THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2020
VIRUS
Continued from Page 1A
10 people died in Oregon
from the virus, raising the
state’s death toll to 788.
The OHA reported Union
County had six new cases
of COVID-19 Tuesday and
the three more Wednesday,
bringing its most recent
four-day total to 51 and
overall total to 630. Union
County’s death toll remains
at two.
Grande Ronde
Hospital well
stocked
While cases in North-
east Oregon continue to rise,
local hospitals remain steady
in the fi ght against COVID-
19. Ford with Grande Ronde
Hospital said the medical
facility is prepared for a
surge in cases. Should this
occur, GRH will work with
other hospitals in the region
to fi nd beds and supplies if
the need arises.
Baker, Malhuer, Morrow,
Umatilla, Union and Wal-
lowa counties make up the
Oregon Health Author-
ity’s Region 9 for emer-
gency response, which had
10 people hospitalized for
COVID-19 as of Tuesday.
There are 26 staffed adult
intensive care unit beds in
the region, with seven beds
available. Of the 131 staffed
non-ICU beds in the region,
37 remain available.
At Grande Ronde Hos-
pital there are about 350
days’ worth of face shields,
1,500 days’ worth of gloves,
660 days’ worth of gowns,
3,600 days’ worth of N95
respirators and 1,200 days’
worth of surgical masks,
according to OHA per-
sonal protective equipment
tracking.
POLICE EMPHASIZE
EDUCATION FIRST
The La Grande Police
Department and Union
County Sheriff’s Offi ce in
a joint statement reported
they have received a number
of phone calls after the gov-
ernor’s announcement of a
14-day statewide “freeze”
wanting to know what their
position is when it comes
to enforcing the directives,
which include returning
TREES
Continued from Page 1A
“We’re looking at
how to best balance mul-
tiple values and priori-
ties, including managing
for wildfi re and protecting
wildlife habitat,” Baker
wrote in an email.
Andy Geissler, federal
timber program director
for the American Forest
Resource Council, said the
THE OBSERVER — 5A
COVID-19 STATS
AS OF NOV. 18,
2020
Statewide cases: 59,669
Statewide deaths: 788
Union County cases: 630
Union County deaths: 2
Wallowa County cases: 70
Wallowa County deaths: 2
Baker County cases: 236
Baker County deaths: 3
restaurants to takeout only
options, limiting indoor
church services to a max-
imum of 25 people and lim-
iting private social gather-
ings to a maximum of six
people from no more than
two households.
“We remain united in our
efforts to continue to com-
municate with and educate
people about the directives,”
the press release stated, “just
as we have throughout this
event.”
La Grande Police Chief
Gary Bell and Sheriff-elect
Cody Bowen said offi cers
and deputies will handle
responses to violations of
mandates and consequences
on a case-by-case basis. The
police department and sher-
iff’s offi ce also may refer
information to the Oregon
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration, just
as anyone can. The two
agencies also stressed they
remain busy and will pri-
oritize calls for service that
pose an immediate threat to
people or property.
“Our agencies will con-
tinue to address all of
these priority calls just as
we always have,” the joint
release said. “We support
our offi cers and deputies in
exercising well-reasoned dis-
cretion and common sense in
their application of enforce-
ment, especially for low level
crimes and violations.”
The agencies asked res-
idents to call the business
line, 541-963-1017, instead of
911 if reporting a violation of
the mandates.
“My thoughts are this,
I want our lives back to
normal,” Bowen said. “I
want our kids back in school.
I want to shake someone’s
hand and read an expres-
sion on a face. I want to see
smiles again. My concern
is more toward the long-
term damage being done to
our local economy and the
unforeseen social, mental
and physical damages being
carbon study further val-
idates the proposed East-
side Screens amendment,
allowing for the harvest
of some large trees to pro-
tect others amid shifting
conditions.
AFRC, a timber
industry group, submitted
its comments on the East-
side Screens, arguing that
a more adaptive 21-inch
harvest rule will provide
land managers with the
fl exibility to meet desired
done to our youth. I take the
virus seriously, and those at
risk should take precautions.
However, I take our consti-
tutional rights even more
seriously, and I’m concerned
about the direction we are
heading.”
The Oregon State Sher-
iffs’ Association, the Oregon
Association of Chiefs of
Police and the Oregon State
Police also issued a press
release Tuesday stating
they will continue the edu-
cation-fi rst approach of
enforcing pandemic rules.
“Oregon Law Enforce-
ment will only take enforce-
ment action (criminal cita-
tions) as a last resort,”
according to the press
release. “As with most
enforcement decision
making, discretion will be
used if/when any executive
order enforcement action is
taken.”
The associations and
state police also recommend
reporting executive order
violations to the Oregon
OSHA for workplace viola-
tions and the Oregon Liquor
Control Commission for bar
and restaurant violations.
Wildfl ower comments
on outbreak
While Grande Ronde
Hospital anticipates making
the list for workplace out-
breaks, 36 of Union Coun-
ty’s 627 cases stem from
an outbreak at Wildfl ower
Lodge, La Grande. Carliene
Bolen, executive director of
the long-term care facility,
said the health of residents
and team members remains
the top priority.
