A2
FAMILY
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, January 27, 2021
GRANT UNION STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
OTEC scholarship
deadline is Jan. 31
Blue Mountain Eagle
Seventh grade
Taylor Parsons
Parents: Tye and
Stephanie Parsons
Eighth grade
Adeline Northway
Parents: Chris and
Shanna Northway
10th grade
Max Bailey
Parents: Zacha-
ry and Heather
Bailey
Ninth grade
Abbie Justice
Parents: Ken and
Julia Justice
11th grade
Lauryn Pettyjohn
Parents: Ryan and
Melissa Pettyjohn
The deadline to apply for
one of Oregon Trail Elec-
tric Cooperative’s academic
scholarships is Sunday, Jan.
31.
Scholarships are avail-
able to high school students,
returning college students and
adults entering educational
and technical programs.
Academic
scholarships
are in the amount of $5,000.
Four will be allocated to the
OTEC-EOU Rural Scholar-
ship Program, a partnership
between OTEC and East-
ern Oregon University in
La Grande. Incoming EOU
freshman will have the oppor-
tunity to have their entire four
12th grade
Peyton Neault
Parents: Cooper
and Kimberly
Neault
Drop in COVID-19 infections will allow state to loosen restrictions
By Gary A. Warner
Oregon Capital Bureau
Falling COVID-19 infec-
tion rates will allow the state to
lift some restrictions on busi-
nesses and activities over the
next three weeks, the state’s top
health official said Monday.
Oregon Health Authority
Director Pat Allen told the Sen-
ate Committee on Health Care
that the infection rate in Ore-
gon had dropped to 5.1% for
the week of Jan. 17, the lowest
rate since late October.
The rate has been steadily
dropping since the first week
of January and has reached a
point where growth in the daily
number of cases is expected
to stay relatively flat or drop
further.
The rates means the state
can move more of the state’s
36 counties lower on the four-
tier risk level measures. The
latest two-week ratings will be
released in the next two days
and will show some coun-
ties dropping a level, while
no county’s risk level is on the
rise.
“It’s the hard work of Ore-
gonians,” Allen told the panel.
Allen said Oregon has the
fourth lowest infection rate and
the fifth lowest death rate of the
50 states.
Allen said, if the trend sus-
tains for another two weeks,
several more counties will
move down the risk level scale,
including some with larger
populations.
Gov. Kate Brown is also
expected to make an announce-
ment this week to allow some
gyms and other indoor recre-
ation to operate again.
The lower rate of infection
is good news as the state con-
tinues to struggle with obtain-
ing enough of the new Pfizer
and Moderna vaccines to ramp
up inoculations. The two-shot
vaccines are the key to ending
the pandemic that has killed
420,000 people nationwide,
including 1,882 Oregonians.
“Our real challenge right
now is just flat out not having
enough vaccine,” Allen said.
The state has received
more than 492,000 doses of
the Moderna and Pfizer vac-
cines that have been approved
for use on adults. The vaccines
require two shots space about a
month apart.
Oregon is currently on pace
to get more than 12,000 shots
administered per day. Allen
said OHA estimates 3.2 mil-
Parks and Rec board to meet Jan. 28
Blue Mountain Eagle
The John Day-Canyon
City Parks and Recreation
lion adults are eligible for vac-
cination, meaning that the state
will need 6.4 million doses of
vaccine to finish the job.
Allen said the state had
enough centers for inoculation
and qualified workers to give
the shots. It just didn’t have
vaccine to put to work.
There is hope that new vac-
cines from Astra Zeneca, John-
son & Johnson and others will
be approved and increase the
flow of available doses across
the country.
Allen said, with only the
two approved vaccines and the
current projected rate of sup-
ply coming to the state each
week, some Oregonians will
not be inoculated until the end
of 2021 or beyond.
The state is currently work-
ing through the highest prior-
ity group: health care workers,
plus residents and staff of nurs-
ing homes that have accounted
for over half of the deaths in
Oregon.
Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, a
member of the committee, said
he’d heard from constituents
upset with Brown’s decision
to vaccinate about 150,000
educators and school workers
next as a step to getting schools
reopened this spring.
Those over 65 are the most
likely to suffer severe illness
or die from COVID-19, with
fatality rates rising as people
get into their 70s, 80s or 90s.
After waiting nearly a year in
fear and sometimes isolation,
the word they will have to wait
longer because of a desire to
reopen schools is difficult to
accept.
“They are very, very
unhappy about it,” Knopp said.
Allen said the federal guide-
lines calling for seniors living
outside of nursing homes as
the next priority are “advisory”
with each state being able to
make its own decisions.
“We had to ask, what are
our priorities going to be?”
Allen said.
