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About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (July 1, 2015)
Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, July 1, 2015 Umatilla National Forest lightning wildfire update - FIVE Beating the heat... Road and trail closures implemented Pendleton—Multiple fires have been reported to the Blue Mountain In- teragency Dispatch Center (BMIDC) and John Day Interagency Dispatch Cen- ter (JDIDC) as a result of recent lightning activity. A reconnaissance observation flight was scheduled for last Sunday to scout for new fires and search for fires that were reported but not lo- cated. Several fire lookouts across the forest are also staffed and on the lookout for smoke. More fires are expected to be reported throughout the day and lightning is in the forecast for this evening. The Heppner Ranger District reported four new fires Sunday and three new fires Monday. The Texas Fire, which is located on the Heppner Ranger District two miles east of Madison Butte Lookout, is estimated at nine acres in size and is cur- rently 40 percent contained. It is burning in heavy fuels with short range spotting. By Tuesday the fire was staffed with 16 rappellers and one 20-person hot- shot crew. Heavy dead and down material and spotting continue to present chal- lenges in containing this fire. Crews will continue to strengthen control lines and mop up the fire. Current closures re- lated to the fire in the Texas Butte Roadless area include Copple Butte Trailhead and the entire length of Copple Butte Trail #3052. The Old Misery Fire, which is located two miles SE of Bull Prairie, is es- timated at six acres and is 80 percent contained. Resources on scene include one engine and a dozer. Tuesday firefighters fo- cused suppression actions on completing control lines and mopping up the fire. The Rocky Flat Fire, located near Highway 207 and Big Flat Road, is cur- rently at 127 acres and is 80 percent contained. The fire is burning in grass and juniper. Resources were on scene to complete control lines and mop up the fire Tuesday. The Collins Butte Fire, located four miles northeast of the community of Win- lock, was approximately 87 acres in size and 100 percent contained on Tues- day. A single engine air tanker, one helicopter with bucket, three engines, two dozers, two water tenders, a heavy air tanker and one 20-person crew were on scene. Additional resources continue to improve the control line. A fire is burning in the Potamus area south of Forest Service Road 2105 was estimated at one acre. Another fire burning near Little Potamus Creek was contained and is being monitored. The fire danger rat- ing remains at HIGH and Public Use Restrictions involving campfires and chainsaw use are in effect. (See following story.) Public Use Restrictions increased on the Umatilla National Forest PENDLETON, OR- EGON—Due to increased fire danger and dry weather conditions, Phase A of the Public-Use Restrictions (PURS) involving chainsaw use, smoking, off-road trav- el, and campfires went into effect on the Umatilla Na- tional Forest at 12:01 a.m. (PDT) on Monday, June 29. The seasonal campfire restriction remains in effect. “The hot weather fore- casted for this weekend will quickly elevate the fire danger across the forest,” said Brian Ebert, Deputy Fire Staff for the Umatilla National Forest, in a state- ment last week. “Beginning Monday, chainsaw use will be prohibited between the hours of 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. Firewood cutters will want to get an early start to beat the heat,” said Ebert. Phase A is the second level of restrictions, gener- ally implemented when the fire danger is moderate to high. PURS are phased in collectively, as conditions warrant, and may differ from forest to forest. Phase A restrictions include restrictions regard- ing chainsaw use, smok- ing, forest travel, and use of campfires and cooking stoves. Forest personnel say the public’s awareness of the increasing fire danger and cooperation is essen- tial to a safe fire season. Recreationists, firewood cutters, hunters, and other forest users can all help by closely adhering to restric- tions, operating safely and cautiously and keeping up- to-date on the latest orders and regulations. Please check with your local Oregon Department of Forestry office for public use restrictions on lands protected by ODF. Visit