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Thursday, december 31, 2020
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Local Girl
Scouts
build nod to
British sci-fi
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children
Creation of a TARDIS
little library delivers
prestigious award
SATURDAY-MONDAY • October 24, 2020
Masks required for all
employees and visitors at
all workplaces, indoors
and outside
The Observer
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Fans of
the British science fi ction series
Doctor Who may see a familiar
blue police box on the front lawn
of a home on Oak Street, La
Grande.
Local Cadet Girl Scouts
Sophia and Olivia Thornburg
created a little library that looks
like a blue police phone box,
which happens to the form of
the TARDIS, the fi ctional time
machine and spacecraft from the
long-running TV series Doctor
Who. While this box won’t be
bigger on the inside, like the
TARDIS, it will contain its own
treasures — the sisters are are
fi lling it with books for their
Silver Award.
The Silver Award is the highest
honor a Girl Scout in middle
school can earn. It requires
at least 50 hours of work and
involves the scout identifying an
issue in the community, creating
a plan to help solve the issue and
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Anna Kreutz, left, and Maggie Riley stand next to a cover of the novel “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” they painted by the
entrance to the La Grande Middle School Library. The La Grande teens painted several book covers to liven up the new entry way
to the library.
Wizards, wimps and vampires
See, Scouts/Page 5A
Get ready
for a stroll
with your
neighbors
noting their attention to detail.
“They did a fantastic job,” she said.
Myer said their art has added zest to
the entrance.
“They have made (the entrance) seem
like a different place,” Myer said. “It
brings excitement to the library.”
Myer wanted to liven up the library’s
south entrance because it now is its main
entryway. The library’s west doors were
its previous main entryway. This is no
longer the case because the La Grande
School District during the summer con-
verted a portion of the library’s east side
into two classrooms because of antici-
pated enrollment growth.
When La Grande Middle School stu-
dents are able to return to school after
the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, they
will be using the west entrance to get
to these classrooms because it is closer.
Myer said she anticipates the south
entrance will be used almost exclusively
to enter the library.
Riley and Kreutz started their work in
the winter and continued it this summer.
They had to work separately, though,
because of COVD-19 social distancing
standards.
Kreutz, who will be a junior at La
Grande High this fall, said one of the
biggest challenges of the project was
dealing with the uneven surface of the
walls at the entrance.
Students add
literary spark to
library entrance
By Dick Mason
The Observer
LA GRANDE — The covers of page-
turning books are turning heads at the
La Grande Middle School Library’s
south entrance.
The talent of two young painters
whose brush strokes are making popular
fi ction characters leap off pages is the
reason.
La Grande High School junior Anna
Kreutz and 2020 La Grande High School
graduate Maggie Riley recently fi n-
ished painting expanded images of book
covers on the walls alongside the south
entrance of the school’s library. The col-
orful images are of covers of works pop-
ular with middle school students. They
consists of “Harry Potter and the Sor-
cerer’s Stone” and “Harry Potter and
the Chamber of Secrets,” both by J.K.
Rowling, and books from the Percy
Jackson & The Olympians novel series
by Rick Riordan, The Hunger Games
series by Suzanne Collins, The Diary of
a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney and
Walking Wednesday
set for Sept. 2
By Dick Mason
The Observer
LA GRANDE — A four-
block portion of La Grande’s
O Avenue will resemble some
Seattle neighborhoods in a special
way for 45 minutes the evening of
Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The stretch, between Second
Street and Walnut Street, will
be closed to vehicle traffi c for
Walking Wednesday, an event
aimed at helping people come
together during the COVID-19
pandemic. The quarter-mile por-
tion of O Avenue will be shut
down for an hour beginning at
6:45 p.m. to allow residents to
walk freely along the street and
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Fresh paintings of three book covers
adorn the entrance to the La Grande Mid-
dle School Library.
the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer.
Keri Myer, the middle school’s
librarian, said she was impressed with
the work done by Kreutz and Riley,
See, Mural/Page 5A
Miller mounts write-in campaign; sheriff off ballot
See, Walking/Page 5A
By Ronald Bond
The Observer
LA GRANDE — There will
be just one name on the Nov. 3
ballot for Union County sheriff.
But two people are running.
Deputy Cody Bowen, who
won the primary election for
sheriff May 19, will be the only
name on the ballot, after Sheriff
Boyd Rasmussen, who edged out
Bill Miller for second place to
qualify for the general election,
withdrew from the race.
Rasmussen, who is facing
an ethics investigation by the
Department of Public Safety
Standards and Training,
announced Aug. 12 he would no
“On a major race like this, I haven’t had
anybody that I know of as long as I’ve
been here. I’m not going to say it never
happened.”
— Robin Church, Union County Clerk, noting she is not aware of
anyone attempting a write-in campaign for a local high-end position,
but Bill Miller is giving it a try for Union County sheriff.
longer actively campaigning for
a fi fth term as sheriff. He fi led
paperwork Wednesday, Aug.
26, to offi cially have his name
removed from the ballot, two
days before the deadline to do
so, according to Union County
INDEX
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Crossword .... 4B
Dear Abby .... 8B
WEATHER
Home ............ 1B
Horoscope .... 4B
Lottery........... 2A
Obituaries ..... 3A
THURSDAY
Opinion ......... 4A
Sports ........... 7A
State .............. 6A
Sudoku ......... 7B
Clerk Robin Church.
