REGION
Thursday, April 8, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
Meyer Distributing building new warehouse in Hermiston
Company expects
to hire as many as
100 employees
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
H ER M ISTON — A
new warehouse starting
construction in Hermiston
is expected to produce 100
new jobs once it is completed
later this year.
Meyer Distributing, a
distribution company head-
quartered in Jasper, Indiana,
received a building permit
from the city of Hermiston
in March to begin work on
a new $11 million ware-
house. Meyer Distributing
Chief Executive Offi cer Jeff
Braun said he expects the
warehouse to begin opera-
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Meyer Distributing, a distribution company headquartered in Jasper, Indiana, plans to con-
struct a new $11 million warehouse at this site located at 975 E. Penney Ave. in Hermiston.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Umatilla County
reports one new
COVID-19 death
PEN DLETON
—
Umatilla County Public
Health announced one new
COVID-19-related death,
according to a press release.
Umatilla County’s 83rd
death with COVID-19 is a
47-year-old male who tested
positive on Feb. 2 and died on
Saturday, April 3, at Legacy
Emanuel Medical Center in
Portland, according to the
press release. The individual
had underlying conditions.
Man arrested after
fi ghting police
offi cer
HERMISTON — A man
who fought a police offi cer in
Hermiston on Monday, April
5, was arrested on charges of
disorderly conduct, resisting
arrest and assaulting a public
safety offi cer, according to
Oregon State Police records.
The man was arrested,
according to records, after
he was tased.
Ramon Viesca, 30, of
Umatilla, was stopped by
an offi cer for walking in the
road and “causing a hazard”
around 6 p.m. on West
Robnett Street. The offi cer,
Josiah Smith, told Viesca to
get out of the road, though
he initially did not listen,
according to records.
Smith attempted to stop
Viesca and a fight broke
out between them. Smith
then tased Viesca, who was
arrested and later booked
in the Umatilla County Jail,
according to records.
CTUIR expands
vaccinations to all
county residents
MISSION — In an
unprecedented move, the
Confederated Tribes of the
Umatilla Indian Reserva-
tion is opening up its next
COVID-19 vaccine clinic
to all Umatilla County resi-
dents.
According to a Tuesday,
April 6, announcement, the
CTUIR is expanding eligibil-
ity for its Monday, April 12,
and Tuesday, April 13, clin-
ics at the Wildhorse Resort &
Casino to all county residents
16 and older.
The tribes have enough
doses to vaccinate 1,755
people, but the CTUIR
had initially targeted tribal
members, tribal employ-
ees, non-tribal reservation
residents, Blue Mountain
Community College students
and staff , local school district
students and staff , restaurant
workers and grocery store
workers for its April 12-13
clinics. The CTUIR has
made an eff ort to vaccinate
non-tribal employees since
February, but this is the fi rst
time the tribes have made
county residency the only
requirement.
The Tribes made their
announcement on the same
day Gov. Kate Brown
announced all Oregon adults
would be eligible for the
COVID-19 vaccine on April
19.
While every adult Orego-
nian will soon be eligible
for the vaccine, Umatilla
County Public Health Direc-
tor Joe Fiumara said there’s
an advantage to the Tribes
expanding vaccine eligibil-
ity. Instead of the Moderna
vaccine, which most of
the state uses and is only
approved for ages 18 and
up, the Yellowhawk Tribal
Health Center uses the Pfi zer
vaccine, which people as
young as 16 can receive.
Umatilla County residents
can make an appointment for
the clinics at Wildhorse by
calling 541-240-8733. The
second shot will be adminis-
tered during a second series
of clinics on May 3-4.
Blood drives
planned for April
PENDLETON — The
American Red Cross is
urging healthy individuals
to celebrate National Volun-
teer Month in April by donat-
ing lifesaving blood, platelets
and plasma.
Type-O blood is particu-
larly needed to continue to
meet patient needs, accord-
ing to a news release. Blood
donors are currently being
tested for COVID-19 anti-
bodies as well, and plasma
with high levels of antibodies
may be used as treatment for
COVID-19 patients. People
who are showing symptoms
or may be actively ill with
COVID-19 should not show
up to donate, however.
Volunteers can schedule
a donation appointment by
downloading the Red Cross
Blood Donor App, visiting
RedCrossBlood.org, calling
1-800-RED CROSS (800-
733-2767) or enabling the
Blood Donor Skill on any
Alexa Echo device. As a
special thank you, those who
give before April 30 will be
entered for a chance to win
one of fi ve $1,000 gift cards.
Upcoming local donation
opportunities include:
• Monday, April 19, from
12:30-5:30 p.m., Our
Lady of Angels Catholic
Church, 565 W. Hermis-
ton Ave. in Hermiston
• Monday, April 12, from
12-6 p.m., St. Anthony
Hospit al, 2801 St.
Anthony Way in Pendle-
ton
• Tuesday, April 13, from
11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Peace
Lutheran Church, 210
N.W. Ninth St. in Pend-
leton
• Tuesday, April 20, from
12-5:30 p.m., Veterans of
Foreign Wars, 1221 S.E.
Court Place in Pendleton.
for commerce that supports
local jobs as well as for qual-
ity of life,” Wyden said. “The
importance of federal invest-
ments in infrastructure like
these local airports is espe-
cially crucial when Oregon
small businesses and families
are working hard to weather
the economic fallout from
this public health crisis.”
