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in Sports Inside Pac-12, Big Ten cancel fall season Biden taps Harris as running mate, 8A Joe Beans has new name, owner, 1B Follow us on the web THURSDAY • • $1.50 August 13, 2020 Education Governor updates school guidelines Good day to our valued subscriber Mike Mahon of Wallowa Major shake-up Pandemic brings changes in school, sports for family Mandate changes from Oregon Department of Education Editor’s note: This is the second of a three- part series looking at individuals and fami- lies and how they have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. By Sabrina Thompson By Ronald Bond The Observer The Observer SALEM — The Oregon Department of Education announced its last update to school reopening guidance until after the start of the school year. Updates include a new toolkit for planning for COVID-19 outbreak scenarios in schools, additions to the Comprehensive Distance Learning guidance, including guidance for limited in-person instruction and supports, new requirements for meeting the needs of students without access to online instruction, updates to safety protocols for on-site and hybrid instructional models, and updates on meal service, trans- portation screening and safety drills. With this new information, schools have until Monday, Aug. 17, to submit their reopening blueprints. According to the Ready Schools, Safe Learners guidance, for the 2020-21 school year, each public school will work under the direction of the school district to develop an Operational Blueprint for Reentry that is tailored to local needs. Charter and private schools are also required to develop a blueprint. “Every school, under the direc- tion of the district, determines whether they teach all students on-site, teach all students through comprehensive distance learning or utilize a hybrid model,” the document said. In order to resume in-person learning, schools must be in a county that is no longer in base- line phase. They must also meet certain metrics: the county must have less than 10 cases per 100,000 people and 5% pos- itive test rates or fewer in the preceding seven days for three straight weeks. Additionally, if cases occur after the school year has started and the county has more than 20 cases per 100,000 people or a pos- itive test rate higher than 7.5%, then school districts are to prepare to transition to distance learning. If there is a week with 30 or more cases per 100,000 or a rate of 10% or higher, comprehensive distance learning will be initiated. LA GRANDE — Parker and Jill McKinley know the shake-up caused by the COVID-19 pandemic all too well. Both are teachers — Parker at La Grande Middle School and Jill at Baker Web Academy. They are raising four chil- dren and steering them through the pan- demic — as well as themselves. Parker also is the co-owner of a La Grande business and the head coach of both the La Grande High School and La Grande American Legion baseball teams. In a matter of weeks, the family — like most — went from running dozens of dif- ferent directions on a daily basis to a much slower lifestyle. School was closed in March for about three weeks before it was moved online. Winter sports championships were cut short, and in early April the spring sports season was canceled altogether. Businesses were impacted in a variety of ways. “It’s been really challenging, extremely challenging for everybody,” Parker McKinley said. “I look at it through so many different lenses, as far as an educator trying to help a group of kids in the classroom, trying to teach to the best that I could and (then to) have that be shaken up. Also having my own four kids and helping them navigate through those changes.” But even in the midst of the challenge, both saw positives. Life grinding to a screeching halt brought more time together as a family. Running kids from one activity to the next or coaching sports over a fi ve- to six-month period in the spring and summer gave way to a completely different routine. “It was actually really great to have so much more time together, and family dinner in the spring is a rarity,” Jill McKinley said. “(Typically) I throw something at the kids in between games or we go through a drive See, Schools/Page 5A See, Shake-up/Page 5A Staff photo by Ronald Bond Both Parker and Jill McKinley, who are educators, saw their spring and summer shaken up when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March. It also impacted Parker McKinley as the coach of the La Grande High School baseball team. Shown is the McKinley family, clockwise from bottom left: Jill, Shea, Ryker, Cade, Emma and Parker. Bar and restaurant police calls hold steady Pandemic does not slow calls for service By Sabrina Thompson The Observer LA GRANDE — Despite COVID-19 guidance closing bars and restaurants for a short while, the number of calls to 911 for local eating establishments remains relatively unchanged. While many businesses kept their doors open for takeout during Phase 1 and had reduced hours during Phase 2, calls for police, medical and fi re emergency ser- vices continued at around the same rate as they were in 2019. From Jan. 1 to July 31, 911 dispatch received 58 calls in 2019 and 55 calls in 2020. These calls include requests for police, ambulance or fi re response. La Grande Police Chief Gary Bell declined to comment on the data. Denny’s, 2604 Island Ave., had the most calls both years, with 21 calls in 2019 and 16 in INDEX Business ...... 1B Classified ..... 3B Comics ......... 7B Crossword ... 4B Staff photo by Sabrina Thompson Denny’s 21 calls for service in 2019 and 16 calls in 2020 were due to medical emergencies, car vandalism or theft and people leaving without paying their bill. Calls for Service Establishment 2019 Benchwarmers Bar and Grill, 210 Depot St. 3 Bud Jackson’s Eatery and Taps, 2209 Adams Ave. 8 Denny’s, 2604 Island Ave. 21 Hideout Saloon, 219 Fir St. 7 Jefferson Street Depot, 1118 Jefferson St. 5 Long Branch Bar and Grill, 208 Depot St. 8 Side A Brewing, 1219 Washington St. 3 Ten Depot Street, 10 Depot St. 3 See, Calls/Page 5A WEATHER Dear Abby .... 8B Horoscope ... 4B Letters .......... 4A Lottery.......... 2A SATURDAY Opinion ........ 4A Sports .......... 7A Sudoku ........ 7B Weather ....... 8B 2020 0 13 16 8 6 6 3 3 2020. General Manager Lori Millsap-Crites said calls are made for a variety of reasons including people getting sick or cars getting broken into, with a large majority of the calls being to the police for people leaving the restaurant without paying their bill. “The fi rst responders always get here and act really quick,” Millsap-Crites said. “We are very grateful.” Denny’s is open with lim- ited hours for indoor seating and takeout. When the pandemic fi rst started the diner was open only for takeout, closed for a period of time, then reopened again for takeout before completely reopening. Ten Depot Street, 10 Depot St., made three calls in both 2019 and 2020. Owner Sandy Sor- rels said the calls were for med- ical emergencies including heart attacks or seizures, and the calls had nothing to do directly with the restaurant. The restaurant closed on March 16 until opening for takeout May 10. Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Friday 45 LOW 84/48 Clear Sunny and nice PANDEMIC PROFILES, PART 3 CONTACT US 541-963-3161 Issue 96 3 sections, 20 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page 4A. Online at lagrandeobserver.com
