Kent Bigler had gone to the ski resort for a day of downhill skiing, but got turned around and went off the back side of the mountain. His wife reported him missing tot he Union County Sheriff’s Office at 10:45PM. Sheriff’s Search & Rescue personnel responded and commenced searching immediately, despite the 14 degree temperature and heavy blowing snow.

“Ordinarily we wouldn’t search under those conditions in that kind of terrain,” said the Search & Rescue incident commander J.B. Brock, “but the weather forecast was for several feet of snow the following day, so thought this was our best chance to find him.”

Because of the forecast, search managers requested mutual aid from surrounding agencies, and teams from Wallowa County, Umatilla County, Baker County, and Walla Walla County WA converged on the mountain. Also assisting in the search for the man were ski patrol teams from Anthony Lakes Ski Resort and Spout Springs. The La Grande Snow Drifters snowmobile club was on standby, had the search continued much longer.

Mr. Bigler was found by a two-man ski patrol team from Anthony Lakes just above a sheer drop off, on the northeast side of the mountain. The experienced skier and Boy Scouts scout leader had made a snow shelter and waited for help, having lost one ski and suffering a badly pulled muscle in a fall. He was assisted back up the hill by the ski patrol team, then taken back to the lodge by snowmobile and tracked ATV. Though exhausted and suffering from mild hypothermia, he was in good spirits and declined medical attention, though La Grande Fire and Rescue had sent an ambulance to the scene. Brock said that had Bigler not been wearing excellent cold-weather clothing, or had not been found today, the ending could have been very different.

Sheriff Boyd Rasmussen expressed relief at the rescue, and thanked all those who participated in the search.

When an emergency call comes in that requires Life Flight transportation, the pilots, nurses, and medics on standby, respond by loading the patient into the small helicopter. This helicopter, equipped with IV, monitor, and blood storage, allows for the nurses and medics to perform necessary medical procedures, if the injury to the patient demands it. Having a supply of blood on-board serves a critical purpose when needed, which is rare on medical aircraft in the Northwest.

Available space inside is certainly a limiting factor for this helicopter, but during the short time it takes to transport the patient to area medical facilities, such as St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise Idaho, the crew is certain they will have access to the essential equipment needed to keep the patient stabilized.

“When you fly around in this helicopter, that’s your office. You could be working with the sickest of the sick,” remarked Dominic Pomponio, the Director of Clinical Operations with Life Flight, and Registered Nurse. Dominic is one of the five nurses and paramedics part of the La Grande Life Flight crew. Along with the two pilots and two mechanics, the crew lives in their own quarters in the hanger on 12-hour rotational shifts, similar to a firehouse environment.

Dominic has been with Life Flight for three years now. He is really excited about the new helicopter, and is confident it will be able to handle the demand of service in Eastern Oregon. “This helicopter is fast, efficient, and quiet. It can land at a hospital, on the freeway, or even a park.” Dominic is proud that even though the helicopter is not the largest in size, it is still a unique aircraft in the Northwest considering all that it can do. “This model helicopter has taken off and landed on Mt. Everest, around 2600ft,” he remarked. “At high altitude, it performs great.”

Life Flight is a non profit air medical service based in Aurora Oregon, and has been operating for 33 years. The La Grande base is the 11th base for the company. There are three to four medical staff on-hand at any given time, as well as a mechanic and pilots, courtesy of Air Methods. Dominic mentioned how great all members of the crew are, from the nurses and medics providing care to the patient, to the mechanics and pilots that maintain and operate the helicopter.

“The pilots we use have experience ranging from civilian backgrounds, all the way to military backgrounds,” Dominic explains. “Our most experienced pilot, Doug, has close to 20,000 hours of flight, having been with Life Flight for over 12 years now.” Life Flight, across the Northwest, operates helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, which are owned by Legacy Emanuel, Port Providence, St. Alphonsus, and OSU.

Raul Marroquin, one of the flight paramedics, was on hand to discuss what it takes to assure the crew has all that they need for when the next emergency call comes in. “Our medicine supply is restocked each day,” Raul remarked. “We go through a checklist to make sure we have what we need, when we need it.”

Raul, transferring from the Lewiston Idaho Life Flight base, is excited to be in La Grande. “It’s great to be here,” he said. “La Grande has such a beautiful view.” Other members of the crew are eager to make Northeast Oregon their home, including two pilots, one from Vancouver, and the other from Longview.

Life Flight, with around $1.25 million annual payroll, is looking forward to serving Eastern Oregon, and will be announcing an open house event in La Grande, later this summer.

