NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
A5
BLM: Drop suit against Hammonds
By MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
The federal government is seek-
ing the dismissal of a grazing law-
suit involving Oregon’s Hammond
Ranches because cattle won’t graze the
affected allotments until an environ-
mental review is done.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Man-
agement has begun an “environmen-
tal impact statement” of livestock man-
agement and ecological health on four
allotments traditionally grazed by the
Hammond family near Diamond.
Cattle won’t be permitted onto the
26,000 acres of public land before the
EIS is finished, so there’s no longer any
basis for an environmental lawsuit that
opposes cattle grazing by the Ham-
mond family, according to BLM.
“The case is moot because there is
no live controversy between the par-
ties,” said Shannon Boylan, the gov-
Capital Press, File
Allotments traditionally used for grazing by Hammond Ranches are undergo-
ing an extensive environmental review. The federal government has urged a
judge to dismiss a lawsuit against grazing on those allotments.
ernment’s attorney, during oral argu-
ments on Wednesday, June 29.
The Western Watersheds Project
and three other environmental groups
urged a federal judge not to dismiss the
lawsuit, arguing there’s no guarantee
BLM will actually follow through on
the study.
“Right now there is no EIS, so it’s
premature to declare the case moot,”
said Talasi Brooks, attorney for the
environmental plaintiffs. “We don’t
know what the agency will do this
time, and we won’t know until they do
it.”
The Oregon ranch family was
thrown into the public spotlight more
than a decade ago, when Dwight
Hammond and his son, Steven, were
charged with arson for setting fires to
rangelands.
Criminal and civil litigation involv-
ing the Hammonds has taken many
twists and turns since then.
After being convicted in a jury trial,
the Hammonds spent time behind bars
and were released — only to be re-im-
prisoned after a federal appeals court
decided they had to serve longer five-
year mandatory minimum sentences.
Their return to federal prison was
met with protests that culminated in
the standoff at the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge in 2016, which
gained national attention. The Ham-
monds were released from prison
early after former President Donald
Trump pardoned them in 2018.
The following year, BLM restored
the grazing permit that the Ham-
mond family had lost after the arson
convictions.
A federal judge overturned that
decision and remanded it to the
BLM, but the agency again renewed
their grazing permit in the final days
of the Trump administration in early
2021.
Environmental groups filed
another lawsuit over the decision but
the BLM soon decided to rescind
the permit decision after the Biden
administration came into office.
The BLM now says the lawsuit
should be thrown out because the
environmental plaintiffs no longer
have a problem for the federal court
to sort out.
“There is no continuing harm
because grazing never occurred,”
said Boylan, the agency’s attor-
ney. “I don’t know what the court
would be reviewing if this case is not
dismissed.”
COPS AND COURTS
Arrests and citations in the
Blue Mountain Eagle are taken
from the logs of law enforce-
ment agencies. Every effort is
made to report the court dispo-
sition of arrest cases.
Circuit Court
June 29
Jeremiah James Alsop, 40,
of John Day was sentenced on
three counts of criminal driv-
ing while suspended or revoked
based a a guilty plea entered
on Nov. 29. The charges were
based on three separate inci-
dents dating from April 27, July
11 and Sept. 28, 2021. Alsop
was sentenced to two years of
supervised probation and was
ordered to complete the Grant
County Treatment Court Pro-
gram, with the possibility of
early termination of proba-
tion if he complies with all the
court’s directives. If he fails to
complete the program, how-
ever, Alsop’s probation will
be revoked and he will be sen-
tenced to 40 days in jail with no
credit for time served, consecu-
tive to all other cases, and will
be fined $2,000.
June 30
Anthony Scott Steele, 57,
of Canyon City was convicted
of one count of unlawful pos-
session of methamphetamine
in relation to an incident that
occurred on May 31, 2021,
based on a guilty plea entered
on June 28 of this year. He
was sentenced to three years
of supervised probation, 80
hours of community service or
work crew time and 30 days in
jail with credit for time served.
