Lincoln City Police arrested a Lincoln City man Wednesday night after he fell through a plastic awning while allegedly attempting to enter an occupied second-story apartment over Oceanlake Storage.
Nicholas A. Ballentine
Two brothers, who requested anonymity, said they heard a commotion outside as they ate dinner at 7:10 p.m. in their residence at 1990 SE E. Devils Lake Road. Upon investigating, the brothers said they went to the backdoor and found Nicholas A. Ballentine, 30, breaking in. The two quickly shut the door on Ballentine and told him to get out.
“He claimed to be working on our neighbor’s roof, but we don’t have neighbors,” one of the brothers said. “We screamed at him, telling him to get out. We escorted him out the front door and contacted Lincoln City Police and the property manager.”
Police said they found the tattoo-sleeved man, wearing a black beanie, in the area a short time later and arrested him for criminal trespass and criminal mischief and transported him to the Lincoln County Jail.
Ballentine allegedly climbed up from the railing on the right
“Ballentine scaled a chain-link fence and then proceeded to climb to the second-story deck,” LCPD Sgt. Jeffery Winn said. “He fell through a plastic corrugated awning and climbed back up.”
The property management company is providing surveillance footage of the incident to police, the brothers said. They said they were glad they were home, but expressed concern about young women or the elderly who might be home alone.
Winn said Ballentine is no stranger to police, having dealt with him several times. His most recent Lincoln City arrest was for a parole violation and carrying methamphetamine in October of last year.
Sgt. Oscar Escalante, left, and Chief of Police Lt. Jerry Palmer
Sgt. Oscar Escalante played “good cop-bad cop” as school resource officer and de facto teacher and counselor to 700 teenagers for 17 years at Taft High 7-12. On Monday, he was recognized at City Hall for those years of devotion and more, having served two decades with the Lincoln City Police Department.
“It’s been a fun ride and I’ve enjoyed myself,” the 64-year-old Escalante said. “I guess that’s the biggest thing, enjoying what you’re doing. You have to find ways to do that, obviously, in this profession.”
Both friend and foe to middle and high school students while patrolling the hallways of Taft as a law enforcement officer beginning in the 2000-01 school year, Escalante has watched kids grow up in those corridors as their “authority figure” — from their introduction to prep school as wide-eyed seventh-graders through their graduation six years later as young adults.
Escalante said it’s gratifying to see children grow and make the proper choices in life more times than not.
“It is that young energy that keeps me on my toes,” he said.
A former firefighter and SWAT team member, first responder and drug recognition expert, Escalante not only tutored kids on how to mature into young men and women in his role as “hall monitor,” he instructed and counseled parents, teachers and staff before mentoring fellow officers on how to be a good cop.
Married with four grown children, Escalante grew up in the San Diego area before moving to Oregon in January 1979 after vacationing on the Central Oregon Coast.
Originally a firefighter, he learned quickly there weren’t a lot of paid fire positions in Newport and took a couple of jobs working in the sawmills in Toledo. With the timber business struggling in the early 80s, he applied at the Sheriff’s Office in Newport and started at the jail before being promoted to patrol officer.
He later left county employment to work with city government as a police officer in Lincoln City. In 2000, he took on an instructional role in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program, where he taught fifth- and sixth-grade kids. He split his time between counseling, writing reports and simply observing.
He was promoted to sergeant in January 2017 after joining the department in May 1999 and becoming school resource officer in 2000. Chief of Police Lt. Jerry Palmer called Ecalante’s promotion “one of the best decisions we’ve made since I’ve been here.”
Escalante said he appreciates the high bar Palmer has set as police chief because motivated and dedicated law enforcement officials tend to attain whatever demands expected of them.
“It’s a great department and will be for years to come with the standard the chief has set,” he said.
During his time with the local law enforcement agency, Escalante has served as a certified instructor for DARE, Standard Field Sobriety Tests (SFST), Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE), the Intoxilyzer 8000, Drug Impaired Training Educational Professionals (DITEP), and Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) training. He continues to instruct SFST training and serve as a DRE for Lincoln County.
