News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Search and Rescue group
becoming more active
By Ramy Jisha
To the Blue Mountain Eagle
Since the search for the
missing boy July 22, there
has been increased interest
in our local Search and Res-
cue group. We have recently
been making some changes
to develop a group that is
more active. We are now
meeting and training every
second and fourth Satur-
day morning. For the loca-
tion, please contact either
the Grant County Sheriff’s
Ofice (in person or at 541-
575-1131), or Ramy Jisha at
541-575-0212.
In the last few months,
we have participated in sev-
eral trainings. We had a swift
water rescue class with Wil-
derness Rescue Internation-
al, and then we had trainers
from Emergency Response
International come and give
a three-day course where
we learned about the newest
scientiic methods for search
management and search
techniques.
It was a great class that
covered a large variety of
information and gave a kick-
start to the current direction
we are taking.
Our goal is to develop
an active, effective Search
and Rescue team that can
be quickly and eficiently
deployed in a variety of set-
tings. Our goal is the incor-
poration and effective coor-
dination of many resources.
Some of the areas, in addi-
tion to traditional ground
search, that we are working
on developing are: swift
water rescue, search dogs,
mounted searchers, snow-
mobiles and person-track-
ing.
Even if you are not capa-
ble of participating in such
active endeavors, please
don’t think there is no place
for you in Search and Res-
cue.
Any time there is a
search going on, there is a
need for support personnel.
If you want to be involved
but are not physically capa-
ble of hiking long distances
through rough country, we
are working on organizing
the team so that there is an
auxiliary level of partici-
pation. Auxiliary members
perform such important
support services as assisting
with communication, orga-
nization and resource pro-
curement (food, water and
shelter for searchers, etc.)
in addition to anything else
needed to make it possible
for the team to perform to
the best of its abilities.
In order to become a
member of our Search and
Rescue team, please drop by
either the sheriff’s ofice in
Canyon City or you can talk
to Jisha at Canyon Creek
Veterinary Clinic, 813 S.
Canyon Blvd. in John Day.
At either place, you can
pick up a form to let us know
you are interested and get on
the contact list so you will
be kept up to date regarding
the team’s activities.
After you have attended a
few meetings, if you decide
you want to oficially join
our team, there is an applica-
tion to ill out. A background
check is required before
membership will be granted.
If you have questions about
the process, please contact
the sheriff’s ofice.
The ofice is located next
to the courthouse in Canyon
City.
In addition to the full
group meetings, we are go-
ing to begin meeting sepa-
rately for anyone interested
in trailing dogs.
If you have a dog and
would like to learn about
training for trailing, or you
would simply be interest-
ed in helping us train dogs,
please contact Jisha.
We can always use vol-
unteers who are willing to
lay trails or act as lankers,
the support person who goes
with the dog handler on a
search.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
A3
HEALTH
From Pittsburgh to John Day
Experienced FNP
is new face at
health department
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
F
amily nurse practitioner
Jess Furka is a new face at
the Grant County Health
Department in John Day.
She settled in a few weeks
ago and said she’s enjoying the
small community, which is a big
change from her urban back-
ground.
Her most recent experience
as a family nurse practitioner
includes four years at the Chil-
dren’s Hospital Pittsburgh of the
University of Pittsburgh Medi-
cal Center and, previously, two
years at a walk-in clinic. She
also worked as a nurse for four
years at the children’s hospital.
She replaces Karen Triplett,
who retired in June and will
return in the fall to work at the
school-based health clinic at
Grant Union Junior-Senior High
School.
Furka and her iance, Nate
Wilson, made the cross-country
trek to John Day in June.
Before moving, Furka said
she hadn’t been any farther west
than Kansas.
“So far, I really like it,” she
said. “All the people I’ve met
have been very friendly, and I
like the small-town feel.”
Furka said she and her iance
enjoy hiking, biking and kaya-
king. Their excursions have in-
cluded a hike through the Paint-
ed Hills.
Wilson works remotely from
home as an international inte-
grator for SAP Ariba, a software
and information technology ser-
vices company.
Furka said she enjoys help-
ing patients of all ages, covering
everything from well-child ex-
ams to women’s health to gen-
eral medicine.
Eagle photos/Angel Carpenter
Family nurse practitioner Jess Furka examines a patient Thursday at the Grant
County Health Department.
The Grant County
Health Department
at 528 E. Main Ste. E
in John Day is open
with new hours of 7
a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1-6
p.m. Mondays through
Thursdays. Fridays, the
health department is
open 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
with a nurse available.
Joann Moles greets patients at the front desk at the
Grant County Health Department in John Day.
