A6
OREGON
East Oregonian
Friday, June 21, 2019
Vale railroad
opposes Nyssa
shipping center
project
Oregon Health Authority
Flu vaccination rates falls short
Dialysis facility
workers continue
to have highest
fl u immunization
rates, report says
East Oregonian
PORTLAND — A new
state report shows that
although health care worker
infl uenza vaccination rates
have increased over seven
fl u seasons, facilities over-
all continue to fall short of
national goals.
Health care worker fl u
vaccination rates increased
by 46% since the 2011-12 fl u
season — from 52% for all
health care facility types to
76% during the 2017-18 sea-
son. That means the state
beat the national Healthy
People 2015 goal of a 75%
health care worker fl u vacci-
nation rate, but remains well
below the Healthy People
2020 goal of 90%, accord-
ing to the Oregon Health
Care Worker Infl uenza Vac-
cination Annual Report.
The report was published
this week by the Acute and
Communicable
Disease
Prevention Section at the
Oregon Health Authority
Public Health Division.
“When you need to be
in the hospital for a medical
or surgical problem, the last
thing you want is to catch
the fl u from your doctor or
nurse,” said Dat Tran, pub-
lic health physician in the
Acute and Communicable
Disease Prevention Section.
“When health care workers
are vaccinated against the
fl u, the people they’re car-
ing for are protected.”
The U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services
developed the Healthy Peo-
ple program with 10-year
objectives for improving the
health of all Americans.
Dialysis facility workers
in Oregon have the high-
est fl u vaccination rates of
health care facility types
covered by the report, top-
ping both the 2015 and 2020
Healthy People goals. Their
rate of 90% during the 2017-
18 fl u season represents
a 5.8% increase from the
2016-17 rate of 85%.
Hospitals overall also
beat the national 2015 goal
for health care worker
immunizations against the
fl u, coming in at a rate of
82% during the 2017-18 sea-
son, but still short of the
2020 goal. Since the 2011-12
season, rates of fl u immuni-
zations among health care
workers at hospitals have
risen by 37%.
Ambulatory
surgery
centers and skilled nurs-
ing facilities had the low-
est rates of fl u vaccinations
among health care work-
ers, coming in below both
the 2015 and 2020 national
goals. Ambulatory surgery
centers saw only a slight rise
between the 2016-17 and
2017-18 seasons, from 72%
to 73%. The rate of increase
at skilled nursing facilities
was similarly sluggish: 57%
to 59%.
Tran said publication of
the report each year tracks
progress toward the Healthy
People 2020 goal and directs
public health action, show-
ing the need for additional
support and education.
BRIEFLY
Triple-fatal DUI crash
means 19 years in prison
for man
University fraternity
suspended until June
2021 for hazing
as suspended for hazing, prohibited
alcohol, prohibited drugs and failure to
comply.
SALEM (AP) — A 32-year-old
man has been sentenced to 19 years
in prison for causing the death of his
girlfriend and two of his co-workers
while driving drunk near Gates.
The Statesman Journal reports
that David Trimble, of Lebanon,
previously pleaded guilty to three
counts of fi rst-degree manslaugh-
ter and DUI. He was sentenced
Wednesday.
According to police records, his
blood-alcohol content was 0.27 per-
cent — more than three times the
legal limit— following the Oct. 1
crash.
Prosecutor
Melodie
Dickey
argued for a prison sentence of 25
years with a lifetime driver’s license
revocation.
Although Trimble could’ve faced
more than 30 years in prison, the
state agreed to cap its sentenc-
ing recommendation to 25 years in
exchange for his guilty plea.
EUGENE (AP) — The University
of Oregon chapter of the Alpha Epsi-
lon Pi fraternity has been suspended
for the next two years following a uni-
versity investigation of hazing.
The Register-Guard reported
Wednesday the local chapter of Epsi-
lon Omega lost its recognition by the
university and all privileges associated
with it until June 2021.
The chapter was placed on tempo-
rary suspension in April.
The fraternity’s national headquar-
ters has since served a cease-and-desist
order to the chapter.
The University of Oregon Frater-
nity and Sorority Life conduct web-
site shows it’s the fourth fraternity at
the university currently placed on sus-
pension or probation for hazing. Phi
Kappa Psi is on suspension until fall
2020. Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma
Chi are both on disciplinary probation
until June 2020.
