LOCAL A2 — THE OBSERVER TODAY In 1791, Congress passed a measure taxing distilled spirits; it was the first internal revenue act in U.S. history. In 1845, Florida became the 27th state. In 1849, the U.S. Department of the Interior was established. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed a measure cre- ating the National Academy of Sciences. In 1931, “The Star-Span- gled Banner” became the national anthem of the United States as President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution. In 1943, in London’s East End, 173 people died in a crush of bodies at the Bethnal Green tube station, which was being used as a wartime air raid shelter. In 1945, the Allies fully secured the Philippine capital of Manila from Japanese forces during World War II. In 1960, Lucille Ball filed for divorce from her husband, Desi Arnaz, a day after they had fin- ished filming the last episode of “The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show.” In 1966, death claimed actors William Frawley at age 79 and Alice Pearce at age 48 in Hollywood. In 1969, Apollo 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a mis- sion to test the lunar module. In 1991, motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in a scene captured on amateur video. Twenty-five people were killed when a United Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashed while approaching the Colorado Springs airport. In 2020, in a surprise move, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a half-point, its largest cut in more than a decade, to support the economy in the face of the spreading coronavirus. Ten years ago: Mitt Romney rolled to a double-digit victory in Washington state’s Repub- lican presidential caucuses, his fourth campaign triumph in a row. Five years ago: President Donald Trump toured St. Andrew Catholic School, a pri- vate religious facility in Orlando, Florida, praising it as an ideal institution for “disadvantaged children” while re-emphasizing that his education agenda would focus on school choice. The Nintendo Switch, a hybrid game machine that works as both a console at home and a portable tablet on the go, made its debut. One year ago: Officials tes- tifying at a Senate hearing said Defense Department leaders had delayed sending help for hours on Jan. 6, despite an urgent plea for reinforcement from police protecting the U.S. Capitol building. Today’s Birthdays: Sing- er-musician Mike Pender (The Searchers) is 81. Movie pro- ducer-director George Miller is 77. Actor Hattie Winston is 77. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 75. Actor-director Tim Kazurinsky is 72. Singer-musician Robyn Hitchcock is 69. Actor Robert Gossett is 68. Rock musician John Lilley is 68. Actor Miranda Richardson is 64. Radio person- ality Ira Glass is 63. Actor Mary Page Keller is 61. Olympic track and field gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is 60. Former NFL player and College Football Hall of Famer Herschel Walker is 60. Actor Laura Harring is 58. Con- temporary Christian musician Duncan Phillips (Newsboys) is 58. Rapper-actor Tone Loc is 56. Actor Julie Bowen is 52. Country singer Brett Warren (The Warren Brothers) is 51. Actor David Faustino is 48. Gospel singer Jason Crabb is 45. Singer Ronan Keating (Boyzone) is 45. Rapper Lil’ Flip is 41. Actor Jessica Biel is 40. Rock musician Blower (AKA Joe Garvey) (Hinder) is 38. Musi- cian Brett Hite (Frenship) is 36. Pop singer Camila Cabello is 25. Actor Thomas Barbusca (TV: “The Mick”) is 19. Actor Reylynn Caster is 19. LOTTERY Monday, Feb. 28, 2022 Megabucks 7-8-11-13-37-42 Estimated jackpot: $2.2 million Lucky Lines 3-8-10-16-18-23-28-30 Estimated jackpot: $17,000 Win for Life 31-42-47-55 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 0-5-3-2 4 p.m.: 3-4-6-7 7 p.m.: 5-1-0-5 10 p.m.: 2-8-9-3 Tuesday, March 1, 2022 Mega Millions 18-22-38-39-50 Mega Ball: 18 Megaplier: x2 Estimated jackpot: $102 million Lucky Lines 1-5-12-14-20-22-26-31 Estimated jackpot: $18,000 Pick 4 1 p.m.: 5-4-4-4 4 p.m.: 2-6-3-8 7 p.m.: 7-6-4-6 10 p.m.: 6-2-8-8 THuRSday, MaRcH 3, 2022 Writing workshops planned for spring Let freedom roll Wallowa County Chieftain Rosalee McGinness (right), 3, waves a flag from the Foothill Road overpass south of La Grande on Wednesday morning, March 2, 2022. She joined approximately 70 supporters of the American Freedom Convoy and local residents to cheer as the convoy passed through Northeastern Oregon on Interstate 84. The procession