Helgerson, 32, now faces theft and robbery charges in Douglas County. Helgerson also has outstanding warrants for theft and forgery charges.
Sheriff’s deputies, BLM Law Enforcement and Roseburg Police responded to the bank where employees said a male subject had entered the bank and told a teller he was robbing the bank and to put the money in the bag. The man then left with an undisclosed amount of cash.

Officers canvassed the area looking for the suspect that was described by bank employees. The officers were assisted by a citizen who called 911 to report she saw the suspect near her home on Estelle Street in Glide.

At 10:54 a.m., Helgerson was located in a wooded area a short distance from the bank. He was taken into custody without incident. Investigators were able to recover the cash and Helgerson was taken to Douglas County Jail where he is lodged on First Degree Theft and Third Degree Robbery Charges.

Police officers in Oregon and around the country started stepping up impaired driving enforcement efforts Aug. 20, and are keeping the pressure on through the holiday weekend, Sept. 3 – 6. Coinciding with efforts to remove impaired drivers off the road is a statewide effort running Aug. 30 through Sept. 12 monitoring safety belt usage, with an emphasis on child passengers.

Last year during the national crackdown period, Oregon State Police (OSP) troopers reported a 13 percent increase in the number of DUII arrests as compared to the previous year. The highly publicized enforcement efforts by Oregon police officers may have had an impact as the Labor Day holiday weekend approached. Prior to the holiday weekend OSP troopers reported a 60 percent jump in the number of reported DUII arrests, but during the holiday weekend reported DUII arrests dropped 18 percent compared to the 2008 Labor Day holiday period.

Fatal crash statistics tracked by ODOT’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) indicate the Labor Day holiday period is historically the second deadliest on Oregon roads. Since 1970, an average of seven traffic-related deaths happens in Oregon each year during the Labor Day holiday weekend. Last year, two people died on Oregon roads during the 78-hour reporting period, Sept. 4 – 7. One victim was the lone occupant in a single vehicle rollover crash in Josephine County and the second was a pedestrian who died five days after being struck in Klamath County.

OSP Captain Joel Lujan, Patrol Services Division director, pointed out that while it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher in every state, impairment may start with the first drink, particularly when mixed with other substances.

“All too often, innocent people suffer tragic consequences and the loss of a loved one due to this careless disregard for human life. We continue our commitment to stopping this carnage, intensifying enforcement efforts and being especially vigilant during high-risk nighttime hours when impaired drivers are most likely to be on our roads,” said Lujan.

The Transportation Safety Division (TSD) of ODOT supports Oregon’s law enforcement agencies as they work together to crackdown on impaired drivers.

“We applaud all of our officers and those who support their enforcement efforts by planning ahead and pledging not to drink and drive. Everyone wins when our roads are safer,” said Troy E. Costales, TSD administrator.

The Oregon State Police, Oregon State Sheriff’s Association, Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, and Oregon Department of Transportation offer the following safety reminders for holiday travel:

- Be watchful for emergency vehicles and workers. MOVE OVER if you are approaching any type of emergency vehicle, tow truck or roadside assistance vehicle which is stopped on the roadside with emergency lights activated.
- Get plenty of rest before starting out. Fatigued drivers are more frequent during holiday weekends because of increased travel and activity. Allow plenty of time to reach your destination.
- Be aware that ODOT is in the midst of the busiest highway construction season ever. Stay up to date on road conditions by visiting TripCheck.com or calling 5-1-1. Outside Oregon, dial (503) 588-2941. Even when workers are not present, all work zone speed limits still apply and fines double. Inactive work zones still have equipment, detours, and incomplete changes in the roadway so drivers need to slow down and be alert.
- Know before you go. When traveling anywhere, plan ahead and take know routes if possible. Visiting TripCheck.com on the Internet provides information on road and weather conditions, incidents and traffic delays, and links to numerous cameras along major routes.
- Buckle up every trip, every time. Be sure to use child safety seats correctly.
- Don’t drink and drive.

Lujan urged everyone to play an important part in keeping our highways and city streets safe by immediately reporting aggressive, dangerous, and intoxicated drivers to the Oregon State Police at 1-800-24DRUNK (1-800-243-7865) or call 9-1-1.

The Oregon Red Cross and Oregon Public Health Emergency Preparedness will host a “#just1thing” social media contest as part of National Preparedness Month. Oregonians who tweet one simple thing they’re doing to get prepared will have a chance to win Red Cross emergency supplies, valued at approximately $100 per kit.

While anyone can share anything they’re doing to get prepared at any time, each week of September will also have a special theme and corresponding prize:

Sept. 1-10: Children
Sept. 13-17: Families
Sept. 20-24: Workplace
Sept. 27-30: Pets

To participate, send a tweet to @RedCrossPDX (www.twitter.com/RedCrossPDX) and use the hashtag #just1thing. All participants are welcome, however only Oregon residents are eligible for prizes, to be awarded via random drawing. The contest is free and there are no requirements to purchase anything to participate. For details, visit www.oregonredcross.org/just1thing.

