WEEKEND EDITION
UMATILLA COUNTY
RESIDENTS GET IN THE
HOLIDAY SPIRIT
B2H PROJECT REVIEW
REMAINS UNFINISHED
REGION, A3
LIFESTYLES, C1
GIRLS BASKETBALL: PILOT
ROCK TAKES ON MYRTLE POINT
SPORTS, B1
DECEMBER 21-22, 2019
144th Year, No. 48
WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
$1.50
EO SPOTLIGHT
Ready to bag it
Plastic bag ban sweeps across Oregon starting Jan. 1
Contributed photo
William Wehrli poses for a portrait in
his Darth Vader costume at the cine-
plex at Wildhorse Resort & Casino on
opening night of “Star Wars: The Rise
of Skywalker” on Thursday night in
Mission. Wehrli purchased the cos-
tume online several years ago and says
that it is a hit wherever he wears it.
The Force
is strong in
Umatilla
County
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Dave Meade, the store manager at Columbia Harvest Foods in Umatilla, stocks reusable bags on a display on Thursday morn-
ing. Meade is trying out several diff erent varieties of reusable bags, in addition to paper bags, until he is able to determine
what plastic bag alternative customers gravitate toward.
By ALEX CASTLE
East Oregonian
U
MATILLA COUNTY — If
you’re hoping to reduce your
impact on the environment in
2020, then the Oregon Legis-
lature has a New Year’s reso-
lution for you.
Starting Jan. 1, Oregonians will no
longer be able to receive single-use
plastic grocery bags from stores around
the state. Instead, stores must offer a
paper, as long as it’s made of 40% recy-
clable materials, or a reusable option
for at least 5 cents apiece.
The eradication of single-use plas-
tic bags in the checkout aisle will be an
adjustment for both retailers and con-
sumers in the region as both prepare to
adhere to the new law.
“I think this will be something that
See Bags, Page A11
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
Araceli Sanguino bags groceries in single-use plastic bags at Columbia Harvest
Foods in Umatilla on Thursday morning. Columbia Harvest Foods Store Manager
Dave Meade said that the store is looking to use up its existing single-use plastic
bags ahead of the new year.
Locals come out in
force for ‘Star Wars’
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
UMATILLA COUNTY — “The
Rise of Skywalker” is the subtitle for
the ninth entry in the “Star Wars” fran-
chise, but it’s also the broad arc of the
original trilogy of fi lms, a coming-of-
age story William Wehrli of Pendleton
identifi es with.
In protagonist Luke Skywalker’s
case, Wehrli said he was a “whiny farm
boy” who went on to become a great
hero. For Wehrli personally, it was
going from an autistic boy who was
told he would never live independently
to a man who holds down a job and
lives on his own.
The “Star Wars” story is some-
thing thousands of people around the
world have identifi ed with in one way
or another, helping to create a multi-
billion dollar franchise that debuted its
latest movie, “Star Wars: The Rise of
See Force, Page A11
Secretary of State rejects
clean energy proposals
By DIRK VANDERHART
Oregon Public Broadcasting
SALEM — Secretary of State
Bev Clarno has rejected two pro-
posed ballot measures that would
force Oregon to transition to car-
bon-free sources of electricity in the
next 25 years.
Setting up a second potential con-
fl ict with environmental groups,
Clarno ruled Thursday the two pro-
posals violated a constitutional
requirement that they stick to a “sin-
gle subject.”
“Both measures speak for them-
selves, if read carefully, that the
issues presented are not limited to a
single subject,” Deputy Secretary of
State Rich Vial said of Clarno’s most
recent ruling. “The secretary has the
responsibility to make that constitu-
tional decision.”
That’s the same controversial
rationale Clarno used earlier this year
when she rejected three separate pro-
posals aimed at protecting state for-
ests. In that instance, her decision led
to an unsuccessful court challenge
from environmentalists that is cur-
rently being appealed.
“There is now a pattern of fl a-
grant abuse of power by this secre-
tary of state, far outside the norms
for any Democrat or Republican who
has held the offi ce,” said Tera Hurst,
See Energy, Page A11
EO Media Group fi le photo
Secretary of State Bev Clarno has rejected two proposed ballot measures
that would force Oregon to transition to carbon-free sources of electricity
in the next 25 years.