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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 18, 2020)
BAKER CITY HERALD — 3A TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 2020 Invasive weed of the week By Jeffrey Pettingill The enemy Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris). The strategy This is an annual weed that grows fl at on the ground and can form very dense mats up to 15 feet across. This invader from Europe produc- es yellow fl owers every four days. From this fl ower eight sharply pointed triangular seeds are formed that give this seed head the nickname of goathead. It starts growing in June and remains viable until the fi rst frost if not controlled. Attack This plant does not like any competition, therefore we always fi nd it in sandy, dry, and gravelly sites. We fi nd it in our area along the railroad tracks, some baseball fi elds, and we have started to see it on the borders of agricultural fi elds. This plant has probably single handedly supported many bike tire and car tire repair shops, as it will punc- ture bicycle and car tires. Photo by Al Crouch / Bureau of Land Management The Indian Creek fi re burns near Highway 20 be- tween Vale and Juntura on Sunday afternoon. Blaze burns 9,000 acres in Malheur County Photo by Rich Old Puncturevine seeds can puncture bicycle and car tires. if you just scrape them off the surface. Just roll the plant in front of you with your shovel, and when you fi nd the root, dig it up and pick the plant up by this root and place it into your container for disposal (garbage is fi ne as the weed will get buried very deep in the landfi lls). 2,4-D is effective, but you must treat often. Series Continues Jeffrey Pettingill, weed control supervisor for Baker County, will be writing an occasional article about a common noxious weed in the area. Pettingill encourages people to call him if they have weed questions or see a species they’re not familiar with. His offi ce number is 541-523-0618 and his cell is 541-519-0204. The defense Minimizing disturbance and preventing this weed from growing is the best way to control it. Residual herbicides (Steril- ants) applied in late fall or early winter can prevent the weed from growing. In sensitive sites, such as the alleyways, using Telar XP at 1.5 ounces per acre is very effective in early spring or during the growing season. If the weeds are along the edges of your fi elds and lawns, try to plant more grass. Digging up these plants is very effec- tive, just keep in mind that you must get to the root of the plant as they will grow back The triangular seed of puncturevine produces sharp points. Photo by Rich Old MALHEUR COUNTY RETURNED TO PHASE 1 RESTRICTIONS ON MONDAY COVID-19 spread prompts return to restrictions in Malheur County Malheur County has seen only increasing percent- VALE — The yellow tape ages of those tested showing has to go back up around signs of infection. On July 1, playgrounds, closing them to that percentage was 8.3%. kids. A month later, it was 17.7%. — Thomas Wheatley, interim In the last week, that nearly Churches, which have communications director for been allowed to have up to doubled to 32%. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown 250 people in attendance, The state and county have have to cut back again — to tried a variety of mea- no more than 50. ing the county to return to sures across Oregon and in And as Malheur County tighter restrictions on public Malheur County to slow the heads back into 100-degree behavior starting Monday, spread. Brown has mandated weather, two sources of relief Aug. 17. that masks be worn in public for local children will close on As she did so, the number places. The governor and the Monday — the Vale pool and of people infected with the Malheur County Court on the Ontario splash pad. virus continues to grow. As of July 15 put the lid on indoor The moves all come as Friday, 889 cases were identi- social gatherings such as health authorities take steps fi ed. Thirteen people are in birthdays, declaring no more to get more Malheur County such serious medical condi- than 10 people could be at residents to distance from tion they are in the hospital. such events. each other to get the corona- Since March, 15 people have Malheur County went a virus under control. died related to COVID-19, step farther, saying outdoor Unless COVID-19 is and the state announced that social gatherings could have tamed, state offi cials say, a state prison inmate died on no more than 25 people Malheur County could follow Wednesday. — half what the state was Umatilla County back to the The toll on residents has allowing. restrictive measures that been mounting for weeks. The limits haven’t worked. stop restaurant dining, close On June 1, the county hairdressers and barbers reported just 32 cases dating and make certain retailers back to March 29, and 4.7% put up the “closed” sign. of those getting tested were “The COVID-19 virus is a showing signs of the infec- deadly threat that is spread- tion. ing like wildfi re across Mal- By July 