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About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (May 14, 2022)
INSIDE MONTHS OF THE MAYFLY: HUNTING THE BEST MAYFLY HATCHES EAST OF THE CASCADES | OUTDOORS & REC, B1 May 14, 2022 lagrandeobserver.com | $1.50 WEEKEND EDITION GIVING BACK OHSU students in La Grande set to embark on Global Brigades trip to Honduras Opioid overdose uptick hits home Nationwide drug-related overdose increase reaches La Grande, sparks local concern By DAVIS CARBAUGH The Observer L A GRANDE — A group Editor’s Note: This is the fi rst part of a multi-story series addressing the trends related to opioid overdoses in Union County and across the nation. The series will include perspectives from law enforcement, the court system, medical professionals and more. of nursing students in La Grande are gearing up to take part in an international By DAVIS CARBAUGH service project. The Observer Nine students currently studying at the Oregon Health & Science Univer- sity La Grande campus will embark on a full-week ser- vice project in Honduras this June, focusing on health-re- lated outreach and sustain- able development. The trip is student organized, with extensive fundraising eff orts underway to aff ord the trip. “For most of us, we are wanting to be able to have more experience caring for a more diverse popula- tion,” OHSU student Jes- sica Norton said. “We’d like to gain that experience with a more diverse community and increase access to the care that they’re unable to receive.” The project is organized through Global Brigades, an international health and sus- tainable development non- profi t founded in 2007. The organization operates year- round, arranging trips for nursing students and other areas of study alike. The students take on the fund- raising and trip planning process, while Global Bri- gades organizes the service week and gets the students where they need to be to help those in need. Diana Siltanen, a clinical instructor at the La Grande OHSU campus, helped bring the Global Brigades trip to La Grande for the fi rst time. The partnership stems from connections to OHSU cam- puses in Klamath Falls, LA GRANDE — An “alarming” increase in drug overdoses is not just an issue on the national news — it is here. Opioid overdoses in particular acceler- ated during the pandemic, reaching towns all across the country, and the rising preva- lence of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl has reached Union County. “It’s a crisis and it is alarming,” La Grande Police Chief Gary Bell said. “I’ve been doing this job for nearly 29 years in this community and Bell I have never seen the amount of drugs and the prevalence everywhere.” Overdoses surge Jessica Norton/Contributed Photo Oregon Health and Science University student Jessica Norton, left, and Brianna Humeston, right, are joined by clinical instructor Diana Siltanen on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, during a meal-delivery event for the group of La Grande nursing students who are raising funds for a service trip to Honduras this summer. HOW TO DONATE To learn more about making a direct contribution to the nursing students’ Global Bri- gades service trip, visit https:// fundraise.globalbrigades.org/ empowered/chapter/oregon- health-and-sciences- university-medical- brigades-chapter. Monmouth and across the state. The nonprofi t organi- zation pioneers service trips to locations such as Hon- duras, Guatemala, Panama, Ghana and Greece. In addition to Norton, the La Grande students par- ticipating in the trip are Kylie Ken- nedy, Brianna Humeston, Sierra Ashley, Madison Conklin, Morgan Ashley Bogart, Tiana Williams, Amanda Vieira De Melo and Lexie Johnson. For Ken- nedy, the Bogart buildup to the trip has been a worthwhile experience, creating a welcome camara- derie among OHSU students after the pandemic limited in-person interactions over the last two years. “We’ve been in school online for our fi rst year and a half, so Conklin this has been our fi rst term where we have classes together in person,” Ken- nedy said. “I think it’s been Johnson a great oppor- tunity to really get to know people.” Fundraising is a key com- ponent of taking part in the See, Giving/Page A6 According to Bell, Union County reported 10 total calls for service for drug over- Hays doses in 2020. In 2021, that total jumped up to 45 calls. Through the end of March of 2022, Union County reported 20 drug-related overdose calls — the quantity is a 567% increase from the same time- frame last year and puts the McIlmoil county on pace for more than 100 overdose calls by the end of the year. In 2021 alone, the U.S. Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention reported nearly 108,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States — McQueeney according to the study, approx- imately two thirds of those overdose deaths involved fentanyl or other synthetic opioids. The 15% increase in 2021 came on the heels of an even more drastic rise in 2020, when the CDC reported a 30% increase. In addition to the eff ects of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance abuse nationwide, See, Opioids/Page A6 Union County declares drought emergency County is experiencing one of its drier years since precipitation records started being kept 128 years ago By DICK MASON The Observer LA GRANDE — Drought conditions are persisting throughout Union County despite the wet April it experienced. Conditions have been so arid overall in 2022 that the Union County Board of Commis- sioners passed a resolution on Wednesday, May 11, declaring a drought emergency for the second consecutive year. The declaration makes Union County eligible for state and federal programs and grants that would help those aff ected by drought, said Union County Emergency Manager Nick Vora. Vora said the large amount of precipitation Union County received in April did not reverse the drought, but did prevent it from getting worse. He said the April precipitation improved the moisture content of the upper levels of soil but did not boost See, Drought/Page A6 INDEX Classified ......B2 Comics ...........B5 Crossword ....B2 Dear Abby ....B6 Dick Mason/The Observer WEATHER Horoscope ....B2 Local...............A2 Lottery ...........A2 Obituaries .....A5 Opinion .........A4 Outdoors ......B1 Sports ............A9 Sudoku ..........B5 Full forecast on the back of B section Tonight Wednesday 27 LOW 44/22 Mostly cloudy Low clouds The level of the Grande Ronde River, shown here on Thursday, May 12, 2022, in northwest La Grande, is about normal for this time of year due to a wet April. Drought conditions remain, though, and stream fl ows in Union County are expected to be low this summer. CONTACT US 541-963-3161 Issue 58 2 sections, 16 pages La Grande, Oregon Email story ideas to news@lagrande observer.com. More contact info on Page A4.