WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2016
IN BRIEF
Insurance group
announces 2016
scholarship winners
The Blue Mountain
chapter of the National As-
sociation of Insurance and
Financial Advisors recently
awarded $1,500 scholar-
ships to 10 local students.
West Umatilla County
students earning awards
were Soia Gispert Tello
and Brady Linnell of Herm-
iston High School, and
Yazzmin Chavez of Stan-
ield High School.
NAIFA-Blue Mountain
is a group of local insurance
professionals dedicated to
providing quality service to
its clients and communities.
The group donates more
than $30,000 per year to
projects in Eastern Oregon.
Catholic Daughters
award scholarships
A pair of scholarships
were recently awarded
by Catholic Daughters of
America Court No. 1692
to young adults from Our
Lady of Angels Catholic
Church. The Marilyn Har-
ris Memorial Scholarships
are for $750 each.
Grace Klein of Hermis-
ton inished her high school
studies with Mother of Di-
vine Grace Catholic Ho-
meschool, and is planning
to attend Blue Mountain
Community College to
study business.
Ricardo Mendoza, also
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LOCAL NEWS
of Hermiston, is a 2015
graduate of Hermiston
High School with plans to
study criminal justice at
BMCC.
Klein and Mendoza
were selected from an im-
pressive pool of applicants,
said Delia Wallis. Their
commitment to their faith
and academic work stood
out, resulting in being se-
lected for the scholarships.
Farm Bureau
scholarships awarded
to local grads
The Umatilla-Morrow
County Farm Bureau has
awarded scholarships to
two Hermiston High School
graduates.
Brady
Linnell
was
awarded a $1,000 scholar-
ship. He is the son of Brock
and Marie Linnell of Herm-
ston. He will attend Colora-
do State University major-
ing in animal science and
agriculture business, and
plans a career as a livestock
geneticist.
Jessica Smelser was
awarded a $500 scholar-
ship. She is the daughter
of Edwin and Marianne
Smelser. She plans to at-
tend Tarleton Stage College
to study animal science and
animal production, and will
purse a career as a livestock
producer.
For more information on
Umatilla-Morrow County
Farm Bureau scholarships,
contact Julie Spratling at
541-457-6045.
Student home-builders
earn scholarships
HERMISTON – Four participants of
the Columbia Basin Student Homebuild-
ers Program received the 2015-16 one-
time $3,000 scholarship by the same
name: Elizabeth Herrera, Cameron Me-
ade, John Mejia and Emily Vandehey.
The application process included a
Meade
scholarship application and required two
letters of recommendation, a copy of the
student’s transcripts, and an essay de-
scribing how the student’s educational
plans/goals and experiences in the CB-
SHP helped to shape and support their ca-
reer aspirations.
Applicants had to be senior classmen
in Hermiston, Stanfield, or Umatilla
high schools; a student in good stand-
ing; an active participant in the CBSHP;
Hererra
and demonstrate a sincere interest in and
intent to pursue a career in the building
trades. These trades might include, but
are not limited to, welding, sheet metal/
HVAC, heavy equipment operating, car-
pentry, electrical, plumbing, construc-
tion managing, architecture, engineering
(civil, landscape, mechanical, electrical,
etc.). Recipients were selected on the ba-
sis of his/her desire and intent to pursue
training and education, performance in
Vandehey the program during their high school ten-
ure, and who best articulated their need
through the application process.
The revolving scholarship fund was es-
tablished through the generous sponsor-
ship arrangement with the Northeast Ore-
gon Home Builders Association. Awarded
annually, generated dollars are provided
to support graduating high school seniors
who have actively participated in the pro-
gram and express a desire to pursue post
Mejia
high school education in a CTE related
field through a four-year, two-year, or
trade school opportunity.
Umatilla County trims
costs with reorganization
By PHIL WRIGHT
Staff Writer
Umatilla County Board
of Commissioners formal-
ized the reorganization of
county human services and
public health programs to
save $250,000 a year.
Commissioner George
Murdock has been head-
ing up the revamp project
and Wednesday, June 15,
the board voted 3-0 to di-
vide the county’s Health
and Human Services De-
partment into the Public
Health Department and the
Human Services Depart-
ment, each with its own di-
rector. The changes go into
effect July 1.
The county had planned
to have public health ad-
ministrator Meghan De-
Bolt oversee the Health
and Human Services De-
partment with the aid of
two deputy directors.
But DeBolt is leaving in
July, which prompted the
county to sever the depart-
ment, give each a director
and cut out the deputy po-
sitions.
The county also contin-
ues to forgo having a man-
ager for the developmental
disabilities program. In-
stead, Kim Weissenluh,
head of the county’s juve-
nile department, oversees
the program that operates
in the juvenile building.
