SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2021
and why is this necessary
if it is?
Wittich said local offi cials
Continued from A1
were expecting National Guard
soldiers to arrive Friday, Sept.
Q: What is the capacity
at Saint Alphonsus Medical 3, and to be here for several
weeks, serving in support roles
Center in Baker City?
Lynn said capacity changes for medical staff.
“We’re experiencing in some
from moment to moment and
of our nonclinical areas the
can depend on the condition
of patients being seen and the same staffi ng shortage that
some of our local businesses are
resources they need.
experiencing and our staff are
Lynn said the Saint Al-
very tired and we really want to
phonsus system, including its
be able to give them a reprieve,”
larger hospitals in Boise and
Nampa, are seeing admissions Wittich said.
Q: What has the reaction
of COVID-19 patients that
been among hospital staff
meet or exceed the peak dur-
to the state’s vaccine man-
ing the pandemic. More than
date? Have there been any
20% of patients at the Boise
resignations? Are there con-
hospital, and 35% at Nampa,
are people who tested positive tingency plans if the hospi-
tal staff is cut signifi cantly
for COVID-19, Lynn said.
either due to resignation or
“And I think it’s important
termination related to the
to note that, even though we
vaccine mandate?
don’t have a high volume of
Wittich said Saint Alphon-
COVID patients that are kept
sus has strongly encouraged
in our Baker City hospital,
employees to get vaccinated
because we do see that they
and began working in compli-
get very sick very quickly, we
have transferred in the month ance with the mandate after
of August 12 community mem- the governor’s order on Aug. 19.
“So, at this time our col-
bers affl icted with COVID-19
leagues are really in the process
to higher level care facilities,”
of complying with the vaccine
Lynn said. “And that’s 35% of
requirement or asking for an
our total transfers to higher
exemption based on religious
levels of care this month. So,
or medical reason and we still
those are big numbers for
have time until that deadline
our community and if you
so we really don’t have solid
could consider what those 12
admissions would mean to our information as this process is
ongoing,” Wittich said. “We are
small hospital, that would be
working really diligently to en-
extremely impactful.”
sure our processes support our
Q: Is the hospital plan-
ning on canceling any elec- colleagues through this. And
then you know that we have
tive surgeries?
until the October 18th deadline
Lynn said non-emergency
to be fully vaccinated or have
surgeries have not been
an approved exemption, medi-
canceled at the Baker City
cal or religious exemption.”
hospital.
Q: If somebody has
The Saint Alphonsus
system has canceled such pro- symptoms, when should
cedures through Sept. 18 at its you seek medical care and
where can individuals get
Boise and Nampa hospitals.
tested if they need to?
Q: It was reported the
Lamb said people should
state is sending additional
resources like the National seek medical attention when
their symptoms become worse
Guard to assist hospitals.
than the average fl u or cold,
Is this something that’s
occurring in Baker County such as when they are having
diffi culty breathing, strug-
gling for air, and cannot speak
full sentences without taking
a breath.
Q: Can you speak to the
importance of masking,
social distancing, and vac-
cination in the schools?
“There has recently been
a study out of Texas Tech
that showed that with the
delta variant in particular, that
masking and proper wearing of
masks helped decrease trans-
mission of delta by about 75%,”
Wittich said.
She said this is “extremely
critical” especially in schools
where the majority of students
— those younger than 12 —
will be unvaccinated as they
are not yet eligible to receive
the vaccine.
Q: Why is natural immu-
nity never mentioned?
“Natural immunity is
helpful, we’ve learned over the
last 18 months that natural
immunity has some protec-
tion,” Lamb said. “It lasts
probably 3-4 months before it
starts to fade. Vaccination we’re
learning probably lasts 8-10
months before it starts to fade
so there is defi nitely a role for
natural immunity and along
with vaccination that’s part of
the way we’re going to get our
community to have immunity
to this virus.”
Q: Why get a vaccine if
you can still get COVID and
still spread it just as much
as unvaccinated? What
good does it do?
Wittich said the vaccines at
this point are performing well
even against the delta variant
as far as keeping people out of
the hospital.
“And that is one of the pri-
mary things we need right now
is for people to not be hospital-
ized,” Wittich said.
She said there is some early
data that suggests that vac-
cinated people can still spread
the virus; however, the length of
time that they can spread the
virus may be shorter.
wrote that he and Green-
wood discussed trial strategy
during those calls, which are
Continued from A1
protected by the attorney-
client privilege.
Charges that were
After hearings in Baker
dismissed, in addition to
fi rst-degree murder, are two County Circuit Court on Aug.
