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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 2018)
REGION Tuesday, January 9, 2018 HERMISTON Talented performers make a splash Show raises money for swim team Staff photo by Kathy Aney Mischa Meyer sings “Beautiful Thing” Saturday night at the Hermiston High School Swim Team Variety Show. The audience voted Meyer the crowd favorite. HERMISTON — The Greater Hermiston Area Chamber of Commerce is kicking off its 2018 Business to Business series with a breakfast on Jan. 23 focused on water rights and local water projects. who entered semi-retire- ment on Jan. 1, 2017. The nomination was A bipartisan selection committee is reviewing blocked by Merkley and Ryan Bounds’ application Wyden, both Democrats, they argued for the Ninth District Court because Bounds had not of Appeals after gone through he was re-nom- a bi-partisan inated for the review process seat by President that has been Donald Trump standard practice last week. in Oregon. While A spokes- states do not person for Sen. reserve certain Jeff Merkley’s seats on the court, office confirmed Oregon has tradi- Monday that tionally had two the committee Bounds sitting judges. — appointed by The spokesperson for Merkley, Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Greg Walden Merkley’s office said the — is reviewing multiple senator will wait for the committee’s recommenda- applicants. The Hermiston tion before considering a native and well-regarded nomination or submitting a conservative attorney has candidate of his own. If his nomination is spent time as a federal prosecutor and assistant approved this time around, domestic policy advisor to Bounds would require the president. He was first a confirmation hearing nominated by Trump in from the Senate Judiciary September to replace Judge Committee before joining Diarmuid O’Scannlain, the Circuit Court. Confederated Umatilla Journal Staff photo by Kathy Aney David Gomez won best in show Saturday night at the Hermiston High School Swim Team Variety Show. Ester Contreras sings “Lit- tle Snowflake” during the Hermiston High School Swim Team Variety Show. Ester won second best in show and also was sec- ond crowd favorite. a bus to Pendleton every day to practice at BMCC’s pool. He said next year, they may end up using the pool in Boardman, but it will still cost money. “We have the highest transportation budget at the high school,” he said. Hamblin said they antici- pated raising between $4,000 and $5,000 from the event. He said some of the performers have been involved since the show started. Ashante Sanders, a Hermiston High freshman, sang the song “Dancing in the Sky” for her third year at the talent show. Sanders had brief trouble with her microphone, but quickly recovered, delivering a song that had a special message for someone she lost. “I sang it for my grandma,” she said. “I heard it was one of her favorite songs.” Contreras said she had performed on stage once before, and enjoyed singing in front of people. “I want to start learning guitar,” she said. –—— Contact Jayati Ramakrishnan at 541-564- 4534 or jramakrishnan@ eastoregonian.com Staff photo by Kathy Aney show. Hamblin said they likely auditioned between 45 and 50 acts this year. He said they try to include the community, and feature a variety of performers. Students were trained the previous night to help behind the scenes. “I’ve been working backstage, moving stuff and getting the mics in place,” said swim team freshman Marcus Mangione. Hamblin said the show is necessary for the swim team to be able to practice. Because Hermiston does not have an indoor pool, the high school team has to take Shroeder Law Offices will go from 10 a.m. to noon. For more information or to RSVP for the breakfast contact the chamber at 541-567-6151, www. hermistonchamber.com or info@hermistonchamber. com. Two-vehicle wreck blocks Highway 730 junction Chamber, water coalition present educational breakfast Bipartisan committee looks at Bounds for Court of Appeals seat Measure 101 failure could affect hundreds of tribal members on Medicaid BRIEFLY UMATILLA — A two-vehicle wreck briefly blocked traffic at Highway 730 and Highway 395 in Umatilla on Monday afternoon. According to Umatilla police, a semi truck hit a sedan that ran a red light. Officers were still gathering details from the scene, and said that one person had minor injuries, but no one was transported to the hospital. Chief Darla Huxel said the drivers were the only occupants of both vehicles. Page 3A East Oregonian By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian Twenty-two acts graced the stage at the Hermiston High School swim team talent show Saturday night, treating the audience to music, dance and a little comedy. With performances from elementary school children to college students and a local dentist, the seventh annual show drew in talent of all kinds. Audience members were able to vote for their top two favorites, and a secret group of judges selected the two “best in show.” Winners of the “crowd favorite” category were Mischa Meyer, a Hermiston student who played piano and sang “Beautiful Thing.” Second place, decided by fans, went to five year-old Ester Contreras, who sang the song “Little Snowflake.” Contreras was a judge favorite, too, taking second place in the “best of show” category. First place went to David Gomez, a