THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 2020
LOCAL & NATION
Biden picks California
Sen. Kamala Harris
as his running mate
By Kathleen Ronayne
and Will Weissert
Associated Press
WILMINGTON, Del. —
Joe Biden named California
Sen. Kamala Harris as his
running mate on Tuesday,
making history by selecting
the fi rst Black woman to
compete on a major party’s
presidential ticket and
acknowledging the vital role
By John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune-TNS
Black voters will play in
California Sen. Kamala Harris speaks during a rally
his bid to defeat President
for former Vice President Joe Biden at Renais-
Donald Trump.
sance High School on March 9 in Detroit.
“I have the great honor to
announce that I’ve picked @
KamalaHarris — a fearless fi ghter for
Harris’ record as California attorney
the little guy, and one of the country’s
general and district attorney in San
fi nest public servants — as my running
Francisco was heavily scrutinized during
mate,” Biden tweeted. In a text message the Democratic primary and turned off
to supporters, Biden said, “Together, with some liberals and younger Black voters
you, we’re going to beat Trump.”
who saw her as out of step on issues of
Harris and Biden plan to deliver re-
systemic racism in the legal system and
marks Wednesday in Wilmington.
police brutality. She tried to strike a bal-
In choosing Harris, Biden is embrac-
ance on these issues, declaring herself a
ing a former rival from the Democratic
“progressive prosecutor” who backs law
primary who is familiar with the unique enforcement reforms.
rigor of a national campaign. Harris, a
Biden, who spent eight years as Presi-
55-year-old fi rst-term senator, is also one dent Barack Obama’s vice president,
of the party’s most prominent fi gures and has spent months weighing who would
quickly became a top contender for the
fi ll that same role in his White House.
No. 2 spot after her own White House
He pledged in March to select a woman
campaign ended.
as his vice president, easing frustration
Harris, who is also Indian American,
among Democrats that the presidential
joins Biden in the 2020 race at a moment race would center on two white men in
of unprecedented national crisis. The
their 70s.
coronavirus pandemic has claimed the
Biden’s search was expansive, in-
lives of more than 150,000 people in the
cluding Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth
U.S., far more than the toll experienced
Warren, a leading progressive, Florida
in other countries. Business closures and Rep. Val Demings, whose impeachment
disruptions resulting from the pandemic prosecution of Trump won plaudits,
have caused an economic collapse. Un-
California Rep. Karen Bass, who leads
rest, meanwhile, has emerged across the the Congressional Black Caucus, former
country as Americans protest racism and Obama national security adviser Susan
police brutality.
Rice and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance
Trump’s uneven handling of the crises Bottoms, whose passionate response to
has given Biden an opening, and he en-
unrest in her city garnered national at-
ters the fall campaign in strong position tention.
against the president. In adding Harris
Rice congratulated Harris on her
to the ticket, he can point to her rela-
selection, calling her a “tenacious and
tively centrist record on issues such as
trailblazing leader.” Rice said she would
health care and her background in law
support Biden and Harris “with all my
enforcement in the nation’s largest state. energy and commitment.”
HOT HELP
Continued from Page 3A
Wachtel said that
everything fell into place
to allow the department to
follow through on Medina’s
“unique” request.
“It was a matter of being
SCHOOLS
Continued from Page 1A
Witty said Tuesday after-
noon that he was pleased
that state offi cials listened
to the information pre-
sented to them and eased
the requirements for school
districts in counties with
populations of 30,000 or less
or with a population density
of fewer than six residents
per square mile.
Baker County meets both
standards.
“It does move away from
the one-size-fi ts-all,” Witty
said. “They’ve given us
more fl exibility and more
authority has been given
to the local public health
offi cials.”
Under the original
metrics the governor an-
nounced July 28, schools
couldn’t have in-person
classes unless their county
had a COVID-19 weekly
case rate of less than 10
new cases per 100,000
population for three
straight weeks, and a
weekly positive test rate of
5% or below, also for three
straight weeks.
Baker County would not
meet either metric based on
the case totals for the past
few weeks. To meet the case
rate standard the county
could not have more than
one new case in any of the
three weeks.
The original metrics also
had a statewide metric —
no school district could offer
in-person classes unless the
statewide weekly positive
in the right place at the
right time,” she said.
Medina took to Face-
book at 6:56 p.m. Friday to
express her appreciation for
the police department’s will-
ingness to help her father.
“I am so blessed to have
such a wonderful city
looking out for my dad,”
she wrote. “You have all
went above and beyond for
a daughter all the way in
Garland, Texas, worried
about her dad all the way
in Oregon. This is why my
house will ALWAYS back
the blue.”
test rate was 5% or below
for three straight weeks.
“It might have been
impossible to get back to
in-person school for the
whole year had changes not
been made to the original
metrics,” Witty said.
The new metrics, while
allowing for a return to in-
person classes sooner, still
will provide for the safety of
the students, the staff and
the community in general,
he believes.
“I think this is a very
strong move in the right
direction for us,” Witty said.
The new metrics an-
nounced Tuesday exempt
school districts in rural
counties such as Baker
from the statewide test rate
standard.
The weekly new case rate
and positive test rate met-
rics have been replaced. The
new metric for the Baker
School District to offer
in-person classes requires
that Baker County have 30
or fewer new cases over the
preceding three weeks, with
fewer than half of the new
cases during that period
happening during the last of
the three weeks.
