The Canyon Weekly July 18, 2012
Volume 3, Issue 29
News and Life - For Our Side of the Mountain! Serving the communities of Lyons, Mehama, Elkhorn, Mill City, Gates, Niagra, Detroit, Breitenbush, Idanha and Marion Forks
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Mill City man stabbed, suspect in jail Santiam Canyon school threatened to shoot Sherman. Sherman reports he then grabbed an axe handle from his car, an object he keeps there to prop the hood up, and held it up in defense. (he denies having a baseball bat.) The females from the group then began striking Sherman in the face, backing him up his front walk. At that point he saw Sears approach from behind the women and felt as if he had been punched in the side. The group ran off whereupon Sherman discovered he had been stabbed. A neighbor came running to attend to Sherman. Medics from Mill City Fire and Lyons Fire Departments responded to the scene. Jason Sherman was transported to the Stayton Hospital where he underwent surgery for the stab wound. The knife damaged eight inches of muscle tissue, but managed to avoid internal organs. Sherman, an unemployed construction worker and single father, was scheduled to start a new job with a flooring company this Monday, but was able to due to the injury. He has no medical insurance. Sherman moved to Mill City with his daughter Cheyenne just this past May for the affordable rent and to be nearer his family who lives in Gates. “It’s a nice community, I like it here. This has me pretty shook up though. This sort of thing happens all the time in the larger cities, but you don’t hear about it because it’s more common place, I just want to keep my daughter safe,” he said. On July 14 at 11:26 a.m. Linn County deputies located and arrested Matthew Sears in Mill City. He is currently lodged in the Linn County Jail. On July 16, an arraignment was held and Sears was charged with assault in the 2nd degree. Deputies are continuing the investigation. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office was unable to substantiate or discount the story as told by Mr. Matthew Sears. Photo courtesy of OSP. Sherman.
Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller reported in a press release that on July 13, 9:30pm deputies responded to S.W. 1st Avenue in Mill City, for a report of a stabbing. Upon arrival deputies found Jason Sherman, 38, with a knife wound to his left side. Sherman, who lives in Mill City, told deputies he was sitting on the hood of his vehicle in front of his home when a small group of people came walking by. A verbal argument erupted between Sherman and members of the group. One male of the group, identified as Matthew Jeffrey Sears, 29, also of Mill City, threatened to shoot Sherman. At this point Sherman obtained a baseball bat from his vehicle for self-defense. Two females in the group began pushing and hitting Sherman at which time Matthew Sears used a knife with a blade 3 to 4 inches long to stab him in his left side. After the stabbing the people in the group, including Sears, fled the scene on foot. Deputies searched the area for Sears but he was not located at that time. According the victim, that prior to the attack on him, Sherman had witnessed the females from the group engage in an altercation with his neighbors. The fight escalated to a point that Sherman handed the phone to his twelve year old daughter instructing her to call 911. The group then passed by Sherman’s home, where Sears, while reaching into his pants pocket,
district: budget passed, but likely to change, said board chairman
The current status of the Santiam Canyon School District is difficult to track as changes continue week by week. On June 27, in a special board meeting the 2012--13 budget was passed to meet the state appointed June 30 deadline. This may likely change, however. According to Dan Lemke, the Board Chairman, “a budget document is a best guess, it’s fluid, and subject to change throughout the year.” Issues surrounding fairness in insurance coverage and perks offered to the “confidential” employees was brought up, with promises from the board to investigate further. (the classification “confidential” pertains to employees who are privy to confidential information, but are not part of, nor receive the protection of the union bargaining unit.) Since that meeting the board (cont’d on page 2)
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