From the editor’s desk: County commissioner forum among local news
Published 7:39 am Sunday, October 23, 2022
- Umatilla County commissioner candidates listen Oct. 12, 2022, to a question during a public forum at Armand Larive Middle School in Hermiston. From left, Cindy Timmons, of Milton-Freewater, and Susan Bower, of Pendleton, seek the Position 1 seat, Josiah Barron is the emcee, and Umatilla County Commissioner John Shafer and HollyJo Beers, both of Pendleton, vie for Position 2.
The latest Hermiston Herald may’ve given you something to think about as you considered the choices on your ballot.
Among the stories we printed last week, we published an article by reporter Dakota Castets-Didier. Dakota wrote of a Umatilla County commissioner forum held at Hermiston’s Armand Larive Middle School.
The event, hosted by Umatilla County Republicans, included the four candidates for two commissioner positions. Susan Bower, Cindy Timmons, John Shafer and HollyJo Beers were all present.
The candidates spoke of their priorities and experience.
In other news, we included coverage of a second-degree murder trial that involved the death of a Hermiston man.
A trial for the slaying of a Hermiston man in 2020 was slated to finally get underway in October but now is delayed.
Keith Beridon, 27, faces charges of second-degree murder, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and felon in possession of a firearm in the death of Jesus Lopez Beridon, who lived in La Grande at the time of Lopez’s death, was to go trial Monday, Oct. 24.
But Beridon’s attorneys, Robert G. Crow and Erik E. Eklund, both of Portland, filed a motion Oct. 14 to continue the trial. Crow in the motion told the court he and Eklund were concerned about the timing and volume of new discovery they were receiving as well as a “motion to suppress that seems to have to keep being relitigated due to new search warrants issued.”
