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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 6, 2020)
2B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD Washington traps fi rst Asian giant hornet By Don Jenkins Capital Press BIRCH BAY, Wash. — The fi rst Asian giant hornet trapped in Washington and the U.S. will ignite an attempt to catch a live one, follow it back to its nest and destroy the nest in a night- time raid, state Department of Agriculture entomologist Sven Spichiger said Friday, July 31. The hornet was col- lected from a department trap July 14 near Birch Bay in Whatcom County. State entomologists determined late Wednesday, July 29, that it was an Asian giant hornet. The other fi ve hornets found in the U.S. near the Canadian border since late last year had been found outside traps. The concerted trapping effort began at the start of July, when worker hor- nets could be expected to emerge from nests. “This detection unfor- tunately means we did get a nest that was able to get established,” Spichiger said. The Asian giant hornet is the largest hornet in the world, known to carry out mass attacks on bee hives. When one hornet fi nds a hive, it releases a phero- mone that attracts more hornets. Bee colonies are usually lost, according to an envi- ronmental assessment by USDA. The hornets also attack beetles, caterpillars Photo contributed by Karla Salp/Washington State Department of Agriculture The Washington State Department of Agriculture reports it caught this Asian giant hornet in a trap in Whatcom County, Washington, near Birch Bay. and spiders. The state and volunteers have put out traps baited with orange juice and rice wine. The state will now hang traps near Birch Bay with screens to catch a hornet before it drowns. If one is caught alive, entomologists will sedate it, glue an electronic tracking device to it and let it go. The method for tracking hornets has been pioneered at the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. “We have a lot of confi - dence this will work here,” Spichiger said. The agriculture depart- ment has been testing on bald-faced hornets. “We have had just a little bit of practice,” Spichiger said. To save money, the department has not prac- Small-business & Ag EO Media Group Mountain Air Massage opens JOSEPH — Massage therapist Eme Henderson opened her new business in Joseph early last month in the Arrowhead Building. Henderson named the clinic Mountain Air Mas- sage in tribute to a restau- rant that existed in the Arrowhead Building about a decade ago. “These past several months have been diffi cult and stressful for many,” Henderson said Wednesday, July 29. “I hope to serve the residents of Wallowa County by showing them the benefi ts of focusing on relaxation and well- ness. Self-care is especially important during these challenging times.” A massage thera- pist for fi ve years, she has lived in the area intermit- tently for several years and moved back in May. Starting a business amid the COVID-19 pandemic is not the easiest venture, Henderson agreed. For now, she is open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. “I am following the reopening guidelines from the Oregon Board of Mas- sage Therapy and I sani- tize the clinic before and after every client,” she said. “I am required to wear a mask. Clients also have the same guidelines.” For more information, call Henderson at 541-786- 5600 or email Mountain- AirMassage@gmail.com. ticed with real tracking devices. The models being considered by the depart- ment cost from $40 to $283. “We actually kind of like the $40 option,” Spichiger said. Asian giant hornets nest in the ground. If one is found, entomologists will wear protective gear and approach at night with red lamps, preventing the stinging wasps from seeing them. The department plans to use two insecticides, cyfl u- thrin and fi pronil. State entomologists sus- pect the hornet trapped near Birch Bay was a worker hornet, rather than a queen. It has been sent to a USDA laboratory to be dissected. It was trapped about 6 miles from where the fi rst hornet was found in December. ‘Got milk?’ ads return to airwaves By Dee-Ann Durbin Associated Press WASHINGTON — The dairy industry has a familiar question for you: “Got milk?” Six years after the pop- ular tagline was retired, “Got milk?” ads are back. A dairy industry-funded group is reviving the cam- paign, hoping to prolong the boost milk has gotten during the pandemic. U.S. milk sales have been in freefall for decades as choices grew and con- sumers turned to soda, juices and plant-based alternatives