PRAIRIE CITY BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM HONORED | PAGE A10
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
152nd Year • No. 21 • 18 Pages • $1.50
MyEagleNews.com
Oregon Supreme Court: Shutdown orders stand despite Baker County ruling
Grant County sheriff,
county commissioner file
as intervenors in church
lawsuit
By Jayson Jacoby
EO Media Group
The Oregon Supreme Court ruled
late Monday that Gov. Kate Brown’s
executive orders regarding the coro-
navirus pandemic will stand state-
wide until the court hears arguments
in the case following a Baker County
judge’s ruling earlier Monday that
the orders were “null and void.”
“Following swift
action by the Ore-
gon Supreme Court,
my
emergency
orders to protect the
health and safety
of Oregonians will
Judge Matt
remain in effect
Shirtcliff
statewide while the
court hears argu-
ments in this lawsuit,” Brown said in
a statement Monday night about the
court’s emergency ruling.
Baker County Circuit Court Judge
Matthew B. Shirtcliff had earlier in
the day ruled Brown had exceeded
her authority by restricting activities,
including church services and busi-
nesses, for longer than the 28 days
the governor is authorized under a
state law.
The judge granted a preliminary
injunction blocking enforcement of
the more than 10 executive orders the
governor has issued since March 8.
Shirtcliff’s decision would apply
to the entire state. He ruled on the
motions because the lawsuit chal-
lenging the duration of the gover-
nor’s legal authority was filed May 6
in Baker County Circuit Court.
Elkhorn Baptist Church of Baker
City is the lead plaintiff in the law-
suit, which was filed by Salem attor-
ney Ray Hacke of the Pacific Jus-
tice Institute, a nonprofit that defends
religious liberty.
Bill Harvey, chairman of the
Baker County Board of Commission-
ers, filed as an intervenor-plaintiff in
the case as an individual rather than
in his capacity as an elected official.
Grant County Commissioner Sam
Palmer and Grant County Sheriff
Glenn Palmer also signed on as inter-
venors in the case with eight others
from Baker, Deschutes, Josephine
and Wallowa counties.
In an affidavit, Sheriff Palmer said
the shutdown orders have caused an
80% reduction in sheriff’s office rev-
enue and required changes at the jail.
“The executive orders of the gov-
ernor have severely affected busi-
nesses in my county, which are
unable to operate because they have
been ordered closed or placed under
considerable restriction” despite only
one positive case of COVID-19 in
the county, Sheriff Palmer said in the
affidavit.
Sam Palmer told the Eagle his
faith is what led him to sign on to
the lawsuit. He said he did not go out
of his way to use politics and signed
on as an individual, rather than an
elected official.
In an affidavit, he said Grant
County has had one of the worst
unemployment rates in the state for
30 to 40 years and the shutdown
orders have had an extraordinary
impact that may cause businesses to
close.
See Court, Page A18
Open for business
Grant County
Phase 1 reopening
plan approved
Grant County
establishments
welcome back
customers with
restrictions
Retail stores, restaurants, bars and
personal service providers allowed
to reopen with restrictions
Blue Mountain Eagle
the time to see if the county can
come up with a modified plan to
hold 4-H and FFA activities at
the fairgrounds — especially for
the youth who would not be able
to bring their livestock to the fair
this year.
Dobler said the kids, many of
them juniors and seniors, have
put in countless hours on their
projects and invest time into
their livestock, and to have those
Grant County began to reopen Friday after the
state approved its plan.
The plan will allow Phase 1 reopening of retail
stories, restaurants, bars, personal service providers
such as salons and some other businesses May 15
with certain restrictions.
“It is Grant County’s intent to open businesses
in a measured and phased approach in line with
the state’s guidance using an adaptive management
plan in order to incorporate guidance from the local,
state and federal entities as well as the Grant County
Health Department and Grant County Emergency
Operations Center Core Medical Work Group that
are providing daily
updates and require-
ments,” the county’s
plan states.
The governor’s
office directed the
county to remove all
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
reference to specific
business sectors “in A sign hangs in front of
order to uniformly Dark Horse Rentals letting
apply guidance from the community know they
the state of Oregon,” are open for business.
according to the plan.
The governor’s office
has released Phase 1 reopening guidance for each
of the sectors allowed to open that detail specific
requirements for businesses within these sectors.
County Commissioner Jim Hamsher said the
only piece of the plan the county had to prove to
the state was that they had a bilingual contact tracer
for the Hispanic community, which the county then
incorporated into the plan.
“We are ready to help our small business owners
open back up,” Hamsher said.
The county, in its first step back to normal, will
be permitted to hold social gatherings of up to 25
people.
County Judge Scott Myers said, like Gov. Kate
Brown said in her approval letter, that reopening
does not come without risks.
Amid the looming uncertainty, businesses
allowed to reopen under Phase 1 will need to ensure
strict social distancing measures and operate under
restrictive guidelines that will unlikely feel like
business as normal.
