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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 2015)
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A3 COMMUNITY 5RXJKFURVVLQJLQ(FKR¿QDOO\VFKHGXOHGIRU¿[ By JADE McDOWELL Staff Writer A rough railroad cross- ing in Echo is scheduled for maintenance this week after Mayor Richard Win- ter spent months trying to get it fixed. A Union Pacific Rail- road project bumped the crossing into Echo via DuPont Street out of alignment this spring, causing cars entering Echo to be greeted by a steel edge sticking up two to three inches above the asphalt. Winter said the elevat- ed edge hasn’t been good for tires, and a city coun- cilor told him the bump knocked his wheels out of alignment. “We’ve had com- plaints,” Winter said. The mayor said he had been trying to get a re- sponse from Union Pacif- ic since April. On Friday Winter brought state Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena, to Echo to see the cross- ing for himself. He said he was impressed by the STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL Echo Mayor Richard Winter, left, shows Sen. Bill Hansell, right, the raised rail crossing into Echo that has been causing problems for cars. state senator’s willing- ness to lend a hand in trying to fix such a local issue. Hansell said Winter called him “in frustra- tion” in May and asked if there was anything he could do. He reached out to Union Pacific then and did so again after seeing the crossing. “I’m no engineer, but the fix doesn’t seem that complicated,” he said. Winter said after he reached out to Prescott Mann, a rail crossing safety specialist with the Oregon Department of Transportation, last week Mann noted that the raised railroad cross- ing was also causing the asphalt around the tracks to crumble and said he would be creating a defi- ciency report. STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL Inches of steel rail stick up above the asphalt at a rail crossing into Echo. On Monday, Union Pa- cific media director Fran- sisco Castillo said the grade crossing is sched- uled for maintenance sometime this week to fix the problem. “We sincerely apol- ogize for any inconve- nience this has caused the local community,” he said in an email. Castillo said safety is Union Pacific’s first pri- ority, and if anyone sees a damaged grade cross- ing, signal malfunction, crossing blocked by veg- etation or other issue they should alert the company to the problem by call- ing the Risk Management Call Center at 1-888-877- 7267. Teacher-student affair began on graduation day commission investiga- tion, according to school GLVWULFW RI¿FLDOV 7KH 35-year-old teacher previ- ously worked for Morrow County School District and was the subject of a Morrow County Sher- LII¶V 2I¿FH LQYHVWLJDWLRQ involving a possible sex crime that did not result in By SEAN HART criminal charges. Staff Writer McElligott has not re- A former Irrigon High sponded to messages re- School student told detec- questing a comment. tives she had sex on the According to a report morning of her gradua- IURP WKH VKHULII¶V RI¿FH tion with a teacher who is the investigation began now being investigated by Sept. 4, 2014, when Mor- the Teacher Standards and row County School Dis- Practices Commission. trict Superintendent Dirk Jake McElligott, who Dirksen advised the sher- taught at Armand Lar- LII¶V RI¿FH D VWDII PHPEHU ive Middle School and spoke to a former Irrigon coached the Hermiston High School student who High School boys basket- admitted having a sexual ball team last year, is on relationship with McEl- paid administrative leave ligott, her former teacher GXULQJ DQ XQVSHFL¿HG and coach. A detective met No charges were fi led because case didn’t constitute a crime, based on witness statements with the wom- an who said the sexual re- lationship be- gan in January 2014, half a year after she McElligot had graduated from Irrigon High School. A few days later, during a follow-up interview, the former student confessed to not being honest during her initial interview, the re- port states. She admitted to being sexually active with McElligott on the morn- ing prior to her graduation from high school in 2013, though she was not a mi- nor at that time. She said she had been in love with McElligott most of her se- nior year of high school, but he refused to talk with her about it or to allow her to state her feelings for him, insisting she had to wait until she graduated. She also said she initiated WKHLU¿UVWVH[XDOHQFRXQWHU The relationship contin- ued through the summer, she said, and they were with each other again that winter and at least once during the following summer. According to the report, the former student said she still had feelings for McEl- ligott and did not want him to be in trouble. She said she was not innocent and knew what she was do- ing. She said McElligott was appropriate with her while she was a student and helped her through personal and family issues during her time in junior high and high school. She said McElligott followed a code in which he never gets involved with a student un- til they graduate and are over 18. She said she had signed her exit papers from the school a week before graduation and did not be- lieve she was a student at that time. At the time of the Sep- tember 2014 interview, the former student said McEl- ligott was also sleeping with another former Irri- gon High School student who graduated in 2014, according to the report. The detective attempted to contact the second person, who was also an adult at the time of her graduation, but the report states she did not respond to multiple messages. The case was closed be- cause there were no allega- tions of criminal conduct, but the detective recommended that the report be forwarded to the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission for in- vestigation. Oregon Administrative Rules state “any sexual conduct with a student” is considered gross neglect of duty, for which the com- mission may initiate pro- ceedings to suspend or re- voke the educator’s license. The rules also state an ethical educator must “maintain an appropriate professional student-teach- er relationship by: (a) not demonstrating or express- ing professionally inap- propriate interest in a stu- dent’s personal life; (b) not accepting or giving or ex- changing romantic or over- ly personal gifts or notes with a student; (c) report- ing to the educator’s su- pervisor if the educator has reason to believe a student is or may be becoming ro- mantically attached to the educator; and (d) honoring appropriate adult bound- aries with students in con- duct and conversations at all times.” INLAND NORTHWEST ORCHESTRA, 6:30 p.m., Harris Jr. Academy, 3121 S.W. Hailey Ave., Pendleton. (Teresa Best 541-289-4696). V.F.W. HERMISTON POST NO. 4750, 7 p.m., 1888 W. Cherry St., Hermiston. COMMUNITY CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 2 HERMISTON BREAKFAST KIWANIS CLUB, 6:30 a.m., Umatilla- Morrow Head Start Center, 110 N.E. Fourth St. WILLOW RUN LADIES GOLF CLUB, 8 a.m., rain or shine at the Willow Run Golf Course, Boardman. Participants do not need to be a member to play with the club. (541-481-4381). NIMBLE THIMBLES QUILTERS, 10 a.m., 435 W. Hermiston Ave., Hermiston. HERMISTON LION’S CLUB, noon, Desert Lanes Bowling Alley. GREENFIELD GRANGE GWA, 1 p.m., at The Hall, 209 N.W. First St., Boardman. HERMISTON ELKS DINNER, 5:30-8 p.m., 480 E. Main St. OREGON GRASS ROOTS CRIBBAGE CLUB NO. 2, 6:30 p.m., Desert Lanes Bowling Alley, 1545 N. First St., Hermiston. All levels of players welcome. (541-567-6594). BLUE MOUNTAIN A’S MODEL A FORD CLUB, 7 p.m., Pendleton City Hall community room, 501 S.W. Emigrant Ave. Anyone interested in learning about the Model A Ford is welcome. (Jim Smootz 541-276-2858). THURSDAY, SEPT. 3 Visitors welcome. (541-567- 4349). ARTS AND CRAFTS FROM THE DRY SIDE, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., basement of Assembly of God Church, 730 East Hurlburt Ave., Hermiston. Use the Seventh Street entrance. Monthly business meeting at noon. (541-567-4446). UMATILLA DOG WALKING CLUB, 10 a.m., 630 Switzler St. at the dog wash in front of Umatilla High School. BOARDMAN KIWANIS, 6:45 a.m., Riverfront Lodge, 6 E. Marine Drive. ALTRUSA INTERNATIONAL OF HERMISTON, noon, ARC of Umatilla County, 215 W. Orchard Ave. TUMBLEWEED TOASTMASTERS, 6:45 a.m., Conference Room 3&4, Good Shepherd Medical Center, 610 N.W. 11th St., Hermiston. HERMISTON LINEBACKER CLUB, noon to 1 p.m., Desert Lanes, 1545 N. First St., Hermiston. Hear HHS football coach David Faaeteete talk about the upcoming tilt against Hanford. RSVP by Wednesday at 3 p.m. to 541-567- 5215. Cost is $10 for members, $12 for non-members. HERMISTON ROTARY CLUB, noon, Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church Parish Hall, Fifth Street and Locust Avenue. PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 6:30 p.m., 1535 N.E. Gladys Drive, Hermiston. (541-571-1965). BOARDMAN SENIORS COMMUNITY BREAKFAST, 7:30-11 a.m., Boardman Senior Center, 100 Tatone St. HERMISTON HORSESHOE CLUB, 5 p.m., Weber Field, 600 S. First St., Hermiston. (Rick Rebman 541-720-6402). HERMISTON ELKS, 7 p.m., 480 E. Main St. UMATILLA SAGE RIDERS, 7 p.m., 81907 N. Highway 295, Hermiston. (541-561-0695). MORROW UMATILLA RETIRED EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Roosters Restaurant, 1515 Southgate. ARC UMATILLA COUNTY BINGO, 6 p.m., doors open, bingo starts at 7 p.m., 215 W. Orchard Ave., Hermiston. (541-567-7615). KIWANIS OF ECHO, 6-7:30 p.m., Echo Masonic Hall, 200 S. DuPont St., Echo. Guests welcome. (echokiwanis@centurytel.net, 541-379-6992). NEWS IN BRIEF Youth programs begin at Assembly of God Faith-based youth programs designed to build character, learn new skills and have fun are starting up again at the Hermiston Assembly of God Church. Open to all area youths, the offerings include the Hermiston Girls Club for ages 12-and-under, Royal Rangers for boys ages 12-and-under and the Tribe, which includes middle- and high- school age students. Upwards of 150 youths have participated weekly in the past. “More than half the kids that come don’t have any other church connection,” said Rev. Terry Haight. The programs begin for all age groups Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the church, 730 E. Hurlburt Ave., Hermiston. For those who need transportation, rides can be arranged. The kickoff night for those ages 3 through fifth grade features a Round-Up theme. Those attending are encouraged to wear their best cowboy duds. The event features prizes, games and food. Similar to Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts, participants can earn merits and badges for activities. In addition to the weekly meetings, the program offers special activity nights, community projects and camping or sleepovers. For more information or to request a ride, call 541- 567-5831. Emblem Club plans Parking Lot Sale SATURDAY, SEPT. 5 When they say and you say “Summer Is Winding Down” “It’s A Bummer When I Frown?” Sound Advantage Hearing Aid Center 541-567-4063 Teresa Moncrief at 541- 564-0887. 405 N. 1st St., Suite #107, Hermiston 541-215-1888 Ric Jones, BC-HIS 246 SW Dorion, Pendleton Verna Taylor, HAS Tables to sell your wares are available during the Hermiston Emblem Club’s Parking Lot Sale. The event is Saturday, Sept. 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hermiston Elks Lodge, 480 E. Main St. Table space is $10. For more information or to reserve a table, call And you thought your kids got GRASS STAINS September 16-19, 2015 Buy tickets at PendletonRoundUp.com 2016 Tickets Now Available