“While individuals at our
community have tested pos-
itive for COVID-19, we con-
tinue working together to
care for our residents, protect
the safety of our team mem-
bers, and protect the people
in our community,” she said.
Bolen said Wildfl ower
also has the support of a
task force and management
team to help in prepara-
tion, readiness, commu-
nication and management
of the COVID-19 corona-
virus. She said the facility
is monitoring develop-
ments and guidelines for
COVID-19 and following
enhanced internal proto-
cols to help control the
spread of the virus.
forest conditions.
“I think it’s easy to look
at this paper and say, if
these large trees are storing
this much carbon, we
should leave them alone,”
Geissler said. “That fails
to recognize that these for-
ests are dynamic. They are
competing for resources....
Nothing that I read in this
paper took me aback and
made me think the Forest
Service was going down
the wrong path.”
WINTER
Monthly total snowfall for La Grande
Continued from Page 1A
er-than-average snow-
fall; however, it is a
possibility.
The La Nina winter
of 2016-17, for example,
inundated La Grande with
32 inches of snow, more
than a third of which fell
in December alone. That
level of snowfall was the
most since the winter of
1988-89, when 46 inches
of snow fell in La Grande,
more than half during the
month of January.
Winter weather, along
with the slick roads,
snowdrifts and poten-
tial prolonged power out-
ages, can be a serious
hazard in Eastern Oregon.
But, like with many of
life’s hazards, they can
be mitigated with good
preparation.
The Oregon Trail Elec-
tric Cooperative, for
example, issued a press
release last week urging
its members to prepare
ahead of last weekend’s
winter storm, which
caused road closures
and crashes around the
region.
“Everybody knows
snow and ice are a part
of winter here in Eastern
Oregon,” said OTEC
communications man-
ager Joe Hathaway. “So
we want our members to
be as prepared as pos-
sible and to keep them-
selves and their families
safe during winter storms
and in winter weather
conditions.”
Hathaway said OTEC
is urging people to pre-
pare for the cold by win-
terizing their homes, a
process that can include
insulating windows with
plastic, sealing drafts with
caulk or weather strip-
National Weather Service/Contributed Graphic
A chart from the National Weather Service details
monthly and annual snowfall during La Nina winters in
La Grande.
ping, and taking steps to
ensure household pipes do
not freeze and burst.
OTEC also reminded
its customers that downed
power lines, which always
are dangerous, can be
more common following
winter storms, and anyone
who encounters a power
line on the ground should
stay away. Falling trees
or branches, which can
break under high winds
or the weight of wet snow,
can take down power
lines.
Along with the Amer-
ican Red Cross, the Fed-
eral Emergency Man-
agement Agency, the
National Weather Ser-
vice and a myriad others,
OTEC encouraged people
to prepare an emergency
kit for use in the event of
a disaster.
“Having a survival
kit ready, having enough
warmth — blankets, other
alternate heating sources
that don’t require a plug
in, a wood fi replace (or)
a propane space heater
— there is a ton of stuff
that we really try to stress
to our members about
staying safe over the
winter,” Hathaway said.
Emergency kits should
contain a number of
items, including food and
water, toiletries, a supply
of vital medications, blan-
kets and warm clothing
and a fl ashlight, among
other things. Those with
children should also con-
sider adding diapers, baby
food or formula and any-
thing else they may need
to their kit.
People who may need
to drive in winter con-
ditions should also con-
sider preparing an emer-
gency kit for their vehicle
including jumper cables,
chains, food and water
and a way to contact help
in case of trouble.
For more information
on building an emergency
kit, visit www.ready.gov.
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Media Sales
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ABOUT EO MEDIA GROUP
EO Media Group is a family-owned Oregon media company with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest. Our NE
properties are located in Pendleton, Hermiston, La Grande, Baker City, John Day and Enterprise, Oregon. Our
newspapers, websites and magazines provide credible, fair, and timely reporting about the people and issues
impacting the communities we serve as well as a comprehensive suite of marketing solutions for local
businesses.
Wishing
each of you
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A MEDIA SALES PROFESSIONAL
As a Media Sales Professional, you play a crucial role in the success of our clients, community and
company by assisting local businesses in achieving success through advertising in our diverse suite of
products, including everything from the daily newspaper to our digital services and beyond. The primary focus
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key decision-makers as you help them get the most out of their advertising dollars.
a Wonderful Season
of Thanksgiving.
La Grande
2514 Cove Avenue
(541) 624-5040
Jack Wright, Branch Manager
QUALIFICATIONS FOR A MEDIA SALES PROFESSIONAL
• Business development and contract negotiation skills
• Two years of sales experience
Proven success in media or digital sales and a degree in marketing are highly desirable but multiple
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Ag & Commercial
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While COVID-19 restrictions are in place, this position will may work from home after initial training. In our
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READY TO JOIN OUR TEAM?
We understand your time is valuable and that is why we have a very quick and easy application process. If
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