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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 2022)
REGION Saturday, February 12, 2022 East Oregonian A3 Andy Nicolais/East Oregonian The number of new reported cases of COVID-19 is dropping quickly in Umatilla County, from 788 last week to 315 this week. Due to the increasing availability of rapid home tests — which are not always reported to the county public health department — these numbers underrepresent the actual number of cases in the county. Statewide, hospitalizations are decreasing from the peak of 1,130 on Jan. 27. Oregon Health & Science University forecasts that hospitalizations will continue to decrease to pre-omicron levels by late March. Umatilla offi cer was among locals to help in Richland shooting By ERICK PETERSON East Oregonian RICHLAND, Wash. — Follow- ing a deadly shooting in Richland, Washington, the Umatilla Police Department sent one of its own to help. Lt. Keith Kennedy rushed to the scene of the shooting on Monday, Feb. 7. Two people had been shot, and one had died, at the Fred Meyer store in Richland. Officers from numerous agencies were present. Kennedy’s job was to perform a “perimeter watch” as it was then unknown if the suspect remained nearby, according to the Umatilla Police Department. “They wanted anyone who could come to come,” Kylie Baker Umatilla police administrator said. “They really didn’t know at that with a pair of other offi cers from point what the scale of this event diff erent departments. was going to be.” Baker said it is uncommon for Her department, Baker said, only her department to send offi cers to had two or three offi cers on duty at locations as far away as the Richland the time. As one of those offi cers Fred Meyer, which is more than 40 was the school resource miles away. offi cer, charged to look over “I’ve worked here about Umatilla schools. That left 10 years, and normally Kennedy as the only person that’s not standard proto- available to assist, Baker col,” Baker said. “But said. normally, we don’t really “ B a s i c a l l y, w h a t have five-scale events occurring in our area, fortu- happens f rom a law Kennedy nately. So, it doesn’t happen enforcement perspective, is once they get on scene at very often, but when agen- a major event like that, they check cies call and say ‘We need help,’ if in with a command post,” Baker we have someone available, we’ll said. “Whatever the most immedi- defi nitely go.” Baker said there were “defi nitely ate need is at that time, that’s what people from other departments in they get assigned for that event.” Kennedy’s perimeter watch was this area, as well” to assist. Semitrailer crash spills hazardous, closes I-84 East Oregonian PENDLETON — A semitrailer crash the morning of Thursday, Feb. 10, on Interstate 84 near Pend- leton shutdown the westbound free- way early into Feb. 11. The tanker truck overturned before 6 a.m. near milepost 219, about 10 miles east of Pendleton, the Oregon Department of Transpor- tation reported, spilling hazardous material. The hazmat team from Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 responded, and ODOT reported a hazmat transfer tanker truck had to come from Seattle. The clean-up crews worked at the crash site into the evening. The crash led to the closure of westbound lanes of I-84 at Exit 302 near Baker City and Exit 374 near Ontario due to backed up traffi c on detour routes. In addition, U.S. Highway 30 was closed westbound to through traffi c at Haines and Oregon High- way 245 was closed to through traf- fi c. Oregon Highway 204, Tollgate Highway, was closed westbound between Elgin and Weston. Only local freight and passen- ger vehicles were allowed on the highway with no access to I-84 for commercial vehicles. The state transportation depart- ment a little before 3 a.m. Feb. 11 reported the westbound lanes were again open. LOCAL BRIEFING Hermiston silage fi re still burns HERMISTON — Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 is asking for state help to extin- guish the silage fi re still burning in southwest Hermiston. The district on Thursday, Feb. 10, reported Columbia Basin Ag Management on Highway 207 scaled back eff orts to extinguish the fi re but were continuing to work the materials. An inspection on Jan. 26 showed the fi re mostly suppressed with a small amount of material still smoldering. Prior site visits showed employees actively work- ing to suppress the smoldering fi re with heavy equipment and water. “It appears fi re extinguishment eff orts and removal of unburned materials were either minimized or ceased by the company and recent winds pushed the fi re into unburned material.” The fire district reported it contacted Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and requested its assistance with a resolution for this fi re. The fi re district also has been in contact with the city of Hermiston throughout the monitoring of this situation with regard to the agri- cultural materials storage at this place of business. The fire district posted the update on its Facebook page, and comments indicate locals want this fi re out. “The whole area stinks and air quality suff ers (some days more Now ! g n i r i H than others),” one commenter said. “Can we please get this thing extinguished once and for all?” Another thanked the district for the update and added “it has been very bad the last couple mornings to the point where it’s choking you out in your car.” Another described the situa- tion as “So irritating.” Umatilla County’s COVID-19 death toll rises to 198 UMATILLA COUNTY — Umatilla County Public Health on Wednesday, Feb. 9, reported two more county residents died with COVID-19, increasing the coun- ty’s death toll to 198. The county’s 197th death related to the disease is a 71-year- old man who tested positive on Dec. 3 and died Dec. 28, accord- ing to the county health depart- ment, and the 198th death is a 62-year-old man who tested posi- tive on Jan. 4 and died Jan. 27 at Good Shepherd Medical Center, Hermiston. The report of the fatalities came a day after the county reported two other deaths related to COVID-19. The county health department also reported the total number of cases as of Feb. 10 stood at 21,846 since the start of the pandemic. The Oregon Health Authority as of Feb. 10 reported a total of 671,923 cases statewide includ- ing 6,344 deaths. — EO Media Group Mental Health C Integrated Ca Health Family Medicine Physician Family Nurse Practitioner Position listing at BARNS Needing a new one? Free delivery and set up within 30 miles Tobias Unruh, owner 600 David Eccles Rd Baker City, Oregon Sales Elkhorn Barn Custom Barns and S 541-519 -2968 • Elkhornbarns@gmail.com • 509-331