Good Shepherd goes back to limited visitation | REGION, A3
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2022
146th Year, No. 37
$1.50
WINNER OF 16 ONPA AWARDS IN 2021
COVID-19
National
Guard
returns
to area
hospitals
By ALEX WITTWER
EO Media Group
LA GRANDE — Eastern
Oregon will see a return of
National Guard members to
beleaguered hospitals as yet
another wave of the COVID-
19 virus sweeps through the
nation.
Gov. Kate Brown ordered
a second relief mission earlier
this month in support of
Oregon’s hospitals. Nearly
1,200 service members across
40 hospitals were requested by
the Oregon Health Authority.
The expected deployment date
is no later than Tuesday, Jan.
18, and is expected to continue
until mid-April.
“(Hospitals) were reporting
that they were understaff ed,”
said Maj. Chris Clyne with the
Oregon National Guard. “The
nurses and doctors — you
know, the clinical care provid-
ers — were having to take out
the trash and do these menial
tasks, and it was getting in
the way of them providing
the care to patients. That way
they’re streamlined and they
can just focus 100% on caring
for the patients.”
Hospitals set to receive
aid from the National Guard
include Grande Ronde Hospi-
tal, La Grande; Good Shep-
herd Health Care System,
Hermiston; Blue Moun-
tain Hospital District, John
Day; and Wallowa Memorial
Hospital, Enterprise.
As before, the soldiers
will be serving in nonclinical
support roles, such as material
handlers, equipment runners,
COVID-19 testing support,
custodial services and other
logistical services. Accord-
ing to Clyne, each hospital in
Eastern Oregon would receive
an average of fi ve citizen-sol-
diers.
“We have been told
that Blue Mountain Hospi-
tal District is set to receive
fi ve members of the Oregon
National Guard next week,”
Derek Daly, chief execu-
tive offi cer of Blue Mountain
Hospital District, said. “We
are thankful for these staff -
ing resources and the support
from the National Guard.
We plan to utilize these team
members to help in non-clini-
cal positions, such as environ-
mental services, across our
campuses.”
Caitlin Cozad, marketing
Plowing through the night
State police issued
32 violations and
warnings Jan. 1-6
for unchained
commercial vehicles
By ALEX WITTWER
EO Media Group
U
NION COUNTY —
Tesmond Hurd likens
the view he sees plow-
ing the roads at night to
that of “Star Wars.”
Hurd is part of the mainte-
nance crew with the Oregon
Department of Transportation in
La Grande. In summer months,
he works on road improvement
and repair projects such as chip
seals.
Photos by Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group
Tesmond Hurd with the Oregon Department of Transportation drives a snowplow through a snow-
storm Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, on Interstate 84 in Union County.
See Plowing, Page A9
Tesmond Hurd’s Oregon Department of Transportation
snowplow is fi lled with sand — an additive and dispersing
agent to help increase traction on the freeways — before
beginning his plowing route along Interstate 84 in Union
County on Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022.
New proposal for BackFire Station funding
Pendleton
Development
Commission also
to look at contest
for new business
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
See Hospitals, Page A9
PENDLETON — At its
first meeting of the year,
the Pendleton Development
Commission will try to
resolve an issue from its past
and present before consid-
ering the next steps for its
future.
On Tuesday, Jan. 18,
the commission meets to
discuss the latest funding
proposal for Moto Stuff , the
motorcycle parts company
that owns BackFire Station,
a business at 911 S.W. Court
Ave.
The Pendleton City
Phil Wright/East Oregonian
BackFire Station, 911 S.W. Court Ave., Pendleton, is open for business Sunday, Jan. 16,
2022. The Pendleton Development Commission meets Jan. 18 to discuss the latest funding
proposal for Moto Stuff , the motorcycle parts company that owns BackFire Station.
Council handpicked Moto
Stuff to buy the old fire
station and then, acting as
the development commis-
ST. ANTHONY HOISPITAL &
OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY
NO APPOINTMENT
NEEDED.
ESTIMATED RESULTS
IN 3-5 DAYS
sion, granted owners Scott
Hart and Erin Bennett
$494,819 to get the business
started through the urban
renewal district. Moto Stuff
began renovating the build-
ing, moving their motorcy-
cle parts operations from
EVERY WEDNESDAY
IN JANURARY 2022
11AM-1PM
ST. ANTHONY HOSPITAL
2801 ST ANTHONY WAY - PENDLETON
FREE
Covid
Drive Thru
Testing
(Self Administered)
Hillsboro and opening
BackFire Station, a restau-
rant and lounge.
But in December, Hart
and Bennett returned to the
development commission
with a status update. In order
to complete the renovation
project, which includes
space for vacation rentals
and a motorcycle service
shop, Moto Stuff would need
an additional $470,721. as
well as an expedition on the
reimbursements. The couple
attributed the request to
several unexpected factors,
including raising material
costs and a labor shortage
that extended the timeline
of the project.
The commission didn’t
come to a decision at the
December meeting and
when members were sched-
uled to consider the proposal
See Funding, Page A9
SAVE TIME
REGISTER
ONLINE
WWW.DOINEEDACOVID19TEST.COM