Escalante has received numerous awards and accolades, including the Top Shooter Award in his Basic Police Class #154; life saving awards from the North Lincoln Fire & Rescue and LCPD; Law Enforcement Officer of the Year from the Lincoln City Community Days Committee; and Officer of the Year twice from the LCPD.
Considered his most outstanding achievement was receiving the “Senior Trooper Maria Mignano Dedication to Duty Award,” a statewide recognition presented to a sworn law enforcement officer who exemplifies behavior, dedication and professionalism in all aspects of impaired driving detection, apprehension and prosecution.
Lt. Jerry Palmer, left, and Oscar Escalante, are lauded at Monday’s Lincoln City Council meeting
Lincoln City Police Officer Cody Snidow and Newport Officer Aaron Bales proved to be the sharpshooters in their respective departments last week by scoring 100 percent on all four qualification courses in rifle familiarization training for new hires.
Officers participated in extensive training and testing May 8-9, learning how to safely handle and operate the AR-15 rifle in an urban environment.
Find out how to take control of your kidney health at a free Kidney Smart class led by certified kidney care educators. The class will be offered the last Friday of the month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, beginning May 31.
Some questions the class will answer include:
What causes chronic kidney disease and how can it be delayed?
What is a kidney-friendly diet and what information is available to help make the right food choices at home and while dining out?
What actions can be taken to lower blood pressure, manage blood sugar and make simple lifestyle changes?
How can medication management help lead to better kidney health?
How does continuing to work and having insurance coverage help with quality of life?
What treatment options are available that can fit a variety of work and lifestyle needs (including dialysis performed during the day or night, at home or in a clinic)?
How does the transplant process work, who can receive this treatment and how may it lead to better health?
Anyone who is interested in supporting a patient’s kidney health journey is also welcome to take a class and ask questions. Registration is required by calling 855-343-4951.
Classes, presented by DaVita Kidney Care, will be held in the Education Conference Room at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital.
Oregon Army National Guard soldiers honor a howitzer salute by the “Governor’s Own” Bravo Battery, 2-218th Field Artillery Battalion (Photo by Major Wayne Clyne)
The Oregon National Guard honored all military members and veterans Tuesday during the annual Armed Forces Day ceremony at the State Capitol Mall in Salem.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Major Gen. Mike Stencel spoke at the ceremony that included an F-15 Eagle flyover by the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Fighter Wing and a howitzer salute by the “Governor’s Own” Bravo Battery, 2-218th Field Artillery Battalion.
The Oregon Army National Guard’s 234th Army Band played, and Salem residents Rita Hathaway, a ‘Rosie the Riveter’ during WWII and war bride, Joy Beebe, were honored, along with families and other veterans.
This year’s Armed Forces Day ceremony paid special acknowledgment to WWII veterans and families and those who supported the war effort.
A large display of military equipment from various units throughout the Oregon National Guard was displayed. The celebration gave Oregonians a chance to see the capabilities of the Oregon National Guard.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, left, Major General Mike Stencel and honoree Joy Beebe, a WWII bride, stand for a howitzer salute (Photo by Major Wayne Clyne)
An American flag is being flown for each fallen officer from Oregon who died in the line of duty adjacent to the Oregon Fallen Officer Memorial at the Oregon Public Safety Academy in Salem this week.
At the foot of each flag, a marker displays the name of the fallen officer, agency and date they died.
“One-hundred-eighty-seven Oregon law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty since the 1880s are honored and remembered at the Academy,” Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training Director Eriks Gabliks said. “This includes officers from city, county, state, tribal and federal law enforcement agencies who have served as law enforcement officers, corrections officers, and parole and probation officers.”
The names of 371 fallen officers are being added to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial; 158 of them died in 2018 and 213 died in prior years.
