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THURSDAY • March 12, 2020 • $1.50
2020 Election
Season
Field
comes
into
focus
■ 4 run for sheriff,
2 run for county
commissioner
Good day to our valued subscriber James Ward of La Grande
Climate Change
Gov. Brown orders climate action
■ The executive order comes after the second failed legislative attempt to cap greenhouse gas emissions
By Jake Thomas
Oregon Capital Burea
SALEM — Gov. Kate Brown
Tuesday directed state agencies to
reduce Oregon’s greenhouse gas
emissions through more stringent
standards for fuels, new buildings
and consumer appliances, imposing
by order what she couldn’t get from
the Legislature.
Her order doesn’t exempt any por-
tion of the state from her mandates,
a considerable change
from legislation that
would have spared
rural Oregon and some
industries.
The impact on fuel
Brown
prices and other costs
for consumers and businesses
won’t be clear until state agencies
undergo a process that’ll spell out
how Brown’s executive order is
implemented.
Under legislative proposals, rural
legislators and interests contended
that fuel prices would go up, impos-
ing a heavy burden on agriculture
and areas of the state where long
travel distances are the norm. State
agencies weren’t prepared Tuesday
to address what would happen
under Brown’s order.
“While we are directing agencies
to take these efforts to drive down
emissions consistent with state
By Sabrina Thompson
Sheriff
•฀฀ Union County Sheriff
Boyd Rasmussen is run-
ning for a fi fth term. He is a
Union native and has served
with the county since 1994.
He faces three challengers.
•฀฀ Bill Miller of Elgin
served in the U.S. Air Force
from 1985-90. He joined
the Union County Sheriff’s
Offi ce in 2005 as a patrol
deputy and worked his way
up to sergeant before leaving
the offi ce in 2018 to work as
a parole and probation offi cer
for Union County Commu-
nity Corrections. Miller also
worked with the Elgin police
department.
Miller would need to
update his law enforcement
cerifi cation should he win.
•฀฀ Shane Rollins of Cove
served in the Army National
Reserve and Marines. He
also worked at a security
position in Las Vegas before
returning to Union County.
Rollins would need to com-
plete Oregon’s 16-week basic
police training program to
obtain certifi cation if he wins.
See Candidates / Page 5A
See Order / Page 5A
Coronavirus
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Tues-
day was the deadline to fi le
for candidacy in the 2020
primary elections. Union
County government has sev-
eral positions open, including
sheriff and county commis-
sioner. Voters will have a
chance to pick the candidates
to run in the general election
on May 19 by returning a
mailed ballot.
If more than one candidate
runs for a position they must
receive more than 50% of the
vote to be the lone candidate
in the general election. If no
one tops 50%, the two with
the highest number of votes
will compete for the position
in the November election.
Below are those who have
fi led in Union County.
goals, the precise policy design and
how it’s implemented are to be
determined,” said Kristen Sheeran,
director of the Oregon Carbon Policy
Offi ce.
She said only then could esti-
mates develop on impacts on prices.
Under the order, state agencies are
directed to report back in May on
specifi c actions they can legally un-
dertake. Brown made the move in
Cove
Repair cafe brings
COMMUNITY
CLOSER
■ Volunteers help fix all
kinds of devices, from sewing
machines to microwave ovens
Umatilla
County
has 2
cases
■ Another
‘presumptive
positive’ case
confirmed
By Alex Castle
EO Media Group
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Cove School District teacher Erich Dressen helps Angel Shields-Marrs with a project at a repair
cafe Tuesday.
By Dick Mason, The Observer
COVE — No tips were left on the tables of this dusty cafe Tuesday,
still the service could not be beat.
A repair cafe debuted to rave
reviews late Tuesday afternoon,
by providing not sandwiches and
coffee but heaping servings of re-
pair assistance that had visitors
percolating with excitement. The
repair cafe was an event in Cove
High School’s wood and metal
shop that provided an opportuni-
ty for people to get a wide variety
of items repaired by community
volunteers at no cost.
All people had to do was bring
items in need of repair and then
confer with someone with the
expertise needed to fi x them.
Items brought in included a
water heater, horse blankets, a
smartphone, a microwave oven,
knives, shovels, clothes, a retract-
able leash and toys.
Ruthi Davenport of La
Grande, who did sewing work
at the repair cafe, said the event
reminded her of one of her family
reunions at a farm in Missouri,
where her relatives put their
assortment of abilities to use by
fi xing items.
“We pitch in with the skills
that we have,” Davenport said.
The reunions, like repair cafes,
bring people together.
“They are about community,”
Davenport said.
An educator, Davenport took
on tasks including reattach-
ing latches to horse blankets at
the repair cafe. Davenport also
gave people advice on sewing, a
skill she said can serve you well
throughout your life.
April Curtis, a retired East-
ern Oregon University theater
professor, also did sewing work
at the repair cafe. Curtis said she
sewed so many costumes during
her career she grew tired of it
and stopped doing it for several
years but now she is back at it.
Sandy Coulson of Cove said
Curtis’ skills were most welcome.
“It would be a tragedy if she
(Curtis) stopped sewing,” Coulson
said.
Coulson brought in about three
See Cafe / Page 5A
UMATILLA COUNTY —
The Oregon Health Author-
ity announced four new pre-
sumptive cases of COVID-19
Wednesday afternoon,
including a second resident
from Umatilla County.
The second Umatilla
County “presumptive posi-
tive” case was a close contact
of the fi rst resident who
tested positive for the virus
on March 2, according to
OHA.
On Tuesday, the fi rst Uma-
tilla County “presumptive
positive” case of COVID-19
was confi rmed by the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and
Prevention, Umatilla County
Public Health Director Joe
Fiumara said Wednesday.
“We received information
yesterday evening, so that is
a set piece,” Fiumara said at
the Umatilla County Board
of Commissioners meeting
Wednesday morning. “Be-
yond that, we are still doing
follow-up with individuals as
needed, and watching and
monitoring, and receiving
calls.”
Both the Washington and
Oregon State Public Health
laboratories have the ability
to test the virus, but the state
is referring to each case as
“presumptive” until the CDC
can confi rm the diagnosis on
a retest.
As of Wednesday after-
noon, the Oregon Health
Authority has announced 19
confi rmed or “presumptive
positive” cases of COVID-19,
also known as the novel
coronavirus, and plans to re-
lease the more pending test
results sometime this week.
Another 232 people were be-
ing monitored for symptoms
in the state as of Wednesday
morning.
See Virus / Page 5A
INDEX
Business ...... 1B
Classified ..... 3B
Comics ......... 7B
Crossword ... 5B
WEATHER
Dear Abby .... 8B
Horoscope ... 5B
Lottery.......... 2A
Obituaries .... 3A
SATURDAY
Opinion ........ 4A
Sports .......... 7A
Sudoku ........ 7B
Weather ....... 8B
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Friday
26 LOW
52/27
Patchy clouds
Mostly cloudy
LHS STUDENT LANDS FULL RIDE
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More contact info on Page 4A.
Issue 31
3 sections, 24 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Online at lagrandeobserver.com