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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2021)
REGION Tuesday, January 12, 2021 East Oregonian A3 County exhausts vaccine supply during clinics Nearly 300 people vaccinated each day of the two-day clinic By BEN LONERGAN East Oregonian PEN DLETON — Roughly 600 people streamed through the parking lot of the Pendleton Convention Center for a pair of COVID-19 vacci- nation clinics late last week, according to the Umatilla Count y Public Health Department. The vaccination clinics, which ran Thursday, Jan. 7, and Friday, Jan. 8, vaccinated 594 people total, 279 the fi rst day and 315 the second day, according to Umatilla County Public Health Direc- tor Joe Fiumara. “Going into the event we were unsure what the community turnout would be,” said Alisha Southwick, the deputy director of the Umatilla County Public Health Department. “We were pleasantly surprised to be busy each day and utilized every dose we had available.” The clinics served as the county’s fi rst attempt at distributing the COVID-19 vaccine and was limited to workers in the 1a category, including hospital workers and fi rst responders. Fiumara said the vacci- nation clinics exhausted the county’s supply of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and the department is expect- ing an additional 100 doses later this week. Umatilla County Commis- Kathy Aney/East Oregonian A nurse gives a shot through a driver’s window during a rainy drive-thru vaccination clinic on Friday, Jan. 8, 2021, at the Pendleton Convention Center. The clinic, conducted by Uma- tilla County Public Health to vaccinate health care providers and other essential workers, brought a strong turnout. sioner George Murdock, who also raised concern over the lack of additional vaccines, added the county will be unable to schedule further vaccination clinics until they receive additional doses. “Public Health demon- strated (Jan. 7-8) they can give out 300 a day,” Murdock said. “They’ve done a wonderful job getting it all set up.” While Murdock praised county health offi cials for a successful vaccination clinic, he expressed dismay at the speed at which the state is distributing vaccines to the county. “It’s very frustrating,” he said. “We’re completely dependent on what they send us. They don’t send them — we don’t have them.” In addition to the county exhausting its vaccine supply, Murdock said St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton had run out of doses and Good Shep- herd Hospital in Hermiston was down to only 300 doses, a number he expected to dwindle quickly as the hospi- tal offers additional clinics. Fiumara confi rmed Good Shepherd is planning addi- tional vaccine distribution this week to make use of their remaining 300 doses. Mu rdock added St. Anthony Hospital is expect- ing only one additional ship- ment, enough to provide the booster vaccine to those the hospital has already vacci- nated, and will not receive additional shipments beyond that. “We’ve done everything we can to get ready,” he said. “We’re all dressed up with nowhere to go.” LOCAL BRIEFING Ballot drop box in Hermiston relocated HERMISTON — The ballot drop box outside of Hermiston City Hall is being relocated to the Stafford Hansell Government Center at 915 S.E. Columbia Drive in Hermiston. The drop box allows voters to deposit their ballot to be taken straight to the Umatilla County Elections Office instead of mailing their ballot through the postal system. A sign will be placed at the drop box’s former location at the drive-thru outside city hall to let voters looking for it know it has been moved to the coun- ty’s building instead. East Oregonian, File The 3D Idapro Solutions plant in Stanfi eld, pictured here in 2019 shortly before it closed, is the subject of a class action lawsuit that the company has agreed to settle. 3D Idapro Solutions lawsuit deadline is approaching fast By JADE MCDOWELL East Oregonian STANFIELD — Settle- ment of a class action lawsuit on behalf of Stan- fi eld residents against 3D Idapro Solutions is wind- ing down. Those who qualify for payment under the settle- ment have until Feb. 4 to submit a claim, according to documentation on the website of Liddle & Dubin P.C., a Detroit-based law fi rm handling the lawsuit. 3D Idapro Solutions operated a dehydration plant in Stanfi eld for several years before closing the plant in 2019. In 2017, a fi re burned equipment at the plant that helped reduce the odors coming from rotting potato scraps there. The company replaced the fire-damaged scrubber and made other changes designed to reduce odor, but area residents continued to complain in city council meetings and elsewhere that strong odors from the plant were reducing their quality of life. Some told the city council at the time that the odors had triggered physical responses, such as vomiting. Liddle & Dubin P.C. did not return a request for comment, but court docu- ments show a lawsuit was filed against 3D Idapro Solutions in Febr uary 2019, alleging the compa- ny’s actions had caused a decrease in the plaintiffs’ property values due to the odor. According to the fi rm’s website, the company has “vigorously denied and continues to deny all claims of wrongdoing and liabil- ity” but agreed to a settle- ment of $500,000 to avoid further legal expenses. According to Liddle & Dubin P.C., the $500,000 settlement will be split between parties to the lawsuit after legal fees and attorney expenses are deducted. The settlement class includes people who live or own residential prop- erty within a 4-mile radius of the plant at 405 Hoosier Road, Stanfi eld, any time after Feb. 26, 2013, and those who submitted a resi- dential data sheet to the fi rm before April 15, 2020. The law fi rm’s website states that qualifying indi- viduals who wish to receive part of the settlement must submit a claim for compen- sation by Feb. 4. Those who wish to object to the terms of the settlement or exclude themselves from the settle- ment have until Jan. 20 to do so. Those who are part of the settlement class but do nothing before those dead- lines will not receive part of the settlement, but will also release their claims on the defendant, meaning they could