NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
‘Deervid’ not a concern for Oregon, officials say
By ALEX WITTWER
EO Media Group
LA GRANDE — The
presence of COVID-19
among the white-tailed deer
population in Oregon isn’t
known, according to officials
with the Oregon Department
of Fish and Wildlife, and it’s
unlikely to be a concern.
Reports of infections
running rampant in the
Midwest’s white-tailed deer
population spurred numer-
ous news outlets to pen arti-
cles extolling the dangers
of a COVID-19 reservoir
in the wildlife population.
The presence of COVID-19
in deer has been detected in
15 states, including Iowa,
Michigan, Illinois and New
York, according to the US
Department of Agriculture.
Oregon officials aren’t
too concerned however, and
said the probability of infec-
tion among the hoofed rumi-
nant population was low, and
lower still was the chance the
deer could reinfect humans.
“It’s a low probability,”
said Colin Gillin, state wild-
life veterinarian for ODFW.
“It’s not been shown that it’s
a threat to Oregonians.”
Gillin said that due to the
relatively low population of
white-tailed deer in Oregon,
as well as the lack of petting
zoos, research facilities or
farms meant that human-to-
Alex Wittwer/EO Media Group, File
A group of young deer make their way across a field near Hunter Road in Summerville on Jan. 17, 2022. Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife officials are not concerned about the presence of COVID-19 among the white-tailed deer population in Oregon.
deer contact is remote.
In fact, most interactions
between Oregonians and
white-tailed deer generally
involve firearms.
If there’s a concer n
among hunters, Gillin said,
proper sanitation, vaccina-
tions and mask wearing can
mitigate the risk of exposure
of COVID-19 to the wildlife
population in Oregon, and to
hunters.
The veterinarian also
noted that in the case of a
disease such as COVID-19,
the virus would change due
to absorbing DNA from the
host.
“When a virus goes into a
new host or a new species, it
takes on some of the genetic
Forecast for Pendleton Area
| Go to AccuWeather.com
TODAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Mostly cloudy,
showers around
Cold; a snow
shower in the a.m.
Partly sunny and
cold
Partly sunny and
warmer
Mostly cloudy and
warmer
material of that species or
host and it changes the virus
a bit,” Gillin said.
Gillin also said there’s
“not a lot of evidence at this
point that it easily goes into
other species of deer like
blacktail deer, mule deer or
elk.”
“It may,” he said, “but so
far there’s been no evidence
Skier dies in accident near
Anthony Lakes Ski Area
The Observer
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
43° 27°
39° 15°
43° 24°
64° 39°
55° 33°
HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
49° 30°
45° 18°
48° 23°
63° 43°
57° 31°
OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
50/35
40/19
47/29
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
45/26
Lewiston
49/37
51/31
Astoria
48/37
Pullman
Yakima 47/27
48/30
46/25
Portland
Hermiston
49/38
The Dalles 49/30
Salem
Corvallis
50/37
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
40/25
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
52/40
47/30
41/25
Ontario
52/32
Caldwell
Burns
64°
27°
57°
32°
75° (1979) 14° (1931)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
Albany
51/39
0.00"
0.43"
0.16"
1.49"
1.65"
2.16"
Today
Medford
58/36
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2022
NNE 7-14
N 7-14
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
First
6:21 a.m.
5:51 p.m.
9:09 a.m.
none
Full
Last
New
NATIONAL EXTREMES
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
High 91° in Plant City, Fla. Low -18° in Yellowstone N.P., Wyo.
Mar 10
Mar 17
Mar 24
Mar 31
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
County sheriff’s offices,
USFS law enforcement and
additional ski patrol person-
nel had begun accessing the
area.
Tracked utility vehi-
cles and snowmobiles were
used to reach the base of the
peak, but the slope of the
peak itself was accessible
only by foot due to hazards
and steepness of the terrain.
During this time, an Oregon
Army National Guard heli-
copter was flying to the scene
from Salem.
The team of ski patrol and
Anthony Lakes staff navi-
gated down the steep slope
and met with incoming SAR
and medical personnel, at
which time it was confirmed
by paramedics that Carr had
died from injuries sustained
in the ski accident.
IN BRIEF
Wed.
WNW 4-8
NW 6-12
Boardman
Pendleton
51/25
NORTH POWDER — A
Washington college student
died following a skiing acci-
dent Saturday, March 5,
on the northwest slope of
Gunsight Peak, southwest of
the Anthony Lakes Ski Area.
Ella Carr, 20, a student at
Whitman College in Walla
Walla, was seriously injured
after losing control and
crashing into trees, accord-
ing to a La Grande Fire and
North Powder Rural fire
department press release.
