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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (March 19, 2020)
2A — THE OBSERVER DAILY PLANNER TODAY IN HISTORY Today is Thursday, March 19, the 79th day of 2020. There are 287 days left in the year. Spring arrives at 8:50 p.m. PST, the ear- liest the vernal equinox has occurred in 124 years. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On March 19, 1966, the Texas Western Miners defeated the heavily favored Ken- tucky Wildcats, 72-65, to win the NCAA Champi- onship played in College Park, Maryland; making the contest especially noteworthy was that Texas Western became the fi rst basketball team to start fi ve black players in a national title game as it faced an all-white Kentucky squad. ON THIS DATE In 1931, Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure legalizing casino gambling. In 1977, the series fi nale of “Mary Tyler Moore” aired on CBS- TV, ending the situation comedy’s seven-season run. LOTTERY Megabucks: $6.1 million 13-19-23-24-25-38 Mega Millions: $96 million 20-27-28-58-59-25 x3 Powerball: $130 million 9-23-26-30-32—PB-8 x3 Win for Life: March 16 6-19-25-53 Pick 4: March 17 • 1 p.m.: 4-0-0-7 • 4 p.m.: 8-0-3-8 • 7 p.m.: 7-5-1-5 • 10 p.m.: 8-0-7-9 Pick 4: March 16 • 1 p.m.: 3-4-8-5 • 4 p.m.: 1-2-6-6 • 7 p.m.: 9-6-9-1 • 10 p.m.: 6-1-8-2 DELIVERY ISSUES? If you have any prob- lems receiving your Observer, please call the offi ce at 541-963-3161. QUOTE OF THE DAY “The heaviest bag- gage for a traveler is an empty purse.” — German proverb THURSDAY, MARCH 19, 2020 REGION Center active again for coronavirus crisis Joint Information Center opens for Union, Wallowa and Baker counties By Sabrina Thompson The Observer LA GRANDE — The dormant NE Oregon Joint Information Center in La Grande is up and running again. Emergency managers from Union, Wallowa and Baker counties brought together certain employees to work phones and help consolidate information about the novel coronavirus from the makeshift center operating in offi ce space near the Union County Administration Offi ce at 1106 K. Ave. Law enforce- ment, fi re departments, medical providers, emer- gency managers and state and local agencies will use the center to coordinate communication. Center manager Jamie Knight explained having a central point of information can mitigate the spread of fear and misinformation. Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson Emergency managers for Union, Baker and Wallowa counties have activated the NE Ore- gon Joint Information Center near the Union County Administration Offi ce, La Grande, to help coordinate and distribute information about the coronavirus pandemic. “Everyone is taking this matter very seriously,” Knight said. “We are trying to provide the best infor- mation possible in a timely manner.” Emergency managers organized the center in 2017 to track and manage information about the solar eclipse. The offi ce space and its phone lines went quiet from then until Tuesday. “If you don’t hear any- thing from JIC, it is a really good day,” Knight said. The center will provide information to the public on Facebook with a daily sum- mary plus additional posts Rainbow Rebellion Union County declares emergency By Dick Mason The Observer LA GRANDE — The Union County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday declared a state of emergency. The commissioners voted 3-0 to pass a res- olution declaring an emergency as a local response to the outbreak of COVID-19. J.B. Brock, Union County emergency ser- vices manager, said the resolution will help the county to respond faster to situations related to the new coronavirus. It will give the county the authority to take cer- tain steps, such as like drawing money from a variety of funds for the purchase of protective equipment and the like. The declaration also provides the county the authority to take steps such as bypassing the bidding process if a con- tractor needs to be hired for an urgent project. Commissioner Donna Beverage said the emer- gency declaration will make it easier for the county to help those in need of assistance. “It will unleash oppor- tunities for us to help,’’ Beverage said, noting that local business owners are among those who could be assisted by the county. Brock told the com- missioners before their vote that everyone needs to help each other to survive the COVID-19 crisis. “We need to be taking care of each other as a community,’’ Brock said. “We need to be checking in our neigh- bors, to call them or knock on their doors to see what they need.’’ Paul Anderes, chairman of the county board, encouraged anyone from Union, Wal- lowa or Baker counties who needs help during the COVID-19 crisis to visit the NE Oregon Joint Information Center on Facebook to fi nd resources. as necessary. The center’s focus is to provide infor- mation to Union, Wallowa and Baker counties, none of which has confi rmed cases of COVID-19. The information center also will use email to share information with county commissioners, health care organizations and news outlets. Knight said the center gathers and disseminates information from offi cial organizations. The emer- gency managers for the three counties participate in a coordination call each morning to discuss updates, and the center gets that information as well. The public can expect the NE Oregon Joint Information Center to report on county and local school closures and COVID-19 cases if they appear in the tri-county area. “We are trying to come together as one voice,” Knight said. “We are a group of small communi- ties, utilizing the strength of (the joint information center) to spread the same message across all of the counties.” Photo by Ben Lonergan/EO Media Group Bar customers depart the Rainbow Cafe shortly before 5 p.m. on Tuesday. The cash-only bar downtown Pendle- ton throws the biggest St. Patrick’s Day party in the town, and patron in past years fi ll the place to capacity. The bar chose to fl out a state order banning on-site consumption of food and drink at restaurants and bars as long as pos- sible before choosing to close in light of possible criminal charges. Eastern Oregon students leading school district’s effort to cut energy use Umatilla School District Superintendent Heidi Sipe accepts a check from Energy Trust of Oregon YOU WORK HARD ENOUGH. MAKE YOUR PLACE WORK HARDER FOR YOU. You’ve been chipping away at the to-do list and the place is looking great. But what about the things you can’t see—like energy being wasted? No worries. Whether you’re a homeowner or making energy decisions at work, Energy Trust of Oregon has you covered with low-cost and DIY solutions to save energy and money. + Get more from your energy. Call us at 1.866.368.7878 or visit www.energytrust.org/DIY. Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista. Students in eastern Oregon are learning energy management skills through a hands-on program that prepares them for jobs in the future economy and helps their school dis- trict save thousands of dollars per year. In the Umatilla School Dis- trict, students take an active role in making their schools more en- ergy efficient. The students are part of the district’s energy team, which works with Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit created to make sure Oregonians have access to clean, affordable energy and renew- able power. Through an effort called Stra- tegic Energy Management, Energy Trust provides energy coach- es who work with Umatilla students and staff to find no-cost or low-cost ways to cut energy usage. Eastern Oregon customers of Pacific Pow- er, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista can access these energy coaches and the Strategic Energy Management effort. The students are working on other major efficiency improve- ments as well. With an approved $10 million bond measure, plus $70,000 in incentives from Energy Trust, the Umatilla School District recently completed renova- tions and energy upgrades at each of its three schools. These upgrades are now sav- ing the school district an estimated $30,000 per year in energy costs. And because students are leading the energy efficiency work, the su- perintendent says they get to weigh in on where the dollars go. “If funds can be freed up from energy expenditures and invested in learning, that’s a huge gain for students.” – Heidi Sipe, Umatilla School District Superintendent. “We’re always looking for ways to increase opportunities for learn- ing,” said Heidi Sipe, the district superintendent. “Energy efficiency dovetails with this objective and if funds can be freed up from energy expenditures and invested in learn- ing, that’s a huge gain for students.” Students and teachers are realiz- ing that these improvements reach beyond savings. For example, the new heating and cooling systems and new LED lighting create a more comfortable learning environment. To see more ways energy effi- ciency and renewable energy are creating better futures and com- munities across Oregon, visit energtrust.org/this-is-oregon.
