LOCAL
A2 — THE OBSERVER
TODAY
On Dec. 31, 2019, the health
commission in the central Chi-
nese city of Wuhan announced
that experts were investi-
gating an outbreak of respira-
tory illness and that most of
the victims had visited a sea-
food market in the city; the
statement said 27 people had
become ill with a strain of viral
pneumonia and that seven
were in serious condition.
In 1775, during the Revolu-
tionary War, the British repulsed
an attack by Continental Army
generals Richard Montgomery
and Benedict Arnold at Quebec;
Montgomery was killed.
In 1862, President Abraham
Lincoln signed an enabling act
paving the way for Virginia’s
western counties to become
the state of West Virginia, which
took place in June 1863.
In 1879, Thomas Edison fi rst
publicly demonstrated his elec-
tric incandescent light by illu-
minating some 40 bulbs at his
laboratory in Menlo Park, New
Jersey.
In 1904, New York’s Times
Square saw its fi rst New Year’s
Eve celebration, with an esti-
mated 200,000 people in
attendance.
In 1946, President Harry S.
Truman offi cially proclaimed
the end of hostilities in World
War II.
In 1972, Major League base-
ball player Roberto Clemente,
38, was killed when a plane he
chartered and was traveling on
to bring relief supplies to earth-
quake-devastated Nicaragua
crashed shortly after takeoff
from Puerto Rico.
In 1974, private U.S. citizens
were allowed to buy and own
gold for the fi rst time in more
than 40 years.
In 1978, Taiwanese diplomats
struck their colors for the fi nal
time from the embassy fl agpole
in Washington, D.C., marking
the end of diplomatic relations
with the United States.
In 1985, singer Rick Nelson,
45, and six other people were
killed when fi re broke out
aboard a DC-3 that was taking
the group to a New Year’s Eve
performance in Dallas.
In 1986, 97 people were
killed when fi re broke out in
the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San
Juan, Puerto Rico. (Three hotel
workers later pleaded guilty in
connection with the blaze.)
In 1999, Russian President
Boris Yeltsin announced his res-
ignation (he was succeeded by
Vladimir Putin).
In 2010, tornadoes fueled
by unusually warm air pum-
meled the South and Midwest,
killing a total of eight people in
Arkansas and Missouri.
Ten years ago: President
Barack Obama signed a wide-
ranging defense bill into law
despite having “serious reser-
vations” about provisions that
regulated the detention, inter-
rogation and prosecution of
suspected terrorists. A NASA
probe fi red its engine and
slipped into orbit around the
moon in the fi rst of two back-
to-back arrivals over the New
Year’s weekend.
Five years ago: Mariah
Carey ushered in 2017 with a
botched performance on “Dick
Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve
with Ryan Seacrest” on ABC;
Carey blamed the show’s pro-
ducers for technical diffi culties,
while Dick Clark Productions
called Carey’s claims “absurd.”
Actor William Christopher,
best known for playing Father
Francis Mulcahy on the TV
series “M.A.S.H.,” died in Pasa-
dena, California, at age 84.
One year ago: Around the
world on New Year’s Eve, pan-
demic restrictions on open air
gatherings saw people turning
to virtual celebrations or made-
for-TV fi reworks displays. In
New York’s Times Square, the
ball dropped as always, but
police fenced off the site to pre-
vent crowds from gathering.
Authorities arrested a suburban
Milwaukee pharmacist sus-
pected of deliberately ruining
hundreds of doses of corona-
virus vaccine by removing them
from refrigeration. (Steven
Brandenburg, an admitted con-
spiracy theorist who believed
vaccines were the product of
the devil, would be sentenced
to three years in prison.) Britain
completed its economic break
from the European Union.
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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2021
Wallowa
County
passes 700
cases in 2021
Digging out
Total is an increase
of more than 900%
over 2020 count
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
Alex Wittwer/The Observer
Corvin Goodman, with Eastern Oregon Rental & Sales, plows a parking lot and alleyway between Chestnut and Depot streets in
downtown La Grande on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.
Winter makes for dangerous travel
By ALEX WITTWER
EO Media Group
LA GRANDE — It’s a
“full-coverage insurance
policy” kind of season on
Interstate 84.
From Wednesday, Dec.
22, through Tuesday, Dec.
28, Oregon State Police
responded to 56 individual
crashes on the interstate
between Hermiston and
Ontario. Road conditions
have deteriorated as snow
blankets the Pacifi c North-
west and leaves travelers
contending with slick roads.
A total of 15 crashes
were reported on Dec. 28
alone as freezing weather
and snowfall accumulated
overnight — including a
semi-rollover near mile-
post 252 that had no
reported injuries and did
not impede traffi c.
The interstate was
closed eastbound and west-
bound from Pendleton to
La Grande from 6:06 a.m.
to 9:30 a.m. Dec. 30 due
to high winds, blowing/
drifting snow and whiteout
conditions in some areas,
according to a press release
from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Transportation.
