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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2020)
Trade Adjustment Act programs help firms, workers | REGION, A3 E O AST 144th year, No. 194 REGONIAN Tuesday, sepTember 8, 2020 WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD $1.50 Haze of smoke and dust fill Columbia Basin skies Washington wildfires, blowing dust create low visibility and poor air quality By ALEX CASTLE East Oregonian PENDLETON — Wind gusts of up to 45 mph brought a haze of wild- fire smoke and dust from Washing- ton that blanketed Pendleton and the rest of the Columbia Basin on Mon- day, sept. 7. “There’s actually a couple of fires up there that are the main source of the smoke,” said Jim Smith, the observation program leader at the National Weather Service in Pend- leton. “Winds are blowing pretty strong and are increasing from the north and it’s blowing the smoke from the Tri-Cities and into the basin.” Early signs of the haze peeked over the horizon of the basin early Labor Day morning as winds picked up the pace by 11 a.m. on Sept. 7. Smith said a cold front mov- ing from the north and northeast picked up most of the dust in its wind gusts near Ridgeville, Washington, and brought it to most of the lower Columbia Basin. The hazy condi- tions reduced visibility to below one mile and led to the National Weather Service in Pendleton issuing a blow- ing dust advisory for the area until 8 p.m. on sept. 7. “Gusty winds may create haz- ardous driving conditions with peri- ods of low visibility due to dust and smoke. Tree branches or loose items may be blown about and isolated power outages are possible,” the advisory stated. “Motorists should exercise caution, especially if tow- ing or in a high profile vehicle. If you encounter low visibility due to dust while driving, safely pull over until conditions clear.” According to air monitoring data provided by the Oregon Department See Wind, Page A8 Staff photo by Alex Castle Winds from the north brought a thick haze of smoke and dust down from Washington and blanketed Pendleton and the rest of the Columbia Basin on Monday, Sept. 8. Special session unlikely this month Oregon Senate President peter Courtney says special session more likely later in the year By HILLARY BORRUD The Oregonian KIAH — On Aug. 24, the Ukiah School District had achieved something nearly every other public school in Oregon coveted: in-person education. COVID-19 outbreaks across the state over the summer forced most pub- lic schools online this fall, but Ukiah’s minuscule population and geographi- cal isolation helped it meet a narrow set of criteria to make it the only school in Umatilla County to reopen its doors. Staff photo by Ben Lonergan saLem — Ore- gon Senate Presi- dent peter Courtney said in an interview Friday, Sept. 4, that he does not expect lawmakers will be Brown called back to the Oregon Capitol for a third special ses- sion in September, based on conversa- tions with Gov. Kate Brown and House Speaker Tina Kotek. Courtney said he Kotek wanted to inform lawmakers of the outlook after The Oregonian/Oregon- Live reported that some democrats on sept. 3 called for another special ses- sion to pass legisla- tion on police tactics Courtney and accountability, aimed at reducing law enforcement brutality. The Democrats said they do not want to lose momentum to pass deeper police reforms. “The three of us have talked for quite some time,” Courtney, D-Sa- lem, said of Kotek, D-Portland, and the governor. “We probably need to make a statement (there won’t be a September session) because we owe it to our fellow legislators.” See School, Page A8 Elementary school students work on classwork at the Ukiah School District building in Ukiah on Thursday, Sept 3, 2020. See Session, Page A8 Back to school Staff photo by Ben Lonergan Students wear face shields as they complete school work at the Ukiah School District building in Ukiah on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2020. Ukiah School District the only district in Umatilla County to meet criteria for in-person education By ANTONIO SIERRA East Oregonian U Farmers market rides out the summer of 2020 By KATHY ANEY East Oregonian PENDLETON — It’s a sweet memory. patrons of the pendleton Farm- ers Market wandering along Main Street, inspecting fresh produce by picking it up or bending low to sniff the aroma. The sound of live music. Children chattering happily at the craft area. The smell of meat sizzling on the grill. Hal McCune, president of the Pendleton Farmers Market, is nostal- gic about years past, but upbeat about the current season. Customers have adapted admirably as the market shape-shifted because of COVID-19. “People have adjusted pretty well,” McCune said. “We’re definitely down a little bit in both vendors and patrons from last season, but not terribly. Our vendor sales are down, but not sig- nificantly, considering we started a month later than normal. The crowds have gotten better and better as the summer has gone along.” Early on, organizers scrambled to find a new location when the city denied access to the usual spot on Main Street in March. Pendleton City Manager Robb Corbett explained that allowing the market to set up on Main would violate a prohibition on gatherings of more than 25 people and go against the governor’s effort to encourage residents to stay home. The group didn’t push back after the decision though farmers markets are Staff photo by Ben Lonergan See Market, Page A8 A masked shopper purchases corn from a vendor at the Pendleton Farmers Market in Pendleton on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020.