is on its way to Washington, D.C., as part of a nationwide protest against COVID-19 related mandates. Photos by alex Wittwer/EO Media Group LG School District COVID-19 numbers fall District reports just 12 students with COVID Feb. 21-25 By DICK MASON The Observer LA GRANDE — The La Grande School District may be on track to soon be COVID-19 free. The school district’s most recent statistics indi- cate that 12 students and no staff members missed school during the week of Feb. 21-25 because of positive COVID-19 tests, COVID-19 symptoms or close contact with those who have COVID-19. The new figures are down from the week of Feb. 14-18 when 17 students and two staff missed school because of COVID-19. The latest student sta- tistics are down dramati- cally from the week of Feb. 7-11 when 60 students and two staff were absent from school due to COVID-19. They are down even more significantly from the week of Jan. 18-21 when 153 stu- dents missed school due to COVID-19. The La Grande School District’s latest figures indi- cate that three students missed school the week of Feb. 21-25 because of posi- tive COVID-19 tests. Two of the students were from Cen- tral Elementary School and one was from La Grande High School. The statistics also indi- cate that nine students missed school because of close contact with someone who has COVID-19. Four of these students were from La Grande High School, three were from Central Elemen- tary School and two were from La Grande Middle School. Plea hearing dates set in mail theft cases George Kelly, Gracee Shelley charged with 79 counts after Feb. 20 arrests By DICK MASON The Observer LA GRANDE — Plea hearing dates for two La Grande residents who were arrested on charges of mail theft in late February, were set in Union County Circuit Court on Monday, Feb. 28. The plea hearing dates were set at an arraignment hearing for an indict- ment issued by a grand jury. George Kelly, 26, and Gracee Shelley, 22, have been charged with 79 counts of mail theft and two counts of identity theft after being arrested on Feb. 20. Kelly’s plea hearing date is set for 1:15 p.m. March 15 and Shel- ley’s plea hearing date is scheduled for 11 a.m. April 26. Both plea hearings will be conducted at Union County Circuit Court. Shelley and Kelly were both lodged in the Union County Jail after being arrested. Bail was set at $73,000 for Kelly and $50,000 for Shelley. Shelley is now out on bail, but Kelly is still lodged in the Union County Jail. Union County Deputy District Attorney Ryan Rodighiero said Kelly received an earlier plea hearing date because he is still in jail. La Grande police said that all of the stolen mail — taken from 54 dif- ferent addresses — has been located and returned. One count of mail theft was charged for each victim who had at least one piece of mail stolen. La Grande attorneys Jim Schaeffer is representing Shelley and Jared Boyd is representing Kelly. Neither were available for comment on March 1. Mail theft is a federal crime, and the federal government could choose to prosecute. Apply for Soroptimist Large Grant Community Project Award Wallowa County Chieftain ENTERPRISE — Applications for Sorop- timist International of Wallowa County’s Large Grant Community Project Award are now being accepted. The project, according to Soroptimist, should support the group’s mis- sion of “improving the lives of women and girls through programs leading to social and economic empowerment.” The Large Grant for Community Projects, which is $5,000, will be awarded to one or more Wallowa County organi- zations “primarily to fund cultural, educational, civic activities or charitable causes. Programs sup- porting the enhancement of community health, edu- cation, the environment, or the advancement of the status of women and children will be consid- ered,” a press release from Soroptimist states. Requests between $1,000 and $5,000 will be considered, and more than one project may be awarded grant money. Individuals are not eligible. The application dead- line is April 15. Appli- cations can be picked up at the Soroptimist Thrift Shop on Fridays or Sat- urdays, by contacting Ann Browder at 541-398- 0449, or by visiting wal- lowacountysoroptimist. org. Completed applica- tions can be turned back into the Thrift Shop, or returned to: Soroptimist, P.O. Box 127, Enterprise, Oregon 97828. For more information, call Browder or email aebrowder@gmail.com. NEWS BRIEFS Merkley plans annual town hall March 8 via Zoom WALLOWA