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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (May 19, 2020)
2A — THE OBSERVER DAILY PLANNER TODAY Today is Tuesday, May 19, the 140th day of 2020. There are 226 days left in the year. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT On May 19, 1943, in his second wartime address to the U.S. Congress, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill pledged his coun- try’s full support in the fi ght against Japan; that evening, Churchill met with President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House, where the two leaders agreed on May 1, 1944, as the date for the D-Day invasion of France (the operation ended up being launched more than a month later). ON THIS DATE In 1536, Anne Boleyn, the second wife of England’s King Henry VIII, was behead- ed after being convicted of adultery. In 1649, England was declared a republic by Parliament following the execution of King Charles I. In 1913, California Gov. Hiram Johnson signed a law prohibiting “aliens ineligible to citizenship” from owning farm land, a measure targeting Asian immigrants, particularly Japanese. In 1921, Congress passed, and President Warren G. Harding signed, the Emer- gency Quota Act, which established national quotas for immigrants. In 1924, the Marx Brothers made their Broadway debut in the revue “I’ll Say She Is.” In 1935, T.E. Lawrence, also known as “Lawrence of Arabia,” died in England, six days after being injured in a motorcycle crash. In 1967, the Soviet Union ratifi ed a treaty with the United States and Britain, banning nuclear and other weapons from outer space as well as celestial bodies such as the moon. (The treaty entered into force in October 1967.) In 1992, in a case that drew much notoriety, Mary Jo Buttafuoco of Mass- apequa, New York, was shot and seriously wounded by her husband Joey’s teenage lover, Amy Fisher. LOTTERY Megabucks: $1.5 million 9-14-20-41-42-48 Mega Millions: $274 million 11-17-32-33-46-25 x3 Powerball: $95 million 8-12-26-39-42—PB-11 x2 Win for Life: May 16 18-41-63-73 Pick 4: May 17 • 1 p.m.: 4-9-5-8; • 4 p.m.: 7-4-4-6 • 7 p.m.: 5-8-7-0; • 10 p.m.: 2-8-7-5 Pick 4: May 16 • 1 p.m.: 7-3-3-9; • 4 p.m.: 4-2-2-6 • 7 p.m.: 5-6-0-5; • 10 p.m.: 4-5-5-5 Pick 4: May 15 • 1 p.m.: 2-7-0-7; • 4 p.m.: 0-7-2-1 • 7 p.m.: 7-8-3-4; • 10 p.m.: 4-2-8-4 DELIVERY ISSUES? If you have any problems receiving your Observer, call the offi ce at 541-963-3161. TODAY’S QUOTE “Every moment one lives is different from the other. The good, the bad, hard- ship, the joy, the tragedy, love, and happiness are all interwoven into one single, indescribable whole that is called life. You cannot separate the good from the bad. And perhaps there is no need to do so, either.” — Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994) Oregon Legislature could convene in June Logistics of meeting during coronavirus pandemic are unlike any in its history By Gary A. Warner For the Oregon Capital Bureau SALEM — The Oregon Legislature is preparing to meet as early as June at the Capitol to deal with an estimated $3 billion gap in the state budget due to the fi nancial fallout of the coro- navirus pandemic. The 60 House members and 30 senators, along with staff and support personnel, would be coming to Salem amid an ongoing public health crisis that has killed 138 people in Oregon and seriously sickened thou- sands. The Capitol is in Marion County, which has the highest per capita rate of positive cases in the state. With businesses closed and thousands unem- ployed, the hit on the state budget has been specula- tive. That speculation will end Wednesday when the Offi ce of Economic Anal- ysis issues the Oregon Eco- nomic Forecast. Gov. Kate Brown has asked state departments and agencies to submit a plan to cut their budgets by up to 17%. Brown said last month she expected to call a spe- cial session of the Legisla- ture after the May 20 report to fi gure out how to pull the state out of its cashfl ow crater. Unlike the federal government, Oregon has to have a balanced budget by constitutional mandate. Oregon had 3,687 COVID-19 cases as of Monday. Marion County has 843 cases and 24 deaths, second only to Multnomah County, which includes Portland. The largest proportion of Marion County cases have been reported north of the Capitol, in North Salem, Gervais and Woodburn. But the Capitol zip code — 97301 — has had 69 cases through May 12, about 12.4 per 10,000 people. The high rate led the Oregon Health Authority to send three of the 15 Abbott ID NOW test machines obtained recently