SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 COMMUNITY Drunk driver passes DPEXODQFHRQPHGLDQ runs out of gas A driver in a hurry to get to Pendleton for a date ended up instead behind bars. A Hermiston Fire & Emer- gency Services ambulance was eastbound on Interstate 84 and passing a semitrailer at about 9 p.m. Wednesday near milepost 190 when a white Dodge Charger passed the ambulance using the left shoulder and median. A medic in the ambulance reported the muscle car nearly crashed. The driver of the Charger DOVRÀLSSHGRIIWKHDPEXODQFH WKH PHGLF UHSRUWHG DQG WKHQ sped away. But the ambulance crew saw the Charger again — this time on the side of the road near milepost 209. An Oregon State Police trooper arrived DQGWDONHGWRWKHGULYHU7LP- RWK\ -DPHV 'DUWZHOO RI 9DQFRXYHU :DVKLQJWRQ ZKR said the car ran out of gas. “He admitted WR GULYLQJ DQG stated he was trying to get to Pendleton to Dartwell KRSHIXOO\ ¿QG some female companionship IRU WKH HYHQLQJ´ VWDWH SROLFH reported. Dartwell failed a sobriety test. The trooper arrested him IRU GULYLQJ XQGHU WKH LQÀX- ence of intoxicants and reck- less driving and booked him LQWRWKH8PDWLOOD&RXQW\-DLO Pendleton. State police report- ed Dartwell’s blood alcohol OHYHO ZDV SHUFHQW QHDUO\ twice the legal limit. 'HSXW\ 0LNH )R[ WUDQV- portation coordinator at the MDLO FRQ¿UPHG 'DUWZHOO DOVR goes by the name Byron James Smith with an age of 42. City grant programs may spruce up Stanfield “I think it’s a good use RI IXQGV´ KH VDLG ³, WKLQN it will be an improvement ZKHUHYHULW¶VSXWEXW,UHDOO\ hope it goes to those proper- WLHVWKDWQHHGLWWKHPRVW´ Larsen said the City Council still needs to work BY SEAN HART RXW WKH VSHFL¿FV IRU HDFK HERMISTON HERALD SURJUDPVXFKDVZKDWSURM- Two separate city grant ects and locations would SURJUDPVPD\KHOS6WDQ¿HOG TXDOLI\ZKDWSHUFHQWDJHWKH residents improve the city’s city would cover and how aesthetic appeal. the applications would be In the 2015-16 budget received and judged. He said 6WDQ¿HOG&LW\&RXQFLOPHP- the program would need to bers will consider for adop- be fair and targeted to get the WLRQ 7XHVGD\ LV ³PRVWEDQJIRUWKHEXFN´EH- allocated to facade and side- cause the funds are limited. walk grant programs. Larsen said he would ex- City Manager Blair Lars- pect the city to cover about HQ VDLG ZDV GHVLJ- 50 percent of the project cost QDWHGIRUHDFKSURJUDPDQG up to a certain limit. they would both offer incen- ³,W¶VQRWDIUHHULGHEXWLW tives for property owners to FRXOGEHDUHDOO\JRRGGHDO´ make improvements. he said. Budget includes $40,000 for facades, sidewalks VDLG KRZHYHU EHFDXVH WKH projects are based on citizen LQYROYHPHQW WKH H[DFW RXW- FRPH ZRXOG EH GLI¿FXOW WR predict. Larsen said he would like to continue budgeting funds into the programs LQ WKH IXWXUH EXW LW LV XQ- certain whether or not the HERMISTON HERALD FILE PHOTO city will be able to afford Property owners could apply LW &LWLHV ZLWK 6WDQ¿HOG¶V for grant money from the city resources and size must be RI6WDQÀHOGWRKHOSFRYHUVRPH ³TXLWH FRQVHUYDWLYH´ KH RIWKHFRVWVIRULPSURYHPHQWV said. LI6WDQÀHOG&LW\&RXQFLODGRSWV “We have been pret- the budget it will consider W\ IUXJDO RYHU WKH \HDUV´ Tuesday. The budget includes he said. “It’s important to $20,000 for a sidewalk grant UHFRJQL]HWKDWDVLJQL¿FDQW program, as well as $20,000 for portion of our revenues are a facade grant program. cash on hand that we’ve carried over from previous Larsen said he hoped the years. We need to be care- properties most in need of ful about spending that be- improvement would bene- cause it won’t come again ¿W IURP WKH SURJUDPV +H QH[W\HDU´ Free art activities series planned for children Free art activities for chil- dren ages 6 to 17 will take place from 9 a.m. to noon each Saturday through June 26 in the gazebo at McKen- zie Park in Hermiston. Art instructor Laurie Ellis will present a variety of fun and educational projects. All VXSSOLHV ZLOO EH SURYLGHG DQGLWLVD³GURSLQPDNHLW DQG WDNH LW KRPH´ DFWLYLW\ The series is sponsored by WKH'HVHUW$UWV&RXQFLOWKH Miller Foundation and the Oregon Arts Commission. The Herald needs your input The Hermiston Herald needs your help. The Herald and EO Media Group are conducting an on- line survey about local news and issues most important to readers and potential readers in our community. 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