The website lists Alpha Epsilon Pi
Man gets 27 years for
trying to kill Salem
homeless men
SALEM (AP) — A Portland man
has been sentenced to 26 years and
eight months in prison for a series of
attacks during which he tried to kill a
man with a baseball bat and stabbed
another man and forced him to walk
into the river.
Joseph Michael Sizemore, 33,
pleaded guilty to attempted mur-
der, fi rst-degree robbery, fi rst-degree
assault, second-degree assault and
coercion. He was sentenced Tuesday.
He and Brady Canaga, 23, of
Turner, were arrested in March after
their third alleged victim was hospital-
ized with a punctured lung and deep
laceration to his knee.
Canaga remains in Marion County
jail on similar charges. He is scheduled
to plead and be sentenced on July 17.
Worship Community
PENDLETON
LIGHTHOUSE CHURCH
Sunday Service: 10am & 6pm
Tuesday Kingdom Seekers: 7pm
Wednesday Bible Study: 7pm
We offer: Sunday School • Sign Language
Interpreters • Nursery • Transportation • & more!
Pastor Dan Satterwhite
541.377.4252
417 NW 21st St. • Pendleton, OR 97801
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PendletonLighthouseChurch
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
-Presbyterian Church (USA)-
201 SW Dorion Ave.
Pendleton
Service of Worship - 10:00 am
Children’s Sunday School -
10:20 am
Fellowship - 11:00 am
www.pendletonpresbyterian.com
Open Hearted...
Open Minded
OPEN HEARTS – OPEN DOOR
www.graceandmercylutheran.org
Sunday Worship 8:45 a.m.
Sunday School 10:00 a.m. (Nursery Provided)
Fellowship, Refreshments & Sunday School
Check Out our Facebook Page or
Website for More Information
241 SE Second St. Pendleton
(541)276-3809
www.pendletonepiscopal.org
Sunday Holy Communion 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday Holy Communion Noon
Weekly Adults Spiritual Life Group
All Are Welcome
FAITH LUTHERAN
CHURCH
14 Martin Drive,
Umatilla, OR
922-3250
in Mission for Christ LCMC
Sunday Worship.........9:00 AM
Bible Study......10:00 AM
541-289-4535
Tom Inch, Pastor
Grace and Mercy Lutheran Church, ELCA
(First United Methodist Church)
191 E. Gladys Ave. / P.O. Box 1108
Hermiston, Oregon 97838
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
Join
On Our Journey
With Jesus.
Scripture, Tradition and Reason
Red Lion Hotel
( Oregon Trail Room )
www.faithpendleton.org
Family service 9am Sunday
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
PH: 567-6672
We are an all inclusive Church
who welcomes all.
The Salvation Army
Morning Celebration - 10am
Morning Kids Place - 10am
Evening - 6pm
Adult - Study
Youth - Small Group
Kids - Rangers & Girl’s Ministries
THURSDAYS
Celebrate Recovery - 6pm
Celebration Place - Kids - 6pm
The Landing - Teens - 6pm
WEEKLY
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of Worship
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Worship
Sundays 10:00 am
Youth: 0-6th grade
Midweek Service
Midweek Service
Wednesdays 6:00 pm
Youth: 0-6th grade
Overcomer’s
Outreach
Jr./Sr. High
’
Groups For All Ages
Pastor Sharon Miller
AN ASSEMBLY OF GOD CHURCH
1911 SE Court Ave.
541.276.6417 • pendletonfi rst.com
Pastor Sharon Miller
541-278-8082
www.livingwordcc.com
9:30 - Sunday School
10:30 - Worship Service
Wednesday Bible Study
5:30 Family Fellowship Meal • 6:00 Bible Study
COME AS YOU ARE
150 SE Emigrant
(541) 276-3369
Good Shepherd
Lutheran Church
LCMC
Sunday worship at 11:00 AM
541-481-6132
Colin Brown, Pastor
To share your worship times
call 541-278-2678
First United
Methodist
Church
Seventh-Day
Adventist
Church
Pendleton
Saturday Services
Pendleton
1401 SW Goodwin Place
276-0882
Sabbath School 9:20 am
Worship Service 10:45 am
210 NW 9th, Pendleton
Sunday Worship Service
401 Northgate, Pendleton
VALE — A Vale-based
railroad is opposing plans
for a new Nyssa shipping
center, saying Malheur
County offi cials “ignored”
its approaches on how to do
the project at less cost.
Oregon Eastern Railroad
said in a letter to the Oregon
Transportation Commis-
sion that “we would encour-
age the OTC to not proceed
this project as proposed.”
