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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 2019)
HERMISTON TEENS WIN APP CONTEST OSAA REALIGNMENT COULD AFFECT LOCAL FOOTBALL TEAMS REGION, A3 SPORTS, B1 E O AST 144th Year, No. 47 REGONIAN FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2019 $1.50 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD Your Weekend Owner wants to demolish We Sell Stuff building • CALE MOON AND THE (F)UGLY SWEATER PARTY, The Pheasant, Hermiston • IMPERIAL TWANG HOL- IDAY CONCERT, Rainbow Cafe, Pendleton • GP CHRISTMAS EXTRAV- AGANZA, Great Pacifi c, Pendleton FOR TIMES AND LOCATIONS CHECK COMING EVENTS, A5 Weekend Weather FRI SAT SUN 59/51 59/39 45/34 Stanfield dehydration plant closing 3D Idapro Solutions closure at the end of the month will affect 33 people By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian STANFIELD — Two years ago Stanfi eld residents were push- ing hard to get the 3D Idapro Solu- tions dehydration plant shut down, but in the end it was market forces that did the facility in. The plant on Hoosier Road, which dehydrates potato scraps to create a base material for dog food, will close at the end of the month, laying off 33 people, according to general manager Marty Gardner. While the plant caused contro- versy and garnered fi nes in years past for the strong odors it pro- duced, Gardner said the plant’s closure had nothing to do with that. Instead, he said the compa- ny’s sale volume had diminished considerably as more businesses purchased the dehydrated materi- als from foreign sources. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Pending city approval, building owner Henry Lorenzen has announced that he intends to demolish the W.C. Loyd Garage at 342 S.W. First St. in Pendleton. The historic building, which formerly housed the We Sell Stuff thrift store, was severely damaged in a fi re on Sept. 29, 2019. By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian ENDLETON — Figuring that a September fi re has already demolished most of the struc- ture, the owner of the building that used to house We Sell Stuff is now looking to fi nish the job. “Virtually, this building is 100% destroyed,” owner Henry Loren- zen said before declaring his intention to demolish the former retail space. But tearing down 342 S.W. First St. won’t be as simple as obtaining a dem- olition permit and hiring a crew of con- tractors — the historic building’s place on the Local Landmark Register will require Lorenzen to receive approval from the city before proceeding. On Sept. 29, a fi re broke out in the We Sell Stuff thrift store, and by the time fi refi ghters extinguished the blaze, the fi re had already gutted the interior and collapsed the roof. Since the building was fenced off, there’s been little visible activity at the site. P See Demolish, Page A8 Staff photo by Ben Lonergan The charred interior structure of the W.C. Loyd Garage building at 342 S.W. First St. in Pendleton is all that remains after a fi re gutted the building on Sept. 29, 2019. The historic building, which formerly housed the We Sell Stuff thrift store, was deemed structurally sound immediately following the incident, however, building owner Henry Lorenzen has announced that he intends to demolish the building pending city approval. See Closure, Page A8 Flu season revs up early By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian SALEM — Flu season got roll- ing in a big way this last couple of weeks. The Centers for Disease Con- trol estimates 2.6 million cases of fl u, 23,000 hospitalizations and 1,300 fl u-related deaths already this year. One indicator of whether fl u is here is the percentage of fl u sam- ples testing positive. “It hit 10% two weeks ago,” said Dr. Ann Thomas, public health physician for the Oregon Health Authority. “That’s when things take off. It’s still trending upward.” Fu has sickened more than 1,300 Oregonians. Last year, by this time, fewer than 400 cases had been confi rmed. Nationally, 1,300 people have died, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Umatilla County hospitals and schools are experiencing more fl u- like illness. St. Anthony Hospital spokes- woman Emily Smith said the hos- pital emergency department has seen 50 positive cases so far this season, with activity reaching a new high this week. Over 80% of patients with confi rmed fl u had not been vaccinated and all of the cases tested as type B infl uenza. The hospital is restricting visits by children to the birthing center. Good Shepherd Medical Center didn’t supply requested fl u data by press time. See Flu, Page A8 Staff photo by Ben Lonergan, File Greg Bonner, left, receives a fl u shot from Blue Mountain Community Col- lege nursing student Dariann Scott during a drive-thru fl u shot clinic host- ed by CHI St. Anthony Hospital on Oct. 14 in Pendleton.
