THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2021
COVID
Council OKs contract
with forester
Continued from Page A1
As for hospitals, Bennett said Baker County
COVID-19 patients who require critical care are
still being transported to Boise hospitals.
But with hospital capacity statewide being
stressed, with more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients,
Bennett said the situation can have indirect effects
on even smaller rural hospitals such as Saint
Alphonsus in Baker City.
He said a patient, who doesn’t have COVID-19,
was recently moved from Lebanon, in the Wil-
lamette Valley, to Saint Alphonsus in Baker City
because the Lebanon hospital didn’t have space.
“I really hope people realize we are in a public
health crisis,” Bennett said.
Breakthrough cases
The OHA will start releasing a weekly report on
“breakthrough” cases — infections in people who
are fully vaccinated.
Previously the state agency had published
monthly, and then biweekly, breakthrough case
reports.
The next report, with data through Aug. 22, will
be released today, Aug. 26.
The most recent report, which included statistics
through Aug. 15, showed that Baker County has
had 27 breakthrough cases. Almost half of those —
12 — were reported between Aug. 1-15.
That’s 8.2% of the county’s 147 cases reported
during that period.
Statewide, breakthrough cases accounted for
14.4% of Oregon’s COVID-19 cases from Aug. 1-15.
There were 20,701 cases during that period, and
2,982 were in fully vaccinated residents.
The breakthrough report does not say whether
any of the vaccinated Baker County residents who
tested positive were subsequently hospitalized.
Statewide, of the 7,138 breakthrough cases
reported during the pandemic, 5.8% of the people
were hospitalized, and 0.8% died, according to OHA.
The median age of those who died is 82.
Age breakdown
As was the case during July, the largest share of
new cases in Baker County during the first half of
August involved relatively young residents, accord-
ing to the Baker County Health Department.
During July, people in their 20s accounted for
27.6% of cases in the county — the highest percent-
age of any age group based on 10-year intervals.
For the first half of August, residents in their 30s
had the highest percentage of new cases — 23.4% of
the county’s total.
That age group has the second-lowest vaccina-
tion rate in the county, at 31.4% of the estimated
1,950 people in that age range.
The rest of the age breakdown for Aug. 1-15,
ranked by percentage from highest to lowest, and
followed by the vaccination rates for that age range,
in Baker County and statewide:
• 50 to 59: 17.2% of new cases.
The vaccination rate for that age group in Baker
County, through Aug. 24, is 43.5%. The statewide
rate is 71.2%.
COUNCIL
Continued from Page A1
Johnson contends the gover-
nor’s mandates violate residents’
constitutional rights.
“These rights are not given to
us by our government or by medi-
cal authorities,” Johnson said. “We
are born with these rights and
it’s the duty of the government
to protect them, not chip away at
them in the name of science or for
the good of our health.”
Another registered nurse,
Diane Merchant from Richland,
discussed natural immunity
compared with vaccines. She
said many people who worked
through the pandemic last year
were infected with the virus
either on the job or in the com-
munity.
“When governor Kate Brown
said we would all be mandated to
take the vaccine or lose our jobs,
there was no mention of natural
immunity,” Merchant said.
Merchant, who has been a
nurse since 1999, said she has
read studies about vaccines and
does not feel “evidence or best
practice has been put forth.”
Jodi Furtney, owner of Char-
lie’s Ice Cream Parlor in Baker
City, spoke against the mandates.
“As the months have pro-
gressed through this, I keep
thinking that I can’t be any more
shocked than I already am, and
the punch in the stomach can’t be
any more painful than the previ-
ous punch,” Furtney said.
By SAMANTHA O’CONNER
soconner@bakercityherald.com
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Contributed PHoto
A COVID-19 particle is pictured in this image
provided by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
• 60 to 69 years, 15.2% of new cases.
The vaccination rate in Baker County is 54.1%.
The statewide rate is 76.7%.
• 20 to 29 years, 13.1% of new cases.
The vaccination rate in Baker County is 32.2%.
The statewide rate is 61.8%.
• 40 to 49 years, 11.3% of new cases.
The vaccination rate in Baker County is 41.8%.
The statewide rate is 71%.
• 10 to 19 years, 8.3% of new cases.
The vaccination rate in Baker County for ages
12 to 19 (residents younger than 12 aren’t eligible
to be vaccinated) is 34.9%. The statewide rate is
55.1%.
• 70 to 79 years, 4.1% of new cases.
The vaccination rate in Baker County is 66.4%.
The statewide rate is 85.6%.
• 5 to 9 years, 2.8% of new cases.
• 1 to 4 years, 2.1% of new cases.
There were no cases in the county among
residents 80 or older during the first half of August.
That age group accounted for 2.5% of the county’s
cases during July.