In September 2010, OSP Fish & Wildlife troopers from the Pendleton Area Command office received information that JOREY M. PETERSON, age 25, and his father, MICHAEL L. PETERSON, age 47, both from Hermiston, had unlawfully taken a trophy bull elk in the Walla Walla Unit with a rifle during the last day of the 2010 archery season. Troopers responded to the Peterson residence and subsequently seized a large 10×7 trophy class Bull Elk and a rifle allegedly used to kill the elk.

As part of the investigation, troopers also located the scene east of Milton-Freewater where the bull elk was killed and found the elk’s carcass. Upon inspection they determined the meat had spoiled and was no longer fit for human consumption.

“Local landowners had observed this particular elk in the same area for several years,” said Senior Trooper Rick Carter, lead investigator on the case. “It’s because of poaching incidents like this involving large trophy class wildlife that the State of Oregon has pursued enhanced penalties for violators”.

In 2009, the Oregon Legislature passed a bill enhancing civil damages for the unlawful taking or killing of wildlife including a $15,000 fine for any elk with at least six points on one antler.

On March 17, 2011 JOREY PETERSON pled guilty in Umatilla County Circuit Court to Theft First Degree, Waste of Wildlife, and Illegal Take of Wildlife. He was sentenced to the following:

* $15,000 joint restitution with his father to ODFW
* 180 days in Jail – suspended
* 3 years bench probation
* 3 years hunting license suspension and forfeiture of seized evidence to the State of Oregon

On April 24, 2011 MICHAEL PETERSON pled guilty in Umatilla County Circuit Court to Theft First Degree and Aiding in a Wildlife Violation. He was sentenced to the following:

* $15,000 joint restitution with his son to ODFW
* 180 days in Jail – suspended
* 3 years bench probation and forfeiture of seized evidence to the State of Oregon

The event will be held at the Rosenbaum Hangar at the Portland Air National Guard Base, between 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Seven survivors of the original 117-man 123rd Observation Squadron will join in the celebration. Marking the 70th anniversary celebration will be a roll out of six upgraded F-15Cs with Boeing’s APG-63(V)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. The AESA radar is the latest in a series of upgrades that will ensure the F-15s combat-proven air supremacy well into the 21st century.

Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees, Adjutant General, Oregon, and the Commander of the Oregon Air Guard, Brig. Gen. Steven D. Gregg are scheduled to honor Oregon Air National Guard Airmen who have protected our state, and country from danger for the past seventy years.

Since April 18, 1941, Oregon Air Guard members have represented less than one-half of one percent of Oregonians who protect the lives of millions living in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1953, the Oregon Air National Guard has been standing watch over the Pacific Northwest skies.

Prior to World War II, the United States began focusing on military preparedness while monitoring the wars raging in Europe and China. Answering the call to arms, then Maj. G. Robert Dodson, an Oregonian serving with the 321st Observation Squadron Reserve at Pearson Field, in Vancouver, Wash., requested the National Guard Bureau’s authorization to form an Oregon flying unit.

His short, official request; “We’ve got people, we’ve got a place, and we’re ready!”–launched the 123rd Observation Squadron. That unit and the men who served, would become the first to conduct maritime surveillance of the Continental United States coastline following the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

The squadron was federally activated under different unit designations and flew the O-47, BC-1A and later the F-5 reconnaissance version of the P-38 in the China-Burma theatre. Others would serve in Europe. After the war, the unit regrouped as the 123rd Fighter Squadron.

By 1946, the ever-expanding unit was redesignated as the 142nd Fighter Group and, in 1951, the unit mobilized in support of the Korean War. After supporting the Korean War it remained very active in air defense matters through the intervening Cold War years, eventually becoming a Fighter Wing in 1995.

Today, the Oregon Air National Guard is comprised of the 142nd Fighter Wing and Combat Operations Group, based in Portland, Ore., and the 173rd Fighter Wing, based in Klamath Falls, in addition to a headquarters unit in Salem, Ore.

Seventy years after Maj. Dodson’s call to duty, more than 2,200 citizen-Airmen presently serve our state and nation.

“They continue the high standards of excellence set by the original members in 1941 and displayed throughout our history of service in WWII, Korea, and the Cold War and in operations throughout the world,” Gregg said.

The website, Data.Oregon.gov, also lets visitors interact with state records, create their own charts, graphs, calendars and maps, and save them online. Visitors may even suggest new “datasets” for displaying information not yet available on the site.

“Our goal is to enable state government to interact more directly with the citizens of Oregon, and this new site is a powerful way to help make that happen,” said Kris Kautz, acting-director of the state Department of Administrative Services. “We want to transform the way government works, and that means making it easy for Oregonians to get information about agencies and offer their views about what they see.”

Kautz also noted that Oregon is among the first states to employ this new technology. The White House has used the technology since 2009, making available records on visits to the White House and staff salaries.

