REGION
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
County creates
application for
CARES funds
Struggling
businesses can
now apply for
financial support
from state funds
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
UMATILLA COUNTY
— Umatilla County busi-
nesses can now apply to
receive economic sup-
port from the state-funded
CARES Act, which pro-
vided the county with up
to $1.18 million in funds to
be distributed to businesses
that have struggled during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
Businesses can apply for
support until Dec. 15 on
Umatilla County’s website.
The county “encourages
applications from veterans,
women, Black, indigenous,
people of color, and trib-
al-owned businesses.”
Businesses that will
receive priority in receiv-
ing financial support will
include those in the hos-
pitality industry, such as
restaurants, bars, winer-
ies, breweries, hotels and
motels. Other priority busi-
nesses will include those
which had to shut down due
to the two-week “freeze”
initiated by Gov. Kate
Brown, including fitness
and entertainment estab-
lishments like gyms, the-
aters, bowling alleys and
museums.
The amount of money
that a business will receive
will vary depending on the
type of business and the
economic impact COVID-
19 has had. And businesses
hoping to receive funds
must meet a variety of
requirements.
The business must be
headquartered and operate
in the county, be required
by law to be registered with
the Oregon Secretary of
State and be for-profit or
tax-exempt under section
501 (c) 3 of the internal rev-
enue code.
The business must also
have also been either pro-
hibited from operating
under the two-week freeze
initiated by Gov. Kate
Brown, or show the pan-
demic caused a 25% decline
in sales between March 1
and Nov. 30 in comparison
to 2019.
The business must also
employ 50 or fewer full-
time equivalent employees.
Certain companies will
be ineligible to receive sup-
port. These include passive
real estate holding compa-
nies, nonprofits that are not
tax-exempt and businesses
that have experienced a
non-COVID-related decline
in sales.
Businesses that are delin-
quent on taxes due on or
before the date of the appli-
cation will also be ineligi-
ble, as will those that do not
comply with federal, state
and local laws.
Businesses that have
closed and do not intend
to reopen, and “adult-ori-
ented businesses that derive
a majority of income from
gambling activities,” will
also be ineligible to receive
support.
The county intends to
have the checks in the mail
by Dec. 30.
Dollar General
is considering
store in Umatilla
City’s planning
commission
reviewed and
approved site plan
for proposed store
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
UMATILLA — Dollar
General could be coming to
Umatilla.
Dollar General spokes-
person Angela Petkovic said
in an email that the company
is still in the “due diligence”
phase and has not made a
final commitment yet.
The national chain of
variety stores has been
working with the city’s
planning commission, how-
ever, and meeting minutes
from the commission’s Oct.
27 meeting shows the com-
mittee has reviewed a site
plan for the possible store
and unanimously approved
a plat for Dollar General to
combine five tax lots into
one. At that meeting, the
minutes state, a represen-
tative from the company
described Umatilla as a
“great regional location” for
a store.
Petkovic said the company
anticipates making a final
decision by summer 2021.
“Our customers are at
the center of all that we do,
and meeting customers’
needs is Dollar General’s
top priority when choosing
store locations,” she wrote.
“In selecting store sites, we
take a number of factors
into consideration, care-
fully evaluating each poten-
tial new store location to
ensure we can continue to
meet our customers’ price,
value and selection needs.
We further strive to provide
convenience for customers
who may not have afford-
able nearby retail options.”
The
approximately
7,500-square-foot
store
would be located at the
corner of Sixth Street and
Yerxa Avenue, according
to information submitted to
the planning commission,
and Petkovic said it would
employ six to 10 people.
Dollar General sells
food, household goods,
health and beauty items,
seasonal decorations and
other merchandise. Not
to be confused with Dol-
lar Tree, the store’s prices
vary by item. According
to information provided by
the store, it offers grants
each year to schools, librar-
ies and nonprofits within a
15-mile radius of its stores
and distribution centers.
VISIT US ON THE WEB AT:
www.EastOregonian.com
Prepare for unexpected
power outages with a
Generac home standby
generator
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Shoppers wander the city of Hermiston’s holiday bazaar in the parking lot of the Hermiston Community Center on Satur-
day, Dec. 5, 2020. The annual event was moved outdoors due to COVID-19 concerns.
