BAKER CITY HERALD • SATURDAY, JANUARY 8, 2022 A3
LOCAL & STATE
COVID
Continued from A1
The three-day total of 61 cases
is the most in that period since
65 cases from Sept. 15-17.
For the first six days of Janu-
ary, Baker County reported 81
cases, almost 80% of the total
of 106 cases during December.
Oregon set statewide daily
records for total cases on four
straight days, including 7,615
on Jan. 6.
But Bennett and Staten both
pointed out that statewide,
the number of people with
COVID who are being treated
in hospitals has risen at a
much slower pace.
As of Jan. 6, there were 588
people with COVID being
treated in hospitals, about half
the September 2021 peak.
The Oregon Health Author-
ity (OHA) doesn’t have cur-
rent statistics, at the county
level, on the number of resi-
dents admitted to a hospital
for treatment of COVID-19.
In a Jan. 6 email to the Her-
ald, Laura Huggins, Founda-
tion, Marketing and Commu-
nications coordinator at Saint
Alphonsus Medical Center in
Owens
Continued from A1
Oregon has been under
a state of emergency since
March 8, 2020, when Gov. Kate
Brown declared her intention
to take extraordinary measures
to combat the COVID-19 pan-
demic. Brown has extended
the state of emergency several
times since then.
Under Owens’ proposal,
known as Legislative Con-
cept No. 49 until it is assigned
a bill number, the governor,
when making a declaration of
emergency, must specify each
county where the emergency
exists and list reasons why lo-
cal jurisdictions should be un-
der a state of emergency.
According to the proposed
legislation, the declarations
cannot exceed increments
of 30 days. After 30 days, the
decision to extend a state of
emergency would go to a lo-
cal governing body for a vote.
County and city governing
bodies could then create a hy-
brid of emergency restrictions
if they choose to do so regard-
ing such measures as masking,
school closures and vaccine re-
quirements, Owens explained
in an interview.
Additionally, the legislative
concept states that a gover-
nor may not retaliate against a
county whose governing body
has determined not to fully con-
tinue a declaration of emergency
beyond the initial 30 days of the
order. Owens said this includes
threats to pull state funding,
fines against local businesses and
other types of state sanctions.
Under current Oregon law,
the governor must review and
reevaluate emergency orders
every 60 days to determine
whether those orders should
be continued, modified or re-
scinded.
Local control emerged as
a significant issue for Grant
County residents in August af-
ter Gov. Kate Brown reversed
course on her June 30 executive
order handing over public health
decisions to counties amid a re-
surgence of COVID-19.
While the swiftly spread-
ing delta variant sent COVID
case counts soaring, Brown
issued a barrage of new exec-
utive orders mandating masks
Baker City, said there hasn’t
been “an uptick in omicron in
our hospital.”
“To me, hospitalization is
the real number we always
need to keep our eye one,”
Bennett said. “Because it im-
pacts other medical emergen-
cies and situations too.”
Bennett said that in addition
to the growing evidence that
omicron is less likely to cause
severe illness, he’s encouraged
because, compared with the
significant surge in cases and
hospitalizations in December
2020 and January 2021, vacci-
nation rates are much higher.
Hardly any Baker County
residents had been vaccinated
at that time, as the vaccines be-
came available only late in 2020.
Today, about 55.1% of Baker
County residents 18 and older
have had at least one dose of a
vaccine, according to the OHA.
That’s the fifth-lowest rate
among Oregon’s 36 counties.
Bennett acknowledged that
omicron is more capable of in-
fecting fully vaccinated people,
in what are known as break-
through cases, as well as rein-
fecting people who previously
contracted a different variant.
But he noted that evidence
in K-12 schools, inside state
buildings and, finally, in all
public indoor spaces in the
state. Those actions drew the
ire of Grant County leaders.
Parents asked for the county
court’s support in getting deci-
sion-making back to the districts
and out of the hands of the state.
County Judge Scott Myers
told parents that the county does
not have the power to take back
local control of its school dis-
tricts from the state. However,
the county signed a letter from
the Eastern Oregon Counties
Association asking for local con-
trol of school districts.
“Some people might be
mistaken in thinking that the
county has power beyond a
voice,” Myers said. “We don’t
have the power to make those
things happen.”