Miller, however, has decided
to mount a write-in campaign.
The former deputy sheriff, detec-
tive sergeant and drug task force
leader for the sheriff’s offi ce
in the May primary narrowly
Wednesday
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See, Sheriff/Page 5A
541-963-3161
Issue 104
2 sections, 16 pages
La Grande, Oregon
The Observer
SALEM — The Oregon Health
Authority’s latest face covering
guidelines require masks, face
coverings or face shields in all
workplaces, indoor public spaces,
outdoor businesses and in out-
By Kaleb Lay
The Observer
UNION COUNTY — While some faith
organizations in Union County have fore-
gone in-person services and gatherings
around the Christmas holiday to avoid
spreading COVID-19, others have forged
ahead despite the risk.
In Island City, the Lighthouse Pente-
costal Church plans to hold a three-day
youth conference over the New Year hol-
iday, raising concerns about COVID-19
transmission and the potential for another
outbreak.
A June outbreak of COVID-19 was tied
to Lighthouse Pentecostal, when at least
236 people were infected following several
in-person events the church held. The out-
break set back Union County’s reopening
at the time and the story garnered national
news coverage.
Now, as the pandemic has reached its
most severe stages across the state and
nation, the faith group plans to convene a
youth gathering dubbed “Avalanche 2020.”
Lighthouse Pentecostal declined mul-
tiple requests to comment and respond
to questions about the event, its impor-
tance to their faith or what safety measures
church leaders are implementing to pre-
vent another outbreak.
In Facebook posts advertising the event,
the church declared that a “youth hangout”
would take place after services with “food,
gym and games.” Lighthouse Pentecostal
also is selling Avalanche merchandise in
its online store.
The Oregon Health Authority and Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention
have warned people not to gather with
Community voices concern
State Sen. Bill Hansell hopeful Boise Cascade, DEQ can reach resolution to prevent mill’s closure
Facebook screenshot
A screenshot from a video on Facebook of the Christian Life Center’s Christmas celebration
shows the women’s choir gathering on stage. Around 100 people reportedly attended the
service Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020, in Elgin.
Local legislators refl ect on special session
East Oregonian
LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
SALEM — The Oregon Leg-
islature’s third and fi nal special
session of the year was “defi -
nitely memorable,” said Rep.
Greg Smith, R-Heppner.
As the legislature met inside
the Capitol with masks and
social distancing, protesters
attempted to force their way
into the building after being
denied access due to COVID-19
restrictions. Oregon State Police
declared the protest, organized
by the right-wing group Patriot
Prayer, an unlawful gathering
Lawmakers passed four bills during the Dec. 21 one-day special session:
• An eviction moratorium that includes $200 million in relief for landlords
and tenants.
• A restaurant relief package that includes a provision legalizing cocktails
to-go.
• A bill that protects schools from some coronavirus-related lawsuits.
• A measure that will transfer $600 million in to the state’s emergency fund
for COVID-19 and wildfi re response and recovery.
Hansell
Smith
Barreto
and arrested four protesters
for trespassing and disorderly
conduct.
Smith said there is “no place”
for violence or destruction of
public property, and he catego-
rized the amount of taxpayer dol-
lars used in the police response
as “unfortunate.”
He also said he felt with the
WEATHER
Dear Abby .... 8B
Horoscope .... 4B
Letters ........... 4A
Lottery........... 2A
Obituaries ..... 3A
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Spiritual ........ 6A
Sudoku ......... 7B
technology and infrastructure
available to the state there should
be more public access to the leg-
islature during sessions con-
ducted during the pandemic.
“I’m of the opinion this
whole process could have been
Friday
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Paul Howard of La Grande
died Thursday at a Boise hos-
pital due to complications
from COVID-19, his brother,
John Howard, reported. Paul
Howard was 62.
Local man
succumbs
to virus
Paul Howard
contracted the
coronavirus three
weeks ago
Only 1 of 9 staff
members still an active
case; others recovered
By Ronald Bond
The Observer
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Jan Marrs, co-owner of Almosta Farm at Cove, shows how it easy it is to work with her Nigerian dwarf
goats. Almosta Farm is on the new Union County Farm Loop map.
AROUND THE FARMS
Union County Farm Loop map to be released soon
By Dick Mason
The Observer
By Ronald Bond
The Observer
LA GRANDE — John
Howard described his younger
brother, Paul Howard, as a man
who didn’t complain in spite of
the circumstances he faced.
“He did the best he could
with the hand he was dealt
with,” John Howard said. “As
family members and friends,
we were proud of the way he
handed himself all the way
through life.”
Paul Howard, 62, died
Thursday due to complications
from COVID-19, his brother
said.
“It’s just the sudden
shock,” John Howard said
Monday. “Three weeks
ago Paul was enjoying life,
enjoying his work and family
and doing all the things he
loved to do. In three weeks,
it’s all gone. It’s a total shock.
It seems surreal.
“Paul had many years of life
ahead of him if it had not been
for the COVID virus.”
John previously told The
Observer his brother con-
tracted the virus through
community spread and was
admitted to Grande Ronde
Hospital, La Grande, and ini-
tially returned home after a
three-day stay in the hospital.
