GET YOUR WIENERS READY 73/55 GUNMAN WOUNDS LAWMAKER, THEN KILLED BY POLICE Special counsel eyes the president NATION/6A NATION/8A REGION/3A THURSDAY, JUNE 15, 2017 141st Year, No. 173 WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD MISSION One dollar Rainbow Family eyes Eastern Oregon for gathering By RYLAN BOGGS EO Media Group Staff photo by E.J. Harris Physician’s assistant Erika Acuna performs a physical exam on Nicholas Walton recently at an in-house clinic at Cayuse Technologies in Mission. In-house clinic lowers premiums at Cayuse Tech 17 months in, employees are healthier, more productive Eastern Oregon could host an annual assembly of thousands known as the Rainbow Family gathering. Adam Buxbaum, a Rainbow gathering attendee, said it’s not yet known where the gathering will be held. He said the decision would be made within the month at the Spring Council, taking place now on the Umatilla National Forest in northern Grant County. “This is an open circle which anyone can attend and participate in,” he said. “It is the circle which will make the determi- nation by consensus of which site we will use to host the annual Rainbow gathering.” Following the council’s decision, which usually takes between two and fi ve days, those present will move to the decided upon area and begin preparing the site, he said. That is when most of the infrastructure is developed, according to Buxbaum. “The Rainbow gathering could land See RAINBOW/8A Walden earns top dollar in campaign fundraising By LES ZAITZ The Malheur Enterprise By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian Two years ago, Cayuse Tech- nologies CEO Billy Nerenberg felt stymied after the company’s health insurance provider announced an enormous rate hike. “Our insurance company, Cigna, was going to raise our rates 25 percent,” Nerenberg said. “When I went to talk to them, they told me we had an unhealthy population.” Many of the 300 Cayuse employees struggled with diabetes and other health issues. Some had no primary physician and used the emergency room for care. Cigna was losing money on the Mission-based technology company. For every $100 received in premiums in 2015, $163 was paid out. Cayuse’s premium rate was slated to rise That’s when Nerenberg’s wife, Rhonda, a nurse and nutri- tionist, made a suggestion. WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Greg Walden was busy early this year — leading a powerful Congressional committee, sitting at President Trump’s elbow at meetings, holding all-night hear- ings on new health care legislation. He was also busy raising campaign cash — more than any other member of the Oregon delega- tion in the fi rst three months of this year. He collected nearly $1 million in 90 days with an eye on an election that is more Walden than a year away. The committee Walden for Congress reported $789,270 in contributions. U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley came close, reporting $760,193. No one else was near that total: U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, $242,550; U.S. Rep. See CLINIC/8A See WALDEN/8A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Registered nurse Rhonda Nerenberg, right, goes over health goals with patient Rosanne Badgett recently at an in-house health clinic at Cayuse Technologies in Mission. 25 percent and bump up another 25 percent the following year. Nerenberg shopped around, but other insurance companies echoed Cigna’s assessment. The company wasn’t quite big enough to self-insure. He researched wellness programs, but was unconvinced they would turn the situation around. PENDLETON Youth outreach upstart setting roots in rec center Nonprofi t group to deal with teen issues By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian A local nonprofi t is looking to expand its reach, using the Pendleton Recreation Center as a home base. Hoping to fi ll in the gaps not covered by other youth organizations, REACH Pendleton intends to provide services from the former Helen McCune Junior High School adjacent to city hall. The city owns the building and rents out the gym and downstairs room for a variety of community and private events. A video on REACH’s website previews the type of teen issues the nonprofi t is looking to address: alcohol and drug use, physical and sexual abuse, teen pregnancy, criminal activity and more. “Somewhere along the line, there’s a cog missing,” REACH board member Joe Jackson said about the teens who deal with those issues. Jackson said he and other people involved in youth services around town formed REACH — Reaching Every Adult and Child Through Hope — in January and approached city offi cials about what type of youth services Pend- leton needs. Jackson said that both sides concluded that the existing services that serve children and teens need to be brought together rather than replicated. See REACH/8A Staff photo by E.J. Harris Austin Mota, 16, of Pendleton dives head fi rst down a slip-and- slide on Wednesday at Rice-Blakey Park in Pendleton. The event was put on by the First Church of God and REACH Pendleton.