The national monument now contains the names of 21,910 fallen law enforcement officers — from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S.. territories, federal, corrections, railroad, and military police agencies — who died in the performance of duty throughout history. The oldest historical death now engraved on the Memorial is that of Chesterfield County, Va., Sheriff Benjamin Branch whose end of watch was April 29, 1786.
The Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund raised funds to build the state memorial more than 20 years ago and hosts the annual ceremony. For more information on the Oregon Law Enforcement Memorial Fund and the statewide license plate that is available to honor fallen law enforcement officers and firefighter: http://www.oregon.gov/DPSST/MF/pages/policememtrustfund.aspx
The FBI is intensifying efforts to arrest fugitives believed to be involved in the assault or murder of law enforcement officers during Police Week, including David Anthony Durham, who allegedly shot and critically injured Lincoln City Police officer Steven Dodds in January 2011.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Durham’s location and arrest.
According to the FBI, at approximately 11 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2011, Dodds pulled over an SUV for a traffic violation. During the traffic stop, the driver, later identified as Durham, shot the officer multiple times, critically wounding him.
Durham fled the area in the vehicle. A police chase ensued and Durham exchanged gunfire with officers after spike strips were administered and he abandoned his vehicle in Waldport.
Durham fled on foot and began shooting at a crab fisherman in Alsea Bay before disappearing. Durham’s whereabouts remain unknown. He was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted List on Jan. 29, 2011.
Durham is known to possess survival skills. He was wearing full green camouflage at the time of his disappearance, as well as tan or dark boots, and a dark-colored beret. In the past, he has expressed a desire to travel or is believed to have traveled to California, the Caribbean and Thailand.
A local arrest warrant was issued for Durham in the Circuit Court of the State of Oregon for the County of Lincoln on Jan. 27, 2011, and he was charged with the various violations listed above. A federal arrest warrant was issued in U.S. District Court in Portland, on Jan. 29, 2011, and Durham was charged with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and numerous other charges.
No matter where you looked on the hardwood floors and playing fields at Taft High over the past several seasons, you were virtually certain to find Savannah Russo leading the way.
Her last hurrah will come this weekend in the Class 3A OSAA State Track and Field Championships in Gresham.
Having earned a wild-card spot with a career-best javelin throw of 112 feet at last week’s Special District 2 finals in Dayton, Russo will join seniors David Jin, Jacob Mayoral and Mad Scott; juniors Kaden Wright, Edson Fuentes and Ella Knott; and sophomores JJ French and Avery Nightingale in the State finals Friday and Saturday at Mt. Hood Community College.
A National Honor Society student, the 18-year-old Russo has participated in volleyball, basketball and track and field all four years at Taft. She was named Most Valuable Player in volleyball and basketball and became a three-time Athlete of the Month during the current track season.
“Not only do I know Savannah through friendship, but I also know her through sports,” fellow Taft senior Lilly Salsbery, also a multisport athlete, said. “She is an amazing player, leader and friend.”
While she specializes in the javelin, her favorite event, Russo’s preferred sport is basketball “because of how fast-paced it is and how competitive it can be,” and her favorite position point guard “because I get to set the pace while we’re on offense.”
It’s her love of the game, passion for success and willingness to try new things that rubs off most on not only her teammates, but coaches.
“Savannah is the epitome of a selfless teammate,” Taft track coach Sam Moore said. “She consistently works to her capability and does whatever is asked of her for the good of the team.”
Moore shares her remembrances of Russo’s desire to occupy a vacant 300-meter hurdles opening the squad needed to accrue team points.
“Our team had no athletes running in the 300 hurdles, among the most difficult events in track, and when Savannah was approached, she not only said she would run it, but is now ranked sixth in the District after only running it a few times,” Moore said. “Savannah not only does everything that is asked of her, but continues to go above and beyond in all she does.”
Russo’s mom, Susan, is a nurse at Salem Hospital, and her dad, Rob, owns Russo Surfboards. She has lived in Lincoln City her entire life.