“I think he had a fl are-up
with the virus,” John Howard
See, Howard/Page 5A
UNION COUNTY — GPS
units will be no match for this
new map.
The Union County Farm
Loop map soon will be avail-
able online and in print
throughout the county.
The loop map provides
a self-guided scenic drive
through a series of farms,
ranches, backyard farm stands,
pastures, orchards and agri-
culture-related businesses,
said the map’s creator, Janet
Dodson of North Powder, who
is involved in agritourism proj-
ects throughout Northeast
Oregon.
The map outlines a route
starting in La Grande at Avella
Orchard on Fir Street and then
running to Summerville, Cove,
Union, the Hot Lake area
and ending back La Grande
at Community Merchants on
Adams Avenue, whose features
include locally raised meat.
The map, which is being
fi nalized, will have about 18
stops.
The map is a revised edition
of the Cove-Union Farm Loop
map, one created by Dodson
and put out 2016. That map
featured stops along a 40-mile
Staff photo by Dick Mason
Jan Marrs, co-owner of Almosta Farm at Cove, greets one of her Ni-
gerian dwarf goats on June 30. Almosta Farm is on the new Union
County Farm Loop map.
loop that began in Island City
and ran southeast to Union and
then north to Cove and Lower
Cove Road and fi nally west to
Island City.
All of the stops on the
Union County Farm Loop
are at sites where visitors are
welcome during operating
hours or, in many cases, by
appointment.
The map is part of an effort
to develop agritourism in
Union County.
“Agritourism is a way for
farms and ranches to diversify
See, Loop/Page 5A
LA GRANDE — The Oregon
Health Authority last week listed
New Day Enterprises, La Grande,
among the entities that had expe-
rienced a workplace outbreak of
COVID-19.
The outbreak, which saw nine
members of the New Day staff
contract the virus, has largely
passed, according to executive
director Christy Slack. Most, in
fact, have returned to work.
“We have nine confi rmed
and eight have been cleared and
recovered,” Slack said Thursday.
“We have one currently out
with a positive case. She has not
returned to work since then.”
New Day Enterprises — a pri-
vate, nonprofi t community mental
health facility — serves adults
with intellectual and develop-
mental disabilities, providing a
place to live and opportunities to
interact within the community.
Slack said none of New Days’
roughly 30 clients, nor the rest of
the staff of about 60, have con-
tracted the virus.
The OHA’s weekly report lists
the outbreak as having been “fi rst
reported” June 13, though it was
not included in the report until
July 1.
New Day should be in the clear
by mid-July if nothing changes.
“(From) what I’m under-
standing, if there is no increased
report from 28 days from the
onset, the outbreak should be con-
sidered washed, so to speak,” she
said.
Slack said the outbreak was
traced to an individual at Light-
house Pentecostal Church, the
source of the recent major out-
break in Oregon. When health
authorities contacted New Day
about there being potential cases
within its staff, Slack said they
See, Outbreak/Page 5A
Red-tailed hawk
released into wild
Raptor had been hit by a truck May 9 near Cove
By Dick Mason
The Observer
COVE — This adult red-
tailed hawk lacks a name but not
odds-defying spunk.
The raptor, which could not
stand nearly two months ago after
being hit by a truck near Cove,
was reintroduced into the wild
Thursday afternoon, capping an
unlikely comeback story.
“It was one of those positive,
feel-good events,” said Donna
Rainboth, an Eastern Oregon Uni-
versity science education pro-
fessor who led the release of the
hawk.
Rainboth placed the raptor
back where it was found May
9 after it had spent almost two
months recovering at the Blue
Mountain Wildlife Rehabilita-
tion & Education center, Pend-
leton. Lynn Tompkins, director of
Blue Mountain Wildlife, said the
bird’s recovery is nothing short of
remarkable.
“It could not stand the fi rst few
days it was here,” she said. “I was
not optimistic that it would make
it. It is nice to be wrong.”
Tompkins initially feared the
reason the bird could not stand
was because it had a broken back
or pelvis.
However, x-rays indicate the
bird had no broken bones. Still,
Tompkins knew the bird had
Kangal guard dogs on duty in Wallowa, 2A
LG School District budget looking good, 2A
in Outdoors
See, Hawk/Page 5A
INDEX
CONTACT US
Dear Abby .... 8B
Home ............ 1B
Horoscope .... 4B
Letters ........... 4A
THURSDAY
Lottery........... 2A
Obituaries ..... 3A
Opinion ......... 4A
Sports ........... 6A
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How players are handling life without sports
Classified ...... 4B
Comics .......... 7B
Community .. 3A
Crossword .... 4B
• To learn more about Blue Mountain Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education,
visit, bluemountainwildlife.org.
541-963-3161
Issue 80
2 sections, 14 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Online at lagrandeobserver.com
Good day to our valued subscriber Robert Kuchler of La Grande
Union County now
among most infected
Oregon counties per
capita
Horoscope .... 3B
Letters ........... 4A
Lottery........... 2A
Nation ........... 8A
TUESDAY
Obituaries ..... 3A
Opinion ......... 4A
Outdoors ...... 1B
Sports ........... 7A
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
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FILM FEST FOLLOW-UP
A plan for ‘Season 1’
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Issue 127
4 sections, 62 pages
La Grande, Oregon
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Inside
EHS student wins statewide contest, 2A
Spreading out in the Eagle Cap wilderness, 1B
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SATURDAY-MONDAY • August 22, 2020 • $1.50
Good day to our valued subscriber Walter McKay of La Grande
Photo contributed by Nancy Tarpy
The Observer
The Observer
UNION COUNTY — While
COVID-19 cases pummeled pop-
ulation centers and coastal areas
in Oregon and across the U.S. ear-
lier this year, Union County went
largely unaffected. Daily case
counts regularly reported one or
zero new coronavirus infections,
and double-digit days were almost
unheard of locally, with the excep-
tion of one outbreak related to a
religious gathering.