In a Dec. 21 press re-
lease, Brown extended the
COVID-19 state of emergency
through June, saying scien-
tists believed the state was just
weeks away from a new wave
of hospitalizations due to an
anticipated surge of the rapidly
spreading omicron variant.
Oregon Health and Science
University lead data scientist
Dr. Peter Graven predicted
that the omicron variant could
surpass the delta variant in the
number of cases due to its ex-
treme transmissibility.
Brown’s office said in the
press release that the emer-
gency declaration provides the
necessary framework to access
resources in response to the
pandemic, which includes the
deployment of medical pro-
viders to hospitals, flexibility
around professional health li-
censing, and access to federal
disaster relief funds.
“As Oregon prepares for what
could be our worst surge in hos-
pitalizations during this pan-
demic, I know that this is not the
beginning of the new year any of
us had hoped for,” Brown said.
Constitutional framework
Jim Moore, a professor of
political science at Pacific
University in Forest Grove,
said Oregon’s Constitution
defines the governor’s emer-
gency powers and what types
of “catastrophic disasters” can
allow them to be used.
The Constitution puts acts of
terrorism at the top of the list,
shows that breakthrough and re-
infection cases tend to cause less
severe symptoms, and in some
cases asymptomatic infections.
“That could be the deter-
mining factor in whether we
have a big increase in hospital-
izations,” Bennett said.
The OHA’s weekly break-
through case report listed 12
breakthrough cases, out of 29
total cases, in Baker County
for the week Dec. 26 through
Jan. 1. The breakthrough case
rate of 41% is the highest ever
in Baker County.
Staten said she expects the
number of breakthrough cases
will increase this week along
with the overall total.
home tests, but they can do so
if they so choose.
Staten said those cases are
deemed “presumptive,” the
same as a person who hasn’t
had a confirmed lab test but
is identified, through contact
tracing, as a close contact with
someone who did test positive.
Case counts include both
those confirmed by lab tests
and presumptive cases.
along with earthquakes, floods
and public health emergencies.
Moore said that the catastro-
phes spelled out within the Con-
stitution are assumed to be rela-
tively short-lived.
“The problem we have right
now is that it’s going on long
term,” Moore said. “And so Re-
publicans have decided that is
an abuse of emergency power.”
Indeed, Moore said, every-
one has a partisan take on the
debate.
“Republicans say, ‘We need
to change it.’ Why? Because
they don’t like what Kate
Brown is doing. Democrats
are saying, ‘No, we don’t need
to change it’ because they do
like what Kate Brown’s doing.”
Since the pandemic’s be-
ginning, it’s become evident
that the federal government
has minimal power in this sit-
uation and that the ability to
deal with the pandemic rests
with the states, Moore said.
That limitation on federal
power, he said, is by design as
part of the U.S. Constitution.
For instance, he said, Oregon
was able to pass an assisted sui-
cide law because states have the
right and the frontline duty to
deal with public health issues.
Almost from the pandem-
ic’s beginning, the question of
how to respond to the coro-
navirus has been a hot-button
political issue.
That said, Owens’ pro-
posed legislation is something
of a departure from recently
passed legislation in GOP
strongholds. For instance, con-
servative legislators in more
than half of U.S. states, spurred
on by voters angry about lock-
downs and mask mandates,
have stripped local officials of
the power to protect the public
against infectious diseases.
Moore said that the conser-
vative ethos has long been that
more governing power should
be local. However, legislation
passed in red states like Florida
runs counter to what has tradi-
tionally been the GOP ideology.
Thus, he said, this means
one’s political ideology shapes
one’s views on emergency
powers.
For his part, Owens said
his motives are not politically
driven.
“Honestly, it’s not about
partisanship,” Owens said. “I
by no means think the gov-
ernor should not have the
ability to declare an emer-
gency declaration for 30 days,
maybe even longer,” Owens
said. “That’s reasonable.”
Vaccination clinic planned
The Health Department will
have a drive-thru vaccination
clinic on Thursday, Jan. 13
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the
Baker County Fairgrounds,
2600 East St. (north of Camp-
bell Street).
