BULLDOGS
BRING BACK
EXPERIENCED
SECONDARY
Sports Page 7
Hermiston
Herald
HermistonHerald.com
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016
$1.00
VIGIL PLANNED FOR
SHOOTING VICTIMS
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
H
ermiston is looking
for healing after a
murder-suicide that
sent shock waves
rippling through the
community.
The tragedy unfolded
Thursday morning, when
Hermiston police responding
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tered the home of Kenneth E.
Valdez, 45, at 130 NW 11th
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low Hermiston High School
wrestling coach Ja-
son E. Huston, 45,
dead. They also
found Andria Bye,
35, with a gunshot
wound. She told po-
lice that Huston had
shot her and Valdez
Ken
before killing him-
Valdez
self.
Police
soon
learned that Huston
had picked up Bye’s
son James “JJ” Hur-
tado, 14, a little over
an hour before the
shooting, to play
disc golf. The dis-
covery set off a fran-
James
tic search of the area
“JJ”
by law enforcement
Hurtado
and family, ending
when Oregon State
Police discovered Hurtado’s
body that evening in a rugged
location off of Country Lane
west of Hermiston. They be-
lieve he was also killed by
Huston.
A candlelight vigil for
the victims is planned for
8:30 p.m. today at McKenzie
Park.
Ky-Leigh Nelson, who
helped organize the vig-
il along with Bonnie Grif-
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Hocker, said she is one of the
nursing students Bye teaches
at Blue Mountain Communi-
ty College.
After discussing the idea
of holding a vigil for Bye
at BMCC, Nelson said they
decided to expand it to a
community event that would
allow people to show their
support for all of the people
affected by the tragedy.
“It’s just a moment for
people to shed some tears
and share some support,” she
said.
Participants are asked to
bring candles, glow sticks,
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vices that will help light up
the park.
Multiple GoFundMe ac-
See SHOOTING, A12
ABOUT TOWN
Barbecue cooks
up support
for local kids
A back to school bar-
becue will serve as a
fundraiser to provide
school supplies for area
students in need.
The event is set for
Saturday from 4-8 p.m.
in the parking lot at
Sub Zero Restaurant &
Lounge, 100 W. High-
way 730, Irrigon. The
cost is $5 for burgers and
chips or $4 for hot dogs
and chips. In addition,
a Bouncin’ Party House
will be on hand for the
kids.
For more information,
call 541-922-4374 or
search Facebook for “Sub
Zero.”
Memory Care
Homes sets
open house
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Police investigate the scene of a shooting that left two dead and one
injured at the corner of Northwest 11th Street and West Madrona
Avenue on Thursday in Hermiston.
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Police ofÀcers talN outside the scene of a shooting at the
intersection of Northwest 11th and West Madrona Avenue on
Thursday in Hermiston.
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Umatilla County Sheriff’s deputies investigate near where the body
of James “JJ” Hurtado was discovered late Thursday evening on
Friday at the end of Country Lane west of Hermiston.
Police release
more details
On Monday police released more
details in the ongoing investigation,
revealing that Huston used a 9 mm
Glock pistol to carry out the killings.
Hermiston Police Chief Jason Ed-
miston said it was premature to dis-
cuss a motive, but all of the people
involved knew each other. Huston
and Valdez had been friends since
they wrestled together in high school.
Huston and Bye had previously dat-
ed. And after Huston and Bye ended
their relationship Huston continued to
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Hurtado.
Edmiston said Bye gave a detailed
statement to police, but Huston had
not told her he shot her son. As police
searched for her missing son that day
they learned of two places that Huston
was known to go shooting recreationally.
“When we got that, it was starting
to get dark,” Edmiston said, “so we
had to hurry.”
Detectives went to both sites, he
said, and found the boy’s body off
Country Lane about two miles outside
the Hermiston city limits.
Police found a pickup that belonged
to Huston on Bridge Road, which
is near Country Lane, but Edmiston
said Huston drove another pickup into
town and parked it at Foxwood Apart-
ments near Valdez’s home.
While Valdez had a roommate, Ed-
miston said, that person was at work
during the shooting.
Huston was arrested in 2009 for
menacing and unlawful possession of
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acing charge and he was sentenced to
a year of probation and 20 hours of
community service after pleading no
contest to the gun charge.
His family is holding a private fu-
neral service.
—Phil Wright
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Fire district will
pay $200,000 over
next four years
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
The Hermiston City Council
DSSURYHGOHDVHVZLWKWKH¿UHGLV-
trict and school district on Mon-
day night.
The newly-formed Umatilla
County Fire District 1 will lease
WKHFXUUHQW¿UHGHSDUWPHQWEXLOG-
ing at 320 S First St. from the
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year, $50,000 the second and third
years, $25,000 the fourth year and
$1 per year after that.
See FIRE, A12
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Umatilla County Fire District 1 is leasing the Bob Shannon Safety Center at 320
S First St. from the city of Hermiston.
A grand opening and
ribbon-cutting event is
planned at Memory Care
Homes.
Specializing in the care
of individuals with Alzhei-
mer’s disease or dementia,
the program features 16
suites in a home-like atmo-
sphere. The project is part
of Guardian Angel Homes.
The public is welcome
to the celebration at 3 p.m.,
Thursday, Sept. 8, at 540
N.W. 12th St., Hermis-
ton. For more information,
call 541-564-9070 or visit
www.guardianangelhomes.
com/hermiston/home.
Tiny town
puts on big
music festival
HERMISTON HERALD
Shinyribs of Austin,
Texas, will headline the
2016 Wheatstock Music
Festival.
Kevin Russell, the
band’s frontman performed
with The Gourds during the
2013 event in Helix. Du-
Wayne Dunlap, president
of the Wheatstock board, is
thrilled to bring the show-
man back to town.
In its ninth year, Wheat-
stock is Saturday beginning
at 1 p.m. at Quantum 9 Are-
na in Helix. Tickets are $25.
Admission is free for military
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and youths 12 and under.
The show kicks off with
a Guitar Pull, which Dunlap
likened it to an open mic.
Musicians can come up and
play a couple of songs and
then pass the mic to the next
person.
Other performers in-
clude Wasteland Kings (La
Grande), Tylor & the Train
Robbers (Boise), Frog Hol-
low Band (Walla Walla),
Tyler Brooks & The Hook
(Pendleton), Space Car
(Boise) and Imperial Twang
(Pendleton). Shinyribs will
take the stage at 8 p.m.
The music festival, Dun-
lap said, is a family event.
Free camping is available
and people are invited to
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cozy spot on the grass are-
na. Bouncy houses will be
available and the pool will
be open into the evening.
Food offerings are provid-
ed by Andrae’s Kitchen —
named the 2016 Food Truck
Restaurant of the Year.
For more information,
visit www.wheatstock.org or
search Facebook for “Wheat-
stock Music Festival.”