13 and Aug. 24, Shirtcliff
counts of second-degree as-
sault, solicitation of murder, ruled that Regan would not
be allowed to testify during
and fi rst-degree assault.
the trial due to the phone
The murder and assault
call issue.
charges are Measure 11
Baxter did not contest the
crimes in Oregon, and all,
upon conviction, carry man- claim that Regan listened
to the fi ve calls. A forensic
datory minimum sentences
investigator from the Oregon
that range from 25 years
for murder to 70 months for Department of Justice who
examined hard drives from
second-degree assault.
three computers in the Bak-
Neither Greenwood nor
er City Police Department
his attorney, Jim A. Schaef-
concluded that only Regan’s
fer of La Grande, could be
computer had been used to
reached for comment.
access and play recordings of
Baxter’s reference to
the fi ve calls.
Shannon Regan, the Baker
Police Chief Ty Duby put
City Police detective who was
the lead investigator in Par- Regan on paid administra-
rish’s death, has been at the tive leave while a criminal
investigation of the phone
focus of the case since early
call allegations is ongoing.
summer.
Although Shirtcliff denied
On June 25, Schaeffer
Schaeffer’s motion to dismiss
fi led a motion seeking to
all charges against Green-
dismiss all charges against
wood, the judge did prohibit
Greenwood. Schaeffer con-
tends Regan violated Green- Baxter from using at trial
wood’s constitutional rights any evidence that Regan
collected after Sept. 14, 2020,
by listening to fi ve phone
the day that her computer
calls that Greenwood, who
was used to access and
was in the Baker County
listen to the fi ve phone calls,
Jail, made to Schaeffer’s
according to the forensic
cellphone in 2020.
In court fi lings, Schaeffer investigation.
Shirtcliff didn’t decide
that evidence Regan had
collected or been involved in
gathering prior to Sept. 14,
2020, was also inadmissable.
Shirtcliff ruled that the
prosecution would have to
make a motion seeking to
use that evidence during tri-
al. Shirtcliff wrote in his rul-
ing that he would decide, on
a case-by-case basis, whether
to allow that evidence.
In response, Baxter fi led
a motion on Aug. 31 arguing
that although many pieces
of evidence, including bullets
found at the crime scene,
could not be introduced
at trial because they were
tainted by Regan’s handling
them, he should be allowed
to call witnesses who would
testify about the evidence,
including where it was found
and its characteristics.
Schaeffer countered with
a motion fi led Thursday,
Sept. 2, in which he argued
that the prosecution should
not be allowed to have wit-
nesses testify about items of
evidence that could not be
introduced during trial due
to the chain of custody issue
created by the allegations
against Regan.
The competing motions
were rendered moot by
Greenwood’s pleas and the
cancellation of the trial.
HEALTH
PLEA
BAKER CITY HERALD — A5
LOCAL & STATE
Samantha O’Conner/Baker City Herald
Gordon Holman is working on the inside of the former Baker House building as
well as its exterior.
CONDOS
Continued from A1
In recent years, the
building had been a spot
where adults and kids
would gather illegally, in-
cluding some squatters.
“I saw the opportuni-
ties despite all the things
that were wrong with it,”
said Holman, who bought
the building for $95,000,
according to Baker County
Assessor’s Offi ce records.
Most of the damage
was due to overfl owing roof
drains leaking water into
the concrete walls, making
the material soft and no
longer structurally sound,
Holman said.
He said he believes
the building had not been
heated for at least 15 years,
and the excessive moisture
caused most of the interior
paint to peel.
There was abundant
asbestos in the building as
well, but that was removed
recently.
“All of that was complet-
ed, I’ve got a clean building,”
Holman said.
He said the condos will
each have more than 1,600
square feet of living space,
and he intends to build
outside decks.
The building has a new
roof, among other renova-
tions.
“We’ve made some good
strides but we’ve still got
a long ways to go,” Hol-
man said.
Future aspects of the
project include repairing
three of the four exterior
walls, as well as installing
an elevator.
Holman hopes to fi nish
the work by June 2022.
But he said his main fo-
cus now is fi nishing another
major renovation, of the
former Foursquare Church,
near the Baker County
Courthouse at the corner of
Third and Court.
Holman bought that
building, constructed in
1929, in November 2020.
He started renovating
that building earlier this
year, working with Bud-
dy Payne.
Top 100 Critical
Access Hospital
Saint Alphonsus Baker City is proud to
be recognized by Chartis Center for Rural
Health as a Top 100 Critical Care hospital –
five years in a row. Top 100 critical access
hospitals are identified for high-performing
in several areas including, patient satisfaction,
B
5 YEARS
I N A R OW
reducing risk and high clinical quality while
managing expenses.
For more information visit SaintAlphonsus.org/BakerCity
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