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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 13, 2019)
2A — THE OBSERVER D AILY P LANNER Pot retailers begin pulling vape brands By Gillian Flaccus TODAY The Associated Press Today is Friday, Sept. 13, the 256th day of 2019. There are 109 days left in the year. PORTLAND — Oregon mari- juana retailers on Thursday began removing vaping products from their shelves and offering returns on pre- viously purchased vape pens amid a nationwide scare over severe lung illnesses and deaths tied to electronic cigarettes. The move came after the agency that regulates Oregon’s cannabis industry told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it will soon begin asking retailers to voluntarily review their vaping offerings and pull those that spark concern. Kind Leaf Pendleton, a pot retailer with the largest inventory in Oregon, said it has already pulled 68 vap- ing products from 15 brands amid uncertainty over what is causing the lung-related illnesses. “What would really hurt is having someone purchase a product and die from vaping,” said Erin Purchase, director of operations at Kind Leaf. “Safety is priority here.” California-based Berkeley Patients On Sept. 13, 2001, two days after the 9/11 terror attacks, the fi rst few jetliners returned to the nation’s skies, but several major air- ports remained closed and others opened only briefl y. President George W. Bush visited injured Pentagon workers and said he would carry the nation’s prayers to New York. ON THIS DATE In 1814, during the War of 1812, British naval forces began bombarding Fort McHenry in Baltimore but were driven back by American defenders in a battle that lasted until the following morning. In 1971, a four-day inmates’ rebellion at the Attica Correctional Facility in western New York ended as police and guards stormed the prison; the ordeal and fi nal assault claimed the lives of 32 inmates and 11 hostages. LOTTERY Megabucks: $1.4 million 1-2-8-17-24-33 Mega Millions: $172 million 34-47-48-50-55-24-x2 Powerball: $60 million 6-17-24-53-57-3-x3 Win for Life: Sept. 11 NEWSPAPER LATE? Every effort is made to de- liver your Observer in a timely manner. Occasionally condi- tions exist that make delivery more diffi cult. If you are not on a motor route, delivery should be before 5:30 p.m. If you do not receive your paper by 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, please call 541-963-3161 by 6 p.m. If your delivery is by motor carrier, delivery should be by 6 p.m. For calls after 6, please call 541-975- 1690, leave your name, address and phone number. Your paper will be delivered the next business day. QUOTE OF THE DAY ‘“Be yourself’ is about the worst advice you can give to some people.” — J.B. Priestley, British novelist without making them look watery. Vitamin E is safe as a vitamin pill or to use on the skin but inhaling oily vitamin E droplets can trigger pneumonia. Offi cials in New York have subpoe- naed three of the biggest thickener manufacturers. Kind Leaf said it identifi ed all products on its shelves that listed “non-cannabis derived terpenes and artifi cial and natural fl avors” on the label without specifying the ingredi- ents in those additives. Terpenes are the building blocks that give a plant its aroma and fl avor, such as lavender or tea tree oil. Some cannabis oil manufactur- ers add terpenes from other plants to their products for consistency and cost effectiveness. When Kind Leaf tracked down the companies that sold non-marijuana terpenes to makers of vape pens, they noticed that some of them also make and sell the so-called cutting agents, or thickeners, which have come under scrutiny. “We can’t prove that those products are not in these vape pens because we’re retailers, not proces- sors,” Purchase said. “They’re allowed to have trade secrets and proprietary information so we just felt uncom- fortable. It’s unsettling.” Oregon Liquor Control Commis- sion Executive Director Steve Marks told the AP on Wednesday that his agency does not test marijuana vapes sold in state-licensed stores for additives. No marijuana oil manufac- turer licensed by the state has listed vitamin E acetate as an ingredient, which would trigger a safety review, he said. Any company that has added an “undisclosed agent” to its vape car- tridges should tell regulators imme- diately or face “legal complications and probably additional liabilities,” he said. “My worry is that some of these folks may have gone around and put vitamin E in their products that we are unaware of,” Marks said. “If it’s in our products, it’s out there and we don’t have a clear way to know which ones it may or may not be in.” L OCAL B RIEFING From staff reports GRH president speaks at Auxiliary meeting ISLAND CITY — Grande Ronde Hospital Auxiliary will meet Sept. 16 at Island City City Hall. The guest speaker will be Jeremy Davis, GRH president and CEO. Refresh- ments will be available at 9 a.m. followed by the meeting at 9:30 a.m. All members are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested in becoming an Aux- iliary member is welcome. Event celebrates artwork of Robbie Waller UNION — This month’s Union County Museum Third Tuesday presentation will celebrate the artwork 14-21-33-51 Pick 4: Sept. 12 • 1 p.m.: 1-4-0-9 • 4 p.m.: 6-2-6-5 • 7 p.m.: 8-9-1-5 • 10 p.m.: 1-8-4-5 Pick 4: Sept. 11 • 1 p.m.: 7-2-9-9 • 4 p.m.: 4-8-1-3 • 7 p.m.: 8-4-1-1 • 10 p.m.: 1-8-8-4 Group, the oldest medical dispensary in the country, also said it is contact- ing all its vendors to ensure products are additive free. Several hundred people nation- wide have gotten a severe lung illness that’s been tied to electronic cigarette use. Six of those individuals have died, including one person in Oregon. Amid a rampant black market in illicit marijuana vapes, the