Mother Susan and daughter Savannah share a moment
Fiercely competitive but passive in her approach to athletics, Russo said she likes the camaraderie competing in sports can bring.
“One of my favorite memories is when our volleyball team had a dance party in the locker room before our game and some of the girls from the other team joined us, so we became friends,” she said.
Being rewarded for the successes teamwork can bring doesn’t hurt either.
“A highlight would be when we made it to playoffs in basketball my sophomore year despite having a long losing streak before that. It really brought us together,” she said.
A second-team all-league volleyball player and honorable mention in basketball, Russo enjoys hiking, surfing, working out and playing video games.
“The most influential people in my life are my parents and my best friends,” she said. “My parents always give me advice when I’m not performing at the level I want to be in sports because I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself.
“My best friends are also a big influence because we’ve been close since the eighth grade and have been through a lot together.”
She also credits basketball coach Jake Tolan for instilling knowledge in her on the importance the mental approach can be to success.
“He believes that your mindset is the most important thing when it comes to sports, and life, in general.” she said. “That stuck with me the most. He would also push me to work hard in weights and that helped create the passion I have for it.”
Upon graduation in June, Russo said she plans to attend Chemeketa Community College in Salem.
“I don’t have a specific field of study yet, but I’m interested in careers that involve helping people, whatever that may be,” she said. “I’m also interested in how the body works and how exercise affects it, so exercise science is an interest, too.”
After that, travel and skydiving might be on the agenda, she said.
Regardless of what the future brings, she promises to have a lasting impact on her classmates and fellow athletes at Taft.
Savannah and good friend Lilly Salsbery
“Savannah isn’t an aggressive leader. She does not react on impulse, but on logic,” Salsbery said. “She assesses the situation and is able to visualize everything going on in the game, and can easily and calmly communicate it to her teammates.”
Tolan concurs. He’s watched Russo grow as a person and tutored her as a player the past three years.
“She has always been one of the hardest workers on and off the court and a player I could always count on,” he said. “Savannah was a highly skilled basketball player and devoted quite a bit of her time in the offseason on getting better.
“She is the kind of athlete every coach wants in their program. Even though she wasn’t the most vocal player, her presence, skills and work ethic made her a leader on her team and gained the respect from her opponents. Savannah’s leadership and positive influence will be greatly missed next year.”
As one of her best friends, which includes classmates Maleah Smith, Kayla Brown and Charlotte Huppert, Salsbery says she will stay in touch and connected with Russo long after they accept their diplomas next month in the same school gym Russo starred in.
“She brings such a calming and focused presence to any game that she’s in, and always picks someone up if they’re feeling down,” she said. “Being one of her best friends, I have seen how she acts the same way off the court as well as on.
“Any time I have a problem, I feel like I can go to Savannah and she’ll have my back. I know if anyone were to try to hurt me or talk bad about me, I know Savannah will always stick up for me. If there were any person I could call hard working, dedicated and loving, it’d be Savannah Russo.”
From left, Maleah Smith, Kayla Brown, Charlotte Huppert, Savannah and Lilly Salsbery
The term “battery” refers collectively to the pitcher and catcher, who may also be called battery mates. The word was coined in the 1860s by Hall of Fame baseball executive and sports writer Henry Chadwick, who developed the modern-day box score, in reference to the firepower of a team’s pitching staff. It was inspired by the artillery batteries used in the Civil War.
As battery mates go, few are as powerfully charged and well connected as Taft High juniors Emma Coulter and Hailee Danneker.
Coulter, a hard-hitting, fireballing right-handed pitcher, and Danneker, a slugging leadoff-batting defensive-minded catcher, comprise perhaps the most potent punch in all of small-school Oregon softball.
“They are the two most important players on the field,” Taft High coach Sandy Stuart said. “And, one of the things that we have been stressing to them for the past two seasons is that they have the power to make each other better.”
Together, the two players’ power-packed presence has propelled the Tigers to a sixth-place Class 3A ranking with a 5 p.m. home-field Special District 1 playoff game scheduled Thursday against Warrenton.