“National Preparedness Month is a nationwide effort to encourage all of us to take simple steps to prepare for emergencies in our homes, businesses and communities,” said Mike Harryman, Oregon Public Health Emergency Preparedness Manager. “Since social media tools are increasingly used to respond to disasters, why not also use them to get prepared?” In Oregon, the most likely disasters and emergencies include floods, wildfires, extreme weather events and earthquakes.

Other activities are planned for National Preparedness Month in Oregon. For more information on preparedness, see the Oregon Public Health Emergency Preparedness web site (www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/preparedness/index.shtml), www.oregonredcross.org and www.ready.gov.

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.

Organized by the Region 13 Workforce Investment Board in collaboration with EOU, the event takes place before and during EOU’s football game versus Southern Oregon University.

Prior to the game from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. there will be a Resource Fair highlighting the different opportunities available to veterans and current military in the tri-county area. The fair will be located on G Street by the EOU tennis courts.

Those interested in volunteering for OES and businesses that provide or would like to provide discounts are encouraged to attend. There will be an OES table where veterans, current military, volunteers and businesses can sign up to be a part of the program.

Other pre-game activities include volleyball, soccer, a climbing wall and face painting for children.

The first 100 general admission fans will receive a free “Wear Camo and Get Proud” shirt and the first 100 veterans and current military members arriving at the Resource Fair will also receive a free shirt and lunch provided by the local and national Veterans of Foreign Wars.

In addition, the first 400 veterans and current military will receive free tickets to the game for themselves and their families. Tickets will be available at the Veterans’ Affairs table. Military issued identification cards or veteran bus passes issued by Community Connection will be required to obtain the shirts and tickets.

Leading the EOU football team onto the field will be the Drum and Bugle Corp, and two World War II Veterans will be participating in the ceremonial coin toss. The game starts at 1 p.m. at Community Stadium.

Operation Enduring Support is a year-long effort launched by community leaders in Union, Baker and Wallowa counties. The goals of OES are to publicize upcoming events honoring veterans, current military and their families; demonstrate how to get involved through volunteering; work with local businesses to provide discounts; and explain benefits available to veterans and current military.

To learn more about the event or how to get involved, contact Maegan Cargill, Operation Enduring Support coordinator, at 541-963-7111 ext: 231.

This is the second year EOU has been included on the list. “G.I. Jobs” polled more than 7,000 schools nationwide, looking at efforts to recruit and retain military and veteran students, results in recruiting military and veteran students and academic accreditations.

Schools ranked as Military Friendly range from state universities and private colleges to community colleges and trade schools. What sets them apart are the additional benefits such as on-campus veterans programs, credit for service, military spouse programs and more.

“EOU is committed to working with students who are veterans or are active military to connect them with resources to help them succeed and assist them with the transition into the classroom,” said Camille Consolvo, vice president for Student Affairs at EOU.

EOU’s resources are not only available to veterans but active military members as well. They include support from an on-campus veterans’ service officer, access to EOU’s Counseling Center, credit for military service and full scholarships. There is also an active student organization for veterans.

“G.I. Jobs” is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business. The complete list of 2011 Military Friendly Schools is available at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/2011list.

Eastern Oregon University serves as an educational, cultural and scholarly center in La Grande, Oregon, connecting the rural regions of
the state to a wider world. On campus, online or onsite with EOU!

www.eou.edu.

The campaign is part of Oregon’s response to Secretary Sebelius’ “Connecting Kids to Coverage Challenge,” which calls upon leaders in all levels of government, public agencies, community-based groups, health and human services providers, the faith community and others to reach out and enroll the 5 million uninsured children who are eligible for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program but are not enrolled.

Nearly 54,000 of Oregon’s 80,000 uninsured children have enrolled since the plan was created by Governor Kulongoski and passed during the 2009 legislative session.

“I am proud of this achievement – especially during this difficult economic time when parents have enough to worry about. Ensuring their child has access to quality, comprehensive health care when they need it shouldn’t be one of those worries,” Governor Kulongoski said.

Today, while speaking with Secretary Sebelius at an event at a Portland high school, Governor Kulongoski said it is time to go the rest of the way and enroll all eligible but uninsured children into the state’s health coverage program. The state is on schedule to meet the goal of enrolling 80,000 uninsured children by the end of 2010, which means 95 percent of all Oregon children will have health insurance.

“While we have been successful in enrolling children, we still have a population of children from birth to 19 years old who are eligible for the program and not enrolled. That is not acceptable to me – and it shouldn’t be acceptable to any Oregonian,” said the Governor.

