JANUARY

The new West Park Elementary School opened for staff and students. West Park was the first of three schools to open in Hermiston in 2011.

Public comment period opened on the city of Hermistons proposed water pipeline project. Debate sparked when the proposal suggested claiming eminent domain on a 1.5-mile stretch of Lon and Sheri Wadekampers property on LGW Ranch.

Deborah Westwood and Mitch Myers, co-owners of Nookies Bistro and Spirits, filed a statement of damages against the City of Hermiston and the Hermiston Police Department, seeking $1.5 million in damages.

Eva Temple, recently appointed as one of the first two female Sixth Judicial District Court Judges, settled in to Hermiston.

Hermiston Police Chief Dan Coulombe reported crime was down in nearly all categories in 2010.

Wade Smith, assistant superintendent of Support Services for the Hermiston School District, was named the districts administrator of the year.

Rising waters from the Umatilla River flooded parks and left people and pets stranded.

Lou Ann Wolf and Chet Prior were named Woman of the Year and Man of the Year at the Hermiston Chamber of Commerces Distinguished Citizens Awards Banquet.

Demolition began on the old West Park Elementary.

City officials announced water and sewer rates in Hermiston would increase for three consecutive years beginning in 2012.

The Umatilla County Commissioners authorized the donation of property for Marthas House, the planned homeless shelter in Hermiston.

Phil Hamm, longtime member of the Hermiston School Board of Education, announced he would not seek re-election.

FEBRUARY

Breanna Barton was named the Umatilla County Fair Queen for 2011. Princesses Sydney Cave and Maritza Ibarra rounded out the Fair Court.

Vadata Inc., a legal entity of Amazon.com, submitted a request to annex 10 acres of property into the Umatilla City limits for construction of a data center. The company purchased the land in the Port of Umatilla in October 2010.

Good Shepherd Health Care System debuted Dr. John-John the new teddy bear mascot.

Hermiston City Council authorized spending up to $480,000 on the Joseph Pump Station Project and a $150,00 grant to Marthas House during the same council meeting.

The Hermiston girls basketball team finished its season in the Columbia River Conference with a perfect 12-0.

The results of the 2010 U.S. Census were released, and Hermiston was named the largest city in Umatilla County. For the first time, Hermistons population (16,745) topped Pendletons population (16,612). In 2000, Hermistons population was 13,154.

The Hermiston High School Wrestling Team earned its fifth straight state championship.

MARCH

An oil tank was uncovered at the the site of the Old West Park Elementary School, causing the Hermiston School District unplanned expenses in environmental clean-up. A second tank was later discovered at Sunset Elementary.

Hermiston Mayor Bob Severson and City Manager Ed Brookshier traveled to Washington, D.C., to lobby for funding for the Hermiston wastewater recycling plant project.

Hermiston Police arrested Carlos Valenzuela, 19, after he assaulted two police officers. He was charged with assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct II and harassment.

The Hermiston girls basketball team claimed fourth place at the Class 5A state basketball championships.

Carl Arbogast accepted the George Alan Curtis Creative Spirit Award on behalf of his wife, Karen, who died of injuries sustained in an October 2010 car accident, during the Umatilla Distinguished Citizens Awards Banquet. Business of the Year went to Java Junkies, and Sharon Farnsworth was named Citizen of the Year.

Brandon Williams, 21, and Josiah Colbray, 19, were arrested after stealing a case of beer and almost striking a police officer with their vehicle before crashing the vehicle and attempting to flee on foot.

The new Sunset Elementary School opened after the Hermiston School Districts spring break.

APRIL

Hermiston Police Chief Dan Coulombe was named one of five finalists for police chief of Richland, Wash. The city later chose another finalist to become their new police chief.

Umatilla Mayor Karen Steen resigned from office, citing bullying and harassment. Elected in 2010, Steen had taken the oath of office in January.

Hermiston School District Superintendent Fred Maiocco announced he would leave the district for an 18-month deployment to Kuwait with the Oregon Army National Guard.

Larry Usher stepped down as Hermiston head basketball coach to spend more time with his family.

Demolition began on Sunset Elementary.

Josue Sanchez Munoz, 26, was arrested on 10 criminal charges relating to a slow speed chase that ended with Oregon State Police troopers pinning his car and chasing him down on foot.

The Umatilla River again overflowed its banks, flooding adjacent properties.

The Hermiston School District avoided layoffs, despite a budget shortage, through negotiations with the Hermiston Association of Teachers, the union group representing the districts teachers.

The Umatilla City Council opted to have council president George Fenton remain at the helm of the city instead of appointing a new mayor. A special election was set for September.

