WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
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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
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35-year-old teacher previ-
ously worked for Morrow
County School District
and was the subject of
a Morrow County Sher-
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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
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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
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