That is no longer the case.
COVID-19 infection rates con-
tinue to skyrocket around the
country. Oregon went from a pre-
vious record-high 571 daily cases
to now reporting more than 1,000
daily cases multiple times in the
past week. Friday the Oregon
Health Authority reported yet
another one-day record high
for new and presumptive cases
— 1,306.
And as went the state and the
nation, so went Union County.
The county had another 17 cases
Friday, bringing the county’s total
to 655. Union County now ranks
among the most-infected counties
in the state.
Phil Wright/The Observer
Gym users forgo masks while working out Thursday night, Nov. 19, 2020, at Anytime Fitness, La Grande. The gym’s owner is disregarding
Gov. Kate Brown’s orders to shut down for two weeks to help ebb the spike in the spread of COVID-19.
Flaunting the freeze
Anytime Fitness remains open, refuses to enforce mask mandate
By Kaleb Lay and Jade McDowell
EO Media Group
LA GRANDE — Anytime Fitness in
La Grande is refusing to abide by state
efforts to curtail the unprecedented spread
of COVID-19, which claimed the life of its
800th Oregonian on Thursday, Nov. 19.
The fi tness center has not closed its
doors to comply with the “two-week
freeze,” which began Wednesday.
“If you’re a member, you have access
to the gym,” Anytime Fitness manager
Lynette Williamson said. “We are taking
our chance. We’re gonna remain open
until something happens. We just decided
we can’t afford to do another shutdown
and, you know, we can’t have the mem-
bers be set back in their workouts. We
believe that we’re essential and we have
no contact tracing out of here, we have no
cases coming out of our facility, so we’re
just going to remain open.”
Williamson also said Anytime Fitness
is not enforcing the wearing of masks,
instead leaving the choice to its members.
“No, we’re not requiring that,” she said.
“We’ve got disinfectant, everybody’s kind
of distant. Everybody’s socially distanced,
yeah. But if you feel comfortable wearing
one, that’s cool too.”
At least six males were using the
gym for a span Thursday evening, none
were wearing masks. They also were not
staying at least 6 feet apart, the minimum
Local spread
In the eight months between
the beginning of March and the
end of October, Union Coun-
ty’s Center for Human Devel-
opment, which serves as the
public health department for the
county, reported 493 total cases of
COVID-19. Over the following 20
days, CHD reported an additional
162 cases.
Residents of Union County
have seen a dramatic change in the
month of November, during which
cases have jumped more than
29%. Union is now the fi fth-most-
infected county in the state per
capita. With a population of about
27,000, one out of about every 41
residents of the county has caught
COVID-19
Only Malheur, Umatilla,
Morrow and Jefferson counties
have higher rates of infection than
Union. While population-dense
counties such as Multnomah and
Washington report a great many
more total cases, coronavirus
infections now are relatively more
common within the rural popula-
tion of Union County.
Multnomah County, for
example, conducts an average of
26,630.3 tests per 100,000 res-
idents, which is comparable to
Union County’s average. But
CONTACT US
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By Sabrina Thompson
By Kaleb Lay
Phil Wright/The Observer
Vehicles fi ll the parking spaces Thursday night, Nov. 19, 2020, in front of Anytime Fit-
ness, La Grande. The gym’s owner is disregarding Gov. Kate Brown’s orders to shut
down for two weeks to help ebb the spike in the spread of COVID-19.
social distance the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and other health
authorities recommend.
Cases continue to rise
Gov. Kate Brown on Tuesday signed
Executive Order 20-65 to implement clo-
sures and restrictions on gatherings to
slow the spread of COVID-19 in light of
hospitals “sounding the alarm” they could
be overwhelmed if cases continue on their
upward trend.
“The cycle of this virus is such that
if we are seeing case rates topping 800-
1,000 per day now, that means our hospi-
tals are headed for very dark days ahead,”
the executive order states. “Actions taken
now will help prevent lives from being
lost — not just from COVID-19, but also
from other diseases or accidents that lead
people to need hospital-level care, which
they would not be able to get if hospital
beds and hospital staff are fully occupied
with COVID-19 patients.”
See, Freeze/Page 5A
Locals join in push for COVID-19 reform
Elected leaders from Eastern
Oregon who signed a letter
asking Gov. Kate Brown for
changes to her approach to
COVID-19 shutdowns said this
was not in direct response to
the current two-week “freeze.”
Instead, the letter was crafted
over several weeks as an outline
of what they hope to see happen
as the state continues to address
INDEX
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observer.com.
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Classified ...... 2B
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Dear Abby .... 6B
In Sports
manent end.
“I think if they shut
down the local plant, it
won’t be reopened,” said
Warren, who was visiting
Elgin on Thursday.