Oregon’s use of the technology is more far-reaching, Kautz said. The site displays information in a wide range of datasets, including state agencies’ expenditures, buildings leased by state government, salaries of state workers, state contracts with private businesses, and more than 60 others. Forty new datasets are already in the testing and evaluation stage. The offerings will continue to grow as viewers suggest more datasets.

“You don’t need to be a technology expert to use Data.Oregon.gov,” Kautz said. “The site is easy to use and very flexible. Countless Oregonians have said they want more access to the information that state agencies collect, and this new resource gives them that access.”

How it works

In addition to offering visitors immediate access to a vast array of facts and records, Data.Oregon.gov lets them do the following:

• Post comments about the data right on the dataset.
• Use the data to create charts, graphs, maps and calendars, which users can share with others. “Creating displays is as easy as posting to YouTube,” Kautz said.
• Suggest new datasets for the state to display.
• Create or participate in discussion forums, where visitors may share their views and concerns with state agencies and the public.
• Download the data in any of eight formats, something researchers and scientists will appreciate.

Another powerful feature of Data.Oregon.gov is access to any dataset in real time for industrial and civic web developers. Developers are thus able to create new mobile applications and web applications that utilize data from state agencies.

Users may filter or sort the data any way they want. They may also embed it in their own blogs and websites.

“Pioneering comes naturally to Oregonians,” Kautz said. “With Data.Oregon.gov, we’re blazing a new ‘Oregon Trail’ that leads to more citizen involvement and openness in state government.”

The website is live at http://data.oregon.gov/

As part of the Joint Combat Assessment Team, also known as “CSI in the sky”, Maj. Hardman performs forensic analysis on downed or damaged aircraft in order to determine the enemy’s weapon system and tactics.

Download audio file (81031.2011-02-24.mp3)

Currently serving as a U.S. Air Force officer, Maj. Hardman is working in cooperation with the U.S. Army in numerous missions throughout Afghanistan, including several CASEVAC, or “casualty evacuation”, operations.

Maj. Hardman thanked the civilians back home for their support while away during his deployment, and said a special thanks to his family in Eastern Oregon.

Download audio file (81032.2011-02-24.mp3)

Your Voice airs Monday through Friday from 8AM – 9AM on KLBM-AM and KBKR-AM.

Oregon State Results

Governor	John Kitzhaber	49%	675,206 Votes
	Chris Dudley	48%	662,137 Votes
U.S. Senate	Ron Wyden	57%	702,927 Votes
	Jim Huffman	40%	496,702 Votes
U.S. Congress	David Wu	55%	138,750 Votes
(District 1)	Rob Cornilles	42%	106,569 Votes
U.S. Congress	Joyce Segers	24%	58,906 Votes
(District 2)	Greg Walden	74%	177,141 Votes
U.S. Congress	Earl Blumenauer	69%	180,847 Votes
(District 3)	Delia Lopez	24%	64,082 Votes
U.S. Congress	Peter A Defazio	53%	145,091 Votes
(District 4)	Art Robinson	44%	120,307 Votes
U.S. Congress	Kurt Schrader	50%	129,601 Votes
(District 5)	Scott Bruun	47%	121,011 Votes
State Treasurer	Ted Wheeler	53%	604,785 Votes
	Chris Telfer	43%	489,392 Votes
State	Yes	57%	679,253 Votes
Measure #73	No	43%	507,714 Votes
State	Yes	43%	513,983 Votes
Measure #74	No	57%	686,069 Votes
State	Yes	32%	378,708 Votes
Measure #75	No	67%	813,997 Votes
State	Yes	69%	813,422 Votes
Measure #76	No	31%	373,671 Votes

Union County Results

Governor	John Kitzhaber	31%	3,357 Votes
	Chris Dudley	64%	6,853 Votes
U.S. Senate	Ron Wyden	46%	4,882 Votes
	Jim Huffman	49%	5,257 Votes
State Treasurer	Ted Wheeler	34%	3,382 Votes
	Chris Telfer	58%	5,725 Votes
State Rep.	Jean Falbo	22%	2,366 Votes
(57th District)	Greg Smith	76%	7,937 Votes
Commissioner	Chris Taylor	20%	2,110 Votes
Position 1	William Rosholt	48%	4,839 Votes
	Jim Mollerstrom	30%	3,096 Votes
Commissioner	M. O’Connor	29%	2,942 Votes
Position 2	Steve McClure	70%	7,041 Votes
State	Yes	82%	8,581 Votes
Measure #70	No	17%	1,822 Votes
State	Yes	64%	6,416 Votes
Measure #71	No	35%	3,574 Votes
State	Yes	51%	4,988 Votes
Measure #72	No	48%	4,758 Votes
State	Yes	61%	6,369 Votes
Measure #73	No	38%	4,023 Votes
State	Yes	33%	3,541 Votes
Measure #74	No	66%	6,904 Votes
State	Yes	35%	3,710 Votes
Measure #75	No	64%	6,601 Votes
State	Yes	63%	6,622 Votes
Measure #76	No	36%	3,727 Votes
31-75	Yes	48%	5,060 Votes
	No	51%	5,462 Votes
31-76	Yes	40%	1,774 Votes
La Grande	No	59%	2,554 Votes