Crews reported zero vis-
ibility with multiple
spun-out trucks. Crashes
closed the freeway for sev-
eral hours on Dec. 23 and
Dec. 26.
The interstate has
been closed six times in
December alone due to
inclement weather and
crashes.
“Road conditions con-
tinue to be icy,” Oregon
State Police Capt. Steph-
anie Bigman said. “If you
drive, go prepared and
please allow plenty of time
to get to your destination.”
Locally, the La Grande
Police Department
responded to 13 crashes
in the last seven days,
according to LGPD Lt.
Jason Hays. Many more,
according to Hays, go unre-
ported — such as incidents
involving motorists getting
stuck in the snow, sliding
off the road and any minor
fender benders that don’t
require police intervention.
“From my 23 years
of experience, I can tell
you winter storm related
motor vehicle accidents
are all preventable,” Hays
said. “My biggest advice
is for people to slow down
when driving in snow and
adverse conditions, espe-
cially when approaching
stop signs.”
Hays cautioned motor-
ists to increase following
distance, use traction
devices such as chains or
cables and to avoid driving
on steep, unsanded roads.
Tollgate Highway, a
detour route for the inter-
state, was also closed Dec.
30 due in part to the road
receiving 12 inches of snow
within a three-hour period,
according to ODOT.
Across the state, OSP
responded to nearly 1,000
crashes over the previous
holiday weekend, according
The Oregonian. As well,
between Dec. 23 and Dec.
27, state troopers handled
912 crashes, up from 365
crashes during the same
period in 2020 and just 237
crashes in 2019.
Normandy sex abuse trial scheduled for May
The Observer
LA GRANDE — A
trial for a local man facing
sex abuse charges was
delayed to the spring.
The Union County
Sheriff ’s Offi ce on June 25
arrested David Normandy,
32, of Cove, on a Union
County warrant based on
a secret indictment. The
district attorney’s offi ce
has charged Normandy
with using a child in a dis-
play of sexually explicit
conduct, second-degree
encouraging child sexual
abuse and 12 counts of
fi rst-degree sexual abuse.
The indictment detailed
accusations of sexu-
ally explicit conduct with
minors under the age of 14
between October 2014 and
January 2020.
The Union County
Circuit Court has sched-
uled the trial to start
May 16, 2022, in front of
a 12-person jury at the
Union County Court-
house, La Grande. Public
defender James Schaeff er
represents Normandy.
The trial was sched-
uled for Dec. 13, but Cir-
cuit Judge Thomas Powers
granted the defendant’s
motion to postpone. The
defense cited ongoing
issues with discovery
and unresolved pretrial
motions as the reasons for
the postponement.
Powers on Dec. 20 also
granted the defense motion
for a lower bail, reducing
the amount to $150,000.
Conditions attached
to Normandy’s release
include a written waiver of
extradition, weekly phone
check-ins with a court
offi cer and no contact with
alleged victims or their
mother and place of resi-
dence, and no contact with
places where minors are
known to congregate.
On April 15, 2022,
Powers will preside over
a hearing of pretrial
motions, and Normandy is
set to appear in person for
a settlement conference on
April 22 with Judge Mat-
thew Shirtcliff presiding.
NEWS BRIEFS
Community Connection
seeks new Union County
board member
LA GRANDE — A Union
County community service non-
profi t is searching for a new board
member.
Community Connection, an orga-
nization focused on assisting those
in need in Northeastern Oregon, is
taking applications to fi ll one of its
board member positions. The non-
profi t focuses on assisting senior cit-
izens, children, low-income individ-
uals and those with disabilities.
“Union County is fortunate to
have a lot of people willing to give
of their time and expertise to organi-
zations like ours,” executive director
Margaret Davidson said in a press
release. “This is an opportunity
for someone new to get involved in
shaping the services in the region.”
The candidate is expected to rep-
resent the needs of low-income indi-
viduals, regardless of the candidate’s
own income status. The Community
Connection board typically meets
four to fi ve times per year.
Community Connection provides
a number of services, such as senior
citizen programs, transportation ser-
vices, food banks, self-suffi ciency
programs and housing services in
Union, Wallowa, Baker and Grant
counties. The organization also over-
sees the Riveria Activity Center,
conducts health promotions and pro-
vides food services.
Interested candidates can reach
out to executive assistant Diana Parks
at 541-963-3186 or diana@ccno.org.
Parks can be contacted for an appli-
cation, which is due by Jan. 21.
Cove City Council to hold
fi rst meeting of 2022
COVE — The Cove City Council
is set to meet for its fi rst monthly
meeting of the new year at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 4.
The meeting is open to the public
for in-person attendance at Cove
City Hall, 504 Alder St., with virtual
attendance also available.
The council will take an opening
public comment section before
approaching three items on the con-
sent agenda. Council members will
vote on prior council minutes from
Oct. 5 through Nov. 16, approve
council minutes from Dec. 7 and
approve bills to be paid.