the Blue Mountain Interagency Dispatch webpage at: www. bmidc.org or contact a lo- cal Oregon Department of Forestry office for more complete information. For more information about the Umatilla National Forest’s Public Use Restric- tions, contact the Pendleton, office at 541-278-3716, call Forest Information Hotline at 1-877-958-9663, or visit the website at www.fs.usda. gov/umatilla/. Sheriff’s Report November 5: Morrow County Sheriff ’s Office received report from a man in Heppner that he hit a deer near the Heppner City Park on Main St. He wasn’t sure if it was alive or dead. MCSO was unable to locate the deer. -MCSO received report from an Irrigon woman that her storage unit at the Irri- gon Mini Storage was bro- ken into and gone through. She reported that a male subject had her keys while she was in jail. -MCSO received report of a vehicle parked in front of the bar in Heppner for almost a week. She said she would call in the plates when she arrived at the bar and requested that MCSO call the owner. -MCSO received report from a woman that she was walking to work in Heppner and noticed a syringe lying on the ground. She said she pushed it to the fence line with her foot and requested a deputy respond and dis- pose of the needle. -MCSO received report from the Irrigon Shell sta- tion that they have evidence of criminal mischief against a male subject. -MCSO Deputy arrest- ed Michelle Dawn Alldritt Holtz, 39, on a Heppner Justice Court warrant for Failure to Appear. She was transported directly to Ir- rigon Justice Court to go before the judge. -MCSO received report of a lost female boxer pup- py in Boardman. The caller said the puppy was deaf. -MCSO received report of a domestic dispute on Linden Way in Heppner with the female allegedly strangled and punched by her husband. The incident was under investigation. -MCSO received report of a pitbull in Irrigon that charges the caller when she walks by. -MCSO received report of two dogs on Water Street hill in Heppner in the road off and on for the past two weeks becoming a hazard for the dogs and traffic. -MCSO received re- port of the theft of around $500 worth of clothes from the laundromat at Sergio’s Mexican Restaurant on Hwy. 730, Irrigon. -MCSO received report of a female student leaving Heppner High School and the school was unable to get a hold of her parents to make sure she was safe. -MCSO received report from a citizen that the Ir- rigon Post Office released his mail to another person. Pioneer Memorial Clinic For Any Morrow County Students FREE SPORTS PHYSICALS Tuesday, Aug. 11 th , 1:30 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13 th, 1:30 to 5 p.m. If exam is not done during these two days there will be a $34 charge. Pioneer Memorial Clinic is located at 130 Thompson Avenue, Heppner, OR 541-676-5504 -MCSO received report that an Irrigon man was looking for his bay mare. -MCSO received re- port of a motor vehicle accident with unknown injuries at Taggares Lane/ Tower Road. -MCSO received report of juveniles playing under- neath the stairs on Water St. in Heppner, sticking their legs out into traffic and al- most getting run over. The caller requested a deputy to advise the children. -MCSO arrested Cindy R. Whitbeck, 41, on an Irrigon Justice Court war- rant for Failure to Appear/ Criminal Trespass I. She was lodged at Umatilla County Jail with additional warrants. -MCSO received re- port from a woman at A.C. Houghton Elementary School in Irrigon that her vehicle was hit in a park- ing lot. She said she would wait for a deputy at the front entrance to the school. November 6: Morrow County Sheriff ’s Office received report of a car that rolled in the median on I-84 Boardman. Boardman Fire Department, Board- man Ambulance, Boardman Police Department, MCSO and Oregon State Police responded. The subject refused transport by am- bulance. -MCSO received report of a tan horse loose in the area of Main St. Ione. Dis- patch contacted the owner who had already received a call from the Post Office. The horse was returned. -MCSO received report from the vice-principal at Irrigon Junior/Senior High School that a junior high student was shot with a paint ball gun while walk- ing to school that morning. -MCSO received report that TransCanada Pipeline was activating their pipline at Station 9 near Ione. They advised there may be a loud noise for around 10 minutes. -MCSO received