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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (May 20, 2020)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, May 20, 2020 A5 Blue Mountain Hospital receives rapid COVID-19 testing machine By Rudy Diaz Blue Mountain Eagle Blue Mountain Hospital now has a device that can pro- vide rapid testing for COVID- 19 in Grant County. The hospital received the device, called Abbot ID NOW, and supplies in the first week of May. On May 8, the device was put into service at the hos- pital, according to Lori Lane, the Blue Mountain Hospi- tal District health information manager. It can provide a pos- itive or negative test result in roughly 15 minutes. This device has been import- ant for the county because part of Gov. Kate Brown’s plan to reopen communities was to have access to rapid testing capabilities and ensuring the hospital can quickly identify, treat and isolate new cases of COVID-19, according to Lane. “The ID NOW significantly improves the testing capac- ity and is important to patient care,” Lane said. For people interested in receiving a test, a health care provider must provide an order, which is based on an assessment of symptoms after an evalua- tion. Practitioners follow current state and federal testing guide- lines. Lane said it is important to know that traditional testing avenues are still being utilized in places like St. Charles Med- ical Center and Oregon State Public Health laboratories. “The ID NOW is a comple- ment to testing capabilities and can provide quick results when most necessary, but the provider determines which testing option is most appropriate for individ- ual patients,” Lane said. Blue Mountain Hospital is now one of 15 health care pro- viders with the rapid test in Oregon. Initially, the Oregon Health Authority distributed the first three ID Now’s in a federal shipment of 15 in April, but the agency was unable to send the remaining 12 devices due to a lack of test supplies, according to a press release from OHA. “When I became aware back in early April that the gover- nor had three machines and sent them out, and one of them didn’t go to Grant County, I decided to send a letter to the governor and request a machine,” said Kim- berly Lindsay, the Grant County Public Health Administrator. After the commissioners signed on, the letter was sent to the governor on April 9. Lind- say was encouraged to hear that Grant County was first on the list when additional test kits came in. Oregon has received additional testing kits and learned that the CDC International Reagent Resource will supply states with 50 test kits through an automatic shipment each week until further notice, according to OHA. “Blue Mountain Hospital District would like to thank the Grant County Health Depart- ment in helping us secure the testing equipment and nec- essary supplies,” Lane said. “Access to quick testing and turn-around-times are import- ant to patient care, as well as, the governor’s plan for reopen- ing communities.” May 14: Sharon Baugh- man, 26, Ontario, was cited for operating a cellphone while driving. May 15: Along with OSP, responded to a report of domestic dispute. Kayla Lam- beth, 25, of John Day was arrested for assault. May 16: Robert L. Crosby, 33, of Canyon City was cited for no operator’s license. May 16: Cited Jared J. Baker, 24, of John Day for driving while suspended and driving uninsured. May 16: Cited Chance J. Fleetwood, 21, of Mt. Vernon for failure to wear seatbelt and no insurance. May 17: Along with GCSO and OSP, responded to a report of a fight. Nathan M. Elledge of John Day was arrested for DUII and resisting arrest. • Oregon State Police May 14: Responded to a crash on Highway 26 near milepost 154. May 16: Advised of a pos- sible drunk driver on Rendez- vous Lane. • Grant County Sheriff’s Office May 11: Received a report of theft at a business on Washington Street. May 12: Received a report of theft on Alamo Creek Road. May 15: Received a report of a tree blocking the road- way on Highway 395 North. • John Day ambulance May 14: Along with Prairie City ambulance, responded to a 30-year-old man on South Bridge Street. May 15: Responded for a 65-year-old man with nausea and vomiting. May 16: Dispatched for an 81-year-old woman that fell and possibly broke a shoulder on West Main Street. COPS AND COURTS Arrests and citations in the Blue Mountain Eagle are taken from the logs of law enforcement agencies. Every effort is made to report the court disposition of arrest cases. Grant County Circuit Court Nicholas P. Gibson, 28, pleaded guilty May 15 to a count of second-degree failure to appear committed on Jan. 23 and second-degree theft com- mitted on Dec. 31. He was sen- tenced to serve 15 days in jail, 18 months of bench probation and pay $492 in restitution and compensatory fees to Huffman’s Market. A count of second-de- gree forgery was dismissed. Grant County Sheriff The Grant County Sheriff’s Office reported the following for the week of May 13: Concealed handgun licenses: 7 Average inmates: 8 Bookings: 2 Releases: 5 Arrests: 0 Citations: 1 Fingerprints: 2 Civil papers: 6 Warrants processed: 1 Assistance/Welfare check: 0 Search and Rescue: 1 John Barr, 26, Shasta Lake California, was cited for operat- ing without a license and driving uninsured. Oregon State Police May 10: A juvenile female driver was southbound on High- way 395C, near milepost 30.5, when she failed to negotiate a sharp righthand curve in the roadway. The Chevrolet crossed the northbound lane and left the roadway, traveling along the shoulder of the northbound lane. The vehicle tripped and began to roll, coming to rest on the pas- senger side. The driver, who received injuries in the crash, walked about 3.5 miles to a nearby ranch, where she called 911. The female was trans- ported to the hospital by ambu- lance where she was treated and released. A blood sample taken from the female driver at the hospital showed that her blood alcohol content was 0.09%, approximately three hours after the crash. The vehicle was removed by Frontier Towing. May 10: OSP stopped a vehi- cle on an A Avenue in Seneca for multiple traffic offenses. Mat- thew J. Nelson, 40, of Seneca displayed indicators of impair- ment and OSP subsequently performed field sobriety tests indicating further impairment. Nelson’s operator’s license was criminally revoked for a prior DUII. OSP took the driver into custody for DUII and a driving while suspended misdemeanor. OSP transported the driver to the Grant County Jail where he provided breath samples with final blood alcohol concentra- tion of 0.17%. He was cited and released for DUII and driving while suspended misdemeanor. May 14: OSP responded to a noninjury, non-blocking vehi- cle crash on Highway 26, near milepost 154 in Mt. Vernon. When OSP arrived, the vehi- cle was on its wheels and had crashed into trees and rocks on private property on the west- bound side of the road. The vehicle damaged trees on pri- vate property. The owner of the vehicle requested Fron- tier Towing. The driver was S165194-1 issued a citation for careless driving—accident. May 14: OSP conducted a traffic stop near milepost 162 on Highway 26. A 16-year- old male passenger exhibited signs of intoxication. The male admitted to drinking two beers. OSP issued the juvenile a cita- tion for minor in possession of alcohol and referred the cita- tion to the Grant County Juve- nile Department. The juvenile’s parents responded to the traffic stop to transport him home. Dispatch John Day dispatch worked 94 calls during the week of May 11-17, including: • John Day Police Department May 11: Received a report of a felon in possession of a firearm on Ford Road. May 13: Responded to a possible civil issue on East Main Street. S165199-1 S189136-1
