2A — THE OBSERVER
SATURDAY, MARCH 21, 2020
REGION
DAILY
PLANNER
TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Saturday,
March 21, the 81st day
of 2020. There are 285
days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
On March 21, 1685,
composer Johann Se-
bastian Bach was born
in Eisenach, Germany.
ON THIS DATE
In 1871, journalist
Henry M. Stanley
began his famous
expedition in Africa
to locate the missing
Scottish missionary
David Livingstone.
In 1918, during
World War I, Ger-
many launched its
Spring Offensive on
the Western Front,
hoping to break
through the Allied
lines before Ameri-
can reinforcements
could arrive. (The
Spring Offensive
ultimately failed.)
In 1945, during
World War II, Allied
bombers began four
days of raids over
Germany.
In 1963, the Alcatraz
federal prison island
in San Francisco
Bay was emptied of
its last inmates and
closed at the order
of Attorney General
Robert F. Kennedy.
In 1972, the Su-
preme Court, in Dunn
v. Blumstein, ruled
that states may not
require at least a
year’s residency for
voting eligibility.
In 1976, champion
skier Vladimir “Spi-
der” Sabich was shot
and killed by his girl-
friend, actress-singer
Claudine Longet, in
the home they had
shared in Aspen,
Colorado; Longet,
who maintained the
shooting was an acci-
dent, served 30 days
in jail for negligent
homicide.
In 1981, Michael
Donald, a black
teenager in Alabama,
was abducted, tor-
tured and killed by
members of the Ku
Klux Klan. (A lawsuit
brought by Donald’s
mother later resulted
in a landmark judg-
ment that bankrupted
one Klan organiza-
tion.)
In 2006, the social
media website Twitter
was established
with the sending
of the fi rst “tweet”
by co-founder Jack
Dorsey, who wrote:
“just setting up my
twttr.”
In 2007, former Vice
President Al Gore
made an emotional
return to Congress
as he pleaded with
House and Senate
committees to fi ght
global warming; Re-
publicans questioned
the science behind
his climate-change
documentary, “An
Inconvenient Truth.”
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Win for Life: March 18
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• 7 p.m.: 8-7-7-2
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• 1 p.m.: 8-7-7-6
• 4 p.m.: 8-6-1-8
• 7 p.m.: 9-4-0-9
• 10 p.m.: 7-9-2-1
DELIVERY ISSUES?
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Observer, please call the
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TODAY’S QUOTE
“Is it worse to be
scared than to be bored,
that is the question.”
— Gertrude Stein,
American writer
(1874-1946)
Washington coronavirus deaths up to 83
Gov. Jay Inslee
orders eviction
moratorium
By Rachel La Corte
and Martha Bellisle
Associated Press
OLYMPIA — Wash-
ington state health offi cials
Friday reported deaths from
the coronavirus brought
the state tally of fatalities
to 83 — the highest in the
country.
Also, Gov. Jay Inslee
announced a 30-day state-
wide moratorium on evic-
tions of residential tenants
as the state continues to
grapple with containing the
spread of COVID-19 and
the impact it is having on
the state’s economy as busi-
nesses are forced to tempo-
rarily close and employees
are laid off.
“We recognize we are
in extraordinary times, and
it is necessary to do what
we can to help Washingto-
nians weather this storm,”
he said.
Ten of the newly
announced deaths were
in King County and fi ve
were associated with the
Life Care Center, a nursing
home in Kirkland, Wash-
ington. To date, 35 of the
state’s deaths were linked
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
Medical personnel wait for a driver to pull up at a drive-through COVID-19 testing station
for University of Washington Medicine patients on Tuesday in Seattle.
to that facility. Overall, 56
deaths have been reported
in King County. Clark
County also reported a
death Wednesday — the
county’s third. Pierce
County reported its fi rst
fatality from the disease
and Snohomish County has
reported six deaths. Grant
County has reported one
death.
For most people, the new
coronavirus causes only
mild or moderate symp-
toms, such as fever and
cough. For some, especially
older adults and people
with existing health prob-
lems, it can cause more
severe illness, including
pneumonia.
The vast majority of
people recover from the
new virus.
Inslee’s move to help
people facing housing
issues came as the Fed-
eral Housing Finance
Agency directed Fannie
Mae and Freddie Mac to
suspend foreclosures and
Baker County crash kills one, injures two
Observer staff
BAKER CITY — A crash
Thursday morning about 35 miles
southeast of Baker City claimed the
life of an Idaho man.
Oregon State Police reported that
Michael Maddox, 55, of Weiser,
Idaho, parked a Pontiac Grand Am
on the eastbound shoulder of Inter-
state 84 near milepost 342. Debra
Archer, 37, of Kelso, Washington, was
driving east in a Ford Explorer and at
6:50 a.m. hit the Pontiac.
OSP troopers and other emergency
personnel responded to the crash.
State police reported Maddox was in
the driver’s seat and died at the scene.
Archer suffered injuries, and an
ambulance took her to a hospital.
Jimmy Padilla, 48, of Las Cruces,
New Mexico, was the passenger in the
Ford Explorer. He also suffered inju-
ries, and an emergency helicopter fl ew
him to a hospital.
Photo contributed by Oregon State Police
This crash Thursday morning on Interstate 84 in Baker County killed one
man and injured two other people.