report from a subject on Penland Even the local wildlife is trying to find ways to beat the heat, as evidenced by these racoons that seemed to be trying to sneak into Willow Creek Water Park in Heppner recently. -Phloto by Megan Futter DA’s Report Morrow County Dis- trict Attorney Justin Nelson has released the following report: -Amanda Sue Walton, 33, was convicted of Pos- session of Methamphet- amine, a Class C Felony, and sentenced to six months driver’s license suspension and 18 months supervised probation subject to 90 sanction units with 30 jail units. Probation conditions include 80 hours of commu- nity service. Fines, fees and assessments totaled $500. -Daniel Joseph Avila, 27, was convicted of Pos- session of methamphet- amine, a Class C Felony. The defendant’s driver’s license was suspended for six months and the defen- dants sentenced to 60 days jail time with credit for time served, and one year post-prison supervision. Fines, fees and assessments totaled $200. -Jeremy Wayne Smith, 37, was convicted of Theft II, a Class A Misdemeanor, and was sentenced to dis- charge. Fines, fees and assessments totaled $120. -Jeremy Wayne Smith, 37, was additionally con- victed of Burglary II, a Class C Felony, and sen- tenced to 18 months prison time with credit for time served, to run concurrent with the following Crimi- nal Mischief case, and one year post-prison supervi- sion. The defendant was also convicted of Theft II, a Class A Misdemeanor, and sentenced to discharge. Fines, fees, assessments and restitution totaled $600. --Jeremy Wayne Smith, 37, was additionally con- victed of Criminal Mischief I, a Class C Felony, and sen- tenced to 18 months prison time with credit for time served, to run concurrent with the previous Burglary case, and one year post- prison supervision. Fines, fees, assessments and res- titution totaled $1,428.66. Lane that someone had hit his truck while he was out hunting the previous week. -MCSO received report from a Boardman subject that two dogs charged him and his grandson, bit his pant leg and tore the jeans. -MCSO, Heppner Fire Department received report that a resident at Lakeview Heights, Heppner, pulled a fire alarm. The caller said the resident then left the facility. -MCSO received report of an incident of road rage with subjects in a white hearse with stickers on the back, all over the road, almost causing accidents and yelling and screaming out the window on I-84 Boardman. -MCSO received report of a car without its head- lights on almost hitting the caller’s car by driving into her lane on I-84. -MCSO Deputy ad- vised he was out with some- one possibly living in an RV on Third St. in Irrigon. -MCSO received report of loud music as early as 5:30 a.m. in the RV lot on Main St. in Ione. -MCSO received re- quest for deputy contact concerning threats made against her daughter by other students at school in Irrigon. -MCSO received re- quest for a welfare check on a subject at the Oasis RV Park in Irrigon. The caller said that she had spoken to the subject, who said he thought he had a stroke, spent the night on the floor and wasn’t doing well. The caller was concerned because she had not heard from him all day. -MCSO received report from a subject at Utah Ave. in Irrigon that his kids’ house had been broken into and was trashed. MCSO responded. -MCSO received report of a customer at the Board- man Shell station who had been there for several hours, wouldn’t leave and was trying to get to the other side of the counter. Board- man Police Department and MCSO responded. -Heppner Ambulance received request for an am- bulance for an 83-year-old woman who was confused and unable to speak. Hep- pner Ambulance responded and transported her to Pio- neer Memorial Hospital in Heppner. -Heppner Ambulance received report of a 68-year- old male who had fallen of a ladder at Willow Creek Rd./Forest Service 21 Rd. He was transported. -Ione Ambulance re- ceived port of a 56-year-old male with abdominal pain. He was transported. November 7: Morrow County Sheriff’s Office re- ceived report of neighbors peeling out and revving up their engines in front of his residence at Irrigon Mobile Court. He said he had issues with them making noise in the past. -MCSO received re- port of a cow and calf near the caller’s camp off the 2110 Rd./40 Rd. A deputy advised it was open range. Messages were left for the possible owner of the cow.