“I like meeting new people
and learning new things,” she
said. “It’s nice to see different
aspects of medicine. I’ve seen
little kids all the way up through
elderly. It challenges me, and I
like challenges.”
She added she especially
likes to assist patients with de-
pression and anxiety issues.
“I think it’s not talked about
enough,” she said.
Health department manager
Jessica Winegar said she’s heard
positive feedback from patients
about the new family nurse
practitioner.
“She’s a wonderful addition
to the health clinic,” Winegar
said. “She has a calmness and
patience, with energy and youth
to meet the needs of our com-
munity.”
Nurse Nancy Jimenez said
Furka is thorough, eficient and
takes the time to listen to pa-
tients.
“The patients love her,” of-
ice support specialist Joanne
Moles added, “and she’s won-
derful to work with.”
W E S UPPORT G RANT C OUNTY . V OTE NO ON R ECALL
Kristin Long
Bill Long
Kelsey Long
Darla Long
Shelby Long
Kip Mortimore
Nancy Viggers
Mike Springer
Jason Hatfield
Bob Bagett
Sarah Russ
Matthew Goodwin
Janine Goodwin
Rick Minster
Pam Minster
Jim Spell
Beth Spell
Truman (Andy) Anderson
Carla Anderson
Jennifer Carter
Mat Carter
Lynn Larssen
Ken Larssen
Mary Rowell
Vic Pike
Zola Pike
Mark Cerny
Adele Cerny
Jan Keil
Jennifer Barker
Lance Barker
Sandy Murray
Mark Murray
Andy Lusco
Angie Lusco
Kris Beal
Roy Beal
Jerry Barrow
Elaine Mezzo
Sheilah Mezzo
Kathryn Latham
Amy Charette
Kyle Cline
King Williams
Barbara Williams
Linda Gingrich
Oran Wyatt
Lindsay Rausch
Susan Church
Tom Winters
Brad Armstrong
Mary Armstrong
Mytchell Mead
Jan Mead
Tim Unterwegner
Tracie Unterwegner
Chris Labhart
Kris Labhart
Dave Hannibal
Ken Holliday
Pat Holliday
Eva Harris
Sharon Livingston
Sophie Cosgrove
Mike Cosgrove
Ted Phelps
Theda Phelps
James Bellmore
Cheryl Bellmore
Bubba Lindley
Tom Sutton
Dan Becker
Joe Clarke
John Aasness
Diane Aasness
Dean Nodine
Joyce Nodine
Dan Cronin
Chris Cronin
Jerry Cowger
Bruce Strange
Larry Vote
Leon Skiles
Clarence O’Leary
Sheila M Bruce
Leslie Stillwater
Jim Soupir
Lana N Abarr
David M Abarr
Danielle Page
Matt Jones
Charlene Morris
Micah Wilson
Bruce Ward
Mark Crissman
Barbara L Clarke
Dennis Reynolds
Julie Reynolds
Dillon Winters
Hans Magden
Haley Hueckman
Jim Kelly
Sue Kelly
Gail Enright
P.L. Gerstner
Shirley Enright
Bob Phillips
Alysia Hafer
Sherri Webb
Mark Webb
Vicki Waters
Helen Bogart
Kay Scheurer Steele
Terry Steele
Silver Kelley
Richard Randleas
Vicki Thompson
Richard Thompson
Chris Lewallen
Dave Lewallen
Carolyn Hoeffner
Dr. James Johnson
Jim Hammett
Patti Hammet
Chris Kennedy
Tonya Wood
Terry L. Whitten
Sregon Gabriel
Greg Moon
Robert Warrington
Justin Lafata
Isaiah Bradford
Travis Goddard
Sue Burton
Lyle Jarvis
Nick Stiner
Amy Stiner
Kevin Duvall
Derek Magnan
Robert Larkin
Alicia Whitten
Ernie Smith
Brett Reed
Kelly Ashmead
Claude Baker
Bobetta Baker
Judy Schuette
Steve Schuette
Molly Finley
Larry Finley
Amy Hoppe
Sherry Nehl
Ryan Nehl
Zach Williams
Gail Beverlin
Brenda Lovell
Doug Lovell
Billi Newman
Gregg Smith
Jeff Thomas
Heather Rookstool
Sean Kelley
Jeanne Strange
Tim Holly
Carole Holly
Chris Bravos
Shannon Bravos
Dan Herold
Dallas Newton
Jack E Johns
Katie Johns
Darlene Forrest
Join us in supporting our County Commissioner
Boyd Britton by voting NO on RECALL!
Paid for by Vote No on Boyd Britton Recall, PO Box 64, John Day, OR 97845 • (541) 575-0435
Lynn Larssen, Treasurer