recent Hermiston High School graduate who dazzled the crowd with his rapid and elaborate guitar skills. Gomez said he had performed at the show when he was in high school, and has been playing guitar for many years. “It’s been three years of solid practice, but I’ve been developing my skills since second grade,” said Gomez, who also plays drums and sings. He is self-taught, and plans to attend Blue Moun- tain Community College before transferring to Eastern Oregon University to pursue a music degree. Charlie Clupny reprised his role as emcee, but this year, he promised the crowd, he had new jokes, all of which had a sea-faring theme. The event, which raises money to help the swim team offset transportation costs for using the Blue Mountain Community College pool in Pendleton, is the team’s only annual fundraiser. Team members partici- pate in the talent show, as well as helping out behind the scenes. “We probably start planning a year out,” Hamblin said. The team holds auditions, coordinated by Hamblin’s wife Lynne, about a month before the East Oregonian Fire district responds to two-vehicle crash Staff photo by Jayati Ramakrishnan A vehicle gets towed after a wreck at the junction of highways 730 and 395 on Monday afternoon. The event, held at the new irrigated ag building at the Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 2121 N First St., will begin with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and end at noon. It is part of the chamber’s effort this year to replace monthly hour-long luncheons with longer educational events once a quarter. The event agenda, produced in partnership with the Oregon Water Coalition, begins with a networking breakfast at 7:30 a.m. and opening remarks at 7:50 a.m. Updates on local water projects by Hermiston City Manager Byron Smith, Port of Morrow water quality supervisor Miff Devlin and Umatilla City Manager Russ Pelleberg will begin at 8:15 a.m. A presentation on the economic impact study of the Mid-Columbia Basin water development project by John Audley Consulting and JR Cook of Northeast Oregon Water Association will start at 9 a.m., and “Water Rights Bootcamp” with Laura Schroeder of WESTON — A two-ve- hicle crash near Weston brought out several emer- gency responders Sunday morning, but no one was transported to the hospital, a East Umatilla County Rural Fire Protection District press release states. Medic 400, the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office and the district all responded to the collision on Winn Road, which was called in around 11:20 a.m. The cause of the crash is still under investigation. ——— Briefs are compiled from staff and wire reports, and press releases. Email press releases to news@ eastoregonian.com If Ballot Measure 101 fails, hundreds of tribal members will not be eligible for health care insurance under the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid) and may need to go back to a “life or limb” coverage, according to Sandra Sampson, interim Executive Director at Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center. Medicaid is a govern- ment health care coverage program for the poor and other qualifying groups. Oregonians earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level ($16,100 for an individual; $32,900 for a family of four) are eligible for the program. In Oregon, the Medicaid program is known as the Oregon Health Plan and covers about one million people, including 400,000 children. Sampson said as many as 900 people served at Yellowhawk could be impacted if Measure 101 voted down. “If it fails, it could decrease the number of people eligible for Medicaid. It could possibly revert who is eligible for Medicaid, and it could go back to 100 percent of the poverty level guidelines for services outside our four walls,” Sampson said. Hundreds of thousands of Oregonians gained Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, which allowed states to provide coverage to people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. As of November 2016, about 366,000 people were eligible for OHP under the Affordable Care Act. At Yellowhawk, the advent of the Affordable Care Act dramatically increased third-party revenue received from Medicaid billing. In 2017, Medicaid revenue was approximately $3.8 million. Prior to the Affordable Care Act, Yellowhawk was receiving about $800,000 for Medicaid payments. If 101 fails and eligibility reverts, Yellowhawk could stand to lose as much as $3 million a year. “Since 2014, our revenue increased three times with enrolling people on Medicaid,” Sampson said. “And that’s helped us get the clinic built. Almost one third of our population at any one time is on Medicaid.” Additionally, a no vote means Yellowhawk would no longer or may be limited to pay for Elders Medicaid Part B, which covers doctor services, outpatient care, home health care, durable medical equipment and other medical services. Further, a no vote and the loss of funding could cause Yellowhawk to reprioritize medical guidelines. Currently, Yellowhawk is considered a level III or IV facility that provides primary and second care, inpatient and outpatient care services, as well as chronic tertiary and extended care services. If it has to reset priorities, it may become a priority level I, which is “life and limb” coverage, Sampson said. 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