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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2018)
PENDLETON DRIVES PAST ST. HELENS U.S. MISCALCULATES BENEFIT OF BETTER TRAIN BRAKES SPORTS, B1 NORTHWEST, A2 E O AST 143rd year, No. 47 REGONIAN Friday, december 21, 2018 One dollar WINNER OF THE 2018 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Your Weekend • Pancakes with Santa, Hermiston • Christmas pageant, Pendleton • Christmas Eve Service, Milton-Freewater FOR TIMES AND LOCATIONS CHECK COMING EVENTS, A5 Weekend Weather FRI SAT SUN 44/29 44/37 50/38 Farm bill signed without SNAP controls Staff photo by E.J. Harris Inmate Luis Gonzalez uses a saw to cut foam into squares for a couch sectional in the wood shop on Monday at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla. Products of the system Prison program turns inmate labor into revenue, savings By JULIET LINDERMAN Associated Press WaSHiNGTON — The Trump administration is set- ting out to do what this year’s farm bill didn’t: tighten work requirements for millions of americans who receive federal food assistance. The U.S. department of agriculture on Thursday pro- posed a rule that would restrict the ability of states to exempt work-eligible adults from hav- ing to obtain steady employ- ment to receive food stamps. The move comes the same day that President donald Trump signed an $867 billion farm bill that reauthorized agri- culture and conservation pro- grams while leaving the Sup- plemental Nutrition assistance Program, which serves roughly 40 million americans, virtually untouched. Passage of the farm bill fol- lowed months of tense nego- tiations over House efforts to significantly tighten work requirements and the Senate’s refusal to accept the provisions. currently, able-bodied See Bill, Page A8 By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian or Pendleton city officials, the deal from Oregon cor- rections enterprises was too good to pass up. in the midst of building a new fire station on Southeast Court avenue, a team was tasked with ordering new furnishings for the $9 million facility. Working with a budget of $202,500, Pendleton firefighter robert Wolf said he looked at some other vendors, but Oce was the clear choice because of its low price and quality of furniture. The fire department was able to order desks, tables, cabinets, lockers, bed frames and other F Staff photo by E.J. Harris Inmate Jeff Lumpkin removes interior wooden framing for a chair cut on a programable CNC, computer numerical control, wood router in the wood shop Monday at Two Rivers Correctional Institution in Umatilla. furnishings for $138,996. The furniture will all be customized to fit within the specifications of the new station and the fire department can use the cost sav- ings for other purchases for the new station. Public Works director bob Patterson was succinct in his appraisal of the contract. “it was a damn good price,” he said. most of the furniture will be made in Umatilla, but Oregon corrections enterprises isn’t a typical vendor. Prison labor and work train- ing programs have existed in state correctional institutions for more than a century, but two ballot measures in the 1990s set the wheels in motion to create Oce. Oregon voters passed mea- sure 17 in 1994, establishing a law that required prisoners to work or be educated 40 hours per week. but Oce wasn’t started until measure 68 was passed in 1999, which forbid prison labor from competing with certain private enterprises. Oce is a semi-indepen- dent state agency that reports to the director of the Oregon See Economy, Page A8 NO JOb TOO SmaLL Winter brings more demand for temporary employment By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN East Oregonian Low unemployment numbers in Oregon and around the nation can mean a change of pace for those that help others find work — employment and staffing agencies. according to the bureau of Labor Statistics, Oregon’s unem- ployment rate was 3.8 percent as of October 2018, about the same as the national rate. Temp services in agricultural areas like Hermiston are affected somewhat by those rates, but their activity tends to be more cyclical. Kristin connell, manager at express employment Profession- als in Hermiston, said low unem- ployment rates have stemmed the flow of people using their services to find jobs compared to the num- bers they saw about four years ago. but she said their business tends to depend more seasonal job trends, specific to the economy of eastern Oregon. during summer and fall, they tend to see more employers look- ing to fill positions than they have available employees, especially in agricultural jobs. In winter, when harvest season ends, few places are hiring and there tend to be more Staff photo by E.J. Harris See Jobs, Page A8 Maintenance supervisor David Pichcuskie sprays a homemade gopher repellant while working Thursday at the Castle Rock Apartments in Boardman. CHI St. Anthony Hospital Family Clinic is recognized as a Patient -Centered Primary Care Home. What does that mean for you? • Better-coordinated care. • Healthcare providers who will help connect you • Listening to your concerns and answering with the care you need in a safe and timely way. • Healthcare providers who play an active role in questions. your health. • After-hours nurse consultation. 844.724.8632 3001 St. Anthony Way, Pendleton WWW.SAHPENDLETON.ORG Mon through Thurs, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. • Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sat and Sun, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are preferred.