More home testing
Staten noted that booster
Staten said this week’s increase shots are now available for ev-
in cases has been spurred in part eryone 12 and older who had
by a big jump in the number of their second dose at least five
residents calling the Health De- months ago.
partment after taking a home
According to OHA data,
41% of Baker County resi-
test that had a positive result.
dents 65 and older have had a
She said about 11 of the 69
cases reported this week were booster dose of vaccine.
The booster dose rate for
from home tests.
other age groups in the county:
In the past, the county has
• 50 to 64: 22.5%
received just a few calls about
• 20 to 49: 10.7%
positive home tests.
• 18 & 19: 8.2%
Staten said residents are not
required to report the results of
• 12 to 17: 1.3%
Rhonda Culley
July 2, 1956 - December 31, 2021
Rhonda Culley, 65, of
Baker City, died Friday,
December 31, 2021 at
home surround-
ed by her family.
A celebration of
life will be held
at a later date
(TBA).
Rhonda was
born in Baker
City,
Oregon,
July 2, 1956.
She was raised
and educated in Baker
City and graduated from
Baker High School in
1974.
Rhonda met Timothy
Culley through a friend.
They were married on
May 4, 1979.
Rhonda worked for the
Department of Human
Services for 42 years and
was proud of her various
promotions throughout
the years.
She enjoyed spending
time in the mountains and
with her family, quilting
with friends and keeping
score at baseball and soft-
ball games. Her favorite
color was blue and she
loved watching the tulips
bloom in the spring.
Highlights in her life
included the births of her
children and grandchil-
dren. She will
be remembered
for her conta-
gious smile and
positive attitude.
Rhonda was
preceded
in
death by her
parents,
Dal-
las and Beverly
(White) Dean.
She is survived by
her husband of 42 years
Timothy Culley; chil-
dren, Makayla (Randy)
Mooney of John Day, Ty-
ler Culley of Baker City;
grandchildren
Jazlynn,
Noah and Kinley; many
nieces and nephews.
For those who would
like to make a memori-
al donation in honor of
Rhonda the family sug-
gests Heart n’ Home Hos-
pice through Tami’s Pine
Valley Funeral Home and
Cremation Services, PO
BOX 543, Halfway, Ore-
gon, 97834. Online con-
dolences can be shared at
tamispinevalleyfuneral-
home.com.
Dora L. Fisher
September 1, 1922 - December 31, 2021
Dora L. Fisher 99, a resident of Bak-
er City, OR, died Friday, December 31,
2021 at Settlers Park, Baker City, OR.
Mass of Christian Burial
will be celebrated Thurs-
day, January 6, 2022, at
11:00 am in St. Francis
de Sales Cathedral, Baker
City, OR. Reverend, Suresh
Telagani of St. Francis will
celebrate the Mass. Inter-
ment will be in Willamette
National Cemetery, Port-
land, OR where she will be
laid to rest beside her hus-
band.
Dora Lucille (Hemmers)
Fisher, was born on Sep-
tember 1st, 1922 in her
family home in Pleasant
Home, Oregon, to parents Henry B. and
Stella (Sinclair) Hemmers. Mrs. Fisher
passed away on December 31st, 2021 in
Baker City, Oregon, at the age of 99.
Mrs. Fisher grew up in Pleasant Home,
Oregon, a small community near Gresh-
am, Oregon. Mr. and Mrs. Hemmers had
seven children, Marguerite, Fred, Elton,
May Bell, Otto, Bertha, Dora and Stel-
la. Dora graduated from Gresham High
School in 1940.
On March 7, 1946, she married John
A. Fisher in Gresham and traveled to
one of her favorite places, the Oregon
Coast, for their honeymoon. Beach
trips were always a fond memory and
she cultivated her love for the Oregon
Coast to her children, grandchildren and
great-grandchildren.
Dora and John had four children Bar-
bara (John Day, OR), Patty (Baker City,
OR), Mary (Milton Freewater, OR) and
Don (Boring, OR). Her best and most
rewarding job was that of being a home-
maker and a parent. When her husband
passed away in 1970, she held several
different jobs and learned how to drive
a car!
Mrs. Fisher lived in Pleasant Home
and Boring, Oregon, on the west side
of the state until 2001, when she relo-
cated to Baker City, Oregon. While in
Baker City, she was able to be closer to
her daughters and many of her grand-
children and later, great grandchildren.
