WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 2018
HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A7
LOCAL NEWS
Westfall takes leadership role in FFA
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
STAFF WRITER
Dylan Westfall is not
your traditional Future
Farmers of America student
— if there is such a thing.
The Hermiston High
School senior’s path to FFA
state office has been uncon-
ventional, but Westfall is
excited to take the role. At
a statewide FFA convention
in Redmond last weekend,
Westfall was elected vice
president for the FFA state
officer team.
“I didn’t join for the
‘right reasons,’” Westfall
said. “I had no agricultural
background prior to sopho-
more year.”
He said he took his first
FFA class with the intention
of completing one of the pro-
grams of study that Hermis-
ton High School offers. But
through attending some of
the required events, West-
fall found himself wanting
to come back, and soon took
on leadership roles such as
chapter and district officer.
“I kind of fell in love with
FFA,” he said.
Westfall and the five
other students elected to
state office, all current high
school seniors, will spend
the next year going to lead-
ership trainings and visit-
ing every school in the state
with an FFA chapter to teach
students about the program.
The students were elected
after being selected from
a pool of 24 hopefuls, fol-
lowing a rigorous, three-day
session of multiple inter-
GEORGE PLAVEN/CAPITAL PRESS
Dylan Westfall speaks at the state FFA convention.
views and tests, both theo-
retical and practical.
Finalists for the spots
had to give a speech to their
peers. Westfall got some
laughs with his.
“My speech theme was,
‘How I’m like your favorite
underwear,’” he said. “I’m
supportive, I’m relatable
and I’m reliable. I used it to
relate to everyone, because
everyone wears it, but I also
used it to relate back to me.”
Hermiston FFA teacher
Leah Smith said the last time
Hermiston had a state officer
was 12 years ago.
The officers have all
agreed to defer college for a
year in order to serve in the
positions.
Smith said officers don’t
get paid for their roles, but
the state FFA organization
reimburses them for things
like food and travel, and
the experience gives them
a better shot at scholar-
ships at agriculture-focused
colleges.
Westfall said he’s looking
forward to learning about
all aspects of the agriculture
industry, from farming to
communications, and help-
ing students understand that
FFA is not limited to people
who only come from farm-
ing backgrounds. Westfall is
interested in majoring in ag
communications.
“I don’t have a ton of
knowledge on farming,” he
said. “I have more of the
leadership experience, and
how to advocate for ag on
social media.”
He said he’s become pas-
sionate about dispelling inac-
curate information about the
industry that he feels often
circulates. Because farmers
are so busy with the physi-
cal demands of running an
operation, they often don’t
have the ability to advocate
for themselves.
“As agriculturalists, we
have to learn how to not
slander other people, but
defend ourselves,” he said.
One area where he’s
observed issues, he said, is
with the dairy industry.
“Dairy prices are so low
right now,” he said. “Every-
one thinks dairy cattle are
being tortured. There are
some (farms) that don’t do
the right thing, but most
are.”
He said many people
who bear that misconcep-
tion are going away from
dairy, which is impacting the
industry in Oregon.
“It’s hard for them to
come back from that,” he
said.
Smith said that while
Westfall asked for help
where necessary, he was
largely self-motivated in
preparing for the role.
Police search for
suspects in shooting
By JAYATI
RAMAKRISHNAN
STAFF WRITER
Umatilla Police continue
to investigate the shooting of
a man in the early hours of
St. Patrick’s Day.
On March 17, dispatch
received a call at 3:24 a.m.
of a shooting at Tri-Har-
bor Apartments, 210 Klick-
itat St., in Umatilla. Police
Chief Darla Huxel said the
Umatilla officer on duty was
tied up with a DUI call when
the report came in, but Uma-
tilla County sheriff’s dep-
uties were in the area and
responded at 3:26 a.m.
The victim, who Huxel
declined to identify, was
transported to Good Shep-
herd Medical Center, Herm-
iston. Huxel said the victim
has since been transferred to
another medical facility, but
she did not know where.
Huxel said the investi-
gation had been slowed by
the victim’s unwillingness to
cooperate, and police have
yet to identify the shooter.
She said law enforcement
has been reviewing video
footage and trying to talk
with anyone who might
have been nearby during the
shooting.
Huxel said that the city
of Umatilla typically has
one police officer on patrol
duty, but during peak hours
they try to have two, one of
which may be a supervising
officer. She said the depart-
ment has seven patrol offi-
cers, and is trying to fill an
eighth position.
Huxel
said
during
low-staffing hours, such as
the time when the shooting
took place, UPD relies on
working relationships with
other law enforcement agen-
cies like Umatilla and Mor-
row county sheriff’s offices,
and Hermiston police.
Boardman man gets 18 years for sex crimes
BOARDMAN — Ken-
neth James Sicard of
Boardman is serving 18
years in prison for sexually
assaulting two children.
The Morrow County
District Attorney’s office
last August charged Sicard,
57, with multiple sex
crimes. District Attorney
Justin Nelson said the vic-
tims were between 8 and
12 years old.