The search and rescue teams
from the Union and Baker
county sheriff’s offices, plus
crews from the La Grande
and North Powder Rural fire
departments, U.S. Forest
Service law enforcement and
the Anthony Lakes Ski Patrol
all responded to the accident.
In addition to the respond-
ing ground resources, a Life
Flight medevac helicop-
ter was ordered, along with
a hoist-capable medevac
helicopter from the Oregon
Army National Guard due to
the steep terrain and reported
severity of injuries.
About one hour and 20
minutes after the initial call
of the accident was received
at 11:22 a.m. a ski patrol
and Anthony Lakes staff
managed to climb up the
approximately 38-degree
slope and reach Carr. They
assessed the situation, and
then initiated transport
down to the base of the peak
where arriving La Grande
Fire Department paramed-
ics, search and rescue teams
from the Baker and Union
WINDS (in mph)
51/29
45/25
0.00"
0.36"
0.27"
2.80"
3.06"
2.96"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Pendleton 37/17
51/38
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Last year to date
Normal year to date
HERMISTON
Enterprise
43/27
53/35
59°
32°
54°
33°
75° (1904) 19° (1931)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
48/31
Aberdeen
40/20
46/26
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
48/35
that it causes disease in the
deer, and there’s no docu-
mented evidence that it
comes back out of the deer,
so it’s acting like a zoonotic
disease.”
Deer aren’t the only
animals to have been known
to suffer COVID-19 infec-
tions. Early in the pandemic,
mink farms suffered tremen-
dous losses as farms across
the world culled their minks
due to the virus running
rampant. Denmark culled
nearly 17 million minks in
November, 2020, after it was
found the virus had been
transmitted from minks,
mutated and was transmitted
back to the human handlers,
according to reports from
NBC news.
But whether or not
the virus will be seen in
Oregon’s deer population
remains a mystery. Offi-
cials with the ODFW aren’t
actively testing or research-
ing the virus in Oregon
herds. But it’s also unlikely
infected deer from the
Midwest would end up in
Eastern Oregon, given that
the longest recorded migra-
tion path of a white-tailed
deer is less than 400 miles.
Still, Gillin said the state
is keeping close watch on
any new developments
regarding COVID-19 in the
wildlife population.
“There’s quite a few
really good researchers out
there working on this in the
Midwest. They’re putting a
lot of resources into it and
we’re in contact with those
individuals,” Gillin said.
“We have our ear to ground
on the topic, but we’re not
engaged in active research
in Oregon because of the
low risk.”
EOU announces plan to
lift mask mandate
state health officials as it moves through changes
in other safety and health protocols.
LA GRANDE — Eastern Oregon Univer-
sity soon will lift its mask mandate, the univer-
sity announced Friday, March 4.
Beginning March 12, in most indoor EOU
settings, masks will be welcomed but will not
be required, according to a press release from
the school.
State and federal requirements for wearing
masks in health care settings, within public
transit and in other specialized settings will
remain in place at this time. This means masks
will have to be worn at EOU’s student health
center.
EOU’s move comes after Oregon Gov.
Kate Brown announced on Feb. 28 that start-
ing March 12 the states of Oregon, California
and Washington collaboratively will no longer
require masks to be worn in indoor public
places.
“In accordance with the changes in statewide
requirements, EOU will repeal its COVID-19
Pandemic Face Covering Policy. Masks
continue to be available near building entrances
throughout campus,” the press release said.
EOU will continue to monitor COVID-19
cases and will remain in contact with local and
Teen arrested following
Prairie City shooting
PRAIRIE CITY — A 16-year-old male has
been arrested for the Friday, March 4, shooting
of a Prairie City teen, according to the Grant
County Sheriff’s Office.
In a March 5 press release, Sheriff Todd
McKinley said the shooter faces charges of
recklessly endangering another person and
unlawful use of a firearm.
McKinley said the shooter, who knew the
victim and her boyfriend, was at 401 N. Wash-
ington St. before a caller reported the shooting
a little after 4 p.m. March 4.
According to emergency dispatchers, the
person who called 911 stated the girl’s boyfriend
accidentally shot the girl and then fled; McKin-
ley confirmed March 5 that was not the case.
According to McKinley, Grant County
Juvenile Department transported the suspect
to a juvenile facility in Bend.
The victim, McKinley said, suffered signif-
icant trauma to the head and was flown to
another medical facility.
— EO Media Group
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
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-0s
0s
showers t-storms
10s
rain
20s
flurries
30s
snow
40s
ice
50s
60s
cold front
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