He was also ordered to obtain
a substance abuse evaluation,
complete all recommended
treatment and not use or pos-
sess intoxicants, among other
conditions of probation. If all
conditions are met, the super-
vised probation will convert
to bench probation after one
year.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following
for the week ending June 29:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 13
Average inmates: 11
Bookings: 3
Releases: 5
Arrests: 2
Citations: 3
Fingerprints: 4
Civil papers: 13
Warrants processed: 7
Assist/welfare check: 1
Search and rescue: 0
creating a hazard on Highway
26 near milepost 137.
6:05: Advised of a cow cre-
ating a hazard on Highway 395
North near milepost 79B.
June 27
4:38 p.m.: Advised of a dis-
abled vehicle on Highway 26
near milepost 85.
• Grant County Sheriff
June 22
2:08 a.m.: Responded to
Dollar General, John Day, for a
burglar alarm.
9:27 a.m.: Responded to Tri-
angle Mini Mart, Mt. Vernon,
for a report of theft of services.
10:24 a.m.: Traffic stop,
Highway 26 near Carpenter
Pond Road. Driver warned for
unsafe passing.
3:28 p.m.: Responded to
Clyde Holliday State Park, Mt.
Vernon, for a juvenile problem.
June 23
4:01 p.m.: Responded to
West Main Street, John Day, for
a harassment complaint.
6:34 p.m.: Advised of a driv-
ing complaint on Highway 395
South in Canyon City.
8:14 p.m.: Responded to
Northwest Third Avenue, John
Day for a harassment complaint.
June 24
5:36 a.m.: Responded to
John Day Polaris for a burglar
alarm.
12:30 p.m.: Responded to
Timbers Bistro, John Day, for a
suspicious person.
12:53 p.m.: Responded to
John Day Trailer Park for a sus-
picious person.
11:25 p.m.: Responded to
Sinclair station, John Day, for a
burglar alarm. All secure.
June 25
8:43 a.m.: Responded to
Dark Horse, John Day, for a
welfare check. All OK.
12:27 p.m.: Responded to
Highway 26 near milepost 161
to remove a road hazard.
3:39 p.m.: Responded to
1188 Brewing, John Day, to
assist Pendleton Police Depart-
ment with an interview.
4:59 p.m.: Responded to
Dairy Queen, John Day, for an
unwanted subject.
5:46 p.m.: Responded to
Advantage Dental, John Day,
for a panic alarm at a closed
business.
5:44 p.m.: Responded to
South Humbolt Street, Canyon
City, for a driving complaint.
6:44 p.m.: Advised of shots
fired in the vicinity of East Main
Street, John Day.
7:09 p.m.: Responded to
Chester’s Market, John Day, for
a theft of cans.
7:28 p.m.: Responded to an
address in Seneca to assist a
subject in getting house keys.
June 26
2:57 a.m.: Responded to
Highway 402 in Monument for
an intoxicated male causing a
disturbance. Derrick Brown, 49,
of Kimberly was arrested.
8:34 a.m.: Responded to
Highway 395 South near mile-
post 3C to remove a hazard
from the road.
12:24 p.m.: Responded to
Northeast Dayton Street, John
Day, for a parking complaint.
June 27
1:50 a.m. Responded to
Bare Bones, John Day, for a dis-
turbance. The kids were told to
go home.
10:27 p.m.: Responded to
Northwest First Avenue for a
juvenile problem.
11:40 a.m.: Responded to
Cottonwood Street, Mt. Vernon,
to stand by on a civil issue.
3:25 p.m.: Responded to
Bare Bones, John Day. Ray-
mon McDonald, 57, of John
Day arrested for violation of a
release agreement.
6:18 p.m.: Responded to
Best Western Motel, John Day,
for a dispute.
10:44 p.m.: Responded to
Mascall Overlook for a report
of shots fired.
June 28
6:10 a.m.: Responded with
John Day Ambulance to Mid-
dle Fork Lane near milepost
30 for a single-vehicle crash.
