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Sheriff Kenneth Matlack

OREGON SHERIFF Magazine News

Sheriff Matlack grew up in the Irrigon and Umatilla area and graduated from Umatilla High School in 1967. He graduated from Eastern Oregon State College in 1971 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. He was a public school teacher and coach at Powder Valley High School in North Powder Oregon until the Oregon State Police recruited him in 1974.

Ken met his wife Donna in the first grade in Irrigon and they were married shortly after high school. They have been married for 37 years and raised two daughters.

Ken was assigned and promoted to a variety of different positions in the Oregon State Police including Trooper, Detective, Detective Sergeant, and Patrol Sergeant. In 1988 he was promoted to Assistant Station Command in The Dalles and in 1993 he was assigned as Outpost Commander in Arlington and supervised State Police field operations in Gilliam, Wheeler and a small portion of Morrow County. He retired from the Oregon State Police in March 1999.

Upon retiring from the Oregon State Police, Ken received his private investigator license and worked as a private investigator in Oregon and Washington. He also worked for several years as a contract investigator with the Oregon Department of Corrections and worked at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla and Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton where he conducted background investigations on Correctional Officer and management positions.

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OREGON SHERIFF Magazine News

Summer, 2010 -- Investigations on incidents in Morrow County resulted in search warrants issued in Umatilla County. These uncovered connections to thefts and burglaries in Gilliam, Union and Umatilla Counties. The Oregon State Police SWAT team was deployed on March 10th, executed a high risk search warrant, supported by armored vehicles in Meacham. Nolan McClatchy, 42 was subdued by a 40mm beanbag round by SWAT. He and Piper Dee Pierce, 37 were arrested on several theft and drug charges. The Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Task Force was brought in after part of a methamphetamine lab was discovered.

Also in March, our Chief Civil Deputy and two family members were injured in a boat explosion in Multnomah County. They were setting off on the first journey on their just purchased cabin cruiser. The boat exploded after fueling at the Marina. All three were injured and spent time in the hospital. Happily, all are home recovering from their injuries. Our Chief Civil Deputy is also back to work part-time.

On May 3rd Search & Rescue was activated for a windsurfer on the Columbia River during a windstorm with 60mph wind gusts. The Morrow County Sheriff's Office & Health District, Intertribal Fisheries, Oregon State Police, Klickitat County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Coast Guard were all involved. The ground search was called off because of darkness at 9pm. A Coast Guard helicopter was on scene at 10:00 pm and continued the search with night vision equipment. The body was located near midnight in mid channel, three miles downriver.

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Morrow County

Sheriff Kenneth Matlack