A federal judge dismissed all charges in the lawsuit against the City of Hermiston by the owners of Nookies Bistro and Spirits.

MAY

Police Officer Doug Smith filed a lawsuit against the city asking for $2,500 in lost wages and an amount of punitive charges to be determined.

The removal of 20 pine trees at the old Sunset Elementary School sparked public outcry.

Umatilla County District Attorney Dean Gushwa resigned as part of a deal to settle the official misconduct case against him.

Deborah Westwood and Mitch Myers filed an appeal in their lawsuit against the city of Hermiston.

Hermiston High Schools Kurt Simmons won the OSAA Class 5A State Boys Golf Championship, the first Hermiston golfer to win a state championship.

Four people were arrested after a Umatilla County Sheriffs Office raid. Four were charged with multiple drug and theft charges and were accused of trading methamphetamine for stolen goods.

Hermistons Mariah Delepierre was the top-placing finisher for HHS at the state track meet, finishing

second in the long jump. Other placers included javelin thrower David Barnett in eighth and

Kayla Blankenship, who was third in the discus and sixth in the shot put.

The Hermiston School District Board of Education authorized negotiations to purchase the Umatilla County Fairgrounds property for up to $3 million.

Less than a week after he was elected to the Hermiston School Board, Rob Schaefer notified the district he would not be able to accept the position because of a policy put in place by his employer, Horace Mann Companies.

JUNE

Ron Montgomery announced plans to step down as manager of the West Umatilla Mosquito Control District after 22 years.

Janice Davis, 51, of Hermiston, was identified as one of the victims in an airplane crash

in a remote area near Ukiah. Two others, both of Klickitat County, Wash., also died.

Greg Harris was appointed to the Hermiston School Board to fill the vacancy created when Rob Schaefer, who was elected in May, had to resign immediately because his company believed that being on the school board might be a conflict of interest.

Hermiston officials nixed any groups plans, present or future, to set up a medical marijuana club in Hermiston.

 David Allen Darlington was sentenced to no less than 100 months in prison for two counts of felony sex crimes. The 37-year-old plead no contest to unlawful sexual penetration I and sex abuse I. Both counts involved a girl who was between 11 and 14 when the incidents occurred.

The Hermiston Fire Department, Hermiston Police Department and the Oregon State Police Bomb Squad used the old Armand Larive Middle School, demolished over the summer, for training exercises.

Oregon legislators fought back against a Department of Defense ruling that could nullify 20 years and $1 million worth of planning for closure of the Umatilla Chemical Depot under Base Closure and Realignment Commission legislation.

JULY

A legislative panel approved nearly $32 million for capital construction projects in the area, a figure that included $7.13 million for the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center.

Participants broke ground on Marthas House, a homeless shelter.

Former West Umatilla Mosquito Control District assistant manager Randy Gerard was named interim manager of the district.

A preliminary economic study indicated the loss of jobs following the Umatilla Chemical Depot closure could have a $17.2 million impact on the economy in and around Hermiston.

A fire destroyed a duplex at 2306 Sjoren Lane, a blaze assistant fire chief Scott Stanton called one of the bigger fires he has seen in the area. Flames broke out at 4:15 p.m. July 7 at

Northwest 11th Street and Sjoren Lane and spread a half-mile, halting just before Old River Road.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden told members of the Land Reuse Authority that he would spare no effort to ensure that the Umatilla Chemical Depot closes under Base Realignment and Closure

regulations.

The Stanfield City Council approved a 3 percent raise for city employees. The raise was retroactive to the start of the fiscal year, and employees saw the increase in their end-of-July

paycheck.

Demolition work began on the old Armand Larive Middle School. The 75-year-old school ended its final day

of classes June 9.

Armed men robbed two stores at gunpoint in Hermiston on the same day in what police

believe were non-related incidents.

Community members voiced concern about crime in Hermiston at a City Council meeting, following a flurry of robberies the previous week.

Barbara Kashuba will spend 19 months in prison for Medicaid fraud in a case that involved her husband, Kenneth Kashuba, and his cousin, John. Barbara Kashuba received the

same sentence as her husband on 37 counts of fraud, including making false claims to Medicaid, theft I and unlawful use of food stamps.

AUGUST

Pre-closure work began at the Umatilla Chemical Depot was workers dismantled the deactivation furnace system, one of three furnace types at the Depot.

Four-term Umatilla County Commissioner Dennis Doherty announced he would not seek a fifth term in the 2012 election. Doherty, a Hermiston resident, has served on the Board of Commissioners since 1997.

Former Hermiston Fire Chief and current Umatilla County Emergency Manager Jim Stearns announced he will run for County Commissioner in the 2012 election.