Baker County would
have met that requirement
based on the most recent
three-week period for which
statistics are available, July
12-Aug. 1. During that pe-
riod the county had 22 new
cases, with nine in the last
of the three weeks.
However, the new metrics
also require that county
health offi cials conclude
that there is no community
spread of the virus.
Witty said Tuesday that
in his recent conversations
with Dr. Eric Lamb, the
county health offi cer, Lamb’s
opinion is that there is com-
munity spread happening,
with between 2 and 9 new
cases reported weekly since
late June.
For that reason, Witty said,
the District will continue
with plans for comprehen-
sive distance education when
school starts on Sept. 8.
“The county has said
we do have a community
spread,” he said. “I have faith
in their expertise and we’re
going to lean on it. At some
point — hopefully sooner
than later — we will be able
to come back to in-person
school.”
That decision will be made
based on the likelihood that
the district could continue
to qualify to have in-person
classes for an extended time,
Witty said.
He said Tuesday that it’s
too soon to predict when in-
person classes might resume.
“We need to let the data
tell the story before we start
predicting what’s going to
happen,” he said.
The Baker School Board
agreed during a special meet-
ing Aug. 6 to review the num-
bers after six weeks of classes
— in late October — and to
begin to plan from there.
An all-online education
system still will be available
to families who don’t want
their children to return to
classrooms, Witty said.
BAKER CITY HERALD — 5A
TESTING
COVID-19 in Baker County
Continued from Page 1A
That’s a rate of 6,629 per
100,000 people, based on the
county’s estimated population
of 16,800.
Only Curry County has a
lower testing rate, of 4,813
per 100,000. Curry County, on
the southern Oregon Coast,
has had 1,107 residents
tested from a population of
23,000.
Nancy Staten, adminis-
trator of the Baker County
Health Department, said
Tuesday that Baker County’s
testing total refl ects in part
the number of people who
have come to Saint Alphonsus
Medical Center in Baker City
or another health provider
and had symptoms that meet
the OHA criteria for testing.
The state agency suggests
people contact a health care
provider, to be assessed for
a possible test, if they have
COVID-19 symptoms such as
a cough, fever or shortness of
breath, or if they have been
in close contact with a person
who has tested positive.
Health offi cials defi ne close
contact as being within 6 feet
of a person for 15 minutes or
more consecutively.
Both Staten and Alicia
Hills, the Health Depart-
ment’s nursing supervisor,
have said that some people
identifi ed as close contacts
with a person who tested
positive, but who did not
themselves have symptoms,
have been asked to self-
quarantine but have not
also been tested unless they
developed symptoms.
Staten said Tuesday that
although she would like to
see more county residents
tested, she doesn’t believe
that the relative scarcity of
tests is obscuring a large
number of infected but nons-
ymptomatic residents.
If that had been the case,
Staten said she would have
expected the people with no
symptoms to have spread
the virus. That would have
led to more people visiting
WEEK START
NEGATIVE TESTS POSITIVE TESTS
March 1
March 8
March 15
March 22
March 29
April 5
April 12
April 19
April 26
May 3
May 10
May 17
May 24
May 31
June 7
June 14
June 21
June 28
July 5
July 12
July 19
July 26
August 2*
1
2
8
2
5
14
27
9
16
26
43
41
53
51
57
65
66
74
109
80
112
136
78
Source: Oregon Health Authority
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
3
6
7
9
1
*through Aug. 8
their doctor because they
had symptoms, and thus
more people being tested
and, ultimately, more posi-
tive tests.
Baker County’s case total
as of Wednesday was 45 —
that includes at 41 people
who tested positive as well
as four “presumptive” cases.
The fi ve cases reported
Tuesday and Wednesday are
positive tests, not presump-
tive cases, Staten said.
Presumptive cases are
people who have COVID-19
symptoms and have had
close contact with a person
who tested positive, but
who themselves have either
tested negative or have not
been tested.
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LIVE AUCTION
Highland Dr Real Estate:
3120 Highland Dr, Baker City, OR
August 15th, 2020 @ 10 AM
Preview: August 14th, 2020 10AM-6PM
Dream location overlooking the City. This amazing 2.32 acres is a must see.
Beautiful custom built home with over 3400 sq/ft. Wonderful floor plan with
open kitchen and family room with city views. The kitchen offers a large
island and dining area with custom oak cabinets. Along with the living room
off the entry there is a large master bedroom with city views, with a large
walk in closet and walk in shower. A nice second bedroom and office/bed-
room plus a large utility with bathroom on the main level. Lower level offers
a large bonus room, bedroom, cold storage. Nice private back yard. Outside
you’ll find a fantastic 40 x 50 shop with tack room and storage, plus a 35’ x
47’ covered RV storage. Lots of parking. This is a wonderful property.
TERMS: This property to be sold at LIVE auction on Aug. 15, 2020 at 10:00 am (pst).
Sold As-Is, Close in 30days. 5% earnest money day of the auction, non-refundable.
5% buyer’s premium. Seller to provide title insurance & 1/2 of closing doc fees.
* Call Larry with any questions. You do not have to have an agent to
participate. All real estate agents must register at least 2 days prior to
auction and be present day of auction.
PERSONAL PROPERTY AUCTION TO FOLLOW!
MLS #98772155
Larry Downs
Downs Realty and Auctions
208-939-9456