Under Brown’s guidelines, all businesses
allowed to open under Phase 1 must require
employees to wear cloth, paper or disposable face
coverings, frequently disinfect and maintain 6 feet
of social distancing.
Businesses like barbers and hairdressers can
open again — but with restrictions, such as accept-
ing business by appointment only and keeping cli-
ent contact information for health investigators in
case of a surge in positive cases.
Retail stores can open but must limit the number
of customers to maintain 6 feet of social distance.
Bars and restaurants, previously restricted to take-
out only, can now serve customers inside, but will be
required to close by 10 p.m., limit parties to 10 or
fewer and space dining room tables far enough apart
that patrons can maintain a 6-foot distance between
one another.
County Commissioner Sam Palmer said he has
heard concerns from restaurant owners about hav-
ing a limited capacity and the impact it will have
on business.
Palmer said the Forest Service’s Repel Acad-
emy will be coming into the county next week for a
training and that would bring business to the restau-
rants. He said, even if they order to go, it is still new
business to the area.
Palmer said he is encouraging people to patronize
local businesses as much as they can.
See Events, Page A18
See Phase 1, Page A18
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
May 15 marked a day of peak
sunshine and anticipated work as
many businesses participated in
Phase 1 of reopening.
Business owners shared their
excitement of being able to go
back to work, but many were
also cautious and mindful when
it came to the safety of their
employees and customers.
“Today, Main Street is way
busier than it has been since
March, and the sunshine doesn’t
hurt either,” said Heather Rook-
stool, the manager of Java Jungle.
Sherri Rininger, owner of
“etc. A Unique Boutique,” said
she was very excited to reopen.
She said she is doing everything
at the shop to protect guests
while adhering to the guidelines
in Phase 1.
Rininger has prepared her
shop by having a sign-in log at
the entrance of the store, arrows
6 feet apart to direct the flow of
traffic, hand sanitizer and gloves
for customers to use if they want
to touch an item.
Rininger, who has no employ-
ees, said she was limited on what
financial assistance programs she
qualified for.
The Eagle/Rudy Diaz
Sherrie Rininger, owner of ‘etc. A Unique Boutique,’ opens for business May 15.
“I’ve been shipping out a lot
of stuff, but it will be nice to have
my store back,” Rininger said.
“I’ve missed it, and we couldn’t
hold out much longer financially.
It was killing us.”
While the shop has been
closed, she continued to pay
for expenses such as rent and
utilities.
She said she hopes to get
enough business to cover the
rising expenses as she opens,
because if not, she’ll remain in
the same financial predicament
she is currently in.
Rookstool said that the barber
and tanning booths at Java Jun-
gle have reopened and customers
have been understanding when it
comes to the personal protective
equipment required in Phase 1.
Rookstool said hand sanitizer
can be found at each check-in
point, and employees are asking
customers to sanitize before they
come in.
Within hours of reopening,
Joe Radinovich, the barber at
Java Jungle, was booked through
the weekend and into this week.
“That shows that people
needed and wanted it to be open,”
Rookstool said. “The two biggest
things I noticed is how fast he is
booking and how Main Street is
already filling up.”
While many businesses are
reopening, The Ugly Truth Bar
& Grill will continue to serve
takeout but will not fully reopen,
according to owner Ali Lenz.
Lenz said her business runs a
See Open, Page A18
Coronavirus causes closures, cancellations
Summer events upended by pandemic
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Summer 2020 in Grant
County will be like no other.
Gov. Kate Brown has can-
celed large events statewide.
Still, organizers of century-old
events that commemorate the
heritage and culture of the
county are trying to reimagine
how to hold events that require
large group gatherings, but while
staying within the governor’s
guidelines.
While the governor approved
the county’s Phase 1 request to
reopen hair salons, barbers and
gyms, gatherings are capped at
25 people. Brown’s directive is
much more strict on concerts,
festivals, fairs and large events
through at least September, until
the state has access to a treatment
or vaccine for COVID-19.
Grant County Fair Man-
ager Mindy Winegar said the
Fair Board and the Emergency
Operations Center are work-
ing on finding a way to hold the
event through modifications that
would comply with the state’s
guidelines.
“We are still planning the
111th Grant County Fair, even
though it will look different than
our traditional fair,” Winegar
said.
Winegar said staff, members
of the Fair Board, 4-H and FFA
are working on a plan for youth
livestock shows and auctions.
“The fair staff and fair board
Eagle file photo
Grant County Fairgrounds Manager Mindy Winegar addresses county
court in February. Winegar said the Fair Board, staff and Emergency
Operations Center are coming up with ways to use the county’s facility
to hold the fair while staying within the governor’s guidelines.
will support them,” Winegar
said. “The priority is the kids.”
EOC Incident Commander
Dave Dobler said May 8 that his
staff is researching a “phased
approach” to holding large events
to keep within state’s guidelines.
Dobler said the fair, sched-
uled Aug. 7-15, will be during
the second phase of the gover-
nor’s reopening plan, and no one
knows what the cap on social
gatherings will be.
He said it is worth it to spend