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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2020)
NAIA puts out fall plan in Sports 6A Inside State supreme court rules for Gov., 2A Snowshoe near the solstice, 1B Weekend Edition SATURDAY-MONDAY • June 13, 2020 • Good day to our valued subscriber Shawn Fuller of Elgin $1.50 COVID-19 by the numbers* Union County COVID-19 cases more than double in a week By Sabrina Thompson The Observer UNION COUNTY — Union County’s total number of COVID-19 cases shot up to 13, more than doubling in less than a week. The Center for Human Development, La Grande, reported the five new cases — one presumptive and four confirmed — Friday afternoon. “These additional cases may be part of a cluster of related cases, often referred to as an outbreak, which public health is currently investigating,” according to the press release from the center. CHD Public Health Administrator Carrie Brogoitti explained what a presumptive case means: “It could mean they’ve been tested and are waiting, could mean they tested and were negative but fit the criteria, or they could have been tested previously and results were nega- tive but are being tested again.” The Oregon Health Authority, meanwhile, announced Friday the state has 142 new con- firmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, but listed only four new cases in Union County. The Center for Human Development reported the state will update its total online at https:// govstatus.egov.com/OR-OHA-COVID-19 later Friday. Wallowa County remains at four cases total with three active. Neither county has had any deaths from the virus. Union County’s total number of COVID-19 cases increased on Tuesday to seven, then to eight a day later. Friday’s announcement of five more marks the most for any day in the county. The week’s worth of new cases come in the wake of the county entering Phase 2 of Gov. Kate Brown’s reopening plan and after the county began more widespread testing for coronavirus. The increase is something Bro- goitti said she knew was possible as the county opened up. “Any gathering, such as protests, gradua- tion celebrations, parades, are instances where people gathering in larger groups can pose See, COVID-19/Page 5A Worldwide cases: 7,410,510 Worldwide deaths: 418,294 U.S. cases: 2,016,027 U.S. deaths: 113,914 Total U.S. tests: 22,418,881 Oregon cases: 5,377 Oregon active cases: 2,854 Oregon deaths: 173 Total Oregon tests: 166,019 Union County cases: 13 Union County active cases: 8 Union County deaths: 0 Total Union County tests: 619 Wallowa County cases: 4 Wallowa County active cases: 3 Wallowa County deaths: 0 Total Wallowa County tests: 232 *As of 2 p.m. Friday, June 12. Sources: World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention, Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Mili- tary Department. FAQ can help them,” Gleeson said. Prior to the pandemic, Meals on Wheels in Union County was preparing and delivering 2,000 lunches a month. Now the number is more than 2,400, Gleeson said. The program implemented significant changes in deliv- ering meals because of social distancing rules the state has in THERE IS A CASE IN MY COMMUNITY. WHAT SHOULD I DO? During an outbreak, stay calm and put your pre- paredness plan to work. Follow the steps below: •Stay home if you are sick. Keep away from people who are sick. Limit close contact with others as much as possible (about 6 feet). •Stay informed about the local COVID-19 situation, including temporary school dismissals in your area. •Continue practicing everyday preventive actions. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand san- itizer that contains 60% alcohol. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily. •Notify your work- place as soon as possible if your regular work schedule changes. Ask to work from home or take leave if you or someone in your household See, Meals/Page 5A See, Numbers/Page 5A Staff photo by Dick Mason Peggy Lanman, a volunteer driver for Meals on Wheels, loads milk into her car Tuesday before making deliveries. The La Grande-based meal deliv- ery service has seen an increase in the demand for services during the coronavirus outbreak. Meals on Wheels picking up speed J Community Connection expands food program By Dick Mason ager for Community Connection of Northeast Oregon at the Union County Senior Center. “We are seeing some of the highest levels we’ve had in a long time,” said Gleeson, who has worked at the Union County Senior Center for 15 years. Gleeson said the demand for Meals on Wheels, run by the The Observer LA GRANDE — Meals on Wheels in Union County is rolling along at a quick pace. The program is providing an increasing number of meals to homebound Union County res- idents, according to Sydney Gleeson, the food services man- Community Connection of North- east Oregon, which operates the senior center, is up sharply because of the COVD-19 pan- demic, which is hitting those older than 60 the hardest. Many seniors are fearful of leaving their homes as a result and thus are asking for Meals on Wheels service. “Many do not have family members who live in the area who Eastern Oregon commissioners challenge reopening rules All three Union County commissioners, two from Wallowa County attend without notice to public J By Ronald Bond The Observer LA GRANDE — A dozen county commissioners — including all three from Union County and two from Wallowa County — met Thursday in Prairie City to air grievances about what they believe is the state’s mishan- dling of the coronavirus pandemic. “To be more than blunt it was basically an oppor- tunity for folks to get together and talk about frustra- tions we are having with the process Anderes and communication from the executive branch of Oregon’s government,” Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes told The Observer Friday. Commissioners from seven counties — Union, Wallowa, Lake, Grant, Deschutes, Harney and Jefferson — met to discuss a range of topics that, according to Anderes, included “concerns folks had, whether it be school opening, athletics, group gatherings, busi- ness openings, what are the rules, how do they apply, things like that.” The commissioners held the meeting without giving a public notice. “We didn’t publicly notice it specifically,” Anderes said, “but I talked about (attending) it in a public meeting.” He and Wallowa County Com- missioner Susan Roberts con- tended the meeting was not held in secret, noting news reporters cov- ered the meeting. Roberts said state’s guidelines have been “all over the board” INDEX Classified ..... 3B Comics ......... 7B Crossword ... 5B Dear Abby ... 8B and pointed to what she said were inconsistencies in what the state allows. An example she cited was the state’s OK with protests in the 1,000s over the killing of George Floyd — in groups clearly vio- lating social distancing measures put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus — but gradua- tions, for example, can’t be held. “Why is it we can’t have a local high school grad with 13 gradu- ates (but) 10,000 people can form on the street of Oregon? No one can trace that down (if the virus spreads),” she said. “We were See, Rules/Page 5A CONTACT US Horoscope ... 5B Lottery.......... 2A Obituaries .... 3A Opinion ........ 4A TUESDAY Outdoors ..... 1B Sports .......... 6A Sudoku ........ 7B Weather ....... 8B FORMER SHELTER BOSS BEING INVESTIGATED 541-963-3161 Issue 71 2 sections, 14 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A. Online at lagrandeobserver.com