“A pitcher needs a good catcher to succeed,” Stuart said. “She needs a teammate to support her, tell her when she is letting up or not hitting her spots, and to watch for things that might help her out. And, the catcher needs a pitcher who she can trust to take her advice and see the things she can’t.”
While the heavy-duty battery’s positive energy dictates the pace of a game, it’s at the plate where this fearsome twosome of All-State teen talent has proven itself to be twin terrors to opposing pitchers, leading the Tigers in virtually every major offensive category.
Danneker, tied for third on the squad in RBIs despite batting leadoff, is hitting a team-leading .494 with a team-high 40 hits and 33 runs. She’s first in homers (four) and second to Coulter (23) with 12 doubles.
Coulter, who bats third, is second to Danneker in average at .430, first in RBIs with 28, second in hits (37) and homers (three) and tied for third in runs (17).
In league play, Coulter leads the team with a .429 batting average, 18 hits and 10 RBIs, while Danneker is first in runs (15) and second in hitting (.390).
Coulter owns a 2.59 earned run average overall and 2.30 in league play while averaging over a strikeout per inning.
“One of my favorite things to see is when Emma gets a strikeout on a great hitter and Hailee jumps up and points at her because they both know that they had the upper-hand on the hitter’s weakness,” Stuart said.
As with any partnership, not everything’s been pitcher-perfect in the circle or behind the plate, Stuart said.
“We had a time or two early in the season where things were not meshing quite right between them and it affected the entire game,” Stuart said. “Luckily, they are mature girls and they were able to figure out any issues and move forward. We have Hailee spend extra time catching for Emma in practice because they need to work together at all times.”
Tom Trunt
Stuart credits assistant Tom Trunt, who led Taft to the 2005 State softball title as the Tigers’ longtime head coach, for making the duo more dynamic.
“He has had to get on them a couple of times this year, but his influence is making them better together,” Stuart said. “That threesome works all game to throw the best pitches possible to get hitters out.”
Coulter and Danneker are hardly new to success. Both were first-team all-West Valley League selections as 15-year-old sophomores last season.
Danneker, batting third, hit .462 and led the Tigers in slugging percentage, RBIs, hits and triples en route to first-team All-State recognition.
Coulter hit .472 with a 1.89 ERA while batting cleanup and was named to the second team while leading the Tigers to the Class 3A State quarterfinals.
Advancing deeper into postseason play is a prime objective for Taft’s two star players this season.
“One of my goals is for us is to be able to make it into at least the semifinals this year, since last year we only made it to the quarterfinals, “ Coulter said. “We have so much young talent, and I am thankful for that. We have been able to meet many of our goals and continue to do so.”
“We’ve talked about wanting to go far this year in State and how we will accomplish it,” Danneker said. “My goals are just to beat what I was last year. I like to push and improve, to be better today than yesterday.”
While Danneker protects home plate, her parents preserve health and safety throughout the community. Her mother, Summer, is a Lincoln City police officer; her dad, Shawn, a local fireman. She has a younger sister who catches in an 8-and-under league.
Danneker moved to Lincoln City from her lifelong home of Las Vegas during her sophomore year. She played some soccer as a youngster, but was primarily devoted to softball.
“Many members of my family played softball and baseball, so that kind of gave me more encouragement for softball,” she said. “Softball has impacted my life a lot. My two aunts were catchers, so that kind of led me to follow in their footprints.”
Coulter, who enjoys the outdoors and hopes to become a baseball scout after playing NAIA college ball in Arizona, was born and raised in Lincoln City.
Her mom, Amy Marsh, keeps the books for the Side Door Café in Gleneden Beach and does taxes for the hospital. Her dad, Jack Marsh, builds skate parks around the country. She has two sisters; Olivia, a freshman third baseman for the Tigers, and her youngest, an 8-year-old second-grader.
