Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2021)
STATE THURSDAY, MAY 20, 2021 Oregon health offi cials update mask guidance STATE NEWS BRIEFS Oregon hires arborist after outcry about excessive tree cutting PORTLAND — Oregon is hiring a Pacifi c North- west-based arborist to review the state’s removal of trees in wildfi re burn areas after recent concerns that the operation has been hasty and excessive. The Oregon Offi ce of Emergency Management announced Monday, May 17, that Galen Wright has been hired as an indepen- dent contractor to review the hazard tree eff ort, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. Wright is president of Washington Forest Consul- tants, Inc. He is tasked with providing a full assessment of Oregon’s program and his recommendations are due in June. “As this adaptive and evolving emergency response operation con- tinues to make signifi - cant progress, Oregonians deserve to have confi - dence in the good work underway,” said Mac Lynde, the Oregon Depart- ment of Transportation’s head of the three-agency Debris Management Task Force. It has been coordi- nating the tree-removal pro- gram in the aftermath of the 2020 wildfi res that burned over 1 million acres. The state is in the midst of the eff ort to cut down an estimated 140,000 burned trees that could be dan- gerous to people on state roads or burned properties. Transportation offi cials told a legislative panel two weeks ago that it would bring on an indepen- dent arborist after several workers publicly voiced concerns about the hazard tree program. They have said the operation, led by a contracting fi rm out of Florida, has irresponsibly marked trees for removal that weren’t dead or dying. Woman sues, saying landlord coerced her into sex to avoid eviction EUGENE — A law- suit fi led by a woman who rented from a Bell Real Estate subsidiary alleges the property owner harassed her then coerced her into having sex with him to avoid eviction. The woman claims the company did nothing when alerted to the situation, The Register-Guard reported. In a federal lawsuit fi led in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon in Eugene in March, a woman living in Lane County claims Pinewood Proper- ties owner and manager Richard Sorric coerced her into a sexual relationship to keep her home then retali- ated and asked for back rent when she refused to keep having sex with him. The newspaper and The Associated Press do not identify survivors of sexual harassment or abuse without their consent. The lawsuit uses a pseudonym “because of the sensitive, humiliating and stigma- tizing nature of the factual allegations” in the case, according to a complaint footnote. She started renting from Pinewood Properties in November 2018 and moved out of the property over a year ago, said Meredith Holley, her attorney. Attorneys representing Bell Real Estate, Pinewood Properties and Sorric deny nearly all of the woman’s claims in legal fi lings and say her lawsuit fails to state a claim and was fi led too late for damages. Sorric “absolutely and categorically denies the defamatory allegations made against him in the plaintiff ’s Complaint,” Jef- frey Daly, one of his attor- neys, wrote in an email. Daly added that Bell also has “denied all wrongdoing in this matter, and will con- tinue to do so.” Bell Real Estate is now suing her for back rent and other costs. Assault suspect dies in shooting involving deputy ROGUE RIVER — A person suspected of domestic assault has died in a shooting involving a deputy in southwestern Oregon, according to a news release from the Jackson County Sheriff ’s Offi ce. At 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 18, deputies were sent to a domestic assault in progress near Rogue River, the news release sent by spokesman Mike Moran said. Before deputies arrived, the suspect had left in a vehicle, according to the sheriff ’s offi ce. The sus- pect returned several min- utes later and “subsequently the deputy reported shots fi red,” the news release said. The suspect died at the scene. The deputy was not hurt, the news release said. The Jackson County Major Assault Death Inves- tigation Unit, led by Med- ford police, will investigate the incident. Moran said the names of the people involved will be released after relatives are notifi ed. Details of what happened will be released after an initial investigation is complete, he added. — Associated Press By SARA CLINE The Associated Press/Report for America Reclaim Your Freedom And Independence NOW! Call Inogen Today To Request Your FREE Info Kit © 2020 Inogen, Inc. All rights reserved. MKT-P0108 FROM $ $ 2,599 2,349 * 12 days, departs year-round 1-888-817-0676 promo code N7017 * Free date changes anytime up to 45 days prior to departure for land tours, up to 95 days prior to departure for cruise tours. Deposits and final payments remain non-refundable. Prices are per person based on double occupancy plus $299 in taxes & fees. Single supplement and seasonal surcharges may apply. Add-on airfare available. Offers apply to new bookings only, made by 6/30/21. Other terms & conditions may apply. Ask your Travel Consultant for details. GET ORGANIZED www.CountrysideSheds.com STORAGE BUILDINGS (541) 663-0246 Locally owned and operated for over 25 years HERE ? S I G N SPRI OU READY ARE Y RENT to OWN starting at $ 68 