A 24-year-old male was trans-
Justice Court
The Grant County Justice
Court reported the following
activity for the week ending
June 29:
Traffic citations filed: 18
Misdemeanors filed: 1
Small claims filed: 1
Cases on probation: 37
Hearings held: 4
Warrants issued: 2
Driver’s license suspen-
sions: 9
Cases to collections: 69
Cases to Dept. of Revenue:
40
Melanoma stands out.
Check your skin.
You could spot cancer.
Dispatch
Grant County dispatch
worked 160 calls during the
week ending June 29, including:
• Oregon State Police
June 24
8:39 a.m.: Advised of cattle
creating a hazard on Highway
26 near milepost 143.
June 26
Noon: Advised of a disabled
vehicle on Highway 26 near
Austin Junction.
5:18 p.m.: Advised of cattle
LEA RN M ORE AT
STARTSEEIN GMELANOMA.COM
ported to Blue Mountain Hos-
pital in John Day with possible
head trauma.
11:58 a.m.: Responded to
Riverside Mobile Home Park
for an assault complaint.
2:45 p.m.: Responded to
Southwest Canton Street for
a report of a hit-and-run with
property damage.
3:09 p.m.: Responded to
Dog Patch Road, John Day, to
deliver a message. Unable to
locate the recipient.
4:49 pm.: Responded to Fish
House Inn, Dayville, for an
accidental 911 call.
8:29 p.m.: Responded to
South Humbolt Street, Canyon
City, for a driving complaint.
9:43: Responded to the Ugly
Truth, John Day, for a theft
report.
June 29
9:35 a.m.: Responded to
Chester’s Market, John Day, for
a shoplifting complaint.
2:25: Responded to County
Road 63 near milepost 7 for an
abandoned vehicle.
• John Day Ambulance
June 23
7:23 p.m.: Responded to the
Elks Lodge for a 73-year-old
male with an unknown medi-
cal issue.
June 24
10:40 a.m.: Dispatched to
South Canyon Boulevard for
a 45-year-old female with dia-
betic issues and weakness.
12:46 p.m.:
Responded
to Thompson Avenue for an
86-year-old male with breath-
ing difficulties, abdominal pain
and a fall injury.
3:06 p.m.: Patient transport
to St. Charles Medical Center,
Bend.
June 25
9 a.m.: Dispatched to
Ingle Street, Mt. Vernon, for a
72-year-old female who fell and
broke her ankle.
10:14 p.m.: Dispatched to
Blue Heron Road for a 70-year-
old male who was shaking and
cold. Patient transported to Blue
Mountain Hospital.
10:17 p.m.: Dispatched to
Valley View Assisted Living for
a 90-year-old female who fell
out of bed and hit her head.
June 27
7:56 p.m.: Dispatched to
Sunset Motel for a male with an
unknown medical issue.
June 28
2:08 a.m.: Dispatched to
Valley View Assisted Living for
a 73-year-old male with a med-
ical issue.
8:26 a.m.:
Dispatched
to Fields Creek Road for a
60-year-old female with possi-
ble stroke symptoms.
11:56 a.m.: Dispatched to
Valley View Assisted Living
for a patient transport to Blue
Mountain Hospital.
8:34 p.m.: Dispatched to
Metschan Avenue for an 80-year-
old female with high heart rate
and shortness of breath.
• Prairie City Ambulance
June 22
6:10 p.m.: Dispatched to
South Hall Street for a 71-year-
old male with a fall injury.
John Day Ambulance also
responded.
• Seneca Ambulance
June 23
9:21 a.m.: Dispatched to A
Avenue for 66-year-old female
having seizures. John Day
Ambulance also responded.
5:55 p.m.: Dispatched to
A Avenue for a 66-year-old
female with possible alcohol
withdrawal. John Day Ambu-
lance also responded.
June 24
2:28 p.m.: Dispatched to
Highway 26 and Bridge Street
for an 85-year-old female who
fell and hit her head. John Day
Ambulance also responded.