Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 2021)
LOCAL A2 — THE OBSERVER TuESday, auguST 31, 2021 A cow, a missing tongue, and a mystery TODAY Today is Tuesday, Aug. 31, the 243rd day of 2021. There are 122 days left in the year. TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT IN HISTORY On Aug. 31, 1980, Poland’s Solidarity labor movement was born with an agreement signed in Gdansk that ended a 17-day-old strike. By JAYSON JACOBY Baker City Herald ON THIS DATE In 1886, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.3 devastated Charleston, South Carolina, killing at least 60 people. In 1939, the first issue of Marvel Comics, featuring the Human Torch, was published by Timely Publications in New York. In 1972, at the Munich Summer Olympics, American swimmer Mark Spitz won his fourth and fifth gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly and 800-meter freestyle relay; Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut won gold medals in floor exer- cise and the balance beam. In 1992, white separatist Randy Weaver surrendered to authorities in Naples, Idaho, ending an 11-day siege by fed- eral agents that had claimed the lives of Weaver’s wife, son and a deputy U.S. marshal. In 1997, Prince Charles brought Princess Diana home for the last time, escorting the body of his former wife to a Britain that was shocked, grief- stricken and angered by her death in a Paris traffic accident earlier that day. In 2005, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin reported “a signif- icant number of dead bodies in the water” following Hurri- cane Katrina; Nagin ordered virtually the entire police force to abandon search-and-rescue efforts and to instead stop increasingly hostile thieves. In 2010, President Barack Obama ended the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, declaring no vic- tory after seven years of blood- shed and telling those divided over the war in his country and around the world: “It is time to turn the page.” In 2018, Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” was laid to rest after an eight-hour funeral at a Detroit church, where guests included Bill and Hillary Clinton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson. In 2019, a gunman carried out a shooting rampage that stretched ten miles between the Texas communities of Mid- land and Odessa, leaving seven people dead before police killed the gunman in Odessa. Ten years ago: The Wartime Contracting Commission issued a report saying the U.S. had lost billions of dollars to waste and fraud in Iraq and Afghan- istan and stood to repeat that in future wars without big changes in how the govern- ment awarded and managed contracts for battlefield support and reconstruction projects. Five years ago: The first commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than a half century, a JetBlue Airbus A320, landed in the cen- tral city of Santa Clara, re-es- tablishing regular air service severed at the height of the Cold War. One year ago: At a rally in Pittsburgh, Democrat Joe Biden condemned violent pro- testers and called for their prosecution; he accused Presi- dent Donald Trump of causing the divisions that had ignited the violence. Trump blamed radical troublemakers who he said were stirred up and backed by Biden. LOTTERY Friday, Aug. 27, 2021 Megamillions 1-10-44-47-56 Megaball: 23 Megaplier: 3 Jackpot: $306 million Lucky Lines 2-7-12-16-19-21-27-29 Jackpot: $71,000 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 4-9-4-7 4 p.m.: 2-5-4-8 7 p.m.: 3-2-7-6 10 p.m.: 5-5-0-1 Saturday, Aug. 28, 2021 Powerball 12-22-26-46-59 Powerball: 26 Power Play: 2 Jackpot: $332 million Megabucks 8-9-13-15-26-41 Jackpot: $2.4 million Lucky Lines 4-7-12-13-18-22-28-29 Jackpot: $72,000 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 2-9-8-0 4 p.m.: 1-1-4-1 7 p.m.: 6-9-1-0 10 p.m.: 3-1-2-2 Win for Life 32-36-51-60 Sunday, Aug. 29, 2021 Lucky Lines 1-8-11-13-18-24-28-29 Estimated jackpot: $73,000 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 3-4-7-1 4 p.m.: 8-5-3-2 7 p.m.: 0-7-2-0 10 p.m.: 4-1-2-6 alex Wittwer/The Observer Giavonna LaMiller, under the direction of volunteer Catherine Parks, self-administers a COVID-19 test in the Bi-Mart parking lot, the site of a mass testing event in La Grande on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. Testing will be available at no cost every week on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., starting Aug. 31 and extending through September. Vaccinations rise in Union County By ALEX WITTWER The Observer LA GRANDE — Vac- cination rates across most Eastern Oregon rose nearly 3% as the delta variant of COVID-19 surges in the nation. According to Oregon Health Authority data, more than 98% of all new COVID-19 infections are from the delta variant. Umatilla County saw the largest increase in vacci- nation rates, climbing 4.1% to a total of 47.9% of the population having received their first dose since Aug. 1. Both