Club 24 closes at request of OSHA
Gyms initially
said they were
staying open as
‘wellness centers’
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Club
24’s Oregon locations
and the Hermiston Ath-
letic Club are closed at the
request of Oregon’s Occu-
pational Health and Safety
Administration.
The locations, where
people sign up for a
monthly membership in
exchange for use of workout
equipment, fitness classes
and other exercise, initially
stated they were staying
open as “wellness centers”
after Gov. Kate Brown ini-
tially ordered gyms and fit-
ness centers to close as part
of the state’s latest COVID-
19 restrictions. But on Nov.
30, Club 24’s Oregon loca-
tions and Hermiston Ath-
letic Club posted identical
messages to their Facebook
pages, stating they would
close effective immediately
“as per Oregon OSHA.”
The message stated that
member accounts would be
frozen and staff would be
furloughed during the hol-
idays as a result.
In response to a public
records request from the
East Oregonian, OSHA
responded that there had
not been fines or other offi-
cial enforcement actions
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Vehicles were parked at the Club 24 location in Hermiston on Nov. 22, 2020, before the
location shut down a few days later at the request of OSHA.
taken against the businesses
because the owner had vol-
untarily complied with
shutting down after being
contacted by OSHA.
Customers reacted with
disappointment on social
media at the announce-
ment. In an email to the EO,
Hermiston Club 24 member
Chris Waine said he joined
Club 24 about 15 years ago
after exiting the military.
His membership helped him
transition back into civilian
life and work through phys-
ical injuries he suffered as a
result of his service, he said.
“Over these years, I
came to understand many
members suffer from past
physical injury,” he said.
“It would not be untrue to
LOCAL BRIEFING
Law enforcement
to crack down on
intoxicated drivers
UMATILLA COUNTY
— The Umatilla County
Sheriff’s
Office
has
announced that it will be
increasing the number of
deputies on patrol this hol-
iday season in an effort to
crack down on and dis-
courage drunken drivers,
according to a press release
Monday, Dec. 7.
The effort is part of Ore-
gon’s DUII/High Visibil-
ity Enforcement grants
program, which funds law
enforcement to increase the
number of officers on the
street aggressively seeking
out impaired drivers.
The department is ask-
ing for community assis-
tance by requesting that
the public call in and report
suspected
intoxicated
drivers.
“Agencies will con-
tinue to work hard to keep
our streets safe during this
holiday season,” the press
release said.
The event will run from
Dec. 16, 2020, through Jan.
2, 2021.
Michael
G e n e
Thomas
died
at
the prison
after being
i n c a r c e r-
Thomas
ated in June
2003 from
Lane County, the release
stated. His earliest release
date was May 5, 2022.
Per standard protocol,
the Oregon State Police
have been notified of the
death.
— EO Media Group
Inmate dies on
hospice care
at TRCI
UMATILLA — A
68-year-old man incarcer-
ated at Two Rivers Correc-
tional Institution in Uma-
tilla died while on hospice
care on Saturday, Dec. 5,
according to a press release
from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Corrections.
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Club 24 said they com-
plied with OSHA’s request
in order to avoid “crip-
pling fines” as they appeal
OSHA’s decision.
“We are confident that
we are meeting, if not sur-
passing, the safety mea-
sures of clubs in this study
and look forward to work-
ing with OSHA and the
State of Oregon on safely
and responsibly operating
our business that so many
Oregonians are depen-
dent upon for their physi-
cal and mental health,” the
statement said, adding they
appreciate members who
have offered to keep paying
their dues in order to sup-
port the employees being
furloughed.
say that a large majority of
people go because motion
begets motion. Over the
years, we’ve motivated each
other and offered words
of encouragement as we
struggle to find balance in
pain management through
fitness.
“In other words, the state
views these facilities as rec-
reational. They failed to
realize these facilities pro-
vide a place and equipment
for those of us who gradu-
ate from out patient phys-
ical therapy. These facili-
ties are as much a necessity
as any outpatient physical
therapy clinic. Let’s not for-
get also the mental benefit
of physical fitness.”
In an emailed statement,
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