The Governor called on all Oregonians to spread the word about Healthy Kids, particularly school and community sports coaches. Because children who play sports need a physical exam and health coverage to play, the state is partnering with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to implement a statewide campaign aimed at coaches.

“So please, coaches across Oregon, join us in this effort. Your victories on the field are important, but the greatest victory for Oregon will be when all of our children have the health coverage they need,” said the Governor.

Healthy Kids provides several options for families to obtain health insurance for their children, depending on income level.

No Cost: The plan provides free coverage through the Oregon Health Plan for children in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level (or $44,100 for a family of four).

Low-Cost: The program offers a cost-share model to assist Oregon’s middle-class families earning too much to qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, but too little to purchase private insurance on their own. On a sliding scale, these families share in the cost of a new state-sponsored private insurance plan called Healthy KidsConnect.

Families who qualify for either No Cost or Low-Cost coverage may opt to get assistance to pay for their child’s coverage through their employer-sponsored plan instead.

Full Cost: For children in families with incomes above 300 percent of the federal poverty level (or $66,000 for a family of four), parents may buy into Healthy KidsConnect at full cost.

No child is turned away for a preexisting medical condition. Parents can learn more about Healthy Kids and apply online at www.oregonhealthykids.gov or by calling 1-877-314-5678.

La Grande, Ore. — For some time, people have complained about needing extra parking time, above the “regular” two hours as posted in the downtown shopping area. While the complaints have come mostly from the hair salon, theater and restaurant patrons, there have been other instances of unrest.

After discussing several options, a proposal was made from the Organization Committee to the parking commission. For reasons related mostly to cost and loss of revenue, this proposal was rejected, but the door was left open for further discussion. This discussion led to a new possibility. It is feasible for a business to buy one or more “mobile” transferable permits. These permits would be purchased by the business and hung on the rear view mirror of a customer’s car therefore avoiding a ticket. When the customer using the permit is finished at that particular business, the permit would be returned to the business.

These permits would only be for use in the permit parking zones, not in the regular two-hour parking zones. These mobile permits may be purchased by the quarter of the year ($15 per quarter), but the best deal is to purchase them in December at a $20 discount. That is $40 for the entire year versus the $60 January – December yearly price.

Please think through this offer and let Carol know if this will help your business. If you have any questions, feel free to call Carol Campbell 541-963-2789 or email: carolc@eoni.com.

This article was obtained from La Grande Main Street’s August newsletter. For further information on La Grande Main Street visit their website http://www.lagrandemainstreet.org

Well on her way now to a degree and a new profession, it’s difficult to fathom how life as Lindsey knew it came to a standstill a few short years ago. In 2006 her husband Brad Lindsey was killed in action in Iraq. He was serving with the Oregon Army National Guard. It was his last mission before retirement and one the 19-year military veteran had volunteered for.

Read more at http://chinook.eou.edu/ua_story/index.cfm?ID_num=1011

Eastern Oregon University serves as an educational, cultural and scholarly center in La Grande, Oregon, connecting the rural regions of the state to a wider world. On campus, online or onsite with EOU!

www.eou.edu.

On Sunday, March 21, 2010 at approximately 10:00 p.m., the Cove Quick Response Team (QRT) responded to 69906 Hidden Valley Lane in Cove, Ore., and determined that Lisa Wynn, age 44, suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Wynn and her husband, Wesley Wynn, age 51, resided at the residence. Wesley Wynn was home at the time of the shooting and made the initial call to 911.

Mrs. Wynn was transported to Grande Ronde Hospital and died en route. An autopsy was performed by the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Portland which resulted in the finding that she died of a single gunshot wound to the abdomen under circumstances that were “undetermined” at the time of the autopsy. The subsequent investigation by the UCMCT determined that Mr. Wynn and his wife had an argument several hours prior to the incident that led to Mrs. Wynn’s death. In the minutes prior to the fatal gunshot being fired, Mrs. Wynn obtained a revolver from the living room of the residence and took it to the couple’s bedroom. Mr. Wynn approached his wife in the bedroom and attempted to persuade her to give him the firearm which she was holding under the covers of the bed. The firearm discharged, and according to the report, Mrs. Wynn indicated that she had not intended it to go off. Mr. Wynn immediately called 911 and requested medical assistance. The Cove QRT and law enforcement officers responded to the scene but were unable to save Mrs. Wynn’s life.

Thompson also said the precise circumstances of Mrs. Wynn’s death may never known, and that the UCMCT is not prepared to conclude that Mrs. Wynn’s death is the result of a homicidal act by Mr. Wynn or anyone else. Thompson also sad the UCMCT does not believe the evidence supports a conclusion of suicide. No charges have been filed in connection with Lisa Wynn’s death.