COUNTY — U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley will hold a virtual town meeting for Wallowa County residents Tuesday, March 8, according to a press release. The Oregon Democrat invites residents to join the town hall meeting on mobile devices or on the telephone to discuss ways to strengthen the state and the nation. The town hall will begin at 4:30 p.m. To participate via Zoom, visit https://senate.zoomgov. com/j/1616095257?pwd=SjMxb- 3V5Ti9BeGZWcUhvTVVtcktsQT09. The meeting ID is 161 609 5257 and the passcode is WBx=N0g5. To participate by phone, call 1-669-254-5252. The meeting ID is 161 609 5257 and the passcode is 83732352. For more information, con- tact Merkley’s representative Jessica Keys by calling 541- 278-1129 or sending email to Merkley jessica_keys@merkley.senate. gov. Reward offered in wolf poaching case COVE — A reward of up to $22,500 is being offered by non- profit groups which leads to an arrest or citation regarding a wolf poached Tuesday, Feb. 15, near Cove. The radio-collared wolf was found Feb. 15 at the end of Haggerty Lane off High Valley Road approximately 3-1/2 miles south of Cove by Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife troopers after they had been notified of a mor- tality signal by the Oregon Depart- ment of Fish and Wildlife. There were no obvious signs of injury but wildlife veterinarians discovered a bullet while examining the wolf, which they said was the cause of death, according to an ODFW press release. Anyone with information regarding this case should contact the the Oregon State Police through the Turn in Poachers line at 1-800-452-7888. — EO Media Group ENTERPRISE — Three online writing workshops are planned this spring by Fishtrap, to be taught by E.M. “Lizzie’ Sloan, Nellie Bridge and Catherine Johnson. “Ephemeral Moments That Endure” is a four-ses- sion online micro essay workshop taught by Sloan from 6-7:30 p.m. March 9, 16, 23 and 30. Registra- tion is $180, or $160 for Fishtrappers. Bridge The work- shop will play with iso- lated scenes that are found buried deep in the recesses of one’s Johnson mind, heart and soul, according to promotional materials. The sessions will focus on the popular topic Sloan of nostalgia and keep the ideas flowing and ink dripping. Sloan is the author of a historical nonfiction book, “When Songbirds Returned to Paris,” has taught “The Creative Mind” at the Uni- versity of Idaho and con- tinues to research, write and make art in her studio in Moscow, Idaho. The working title for her col- lection of essays in prog- ress is “Heading Toward Home: Four O’clock in the Morning Vignettes and Stories That Might be True.” She also is associate director with Blue Sage Writing based in Long- mont, Colorado. The next workshop, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 2, 9, 16 and 23, is “Recipes from Poems We Love,” an online poetry workshop taught by Bridge. Registration is $240, or $215 for Fishtrappers. The workshop starts with poems participants already have a fondness for. Participants are to bring an inspiring poem to share and use some part of it to craft a new poem. In the four- session workshop they will create recipes for poems, discuss a poem’s parts and write freely with a goal to create five or more new poems. Bridge is a poet and high school teacher living in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her poems have appeared in numerous print and online publica- tions. Her manuscripts have been finalists for numerous book prizes. She holds a master of fine arts degree at New York University. The final spring work- shop offered by Fishtrap will be “Two Ideas: Grap- pling with Paradox and Tension in Personal Essay and Memoir,” taught by Johnson. It will take place from 6-8 p.m. May 4, 11, 18 and 25 and costs $240 or $215 for Fishtrappers. The workshop will examine “Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin, considered one of the greatest essayists of the 20th century. Participants can share their writing at any stage during the four-session class as they explore how leaning into Baldwin’s kind of tension can reveal the emotional core of their work. Johnson’s work has been published in various pub- lications in the Northwest. She has a masters of fine arts in creative nonfiction from Portland State Uni- versity and was a 2021 Fishtrap Fellow. She is an assistant lecturer at the University of Wyoming in Laramie. For full details and to sign up, go to fishtrap.org/ writing-workshops.