Governor seeks virus eviction moratorium
Oregon’s primary
election of May 19
still on schedule
The Associated Press
SALEM — Oregon
Gov. Kate Brown said
Friday that during the
coronavirus outbreak she
wants a statewide eviction
moratorium, as well as to
suspend enforcement on
expired automobile tags
and driver licenses.
While the corona-
virus has led to slews of
cancellations, postpone-
ments and shutdowns, Ore-
gon’s primary elections
will proceed as sched-
uled on May 19, the state’s
top election offi cial said
Thursday, though results
may be slower to come in
because of the coronavirus
pandemic.
Ohio, Kentucky,
Georgia and other states
are moving their pri-
mary elections back over
COVID-19 concerns.
“Because Oregon votes
by mail we do not have to
be concerned about social
distancing issues at polling
places that so many other
states are struggling with,”
Oregon Secretary of State
Bev Clarno’s offi ce said by
email.
Marion County Clerk
Bill Burgess noted ballot
counters are normally sit-
ting at tables in fairly
crowded rooms and are
often over 60 years old,
and among the vulnerable
population to COVID-19.
Autopsy
shows
Hermiston
man killed
by gunshot
EO Media Group
Burgess, president
of the Oregon Associa-
tion of County Clerks,
said to keep proper social
distancing, fewer ballot
counters will be able to fi t
in a room, and some might
consider it too risky to
show up. Plans are to give
them gloves to handle the
ballots, but for now, no
masks, he said.
Holding the closed
Republican and Demo-
cratic primaries on May 19
is a realistic goal, Burgess
said. However, he added,
some lightly populated
counties have only two
elections offi cials.
“If one person gets sick,
that’s a problem,” he said.
Ballots that come in
over a short span of time
— those that arrive on
election day or the day
before — through the mail
or drop-off boxes might
be counted more slowly
because they typically
account for around 30%
of all ballots cast, Burgess
said.
Clarno’s offi ce said
contingency plans
are being prepared to
deal with any impacts
COVID-19 may have on
election processes.
HERMISTON — The
autopsy of the Hermiston
man found dead northeast of
the city Wednesday revealed
he was killed by a gunshot
wound, the Umatilla County
Sheriff’s Offi ce reported in
a news release Friday.
A Umatilla/Morrow
County Major Crimes
Team is investigating the
homicide of Jordan Deloen
Crandall, whose body
was found by a citizen at
about 9:37 a.m. Wednesday
approximately 75 feet west
of Alpine Drive, north of
Punkin Center Road and
next to an irrigation ditch.
“At this time, there is no
reason to believe the gen-
eral public is in danger
due to the homicide,” the
press release said. “We will
release further information
when we are able.”
Crandall attended Herm-
iston High School and com-
peted with the Intermoun-
tain High School Rodeo
team from 2007 to 2009. He
was 28 years old.
In response to recent statewide developments regarding COVID-19, GRH has made the decision
to postpone the following events: Annual Free Community Blood Screenings, Balance Classes,
and Parkinson’s Support Group. For the latest updates, visit grh.org/covid19. It should be noted
that there are NO presumptive or confirmed cases in Union County as of Friday, March 13, 2020.
While we are learning more every day, a clearer picture of COVID-19 and those groups most
affected by this disease is emerging, and we continue to refine our responses based on new
information. We continue to monitor daily the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and the Oregon Health Authority, and will reschedule these public events
as soon as it is sensible to do so. We encourage you to remain vigilant with precautionary
measures against the spread of all respiratory illness by:
·
·
·
·
·
Washing your hands often and appropriately
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth
Avoiding contact with sick people
Staying home if you're sick
Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or sleeve
when coughing or sneezing
For additional information on those most vulnerable to this disease, what to do if you think you
may have COVID-19, and more; please visit healthoregon.org/coronavirus or call 211 for the most
up-to-date information. In addition, we have established a Coronavirus News & Updates section
on our website for the latest from your care team at GRH.
Get the latest GRH COVID-19 news and updates on our website at grh.org/covid19
An Independent
Insurance Agency
Reed & Associates for
excellent service LOCALLY!
Nicole Cathey
evictions for at least 60
days due to the outbreak.
The state moratorium was
among several policies
announced Wednesday that
are intended to offer relief
to businesses and their
employees as the number of
coronavirus cases topped
1,100.
For workers who have
been laid off after after the
statewide order that closed
restaurants, bars, gyms and
other facilities through at
least the end of the month,
Inslee announced a waiver
of the one-week waiting
period to receive unem-
ployment insurance. The
order is retroactive for
claims fi led up to March
8, the day of the gover-
nor’s fi rst emergency rule
expanding unemployment
insurance criteria to cover
more workers impacted
by the coronavirus out-
break. The governor is still
seeking a major disaster
declaration in the state so
that residents otherwise
not eligible for unemploy-
ment insurance could get
help under the Disaster
Unemployment Assistance
program.
Up to $5 million will be
made available as micro-
grants to small businesses
across the state to help pre-
vent permanent closure.
The measures were
announced hours after
the Employment Secu-
rity Department released
its monthly unemployment
rate update, showing the
rate for February was 3.8%.
In a written statement,
Paul Turek, economist for
the department, said hiring
in the state was strong
last month, but noted the
numbers refl ected a time
before the recent concerns
and actions in response to
COVID-19.
10106 N. ‘C’ • Island City
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Toll Free 1-866-282-1925
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Kevin Reed