Airports that received the
funding are located in Flor-
ence, Baker City, Medford,
Portland, Lexington, Chil-
oquin, Ontario, Creswell,
Cottage Grove, Siletz Bay,
Burns, Coos County, Aurora,
Gold Beach, Mulino and
Independence.
Cascade Natural
Gas off ers relief
grants for customers
KENNEWICK, Wash. —
Cascade Natural Gas is off er-
ing a debt relief program for
residential customers whose
bills are past due because of
fi nancial hardship.
According to a news
release, the Oregon Public
Ut i l it ie s C om m is sion
approved the program,
known as the Big Heart
Grant, on March 25.
One option, the Automatic
Hardship Grant, is designed
for customers with a history
of receiving low-income
assistance on their utility
bills. They can automatically
receive a one-time grant for
the amount of their total past
due balance, up to $1,500.
The Financial Hardship
Grant is for customers who
have not received energy
assistance in the past two
years but are currently expe-
riencing fi nancial hardship.
A grant of up to $1,500 will
be applied to the customer’s
past due balance, calculated
by household size, income
and account balance.
For infor mation, or
to apply for a grant, call
Cascade Natural Gas at
1-888-522-1130.
— EO Media Group
to customers in the region.
Braun said the building will
be more than 169,000 square
feet, and the building permit
fi led with the city values it
more than $11.1 million.
The facility will be
located be at 975 E. Penney
Ave. in Hermiston’s south-
ern industrial area, about
one-half mile west of Ranch
& Home.
Braun said the company’s
Indiana headquarters has a
population of approximately
16,000 people in a county
with a population of about
43,000 people.
“We are aware of how
important an impact a
company like ours can have
on the local community and
look forward to being a good
partner with the city and its
citizens,” he said in an email.
District gets moving on multiple
construction projects this spring
East Oregonian
PILOT ROCK — The
Pilot Rock School District
is beginning multiple
construction projects in the
next few months.
The district will soon
break ground on a seismic
project as well as starting
its bond projects.
“We are really excited
to get the dirt moving and
see progress on all of these
great projects,” Pilot Rock
School District Superinten-
dent Troy Jerome said. The
seismic project at the high
school was made possi-
ble with a seismic grant
awarded by the state of
Oregon for more than $2.4
million in spring 2019.
The bond projects are
funded through a General
Obligation Bond passed
by Pilot Rock voters last
November. The $12 million
bond will fund a variety of
projects, including school
safety, deferred mainte-
nance and a new gym.
“We are ver y, ver y
thankful for the support
of our voters in pass-
ing the bond and making
it possible for so many
improvements that will
benefi t future Pilot Rock
students,” Jerome said.
In early March, the
s cho ol d i s t r ic t s old
the bonds at a favor-
able rate and will have
about $350,000 more for
bond projects than origi-
nally budgeted. Accord-
ing to Amanda Lapp,
the district’s business
manager, the district was
able to shorten the life of
the bond’s debt service
by four years and remain
stable with the dollar
amount per $1,000, with a
slight decrease over the life
of the bond.
The district is work-
ing with three compa-
nies on the seismic and
bond projects — McCor-
mack Construction as the
contractor, Straightline
Architecture as the archi-
tect and ZCS Engineering
and Architecture for the
seismic projects. Jerome
said having all of the
companies work together
is advantageous for time-
lines and the potential for
cost savings.
HONOR THE
SENIOR IN
YOUR LIFE!
Let their
accomplishments
shine with a sign
for your yard!
CLASS OF 2021
KATIE SMITH
STANFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
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respected source of
local news, advertising
and information for
our communities.
Lexington airport
eomediagroup.com
receives grant funds
LEXINGTON — The
Lexington Airport received
$452,000 from the Federal
Aviation Administration as
part of a grant intended to
improve airports statewide,
according to a press release
from the offi ces of U.S. Sens.
Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley.
The grants provided 16
Oregon airports with about
$10.3 million to prepare
for winter weather, repair
runways, improve guidance
systems and perimeter fenc-
ing, and make other improve-
ments.
Lexington Air por t
received funds to install
a guidance system for the
runway and improve the
airport’s pavement.
“Oregonians living and
working in communities
large and small need safe
and modern airport services
tions in December.
According to its website,
the family-owned company
is “a leader in specialty
products marketing and
distribution” and uses stra-
tegically placed ware-
houses around the country
to distribute auto parts, sani-
tation supplies and lifestyle
products.
After the Hermiston
warehouse opens near the
end of 2021, Braun said the
company expects to hire
between 75 and 100 people
by the end of 2022. He said
starting wages for all posi-
tions will be at least $15
an hour, and the company
will likely begin hiring in
November.
The Hermiston ware-
house will house inven-
tory ready to be shipped
CLASS OF 2021
ALICE SMITH
HERMISTON HIGH SCHOOL
CLASS OF 2021
4/9-4/15
Cineplex Show Times
Theater seating will adhere to social distancing protocols
Every showing $7.50 per person (ages 0-3 still free)
JOHN SMITH
PENDLETON HIGH SCHOOL
Voyagers (PG13)
1:40p 4:40p 7:40p
Godzilla vs. Kong (PG13)
1:20p 2:00p 4:20p
5:00p 7:20p 8:00p
Nobody (R)
12:40p 3:40p 6:40p
Raya and the
Last Dragon (PG)
1:00p 4:00p 7:00p
wildhorseresort.com • 541-966-1850
Pendleton, OR I-84 - Exit 216
*photos and names for illustrative purposes only.
To place your order,
contact Audra Workman today!
541-564-4538
aworkman@eastoregonian.com