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145th year, no. 38
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Thursday, January 14, 2021
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WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
Bentz casts ‘no’ vote on impeachment of Trump
U.S. House approves
impeachment 232-197
By GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
WASHINGTON — Rep. Cliff
Bentz, R-Ontario, voted against
impeaching President Donald Trump
on Wednesday, Jan. 13, joining most
House Republicans in a losing effort
to avoid a stinging rebuke to the pres-
ident in his last week in office.
The impeachment was approved
232-197, with 10 Republicans join-
ing all Democrats in the equivalent
of an indictment for inciting a mob to
violently invade and ransack the U.S.
Capitol on Jan. 6,
killing five people.
The ar ticle
of impeachment
for incitement of
insurrection would
normally be sent to
the Senate for an
Bentz
extended trial to
convict or acquit the president. Three
presidents have been impeached in
U.S. history: Andrew Johnson, Bill
Clinton and now Trump twice. In the
prior three trials, all were acquitted.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
D-California, can send the impeach-
ment to the Senate. Senate Majority
Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken-
tucky, said the earliest he would
consider the impeachment would be
Jan. 19. That is the day before Biden
replaces Trump as president during
ceremonies at the Capitol.
Bentz did not speak during the
two-hour debate and spent much of
the time off the floor due to attempts
to limit COVID-19 exposure in the
House chamber.
Bentz said on Jan. 13 the attack
on the U.S. Capitol by pro-Trump
supporters was inexcusable.
“I continue to share the emotions
many are feeling in the aftermath of
the unprecedented and unacceptable
violence this past week,” he said.
Bentz said the “rush to judgment”
impeachment would only divide the
nation more and undercut efforts
to get both parties working on key
issues, such as COVID-19, as soon
as possible.
“I voted against impeachment
because our focus should be on unify-
ing our nation, ensuring a peaceful
transition to the Biden administra-
tion,” Bentz said.
With less than two weeks since
he was sworn in, the bulk of Bentz’s
time has been taken with the Elec-
toral College vote, the riot and oppos-
ing efforts to oust Trump as soon as
possible.
“I came to Congress to stand up
for rural communities across my
district by addressing the terrible
damage caused by recent wildfires
and to reform the laws that govern our
Doing its part
Life Flight Network
keeps patients
moving during the
COVID-19 pandemic
H
State could
still face some
hard months
to immunize hundreds of residents
at a time, but for now, there are no
assured vaccination efforts on the
horizon.
“The people of Umatilla County
are counting on us to give them accu-
rate information about when we have
vaccines available, where we’re able
to vaccinate people, and how much
we have to give,” Murdock said.
“And we cannot get that information
(from the Oregon Health Authority).”
Fiumara said he is confident
the health department alone has
the resources to immunize upward
of 2,000 residents each week — if
provided the supply. However, the
county only recently received 100
SALEM — After a brief lull in
daily new cases of COVID-19 provided
a momentary respite from the unre-
lenting march of the pandemic early
in the new year, Oregonians now face
a projected rise in infections and deaths
over the coming months on an unprec-
edented scale.
That’s according to the most recent
modeling from the Oregon Health
Authority, which predicted a return
to exponential spread, and the Insti-
tute for Health Metrics and Evaluation,
which anticipated Oregon’s COVID-
19 death toll will more than triple by
April 1.
OHA modeling, released Jan. 7,
estimated the rate of spread in Oregon
was 1.29 as of Dec. 23, 2020, indicating
each positive case of COVID-19 spread
to an average of 1.29 more people. For
example, 100 cases would become 129
cases — 29 more — which would then
become 166 cases — 37 more — which
would then become 214 cases — 48
more — thus exponential spread.
That rate of spread would lead to
an average of 1,780 new cases and 85
hospitalizations per day by Jan. 26.
Notably, the Oregon Health Authori-
ty’s prediction does not account for a
possible rise in the infection rate due to
spread during the Christmas and New
Year’s holidays.
“These projections would look even
more dire if the actual transmission
level increased beyond 1.29 around
Christmas and New Year’s Eve,” the
OHA stated in its modeling report.
The OHA’s modeling also does not
account for any potential dampening
effects of COVID-19 vaccination in the
state. While vaccination efforts have
lagged far behind earlier goals, 115,060
people in Oregon’s high-risk popula-
tions had received at least one injection
of a vaccine as of Tuesday, Jan. 12.
The Health Authority’s modeling
also projected a potential scenario in
which people became more adherent to
COVID-19 prevention measures, such
as mask wearing and social distanc-
ing. In that scenario, transmission rates
dropped to 0.9 and new daily cases by
Jan. 26 would average out at 1,400.
That scenario appears to be
unlikely, however. Local daily cases in
the new year jumped back into double-
digit figures and statewide daily new
cases have approached the 2,000 mark
once again, indicating a post-holiday
spike is likely occurring.