“Some of the most influential people in my life have been my family members by being my support system and No. 1 fans, my coaches for pushing me to be the best player I can be, and God for giving me strength and teaching me patience through it all,” she said.
United, the two players understand the value of connecting the negatives with the positives by working together.
“Emma has pushed me a lot as a player,” Danneker said. “We challenge each other to be better, but also are there for each other when needed.”
The skinny from Coach Stuart on pitcher Emma Coulter:
“Emma is a very dedicated athlete. She has put countless hours in over the years going to private pitching and hitting lessons. She has played for multiple high-level summer-ball travel teams, and she takes the game very seriously.
“For her, each play and each win or loss is personal. She has incredible softball skills and is a very physically strong athlete. She definitely has a big presence on the field and she impresses coaches, umpires and fans.
“It has been amazing to see the transformation watching her grow and how she handles the ups and the downs. Because she takes it all so personally and she wants it so bad she has had to learn how to let some of it go and continue to lead. This year, she has really stepped up as a leader. She understands that her teammates are young and not perfect and she is finding ways to encourage them and help them become better faster.
“Emma is a very smart girl with a great head on her shoulders. She is funny and outgoing and just a joy to be around. I feel like we have great open communication with each other and we know what we can expect from each other. I want to see her succeed and I want to help her reach her goals as a softball player and in life.”
The skinny from Coach Stuart on catcher Hailee Danneker:
“Hailee is also a dedicated player who has spent full summers playing for high-level travel teams to make herself better. She is incredibly strong. We have faced many teams who back up all of their fielders in fear of how hard she hits the ball. She has to work very hard as our only catcher spending hours squatting and throwing the ball.
“Hailee is chatty, funny and outgoing. She is constantly talking and messing around with her teammates. She keeps things light, and makes the younger players feel welcome. She is smiling most of the time, which can be refreshing with a group of teenage girls.
“She has aspirations of playing college softball, just like Emma does, and it makes her work harder. I would love to see that she is able to accomplish that goal for herself.”
The captain of the Mary B II had alcohol, methamphetamine and amphetamine in his system when the fishing vessel capsized in January at Yaquina Bay Bar, killing all three aboard, according to evidence presented Monday in Newport at the start of a U.S. Coast Guard investigation.
A state trooper also said she saw skipper Stephen Biernacki with bloodshot eyes and slurred speech on the docks the day before the capsizing and had a report from a concerned business owner that Biernacki appeared impaired.
The U.S. Coast Guard was called to escort the 42-foot Mary B II through rough seas when it overturned at approximately 10 p.m. in 14- to 16-foot waves, with swells of 20 feet.
The Coast Guard pulled two fishermen from the water and they were taken to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, and a third was trapped and found deceased in the boat.
Pronounced dead were James Lacey, 48, of South Toms River, N.J.; Stephen Biernacki, 50, of Barnegat Township, N.J.; and Joshua Porter, 50, of Toledo.
The Coast Guard was escorting three boats to port under bar restrictions due to the high seas when the Mary B II was struck by a wave, pitched and overturned. After a rescue helicopter was launched, a swimmer discovered the body of Lacey, who was transported to paramedics on shore and taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Newport Fire Department found Porter deceased near Nye Beach. After the vessel ran aground approximately 100 yards off shore near Yaquina Bay North Jetty, Biernacki was discovered dead in the wheelhouse of the disintegrated green and white wooden crab boat.
Lincoln City Police arrested a Lincoln City man Wednesday night after he fell through a plastic awning while allegedly attempting to enter an occupied second-story apartment over Oceanlake Storage.
“It’s been a fun ride and I’ve enjoyed myself,” the 64-year-old Escalante said. “I guess that’s the biggest thing, enjoying what you’re doing. You have to find ways to do that, obviously, in this profession.”
Lincoln City Police Officer Cody Snidow and Newport Officer Aaron Bales proved to be the sharpshooters in their respective departments last week by scoring 100 percent on all four qualification courses in rifle familiarization training for new hires.