Baker County

Governor	John Kitzhaber		1,946 Votes
	Chris Dudley		4,949 Votes
U.S. Senate	Ron Wyden		2,927 Votes
	Jim Huffman		4,008 Votes
State Treasurer	Ted Wheeler		2,192 Votes
	Chris Telfer		4,136 Votes
State Rep.	Cliff Bentz		5,609 Votes
(60th District)
Commissioner	Roger Kinney		1,801 Votes
Position 2	Carl E Stiff		4,985 Votes
Commissioner	Fred Warner, Jr		3,543 Votes
Position 3	Dick Fleming		3,374 Votes
State	Yes		5,831 Votes
Measure #70	No		1,328 Votes
State	Yes		4,368 Votes
Measure #71	No		2,487 Votes
State	Yes		3,239 Votes
Measure #72	No		3,492 Votes
State	Yes		3,986 Votes
Measure #73	No		3,144 Votes
State	Yes		2,251 Votes
Measure #74	No		4,942 Votes
State	Yes		2,122 Votes
Measure #75	No		4,959 Votes
State	Yes		4,234 Votes
Measure #76	No		2,877 Votes

For full election results for Union County, click here.

For full election results for Baker County, click here.

“Staff and students who were still on campus responded very well to this incident,” Gall said, noting that UMESD speech-language pathologists in the adjacent classrooms also were asked to lock their doors during the lockdown.

The lockdown was lifted at approximately 2:45 p.m., at which time remaining students were allowed to leave campus.

Gall said shortly after buses departed the Punkin Center Road campus at the end of the school day, a Hilltop High staff member spotted several individuals in the school’s parking lot, one of whom appeared to be brandishing a shotgun. Gall immediately contacted 911 dispatchers, and the individuals in the parking lot soon dispersed without any shots fired. School officials are working with police to determine if any Hilltop High students were involved, though it is unclear at this time.

Gall said Hilltop staff will likely use this incident as a “teachable moment” with students regarding school safety.

Hilltop High is part of the UMESD’s InterMountain Alternative Education Consortium. The IAEC includes alternative high schools in Pendleton (Hawthorne High), Hermiston (Hilltop High), and Milton-Freewater (Pleasant View High), as well as runs the educational programming at Riverbend Youth Correctional Facility in La Grande.

Money raised from the purchase of the license plate will support families and escorting officers as they attend the national memorial honoring the fallen public safety officer.

During the 2009 legislative session House Bill 2569 allowed for the Public Safety Officer License Plate to be added to DMV’s specialty plate selection. It received nearly unanimous support from both the House and the Senate.

Money earned from the Fallen Public Safety Officer License plate will be put in a fund managed by the Police Memorial Trust Fund and a special committee comprised of law enforcement, fire department, and citizen members. Each license plate will cost an additional $8 a year (an additional $32 for two years of registration).

Oregon law requires that no tax dollars be spent on creating and implementing a specialty license plate. Even with our difficult economic climate, the Police Memorial Trust Fund was able to raise all $23,700 in DMV administrative fees and plate manufacturing costs in less than six weeks. These dollars were raised through the generous donations of law enforcement and fire personnel and private citizens. An additional campaign was run through a Facebook account with over 8,000 members.

The idea for the Fallen Public Safety Officer license plate began shortly after the horrific events in Woodburn in December 2008, when a bomb inside a bank killed Woodburn Police Captain Tom Tennant and Oregon State Police Senior Trooper William Hakim. Mary Nunnenkamp, retired from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, began working with Oregon State Representative Matt Wingard to develop legislation to create the license plate. Even in a crowded legislative session and with thirteen other license plates vying for legislative approval, the license plate passed both chambers and was signed into law in June 2009.

The national memorial for fallen firefighters takes place in Emmitsburg, Maryland and the national memorial for fallen law enforcement officers occurs in Washington, D.C.

There are more than 35,000 law enforcement, corrections, parole and probation, fire, and telecommunications personal working in the state of Oregon.

For more information on the license plate please contact Oregon DMV.

Supertalk Radio was pleased to welcome Lars Larson out to the fair. Lars broadcast his Oregon-wide radio program, as well as his National radio program, from the Pacific Empire Radio Booth.