TWO - Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, May 13, 2020
The Official Newspaper
of the City of Heppner and the County of Morrow
~ Letters to the Editor ~
Heppner
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right to edit. The GT is not responsible for accuracy of statements made in
letters. Any letters expressing thanks will be placed in the classifieds under
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GAZETTE-TIMES
U.S.P.S. 240-420
Morrow County’s Home-Owned Weekly Newspaper
SEARCH OLD COPIES OF THE HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES ON-LINE:
http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/
Published weekly by Sykes Publishing and entered as periodical matter at the Post
Office at Heppner, Oregon under the Act of March 3, 1879. Periodical postage paid
at Heppner, Oregon. Office at 188 W. Willow Street. Telephone (541) 676-9228. Fax
(541) 676-9211. E-mail: editor@rapidserve.net or david@rapidserve.net. Web site:
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P.O. Box 337, Heppner, Oregon 97836. Subscriptions: $31 in Morrow County; $25
senior rate (in Morrow County only; 65 years or older); $37 elsewhere; $31 student
subscriptions.
David Sykes ..............................................................................................Publisher
Bobbi Gordon................................................................................................ Editor
Giselle Moses.........................................................................................Advertising
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responsible for accuracy of statements made in letters. Any letters expressing thanks will
be placed in the classifieds under “Card of Thanks” at a cost of $10.
Vote for the real Diehl
To the editor:
Glen Diehl has my sup-
port for Justice of the Peace.
Glen has earned a repu-
tation for his knowledge,
values, and standing up
for what is right. He brings
experience and integrity
that can’t be compared for
his extensive background
in law enforcement and
criminal justice.
Prior to becoming Jus-
tice of the Peace this year,
his former role in Mor-
row County Community
Corrections gives him the
knowledge and experience
to continue to serve with the
honesty and integrity that
he is known for.
P r o f e s s i o n a l l y, i n
working with him, I have
witnessed a leader that is
humble, dedicated and fair.
Glen cares about the people
of Morrow County and is
the best person for Justice
of the Peace.
Thank you,
Jacob Case, Irrigon
DA’s Report
Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson has
released the following report:
Bret Wade Hutton Thompson, 53, was convicted of:
Count 1: Attempt to commit a Class A Felony – Rape
in the first degree, Felony Class B, committed on or
about 03/24/2020. Conviction is based on a guilty plea
on 04/23/2020.
Defendant is sentenced to the custody of Oregon
Department of Corrections for a period of 13 months.
Defendant may receive credit for time served. The De-
fendant may not be considered for release on post-prison
supervision under ORS 421.508(4) upon successful com-
pletion of an alternative incarceration program.
The term of Post-Prison Supervision is 10 years mi-
nus time actually served pursuant to ORS 144.103. If the
Defendant violates any of the conditions of post-prison
supervision, the defendant shall be subject to sanctions
including the possibility of additional imprisonment in
accordance with the rules of the State Sentencing Guide-
lines Board.
Count 2: Attempt to Commit a Class A Felony – Sod-
omy in the first degree, 161.405(2)(b), Felony Class B,
committed on or about 03/24/2020. Conviction is based
upon a guilty plea on 04/23/2020.
Defendant is sentenced to the custody of Oregon
Department of Corrections for a period of 13 months.
Defendant may receive credit for time served. The De-
fendant may be considered by the executing or releasing
authority for any form of reduction in sentence, tempo-
rary leave from custody, work release, or program of
conditional or supervised release authorized by law for
which the Defendant is otherwise eligible at the time of
sentencing. The Defendant may not be considered for
release on post-prison supervision under ORS 421.508(4)
upon successful completion of an alternative incarcera-
tion program. This sentence shall be concurrent with the
following cases with Count 1.
Count 4: Assault in the fourth degree, 163.160(2),
Misdemeanor Class A, committed on or about 03/24/2020.
Conviction is based upon a guilty plea on 04/23/2020.
Count 4 is discharged.
Count 3, Sexual Abuse in the first degree is dismissed.