Warren said his father
worked at the Boise Cas-
cade plant for 31 years.
He is worried that many
people who are employed
at the plant now may have
to move out of the commu-
Rasmussen
investigated
for ‘moral
fi tness
violation’
EO Media Group
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by the
numbers
Eastern Oregon
officials seek to spur
change of state’s
handling of pandemic
Donna Rainboth releases a red-tailed hawk back into the wild Thurs-
day near Cove close to where it had been hit by a truck May 9.
1964. It employed 270
people during its initial
year, according to Observer
archives.
VanCleave herself has
worked at the plywood
plant. She said she worked
a graveyard shift for a year.
Brad Warren, who grew
up in Elgin and now lives
in Bend, said he fears if the
plywood plant does close in
January, it will mark a per-
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Steelhead Shortage
SATURDAY-MONDAY • November 21, 2020
New Day
reports
COVID-19
outbreak
541-963-3161
Issue 153
4 sections, 40 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Dick Mason/The Observer
An employee at the Boise Cascade plywood plant in Elgin
operates an excavator Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. The plant
employs 230 people. Boise Cascade earlier this week an-
nounced it could reduce employees’ hours or temporari-
ly close the plant in January.
INDEX
Online at lagrandeobserver.com
Good day to our valued subscriber Debbie McConnell of La Grande
Coronavirus pandemic
See, Session/Page 5A
CONTACT US
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
avoided,” he said.
The Capitol building is not
the legislature, Smith said, and
the legislature is not required
to meet there. He said he would
potential changes are due
to a lack of logs because
of wildfi res as well as an
order from the Oregon
Department of Environ-
mental Quality regarding
the use of wastewater at
the Elgin facility. The plant
employs 230 people.
“It could be scary for a
little town. I don’t know
what is going to happen. A
lot of people depend on it,”
said Felicity Hicks, 26, who
works at Elgin Auto Parts.
Hicks, who grew up in
Elgin, said there was talk
around town that the ply-
wood plant would close.
“I don’t think people
saw it coming this fast,”
added Hicks, whose father
and grandfather have
worked at the plywood
plant.
Kim VanCleave, the
Elgin School District’s
food service supervisor,
echoed this sentiment.
“It is sad. (The plant)
is so important to a lot of
people,” she said. “Half
the town (it seems) have
worked there.”
Boise Cascade opened
its Elgin mill on July 16,
The Observer
See, Students/Page 5A
Dick Mason/The Observer
Vapor trails through the air Thursday morning, Oct. 22, at Boise Cascade’s plywood plant in Elgin. The wood products company has announced it
could reduce workers’ hours or even close the plant, at least temporarily, in January.
ELGIN — Despite
the presence of familiar
rumors, Elgin residents
received a jolt this week
when they learned their
town’s 56-year-old Boise
Cascade plywood plant
soon could close.
Boise Cascade
announced in a news
release Wednesday, Oct.
21, that it may reduce
employee hours or close
the Elgin plant temporarily
beginning Jan. 1, 2021. The
By Dick Mason
See, Mill/Page 5A
See, Faith/Page 5A
By Dick Mason
More
students
on-site in
Island City
nity to fi nd work.
Suzannah Moore-
Hemann, executive director
of the Union County
Chamber of Commerce,
also is highly concerned
about the announcement of
a possible closure.
“I was shocked and
saddened when I heard
about it,” said Moore-
Hemann. “Boise Cascade
is a great supporter of the
community.”
She said the impact
of the job losses would
be compounded by the
timing of possible layoffs,
which could occur in the
heart of the winter season
when heating bills are the
highest.
In years past, a large
percentage of the Elgin
plant’s employees had
school-age sons and daugh-
ters, according to Dianne
Greif, superintendent of the
Elgin School District.
“Fifteen to 20 years ago
it was at least one third.
Today it is much less,” she
said.
The superintendent
those outside their own household, and
Oregon, California and Washington issued
joint advisories against non-essential
travel.
Lighthouse Pentecostal is not alone in
The Observer
INSIDE
In-depth look at latest
developments in school
sports, Page 7A.
ISLAND CITY — To
walk on to Island City Ele-
mentary School’s campus
on Wednesdays is to almost
step back back in time
seven months to the pre
COVID-19 era.
The reason: fourth and
fi fth graders are back at
Island City Elementary, if
only for one day a week.
This means all of the
school’s students now
attend school on campus
each Wednesday just as
they did before mid-March
when the COVID-19 pan-
demic forced the state to
close all school campuses.
The restriction remained
in effect in the La Grande
School District through
Oct. 5. At that point, the
changing state COVID-19
rules allowed the school
district to provide on-site
instruction to students in
kindergarten through third
grade.
At Island City, fourth
and fi fth graders now can
attend school on-site for
two hours on Wednes-
days because it meets
the requirements for the
phasing in of a new school
district program, providing
state COVID-19 restrictions
are in place.
Island City is the fi rst
elementary school in the
district to open its campus
to fourth- and fi fth-grade
students one day a week.
The students are sepa-
rated into two groups, each
cohort attending a two-hour
session every Wednesday,
either from 8-10 a.m. or
from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Fifth-grade teacher
Darren Hendrickson said
it is a delight to be able to
teach his students in person
again.