not fi le their own lawsuit for the same thing. The East Oregonian could not locate a website or contact information for 3D Idapro Solutions, but reached out to 3D Corpo- rate Solutions, which lists the same address for its headquarters as previously listed by 3D Idapro Solu- tions, and did not receive a response. For more information, visit www.ldclassaction. com/class-action/3d-ida- p r o - s olu t io n s -l lc - s e t- tlement-2, email info@ ldclassaction.com or call 1-800-536-0045. Shooting suspect found deceased in jail PENDLETON — A man police considered a “person of interest” in a December 2020 shooting that left one woman dead was found deceased in the Umatilla County Jail, according to the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce. David Lee Bowles, 43, was found dead in his cell on Satur- day, Jan. 9. Bowles was in the jail on charges of first-degree manslaugh- Bowles ter and felon in possession of a weapon. Oregon State Police previously reported he had turned himself in to the Morrow County Sheriff’s Offi ce on Thursday, Jan. 7, after the offi ce named him as a “person of interest” in the shooting death of his wife, Marlen Bowles, in Heppner on Dec. 15. According to a news release from the Umatilla County Sheriff’s Offi ce, in the early morning hours of Jan. 9, jail staff were making their morning rounds when they discovered Bowles deceased in his bed. “At this time, there is no apparent evidence of foul play,” the release stated. It said the sheriff’s offi ce is conducting an investigation into the cause of death. Bowles had been wanted in connection to a homicide investigation that occurred Prepare for unexpected power outages with a Generac home standby generator REQUEST A FREE QUOTE! 877-557-1912 FREE 7-Year Extended Warranty* A $695 Value! Subject to Credit Approval *To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install and activate the generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions. County reports 182 new cases over weekend UMATILLA COUNTY — Umatilla County Public Health reported 182 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, Jan. 11. The case count includes totals for the weekend and Jan. 11. That brings the county up to 6,367 total cases reported to the health department since the pandemic began early last year. Morrow County reported 26 new cases, for a total of 892 since the pandemic began. Oregon Health Authority reported on Jan. 11 that so far 97,010 vaccine doses have been administered statewide. CALL US TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE Timeshare Cancellation Get your free information kit and see if you qualify: 855-385-4473 Boardman councilors and mayor sworn in BOARDMAN — The city of Boardman swore in new members of its city council on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Mayor Paul E. Keefer, Councilor Brenda Profitt, Councilor Katy Norton and Councilor Paul Beagle will serve four-year terms. Coun- cilor Isaac Williams was appointed into a vacated posi- tion, and his term will expire Dec. 31, 2022. The city council elected Councilor Roy Drago Jr. as council president for 2021, according to a news release from the city. They also voted to reappoint Ted Lieurance and Lisa Mittelsdorf to the budget committee, and Zack Barresse and Ragna TenEyck to the planning commission. The news release stated that during its fi rst meeting of the year, the council held a public hearing to receive public comment concerning a request for a zone change and map amendment for Tax Lot #1600 of Morrow County Tax Map 4N 25 9CC, but the city council ended up voting against it. The council also listened to a proposal by Kimberly Lind- sey of Community Counseling Solutions to open and operate a combined behavioral reha- bilitation services and psychi- atric residential treatment facility focused on the care of younger children between the ages of 6 to 11 with a capac- ity of up to 14 children in the Boardman area. The next meeting of the Boardman City Council will be a workshop on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 8 a.m. at Boardman City Hall. — EO Media Group 15 % AND! OFF 1-855-536-8838 10 YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE * % + OFF SENIOR & MILITARY DISCOUNTS Promo Number: 285 OFF TO THE FIRST 50 CALLERS! ** Mon-Thurs: 8am-11pm, Fri-Sat: 8am-5pm, Sun: 2pm-8pm EST Blazing Fast Internet! 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CALL TODAY - For $100 Gift Card Promo Code: DISH100 for 12 Mos. Off er valid December 15, 2020 - March 1, 2021 Special Financing Available on Dec. 15, 2020. Bowles is the husband of the victim, Marlen Bowles, who was shot in Heppner, and then Life Flighted to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland in critical condition, where she later died with her family at her bedside. Morrow County District Attorney Justin Nelson said while the criminal case will not go forward now that the defendant has died, law enforcement will continue to talk to people and attempt to learn more about what happened on Dec. 15. He said Bowles did not make any statements to law enforce- ment when he was taken into custody, but may have been willing to later after speak- ing with an attorney, so it was regrettable that information that may have been able to provide some closure is now lost. He also said he feels for Bowles’ family, particularly David and Marlen’s children, as they deal with an additional loss that leaves more questions behind. NO MORE GUTTER CLEANING, OR YOUR MONEY BACK GUARANTEED! Happy 10 th Birthday , Brody! We hear you are one of the coolest people around! Was there ever any doubt?! Hope you have a fabulous birthday celebration! We think of you all the time. Much love, Grandpa and Grandma Powell Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian A ballot is dropped into a drop box in Hermiston on Nov. 3, 2020. Ask About A FREE 3 Day Vacation Voucher To Over 20 Destinations!!! 1-866-373-9175 Offer ends 1/31/21. All offers require credit qualification, 24-month commitment with early termination fee and eAutoPay. Prices include Hopper Duo for qualifying customers. Hopper, Hopper w/Sling or Hopper 3 $5/mo. more. Upfront fees may apply based on credit qualification.