The vaccination rate for people 80 and older in
Baker County is 68.8%. The statewide rate is 79.1%.
Vaccinations
Baker County’s vaccination rate has been higher
during August than it was for most of July.
From July 10-31, the seven-day running daily
average of vaccine doses administered in the county
ranged from nine to 15.
So far in August the running daily average has
ranged from 16 to 26 doses.
During July, a total of 336 doses were given in
Baker County.
From Aug. 1-23, the total was 475 doses, a 41%
increase compared with July. August’s total includes
38 doses administered on the 19th and 37 doses on
the 20th. Both daily totals were higher than any
day since June 11, when 90 doses were given.
Baker County’s vaccination rate among resi-
dents 18 and older increased by 1.4% from Aug.
14-21, to 48.6%.
That’s the seventh-lowest rate among Oregon’s
36 counties.
She contends the governor’s
mandates are turning people
who don’t want to get the COVID
vaccine into lawbreakers.
Alisha Alderson discussed the
effects the vaccine mandate could
have on the community.
“We’re currently experiencing
a statewide nurse staffing short-
age in Oregon,” said Alderson,
whose husband, Shane, is a City
Council member. “Taking away
the rights of health care provid-
ers to choose what’s right and
ethical for them and their fami-
lies will lead to an even greater
shortage of providers.”
Alisha Alderson said the
Oregon Nurses Association is
rallying against the mandate.
She asked the council to urgently
consider all options for the pro-
tection of health care providers
rights.
City Councilor Joanna Dixon
said she opposes both the vac-
cination and the mask mandates.
“I for one will absolutely not
ask any of our city employees to
take a vaccination against their
will,” Dixon said. “I also don’t
think you need to have to wear a
mask against your will. The idea
of our children being forced to
wear masks for five to six hours
in school infuriates me. To see the
children out on the playground
with masks on is asinine. There
is nothing better for your health
than fresh air, sunshine, and
exercise. And, myself, wearing a
mask makes it hard to breathe.
And we can’t have that happen-
ing to our children any more. My
thought is just to push it as far as
we can push it. I think (Brown)
going to be so overwhelmed, the
agencies are going to be so over-
whelmed, that they’re not going
to be able to do anything.”
Lloyd Nelson, a chiropractor
at the Family Wellness Center,
said he has been working with
local residents for 36 years.
Nelson said he is concerned
that if he doesn’t comply with the
vaccination mandate, he could
lose his license. He said he wor-
ries about his patients.
“What are they going to do
if I’m driven out of the state
or asked to retire or lose my
license?” Nelson said.
Baker City Fire Depart-
ment firefighters, including
Casey Johnson, president of the
firefighters local union, helped
organize the rally outside City
Hall.
Baker City Police Chief Ty
Duby said police unions across
the state are challenging the vac-
cine mandate.
Outside City Hall, Jayden
Freeman, who brought an Ameri-
can flag, said he is “supporting
the idea that medical freedom is
part of American freedom. I don’t
think we should have the govern-
ment forcing us to take a vaccine
or whatever just to participate in
real life.”
Shyanne McCoy said: “For me,
it’s just the fact that the nurses
have been working this whole
time without the vaccine and
now they’re mandating it, and
that’s not fair to them.”
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The Baker City Council voted 5-1
on Tuesday evening, Aug. 24, to ap-
prove a five-year contract with Lane
Parry Forestry Consulting of Baker
City, a pact that will start with hav-
ing the firm design a timber sale on
city property near Goodrich Creek.
Public Works Director Michelle
Owen asked the council to authorize
the contract.
The city previously had a con-
tract with Lane Parry, but it ended.
According to Owen’s staff re-
port, the 102-acre property, in the
Elkhorn Mountains about 10 miles
northwest of town, was last logged
during the winter of 2002-03.
In a written proposal, Lane Parry
Forestry Consulting estimated the
timber sale would yield a net profit
to the city’s water fund of $50,000 to
$65,000.
“The City, as a property owner,
has the responsibility to manage its
land using good forest practices,”
Owen wrote in her report. “Utilizing
Activists try to overturn Oregon’s
newest election laws
SALEM (AP) — Two new laws
aimed at expanding voter access in
Oregon are under fire from a conser-
vative group that argues the changes
will make state elections less secure.
Oregon Public Broadcasting re-
ports people affiliated with the group
Oregonians for Fair Elections have
filed referendum petitions that, if suc-
cessful, would ask voters to approve
or reject the new laws next year. To do
that, they’d need to collect 74,680 val-
id signatures in opposition to each bill
by Sept. 24, a tight timeline that could
be hard to meet as the state struggles
with a resurgence of COVID-19.