“It is so great to have
them back,” said Hen-
drickson, who had had to
teach his students exclu-
sively online until the new
program started about two
weeks ago. “It is a lot dif-
ferent seeing them in the
virtual world instead of the
real world.”
He said when you can
see students in person it
helps build relationships,
which leads to a better
learning environment.
“I get more done in two
hours (in an on-site session)
than I do in two to three
days online,” Hendrickson
said.
He said one of the frus-
trating aspects of teaching
online is he cannot always
see all of his students.
Sometimes there are tech-
nical issues, and Hen-
drickson said some students
are shy and avoid being in
See, Masks/Page 5A
Faith and face masks
Follow us on the web
TUESDAY • July 7, 2020
The mandate came as Ore-
gon’s COVID-19 cases con-
tinued to spike, with the OHA
on Friday, Oct. 23, reporting 550
new confi rmed and presumptive
COVID-19 cases, a new one-day
record.
“Preliminary data show this
increase is due to continued wide-
spread community transmission
resulting in small clusters and out-
breaks across the state,” the state
health agency reported in a press
release.
Some faith organizations in Union County proceed with in-person holiday gatherings despite risk
TUESDAY
Inside
absence of a vaccine and reliable
treatment, face coverings along
with other preventive measures
are the best tools we have for lim-
iting the spread of COVID-19 in
our community.”
The newest updates add spe-
cifi cs for when people must wear
a mask, including at outdoor mar-
kets, schools and outdoor facili-
ties. The mandate also specifi es
that at all workplaces, indoor and
outside, employees and visitors
must wear a mask except when
it is not possible, such as while
swimming.
Ellen Morris Bishop/For the Wallowa County Chieftain
Business ....... 1B
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Crossword . 4,5B
Online at lagrandeobserver.com
door public spaces when physical
distancing of at least 6 feet is not
possible.
The OHA issued the stricter
mandates Monday, Oct. 19. Carrie
Brogoitti, public health adminis-
trator for the Center for Human
Development, La Grande, said the
new guidance refl ects the most
recent understanding of transmis-
sion and how to best use face cov-
erings to reduce the spread of the
virus.
“Because COVID-19 is new,
we continue to learn about how it
spreads,” Brogoitti said. “In the
Jupiter, left, and Saturn draw near to each other to form a “Christmas star” as they set over Wallowa County’s Ruby Peak at about
5:45 p.m. on the winter solstice, Monday, Dec. 21, 2020.
INDEX
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Anti-tourism signs in Joseph investigated, 2A
November ballot measure list is short, 6A
Getting the most from rice
By Sabrina Thompson
By Jade McDowell
CONTACT US
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
LA GRANDE — There is no
stopping Shop with a Cop this
year, at least not in La Grande.
In spite of the COVID-19 pan-
demic, the program in which
children get to shop with law
enforcement offi cers for family
Christmas presents — Shop with
a Cop — remained strong in La
Grande. Earlier this month 10
children went Christmas shopping
with La Grande Police Depart-
ment offi cers.
Their Shop with a Cop experi-
ence was a bit different, though,
because of the pandemic. Previ-
ously, all Shop with a Cop partic-
ipants met with law enforcement
offi cers at Walmart in Island City
to shop together. This year, due
to health safety concerns, police
offi cers went on individual shop-
ping trips with children.
The boys and girls appeared
to enjoy the experience at least
as much as in years past, said La
Grande police Lt. Jason Hays,
coordinator of Shop with a Cop.
“One boy said it was the best
day of his life,” Hays said.
The lieutenant said conducting
the program is a joy for police
offi cers.
“We deal with so much neg-
ativity, so the chance to spend a
couple of hours with kids is won-
derful,” Hays said.
Children were provided with
$150 to purchase gifts during their
shopping spree. The experience
was once again a role reversal for
many children, who normally are
the ones receiving gifts.
“It gives them a chance to be
heroes for their families,” Hays
said.
It is a role many enjoyed. This
was evident when police offi cers
reminded them they also were
supposed to choose a present for
themselves. Hays said some chil-
dren seemed almost reluctant to
do so because they were enjoying
shopping for others so much.
In the past, the children and
the offi cers they were with ate
lunch at a restaurant after shop-
ping. COVID-19 restrictions this
year have shut down in-person
dining, so each child got to order
a takeout lunch at a favorite
restaurant and then go to the La
Grande Police Department to eat
together. The chance to enjoy a
meal at a police station appeared
to be a thrill for the children.
“They loved it,” Hays said.
After eating, the children and
offi cers spent about an hour wrap-
ping the gifts.
missed out on qualifying for the
November ballot, claiming just
less than 25% of the vote. Ras-
mussen received only 133 more
votes than Miller, fi nishing with
just less than 26%.
Miller, who spent close
to two weeks after Rasmus-
sen’s announcement weighing
the decision on whether to run
a write-in campaign for the
November election, ultimately
decided to do so, pointing to his
law enforcement and military
experience as needed in the cur-
rent social environment.
“I still believe I am the most
Good day to our valued subscriber Carol Dixon of Island City
• $1.50
Oregon issues stricter mask mandates
By Dick Mason
By Sabrina Thompson
Weekend
Edition
Follow us on the web
Classified ...... 2B
Comics .......... 5B
Crossword .... 2B
Dear Abby .... 6B
fl uctuations in COVID-19
numbers.
