WEEKEND EDITION
WILDHORSE POW WOW SAM JENNINGS
CANCELED DUE TO SHARP INVESTS IN HIS FUTURE
SPIKE IN COVID-19 CASES WITH NEW JAVELIN
REGION, A3
SPORTS, B1
MAY 15-16, 2021
145th Year, No. 90
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WINNER OF THE 2020 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
DISCO
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EASTER
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OREGO
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INSIDE • DISCOVER EASTERN OREGON
Raising
cash to run
a campaign
School board
candidates bring in
thousands of dollars
for school board races
Rarely used House rule saves Bailey’s Bill
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
SALEM — Members of the
House Judiciary Committee dusted
off a seldom-used rule this week
to force a hearing for Bailey’s Bill.
Officially named Senate Bill
649, Bailey’s Bill increases penal-
ties for criminal sexual contact
with an underage victim if the
off ender is the victim’s teacher.
Currently, a coach convicted of
sexual abuse in the third degree
receives harsher penalties than a
teacher who commits the exact
same crime. The legislation is
named for Weston-McEwen High
School student Bailey Munck, who
testifi ed on March 25 to the Oregon
Senate’s judiciary committee, tell-
ing of sexual abuse in 2019 during
a volleyball road trip by Andrew
DeYoe, an English teacher and
scorekeeper for the volleyball
team.
Sen. Bill Hansell, R-Athena,
and Sen. Kathleen Taylor, D-Mil-
waukie, introduced and shep-
herded the bill through the Senate.
Members of the Senate Judiciary
Committee voted unanimously
to send the bill to the full Senate,
where it was passed without oppo-
sition. The bill then headed to the
House, where it seemed a legisla-
tive slam dunk.
This week, however, commit-
tee chair Rep. Janelle Bynum,
D-Clackamas, indicated she likely
wouldn’t be scheduling a hearing
for the bill, essentially stopping its
See Bill, Page A10
COVID-19
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — It may pale
in comparison to the money raised
for statewide or
federal campaigns,
but candidates in
local school board
elections are rais-
ing cash to get their
name out ahead of
the Tuesday, May
18, election.
Anderson
Given that most
Hansell
school boards races
were uncompeti-
tive in past years,
even f irst-time
candidates would
often forgo fund-
raising on their way
to certain victory.
While many candi-
Gregg
dates are still choos-
ing to run low or
no-cost campaigns,
a few candidates
are collecting thou-
sands of dollars to
secure a seat on a
board.
In Hermiston,
Pitney
Position 4 incum-
bent Brent Pitney
is slightly outrais-
ing his challenger,
at tor ney Sally
Anderson Hansell,
as of Friday, May
14.
According to the
Sherman
Oregon Secretary
of State’s Office,
more than 90% of
Pitney’s campaign
contributions have
come from two
sources: K ner r
Construction, his
Spencer
employe r, a nd
Goller Health Insur-
ance Agency, a Hermiston business
owned by Hermiston School Board
Chair Josh Goller.
See Cash, Page A10
‘It just makes no sense’
Umatilla County
offi cials question
Gov. Kate Brown’s
funding decisions
By BRYCE DOLE
East Oregonian
S
ALEM — Fifteen Oregon coun-
ties that fell to the extreme coro-
navirus risk category for less than
a week earlier this month will
receive funding from Gov. Kate Brown’s
$20 million pledge to support local busi-
nesses.
Umatilla County was not one of these
counties. Since it was only at high risk at
the time, the county will not be receiv-
ing a dollar, despite remaining under the
state’s most stringent lockdown measures
longer than almost any county in Oregon
due to high infection rates throughout the
pandemic.
Now, offi cials are criticizing the state’s
move, arguing that county businesses
deserve the fi nancial support.
“I am beyond frustrated and upset,”
said Umatilla County Commissioner
John Shafer, who sent a letter signed
by the three county commissioners to
Brown’s offi ce on Thursday, May 13,
denouncing the governor’s move.
“Where is the equity here?” the letter
said. “Since day one of this pandemic,
Umatilla County has been hit harder than
any other county in the state. Our small
businesses, many of which are minority
owned, may never recover from this.
Imagine the benefi ts they would enjoy if
they had an opportunity to share in the
$20 million.”
The 15 counties dropped to extreme
risk on April 30. Under mounting pres-
sure from business groups and lawmak-
ers statewide, Brown moved to fund local
businesses impacted by the restrictions.
Then, on May 4, the restrictions were
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian, File
Tables sit empty outside of The Prodigal Son in Pendleton on Aug. 7, 2020, as the
restaurant and others throughout Umatilla County were forced to close dine-in seat-
ing as the county returned to baseline precautions in an eff ort to quell the spread of
COVID-19.
lifted as COVID-19 hospitalization rates
slowed statewide.
In a Tuesday, May 11, press confer-
ence, Brown confi rmed that the state will
continue forward and fulfi ll its promises
to fund those counties.
Umatilla County was at high risk at
that time, where it remains, so it did not
receive funding.
An inequitable proposal
The county’s businesses have been
largely shut down under restrictions like
the initial lockdown, Phase 1, the pause,
the “two-week freeze” and the extreme
risk category for a total of 181 days since
the pandemic began, according to docu-
ments from the Umatilla County Health
Department. That’s because the county
consistently reported one of the highest
testing positivity rates statewide since the
pandemic began, according to state data.
Only one county, Multnomah County,
has been under the same level of restric-
tions for longer. Two other counties, Jose-
phine and Marion, have been under the
restrictions for the same amount of time,
documents show.
But each of those counties fell briefl y
to extreme risk in Brown’s last assess-
ment. Josephine County, with nearly
9,000 more people than Umatilla County,
will receive more than $712,000 for the
brief stint in extreme risk, according to
county documents showing funding to
the 15 counties. Marion and Multnomah
See COVID-19, Page A10
Four named to Hall of Fame
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — This year’s
list of inductees to the Pendleton
Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall
of Fame has an air of déjà vu.
Last year, the hall of fame
announced four honorees — three
humans and a horse. They included
former Round-Up champion Butch
Badger, a quarter horse geld-
ing owned by Cydney Curtis
and the late Heather Corey,
is one of four inductees into
the Pendleton Round-Up
and Happy Canyon Hall of
Fame. Badger has an exten-
sive background in carrying
Round-Up queens, princess-
es, presidents, directors and
Hall of Fame inductees.
Knowles, longtime volunteer Jack
Shaw, the late Mary Hines, and a
horse named Badger.
Normally, the inductees
are treated like royalty during
Round-Up week. They ride in
the Westward Ho! Parade and are
honored at an annual banquet. But
last year was anything but normal.
See HOF, Page A10
NEED 40% MORE UMATILLA
COUNTY RESIDENTS
TO GET VACCINATED
w w w.sa hp endleton. org
Pendleton Round-Up and Happy
Canyon Hall of Fame/Contributed
Photo
UMATILLA COUNTY
As of
5 /1 3 /2 0 2 1
When reached
65%
25%
Remain at
“Lower Risk”