like soy milk. Dean Foods, the nation’s biggest milk producer, fi led for bankruptcy pro- tection in November. Borden Dairy, another major producer, followed with its own bankruptcy in January. But then came the coro- navirus pandemic, and milk sales saw a sharp rise. Kids who were no longer having meals at school were drinking milk at home. Adults — no longer commuting — had time for Photo by Lisa Rathke/AP Cows eat hay eat Thursday, July 23, in Burlington, Ver- mont. The U.S. dairy industry is reviving the ‘Got milk?’ ads in hopes of prolonging the boost in sales milk has gotten during the pandemic. a leisurely bowl of cereal. Many people were buying milk to bake and cook at home. Unlike the original “Got milk?” campaign, which debuted in 1994 and was known for its glossy photos of celebrities sporting milk mustaches, the new cam- paign refl ects the age of social media. Television ads feature videos culled from the Internet of people doing funny things with milk, like opening a gallon with their toes or jumping into a kiddie pool fi lled with milk and cereal. In one TikTok spot, Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky swims the length of a pool with a glass of chocolate milk balanced on her head. There will also be tie-ins with other brands like Hershey, which will offer in-grocery coupons when shoppers buy milk with chocolate syrup. HAPPENINGS owned by or employ people with low to moderate incomes. Businesses need to provide information on how they are responding to the pandemic and how they plan to remain in business for the foreseeable future. Grants are for a minimum of $2,500 and up to $10,000 for a microenterprise/ self-employed individual. For businesses employing low- to moderate-income individuals, the maximum grant amount will be $2,500 per qualifying employee. Grants also are avail- able for businesses that did not access federal relief programs. The develop- ment district will distribute grants of at least $2,500 to business owners and qual- ifi ed nonprofi t organiza- tions on a rolling basis until approximately Aug. 28. And NEOEDD and its partner organization, Northeast Oregon Business Development, have “gap” loans available at any time for people who have found bank funding but it is insuf- fi cient for a project or pur- chase. Until May 2021, the development district is offering loans of up to $250,000 to fi nance busi- nesses that will help the economy recover from the pandemic. For more information on these programs, visit www.neoedd.org and click on the link for COVID-19 resources. Local businesses may participate in #MaskUp4SmallBiz LA GRANDE — Busi- ness Oregon’s #Mask- Up4SmallBiz campaign aims to support small businesses by encour- aging mask-wearing across Oregon. According to the Union County Chamber of Commerce, the OBA has reached out for submissions from more Eastern Oregon businesses. The campaign showcases small busi- nesses using a picture of the owner wearing a mask with their branding in the back- ground plus a short quote (fewer than 25 words) about why wearing a mask is important to keeping their business running. Local businesses that are willing to participate are asked to contact the Chamber, which will come to your business, take the photo and the quote and send the information to Business Oregon. Email director@VisitUnion- County.org or call the chamber at 541-963-8588. Taking advantage of natural gas incentives. Now that’s smart business. Get cash incentives to help your business become more energy-efficient. For a limited time, we’re offering bonus incentives for a faster (or immediate) return on your investment. Coronavirus relief available for area small businesses, microenterprises LA GRANDE — Small businesses and microenter- prises in Baker, Union and Wallowa counties can apply for grants from the Northeast Oregon Economic Devel- opment District to provide some relief from the negative effects of the pandemic. According to the infor- mation on the district’s website, the Small Busi- nesses and Microenter- prise Grant Program for COVID-19 Impacts is avail- able for businesses that have been operating for at least one year and that are THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2020 BUSINESS & AG LIFE Let us help your business pay for energy efficiency improvements. But hurry, cash incentives are available through December 1, 2020 only or until funds run out. * Learn more at myavista.com/ORbizrebates. * Some Try the SHIP TO STORE feature at millershomecenter.com 3815 Pocahontas Road, Baker City 541-523-6404 3109 May Lane, La Grande 541-963-3113 restrictions may apply.