Month vaccinated and reach goals she set earlier this month. On May 18, Brown announced that fi ve Oregon counties have reached the county vac- cine threshold — 65% of the county’s popula- tion who are 16 or older have received their fi rst COVID-19 vaccine dose. By reaching that target Benton, Deschutes, Hood River, Lincoln and Wash- ington counties will move to the state’s lowest risk category allowing for increased capacity — 50% — in restaurants, theaters, gyms and other indoor entertainment spaces. Brown also set a state vaccination goal of 70% for residents 16 or older who have received their fi rst vaccine dose. When the state reaches the vac- cination target, Brown said most of Oregon’s restrictions, including capacity limits, will be lifted. Currently, nearly half of Oregon’s eligible residents have received at least their fi rst vaccine dose. Technical Experience Computer Repair Satisfaction Guaranteed No more tanks to refi ll. No more deliveries. No more hassles with travel. The INOGEN ONE portable oxygen concentrator is designed to provide unparalleled freedom for oxygen therapy users. It’s small, lightweight, clinically proven for stationary and portable use, during the day and at night, and can go virtually anywhere — even on most airlines. Inogen accepts Medicare and many private insurances! BEST OF HAWAII FOUR-ISLAND TOUR CDC emphasizes the point that safe and eff ec- tive vaccines are the very best way to protect people from getting and spreading COVID,” said Patrick Allen, the director of the Oregon Health Authority. “That’s why it’s safer for life to look more like normal for people who are fully vaccinated. And why people who hav- en’t had a chance to get vaccinated should do so as soon as they can.” Oregon’s Gov. Kate Brown pointed to the CDC announcement as “another sign that as more people become fully vac- cinated, the closer we are to ending this pandemic.” Oregonians have been required to wear masks — inside public spaces such as grocery stores, shops, gyms and restaurants and outside where people cannot remain 6 feet apart from others — since last summer. Brown said she is hopeful that the state’s economy will soon reopen if people continue to be We thank these Chamber Members for their continued support Introducing the INOGEN ONE – It’s oxygen therapy on your terms 1-855-839-0752 and employees,” then everyone in that building will still be required to wear masks. Many have questioned how businesses will be able to check the authen- ticity of vaccination cards. Some worry that proof will be forged. “We hope that Orego- nians will not lie or cheat and put others at risk by forging a vaccine record if they are not vaccinated,” Sidelinger said. “Individ- uals who choose not to (get vaccinated) or don’t want to share that they have already been vaccinated can wear a mask and keep their distance while being served by the business.” Oregon’s new mask guidance comes after the U.S. Centers for Dis- ease Control and Preven- tion announced last week that individuals who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 could stop wearing masks and stop physical distancing in most public spaces. “(Last) week’s announcement from the PORTLAND — Under updated mask guidelines in Oregon, which were released Tuesday, May 18, businesses can now choose whether or not customers will still be required to wear a mask. But in order to do that, customers must provide proof that they have been fully vaccinated. “If (businesses, employers and faith institutions) have a pro- cess to review vaccina- tion records and show that people are fully vac- cinated, they’re free to serve customers in that manner,” said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state’s epidemiologist. “If they don’t want to, or cannot implement a system like that, they can continue to operate under the OHA (Oregon Health Authority) guidance that requires masks and physical distancing.” Everyone — vaccinated or not— is still required to wear a mask while on public transportation and in schools, hospitals and clinics, homeless shelters, correctional facilities and long-term care facilities. In addition, mask requirements are no CB longer applied to anyone who is outdoors, although Construction Mercantile health offi cials recom- mend that people con- Catherine tinue to wear a mask in Creek Property crowded areas and in Management www.VisitUnionCounty.org large gatherings. However, businesses, employers and faith insti- tutions can choose to no longer require masks and physical distancing for fully vaccinated people, defi ned as individuals who received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose at least two weeks prior. Locally Owned and Operated But if a business We live and work in Eastern Oregon and look decides to allow fully vac- forward to helping our neighbors, community cinated people to not be members, and businesses. required to wear a mask, bluemountaintech.com those individuals must pro- vide proof of their status in the form of a vaccination card or a photo of the card on their phone. In addition, the business must review the proof. If businesses decide not to implement a “policy for checking the vaccina- tion status of customers One solution for oxygen at home, away, and for travel TM THE OBSERVER — 7A 10505 N. McAlister Road (Corner of Hwy 82 & N. McAlister Rd.)