La Grande Observer 04-21-14

Page 1

HIGH SCHOOL GOLF IN SPORTS, 7A

WIND, COURSE COMBINETO KEEP ALLBUT ONE GOLFER FROM CRACKING 80 DURING LA GRANDE MEET IN LOCAL, 2A IN LOCAL, 2A

LONG TIMELAGRANDECITY RECQ RDERSANDYLUNDDIES

MQRAINE DEVELQPMENTDECISIQN PASSEDTO COUNTYCOMMISSIONERS

SERVING UNION AND WALLOWA COUNTIES SINCE 1896 Follow us on the web

i

t

I

r

I

I

I

I

I

I

r

I

r

r

I

OREGON LA GRANDE SCHOOL DISTRICT

M©P '

,I gy 3 0'ir ~

Y-

• Republicans making bold play for state's U.S. Senate seat The Associated Press

Chris Baxter /The Observer

Nichole Kast and her son KylerWhite leave La Grande Middle School. Kast has concerns that the school is not doing enough to address bullying.

By KellyDucote and Dick Mason, The Observer

Nichole Kast knows her son has had a rough day when he heads for his punching bag La Grande middle schooler Kyler White has one in his room, Kast says. "Youcan hearhim,"shesays."He'llworkouthisaggression thatway." Kast said Kyler's problems extend past aggression, though. Last month, the 13-year-old seventh-grader was hit in the back by a 15-year-old student in what Kast considers an ongoing problem of bullying at LMS. "Bullying is a huge problem at the middle school," Kast said. "I think it's a problem because, in my opinion, the bullies are just getting a slap on the wrist." The March incident led Kast to take Kyler to Grande Ronde Hospital, where hospital personnel feared he could have a damaged spleen. A CT scan revealed his spleen was fine, but Kyler took a few daysofFschoolto recoverfrom abdominal trauma, contusions and possible cracked ribs, his mom said. Kast said the 15-year-old who slugged Kyler was suspended for three days and was ordered to stay away from Kyler for two weeks. 'That doesn't really constitute a consequence in my opinion," Kast said.

.

Shorty Hutchinson reminisces over some photographs from his days in American Legion Post43's drum and bugle corps.

INDEX

EDNESDAY •000

Parents say they know middle school students have drama and are in a transition period, but feel like school administrators can do more to alleviate the issue. "I felt like I wasn't being listened to by the middle school at all," said Heather Moyer, the mom of a sixth-grader at LMS."My daughter's been horrifically

bullied." Moyer said her daughter was accused by a group of girls of making an inappropriate sexual comment and was sent to the counselor's offIce. Moyer said her daughter admitted to making the statement to make it go away, but that the school didn't contact her about the situation. "There was no phone call to me," she said.'Why aren't you reaching out to me as a parent?" In Kyler's case, his mom said the school contacted her after the incident, which occurred while Kyler was waiting for the school bus. Kast said Brett Jackman, the

assistant principal at the middle school, was the one who made the call. "Mr. Jackman called me and actually told me Kyler had been in a fight, which was incorrec t, "Kastsaid. Kyler said he was minding his own business waiting for the bus, when the other student approached him from behind. "I was just at the bus stop talking to my friends,a he said."I was just messing around and I got punched and fell to the ground. The student who hit him told Kyler the punch was "for talking crap," but Kyler didn't know what he was referring to. "It was bullying," the seventh-grader said."I know this person. He's done stufF like that before, but not to me."

Definition of bullying Stopbullying.gov estimates that between one-third and one-fourth of U.S. students say they have been bullied in SeeBullying / Page10A

EDUCATION

Interim EOU

president named • Jay Kenton will formally take the reins at EOU on June 16 By Dick Mason The Observer

An educator with a firsthand understanding of Eastern Oregon University is set to become itsinterim president. Jay Kenton, vice chancellor of finance and administration for the Oregon University System, was appointed interim president of EOU Friday by the State Board of Higher Education. Kenton started his higher education career in 1983 at Eastern,wherehe served asassistant director ofbusiness affairsforthreeyears. SeeKenton / Page5A

-, Hutchinson'smemoriesofPost43rundeeg

Bill Rautenstrauch / FarThe Observer

Classified.......5B Home.............1B Comics...........4B Horoscope.....5B Community... BB Letters............4A Crossvvord.....5B Lottery............2A Dear Abby ... 10B Record ...........3A

Concerns from parents

PORTLAND — The GOP is making a bold play for a U.S. Senate seat in reliably Democratic Oregon, where a Republican hasn't been elected to a statewide office in more than a decade. Republicans back in Washington think they've found the right candidate in Monica Wehby, a children's brain surgeon who's raised more than $1 million and put her early opposition to President Barack Obama's health care law at the center ofher campaign. The race is shaping up to be a strong test of the GOP strategy of relentlessly using the health law against Democrats in hopes of regaining control of the Senate. The rollout of the law in Oregon has been worse than in most other states, and Republicansarehoping a doctorhasthecredibility to capitalize on the resulting voter discontent. "Doctors are trained differently,"Wehby saidina recentcandidateforum ata Republican women's club in Lake Oswego, a well-todo Portland suburb. awe know how to look at things logically, not ideologically, and we also SeeTarget / Page 5A

• La Grande resident a member of Legion post since mid-1950s WE A T H E R

Obituaries......3A Opinion..........4A Sports ............7A Sudoku ..........4B Weather.......10B

By Bill Rautenstrauch ForThe Observer

Shorty Hutchinson's got the two giftsevery successfulcar salesman needs: the giftofgab and a sense ofhumor. Not long ago, Lonnie Myers,

Fu l l forecast on the back of B section

Tonight

Tuesday

44 bOW

52/38

Rain showers

Rain tapering off

also giving a talk on the history of the post. Later he had a copy of the award framed, and brought it back to Myers.He delivered italong with a one-liner. "I told him if they hung it up See Shorty / Page5A

CONTACT US

HAVE A STORY IDEA?

541-963-3161

Call The Observer newsroom at 541-963-3161 or send an email to news@lagrandeobserver.com. More contact info on Page 4A.

Issue 48 2 sections, 20 pages La Grande, Oregon

MOTHER'SDAY TRAIN PROVES POPULAR •000

then-commander of American Legion Post 43 in La Grande, asked Hutchinson to a meeting to receive an award for 60 years of continuous membership. Hutchinson went to the meeting, not only accepting the award but

s I

51 1 5 3 0 0 1 0 0 I

•000

e


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.