In the new business section,
the council will review its rules of
procedure and city charter from
2020. Following the new business,
reports will be presented from the
city council municipal court com-
mittee, transportation system plan
committee, the city recorder and the
public works director.
The closing public comment sec-
tion will allot three minutes per
person, in regard to items not on
the agenda, suggestions for future
meeting agendas and workshops,
and comments about the decisions
made during the meeting.
Public comments may be emailed
to cityadmin@cityofcove.org prior
to 6:45 p.m. on Jan. 4.
The meeting can be attended vir-
tually via computer, smartphone or
tablet at www.gotomeet.me/City-
ofCove. The public may also call
1-877-309-2073 and use access code
566-891-733.
New Year’s Eve metal
concert canceled due to
COVID-19 concerns
LA GRANDE — A fan-favorite
New Year’s Eve tradition in La
Grande has been canceled.
HQ on Depot Street in La Grande
announced on Wednesday, Dec. 29,
that Metal at Midnight was can-
celed due to a rise in COVID-19
case counts. Local band Nogero was
slated to play at the event, which
included live music before and after
midnight of the new year.
“With case counts rising sharply,
increased public safety concerns,
and the close-contact nature of live
music and revelry, we have decided
to err on the side of caution to pro-
tect our community,” HQ co-owners
Chris Jennings and Jesse Cimon
said in a Facebook post.
The event has drawn upward of
100 attendees in past years when
live music venues did not face the
challenges of the COVID-19 pan-
demic. Nogero band members and
the HQ co-owners were encour-
aging vaccinations and mask usage
prior to the show, but ultimately
decided to cancel in the wake of the
recent omicron variant.
“We look forward to bringing
more opportunities to local audi-
ence in 2022,” the owners said. “For
the time being, be kind, be safe, and
have a happy new year.”
— The Observer
ENTERPRISE — More than
700.
That is the number of
COVID-19 cases that have been
tallied up in Wallowa County
during 2021.
The county passed that
threshold Tuesday, Dec. 28,
when the Oregon Health
Authority reported fi ve cases in
Wallowa County. That moved
the pandemic total at the time to
780, and the total for the year to
703, amounting to a more than
900% increase in cases over the
total at the end of 2020. Two
additional cases were reported
on Dec. 29, putting the total at
782 for the pandemic and 705 for
the year. The county’s infection
rate for the pandemic is about
10.9%, per OHA data.
To review, Wallowa County
was among one of the lowest
case rates in Oregon at the end of
2020, with the county reporting
77 cases from the start of the
pandemic through Dec. 31, 2020.
Cases trickled in over the
next six months. The county
reached 100 on Jan. 26, and 150
cases on April 2. It was still
another 3-1/2 months until the
200th case was reported on July
19. The rate for the year was
higher than 2020, but the county
remained on the lower end of
the case spectrum until the delta
variant spike hit the state.
It’s unknown exactly how
many cases were the delta
variant. Regardless, the count
shot through the roof. An addi-
tional 39 cases were reported
during the fi nal 12 days of
July, putting the number at
239 by the end of the month.
By early August, the county’s
case count was past 250. In the
same month, 300, 350 and 400
were reached, and by the end of
August the total was 419.
There were 180 cases in
August alone, matching the
total the county had from when
its fi rst case was confi rmed in
April 2020 through May 6, 2021.
Totals that were once coming in
over several months were now
coming in just days.
The case count ebbed from
that peak, but slowly. September
saw 163 cases, October had 123
and November had 55. The three
highest months in 2021 each had
a total that surpassed the case
count of 2020.
December’s total has been
tame in comparison, with the
average under a case a day, and
a total of 22 reported during the
month as of Dec. 29.
The number of deaths in the
county has remained at 13, with
nine of those coming during
2021 and fi ve being reported
during a one-week span in late
August. There were three deaths
reported in 2020, and a fourth
reported later in 2021 that was
from the previous year.
As of Dec. 29, the county
is at a vaccination rate among
adults of 70.7%, which ranks
it 15th among the 36 counties
in Oregon. The 70% threshold
was broken through on Dec. 7.
Currently, 66% of the county’s
adults have received a full set
of shots, and 33.7% have also
received a booster shot. In this
area, the county is actually ninth
in the state, above the state rate
of 32.4%, while it sits below the
state rate in the other categories,
which are 80.7% and 73.9%,
respectively.
Union County, meanwhile,
has seen an increase in 2021 of
about 260% in its case count
over 2020. There were more
cases and deaths overall during
the year — 2,535 and 49, respec-
tively — which have the pan-
demic totals as of Dec. 29 at
3,517 cases and 63 deaths. The
county’s pandemic-long infec-
tion rate is about 13.1%.
Union County has had one
of the lower vaccination rates
in Oregon, and is in the bottom
third of the state — 25th, to be
exact — with 59.8% of adults
getting one shot, and 55.6%
having full inoculation. An addi-
tional 23.1% have received a
booster.