Union and Morrow County recorded a 3.6% increase during the same time period. Wallowa County increased its vacci- nation rate by 3.1%, giving it the highest vaccination rate out of all of the Eastern Oregon counties at 62% through Friday. Baker saw a modest 2.5% increase in vaccination rates, while Grant County recorded the lowest increase at only 1.9% over the month of August. The Oregon Health Authority reported 3,207 new and presumptive cases of COVID-19 in Oregon on Aug. 26, and on Monday, Aug. 29, reported 5,545 cases over the weekend. As well the total number of alex Wittwer/The Observer Alynn Lambert, a volunteer, takes information from residents as they prepare to get tested for COVID-19 at a mass testing site in the Bi-Mart parking lot, in La Grande on Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. hospitalizations across the state is at 1,120. Union County added 15 new reported cases of COVID-19, bringing its two-week total to 345 cases. The two-week total corresponds to an infec- tion rate of 1,317 cases per 100,000 residents. Earlier in the year, any county that saw more than 200 cases per 100,000 residents would fall under extreme risk and would be subjected to restrictions. The Monday report added 62 more cases in Union County over the weekend, to bring the total to 2,312 and the two-week infection rate to 1401 cases per 100,000 residents. The 31st death was also reported, an 85-year-old woman who died Saturday, Aug. 28, and had under- lying conditions. “We are far exceeding the hospitalization numbers we saw during the pre-vac- cination surges of last fall and winter. This is putting an unprecedented strain on our local hospitals,” said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, the state health officer in a press release. “This affects every Oregon family and it is not sustainable.” On Monday, Aug. 23, the Food and Drug Administra- tion announced the Pfizer vaccine had received full approval for use for patients 16 and older, making it the first vaccine to be approved beyond emergency use in the United States. The Pfizer vaccine, named Comirnaty, remains under emergency use authorization for individ- uals under the age of 16. Vaccination rates have increased after months of stalling due to vaccine hes- itancy and rising infection rates, a surge that led Gov. Kate Brown to impose vac- cine mandates on state workers, medical workers and school faculty. Coastal air will keep Northeast Oregon cool By DICK MASON The Observer LA GRANDE — Cooler air from the Pacific Ocean will keep tempera- tures lower than average for the next three days in Northeastern Oregon. The National Weather Service in Pendleton is forecasting that La Grande will have high a tem- perature of 71 degrees on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 73 degrees on Sept. 1, and 77 degrees on Sept. 2, all below average for this time of year. La Grande’s average temperature for Aug. 31 is 82 degrees, and both Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 average 81 degrees, according to the National Weather Service Enterprise’s fore- cast calls for highs of 70 degrees on Aug. 31, 71 degrees on Sept. 1, and 73 degrees on Sept. 2. The relatively cool weather in Northeastern Oregon is due to westerly winds from the Pacific Ocean that should be blowing colder air into the Northwest, according to Jim Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pendleton. Temperatures are pro- jected to warm up at the end of the week and early in the weekend. The National Western Ser- vice is forecasting that La Grande will have high tem- peratures of 81 degrees on Sept. 3 and 84 degrees on Sept. 4. Enterprise is expected to have highs of near 78 degrees on Sept. 3 and near 80 degrees on Sept. 4. A weak high pressure system that will block westerly winds will cause the rise in temperatures, Smith said. The high pres- sure system will move out around Sept. 5. “It will be short lived,” he said, adding westerly winds will return Sept. 6. Low temperatures in La Grande’s are forecast to be 42 degrees on Aug. 31, 44 degrees on Sept. 1, and 47 degrees on Sept. 2. Enterprise is projected to have significantly colder lows of 32 degrees on Aug. 31, 34 degrees on Sept. 1, and 36 degrees on Sept. 2. The sub 40-degree tem- peratures will help develop frost in the Enterprise area each of the next three days, according to Smith. “There will be frost in areas where there are cooler air pockets pro- tected from wind,” he said. No frost is forecast in La Grande at least through Sept. 5. Air quality is projected to be strong at least until Sept. 1 in both La Grande and Enterprise, according to IQAir, an air quality monitoring website. NEWS BRIEFS Light agenda awaits commissioners ENTERPRISE — A light schedule awaits the Wallowa County Board of Commissioners as they start the month, Wednesday, Sept. 1. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the courthouse. Todd Rodgers is scheduled to speak on government-ordered mask mandates issued because of a surge in the number of coronavirus cases. In addition, county counsel Paige Sully will discuss training on manda- tory reporting. Also on the agenda are three employee-related items: Wes Garth is being hired as a new Wallowa County deputy; Hailey Collier is resigning from the 911 dispatch ser- vice; and Amy Stangel is resigning from the county’s Department of Youth Services. The public is invited to attend in person or via Zoom. To get Zoom’s browser client, visit https://zoom.us/ signup. Then enter the meeting ID 842 06009 7022 and the passcode 246617. If no microphone or camera is avail- able, members of the public may participate by phone by calling 1-253-215-8782. Also, the public is reminded that a public input session will be held 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at the Clover- leaf Hall in Enterprise on the East Moraine Forest Management Plan. For more information, call 426- 4543, x1130. Josephy Center cancels appreciation event JOSEPH — The donor-appreci- ation event planned at the Josephy Center for Arts and Culture has been postponed, according to a press release on Thursday, Aug. 26. Given current restrictions on gath- erings because of the coronavirus pandemic, organizers felt unable to hold the event indoors, where it seemed more appropriate. “This certainly won’t be the last event held in honor of our sup- porters,” Kellee Sheehy, development director, said in the release. “And while it’s definitely disappointing, a celebration of the purchase of our building will feel much more celebra- tory when we’re able to have it IN the building.” The event was to be held in Sep- tember to thank donors and other supporters for their help in the pur- chase of the center’s building that was accomplished June 23. She reminds those who appreciate art, culture and each other, that “This too shall pass. The center will provide notice when the event can be rescheduled. — Wallowa County Chieftain BAKER CITY — Brian Ratliff has sliced open and probed the innards of quite a number of cows, but he’s never come across a case as confounding as the missing tongue. “This is a stumper,” Ratliff said on Thursday, Aug. 26. “I don’t have an answer.” The mystery started the day before for Ratliff, the district wildlife biolo- gist at the Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Baker City office. A ranch manager found the carcass of a 3-year-old cow that morning on a public grazing allotment near the head of Fox Creek. That’s near Lookout Moun- tain, about 14 miles north of Huntington. Ratliff investigated the case as a possible wolf attack. Wolves from the Lookout Mountain Pack have killed three head of cattle, and injured three others, this summer several miles to the west. Wolves didn’t kill the cow at Fox Creek — Ratliff is sure about that. He’s also confident in his conclusion about why the cow died. Almost the whole of the cow’s tongue — at least a couple pounds of flesh — was missing. The wound severed two arteries at the base of the tongue, and Ratliff said a veterinarian told him that a cow with that injury would bleed to death relatively rapidly. That was the only injury which happened prior to the cow’s death, Ratliff said. The carcass was undis- turbed with one exception — birds had pecked out one eyeball. He estimated the cow died either late on Aug. 24 or early on Aug. 25. Ratliff said tracking con- ditions were “phenomenal,” with a large area of dry, soft dirt around the carcass. He didn’t find any pred- ator tracks, but there were tracks from deer, elk, mice, squirrels and birds. There were also human boot tracks — presumably from the ranch manager who found the carcass. The carcass was near the upper Fox Creek road, east of Lookout Mountain in eastern Baker County. But Ratliff said the evi- dence suggests that the cow sustained the fatal injury on or near the road, about 100 yards from where the carcass was found. That evidence, in the main, is blood. “Buckets,” Ratliff said. There were multiple large patches of bloody ground, splashes of blood as high as five feet up in nearby trees, and a blood trail between the road and the carcass. Ratliff sur- mises that the blood was splashed onto the trees when the cow whipped her head from side to side after the injury. Tracking conditions were also good at the road, which was dry and dusty. Ratliff found ATV tracks on the road, but, as at the carcass site, no predator tracks. Ratliff said that as he cut open and examined the carcass, he considered, and in turn discarded, multiple theories about the cow’s demise. He initially thought the cow might have been shot. But there was no bullet wound — no wound at all in the hide, come to that. The mystery deepened when Ratliff examined the jaw and, for the first time, saw that most of the tongue was gone. The wound was jagged, not the clean cut that a knife or other sharp implement would make, he said. There were no tooth marks or other evidence of a predator.
