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THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022
146th Year, No. 94
JUL Y 27–A
UG.
WINNER OF 16 ONPA AWARDS IN 2021
3, 202 2
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PA GE 3
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COVID-19
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O DAYS
Umatilla County has 2nd highest case rate in Oregon
PA GE 8
Morrow County records 3 new COVID-19
deaths; state urges masking in 21 counties
By JOHN TILLMAN
East Oregonian
PENDLETON — Morrow
County on Monday, July 25,
reported three new deaths from
COVID-19, bringing its total to 37
and its case rate to a high 301 per
100,000 population, according to
the Oregon Health Authority. The
state rate was 190 and Multnomah
County’s 158 on July 20.
Umatilla County’s last recorded
death attributed to COVID-19
occurred June 16, Marlee Good-
night, health department commu-
nications coordinator, said.
“Death reports continue to
trickle in from the massive January
surge,” she said. “Most fatalities are
among the old.”
Despite no deaths this month
to date, total recorded COVID-19
mortality in Umatilla County grew
from 229 in early July to 235 on
Monday.
Umatilla County had the second
highest COVID-19 case rate among
MORROW COUNTY
Oregon counties as of July 20, with
29,606 per 100,000 population.
At 31,773, Jeff erson County was
fi rst and its neighbor Crook third,
at 27,160, in Oregon Health Author-
ity data. Malheur and Deschutes
Counties rounded out the top fi ve,
followed by Grant, Morrow and
Harney. The only western Oregon
county in the top 10 was Linn in
ninth place, ahead of Klamath.
With 294 fatalities per 100,000,
Umatilla County also suffered a
higher than statewide average rate
of deaths attributed to COVID-19.
During the week of June 26 to
July 2, 209 new COVID-19 cases
were reported in Umatilla County.
That number fell to 190 for July 3
to 9, and to 189 for July 10 to 16.
Data were not yet available for
July 17 to 23.
See COVID-19, Page A6
Weston-McEwen head coach Kenzie Hansell calls out instructions
to his team during the fi rst half against Heppner in the 2A state
quarterfi nals Nov. 13, 2021, at Les Payne Field in Heppner. Weston-
McEwen, Heppner and the rest of the Blue Mountain Conference will
play nine-man football in the 2022 season.
2 county
ambulance
services
fi ght it
out on
Facebook
East Oregonian, File
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
BOARDMAN — Morrow
County Health District and
Boardman Fire Rescue District
on Monday, July 25, threw social
medial jabs at each other over who
can handle emergency calls for
ambulance service.
Morrow County Health District
in a post on Facebook contended
the Ambulance Service Area Plan
for the county designates the health
district as the ambulance service
provider for all of Morrow County,
and Boardman Fire has been ignor-
ing that.
“BFRD is engaging in a prac-
tice known as call jumping, where
multiple providers responded to a
single incident,” according to the
health district’s post. “In Oregon,
call jumping is illegal. The state of
Oregon has determined that this
practice presents risks to the public
and patients that do not outweigh
the benefi ts of the action.”
The health district and the
Morrow County EMS Advisory
Committee on April 27 even issued
a determination against Boardman
Fire and Rescue District Chief
Michael Hughes’ request to change
the plan and allow Boardman Fire
to respond to all calls within its
district, which covers an area of
330 square miles. That determina-
tion also called out Boardman Fire
District for “a failure to adhere to
appropriate protocol and proce-
dure,” which included “patient
confi dentiality violations in public
See Fight, Page A6
Local teams brace for
9-MAN FOOTBALL
Six Morrow and
Umatilla County
teams will switch
to new format
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
A
THENA — Nine-
man football is
coming to a fi eld
near you.
With declin-
ing enrollment in some small-
school communities, the Oregon
School Activities Association
has decided to play nine-man
football at the 2A level.
“So far, it has been well-re-
ceived,” OSAA Executive Direc-
tor Kris Welch said. “They were
told about it last year. I haven’t
heard a lot of negative stuff . I
don’t think they will voice that
until they have played a full
season. We did this to help save
football in small communities.
I think it was a good decision.”
According to Welch, there
were several meetings and
discussions at the state level
about the move.
“People saw the benefit of
growing the game, and being
able to have a football team,” he
said.
It also creates the possibil-
ity of being able to have junior
varsity teams because less play-
ers are needed.
In Umatilla and Morrow
counties, six schools — Heppner,
East Oregonian, File
Kenzie Hansell, head coach of the Weston-McEwen High School football team, talks with players Oct. 1,
2021, ahead of a game against the Heppner Mustangs in Athena. He said the TigerScots are going to be
ready for the 2022 season, when all teams in the Blue Mountain Conference change to playing nine-man
football.
Irrigon, Stanfield, Riverside,
Umatilla and Weston-McEwen
— which all play in the Blue
Mountain Conference, along
with Grant Union, will play nine-
man football this fall.
Weston-McEwen coach
Kenzie Hansel said whether it be
11-man or nine-man, his team is
just excited to play the game.
“We are always excited to play
football and represent our fami-
lies, community and our school,”
he said. “We’re going to go out
there and continue to compete.
Touchdowns are still six points.
We are excited about the upcom-
ing season. We look forward to
getting back on the fi eld.”
See Football, Page A6