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TUESDAY •
Circuit
courts
cope with
COVID-19
March 17, 2020
• $1.50
Good day to our valued subscriber Shelly Moreno of La Grande
Food and drink establishments to remain open
Policy
center seeks
changes to
state jobless
benefi ts
Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
LA GRANDE —
The Union County Cir-
cuit Court is working
to establish social dis-
tancing regulations in
line with the state and
the nation to curtail
the spread of the new
coronavirus.
The suggestion
of social distancing,
standing at least 3 feet
apart from a person,
is one of the measures
the Centers for Disease
Control and Preven-
tion suggests for helping
slow down COVID-
19. And one of the
most common places
of people sitting and
standing close together
is in jury duty.
Michelle Leonard,
administrator of the
state trial court in La
Grande, explained
potential jurors often go
through an orientation
process so they know
what to expect. For now,
she said, the court has
put the brakes on that.
“We have been asked
to take this two weeks
at a time,” Leonard said.
“We are doing what we
can in the meantime.”
One thing is in the
courts and jurors favor
— the state has no jury
trial in the county at the
moment. The court also
is rescheduling lower
priority trials until the
concern around coro-
navirus outbreak ease
off. And while hearings
and arraignments take
place, Leonard said the
court is making sure
there is plenty of space
between people in the
courtroom.
After two weeks,
Leonard said, the court
will assess the issue and
determine if if needs to
implement additional
measures.
The court website
has instructions for
jurors.
If you are are part of
high risk communities,
including those who
are older than 60, those
with weak immune sys-
tems and underlying
conditions and those
who are pregnant or
sick, then call 541-962-
9500 to reschedule jury
service.
Quarantined
workers should get
benefits, businesses
need tax breaks,
report states
By Phil Wright
The Observer
ear,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell said with the
Brown closure the eatery
is switching to pick-up
orders and delivery to
keep things running. In
the short term, Mitchell
said, the closure could
make things diffi cult
but she doesn’t see any
long term effects to the
business.
Like Sub Shop 21,
Side-A Brewing, La
Grande, made contin-
gency plans for the clo-
sure, including pre-
paring for to-go ordering
and eventually delivery,
with the option to order
online. Before the closure,
co-owner Scott McCon-
nell said the bar and grill
was doing what it could
to adjust to new regula-
tions. The restaurant cut
its seating capacity in half
to allow for more distance
between diners and can-
celed all event events to
keep the number of people
in the space low.
PORTLAND — Oregon
needs to change unemploy-
ment insurance in response
to the outbreak of the new
coronavirus, according
to the Oregon Center for
Public Policy.
The Port-
land-based
economic
research non-
profi t issued a
report Monday
Smith
morning out-
lining key steps the state
should take to modify the
unemployment insurance
program to help workers
and businesses cope with
the crisis.
“The COVID-19 pan-
demic threatens not only
the health, but also the eco-
nomic well-being of Oregon
families, especially those
living paycheck to pay-
check,” said Center policy
analyst Janet Bauer in a
news release. “One of the
steps Oregon can take to
help workers and busi-
nesses weather this crisis is
making certain changes to
unemployment insurance.”
The report proposed sev-
eral changes to the unem-
ployment insurance pro-
gram, including waiving
the one-week waiting
period before employees
can receive benefi ts and
waiving work search
requirements allowing
workers who have to stay
under quarantine to receive
benefi ts.
Bauer explained
extending unemployment
benefi ts to quarantined
See Open / Page 5A
See Benefi ts / Page 5A
Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson
Employees at Sub Shop 21 downtown off of Depot Street, La Grande, take extra steps to keep their business clean
during the coronavirus outbreak, including covering the sandwich ingredients. The shop plans to move to pick-up
and deliveries with Gov. Kate Brown’s order Monday afternoon that shuts down dining in.
Takeout, pickup or delivery?
Locals say they
are taking
developments ‘day
by day’
Sabrina Thompson
The Observer
SALEM — As the
number of cases of
COVID-19 grows in
Oregon, Gov. Kate Brown
is ordering the closure of
restaurants and bars across
the state.
The move is part of the
effort to enforce social dis-
tancing, a measure health
offi cials said will help pre-
vent the spread of the novel
coronavirus. Brown in
an announcement stated
effective Tuesday, March
17, all restaurants and bars
will be limited to take-out
and delivery service only
for the next four weeks.
“I know Oregonians
are some of the most
resourceful people in the
country and in times of
crisis we come together
and support each other,”
Brown said, according
to The Associated Press.
“I’m asking you to do that
now. Isolation and separa-
tion from our friends and
neighbors is the only way
to fl atten the curve and get
through to the other side.”
Brown considered
the effects the closures
will have on the busi-
nesses and their patrons.
For those who still are
working during this time,
Brown said in a call with
reporters, she wants to be
sure they still have access
to food. She also under-
stands the effects closures
could have on the business
owners and their source of
income.
However, the need for
isolation and social dis-
tancing won out, and
Brown issued an order on
the closure after speaking
with local government
leaders and a letter from
more than 150 Oregon
businesses asked for the
closure.
The open letter
addressed concerns restau-
rant owners had about
staying open even at a lim-
ited capacity and the effect
it could have on spreading
the virus. Additionally,
by asking for the closure,
these businesses now can
claim loss of business
insurance with the order
in place. This can help
recover lost income for the
places who fi le claims.
In speaking with local
restaurants and bars, many
are remaining operational
in some capacity. Taco
Bell in Island City is lim-
iting orders to just the
drive through. Cowboys
and Angels in Elgin is
planning to do takeout and
deliveries.
Sarah Mitchell, assis-
tant manager of Sub
Shop 21, La Grande, said
the sandwich shop was
taking extra precautions
as it prepared for closure,
including wiping down
tables more frequently and
keeping food covered at all
times.
“We are just taking it
day by day, playing it by
Meal services keep providing during outbreak
School lunches
available for 18 and
younger, senior
meals for free for
those 60 and older
By Dick Mason
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The
shutdown of public schools
due to the coronavirus does
not mean some local youths
will have to go without
lunch this week.
The La Grande School
District is making sure of
it.
The district began
serving Monday, through a
federally funded Seamless
Summer Option program.
The lunches are available
at Central, Greenwood
and Island City elemen-
tary schools and for anyone
18 and younger regardless
of the school they attend,
where they live or income
level.
The school district
arranged to provide the
program after Gov. Kate
Brown ordered all Oregon
public schools closed for
two weeks starting Monday
because of the coronavirus.
Brown, in her announce-
ment, encouraged school
districts to provide lunches
for students during the
closure. The La Grande
School District took heed
of this message, contacting
the Oregon Department of
Education to fi nd out which
option would be best for it.
La Grande School District
businesses manager Chris
Panike said the Seamless
Summer Option was the
best choice.
See Meals / Page 5A
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Monica West, the vice principal at Central Elementary School, hands a free lunch to grade
school student Isla Seale on Monday during the program to provide local youth with free
meals while schools remain closed due to the new coronavirus outbreak.
INDEX
Classified ...... 4B
Comics .......... 7B
Crossword .... 5B
Dear Abby .... 8B
CONTACT US
Home ............ 1B
Horoscope .... 5B
Lottery........... 2A
Obituaries ..... 3A
THURSDAY
Opinion ......... 4A
Sports ........... 7A
State ............ 6A
Sudoku ......... 7B
GO OR STAY IN? IN “GO!”
541-963-3161
Issue 33
2 sections, 16 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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