from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Ser- vices to Marion County. The machines can report a positive test result within 15 minutes. Though nearly every leg- EO Media Group SALEM — The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the U.S. Census Bureau’s ability to hand-de- liver materials and make sure everyone is counted in the 2020 census, the offi cial count of every person in the United States done every decade. Most people already received an invitation in the mail to complete the census. But 27,229 households in Oregon do not receive mail at their addresses, and the Census Bureau is required to deliver the invitations. “We need to tie a census count to a physical address. We cannot tie it to a P.O. islator will be coming to Marion County from places with lower infection rates, several from both parties agreed the need for action outweighed any perceived personal risk. “Our obligation is to deal with the pending catastrophe of the state budget,” said Sen. Betsy Johnson, D-Scappoose. Johnson said exposure of lawmakers and staff to the virus can be limited if there is an agreement ahead of time that business will be rapidly completed and the Legislature adjourned. That means getting Democrats and Republicans to promise to limit the session to only fi xing the budget and not bringing up other policy issues. “I think we need to be absolutely unambiguous about what we are going to do and what we will NOT do,” she said. “We should have a protocol ahead of time, agreed to by the gov- ernor, and the leadership of the Senate and House and announce it to the public.” Asked if she would come to Salem herself, Johnson was clear. “Absolutely,” she said. “If you take precautions, you can be safe anywhere.” The logistics of a pos- sible special session are being drawn up by the offi ces of the presiding offi cers, House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem. Bringing lawmakers back to the Capitol is cur- rently the only option, said Danny Moran, Kotek’s communications director. Idaho’s fi rst mail-in primary moves ahead amid coronavirus By Keith Ridler Associated Press BOISE — Idaho is holding an entirely mail-in primary for the fi rst time as the state works to slow the spread of the corona- virus pandemic. Ballots must be requested by Tuesday and returned by 8 p.m. June 2 to local county elec- tions offi ces, with results announced that evening. The Idaho secretary of state’s offi ce said 320,000 ballots have been requested and mailed out, with about 100,000 returned in what could be a record turnout. “It’s looking like equal or better than the presiden- tial primary” in March, said Secretary of State Chief Deputy Chad Houck. Democratic voters will see one high-profi le name on their ballot: Former 2018 Democratic guber- natorial nominee Paulette Jordan of Plummer is run- ning against former con- gressional candidate Jim Vandermaas, a retired law enforcement worker from Eagle, for a chance to chal- lenge GOP Sen. Jim Risch in November. Jordan, who served two terms in the Idaho House of Representatives, garnered national atten- tion during her 2018 cam- paign amid hopes from supporters that she could become the fi rst Native American governor in the United States. Either way, the Demo- cratic nominee will have a tough road ahead of them when they take on Risch, who is seeking his third six-year term representing one of the most conserva- tive states in the nation. Jordan, despite the pub- licity of her gubernato- AP Photo/Jack Smith, File Associated Press fi le photo In this Nov. 6, 2018, fi le photo, voters cast their ballots at Collister Elementary in Boise. On Tuesday, May 19, 2020, Idaho is holding an entirely mail-in primary for the fi rst time as the state works to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. rial campaign in 2018, for example, got only 40% of the vote against then-Republican Lt. Gov. Brad Little in the general election. Risch is running unop- posed in the GOP primary. Two other Republicans seeking to represent Idaho in Congress are facing pri- mary challenges. Rep. Mike Simpson, who has been in offi ce since 1999, faces Kevin Rhoades, a Boise resident and small businessman. Rhoades is trying to posi- tion himself to the right of Simpson. But Simpson has a long history of bringing in federal dollars for the U.S. Department of Ener- gy’s Idaho National Lab- oratory, one of the largest employers in Simpson’s district as well as the state. First-term Rep. Russ Fulcher is being challenged by Boise resident Nich- olas Jones, who owns sev- eral board game shops and burger eateries. Democrats competing in the