The court recommends as a condition of post-prison
supervision:
Complete Alcohol/Drug Eval and any recommended
treatment. No contact with victim(s). Pay all fines fees and
restitution as ordered. Complete a sex offender treatment
program. No drugs without prescription & PPS Officer
notification. Not use or possess drug paraphernalia.
Submit to and pay for random drug testing. Not allowed
where illegal drugs kept, used or sold.
Defendant is ordered to submit blood or buccal sam-
ple and thumbprint pursuant to ORS 137.076. Defendant
is ordered to register as a sex offender pursuant to Oregon
Revised Statutes.
What is wrong with the
truth?
To the editor:
As a judicial candidate
for Morrow County Justice
of the Peace, I thought
I would like to distance
myself from the rumors
and innuendo that have sur-
rounded the politics of the
office. I would have, until
last week’s letter from Mrs.
Diehl appeared in the paper.
I will not stand silent and
let Morrow County elect
someone that does not have
the moral fortitude to judge.
In a letter to the editor
last week, Mrs. Diehl stated
that her husband has lived
in Morrow County and
claimed permanent residen-
cy here since he joined the
Morrow County Sheriff’s
Department in January of
2016. Mr. Diehl, on his
sworn judicial interest form
to the Governor, stated that
he has lived in Heppner
since October of 2017.
The Umatilla County
clerk’s office shows that
Glen Diehl has voted in
Umatilla County’s elections
through May 7, 2019, when
he changed his address and
voter registration through
the DMV. Glen Diehl voted
for the first time May 21,
2019 in Morrow County.
This isn’t a rumor, this
is not slander, nor nepotism
as some have claimed. This
is the truth, it’s all public
record. I provided a copy of
all the documents to the Ga-
zette Times if you have the
desire to confirm this infor-
mation for yourself. I have
also decided to provide
them to the Secretary of
State elections division and
the Department of Justice
ethics board. Something I
felt should have been done
months ago when it was dis-
covered at the county level.
I will sign the complaint
form if no one else will.
Oregon has statutes that
govern residency rules, for
example, ORS 247.035. In
Oregon you have 30 days
to change your address
and every law enforcement
officer I know knows that.
There are stiff penalties for
providing false information
on judicial candidacy forms
like ORS 260.715, in fact I
believe it’s a felony and a
$125,000 fine if convicted.
Furthermore there is an
Oregon Code of Judicial
Conduct that may have
been violated as well, like
rule 5(D).
I’m not judge yet, and
may never be, but I know
Morrow County deserves
better.
Kelly Doherty
Mudslinging and
character assassination
To the editor
It is discouraging to
see the massive amount of
mudslinging as of recent
in Morrow County; a con-
stant stream of character
assassination against each
other in the media, in per-
son, and in the rumor mill.
It is a hostile and political
atmosphere between the
Blue Mountain foothills
and Columbia River in our
beautiful community.
We are all neighbors
and will continue to be
after the election, after the
pandemic and beyond. At
a time when we should be
helping and supporting our
neighbors, we are being
torn with misinformation
and defamation because of
Open our counties
To the editor:
On May 6 Grant Coun-
ty Sheriff Glen Palmer is-
sued this statement, “The
Grant Co. Sheriff’s Office
will not become involved in
cases or issues of business-
es opening against the gov-
ernors order.” Previously
Crook County Sheriff John
Gautney issued a statement
that the Sheriff’s Office
would not cite businesses
that reopen. “If a business
decides to open, that’s a
decision the business owner
makes. We are a free society
and able to make decisions
based on common sense.”
This media and gov-
ernment driven flu pan-
demic, business and church
shutdown, defies common
sense. All the models have
proven to be in error and
put our nation in fear and
BMCC to hold Parade of
Graduates
In lieu of traditional commencement ceremony
Blue Mountain Com-
munity College (BMCC)
has re-imagined its tra-
ditional commencement
ceremony in the midst of
COVID-19 and will instead
honor graduating students
with a “Parade of Grad-
uates” on Thursday, June
11. The event will allow
BMCC to celebrate grad-
uates in a safe format with
appropriate social distanc-
ing in place.
