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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2016)
OFF PAGE ONE 6H[XDOO\WUDQVPLWWHG=LNDFDVHFRQ¿UPHGLQ7H[DV Page 8A East Oregonian DALLAS AP — Health of¿cials in Texas on Tuesday reported the ¿rst case of the Zika virus being transmitted within the United States amid the current outbreak in Latin America — a person who was infected through sex. Dallas County health of¿cials said the unidenti¿ed person had not traveled but had sex with a person who had returned from Venezuela and fallen ill with Zika, which has been linked to birth defects in the Americas. The virus is primarily spread through mosquito bites, but investigators had been exploring the possibility it could be sexually trans- mitted. There was a report of a Colorado researcher who picked up the virus in Africa and apparently spread it to his wife back home in 2008, and it was found in one man’s semen in Tahiti. “It’s very rare, but this is not new,” Zachary Thompson, director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services, told WFAA-TV in Dallas. “We always looked at the point that this could be transmitted sexually.” The CDC says it will issue guidance in the coming days on prevention of sexual transmission of Zika virus, focusing on the male sexual partners of women who are or may be pregnant. The CDC has already recommended pregnant women postpone trips to more than two dozen countries with Zika outbreaks, mostly in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Venezuela. It also said other visitors should use insect repellent and take other precautions to prevent mosquito bites. In the epidemic in Latin America and the Caribbean, the main villain identi¿ed so far is called Aedes aegypti — a species of mosquito that spreads other tropical diseases, including chikungunya and dengue fever. It is found in the southern United States, though no mosquito-borne transmission has been reported in the personnel committee recom- mended hiring Pelleberg as the city manager, while also having him retain his current position as public works director. Public works oper- ations manager Jason Barron would then be promoted to assistant public works super- visor and current ¿nance director Melissa Ince would serve as deputy city manager. In recognition of the addi- tional responsibilities that the staf¿ng changes will create for some employees, the city council adopted a new pay schedule on Tuesday for senior level staff. The new pay schedule considered Tuesday night AP Photo/Fernando Antonio A city worker fumigates a public school to combat the Aedes aegypti mosquito, known to transmit dengue, Chikungunya and Zika, in Tegucigal- pa, Honduras, Tuesday. Honduras is now reporting 3649 confirmed cases of Zika infections and has also declared a state of national emergency. continental United States to date. There have been about 30 cases in the U.S. in the last year, all travelers who brought it into the country. The World Health Organization on Monday declared a global emergency over the rapidly spreading Zika virus, saying it is an “extraordinary event” that poses a threat to the rest of the world. The declaration was made after an emer- gency meeting of independent experts called in response to a spike in babies born with brain defects and abnormally small heads in Brazil since the virus was ¿rst found there last year. WHO of¿cials say it could be six to nine months before science proves or disproves any connection between the virus and babies born with abnormally small heads. The CDC said that in the recent Texas case, there’s no risk to a developing fetus. Zika was ¿rst identi¿ed in 1947 in Uganda. It wasn’t believed to cause any serious effects until last year; about 80 percent of infected people never experi- ence symptoms. The most common symptoms are fever, rash, joint pain and red eyes. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting several days to a week. Symptoms usually start two days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. While Thompson told the television station that the case of sexual trans- mission is “a game-changer,” he added that he didn’t want people in Dallas County to overreact. Health of¿cials and Thompson noted that sexual partners can protect themselves by using condoms to prevent spreading sexually transmitted infections. represents a signi¿cant pay increase for experienced staff. Under the former pay schedule, the police chief and public works superinten- dent’s annual salary ranged from $61,884 to $81,468 per year. Under the new schedule, those positions will make $88,224 to $102,924 per year. Hermiston Police Chief Jason Edmiston made $105,560 in 2014-2015. Salary for police lieu- tenant and assistant public works superintendent was raised from $53,148-$70,368 to $72,132-$86,616 annually. Under the new schedule, the new position of deputy city manager will make between $94,224 and $108,924 per year. The changes will take place in March. The last time the city’s pay schedule was reviewed was on March 4, 2014 when the city council voted to give all city staff a 3 percent cost of living pay raise. At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, the mayor and each city councilor expressed appreciation for Ward’s service and leadership. “We haven’t always been on the same side of the fence, but we’ve always been able to talk and I appreciate that,” councilor Mel Ray said. During the public comment period, planning commission member Boyd Sharp said he believed Umatilla was better off after Ward’s service. He said before Ward’s tenure he had been frustrated by his service on the budget committee and planning commission because it felt like questions were strongly discouraged and committees were expected to rubber stamp decisions, if they were consulted at all. During Ward’s tenure, Sharp said, that changed. “Your leadership and your openness for us to ask questions and to challenge you if we disagree has been outstanding,” he said. