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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 31, 2020)
SPORTS Inside Softball’s new start FRIDAY-SUNDAY • January 31-February 2, 2020 • $1.50 Union County Warming Station Warming station on track to open ■ Renovation to start on Third Street location Bowen to run for sheriff, 2A Deer virus not widespread, 1B Good day to our valued subscriber Carol Bakker of La Grande Dear Readers National Weather Service GROUND TRUTH: This edition of The Observer marks the end of publishing and delivering the paper on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Beginning next week, The Observer arrives in your mail on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. To bridge that gap, we have a two-part feature focusing on the local offi ces of the National Weather Service. Part one is in this edition, and part two will be in Tuesday’s paper. In the coming days and weeks we also are going to make changes to the design of the paper. We think it’s about time for some freshening up. We’re committed to making The Observer the best paper it can be, and that means making it look good as well. If you have questions or comments, you can call us at 541-963-3161 and fi nd us on Facebook and Twitter. Advanced tech at forefront of weather forecasting By Dick Mason The Observer LA GRANDE — The Union County Warming Station may begin operating at its new location by mid- February. “That is what we are shooting for,” said Cody Vela, chair of the warming sta- tion’s board. “We are near the fi nish line.” But this is not a certainty, he noted, because speed bumps can arise during a construction project. The warming station in Suite B of a business building at 2008 Third St. near downtown La Grande received permits from the city on Tuesday to conduct renovations that are neces- sary for the structure to meet city codes so it can open to provide a respite from cold weather for those in need. “The city was very helpful in helping us get the permits quickly. We really appreciate their help,” Vela said. Vela said general contrac- tor Better Homes Construc- tion, La Grande, is set to begin the work soon. Renovations include the installation of a fi re door be- tween suites B and A, where a business operates. Vela said the shelter’s board con- sidered installing a fi re wall but opted for a door because it would allow people work- ing in the business side and volunteering at the warming station to move about more freely. “We did not want to per- manently modify the build- ing),” he said. Having a fi re door instead of a wall, Vela added, also would make the building more attractive to future renters if the warming sta- tion moves out of it years VA Clinic Local clinic adds key staff Photo by Ben Lonergan/EO Media Group Marc Austin, left, the warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Pendle- ton, demonstrates a graphic tracking hourly rainfall throughout the weather station’s reporting area as meteorologist Rob Brooks looks on. By Phil Wright, The Observer PENDLETON — Weather forecasters want to know “ground truth,” but getting those direct observations of weather in the Pacific Northwest can be difficult. Rob Brooks is one of the meteo- rologists at the National Weather Service station on Pendleton’s Airport Hill. In Kansas, he said, the Weather Service can rely on a rancher who would look up and re- port the storm system coming over the ridge on his land. Kansas is fl at, the Pacifi c Northwest anything but. And while the Pacifi c Ocean gener- ates massive weather systems, eyewitnesses may be sparse. “If it’s coming off the ocean, you got a few boats out there some- times,” he said. Marc Austin, the warning coordination meteorologist at the Pendleton offi ce, echoed the notion, equating it to heavy fog impeding an angler’s view of the river. “The fewer observations you have upstream, the less you’re going to know,” he said. To fi ll that gap, the Weather Ser- vice at its offi ce in Pendleton uses ■ VA Clinic adds new staff members in last three weeks By Dick Mason The Observer a car, on the street or in an RV without running water or power is counted. The information is provided to the federal government and helps determine fund- ing for homeless programs. Community Connection’s count covers Union, Baker, LA GRANDE — The La Grande VA Clinic is entering 2020 with momentum. Two key health care posi- tions at the clinic were fi lled this month. A family nurse practitioner, Lacey Wilson, and a clinical social worker, Josie Boggs, who provides mental health services, have joined the clinic’s staff within the past three weeks. The addition of Wilson, who joined the clinic from a private practice in Pendleton, gives the veterans health care center a second nurse practitioner. The U.S. Depart- ment of Veteran Affairs considers nurse practitioners and physicians as primary health care providers. The addition of Wilson means the La Grande clinic is a step closer to being fully staffed in terms of primary health care providers, said Linda Won- dra, public affairs offi cer for the Walla Walla VA Medical Center, which oversees the La Grande facility. This is the fi rst time in at least three years the La Grande clinic, a community- based outpatient operation, has had two primary health care providers. It had only one during the past three See Fair / Page 5A See Staff / Page 5A Photo by Ben Lonergan/EO Media Group Crews work to lower the internal structure of the radar dome at the National Weather Service station in Pendleton in July 2019. The removal of the dome was a part of updating and replacing the station’s radar system. advanced technology to generate forecasts that help inform residents, seven airports and dozens of school districts from central Oregon to Ya- kima and as far east as the Snake See NWS / Page 5A See Station / Page 5A Union County Fair aids in ‘Point-in-Time’ count ■ Homeless resource fair works to introduce, connect individuals in need of help By Sabrina Thompson The Observer LA GRANDE — Com- munity Connection of Northeast Oregon, in collaboration with other services that assist the homeless, held a resource fair Wednesday to introduce and connect those who need help. During the fair, Community Connection participated in the nation- wide federally required Point-in-Time count, which calculates the number of homeless people in a com- munity at a given moment. “We get their informa- tion, they can get access to INDEX Classified ....... 2B Comics ........... 5B Crossword ..... 2B Dear Abby ...... 6B services,” Community Con- nection homeless services manager Rochelle Hamil- ton said. The count focuses on those who can be offi cially categorized as homeless on a particular night in January — anyone who was living in a motel, out of WEATHER Horoscope ..... 4B Lottery............ 2A Obituaries ...... 3A Opinion .......... 4A TUESDAY Outdoors ....... 1B Sports ............ 7A Sudoku .......... 5B Weather ......... 6B CONTACT US Full forecast on the back of B section Friday Saturday 41 LOW 49/28 35/24 Cloudy Mostly cloudy Colder NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, PT. 2 Sunday 541-963-3161 Issue 14 2 sections, 14 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com . More contact info on Page 4A. Online at lagrandeobserver.com