Following a tip on suspicious activity near Foxwood Apartments and Mercado Los Gavilanes, Hermiston police recovered 4.7 pounds of what appeared to methamphetamine in a trash bin.

The Hermiston City Council approved a land swap with the Hermiston School District. The city acquired a portion of land that has been used as the library parking lot, and the school district

received a portion of the current football practice field, roughly 2.2 acres that the district previously leased.

The Hermiston School Districts 2010-11 budget landed right on target with projected figures.

On a more than $36.6 million budget, the district ended the school year within 1 percent of where it expected to be.

Diego Andrade was sentenced to a 56-year term with no possibility of parole or early release.

The 50-year-old Andrade was convicted in Umatilla Circuit Court of multiple counts of rape, sodomy and sex abuse.

The Hermiston city manager agreed to a demand by rank-and-file police officers and dispatchers to investigate what they alleged was extreme and constant mistreatment of employees by Police Chief Dan Coulombe

Dan Coulombe was placed on administrative leave. Lt. Jason Edmiston took over running the daily operations of the department.

Hermiston School District officials celebrated the grand opening of the new Armand Larive Middle School.

The Hermiston Police Department arrested Clinton Eugene Springer after the 29-

year-old allegedly stole $19.11 of items from Eastside Market, then stole a pickup from the convenience stores parking lot. When police officers Bryan Maess attempted to stop

Springer, they allege he intentionally rammed both patrol cars, causing significant damage.

SEPTEMBER

Ron Louie, former Hillsboro chief of police, began a review of the Hermiston Police Department as part of an effort by the city to sort out issues brought to light by the Hermiston

Police Association, primarily dealing with Police Chief Dan Coulombe.

Good Shepherd Medical Center opened its new Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Center in the Good Shepherd Medical Plaza. Lactation Consulting Services also began full operations in the Plaza building.

Escorted by Hermiston Police Department and a group of local motorcycle enthusiasts, members of the Oregon Army National Guard 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Regiment found a warm welcome from one end of Hermiston to the other when they returned from a year-long deployment in Iraq.

Shearers Foods, an Ohio-based snack-food maker, announced it would hire 100 new employees at its Hermiston plant.

The Hermiston City Council approved a negotiated severance agreement with Chief of Police Dan Coulombe. The agreement placed the chief on administrative leave until April 1, 2012. Coulombe, who is eligible for full retirement on Feb. 15, 2012, has the option to resign or retire before April 1, and will still receive full wages and benefits up until the agreed date.

Boardman police arrested Juan Jesus Alba Barroso, 17, and Gilberto Garcia, 18, in connection with a drive-by shooting on Northeast Front Street in Boardman. No one was injured in the shooting.

Pat Lafferty, an engineer for the Union Pacific Railroad and Umatilla School Board member, became the new mayor of Umatilla when he garnered 46.6 percent of the votes in Umatillas special election, beating out competitors David Trott and Brandon Wilson. Mary Dedrick was elected to City Council Position 1.

The Hermiston City Council approved a 2.5 percent pay increase per year for police union members over the next three years. Both Hermiston city officials and union members touted the agreement as a positive move following labor negotiations overshadowed by the unions request for an investigation into Police Chief Dan Coulombe for alleged abusive treatment of employees.

More than 4,000 people attended the annual Family Health and Fitness Day.

Hermiston resident John Kirwan announced he will run for mayor in the May 2012 election. Kirwan is a machinist with Union Pacific Railroad in Hinkle.

OCTOBER

Police arrested Kevin Yovanni Cazares Sandoval, 23, alleging he was selling drugs and smuggling guns to Mexico. Police seized at least nine firearms and other weapons during the 4 a.m. raid in Hermiston, along with nearly six ounces of methamphetamine and $14,080. Sandoval was charged with nine counts of illegal possession of a firearm, three counts of possession of a weapon by a felon, three counts of possession of a short-barreled weapon, possession of meth, delivery of meth within 1,000 feet of a school and endangering the welfare of a minor.

Former Hillsboro Police Chief Ron Louie delivered his review of the Hermiston Police Department and said Chief of Police Dan Coulombe quite literally fostered an organizational culture of fear. The report detailed Louies review process, described as a snapshot of the department, and emphasized the level of professionalism within the department, despite the morale troubles fostered by Coulombe.

Hermiston High School celebrated an Outstanding grade on state report cards. Every other school in the district received as Satisfactory rating, as did schools in Echo and Umatilla. In Stanfield, the elementary school was ranked satisfactory while the secondary school received a grate of in need of improvement.