The Parade of Gradu-
ates will begin at 7 p.m. on
June 11 at the Pendleton
campus, and graduates will
drive with their immediate
families in their personal
vehicles up the BMCC hill
and around the campus,
with BMCC faculty and
staff, as well as graduates’
families and friends, lining
the roadway (socially dis-
tanced) around campus to
cheer and celebrate as they
pass. Students will receive
a commencement gift bag
that will include their tas-
sel and diploma cover and
other gifts to honor their
achievement. Students will
be encouraged to decorate
their vehicles in celebra-
tion.
“Commencement is
our favorite day of the year
at the college, so we’re
excited to still be able to
honor our graduates with
Ione Library board
to meet
The monthly meeting
of the Ione Library Dis-
trict’s Board of Directors
will be held on Monday,
May 18 at 6 p.m. instead
of the normally scheduled
fourth Monday. The board
meeting will be preceded
by the budget committee
meeting at 5 p.m.
In response to the cur-
rent health emergency, at-
tendance at the meeting
will be available via Zoom.
Please contact the Ione
Library at 541-561-9828
between 1 and 5 p.m. Mon-
day through Thursday for
the meeting number and
password.
ALL NEWS AND ADVERTISEMENT DEADLINE:
MONDAYS AT 5:00 P.M.
campaign, self-righteous-
ness or personal gain. I am
disappointed, as many are.
This week we look to
the future – a hope of re-
opening an economy; that
familiar feeling of social-
izing again, though differ-
ently; casting our ballots in
elections; and the blossoms
of spring in eastern Oregon.
We should also look to each
other for hope and guidance
as we navigate through
these uncertain times. Look
to the compassion that is
in Morrow County and en-
courage others to build each
other up as too much has
tried to tear everyone down
enough already this year.
Rogena Loving
Boardman, OR
this creative alternative to
our traditional event,” said
President Bailey-Fougnier.
“Commencement signifies
an outstanding achieve-
ment for these students, and
BMCC wanted to make sure
there was an opportunity
to celebrate their efforts,
despite the restrictions in
place with COVID-19.”
confusion and the justifi-
cation for the police state
edicts undermine our Con-
stitutional liberty and free-
dom. Businesses have gone
bankrupt; suicides, domes-
tic unrest and withheld
medical procedures have
significantly outnumbered
Wuhan flu deaths. In light
of spurious and doctored
Wuhan flu death numbers,
the flu is historically just as
deadly in Oregon.
If Umatilla and Mor-
row Counties continue to
abide by Gov. Brown’s
unconstitutional edicts, our
economy and small busi-
nesses will be devastated.
The Pendleton Round Up,
Heppner rodeo, 4 th of July
celebrations will be can-
celled and churches will
find it very difficult to honor
their God given responsibil-
ity to minister the gospel.
I exhort the Sheriffs
of Morrow and Umatil-
la County to follow suit
and open up our counties
to business with common
sense safeguards. I exhort
the directors of the local
rodeo’s and 4 th of July cel-
ebrations to continue their
traditions with common
sense. We are a Consti-
tutional Republic of the
people, by the people and
for the people. We are not
a police state run by the
unconstitutional edicts of a
governor.
Stuart Dick, Irrigon
EOU to hold virtual
graduation
ceremony
Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity, along with many
other colleges and univer-
sities, is postponing it’s
in-person commencement
exercises this spring.
EOU will honor spring
graduates with a virtual
recognition on June 13, the
same date the in-person
ceremony was scheduled to
take place on campus. The
recognition event will rec-
reate EOU’s typical in-per-
son ceremony as closely
as possible, with speeches
and conferring of degrees
via video.
“Graduation is a very
special time and a mean-
ingful milestone in our
students’ education and we
want to celebrate that ac-
complishment,” said VP for
University Advancement
Tim Seydel. “Given that
we cannot hold major pub-
lic events, we are finding
alternatives for now, and
looking forward to a time
when our graduates can join
faculty, staff and families in
person.”
EOU is working on
plans for a possible in-per-
son ceremony this fall.
Graduates will also have
the option to walk in the
June 2021 commencement
ceremony.