NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
A5
Grant County reports 85th COVID-19 case Officials lack evidence
to pursue threat
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
Nineteen more people
in John Day, Canyon City,
Mt. Vernon and Seneca
tested positive for COVID-
19, bringing the total num-
ber of cases in the county to
85, according to a Tuesday
press release from the Grant
County Health Department.
The new cases come after
Gov. Kate Brown announced
Friday a statewide “Two-
Week Freeze” starting today
to slow rising COVID-19
infection rates.
In Oregon, state health
officials reported 935 new
confirmed and presumptive
COVID-19 cases and 13 new
deaths Tuesday.
The state’s surge in cases
mirrors the trend across the
country, as positive cases
topped 11 million and the
number of deaths hit 247,000,
according to the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention.
Hospitals run the risk
of being stretched beyond
capacity if infection rates do
not decrease.
In Grant County’s region
seven, shared with Deschutes,
Harney, Klamath, Jefferson,
Klamath, Lake and Wheeler
counties, the Oregon Health
Authority reports that 18 peo-
ple are being hospitalized for
COVID-19.
Eagle file photo
Jessica Winegar, Grant Coun-
ty Health Department clinic
manager, prepares a COVID-19
test kit Nov. 5 during the coun-
ty’s curbside testing.
Region seven, as of Tues-
day, has 16 staffed adult
intensive care unit beds and
108 non-ICU beds are avail-
able, according to OHA’s
website.
OHA notes the data does
not reflect the maximum
capacity of the hospitals.
Beds, equipment and other
resources can be repurposed
if additional patients need to
be hospitalized.
Blue Mountain Hospital’s
Director of Emergency Med-
ical Services Rebekah Rand
said the hospital is continuing
to allow for elective surger-
ies. She said the procedures
in John Day are typically rou-
tine and do not require an
extended inpatient stay.
She said the hospital
requires that patients have
a negative COVID-19 test
before the procedure. She
said the hospital is closely
watching its testing capac-
ity, personal protective equip-
ment and staffing levels. Ear-
lier in the pandemic, she said,
the governor halted the sur-
geries to preserve PPE.
“At this time, our PPE
level on hand remains at a
level we are comfortable
with,” she said. “And our
supply chains remain open in
that we are still able to place
orders and receive them in a
timely manner.”
Blue Mountain Hospital
District’s Home Health, Hos-
pice,and Outpatient Clinic
has eliminated most in-per-
son visits and will see patients
through telehealth or phone
call support until Nov. 30, at
which time they will evaluate
the COVID-19 infection rate,
according to a Nov. 30 press
release.
Grant County Health
Administrator
Kimberly
Lindsay said the county is
experiencing
community
spread, where people contract
the virus without any known
contact with a sick person.
“I don’t know that we’re
ever going to get down to
having zero to one cases a
week anytime soon,” Lindsay
said. “But what we want to
see is a decrease from week
to week.
“You have exposures, you
have incubation time, you
have symptom development
time and viral load time. (The
increase in cases) is not sur-
prising, and I’m hopeful that
our case count this week will
be lower than last week.”
She said that she is ask-
ing people to continue to be
safe and thoughtful about
what they’re doing and how
they’re doing it.
Lindsay said the COVID-
19 Risk Assessment Plan-
ning Tool, a tool designed by
researchers at Georgia Tech
University, helps people easily
understand the risks associated
with different size gatherings.
For example, in Grant
County, as of Nov. 16, some
would have a 48% chance
that they would encounter at
least one person infected with
the coronavirus at a Thanks-
giving dinner with 25 guests.
In Harney County, it’s 27%.
The tool considers the
number of infections per cap-
ita in a county and the size of
the event. The information
plotted over a county-level
map makes it easier to under-
stand, Lindsay said.
The map is updated daily
with real-time information on
new cases from every county
across the country: https://
covid19risk.biosci.gatech.
edu.
felt threatened. Hallgarth said,
if that is the case, they need to
immediately call law enforce-
ment or dispatch and let them
know. The Grant County Sher-
iff’s office can be reached at
541-575-1131.
Sheriff Glenn Palmer has
not responded to calls from the
Eagle regarding the allegation.
John Day Police Chief Mike
Durr said the department has not
received a report of that happen-
ing in John Day but said, if the
allegations were true, then it’s
unacceptable.
“If that’s true, I just hope it’s
somebody just venting, but that
is definitely something that is
unacceptable,” Durr said. “If we
get a report of somebody doing
that in John Day we’re definitely
going to investigate it.”