The commission was
scheduled to consider
Thursday
whether
to
approve Malheur County’s
plan for the Treasure Valley
Reload Center and release
$26 million in state fund-
ing. The shipping center has
been proposed to support
the area’s onion industry.
Oregon Eastern, part
of The Western Group of
short line railroads, said
in its June 12 letter to the
commission that it “has
more fl exible criteria for
new rail connections which
would reduce track con-
struction costs, engineering
approval process, and time
to construction.”
The letter was disclosed
Tuesday by the state Trans-
portation Department as
part of a packet of material
for commissioners on the
Nyssa project.
Bruce Carswell, railroad
senior vice president, told
the commission that tax-
payer money set to be spent
on the Nyssa project is “a
large public capital expen-
diture without a justifi ed
business need for that par-
ticular location and doesn’t
take advantage of existing
rail infrastructure.”
Carswell also took issue
with the manner used to
choose the proposed Nyssa
center.
“The property and site
selection process were not
transparent and appeared
to favor predetermined out-
comes,” wrote Carswell.
P eace L utheran C hurch
Center for Worship & Service
SUNDAYS
By PAT CALDWELL
AND KRISTINE DE
LEON
Malheur Enterprise
He said the railroad “is
very supportive of eco-
nomic development for this
region and we agree with
the merits and concept of
the project,” he said.
Oregon Eastern runs
a 23-mile route between
Ontario and the EP Miner-
als plant west of Vale.
The railroad said it
repeatedly contacted Mal-
heur County economic
development offi cials to be
involved in the transload
project.
“We were completely
ignored,” Carswell wrote.
Greg Smith, Malheur
County’s economic devel-
opment director, didn’t
respond to a voice message
seeking comment. His proj-
ect manager in Ontario,
John Braese, said Tuesday
that he was unaware of rail-
road’s letter.
“This is the fi rst I’ve
heard anything of it,” said
Braese.
The Nyssa project is
being managed by the Mal-
heur County Develop-
ment Corp., a public com-
pany set up by the county
and none of its seven direc-
tors responded to ques-
tions regarding Carswell’s
claims. Instead, some of
them passed on the ques-
tions to Smith. The direc-
tors are Grant Kitamura,
Jeremy Leathers, John
Qualls, Kay Riley, Lynn
Findley, Toni Parish and
Corey Maag.
Carswell said the rail-
road submitted the letter out
of frustration over its deal-
ings with county economic
development offi cials.
Oregon Eastern con-
tacted Smith in July 2017
with concerns.
Carswell wrote that his
fi rm “attempted several
times to point out multiple
possible properties connect-
ing to OERR but was com-
pletely ignored by Malheur
County EDC (economic
development corporation).”
He also said “we did
have some discussion with
ODOT folks.”
“We had multiple dia-
logues with stakeholders.
We voiced our concerns
and opinions, but we don’t
feel that they were properly
considered,” said Carswell.
420 Locust St. • Boardman, OR
Redeemer
Episcopal
Church
Community
Presbyterian Church
Worship: 10 AM
Sunday School at 11:30
Oregon Eastern
Railroad says jobs
at risk and county
ignored its offers
1909 SW Athens Ave.,
Pendleton
Come join us for Worship
at 10:45am on Sunday
541-966-8912
ELCA
Join us Sundays
9:30 am Sunday Worship
10:00 am Sunday Worship
11am Fellowship & Adult Class
9am Sunday School
~Come and be at Peace ~
on 1290 KUMA noon each Sunday
501 SW Emmigrant Ave. • Pendleton OR
Sunday Worship 9am
in the Community Room
541-276-2616
Worship Livestream at
www.facebook.com/FUMCPendleton/
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
Patty Nance, pastor
BAHA’I FAITH
IN PENDLETON
“See ye no strangers, rather see all men
as friends, for love and unity come hard
when ye fix your gaze on otherness.”
– Abdu’l Baha
Please come visit with us at
The Baha’i Center:
1015 SE Court Place
Behind These Stone Walls Beat the Hearts
of Some of the Warmest Most Sincere,
Most Caring People in Pendleton.
We Invite You to Come Get Acquainted!
Sunday Worship
at 9:40am
June - September
Office 541-276-5358 M-Thr, 8:30-12:30
www.fccpendleton.org
Everyone invited!
Sunday Devotions @ 11:00am
Everyday Devotions, 11am - 1pm
Thursday Seminars on World Religions @ 7pm
(541) 276-9360 or visit us at
www.pendletonbahais.com
or on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pendletonoregonbahais/