Court records show
Sicard on March 16
pleaded no contest to rape,
sodomy and sexual abuse.
In exchange, the state dis-
missed eight other charges.
Circuit Judge Chris-
topher Brauer sentenced
Sicard to 18 years, nine
months. The offenses fall
under Oregon’s mandatory
minimum sentencing law,
so while Sicard receives
credit for the time he was
in jail, he will not receive
an early release from state
prison.
Hermiston sex-crime defendant pushes for sensitive records review
HERMISTON HERALD
Sex crime defendant Jose Gua-
dalupe Sanguino Cancino of Herm-
iston continues to push for an
inspection of sensitive records.
Cancino’s attorney, Mark C.
Cogan of Portland, filed another
motion Thursday afternoon in
Umatilla County Circuit Court ask-
ing the judge to review documents
the state plans to use at trial, namely
school and medical records.
The filing came in response to
the letter Circuit Judge Dan Hill
sent March 23 to Cogan and Uma-
tilla County deputy district attorney
Jaclyn Jenkins regarding Cogan’s
previous request for the review.
“I have concerns that there is a
request for the court to approve an
[sic] series of subpoenas that are
not based in any reasonable known
need for the material, that mean-
ing it is merely being used as a dis-
covery device and thus a ‘fishing
expedition,’ and or also merely for
impeachment,” Hill wrote.
The judge also stated he would
give Cogan the opportunity to
SHOP ONLINE 24/7 FORDCOUNTRY.COM
Your ck
ru
local t
arters!
u
q
d
a
e
h
sale going
on now!
NEW 2018 FORD NEW 2018 FORD F-150
NEW 2017 FORD
SUPERCREW 4X4
FIESTA 5 DR HATCH SE EDGE SEL AWD EcoBoost,
10 Sp Auto, STX
2.0L EcoBoost, Leather, Nav,
Remote Start, Tow Pkg
Auto, Air, Cruise, Tilt, PL,
PW, SYNC ® , 16” Black
Machined Wheels
Appearance Pkg, 20” Wheels,
36 Gal. Fuel Tank
SAVE
$8,831 off
MSRP
SAVE
$3,996 off
MSRP
SAVE
$7,388 off
MSRP
MSRP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $17,995
MSRP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $39,385
Factory Rebate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$3,000
Fordcountry.com Discount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$996
Combined Factory Rebate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$3,500
Fordcountry.com Discount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$3,388
$
32,497
MSRP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $45,130
Combined Factory Rebate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$3,300
Fordcountry.com Discount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$4,281
$
*
37,549 *
13,999
$
$
31,997 *
36,299 *
OVER 600 NEW AND USED VEHICLES
$
*
Ford Credit Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$500***
STK#
H8122
2008 KIA
SPECTRA
4 Cyl, Auto, Must See!
$
4 Cyl, Auto, 16k Miles
$
2017 TOYOTA
COROLLA
4 Cyl, Auto, 27k Miles
$
15,479
H6010P
9,959
V6, Low Miles
$
10,588
$
$
20,788
H6009B
(541) 701-3476
10,999
H5970TB
2016 MAZDA
6
4 Cyl, Auto, 37k Miles
$
15,559
4 Cyl, Auto, 27k Miles, Leather
$
H6008P
H5972PA
Diesel, Auto, Flatbed
H6004TA
4 Cyl, Auto, 4 Door
2006 DODGE RAM 2500 4X4
2017 MAZDA
6
16,924
2010 FORD ESCAPE
4X4
Running Boards, Canopy
2008 FORD
F550 4X4
$
2016 KIA
RIO
H6021P
H5991TA
STK#
H8093
STK#
H6012T
2015 FORD
FIESTA S
6,499
Ford Credit Cash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$750***
Retail Trade Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . -$500**
16,877
H6036P
2013 FORD EDGE SPORT AWD
Leather, Sunroof, Nav
H5802P
$
21,877
Mon.-Sat. 8am-7pm | Sun. 11am-5pm
555 US Hwy 395, Hermiston, OR
“WE ARE YOUR NO PROBLEM SALES
& SERVICE DEALER”
*Only one at this price. HURRY! Rebates subject to change without notice. **Requires trade of ‘9 5 or newer
vehicle. ***Must finance with Ford Credit, OAC. Some rules apply, see dealer for details.
All photos are for illustrative purposes only. All prices plus license, title and up to $150 doc fee .
Full VIN ID number available from dealer upon request. Offers expire 4/6/18.
make his case for need of the
record review. Cogan in Thursday’s
motion contended this the inspec-
tion would not merely be a “discov-
ery device” but vital to the issues at
the trial.
Cancino, 36, faces eight counts
of first-degree sexual abuse, one
each of second- and third-degree
sexual abuse and incest, and two
counts each of first-degree sodomy
and first-degree rape. The state has
alleged Cancino committed the
crimes against one girl in 2005-
2006 and against another starting
in 2010 when she was younger than
12.
Hermiston police say there
could be more victims.
Cancino remains free on bail.