Durr said that if threats are
made to call the police depart-
ment at 541-575-0030 or dis-
patch at 541-575-0195.
Stevick said there was also a
list of people circulating online
falsely accusing them of report-
ing local businesses for not com-
plying with Gov. Kate Brown’s
mask mandate.
Given the heightened polit-
ical climate surrounding both
the election and COVID-19, a
list falsely accusing people for
reporting businesses that have
taken financial hits due to the
coronavirus is dangerous, she
said.
By Rudy Diaz
Blue Mountain Eagle
Officials lack evidence to
investigate a reported threat in
Prairie City.
Ashley Stevick told the Eagle
she heard from a parent of a stu-
dent at Prairie City School that
other students had threatened to
“kill liberals” should President
Donald Trump lose the election.
Prairie City School Super-
intendent Casey Hallgath said
he received a call last week
regarding
the
allegations
and claims of bullying at the
school.
“We don’t tolerate that, so
if somebody makes a threat
like that we instantly take the
individual and talk to them
with our counselor,” Hallgarth
said. “Then we would contact
the parents, but (the source)
didn’t say who the parents
were and wouldn’t give me any
information.”
Hallgarth said, without the
information or names, the school
would not be able to do much to
address the allegations. Another
person called him to report the
same information but also with-
held details from Hallgarth that
could be used to address the
allegations.
“Go tell the parents to call
me, and we’ll figure this out,”
Hallgarth said.
Both individuals said they
COPS AND COURTS
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff’s
Office reported the following for
the week of Nov. 11:
Concealed handgun licenses:
13
Average inmates: 15
Bookings: 0
Releases: 2
Arrests: 0
Citations: 2
Fingerprints: 2
Civil papers: 12
Warrants processed: 1
Assistance/Welfare check: 2
Search and Rescue: 1
Artur Zacarias, 41, Bend,
was cited for violation of basic
rule, 88/55 zone.
Gage Immoos, 29, Prai-
rie City, was cited for driving
uninsured.
Grant County Justice
Court
Violation of basic rule: Luis
Omar Cruz Aguilar, 28, Bend,
May 14, 75/55 zone, fined
$165; William M. Pasiechnik,
37, Prineville, Sept. 22, 72/55
zone, fined $165; Lan Marberry,
40, Salem, Oct. 14, 78/55 zone,
fined $265; David P. Billar, 41,
Dayville, Oct. 1, 69/55 zone,
fined $165.
Driving while suspended:
Oregon State Police
Nov. 8: Oregon State Police
responded to a noninjury, block-
ing semi crash on Highway
395C near milepost 13 in Grant
County. When OSP arrived, the
semi was on its wheels block-
ing the southbound lane. Due
to the road conditions, the semi
wasn’t able to move on its own.
The semi had minor damage to
the driver’s side of the cab. The
vehicle that hit the semi was no
longer on scene. Both parties
exchanged information. Oregon
Department of Transportation
was on scene graveling the high-
way and helped move the semi
to a turn out.
Nov. 9: OSP responded to a
reported single-vehicle crash at
milepost 198 on Highway 26.
Investigation revealed the vehi-
395B. The vehicle was south-
bound on icy roads at an esti-
mated 40 mph when it started
to slide. The driver, a 76-year-
old man, tried to correct the
slide, but was unable. The vehi-
cle rotated to the left, crossed
the northbound lane of travel,
entered a ditch and then struck a
hillside. The vehicle rolled onto
the driver’s side and came to a
rest, blocking the northbound
lane of travel. The driver was
transported via ambulance to
Blue Mountain Hospital with
apparent minor injuries. The two
passengers in the vehicle were
not injured. At the request of the
driver, Doug’s Motor Vehicle
Repair responded and removed
the vehicle.
Nov. 12: A ranch near Kim-
berly reported locating a hunter
who had trespassed across their
land to recover a bull elk. The
suspect remained on scene with
ranch personnel until a Fish and
Wildlife trooper responded. The
suspect, Michael J. Milner, 49,
of Kerby was ultimately issued
a criminal citation for second-de-
gree criminal trespass. The ranch
manager allowed the suspect and
his party to finish recovering the
bull elk.
Nov. 14: OSP responded to a
reported single-vehicle crash at
milepost 96 on Highway 395B.
Investigation revealed the vehi-
cle was headed southbound and
negotiated a curve when it lost
traction on packed snow and ice.
The vehicle started to slide, and
the driver was unable to recover.