While the OHA’s modeling does
not extend past the end of January,
modeling from the Institute for Health
Metrics and Evaluation reaches into
the coming months, and it predicts an
See Vaccine, Page A7
See Modeling, Page A7
VACCINE UPDATE
County officials caught in a bind
PEndLETOn — as state health
officials look to ramp up and broaden
vaccination efforts across Oregon,
Umatilla County officials are
concerned that the efforts won’t be
a cure-all for the already dwindling
quantity of vaccines making their
way to the arms of county residents.
The shift on the state level comes
as Gov. Kate Brown announced
on Tuesday, Jan. 12, that she will
COVID-19
By KALEB LAY
La Grande Observer
ERMISTON — As rising COVID-
19 numbers spark worry about
hospital capacity in Oregon, the
ability to quickly move patients
between hospitals has been an important
part of planning for surges.
In 2020, Life Flight Network transported
about 600 confirmed COVID-19 patients
across its service region, which covers
the Pacific Northwest and part of Western
Montana. A news release from the “larg-
est not-for-profit air transport service in the
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
United States” stated in total it used full A Life Flight Network air ambulance lands at St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton on May 1,
COVID-19 protocols in about 1,300 trans- 2020. Pendleton’s airport serves as the base for Life Flight Network’s aircraft in Umatilla
ports where patients had COVID-19 symp- County.
toms.
Tim Beard, one of the flight nurses who is better equipped to handle their needs. said. “I don’t think the general public really
cares for patients as they’re being trans- During the pandemic, Beard said, that has realizes the impact. If they or a family
ported via plane or helicopter, said in some often involved transporting COVID-19 member don’t have a COVID-19 infection,
ways, his job is the same as it has always patients from rural critical access hospitals their health care can still be impacted.”
been: transport critically ill patients. But to a larger hospital with more specialized
Life Flight’s air ambulance in Umatilla
while flight nurses have always worn surgi- equipment and personnel.
County is stationed at the Eastern Oregon
cal masks around patients with flu-like
So far, he said, he hasn’t personally seen Regional Airport in Pendleton. When Life
symptoms, they now wear N-95 masks with patients being moved from a large hospital Flight announced it was adding a Pendle-
all patients and a head-to-toe set of personal to a small one because the hospital in the ton base in 2012, it stated that Pendleton’s
protective equipment when transporting big city has overflowed its capacity. But airport was a good location because it had a
patients with symptoms of COVID-19.
what he has seen is patients having to be long runway, a fire station on-site and was
“It’s a very confined space, so it’s hard to flown farther than usual because the hospi- on a hill that sees less fog than some of the
distance,” he said.
tal Life Flight would usually take them to other locations it was considering.
Beard has been a nurse for more than isn’t able to take them. A patient from Idaho,
Mike Weimer, Life Flight Network
20 years, and been flying with Life Flight who would usually be taken to a hospital regional vice president of Region 2, said
Network since 2016. He has flown out of in Spokane, for example, had to go to all someone in Umatilla County who was trans-
various parts of Eastern Oregon and South- the way Wenatchee in Central Washington ported by Life Flight could also end up on an
ern Washington during that time, and is instead.
air ambulance stationed in other locations,
currently in Spokane.
That holds true for both seriously ill such as La Grande, Walla Walla, Washing-
Flight nurses work two, 24-hour shifts COVID-19 patients and those who need care ton, or Dallesport, Washington, if the Pend-
a week. Sometimes, they pick up patients after suffering some other kind of medical leton aircraft is already on a flight.
directly from the scene of a car crash or emergency.
Good Shepherd Medical Center in Herm-
other emergency. Other times they trans-
“This has impacted more than just the
See Life Flight, Page A7
fer current hospital patients to a facility that patients that are sick with COVID,” Beard
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
See Bentz, Page A7
Pandemic modeling
predicts Oregon
could still see surge
in COVID-19
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Confusion lingers
locally over state’s
fumble of COVID-19
vaccine rollout
water rights,” he said.
As the lone Republican in
Oregon’s House delegation, Bentz
was at odds with the state’s four
other Congress members — Suzanne
Bonamici, D-Beaverton, Earl Blume-
nauer, D-Portland, Peter DeFazio,
D-Springfield, and Kurt Schrader,
D-Salem, all voted yes.
“Donald J. Trump encouraged
and incited the violent attack that
occurred on Jan. 6, when Congress
was gathered to certify the results
of the 2020 presidential election,”
Bonamici said in a statement. “It
was an attack on our Capitol and our
democracy. Today I voted to impeach
permit Oregonians older than 65
and childcare, preschool and K-12
school employees to start receiving
the vaccine on Jan. 23 in an effort to
speed up immunizations to 12,000
daily by Sunday, Jan. 17. The effort
comes as state health officials endure
mounting pressure due to the slug-
gish start to vaccination efforts.
Umatilla County Health Director
Joe Fiumara and Umatilla County
Commissioner George Murdock
each said the county is seeing little
indication of how these efforts will
come to fruition in Umatilla County,
and it is unclear what exactly is
holding up further shipments of the
vaccine.
Each said the county was intend-
ing to hold multiple weekly events