29 a.m.: Dispatched to
West Riverside for an 84-year-
old female with diffi culty
breathing and medication
issue.
June 20
12:09 p.m.: Patient trans-
port to St. Charles Hospital in
Bend.
June 21
6:23 p.m.: Dispatched to
Northwest Bridge Street for a
46-year-old male who fell and
hit his head.
9:57 p.m.: Dispatched to
the Best Western Motel for a
70-year-old female abdominal
pain.
• Prairie City Ambulance
June 17
5:14 a.m.: Dispatched with
John Day Ambulance to South
Bridge Street for a 77-year-old
female with fl u-like symptoms.
• Monument Ambulance
June 16
6:59 p.m.: Dispatched with
John Day Ambulance to Top
Road to an 88-year-old female
with high fever and chills.
• Seneca Ambulance
June 19
6:12 p.m.: Dispatched with
John Day Ambulance to Sec-
ond Street for a 78-year-old
male with diffi culty breathing.
June 21
7:47 p.m.: Dispatched with
John Day Ambulance to Sec-
ond Street for a 71-year-old
male with severe chest pains.
• John Day Fire
June 16
9:30 a.m.: Responded to a
fi re alarm on Patterson Bridge
Road.