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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (April 2, 2020)
2A — THE OBSERVER Daily Planner TODAY Today is Thursday, April 2, the 93rd day of 2020. There are 273 days left in the year. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On April 2, 1865, Confed- erate President Jefferson Da- vis and most of his Cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, be- cause of advancing Union forces. ON THIS DATE In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon and his expedition landed in present-day Florida. In 1912, the just-complet- ed RMS Titanic left Belfast to begin its sea trials eight days before the start of its ill-fated maiden voyage. In 1917, President Wood- row Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, “The world must be made safe for democracy.” In 1956, the soap operas “As the World Turns” and “The Edge of Night” pre- miered on CBS-TV. In 1982, several thousand troops from Argentina seized the disputed Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic, from Britain. (Brit- ain seized the islands back the following June.) LOTTERY Megabucks: $1.6 million 3-7-23-26-27-46 Mega Millions: $121 million 8-17-51-57-70-2 x4 Powerball: $170 million 7-40-48-55-66—PB-11 x2 Win for Life: March 30 21-42-49-63 Pick 4: March 31 • 1 p.m.: 1-1-9-4 • 4 p.m.: 2-0-0-4 • 7 p.m.: 2-7-4-2 • 10 p.m.: 5-0-5-2 Pick 4: March 30 • 1 p.m.: 5-2-8-8 • 4 p.m.: 8-9-8-5 • 7 p.m.: 5-7-8-4 • 10 p.m.: 5-7-1-8 DELIVERY ISSUES? If you have any problems receiving your Observer, call the office at 541-963-3161. TODAY’S QUOTE “Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little.” — Agnes de Mille, Amer- ican dancer-choreographer (1905-1993) THuRSday, apRil 2, 2020 LOCAL SCHOOLS Continued from Page 1A not be able to concentrate on helping their sons and daughters focus on the dis- tance learning classes. “I wonder how high this will be on the priority list for a family that doesn’t know where its next meal is coming from and how it will make its next rent pay- ment,” Dixon said. SENIORS IN LIMBO The North Powder superintendent was disap- pointed that state educa- tion department’s directive did not provide information on changes to graduation requirements because of the school closure. Dixon said this is making it difficult to advise seniors on what classes they need to take this spring. “That piece of guidance would be huge,” Dixon said. Dixon said he feels for his school district’s seniors not only because of the graduation challenges the COVID 19 closure is causing. He noted they have lost complete sports seasons and could lose their prom, trips and their graduation ceremony. “I have complete empathy for our seniors,” Dixon said. viding distance learning classes. “Our educators will figure out a way to get it done,” Dixon said. Teachers will have many options for delivering instruction and curriculum to their students, and not all will involve the internet. “Keep in mind (the state’s new requirement) is not online learning — it is distance learning,” Dixon said. This means teachers have other options, such as providing paper packet cur- riculum to students. Union School District Superin- tendent Carter Wells noted in the past one of his high school teachers recorded lessons for his students for days he was gone. This is TESTING CREATIVITY AND FLEXIBILITY Dixon said he believes his teachers will respond well to the challenge of pro- CASES TESTS Continued from Page 1A Continued from Page 1A the center. Union County Public Health Administrator Carrie Brogoitti said the number of cases in Oregon and nation- wide continue to trend up. “We are likely to see additional cases,” she said in the news release, “which is why we urge Union County residents to take the steps our federal and state govern- ment has outlined to reduce the spread and minimize the risk of becoming ill with the virus.” plan to apply for coverage online at healthcare.gov. People also can contact a local multi-line insurance broker for other options, she continued, if they do not qualify for the financial assistance and can’t afford the high costs. Sorensen encouraged locals experiencing lay- offs, reduction of income or loss of any health insurance to reach out to Northeast Oregon Network or an insur- TREATMENT Continued from Page 1A COVID-19 there were as many as six options for meetings in a day, however with the closure there are only one or two in-person meetings for members to attend. This lack of in person meetings is concerning for some members. “We are all making lots of phone calls, attending online meetings and staying as close to each other electronically as much as possible,” said another anonymous AA member. “As far as how well it’s working, it is up to each individual and their choices. I guess we will all find out who survived this absence of physical meet- ings when we get back and find out how many are missing, and/or God forbid had passed from our dis- ease (alcoholism).” Addiction recovery advocates, including mem- bers of Oregon Recovers and the Oregon Council for Behavioral Health, issued a request to the Joint Social an option Wells said faculty could consider. Wells also said Union High School’s distance learning classes will be taught with the help of Google Classroom, a free web service that aims to simplify creating, distrib- uting and grading assign- ments. It also helps teachers and students share files. The superintendent also anticipated his district’s dis- tance learning program will steadily progress. “We will evolve. We will get better and better at delivering distance learning opportunities,” Wells said. La Grande High School social studies teacher John Lamoreau is optimistic about Distance Learning for All and believes students insurance cover testing for COVID-19, insurance companies determine the cost and scope of coverage for treatment, Sorensen said. And with the con- stantly changing situation around COVID-19, she said it is possible a strain on the insurance industry is occurring as the result of new client information needing to be processed. “The customer ser- vice lines for insurance programs are likely to be longer, and application pro- cessing may take longer in some cases,” Sorensen said. For those without insur- ance, the federal govern- ment is waiving the cost of the test, but Schwab said those folks would have to pay the hospital bill. opment, La Grande, said in this time of isolation to help curb the spread of the new coronavirus, finding alternatives to support are important. “Recovery is about reaching outside of yourself and the social distancing works in contradiction with that goal of recovery,” Grigg said. In addition to online meetings, the center offers digital counseling through appointments and an app that helps create healthy habits during a time of iso- lation. The center recom- mends downloading and using the mystrength app, which provides assistance in mental, spiritual and physical health. The app is available for free to anyone in Union County. “We have great resources on there,” Grigg said. “It has been helpful to people in recovery to have something that they can do with their time.” Grigg said the most important actions for everyone during this time are to continue to stay con- nected and support one another. “The customer service lines for insurance programs are likely to be longer, and application processing may take longer in some cases.” Holly Sorensen, an outreach programs coordinator for the Northeast Oregon Network ance agent for free help applying for health insur- ance or reporting changes to the programs they are enrolled in. While all types of Committee on Corona- virus Response for changes to be made to help those in recovery and the people who are helping them through it. The request included educating the public about the impact of alcohol and drugs on the respiratory system, shifting OHA payment structures for treatment centers and provide free Personal Pro- tective Equipment and COVID-19 testing to treat- ment facilities. Aaron Grigg, mental health director for the Center for Human Devel- will benefit. “They will learn a lot of important online skills,” Lamoreau said. He noted his world his- tory class was studying the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918-20 before COVID-19 hit. Lamoreau plans to have his students compare and contrast the two pandemics when he starts teaching online. Lamoreau said the school district’s teachers have worked hard to be prepare distance learning materials and will continue to do so as long as needed. 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