Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 2019)
DAWGS BEAT PASCO, FALL TO KENNEWICK » PAGE A8 Wednesday, december 18, 2019 HermistonHerald.com $1.50 INSIDE The Wild West lives, in the heart of SWEATER PARTY Recording artist Cale Moon to perform at The Pheasant’s ugly Christmas sweater party in Hermiston. A4 NEW GROUND Developer breaks ground on the second phase of the Cimmaron Terrace subdivision in Hermiston A3 GAS TAX Oregonians will see another gas tax increase in January. A13 BY THE WAY Herald to publish on Tuesday for the next two weeks In honor of Christ- mas and New Year’s, the Hermiston Herald offices will close at noon on Dec. 24 and Jan. 31 and will be closed completely on Dec. 25 (Christmas Day) and Jan. 1 (New Years Day). The newspaper will also be delivered to homes and newsstands a day early the next two weeks, arriving on Dec. 24 and Jan. 31. • • • The Umatilla County Cultural Coalition is accepting applications for 2020 grant funding for local arts, heritage and humanities projects. Applications are available at www.umatillacounty- culture.org and are due Friday, Jan. 24. For more information, email uma- tillacountyculture@gmail. com. Funding for the grants is received from contri- butions made to Oregon Cultural Trust. In 2019, 15 Umatilla County proj- ects received a total of $14,385. To make a tax-credit contribution to Oregon Cultural Trust, first make a See BTW, Page A14 staff photo by ben Lonergan Umatilla County Sheriff’s Deputy Roy Drago, 90, cuts his birthday cake as Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan watches on at a birthday party for Drago on Friday. The 90-year-old sheriff’s deputy was born in Yonkers, N.Y. on December 13, 1929. At age 90, Umatilla County deputy is one of the oldest in the U.S. By JESSICA POLLARD STAFF WRITER he year was 1985. Then-Morrow County Sheriff Roy Drago spotted a white 1966 Plymouth— reportedly stocked with thousands of dollars worth of stolen Eastern Oregon Bank receipts— heading north on Ella Road in Ione. Drago went in for a high speed chase, and fired a shot at the vehicle, according to a historical account published by the Oregon Sheriff’s Association. “Rural Oregon then was quite differ- ent than rural Oregon today. It was more like the old west days,” Drago said. The chase eventually culminated in the arrest of two escaped prison inmates, including John William Krebs, grand- T son of the bank’s founder. Just two years prior, Krebs pleaded guilty to charges surrounding a robbery of the same bank according to the Heppner Gazette-Times. Drago was there for that too. And while Drago retired from his four-term reign as Morrow County Sher- iff in 1999, he’s still a staple in the East- ern Oregon law enforcement community. He celebrated his 90th birthday at the Stafford Hansell Government Center Fri- day afternoon and went back to work Monday morning as a court security dep- uty for the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office in Hermiston. “He’s one of the oldest active deputies in the U.S.,” Sheriff Terry Rowan said. “He’s had quite the career.” Of course, life is slightly mellower now. “I don’t do a whole lot anymore,” Drago said. When he’s not working, he enjoys fishing with his son who lives in Board- man and seeing his grandchildren. He used to hunt, but gave up the sport almost three decades ago. And after a law enforcement career spanning almost 50 years he’s grappling with the modern era of policing. “My observations are that the pendu- lum has swung so far to the left in terms of laws and how criminals are treated. We seem to have lost our perspective on punishment,” he said. “I wouldn’t rec- ommend a law enforcement career for See Drago, Page A14 Heavy smoke closes City Hall Building will remain closed Wednesday because of smoke damage, city officials say HERMISTON HERALD Several fire trucks rushed to Hermiston City Hall on Tuesday evening as staff reported smoke coming from the vents. Occupants of the building evac- uated about 4:45 p.m., and 25 fire- fighters responded to what Uma- tilla County Fire District 1 stated was a fire inside the building. They climbed onto the roof and did an “interior attack” as they searched for the source of staff photo by Jessica Pollard See Fire, Page A14 8 08805 93294 2 Firefighters from Umatilla County Fire District 1 prepare to enter Hermiston City Hall following reports of smoke coming from vents inside the building before 5 p.m. Tuesday.