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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 22, 2019)
NORTHWEST East Oregonian A2 Friday, November 22, 2019 Early season precipitation lagging across Oregon By GEORGE PLAVEN Capital Press SALEM — A dry start to the fall season is raising some concerns among state water managers about the possibility of drought return- ing to Oregon, especially in the Rogue and Umpqua river basins. Overall precipitation is measuring well below nor- mal for the water year that began Sept. 30, according to the latest water condi- tions report from the Oregon Water Resources Depart- ment. The deficit ranges from nearly an inch below normal east of the Cascades, to more than 5 inches below normal in parts of Southwest Oregon. While no part of the state is currently in drought, the agency’s report states that could change in the com- ing weeks unless there is a marked change in weather patterns. Statewide, average pre- cipitation at sites mea- sured by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Ser- vice is just 45% of normal across the state. The highest totals as of Nov. 18 were in Northeast Oregon, including 71% in the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Willow basins and 67% in the Grande Ronde, Powder, Staff photo by Ben Lonergan, File Trucks sit gathering snow outside of the Oregon Trail Store and Deli in Meacham last month. Foliage bows under the weight of snow from an October storm in the Blue Mountains. Overall precipitation in Oregon is measuring well below normal for the water year that began Sept. 30, 2019. ing agricultural counties by value of products — is trend- ing right in the middle at 45% of normal. Stream flows are still averaging slightly above nor- mal across Oregon, thanks to drought-busting record snowfall in February and heavy rains in April that bol- Burnt and Imnaha basins. The lowest totals are in southwest and south-central Oregon, at 26% of normal in the Rogue and Umpqua basins; 24% in the Klamath Basin; and 21% in the Goose Lake and Lake County area. The Willamette Basin — home of the state’s lead- Forecast for Pendleton Area TODAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY Partly sunny and chilly Mainly cloudy Windy with clouds and sun Some sun, a shower in the p.m. Cloudy 46° 29° 53° 43° 46° 28° 52° 44° 40° 27° 44° 31° HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 58° 39° 44° 26° 50° 33° OREGON FORECAST ALMANAC Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows. PENDLETON through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Seattle Olympia 49/39 44/29 46/26 Longview Kennewick Walla Walla 42/31 Lewiston 48/36 44/29 Astoria 51/40 Pullman Yakima 43/27 47/33 43/30 Portland Hermiston 50/36 The Dalles 46/28 Salem Corvallis 51/30 Yesterday Normals Records La Grande 49/25 Bend 51/33 53/27 51/27 Ontario 49/22 Caldwell Burns 0.00" 0.01" 0.80" 4.95" 6.46" 8.08" WINDS (in mph) 49/22 50/12 LA GRANDE — The Oregon Medical Marijuana Program has shut down Hwy 30 Cannabis in La Grande. Jonathan Modie, lead spokesman for the program, confirmed the business at 1709 Adams Ave. is under investigation. “As a result of prelim- inary findings, OMMP issued an Order of Immedi- ate Suspension, which has been appealed by the facili- ty’s owner,” according to an email from Modie. “Since the investigation is ongoing, and because the operator has requested an appeal of the Immediate Suspension, OMMP has no additional information to provide on this matter at this time.” Rona Lindsey owns the business and opened it in 2014. Lindsey did not respond to messages from The Observer seeking comment. Hwy 30 Cannabis is the lone marijuana dispensary in Union County and only one of three left in the state. Modie said the others are in Brookings and Sherwood. Brendon Krenzler owns and operates Kind Leaf Pendleton, one of the four recreational cannabis store in Pendleton. He said he noticed an uptick in custom- ers coming from La Grande the past coupe of days. Wylie Peacock’s Desires at 1105 Washington Ave., La Grande, provides goods to consume cannabis. He said the closure of Hwy 30 prob- ably will not affect his busi- ness much but it matters to a lot of people in Northeast Oregon. “Hwy 30 was serving a need in the area,” he said, “and it’s disappointing it’s closed.” He also said he was not surprised Kind Leaf is ben- efiting from the situation. Krenzler’s business sets a high standard, he said, and other marijuana operations could take a lesson on that. PRECIPITATION John Day Eugene 46° 20° 48° 32° 72° (1960) 3° (1929) 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date Albany 50/30 0.00" 0.23" 0.98" 11.54" 8.25" 10.97" through 3 p.m. yest. HIGH LOW TEMP. Pendleton 46/24 50/32 24 hours ending 3 p.m. Month to date Normal month to date Year to date Last year to date Normal year to date HERMISTON Enterprise 46/29 49/31 41° 24° 46° 31° 74° (1974) -4° (1900) PRECIPITATION Moses Lake 46/34 Aberdeen 40/28 39/28 Tacoma Yesterday Normals Records Spokane Wenatchee 47/39 report states. “In some areas of Southwestern Oregon, stream flows are less than 10% of normal.” The highest stream flows were in the Sandy, North Coast, Mid Coast and Uma- tilla basins at more than 130% of normal for the month of October, dropping La Grande marijuana business under OMMP investigation By PHIL WRIGHT EO Media Group PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST 54° 36° stered supplies over the sum- mer. However, the report cautions more is needed to maintain that positive momentum. “In response to recent dry weather, flows in many streams in Western Oregon have declined significantly over the past two weeks,” the down to about 53% of nor- mal on the South Coast. As irrigators start eye- ing relief, short- and long- term weather forecasts offer a mixed bag. