SATURDAY, APRIL 18, 2015
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3
COMMUNITY
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Students from Rocky Heights
and Sunset elementary schools
and Hermiston and Umatilla
high schools learned more about
career and education opportu-
nities available in the area and
snagged information and good-
ies from multiple vendors at
the sixth annual Bulldog Career
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the Hermiston Conference Cen-
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trict, Chamber of Commerce and
the InterMountain Education
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fourth consecutive year to host
the event, which featured more
than 35 area businesses, organi-
zations and community colleges.
JESSICA KELLER
PHOTO
Spencer Hull,
Delish Bistro,
soon to open in
Hermiston, helps
local elementary
school students
choose goodies
and answers
their questions
at the Bulldog
Career Fair
Wednesday at
the Hermiston
Conference
Center.
Woman arrested near Hermiston
following hour-long police pursuit
Suspect pulled
knife on Morrow
County deputy
after colliding
with his vehicle
BY SEAN HART
HERMISTON HERALD
A woman with outstand-
ing warrants was taken
into custody Wednesday
morning near Hermiston
after colliding with a law
enforcement vehicle fol-
lowing an hour-long pur-
suit that began in Morrow
County.
Morrow County Sheriff
Ken Matlack said Aman-
da Walton, 32, was arrest-
ed about 11:15 a.m. near
79532 S. Edwards Road,
between East Loop Road
and East Highland Ex-
tension, near a residence
where she had been staying.
Matlack said she turned
off of Edwards Road onto
private property and was
trying to turn around when
she collided with a Morrow
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hicle and stopped. Walton
initially refused to comply
and brandished a knife to
an MCSO detective, who
had his gun drawn on her,
Matlack said. He said she
did not drop the knife until
the detective called for a
Taser, and she was then tak-
en into custody.
“These things are so bi-
zarre,” he said. “You just
never know what’s going to
happen.”
Matlack said Walton
had three outstanding war-
rants for failing to appear in
court on criminal charges: a
possession of methamphet-
amine charge with $10,000
bail and a third-degree theft
charge with $3,000 bail in
Morrow County and an
unauthorized entry of a
motor vehicle charge with
$100,000 bail in Uma-
tilla County. He said she
will now face additional
charges, including attempt-
ing to elude.
“There’s
numerous
charges, as far as the stop
signs and the speed on grav-
el roads,” he said. “I guess
we’ll have to wait and see
about the collision to see if
that was intentional or how
that played out.”
The MCSO vehicle sus-
tained minor to moderate
front-end damage from the
collision, Matlack said and
added he would be sur-
prised if the repairs cost
less than $1,500.
He said the incident be-
gan at about 9:30 a.m. when
a theft victim contacted
MCSO. The victim planned
to meet Walton, who ap-
parently had information
about recovering his stolen
property, near a gravel pit
on Gun Club Road in Mor-
row County near the county
line, Matlack said. When an
MCSO detective and depu-
ty arrived on scene, Walton
was driving away in a blue
1985 GMC pickup, he said.
The deputy tried to stop her,
but she attempted to elude,
and the pursuit began at
about 10:15 a.m., Matlack
said.
Walton drove to Inter-
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pursuit, he said, and then
drove eastbound to Exit
193 reaching a top speed of
about 75 mph. She crossed
over the freeway headed
northbound on Wells Sta-
tion Road and then turned
west onto Stage Gulch
Road, driving between 30
and 55 mph on the gravel
road, Matlack said.
He said multiple agen-
cies responded to assist
MCSO with the pursuit,
including Oregon State Po-
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partment, Umatilla County
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He said OSP placed a spike
strip on the gravel road, but
Walton was able to stop her
vehicle before puncturing
her tires. She backed up
and maneuvered around
the spike strip, Matlack
said, and the MCSO deputy
leading the pursuit thought
the strip had been removed
from the road and punc-
tured a tire while resuming
the pursuit.
He said another MCSO
deputy led the pursuit as
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South Edwards Road until
turning onto the property
where she was arrested. He
said four vehicles had to
pull completely off the road
to avoid Walton during the
pursuit.
Matlack praised the
calm demeanor of his dep-
uties and the cooperation
between agencies that led
to the arrest.
GARY L. WEST PHOTO
Tom Inch is the new pastor of Grace and Mercy Lutheran
Church on Main Street in Hermiston. Inch was installed as
pastor March 29.
Grace and Mercy
Lutheran Church
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permanent pastor
Grace and Mercy Lu-
theran Church has a new
pastor.
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cially installed as pastor
on March 29, according
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of the congregation.
Inch started at the
church on March 1. He
said he had previous-
ly served as pastor of a
church in Ephrata, Wash-
ington, and has spent
about the last four years as
interim pastor at churches
in eastern Washington.
Grace and Mercy Lu-
theran Church, at 164 E.
Main, recently moved
into the storefront loca-
tion after worshiping at
the Presbyterian Church
on Southeast Ninth Street
for much of its early ex-
istence.
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called, or permanent,
minister for the church.
He said the Main Street
location ideally suits the
church’s mission.
“Their desire is to be
right in the middle of peo-
ple and the marketplace,”
Inch said. “I hope this is
the type of setting they
choose to keep.”
Worship services are
at 9 a.m. on Sundays, fol-
lowed by Sunday school
at 10:15 a.m. For more in-
formation, call the church
at 541-289-4535.
lue ountain
ommunity ollege
Alumni in th
the Spotlight
Catherine Heath
BMCC Class of 2012
Radiologic Technologist
Ca
Catherine
at
a
Heath grew up in Ione and knew she
wanted to go into diagnostic imaging. She chose
wan
w
BMCC
BM
M
as an affordable option to complete her
general
studies prior to transferring to a diagnostic
ge
en
e
imaging
program at Linn-Benton Community College.
im
ma
m
“I I was
w a
wa
as able to do all of my prerequisites through BMCC
to
t o get into the
t th diagnostic imaging program. BMCC gave me all
of f the tools I needed
nee
ed to be successful in my program.” Now this Ione
native
very busy! - radiologic technologist for St. Anthony
ti i is a successful
f l - and
d ve
Hospital in Pendleton.
Have you heard about the BMCC bond?
BMCC wants to continue to provide a high-quality education for students so they can
succeed like our many distinguished alumni! Check out the bond page on our website to
learn more about how BMCC could continue to provide an affordable education for family-
wage jobs, a safe and secure learning environment and protect the community’s
investment. Look for the bond on the May 19, 2015, ballot!
www.bluecc.edu/about-bmcc/bond-measure
Emily Ann Smith
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Hermiston Conference Center
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Our Annual Meeting theme “Homegrown”
will recognize an array of products grown
and processed in our local area.
Learn about UEC accomplishments in the
past year, and what we expect in the year ahead.
As always, attendance is free to UEC members.
We hope your will join us!
Featured Speaker
J Judy Hill Lovins of
Aspen Colorado, a
A
fine art photographer
and “homegrown”
native of Hermiston,
will share her life story.
P ILOT R OCK H IGH S CHOOL
Congratulations! We are so very proud of you.
Love Mom & Dad
00
$
25 .
Private Party Only
Your Name:
Phone Number:
Graduate's Name:
Graduate's School:
Message to Graduate:
Tell your favorite graduate
how proud you are in our
Graduation 2015
special section in the
East Oregonian and
Hermiston Herald
& share their
"Then" & "Now" Photos!
Publishes: May 30 th
Send in your text and photos to
psmootz@eastoregonian.com
or bring to Paula at the
East Oregonian office by May 18 th .
Mailing address: Attn: Paula Smootz
211 SE Byers Ave., Pendleton, OR 97801