Marie Simonis, assis-
tant director of county
Business and Finance,
estimated the entire plan
saves $253,766, includ-
ing general fund savings
of $218,086. Most of that
comes from not hiring the
deputy directors or the de-
velopmental disabilities
manager, she said, and
some comes from tapping
other funds to pay for sal-
aries.
Pinching every penny
matters, Murdock said at
the meeting Wednesday,
with the county facing a
$1.1 million increase in
2017 from the Public Em-
ployee Retirement Sys-
tem. The county already
established a reserve fund
to deal with that cost, but
Murdock said it may have
to make more adjustments
throughout the year.
The county is now
searching for DeBolt’s
successor. Murdock will
serve as interim director of
public health, a position he
held for ive months during
a similar search.
The county has hired
Amy Ashton-Williams of
Pendleton as the new di-
rector of Human Services,
a department that over-
sees alcohol and drug pro-
grams, gambling addiction
services, veterans services,
and mental health and oth-
er services. She starts July
1.
Girl Scouts thank volunteers
HERMISTON HERALD
Girl Scouts of Oregon and South-
west Washington’s Service Unit 22
celebrated the outstanding service
of some of its adult volunteers at a
Court of Awards ceremony held May
31 at New Hope Community Church
in Hermiston.
Charles Clupny of Hermiston was
recognized as an Outstanding Commu-
nity Partner. Clupny is a certiied irst
aid and CPR instructor and has provided
trainings for Girl Scout volunteers and
youth members for the past three years.
Michelle Kane, a Girl Scouts
service unit volunteer, said Clupny
helps in keeping the training costs
down and works around people’s
busy schedules.
Amber Ruiz-Burleson was pre-
sented with the Volunteer of Excel-
lence. The Hermiston woman initial-
ly got involved as a leader for her
daughter’s troop. Kane said Ruiz-
Burleson was so impressed with
the organization that she wanted to
be even more involved. She joined
the service team, providing assis-
tance to Girl Scout volunteers in the
four-county area, as the event/travel
coordinator and a trainer.
Jenny Thomas of Echo and Ja-
mie Wiseman of Hermiston received
Rising Star Awards for “hitting the
ground running” during their irst
year as Girl Scout volunteers. They
helped in establishing the irst troop
that Echo had in about a decade.
Their troop participated in sever-
al community service projects and
hosted a service unit event.
Hailey Owens, a Girl Scout Ca-
dette from Umatilla, received Wind
Beneath My Wings award. Owens,
an eighth grader, was nominated by
her troop’s leaders for stepping up as
a helper for the troop.
Denise Grifith, leader of Uma-
tilla Troop 50117, and Eva Owens,
the troop’s assistant leader, said
Owens stays positive and is a tre-
mendous role model for the 19 girls,
who range in age from kindergarten
through ifth grade.
“We are very thankful for the
time, patience and work our volun-
teers give to Girl Scouts each year,”
said Kane. “They make the program
work for the girls in our community.”
There is a waiting list of girls who
would like to join Girl Scouts, but
there is a shortage of leaders, Kane
said. If you would like to join Girl
Scouts as a youth member or volun-
teer, visit www.girlscoutsosw.org or
call 541-389-8146.
Two injured in motorcycle vs.
pickup wreck near Hermiston
STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL
Two people were
taken to the hospital
on Friday morning
after the motorcycle
they were riding col-
lided with a pickup
at the intersection
of Baxter and Canal
roads east of Herm-
iston.
Hermiston Fire &
Emergency Services
responded to the crash
shortly after 9 a.m.
First responders from
Hermiston Fire & Emergency
Services move a patient
to an ambulance after a
crash between a pickup
and a motorcycle at the
intersection of Baxter and
Canal roads outside of
Hermiston Friday morning
shortly after 9 a.m. Two
patients were transported by
ground ambulance from the
scene.
Rollover wreck sends 15-year-old juvenile to hospital
A 15-year-old girl
was flown to a Tri-Cit-
ies hospital with serious
injuries Friday morning
after a single-vehicle
rollover on Highway
207 at Bombing Range
Road in Morrow Coun-
ty.
Oregon State Police
Trooper Jerrad Little
did not identify the vic-
tim, but said she was the
only person in the truck,
which rolled three or
four times before ending
up on its side in a field.
Little said the girl was
wearing her seatbelt.
Authorities closed the
highway for about 45
minutes while the juve-
nile was loaded into an
air ambulance and tak-
en to Kadlec Regional
Medical Center in Rich-
land, Washington.
Little said the girl is
from the Heppner area,
and was traveling north
on the highway before
she crashed. The cause of
the wreck is under inves-
tigation.
Veronica Zapata
Auto
Health
Home
Life
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541/289-3300 • 800/225-2521
The Stratton Agency
Hermiston / Pendleton • stratton-insurance.com
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