Oregon death is the only one that public health authorities have linked to a purchase at a legal cannabis retailer. Authorities have not released further details. Most of the patients said they vaped products containing THC, the compound in marijuana that causes a high. Some said they vaped only nicotine, while others said they used both THC and nicotine. After extensive testing, New York investigators have focused on vita- min E acetate, which recently has been used as a thickener, particularly in black market vape cartridges. Suppliers say it dilutes vape oils of Robbie Waller. The event begins at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Little White Church, on Main Street in Union. Caralee Anley, Waller’s granddaughter, will share the story of Waller’s prolific artistry. A longtime resident of Union County who passed away in 2018, Waller for many years taught art classes and showed her work at the Union County Fair. Select pieces of her art will be available for a cash donation to the museum. The event is free and open to the public. Show Association, Inc., will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 at the EOLS Clubhouse, 760 E. Delta St., Union. Directors will be elected for the coming year. Imbler School Board to discuss staff negotiations IMBLER — The Imbler School District Board of Directors will convene for a regular session and an executive session at 7 p.m. Sept. 17 in Room 1 of the high school. EOLS annual meeting set Giving blood saves lives UNION — The annual meeting of the members of the Eastern Oregon Livestock LA GRANDE — An American Red Cross com- munity blood drive will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Sept. 17 in the gym of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1802 Gekeler Lane, La Grande. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Linda Strand at 541-963- 4261. Drop-ins are welcome. UNION COUNTY SENIOR CENTER MENU 1504 ALBANY ST., LA GRANDE Sept. 16-20; lunch served 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. age 60+ $3 suggested donation; others $6 Monday: hearty autumn stew (with or without bread bowl), layered salad, fresh fruit, ice cream. Tuesday: chicken pot pie, salad greens, cottage cheese, fruit, dessert. Wednesday: tender beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, glazed carrots with dill, Jell-O, rolls, dessert. Thursday: BLT sandwiches, steak fries, cashew-pea salad, cookies. Friday: taco salad (salad greens with vegetables, meat and cheese, topped with salsa, avocado and sour cream), tortilla soup. P UBLIC S AFETY R EPORT OREGON STATE POLICE Arrested: Austin Terry Graves, 20, Henderson, Colorado, was arrested on a charge of driving under the infl uence of intoxi- cants. Arrested: Sean Martin Landenberger, 51, Nampa, Idaho, was arrested on charges of driving under the infl uence of intoxicants-alcohol and driv- ing while suspended. Arrested: Brian Travis Fries, 48, unknown address, was arrested on a charge of driving under the infl uence of intoxi- cants-alcohol. LA GRANDE POLICE DEPARTMENT Arrested: Chelsea Rae Ham- mon, 28, Pendleton, was arrested on a Umatilla County warrant charging a probation violation. The alleged probation violation was connected to an original charge of possession of metham- phetamine. Arrested: Matthew Ray Barrett, 31, unknown address, was ar- rested by the Oregon Department of Corrections on a Union County warrant charging failure to appear in court on original charges of fourth-degree assault and driving under the infl uence of intoxicants. Arrested: Trevor Alan Nichols, 22, unknown address, was ar- rested while lodged in the Union County Jail on a Union County bench warrant. The warrant was connected to original charges unlawful delivery of methamphet- amine and unlawful possession of methamphetamine. Arrested: Joseph Richard Mason, 39, unknown address, was arrested on a charge driving under the infl uence of intoxicants. Arrested: Jason Lee Marsh, 45, unknown address, was arrested by the Pendleton Police Depart- ment on a Union County bench warrant. The warrant was con- nected to an original charge of unlawful possession of metham- phetamine. LA GRANDE FIRE DEPARTMENT Firefi ghters responded to 21 calls for medical assistance on Thursday and 11 on Wednesday. UNION COUNTY MUSEUM F THIRD TUESDAY SERIES admis r s e i e 7 p.m., Tuesday, September 17 on! ucmuseumoregon.com TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019 LOCAL ZT-HD MOWER Come in see our other models! Models will vary. End of Season ts! Discoun Celebrating the Artwork of Robbie Waller presented by Caralee Anley >ŝƩůĞtŚŝƚĞŚƵƌĐŚ͕ϯϲϲ^͘DĂŝŶ^ƚƌĞĞƚ͕hŶŝŽŶ 10303 W. 1st St. La Grande, OR Grande Ronde Hospital proudly welcomes: 15% OFF Trees and Shrubs 10% OFF Perennials 10707 S Walton Rd, La Grande (541) 962-0641 Aaron Cooper, PA-C Joining the GRH Specialty Clinic team as an Orthopedic Physician Assistant Aaron joins the Specialty Clinic from Canton Potsdam Hospital in upstate New York. He om Clarkson Cla lark rkso son n University, Univ Un iver ersi sity tyy, and an d is completed his Master of Science degree as a Physician Assistant from e of f also formally educated as a Certified Athletic Trainer. He has a love sports medicine, and looks forward to joining the Orthopedic team. . njo oy Aaron is married with six children, two girls and four boys. They enjoy ng g, spending time outdoors together playing a variety of sports, hunting, ng g, fishing, and backpacking. He enjoys woodworking and remodeling, using his wife’s creative vision to bring old pieces back to life. Please join us in welcoming Aaron and his family to the Grande Ronde Valley! y! GRH Specialty Clinic 710 Sunset Drive, Suite F, La Grande 541.663.3100 • grh.org/ortho/ Learn more about Aaron in our online Provider Directory at www.grh.org today! Aaron Cooper, PA-C
