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.
Grant funds provided by the Oregon Department of Transportation and Oregon Impact helped the Lincoln City Police Department make local roads safer during a National Distracted Driving Awareness campaign in the month of April.
Three enforcement operations conducted April 11, April 15 and April 27 identified numerous drivers unlawfully using their cell phones or other electronic devices while operating their vehicles.
The safety sting included 22 citations and eight warnings issued for distracted driving, one citation for a suspended license, and one citation and 11 warnings for other traffic violations.
John Branum has gone from making headlines in the local police log to making one of the best crab omelets on the Oregon Coast.
Branum is head chef and kitchen manager for the iconic coastal landmark eatery Lil Sambos Family Restaurant in Lincoln City, but things weren’t always this good for the 52-year-old converted convict. Following a period of dealing drugs that eventually led to his incarceration, Branum turned his life around and found cooking, which he’s exceptionally good at.
Spinach and mushroom omelet in progress
“I came here from Portland when I was 6 years old,” Branum said. “I went to Taft schools all my life and started doing drugs when I was 17. I sold drugs for 25 years and I’ve been to prison four times. I’ve been clean for 13 years. I started working here a couple years ago and it’s progressed from there.”
“The most important thing to me is that the restaurant is useful to God,” restaurant owner Cary Moore said. “When I see people turn their lives around, to me that’s a win.”
When asked why Branum’s crab omelet was such a hit, Moore replied, “We sell a lot of them.”
“I cook them with love and lots of crab,” Branum said.
Lil Sambos’ staff members said they take full advantage of the employee discount when Branum is behind the grill.
California omelet
“I love John’s crab omelet because it has more crab than eggs,” waitress Liz Kallman said. “They’re delicious, and all his omelets are stuffed with the good stuff.”
Branum attributes his love for cooking to shows he’s watched, such as, Food Network’s Chopped and the late Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown and Viceland’s Bong Appétit.
“I love Chopped,” he said. “I watch a lot of cooking shows, but Bong Appétit is my favorite.”
Branum says Rachel Ray is a good cook, but he’s seen her exhibit some bad habits, such as touching her hair on camera — something you are not supposed to do. He said he would rather spend time learning from someone like Food Network’s Guy Fieri.
“John is one of the best cooks in town,” Moore said. “He’s one of a handful of people in the city who can put out quality food on a busy Sunday morning.”
“I appreciate the Moore family for giving me the opportunity to do what I love and create, and for promoting me as quick as they did,” Branum said.
Lil Sambos offers special omelets every Monday and Tuesday from 6 a.m. – 1 p.m. when Branum is working.
North Lincoln Fire & Rescue’s newest firefighting vehicle, a “Heavy Rescue,” arrived Tuesday morning in Lincoln City on a flat-bed trailer from West Virginia by way of Alabama.
The Heavy Rescue, which has undergone refurbishing and repainting to meet NLFR District #1’s needs, was bought from a fire department in West Virginia and sent to an Alabama fire vehicle specialty shop for some refurbishing.
The tires were too old to meet national fire service safety standards, so new tires will be added to the rig by Les Schwab.
Division Chief Jamie Mason led a committee of firefighters to determine the “specs” for the rig, and found one that met NLFR’s needs for about $100,000. A completely new apparatus of this type, with equipment, would be around twice that amount, NLFR Fire Marshall Frederick E. Ulrich Jr. said.
The money came from the bond measure approved by NLFR voters in 2018.
Lincoln City Dairy Queen owners Gordon and Elizabeth Snyder are seeking applications as work continues in the remodel of the popular restaurant built in the 50s.
The Snyders, who own a Dairy Queen in McMinnville, said work to restore the frozen-treat fast-food chain’s Lincoln City store was going smoothly and they anticipate opening May 31.
The new owners will be taking applications at the end of this week and will place a box at the front of the store, where interested parties can take a form, fill it out and place it in a locked portion of the box. The Snyders said they would call people in for interviews.
Photo illustration. The application box will look similar.
The location is taking shape on the inside with numerous notable improvements.
“We put in new tile that will be seen from behind the counter,” Gordon Synder said.
New tile is also going on the floors.
Stainless steel is going where needed.
While waiting to enter the building, two separate couples tried the front door of the building until they saw the sign and got back in their cars.
“Looks like we’re coming back May 31st for that Blizzard, Carl,” one woman said to her male companion.
The ninth annual B’nai B’rith Camp Spaghetti Dinner will be held on Wednesday, May 15, with tours of camp starting at 5 p.m. and dinner at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $10 each and may be purchased online at bbcamp.org/spaghetti-dinner or at the door. Proceeds raise scholarship money for our local kids to go to the BB Camp Day Camp.
The spaghetti dinner is preceded by tours of the camp to see where kids take part in activities at the beautiful setting of the camp itself. It is a chance for people to see the changes happening at camp or their first view of the lake from the camp dining hall deck. This year you can see the three new two-story cabins being built that will be completed before the overnight camp begins in June.
There are several baskets to be raffled including tickets to Siletz Bay Music Festival, dinner, movie tickets, gift certificates, a basket of gourmet goodies, wine and many other surprise items. All proceeds support scholarships for local kids to be able to attend Day Camp.
“We have been lucky enough to have sunshine for the past years so people can really get out to walk the camp, “ Sue Anderson, co-chair of the event with her husband, Dick Anderson, said. “But if it is raining, the large deck is covered and we can still see what a great place BB Camp is for our community.”
Kids attending the Day Camp get to experience real, camp life and create memories for a lifetime. Not all local kids are fortunate enough to be able to go to camp. Some kids have very little adult supervision or fun things to do daily during the summer months. This is a chance for them to go to camp by means of financial aid and take home memories of fun experiences such as nature hiking, arts and crafts, sports, swimming in the pool, and water sports in the lake including canoeing, paddle boarding and tubing, and much more. Kids are also given books to take home on a weekly basis to add to or start their own book collection.
For more information on the Spaghetti Dinner call Dick or Sue Anderson at 541-996-8482 or to register kids for camp or apply for financial aid, go online to BBCamp.org.
Lincoln City Police and North Lincoln Fire & Rescue personnel helped finish a delivery job this morning after a man sustained injuries from a fall during a daily fruit and vegetable run to Kenny’s IGA Seafood Grocery.
“This is another case of our Lincoln City service people going above and beyond,” Andy Morgan, owner of the store at 2429 NW Highway 101, said.
After borrowing an IGA hand truck because his electric one had a dead battery, the delivery driver fell from the lift platform, hitting his head and injuring his ankle, officers said. The man was transported to Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery.
LCPD officers Preston Craig and Summer Danneker assisted NLFR Engine 1407 personnel in unloading the produce with IGA staff and secured the truck for the injured driver.
According to LCPD staff, Officer Craig recalled his knowledge of operating a pallet jack, which helped efforts and again put into practice the “other duties assigned” portion of the job.