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. PILOT ROCK: New clay liner in lagoon would cost additional $1M Continued from 1A that lagoon with protective lining. The engineering ¿rm Anderson Perry and Associations estimated the project would cost around $4 million. Brad Baird, president of the ¿rm, told the council that putting a new clay liner in the lagoon would cost an additional $1 million. Baird also said the rejec- tion is typical for this process and suggested a meeting with DEQ to dig into the basis for the denial. Baird said he would facilitate that, and support city of¿cials at the meeting. The council elected to discuss the rejection and WEDNESDAY, FEB. 3 • 5-7P Wine Tasting featuring Specials by th Glass e & Bottle ZERBA CELLARS H AMLEY S TEAK H OUSE & S aloon Court & Main, Pendleton 541.278.1100 STUDENT OF THE WEEK Tanner Smith H ERMISTON H IGH S CHOOL Tanner is a senior at Hermiston High School. A choir member extraordinaire, Tanner has been selected to Oregon’s all-state choir and he is one of only three tenors to be tapped for the all- Northwest choir. Tanner traveled to Europe this past summer after being chosen to be a part of the Oregon Ambassadors. Tanner has a current GPA of 3.67. A fun fact: as an underclassman JV football player, Tanner scored the first regulation play touchdown in the new Bulldog stadium. Proudly Sponsored by INC. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY TOBACCO: 95 percent of smokers started before age 21 Continued from 1A UMATILLA: Police chief will make $88,224-$102,924 per year Continued from 1A Wednesday, February 3, 2016 398 E Ridgeway Hermiston, OR 97838 541-667-2000 1-877-668-6541 www.hermistonhomes.net what it might mean at a work session Monday at 6 p.m. City of¿cials also meet Wednesday with represen- tatives of state and federal agencies, including the DEQ, to go over funding scenarios for the lagoon project. ——— Contact Phil Wright at pwright@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0833. one of the best things we can do to prevent the devas- tating effects that nicotine addiction, tobacco addiction has had continues to have on Oregonians.” Steiner Hayward, who works as a family physician, took the podium Tuesday at the coalition’s “Tobacco 21 for Oregon” campaign launch to declare her commitment to the cause. “The later that people have access to tobacco or other nicotine-containing products the more likely we are to prevent people from becoming addicted,” Steiner Hayward said. “We also know that when 18-year-olds can buy tobacco they’re in our high schools. We have lots of kids that are 18 and in high school, and they can give cigarettes to their friends.” National data indicates about 95 percent of smokers started using tobacco before age 21. In Oregon, about 7,000 people die annually from tobacco-related diseases. Tobacco use is estimated to cost the state about $3 billion per year in health care costs and lost produc- tivity, according to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. Several students from South Salem High School on Tuesday signed pledges to abstain from using tobacco and wrote to their lawmakers to urge them to raise the legal age for buying the drug. “I think it’ll make it a lot harder for kids to use it,” said Davis Carter, an 18-year-old South Salem student. “It’ll be a lot less accessible and stop it from getting into high schools as much.” Luis Rodriguez, Oregon government relations director for the Cancer Action Network of the American Cancer Society, said no legislation has been ¿led this year to raise the age limit. Members of the coali- tion, which also include the American Heart Association and American Lung Association, plan to give testimony Tuesday to the Senate Health Care Committee about why the law should change. “We are really looking at 2016 as a way to educate lawmakers and educate the public about why this is such an important issue,” Rodriguez said. “Right now, we don’t have a vehicle, but we are looking forward to the future when we will.” ——— The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. PLUTE: Council unanimously approved pursuing emergency designation for the airport Continued from 1A makes a difference for me.” Mayor Phillip Houk said the city has been getting calls from resi- dents looking to sign the petition. He said city staff will not collect signatures to recall Plute. T h o s e collecting signa- tures are from the group called Pendleton Citi- Plute zens United, led by residents Roesch Kish- paugh and Larry Anderson. Kishpaugh ¿led the petition Jan. 26, listing a recently resolved lawsuit against Plute and his support for the $5 street utility fee as the reasons for the recall. In response, Plute called the recall petition “a cheap shot” backed by “cowards and a bully.” Pendleton Citizens United must collect 705 signatures by April 25 to trigger a recall election. Plute beat incumbent Steve Taylor to win his at-large seat in 2010 and ran unopposed in 2014. His term runs through 2018. In other council business, the council unanimously approved that city staff pursue Disaster Emergency Response and Support Center designation from the state for the Eastern Oregon Regional Airport. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian. com or 541-966-0836.