While she was a practicing catholic prior
to the move to Baker City, she became
involved in St. Francis de
Sales Cathedral and was
a part of the Altar Soci-
ety within the parish. She
enjoyed the view of “her”
mountains (the Elkhorn
Mountains) during her stay
in Baker City and was still
able to take a number of va-
cations to the beach as well.
It was commonly known
that she had an affinity for
the game show “Wheel of
Fortune” and would most
often solve the puzzles be-
fore any of the contestants
on the show could figure
the puzzle out. While she was happy
when the contestants would win, she
was also known to “scold” them when
they got it wrong and it was (obviously)
clear to her what the answer was. Jigsaw
puzzles were another activity that Dora
enjoyed. There was rarely, if ever, a time
when there wasn’t a completed puzzle or
one in progress on her table. This contin-
ued well after her 99th birthday.
On December 31, 2021, she decided
that it was time to meet her husband to
ring in the New Year.
While it is a sad day for the family, it
is comforting to know she was able to
celebrate it with her Johnny. Another,
well known 99 year old accompanied
Dora to the Pearly Gates, so we all know
she was in good company on that trip!
That would have been a sight to see
when Dora and Betty arrived.
Mrs. Fisher was preceded in death by
her parents, siblings, her husband and a
grandson, Nathan Kelly. She is survived
by her children, 13 grandchildren and 13
great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made
to the Shrine Hospital for Children, this
may be done through the Coles Tribute
Center 1950 Place St. Baker City, OR. If
one wishes to light a candle in memory
of Dora, please visit www.colestribute-
center.com.
27 December 2021
MEET OREGON’S NEXT GOVERNOR
DR. BUD PIERCE
Dear Fellow Veteran:
I am running for the overwhelming honor of serving as your next Governor and Com-
mander-in-Chief of the Oregon Guard.
Oregon desperately needs effective, solution-oriented leadership. As your next Gover-
nor, I will restore Constitutional order on Day 1 because the first duty of Government
is maintaining order and safeguarding the innocent. As the next Commander-in-Chief
of Oregon’s Guard, I will never treat you like a prop.
I was trained that leading means you sleep last, eat last, and put yourself last.
COME MEET AND TALK WITH BUD AT
THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS ON
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12TH
Ontario
John Day
Baker City
8:00 AM
at the Plaza Inn
Restaurant in
Ontario
11:00 AM
at Ogilvie Field
in John Day
6:00 PM
at the Baker
County Conference
& Event Center
RSVP TODAY TO INFO@BUDPIERCE.ORG
Please join us, I would
like to meet you and
hear your ideas about
Oregon’s future!”
—BUD PIERCE
I lead with a servant’s heart because serving America is in my blood. I went to Marine
Corps boot camp in 1979. My time in the Corps taught me how to fight – and win – as
a team. After I graduated from medical school, I was proud to serve as a Navy phy-
sician. My dad was an Army soldier and Japanese POW in World War II. He met my
German mother while serving in the Army Air Corps during the Berlin Airlift. I grew
up right outside March Air Force Base, and my first job was bagging groceries at the
Commissary.
I learned from the start that a team couldn’t win unless every member of the team
plays team ball.
Many of you know that I fought my heart out in 2016 to save Oregon from Kate
Brown. We were outnumbered and overrun. We lost that battle, but we will not lose
this war for the future of Oregon—a war for what you sacrificed to defend.
Today, Oregon is at a crossroads. You can barely recognize the great State we call home.
She is bleeding out, and she won’t survive unless you administer buddy aid.
Oregonians will follow where you lead. To win, I need your endorsement. I need you
to sign up with my campaign to keep you informed of events, rallies, and targets of
opportunity. I need you to contribute. But most of all, I need you to lead by organizing
every Veteran in this great State to help me take it back.
The decisive battle is about to be joined, and I am asking you to join thousands of fel-
low patriots in Veterans for Bud Pierce. By rallying to my guidon, you can save Oregon.
Semper fi,
Want to be on our mailing list? Send an email to info@budpierce.org and we will sign you up!
PAID FOR BY BUD PIERCE FOR OREGON, PO BOX 2889, SALEM, OR 97308
Dr. Bud Pierce
Sgt, USMCR/LTCDR, USNR