The vehicle left the roadway on
the northbound side of the road
into a ditch and started to roll,
coming to an uncontrolled rest in
the ditch on its wheels. The driver
was transported to Blue Moun-
tain Hospital. The driver received
minor injuries. The vehicle was
towed from the scene by Frontier
Towing.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
132 calls during the week of Nov.
9-15, including:
• John Day Police
Department
Nov. 11: Received a report of
a vehicle with an infant riding on
the passenger’s lap in the front
near Apple Road.
Nov. 13: Along with GCSO
and OSP, responded to shots fired
on Southeast Second Avenue.
Nov. 13: Along with GCSO
and OSP, responded to shots fired
on South Bailey Place.
• Oregon State Police
Nov. 9: Advised of a rollover,
noninjury crash on Highway 26
near milepost 198.
Nov. 10: Received a report of
a noninjury crash on Highway
26.
Nov. 12: Received a report
of a noninjury crash involving a
vehicle hitting a deer on Highway
26 near milepost 163.
• Grant County Sheriff’s
Office
Nov. 9: Received a report of
theft on Maple Street.
Nov. 10: Received a report
of a noninjury crash on County
Road 21.
Nov. 11: Received a report of
a noninjury crash on Forest Road
10.
Nov. 13: Received a report of
theft on North Humbolt Street.
• John Day ambulance
Nov. 9: Responded for a
75-year-old woman with ele-
vated blood sugar on Valley View
Drive.
Nov. 10: Paged for an 82-year-
old woman suffering from weak-
ness and spasms on East Main
Street.
Nov. 11: Paged for a man
with possibly broken ribs on East
Main Street.
Nov. 13: Responded for an
elderly patient with severe back
and leg pain on West Riverside
Street.
Nov. 14: Dispatched to Can-
yon City for an 85-year-old
woman with difficulty breathing
on North Clark Street.
Debbie Ausmus
245 South Canyon Blvd.
John Day, OR 97845
OPEN WED. & THUR.
9 am - 5 pm
541-575-1113
24 hrs/7 days wk
debbie.ausmus@
countryfinancial.com
137 E. Main St., John Day • 541-575-1637
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Two counts of harass-
ment against Shiloh S. Stinnett,
allegedly committed on Aug.
12, were dismissed on Nov. 12
based on a motion by the state in
the interests of justice.
cle was eastbound at a stated 50
mph, negotiating a curve, when
it lost traction on packed snow.
The vehicle started to slide, and
the driver was unable to recover.
The vehicle rotated 180 degrees
and entered a ditch off the east-
bound shoulder, striking a hill
where it came to an uncontrolled
rest. The driver and his juvenile
passenger were not injured. The
vehicle sustained minor damage.
The vehicle was towed from the
scene by Frontier Towing.
Nov. 10: OSP stopped a
known suspended driver at
Southwest Brent Street near West
Main Street in John Day. The
driver, Steven M. Warrington,
31, of Granite is a chronic sus-
pended and uninsured driver.
Warrington has been cited by the
John Day Police Department and
OSP numerous times for driv-
ing while suspended violations
and driving uninsured and OSP
has previously impounded vehi-
cles driven by Warrington. War-
rington did not have insurance
on the vehicle he was currently
driving. OSP issued Warrington
citations for driving while sus-
pended and uninsured. Doug’s
Motor Vehicle Repair responded
and impounded the vehicle.
Nov. 11: OSP responded to
an injury, single-vehicle crash
near milepost 108 on Highway
S216347-1
Grant County Circuit
Court
Jeffery C. Cook, 24, La Grande,
April 29, fined $440; Adrian
Couey, 35, John Day, June 9,
fined $440, Sept. 11, fined $440,
Sept. 17, fined $440; William J.
Collier Jr., 27, John Day, March
29, fined $440.
Driving uninsured: Adrian
Couey, 35, John Day, June 9,
fined $265, Sept. 11, fined $265;
Patricia K. Culver, 63, Mt. Ver-
non, April 20, fined $265; Jef-
frey C. Cook, 24, La Grande,
April 29, fined $265.
Joseph A. Krotzer of Clas-
kanie was convicted of hunt-
ing on enclosed lands. He was
ordered to pay $465 in fees and
fines.
Olivia L. Krotzer of Rain-
ier was convicted of hunting on
enclosed lands. She was ordered
to pay a $440 fine.
Justin J. Levi Krotzer of
Rainier was convicted of hunt-
ing on enclosed lands. He was
ordered to pay $465 in fees and
fines.
S216454-1
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.
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