The City of Hermiston agreed to pay $400,000 for the right to build a wastewater pipeline across LGW Ranch land, settling a lawsuit.

Jim Stearns officially withdrew his candidacy for Umatilla County Commissioner because he would have to come out of retirement to serve if elected.

Hermiston building inspector Perry Hawkins, a Umatilla County resident for more than 45 years, announced he will run for county commissioner in next Mays election.

Police arrested two 17-year-olds, Kevin Melendez and Teddy Mendoza and were searching for another after the fatal beating of Mario Calvillo Ramirez, 27, of Irrigon, on Highway 730 near Crossroads Truck Stop in Umatilla. Melendez was charged as a juvenile.

A crowd of local, state and federal officials gathered at the Umatilla Chemical Depot for a ceremony commemorating the delivery of the last enhanced onsite container, a structure used to transport containers of liquid mustard agent.

Hermiston City Manager Ed Brookshier received a one-year contract extension from the City Council, putting him under contract with the city through Dec. 31, 2013. Brookshiers current deal was slated to expire Dec. 31, 2012. His contract also includes a one-year severance option.

The last of the chemical weapons stored at the Umatilla Chemical Depot was destroyed, ending a task that saw the Depot destroy 220,604 munitions and 3,717 tons of nerve and blister agents.

Theodore Teddy Mendoza, 17, pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter in Hermiston circuit court. Mendoza, of Umatilla, is charged for his alleged involvement in the Oct. 18 beating death of Mario Calvillo Ramirez, 27, of Irrigon.

NOVEMBER

A 65-foot exhaust stack came down, the first skyline change at the Umatilla Chemical Agent Disposal Facility since construction was completed in 2001.

Attorneys for Theodore Teddy Mendoza said they plan to argue self-defense during Mendozas trial.

A group calling itself the Hermiston Government Reform Committee met to explore the process of instituting a recall of Hermistons mayor and its city council members.

David Gonzales, 33, of Burlington, Wash., was arrested and charged with robbery 1, theft II, menacing, ID theft, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in connection with two separate incidents on Oct. 30.

Jesus Carrillo Jr., 25, was arraigned on information of felony murder in the shooting death of 34-year-old Heriberto Aparicio Garcia early Saturday morning in Hermiston.

The next week, Carrillo was ordered held without bail by Judge Christopher Brauer.

The Stanfield Fire Department and the Hermiston Fire and Emergency Services District signed on for a cooperative service study, a six-month investigation into ways the departments can work together, including possible consolidation of services.

Chet Prior, long-time Echo farmer and civic leader, was inducted into the Oregon State College of Agricultural Sciences Hall of Fame on Nov. 4, joining a long list of other farmers and ranchers from the region.

More than 700 people visited the Hermiston Food Give-Away, doubling organizers expectations.

The Hermiston Police Department announced officer Jimmy Allen would begin work as a full-time property detective on Dec. 1. The department created the position in response to a rise in property crime in Hermiston.

 

DECEMBER

The 38th annual Hermiston Farm Fair and Trade Show opened to overflow crowds and a record number of vendors at an event organizers said would likely turn out to be the biggest in its history.

Hermiston interim Superintendent Wade Smith presented the Hermiston School Board with the districts plan for a Virtual Instruction Program to launch online learning.

More than 110 motorcycles traveled 11 miles from Echo to Hermiston, bringing toys, gifts and stuffed animals to Good Shepherd Medical Center as part of the eighth annual Echo Toy Run.

The Hermiston School Board discussed Oregons plan to apply for a waiver to federal No Child Left Behind accountability standards.

The Hermiston City Council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement between the city and Umatilla County, a promise that the city is on board with owning half of the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center.

Three Eastern Oregon men were arrested and taken into custody Dec. 6 after Oregon State Police recovered 12 pounds of marijuana, valued at $30,000, during a traffic stop near The Dalles. Eduardo Munoz Garcia, 32, of Hermiston, the driver of the vehicle, was charged with unlawful possession and distribution of a controlled substance.

For a price tag of $60 per day, the Hermiston City Council approved an agreement to guarantee one Hermiston prisoner will have a bed each night at Umatilla County Jail.

City Councilor Harmon Springer, 79, issued a letter of resignation. council Monday.

Oregons plan to replace No Child Left Behind was released to the public.

Hermiston Police fielded more than half dozen calls from residents who found their Christmas decorations vandalized, stolen or damaged in some way.

City Planner Zach Lunden announced he was leaving Umatilla to return to school.

Local law enforcement began working to uncover a theft ring targeting bigticket items, such as trailers and snowmobiles, in western Umatilla County and Morrow County.