The letter, dated Wednesday,
Nov. 18, and signed by 51 county
commissioners and state leg-
islators, asks Brown to allow
restaurants and bars to stay open
throughout the pandemic, to
fully reopen schools, to reopen
state agencies to the public and
to allow religious leaders to use
their best judgment in oper-
ating places of worship. It also
urges her to allow local elected
offi cials to work with county
health departments to come up
with their own versions of Phase
1 and Phase 2 for COVID-19
regulations.
“A one-size-fi ts-all approach
WEATHER
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THURSDAY
Opinion ......... 4A
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OPERATION SANTA
to shutting down the state was
logical and appropriate in March
when the onset of this pandemic
was new and was unknown,” the
letter states. “Over time, we have
learned, adapted, adjusted and
improved. Keeping counties and
regions in a Phase II for an indef-
inite period of time is a one-size-
fi ts-all approach that does not
work any longer.”
Counties seek autonomy
State Sen. Lynn Findley, a
Republican from Vale, said he
and other legislators had been
working on drafts of the letter
for about three weeks before
sending it to the governor’s
offi ce. The COVID-19 land-
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
27 LOW
41/29
Partly cloudy
High clouds
scape in Oregon looks different
now than when discussion of the
letter began. On Nov. 1, Oregon
Health Authority reported 524
new cases of COVID-19. Since
then the state has repeatedly
set new records for daily case
counts, and on Friday, Nov. 20,
reported 1,306 new cases.
Findley, whose district
includes portions of 11 coun-
ties, said his main goal is to pro-
mote a “dialogue” between the
governor, other state offi cials
and legislators and local offi -
cials in rural counties. He said
he wants the state to give more
autonomy to city and county
UNION COUNTY — Alle-
gations of sketchy actions has
Union County Sheriff Boyd
Rasmussen again under the
microscope.
The Oregon
Department of
Public Safety
Standards and
Training’s Police
Policy Committee
Rasmussen voted Thursday,
Aug. 20, to initiate
a professional standards inves-
tigation against Rasmussen.
The committee’s 13 members
attending in person and online
voted unanimously for the
investigation.
Safety Standards and
Training received a complaint
in May about Rasmussen based
on the Oregon Department of
Justice investigation, which
concluded in June. The Police
Policy Committee considered
two complaints during the
meeting: whether Rasmussen
inappropriately managed the
sheriff’s offi ce reserve deputy
fund and the pay he retained
for proving law enforce-
ment services for Elgin while
working as sheriff and without
the authorization of the county
board of commissioners.
“I have a particular con-
cern with the investigation,”
said Mark Rauch, the commit-
tee’s public member. “There
is a basically a fi nding of at
least inappropriate billing if
not theft with that amount of
money.”
The Department of Jus-
tice found Rasmussen received
more than $7,000 in pay from
the Elgin contract, something
he was not eligible for as a sal-
aried county offi cial, but he
was beyond the reach of pro-
tection due to the statute of
limitations.
Committee members
Jill Thissell, an Indepen-
dence police offi cer, John
Teague, chief of the Keizer
Police Department, and Eliz-
abeth Lawrence, sergeant at
the Bend Police Department,
agreed with Rauch and deemed
the matter should go before
DPSST as a professional stan-
dards case.
While the Police Policy
Committee’s primary concern
was Rasmussen taking con-
tract pay while on the county
dime, committee member
Chris Davis, assistant deputy
chief with the Portland Police
See, Sheriff/Page 5A
See, Change/Page 3A
CONTACT US
541-963-3161
Issue 139
3 sections, 32 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas
to news@lagrande
observer.com.
More contact info
on Page 4A.
Online at lagrandeobserver.com
Band of Drifters
plays Northeast Oregon
this weekend
Page 2
Nancy and Cliff Tarpy moved to
La Grande in 2002 to be with fam-
ily. Nancy recalled surviving Hur-
ricane Camille 51 years ago.
Staff photo by Ronald Bond
People line up Thursday, Aug. 20, outside the La Grande branch of Old West Federal Credit Union wait-
ing to apply for a $500 check from the state government for fi nancial assistance. Those who have been
severely fi nancially impacted by the COVID-19 related shutdowns were eligible.
Funds come through
Hundreds in La Grande receive financial help
By Ronald Bond
The Observer
LA GRANDE — Old West
Federal Credit Union was busy
Thursday, Aug. 20, with people
lining up to acquire one of the
thousands of $500 checks the
state government allocated to
give to Oregon residents who
have been fi nancially impacted
by COVID-19 related shutdowns.
State legislators approved the
$35 million plan, and checks
began to go out on Wednesday.
The money was drawn from fed-
eral coronavirus relief funds,
according to an Oregon Cap-
ital Bureau article, and provides
the funding to the fi rst 70,000
approved residents.
Bob Kavanaugh, Old West’s
business developer and media
contact, said there likely were
150-200 people who came
through the doors of the La
Grande branch Thursday.
“One time I looked out and
there were 50 (people outside),”
he said.
Individuals in La Grande
waited in line for more than an
hour Thursday to get inside and
apply for the much sought after
fi nancial aid.
“It’s going to help with rent.
It’s going to help fi nancially.
