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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 16, 2020)
WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2020 HermistonHerald.com EasternOregonMarketplace.com First COVID-19 vaccine doses arrive in Oregon By GARY A. WARNER OREGON CAPITAL BUREAU The fi rst of millions of expected vaccine doses needed to control the COVID-19 virus arrived in Oregon on Monday, Dec. 14, start- ing a process that could last into fall 2021. The Oregon Health Author- ity issued a statement that the fi rst doses of the vaccine manufactured by Pfi zer-BioNTech arrived in the state at 7 a.m. on Dec. 14. Four facilities in or near Portland, along with a medical center in Ontario in Malheur County, each received a 975-dose packages on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Caitlin Cozad, communications director for Good Shepherd Health Care System in Hermiston, said the hospital will be following Ore- gon Health Authority’s guidelines for vaccination order, which priori- tizes health care workers and long- term care facilities. “Over the course of the next month Good Shepherd will receive its fair share to cover all of our staff and external frontline/essen- tial workers,” she said in an email. She added that all staff will still be required to follow personal protective equipment guidelines and other safety procedures after receiving the vaccine. Oregon is slated to receive 35,100 doses this week. The remaining 30,225 Pfi zer doses will go to unspecifi ed hospitals later this week. Another 10,725 doses will go to unspecifi ed skilled nursing facilities for vaccinations beginning next week. “Today, I can tell you that help is here,” said Governor Kate Brown in a statement on Dec. 14. The vaccine’s initial arrival comes as the state, like most of the nation, has seen a steep rise in COVID-19 cases since September. As of Sunday, Dec. 13, there have been 93,853 positive cases of COVID-19 in Oregon and 1,155 deaths. Nationwide, there have been over 16.3 million cases and 300,267 deaths. While a sign of hope, getting the vaccine to most of the more than 2.6 million estimated adults in See Vaccine, Page A11 Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald, File A sign directs visitors at the Good Shepherd Health Care System campus in Hermiston on Nov. 16, 2020. The hospital has a plan in place to vaccinate employees as it receives its fi rst doses of the COVID-19 vaccine over the next month. UPDATES Local counties still in ‘extreme risk’ category By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Umatilla and Morrow counties remained on the state’s “extreme risk” list for COVID-19 as Oregon Health Authority updated its assessments of each county. In total, 29 of Ore- gon’s 36 counties now fall under the category, one of four levels in the state’s new COVID-19 restric- tions. The list is updated every two weeks as OHA reevaluates the lat- est COVID-19 cases, test positivity and community spread of the virus. In the seven-day period between Wednesday, Dec. 9 and Tuesday, Dec. 15, Umatilla County Public Health reported 234 new cases of COVID-19. The county needs to get down to less than 80 cases over a 14-day period for all elementary school students to return to class- rooms, and about 40 cases per 14-day period to see middle school and high school students return. On Dec. 9, the county reported the death of a 39-year-old Uma- tilla County man with underlying conditions who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on Oct. 16 and died Nov. 1 at Kadlec Regional Medi- cal Center in Richland, Washington. On Dec. 15, it reported the death of an 89-year-old man who tested positive Nov. 20 and died Dec. 6 at Good Shepherd Medical Cen- ter in Hermiston. According to Umatilla County Public Health’s website, since the pan- demic began, 14.8% of the county’s COVID-19 cases have been under age 20. Just over 39% of cases have been age 20-39, 29.6% of cases have been age 40-59, 13.2% have been ages 60-79 and 2.6% have been over age 80. About 47% of cases have been female. INSIDE Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald/East Oregonian Craig Dircksen, left, Emily Bonner, center, and Lori Smith pose for a portrait in the front yard of their Hermiston home on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. Deck the halls Musical display adds plenty of holiday cheer to Hermiston By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald Christmas lights adorn the house and yard of Craig Dircksen and Lori Smith on West Johns Avenue in Hermiston on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald Christmas lights adorn the West Johns Avenue home of Craig Dircksen and Lori Smith in Hermiston on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. A3 Manuel Gutierrez recognized for his service to Hermiston A6 Christmas Express wraps up donation collection As Hermiston-area residents hop in their car and go searching for the best Christmas light dis- plays in town, Craig Dircksen and Lori Smith’s house is becoming a must-see. Dozens of cars pull up along their home on Johns Avenue or in the Desert View Elemen- tary School parking lot kitty-cor- ner from their property to enjoy their tens of thousands of lights, all working in sync with a musi- cal concert more than an hour long broadcast on a loop over 88.1 FM each night from 5:30-9 p.m. During one song, a giant Spider Man dances on a 28-foot-tall metal Christmas tree. During another, a wave of pink crosses the house at the mention of Santa Claus bring- ing a Barbie. “I’m one of those ‘go big or go home’ people, and I’m already home so I might as well go big,” Dircksen said. Umatilla County residents interested in a tour of Christmas lights in the area can get help from an online map on bit.ly/lightupthe- town-umatillacounty. The map has been curated by Hermiston Parks A7 Wheatridge Renewable Energy Facility powers up wind farm IF YOU GO Craig Dircksen’s light display runs from 5:30-9 p.m. each night at 790 West Johns Ave. in Herm- iston. The full concert of songs runs about an hour and fi fteen minutes long, on a loop starting at 5:30 p.m. For more informa- tion, see the “Miracle on John’s Avenue” Facebook page. and Recreation and has more than 40 entries, including the Festival of Lights at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center. The Festival of Lights is now a walk-through on Fridays and Sat- urdays from 5-11 p.m. and drive- thru only on Thursdays and Sun- days from 5-10 p.m. In Boardman, the SAGE Cen- ter at 101 Olson Road is hosting its annual musical light display every night in December from 5-10 p.m. Visitors can enjoy the display, set to music, in their vehicles while tuned in to 106.1 FM. When it comes to private dis- plays, however, Dircksen and Smith’s home at 790 W. Johns See Display, Page A11 A10 Hermiston quilter, age 90, still going strong with donations