primary are Rudy Soto, a member of the Sho- shone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation, and Staniela Nikolova, a University of Idaho law student. Idaho Republicans have a closed primary, with bal- lots available only to reg- istered Republican voters, and the contested congres- sional seats are typically won by the incumbents. Besides those races, all 70 seats in the Idaho House and 35 in the Idaho Senate are on the ballot. How- ever, many of the races are uncontested. Republicans hold super-majorities in both chambers, and the toughest test for most Repub- lican offi ceholders is the primary. Some races of note include the contest among four Republicans to replace Rep. Gary Collins of Nampa, who is retiring after 10 terms. In eastern Idaho, incum- bent Republican Rep. Britt Raybould of Rexburg is being challenged by former Republican Rep. Ron Nate, who previously served two terms before losing in the 2018 primary. 2020 Census staff resume door-to-door work in Oregon By Kyle Spurr TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2020 STATE/REGIONAL box,” said Jeff Enos, U.S. Census Bureau deputy regional director of the Los Angeles Region, which oversees Oregon. “We have to physically deliver census materials in these areas that do not receive home mail delivery.” La GRANDE AUTO REPAIR 975-2000 Census Bureau staff resumed work this week to drop off invitations at door- steps across Oregon. It was the fi rst time staff went door-to-door in Oregon since fi eld work was sus- pended March 18 due to the coronavirus. Staff wore face masks and gloves as they dropped the materials at doorsteps, Enos said. They avoided interacting with people. So far, about 61% of people in Oregon have responded to the 2020 census. Red Cross Drug Store offers Delivery in Union County Stay home let Making sure you are cared for, we always off er delivery to La Grande, us Deliver your Union and Elgin or mailed anywhere. Contact us today to make the easy medicines to you switch. Let us do our part to keep you safe in this time of uncertainty www.lagrandeautorepair.com MOST ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE Joe Horst ACDelcoTSS “People Who Care” 1123 Adams Ave., La Grande 541-963-5741 redcrossdrugstore.com 306 W North St, Enterprise (541) 426-7455 olivebranchpharmacy.com In this May 18, 1980, fi le photo, Mount St. Helens sends a plume of ash, smoke and debris skyward as it erupts. May 18, 2020, is the 40th anniversary of the eruption that killed more than 50 people and blasted more than 1,300 feet off the mountain’s peak, but the COVID-19 crisis nixed public observances of the anniversary at the mountain. Virus interrupts St. Helens eruption anniversary plans Associated Press COUGAR, Wash. — The coronavirus outbreak disrupted what had been big plans to mark the 40th anni- versary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens in Wash- ington state. The peak in the Cascade Mountain Range blew its top on May 18, 1980, killing 57 people, blasting more than 1,300 feet off the top of the mountain and raining volcanic ash around for hundreds of miles. But there were no public observances at the volcano Monday. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported the main highway into the national volcanic monument is closed due to COVID-19, and the multiple visitor cen- ters and museums that had planned remembrances also are closed. “We’ve been thrown for quite a loop here,” said Washington State Parks interpretive specialist Alysa Adams, adding plans for next year are in the works for the 41st anniversary. Several agencies are pre- senting talks and experi- ences online. The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Pacifi c Northwest Seismic Network and Washington State Parks scheduled sep- arate 40th-anniversary live stream presentations Monday night. The eruption produced huge, black and grey clouds of ash that rose more than 80,000 feet and eventu- ally poured tiny granules of debris in cities and towns throughout the Northwest. The peak had experienced many smaller eruptions on the weeks preceding the big event. Within minutes of a 5.1 earthquake that hit at 8:32 a.m. on May 18, 1980, the volcano’s north fl ank collapsed, triggering the largest landslide in recorded history. The explosion scorched and fl attened about 230 square miles of dense forest. Michael BARRY H For COMMISSIONER H Union County Strategic Leadership for Union County • Uniquely Qualified • Proven Leadership • A Life of Service to Our Citizens Vote Michael Barry for Union County Commissioner Paid for by committee to elect Michael Barry