The first, House Bill 2681, ensured
that voters cannot be labeled “inac-
tive” — and so ineligible to automati-
cally receive a ballot — for the sole
reason of not voting. It’s an extension
of other steps Oregon has taken in
recent years.
In 2017, then-Secretary of State
Dennis Richardson, a Republican,
announced the state would no longer
label voters “inactive” if they had not
voted for five consecutive years. Rich-
ardson increased that window to 10
years, and subsequently announced
he wanted to end the practice of label-
ing voters inactive because they had
not voted.
Voters can still be labeled “inac-
tive” for other reasons, including not
responding when their ballot has
been challenged.
The second bill targeted for rever-
sal, House Bill 3291, implemented a
change, already in practice in other
vote-by-mail states, that will allow
mailed ballots to be counted if they
are postmarked by Election Day and
reach officials within a week of the
election. Ballots in Oregon have tradi-
tionally only been accepted if they are
received by 8 p.m. on Election Day.
COVID surge causes Oregon
schools to delay start dates
SALEM (AP) — With COVID-19
cases and hospitalizations surging in
Oregon at least three school districts
have pushed back their start date.
Oregon Public Broadcasting
reports the Alsea School District in
Benton County was set to start Mon-
day. But on Aug. 21, Superintendent
Marc Thielman shared a message
with families, announcing a delay to
the school year due to an elementary
staff member testing positive for
COVID-19.
The first day of school will now be
Aug. 30.
Two other districts, both in Doug-
las County, have also announced
delays. Douglas County has had 1,125
cases per 100,000 people in the last
seven days, the highest in the state.
In the Oregon Health Authority’s Aug.
23 update, Douglas County reported
398 new cases and five deaths be-
tween Aug. 20 and Aug. 22.
where available
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Nevada man pleads guilty to
tribal fraud in Oregon
PORTLAND (AP) — The former
manager of a construction business
owned by the Confederated Tribes
of Warm Springs in Oregon has
pleaded guilty for his role in a fraud
scheme that cost the tribes over
$50,000.
Thomas Valentino Adams plead-
ed guilty to theft of funds from a
tribal organization, and has agreed
to pay nearly $5,000 in restitution
to the tribes. He also faces up to
five years in prison, three years of
supervised release and a fine of up
to $250,000. He will be sentenced in
federal court on Nov. 15.
Adams, a Nevada resident, man-
aged the Warm Springs Construc-
tion Enterprise.
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Officials: Firefighter dies while
working Oregon wildfire
OAKRIDGE (AP) — A firefighter
who died Monday, Aug. 23 while
battling a wildfire southeast of
Eugene has been identified as Fru-
mencio Ruiz Carapia of Medford.
Ruiz Carapia, 56, was working
along the eastern edge of the Gales
fire when he was struck by a falling
tree, according to a news release
Tuesday from Lane County Sher-
iff’s Sgt. Tom Speldrich.
Despite immediate efforts by
those around him, Ruiz Carapia
died at the scene, the news release
said. No other injuries were re-
ported.
An investigation showed the ac-
cident wasn’t the result of any tree
cutting but that the tree unexpect-
edly snapped and fell to the ground,
according to the sheriff’s office.
Nearly 600 personnel are work-
ing on the Gales Fire, which is
within the Middle Fork Complex of
fires that started in the Willamette
National Forest the week of July 26.
The fires are about 9 miles north
of Oakridge, have burned about
25 square miles and have prompt-
ed evacuations.
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The school year will now begin
Sept. 7 for South Umpqua High
School students due to staff mem-
bers in isolation or quarantine.
Superintendent Kate McLaughlin
said the school does not have cur-
rently have enough staff to open.
The district’s other schools will open
on Aug. 30 as planned.
The Elkton school board, also
in Douglas County, voted Monday
evening to delay the start of school
for three weeks “due to the current
surge of COVID cases in Douglas
County.” School will now begin on
Sept. 20.
The total number of Oregon
students affected is relatively small.
The three small, rural districts
serve a little more than 2000 stu-
dents altogether.
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a professional forestry consultant
will provide the best results for our
projects.”
A request for proposals (RFP)
was advertised in July and one
response was received by the Aug.
12 deadline.
Mayor Kerry McQuisten, who
cast the lone vote against the
contract, said she is concerned that
the RFP wasn’t advertised widely
enough and that Lane Parry For-
estry Consulting knew the request
was going out.
In other business, councilors:
• Unanimously approved send-
ing a letter of support for the Baker
City/County Planning Department’s
application for a grant from the De-
partment of Land Conservation and
Development for support in develop-
ing a Housing Production Strategies
report.
This report is the next step for
Baker City to address its housing
needs.
• Unanimously appointed Jaclyn
Foss to the Golf Board.
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