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis- tration’s Climate Prediction Center predicts below-av- erage precipitation over the next two weeks, and an equal chance for above- or below-normal precipitation across most of the state over the next three months. The lone exception, once again, is Southwest Oregon, which is looking at a greater chance of continued dry conditions. At this time last year, the entire state of Oregon was listed in some stage of drought, including extreme drought across portions of Southern Oregon and Central Oregon. Then came the Feb- ruary snow and April rain, proving just how quickly conditions can change. “We always prefer to see a good start to the water year,” said Racquel Ran- cier, spokeswoman for the OWRD. “This year has been a slow start with below-nor- mal precipitation, but it really is too early to be able to determine how water con- ditions will look in a few months and whether drought conditions will occur.” Today Boardman Pendleton Medford 57/28 Sat. NNW 3-6 NNW 4-8 SW 6-12 WSW 4-8 SUN AND MOON Klamath Falls 51/18 Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019 Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today 7:04 a.m. 4:18 p.m. 1:57 a.m. 2:38 p.m. New First Full Last Nov 26 Dec 3 Dec 11 Dec 18 NATIONAL EXTREMES Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states) High 87° in Alice, Texas Low -4° in Crosby, N.D. NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY BRIEFLY Lawsuit alleges neglect, abuse of child in foster system PORTLAND — A lawsuit filed against Oregon’s foster system alleges a 15-year-old foster child saw two state workers having sex and suffered neglect and abuse at an out-of- state facility. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported Thursday the child was raised in a Bulgar- ian orphanage until he was 12 and his Ore- gon adoption fell through. He is now a ward of the state. The lawsuit says the boy speaks lim- ited English, but has been denied Bulgarian interpreters. It alleges he was living in a hotel in Dal- las even though there were foster parents available and saw child welfare workers hav- ing sex on the bed next to him while he was there. Oregon placed 88 foster youth in out-of- state facilities. Thirty-two of those children have been brought back amid reports of abuse and neglect. Bentz will resign early for congressional run ONTARIO — As Oregon state lawmak- ers prepare to take up climate-change legis- lation once again next year, Senate Repub- licans are about to lose their key expert on the subject. Sen. Cliff Bentz, R-Ontario, announced Wednesday that he will resign in early Jan- uary in order to run for Congress full time. “It is with considerable sadness that I leave the Oregon Senate,” Bentz said in a press release. “I will truly miss my many friends in the Legislature, and the oppor- tunity to represent the wonderful people of Senate District 30 in Salem.” A fixture in the Capitol for more than a decade, Bentz was appointed to the House in 2008 to replace departing state Rep. Tom Butler. He won election to the seat five times, before being appointed to fill a vacant state Senate seat in 2018. Bentz won election to the seat last year and — because of the timing of his ini- tial appointment to the Senate — was pre- paring to defend it in 2020. That changed when longtime U.S. Rep. Greg Walden announced his retirement last month. The news caught Bentz by surprise, but by the next day he’d decided to run for Con- gress. He said Walden personally encour- aged him to run. “I learned later that he’d done the same thing with several others,” he said. — Associated Press Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day. -10s -0s 0s showers t-storms 10s rain 20s flurries 30s snow 40s 50s ice 60s cold front E AST O REGONIAN — Founded Oct. 16, 1875 — 211 S.E. Byers Ave., Pendleton 541-276-2211 333 E. Main St., Hermiston 541-567-6211 Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed major holidays EastOregonian.com To subscribe, call 1-800-522-0255 or go online to EastOregonian.com and click on ‘Subscribe’ East Oregonian (USPS 164-980) is published daily except Sunday, Monday and postal holidays, by the EO Media Group, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801. 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