1, four times as heur County,” said Thomas many cases were reported Wheatley, interim communi- while the number of tests cations director for Gov. Kate had only doubled. Brown. “If the community Through July, the number cannot get the virus under of cases increased fi vefold. control, then we will need to More worrisome to health return to baseline stay home authorities is how many tests status to prevent additional were coming back positive. deaths.” Health experts aim to keep The governor underscored that rate at 5% or lower, in- the urgency of Malheur dicating that while a virus is County’s situation by order- present, it’s not out of control. By Les Zaitz Malheur Enterprise “The COVID-19 virus is a deadly threat that is spreading like wildfi re across Malheur County.” State and county offi cials cite two key reasons. They say people continue to gather in groups, allowing the virus to spread among people who may not appear infected. “Social gatherings are a major source of the spread of the disease — often because we let our guard down around people know,” Wheat- ley said in his email to the Enterprise. And offi cials say that proximity to Idaho, which has far fewer restrictions, means it’s likely Malheur County is unwittingly importing the virus, either by people from Idaho who work in Oregon or those from Malheur County traveling to Idaho for shop- ping and wide-open events such as rodeos. But health offi cials concede they don’t know for sure where people in Malheur County are getting the virus. VALE — Offi cials from the Bureau of Land Man- agement are asking the public’s help for information about the possible cause of a wildfi re that had burned 9,000 acres of sagebrush, juniper and grass in Malheur County as of Monday afternoon. The Indian Creek fi re was reported about 11:30 a.m. Sunday near Highway 20 around Milepost 203. That’s about 13 miles east of Juntura, and about 43 miles west of Vale. The area is 70 air miles south of Baker City. Anyone who saw the fi re when it was very small, or who noticed any suspicious activity in that area prior to the fi re, or has factual information about the start of the fi re, is encouraged to call Vale BLM fi refi ghters at 541- 473-6374. Or they can call the WeTip hotline at 1-800- 472-7766. The call is toll-free and anonymous. The fi re grew rapidly Sunday evening when strong outfl ow winds from thunderstorms buffeted the area. The fi re spread from about 1,000 acres at 6:30 p.m. to an estimated 5,000 acres by 9 p.m., according to the BLM’s Vale District. The fi re was 10% contained as of 3 p.m. on Monday. Vale District crews and volunteers from the Juntura Rangeland Fire Protection Association worked on the fi re Sunday, with some crews continuing well past mid- night Sunday to douse spot fi res ignired by wind-blown embers, cutting bulldozer lines and grading existing roads in the area to establish fi relines. Nine aircraft dropped retardant to slow the fi re’s spread on Sunday. The Indian Creek fi re burned around the Burns Paiute Ranch, but no structures were damaged. It is burning primarily on public land that is priority habitat for the sage grouse. No new fi res were reported Sunday in Baker County. Forest Service fi re crews contained a 1-acre fi re, started by lightning and reported on Saturday, about 3 miles northwest of Greenhorn. Restrictions for state and federally-protected lands, including privately-owned property outside of a fi re dis- trict, can be found at http://bmidc.org/restrictions.shtml L OCAL B RIEFING New Hope For Eastern Oregon Animals seeks volunteers for feral cat project New Hope for Eastern Oregon Animals is seeking volunteers to assist with its Baker City feral cat Trap- Neuter-Return (TNR) program. New Hope is seeking volunteers to assist with trapping, fostering litters from cats too small to undergo surgery, and feeding. No expe- rience is necessary. Those interested in volunteering can call New Hope at 541-403-2710 or 541-403-0724. State Police seeking public’s help in tracking down deer poacher A single mule deer doe was shot and left to waste in a farmer’s fi eld near Smith Lake, just east of Interstate 84 near the Campbell Street interchange in Baker City, on late Monday, July 27, or early on July 28, according to a press release from the Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division. The Oregon Hunters Association will give a $500 reward, or hunters may choose to receive four hunting preference points, for information leading to a citation or arrest in the case. Anyone with information on this case can call the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line at *OSP or 1-800-452-7888. Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution “The Suffrage Movement in America” A Reader’s Theater Written by Gloria Holland, Salem, Oregon Sharing the Stories of Remarkable Women Told in the Voice of the Women and Their Time Performances Park Pavilion in Geiser-Pollman Park 6 p.m. August 15, 2020 6 pm. August 21, 2020 Oregon Trail Interpretive Trail Center 1:30 p.m. August 27, 2020 Baker City, Oregon
