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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2021)
OREGON A10 — THE OBSERVER STATE BRIEFS 179 COVID cases linked to Round-Up ‘Exhilarating’: Autism advocate reaches social media stardom By BRYCE DOLE East Oregonian PENDLETON — Uma- tilla County health offi - cials have traced nearly 180 COVID-19 cases to events that occurred during the week of the Pendleton Round-Up. But the spike in cases that followed the week- long rodeo seems to be on a slight decline, said Uma- tilla County Public Health Director Joe Fiumara. “I’m hoping we’ve gotten past the initial bump,” Fiu- mara said after reporting the 179 cases. “Time will tell. It will be important for people who are sick to stay home.” Last week’s total amounted to 487 COVID-19 cases, making it the county’s third most infectious week since the pandemic started. It’s a positive sign after an alarming initial bump in cases, Fiumara said, but infection rates remain far higher than they were before the delta variant surge began in mid-July. “It’s hard to be happy with cases dropping to 50 or 60 each day,” Fiumara said. Offi cials OK long- lasting fi re retardant BOISE, Idaho — U.S. offi cials on Tuesday, Oct. 5, approved a long-lasting fi re retardant that could sig- nifi cantly aid in fi ghting destructive wildfi res. The U.S. Forest Service approved Perimeter Solu- tions’ fi re retardant that’s intended to be used as a preventive measure and can last for months It’s sim- ilar to the red-dyed retar- dant dropped from aircraft, but is clear and lasts much longer. “The real game-changer here is once you treat it, you can forget it,” said Edward Goldberg, chief executive offi cer of Perimeter Solu- tions. “It’s there for the whole year.” The company said its primary use will be by industrial customers such as utility companies and rail- roads, but can also be used at residential and commer- cial properties. Goldberg said the product will likely be most eff ective in the drier cli- mate of the U.S. West, and could be applied in the spring to off er fi re protec- tion throughout the wild- fi re season. He said tradi- tional retardant is eff ective until there’s rain, but the new product will remain eff ective even after a couple inches of rain. Proud Boy guilty of assaul in protests PORTLAND — An Oregon jury on Tuesday, Oct. 5, found a member of the far-right group the Proud Boys guilty of assault, menacing and unlawful use of a weapon for pulling out a loaded revolver, fi ring paintballs and spraying bear mace at people during Portland pro- tests last year. Prosecutors called Alan Swinney a “vigilante cowboy,” while Swinney and his lawyer argued he was acting in self-defense against “agitators” who were harassing him. The charges stem from demonstrations Aug. 15 and Aug. 22, 2020, as clashes erupted between right-wing and left-wing groups armed with paintballs, bear mace, pepper spray, umbrellas and shields, The Oregonian reported. The protests were among rallies that were held nationwide after a white police offi cer murdered George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis. Swinney, 51, of Texas, came to Portland “dressed for battle” in August because of his “hatred for the left, for antifa,” Deputy District Attorney Reid C. Schweitzer told jurors in his closing arguments. — EO Media Group and The Associated Press THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021 PENDLETON — When the social media star announced in a video that her 5-year-old son has autism, William Wehrli knew he wanted to reach out. Wehrli has autism and is a local autism advo- cate living in Pendleton. He wanted to tell her that doctors predicted he would never be indepen- dent or graduate; that he proved them wrong when he obtained his master’s degree; that he has his own home, pays his rent, owns a car, cares for a dog, cooks, cleans and works many jobs. He made a video on Sept. 5 on TikTok saying just that. “This was me assuring that her son would also be able to succeed and be independent,” Wehrli said. He was shocked when Laura Clery responded. Clery is an actress and comedian who consistently receives millions of views across multiple social media platforms. She took a video with her husband reacting to Wehrli’s video. They smiled, held their hands over their heart and Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian William Wehrli and his dog Rossy stand on the porch of Wehrli’s home Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021 in Pendleton. Wehrli, who has autism and is a local autism advocate, made a video supported a boy who has au- tism, and the video went viral. rli’s accounts as the video spread rapidly and his fol- lowing skyrocketed. Many of the messages were from people who have loved ones with autism. They said doctors had told them the same thing — that their child would never succeed — and seeing Wehrli’s video gave them hope. “I was defi nitely sur- prised,” Wehrli said. “In fact, I responded by going for a run with my dog because it was so exhila- rating for me.” Wehrli was thrilled. He said it felt great to see his video having an impact. He responded to many of the messages, providing people with advice. But then the comments became endless, and he became overwhelmed. “What they don’t realize is that I’m only one person and I can’t respond to everybody,” he said. “All those messages I was get- ting was just so draining. A lot of people think it would be fun to be famous, but it can be very overwhelming. It was draining my mental health and taking a toll on me.” He turned off direct messaging to all his accounts. Instead, he pointed commenters toward his website, where they could sign up for paid coaching. Some people were pushy, insisting that he dole out advice for free. Others signed up for sessions. Wehrli helps parents navigate the challenges that come with having children with autism. Whether it be in school or at home, his goal is to draw on his per- sonal experiences to help parents better understand their children. “I would give them my take on what the situa- tion is like in their shoes to help them understand how to connect with their child and what I think they should do to help their child,” he said. blew kisses. As with all of her videos, thousands of people commented back. Who’s cutting onions? Clery wrote in the comments. “I’m not crying my eyes are just sweating,” a commenter said. “My grandson has autism. This video makes me so happy. Thanks for sharing.” Messages fl ooded Weh- Miracle-Ear Hearing Centers are looking for qualified people to test their latest product, The Miracle-Ear Ready-Fit RISK FREE! Here’s the catch: You must have difficulty hearing and understanding in background noise and your hearing must fall in the range of the hearing aid. 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