FOOD BANK FUNDRAISER A gambol with the Geezers
Saturday, Aug. 9, 7:00 p.m. Funds go toward purchase of Tonasket Food Bank building
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OSD adopts $8.5 million 2014-15 budget Oroville School Director Brad Scott resigns atlarge board position BY GARY A. DE VON MANAGING EDITOR
OROVILLE – The Oroville School Board adopted a 2014-15 budget of nearly $8.5 million -- about $24,000 more than the previous year’s budget. The budget includes General Fund Expenditures of $7,203,202; Transportation Vehicle Fund, $150,000; Capital Projects Fund, $470,000; Debt Service Fund, $504,606 and Associated Student Body Fund, $136,500. The budget reflects a continuing trend of dropping enrollment. It is based on 525 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) students in the coming year and nine Running
Start Students, according to Shay Shaw, does not allow me to serve on the board,” the district’s business manager. Last year wrote Scott in his resignation letter. the budget was based on 568 FTEs, she In the letter he also left open the explained at the board’s Monday, July 28 door for serving in the future should the meeting. opportunity present itself. The board also The board also approved a motion “Thank you for the approved a long conto accept the resigagenda of sevopportunity to serve sent nation of Brad Scott, eral items, including as Director for our a National Board who filled a position on the board that was Payment of $10,090 to district.” empty for more than a teacher Linda Colvin. Brad Scott, Director year after David Nutt That amount will be Oroville School Board resigned. In an effort reimbursed to the to attract more potendistrict by the state, tial candidates for the according to Shaw. In position the board placed a measure on addition, there were many resignations the February ballot changing it to an At approved that night – Jan Lillquist Large position. Scott applied and was resigned as a paraprofessional, Patricia appointed to the board at their March Dagnon as third grade teacher, Kerrie 2014 meeting. Allie as high school secretary, Kayla “Thank you for the opportunity to McKinney as junior high volleyball serve as Director for our district. At this coach and high school assistant softtime I have applied for a position that ball coach and Josh Marchand as assis-
Body of drowned Canadian recovered
tant football coach. Supplemental contracts were approved for Tam Hutchinson, athletic director; Ed Naillon, tech coordinator; Tony Kindred, annual advisor; Eric Stiles, music director and Shaw for federal/state/fiscal coordinator. In addition, the district contracted with the Okanogan School District for the school psychologist for the 2014-15 school year. Earlier in the evening, under “Good News and Announcements,” Superintendent Steve Quick reported that the district did well in their annual Washington State Patrol Bus Inspection. “For a number of years we’ve passed our inspection because of the person that works there,” said Quick. “If you see Jim (Bretz) say, ‘Good job.’” Quick said the district had traded in the old van for a 2008 van with 25,000 miles that looked brand new. The van holds eight passengers and a driver, with
County fires still smolder
SCENE OF THE CRIME
New fire near Toroda Creek Road snuffed out at less than 150 acres
Search continues for two other drowning victims
THE GAZETTE-TRIBUNE
OKANOGAN COUNTY - Smoke continued to fill Okanogan County as the Carlton Complex fire in the southern half of the county continued to smolder, though as of Tuesday, Aug. 5, Incident Command had declared the fire 90 percent contained. Two new fires ignited during the past week, including one near Toroda Mountain about 10 miles northwest of Republic on Tuesday, July 29. That fire topped out at 140 acres, according to the Okanogan County Sheriff ’s Office. By Wednesday, air support had knocked down the fire. Firefighters completed a bulldozer line around the fire and were engaged in mop-up operations. The fire forced localized Level 2 and Level 3 evacuations in the West Fort Cougar Creek Road area.
BY GARY A. DE VON MANAGING EDITOR
OROVILLE – The body of a missing Canadian man, believed drowned in Osoyoos Lake near Veranda Beach, Friday was located by divers Sunday evening. The Okanogan County Sheriff ’s office received a report on at 1:40 p.m. of a possible drowning last Friday. “The Sheriff ’s Office boat and deputies arrived at the lake to learn that John M. Mele, 43, of Surrey BC had been on a boat just off shore when he did a back flip into the water. Mele began to surface and then went back under the water and disappeared,” said Sheriff Frank Rogers. The sheriff said that rescue divers located the body of Mele with the help of approximately 10 divers from Canada, some civilian and others with a response team, using sophisticated sonar equipment. “They were able to locate the body of Mele last (Sunday) night and then direct divers to his location. Mele’s family has been on scene since the accident and were there last night when he was located,” Rogers said. According to the sheriff this is the fourth drowning in Okanogan County this year. Another body was recovered last Friday evening from the Okanogan River in Okanogan. It was identified as Malcolm C. Tervo, 64, who had been missing since November 2013. The search for Darrel L. Williams, 57, a retired U.S. Border Patrol agent, believed drowned in Palmer Lake on July 11, continues, said Rogers. Williams was fishing with a friend when he stood up in the back of the boat and fell overboard. When he surfaced his partner asked him if he was all right and threw him a life jacket, Williams told him he was all right but then began to struggle and went under the water and never resurfaced, according Sheriff Rogers. Williams’ partner immediately dove in and tried to locate him but was unable to find him. Divers have searched the lake several times but have had no success. In addition, the body of Kenneth J. Leslie, 46, of Sedro Woolley, Wash., who drowned in the Columbia River on July 4, has not been found.