Surviving
Hurricane
Camille
La Grande woman
reflects on harrowing
experience
By Dick Mason
The Observer
Worldwide cases: 22,536,278
Worldwide deaths: 789,197
U.S. cases: 5,551,793
U.S. deaths: 173,490
Total U.S. tests: 74,830,464
(8.86% positive)
Oregon cases: 24,421
Oregon active cases: 19,418
Oregon deaths: 414
Total Oregon tests: 510,056
(4.54% positive)
Union County cases: 407
Union County active cases:
359
Union County deaths: 2
Total Union County tests:
3,177 (11.80% positive)
Wallowa County cases: 21
Wallowa County active cases:
12
Wallowa County deaths: 1
Total Wallowa County tests:
804 (2.49% positive)
*As of 3:30 p.m. Friday,
Aug. 21. Sources: World Health
Organization, Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention,
Johns Hopkins University,
Oregon Health Authority and
Oregon Military Department.
Some of us are in back pay
on bills,” said Courtney E. of
La Grande. “And food. We’re
starving.”
The La Grande woman, who
said she’s a single mom with
three kids, has had her hours cut
in half during the pandemic. She
has received help from Com-
munity Connection of North-
east Oregon, but still is in a tight
place.
“We’re just trying to hang on.
Nobody is ahead. We’re behind,”
she said. “We’re all struggling.”
Erica G., also of La Grande,
also had her hours at work cut
in half.
“All of my hours went down,”
she said. “You’re down ... on
everything, trying to survive.”
She pointed to rent and util-
ities as bills the money would
help cover. She added, though,
that individuals who still are in
a bind fi nancially would greatly
benefi t from another stim-
ulus check from the federal
government.
“They need to get that $1,200
LA GRANDE — The sky was
falling 51 years ago where Nancy
Tarpy hunkered down in Gulf-
port, Mississippi, and she feared
the worst was yet to come.
It was 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug.
17, 1969, and Tarpy, then 18, had
just rushed to a bowling alley in
Gulfport with seven others to
escape Hurricane Camille, one
of the worst tropical cyclones to
ever strike the United States. The
bowling center, on a Navy Seabee
base, seemed like one of the safest
places to shelter for it was made
of steel and concrete.
“(The bowling alley) was also
a bomb shelter,” Tarpy said.
Minutes after Tarpy and her
companions arrived, Mother
Nature rolled a cruel strike.
The hurricane ripped open
a portion of the bowling cen-
ter’s roof, causing its ventilation
system and a portion of its ceiling
to crash into the interior. Sud-
denly torrential rain was falling
into the building and water began
rising up its bowling lanes. Tarpy
and her party, who were in the
center’s snack shop, had nowhere
to escape to, since going outside
might mean being swept away by
wind and fl oodwater.
“I really thought I might die,”
said Tarpy, who today lives in La
See, Checks/Page 5A
See, Hurricane/Page 5A
COVID-19 by the numbers*
Customer compliance an
issue in Wallowa County
OSHA receives eight
COVID-related
complaints against
seven Wallowa County
businesses
By Bill Bradshaw
EO Media Group
WALLOWA COUNTY —
Merchants saddled with coronavi-
rus-related regulations are facing
challenges in addition to keeping
their businesses afl oat as they
cope with making sure customers
comply with wearing face masks
and social distancing.
Aaron Corvin, public infor-
mation offi cer with the Oregon
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, said Thursday,
Aug. 13, that eight complaints
INDEX
Classified ..... 2B
Comics ......... 5B
Crossword ... 2B
Dear Abby ... 6B
Horoscope ... 2B
against seven Wallowa County
businesses had been fi led with
his offi ce. All are currently under
investigation and no citations have
yet been issued or fi nes levied, he
said.
Corvin said statewide there
have been 8,300 complaints fi led
for COVID-19-related issues. For
perspective, he said, in a normal,
nonpandemic year, his agency
receives about 2,000 complaints.
OSHA is primarily concerned
with worker safety, he said.
“Under our penalty rules, a
serious violation that is not willful
(i.e., intentional or purposeful dis-
regard for requirements) carries
a minimum penalty of $100 and
a maximum of $12,675,” Corvin
said.
He said a willful violation
TUESDAY
BY THE NUMBERS
• Statewide, OSHA has received 8,300 complaints related to COVID-19 issues
so far this year. In a normal year, the agency gets about 2,000 complaints.
• In Wallowa County, eight complaints have been fi led: four in Enterprise, three
in Joseph and one in Wallowa.
• Penalties can range from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $126,749
depending on the severity of the offense.
See, Complaints/Page 5A
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Photo by Bill Bradshaw/EO Media Group
Customers at the Enterprise Safeway leave the store Thursday, Aug.
13, still wearing the masks the state requires people to wear in pub-
lic places. Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration
reported receiving eight complaints against seven businesses in Wal-
lowa County for not enforcing the statewide mandate.
Full forecast on the back of B section
Tonight
Sunday
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Sunny
MAIL IN VOTING IN UNION COUNTY
CONTACT US
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Issue 100
2 sections, 12 pages
La Grande, Oregon
Email story ideas
to news@lagrande
observer.com.
More contact info
on Page 4A.
Online at lagrandeobserver.com
NORTHEAST OREGON
JANUARY 29, 2020
www.gonortheastoregon.com
Also inside:
EOU Chamber Choir performs, student art show opens: Page 3
Dead Lee gives two concerts: Page 6