Burns politics spills over again
Staff writer
A fight Saturday evening in Burns resulted in two arrests — one a longstanding opponent of Burns City Council and the other possibly related to city council member Tina Blansett.
Undersheriff Larry Starkey said James S. Blansett, 65, drove past William P. Castleberry’s house, then drove past again.
Castleberry confronted him, and the two got into a fight.
Castleberry’s wife got the men calmed down and separated, but the confrontation flared up again, Starkey said.
Ambulance attendants checked Blansett, who declined to be taken to a hospital.
Blansett and Castleberry, 46, both were arrested on suspicion of battery and disorderly conduct.
Both were released after posting $2,000 bonds.
Castleberry and his brother, Brian, have been in repeated disputes with city council members, going back to 2021.
Over that time, Castleberry’s wife, Robyn Basham, was fired as city water and sewer operator in 2022; Castleberry was arrested in 2022 after a fight during which he allegedly pulled city employee Sean Blansett off a riding mower and got into a fistfight with him; and Castleberry’s brother, Brian Castleberry, made repeated complaints in 2021 that city council meetings were not held in compliance with the state open meetings law.
Those complaints included council members having onlookers ejected and calling a special meeting, supposed to be called by letters during which those letters were written.