individual seats, not benches like the old van had. “Mr. (Ed) Naillon has been working very hard to get the library system online so kids will be able to search the card catalog at home and at school,” said Quick. “He also is getting Overdrive working with the same system so they can search that as well.” Overdrive is a system that allows students to check out electronic books. “I am pretty excited… we’ve already have had some teachers buy electronic books so they will be available to be checked out,” Quick said. Staff has been invited to talk with representatives from VIP Insurance about health care coverage. “Premera went up 17 percent last year and will be going up seven percent again this year. So rates keep going up as does the co-pay,” said Quick. “Premera has great coverage, but also has rates that are commiserate.”
Above, The residence where John R. Omer was found with multiple stab wounds at 1 Balmes Road, just outside the Oroville City Limits. Inset, Okanogan County Sheriff’s Deputies served a search warrant and gathered and tagged evidence at the scene. Right, A number “1” marks the hood of a car where a brown stain was found. Gary DeVon/staff photo
Man stabbed several times BY GARY A. DE VON MANAGING EDITOR
OROVILLE – Police are investigating an assault on an Oroville man who was stabbed several times, including in the chest and back and once in the head. John R. Omer, 58, was found bleeding the morning of Thursday, July 31 in his residence in back of the old blacksmith’s shop at 1 Balmes Rd, just north of the Cherry Street Bridge. Omer was found by his landlord who called emergency services and the victim was then transported to North Valley Hospital in Tonasket, according to Sheriff Frank Rogers. He was later transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane. Several sheriff ’s deputies, including Chief Criminal Deputy David Rodriguez, encircled the scene with yellow police tape.
OKANOGAN VALLEY GAZETTE-TRIBUNE Volume 110 No. 32
They were seen gathering evidence and sealing it in evidence bags that afternoon. An evidence tag with the number one could also be seen. At the scene Rodriguez said it was too early to speculate how the assault occurred or who committed it. “We have executed a search warrant at the residence and are finished up there now. We have no suspects at this time and no one in custody,” said Sheriff Rogers on Thursday, adding, “At the scene Omer was very uncooperative and refused to tell our guys anything.” The Okanogan Sheriff ’s Department had a detective in Spokane and the sheriff said he sent her to interview Omer in the hospital there. “He is still being uncooperative... he keeps telling us he doesn’t know what happened,” said Rogers. The case is still under investigation
CARLTON COMPLEX UPDATE According to the Tuesday, August 5, InciWeb report on the Carlton Complex, the fire was holding steady at 255,164 acres (including the Rising Eagle Fire referenced above) and was 90 percent contained, with 1,657 personnel on hand for firefighting efforts. Resources on hand included three Type 1 hand crews, 22 Type 2 hand crews, 12 Type 2 initial attack crews, 100 engines and 27 water tenders. The were
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NEW FIRE IN THE METHOW The other new fire of significance added to the continuing fire-related woes in the Methow Valley. According to the Sheriff ’s office, a vehicle towing a trailer traveling west on Highway 20 out of Twisp got a flat tire on the trailer. When the rim hit the roadway it sent up sparks and started a fire in the brush which spread from Signal Hill Road, west over Rising Eagle Road, Hill Road and over to Wandling Road. The fire destroyed several residences and property. The trailer in question has been impounded by the Okanogan County Sheriff ’s Office and the Department of Natural Resources Investigators are investigating the fire. As of Tuesday afternoon, Level 2 evacuations were in effect on Upper Bear Creek Road and East Chewuch Road, and Pearrygin Lakes State Park was closed.
Tumbleweed A4 Letters/Opinion A5 Community A6-7
Classifieds/Legals A8-9 Real Estate A9 Outdoors A10
Obituaries Cops & Courts
A11 A12