Moving the schools group
ahead of seniors meant the
start date for inoculation of
older Oregonians living inde-
pendently was pushed back
from Monday to Feb. 8. Even
then, only those over 80 can
apply at first. The eligibility
age will drop five years each
week, until those 65 and over
are eligible March 1.
Oregon is the only state that
has placed educators above
seniors in priority for the
vaccine.
Nomination period
open for 2022 Oregon
Teacher of the Year
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Oregon Teacher of the
year program returns to honor
educators in the state.
The nomination period is
currently open until Jan. 31,
and anybody can nominate a
Teacher of the Year for 2022
at oregonteacheroftheyear.org.
The Oregon Education
Service Districts will select a
winner from each region, and
Regional Teachers of the Year
will be honored across the
state in May 2021.
One of the Regional Teach-
ers of the Year will then be
named the 2022 Oregon
Teacher of the Year in Septem-
ber 2021.
Republican Central Committee to meet
District board of directors
will meet at 4 p.m. Thurs-
day, Jan. 28, at the park’s
office.
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Grant County Repub-
lican Central Committee will
conduct a quarterly meeting
on Thursday, Jan. 28, from
3-5 p.m. at the Grant County
Regional Airport, 720 Airport
Road, John Day. The public is
welcome.
www.MyEagleNews.com
Oregon Trail Electric
Cooperative is seeking candi-
dates for three board of direc-
tors seats in Union, Baker and
Grant counties, according to a
Monday press release.
The nominating committee
recommends qualified can-
didates for the 2021 OTEC
Board of Directors Elections
Your plan ended December 31, 2020
Call right away for your FREE review!
I can help you find a new
plan AND you can have a
helpful local agent.
Thank you all,
in the memory of our mom,
Jessie Lewis.
The deadline to choose your
new plan is February 28, 2021.
Call right away!
( 541) 575-3518 • (541) 620-8980
342 W Main St, John Day, OR 97845
Sincerely,
The family of Jessie Lewis
S221434-1
A MAN
WAKES
UP in the
morning
after sleeping on...
an advertised bed, in advertised
pajamas.
MyEagleNews.com
Linda Smarr, 76, passed away Jan. 20, 2021, at her residence
in Canyon City. A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednes-
day, Jan. 27, at Driskill Memorial Chapel, 241 S. Canyon Blvd.,
John Day.
Apppointments
available
S222307-1
139101
Blue Mountain Eagle
Linda Smarr
Monday - Thursday
7am-
6pm
Monday
- Thursday
7am-
6pm
Friday
8am
- 5pm
Friday
8am
-
Mendy Sharpe 5pm
FNP
S227237-1
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
OBITUARIES
S226969-1
He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an
ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person
hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
Then it’s too late.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
541-523-6377
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710
Last Week’s Temps
John Day ...........................................................HI/LO
Tuesday ........................................................... 45/15
Wednesday ..................................................... 44/20
Thursday .......................................................... 40/31
Friday ............................................................... 36/28
Saturday .......................................................... 32/19
Sunday ............................................................. 37/18
Monday............................................................ 34/25
24/7 F ORECAST
A UTOMATED : 541-575-1122
R OAD CONDITIONS : 511; TRIPCHECK . COM
NOAA W EATHER R ADIO FOR J OHN D AY
162.500 MHz
and said those interested in
running for a board position
should contact them by Jan.
31 for the May election.
Anyone interested can
call the office at 541-524-
2831 or visit otec.coop/annu-
al-meeting-board-elections
for nominating committee
information, qualifications,
applications and petition
packets.
S222297-1
Donna Steele
Regional Teachers of the
Year will receive a cash prize
of $500 and will be celebrated
across the state, according to
Robert Waltenburg, the Grant
County Education Service
District superintendent.
The 2022 Oregon Teacher
of the Year will receive a
$5,000 cash prize with a
matching $5,000 going to their
school.
They will also serve as a
spokesperson and representa-
tive for all Oregon teachers.
Contact
the
Oregon
Teacher of the Year program
coordinator Jenni Knaus at
jenni.knaus@state.or.us
or
503-947-5860 for questions or
more information.
OTEC is seeking three candidates
for board of directors seats
Blue Mountain Eagle
MODA MEDICARE ADVANTAGE
PLAN MEMBERS:
years of tuition and fees paid
for, if they commit to attend
and graduate from Eastern
Oregon University.
The other academic schol-
arships are for graduating high
school students, returning col-
lege students or adults looking
to begin college.
OTEC is also awarding
two $5,000 Lineman College
scholarships and four $2,500
Trade School scholarships.
Applications to the lineman
and trade school scholarships
are accepted year-round and
will be awarded until funds are
exhausted.
Applications and spe-
cific criteria for all the OTEC
scholarships are available at
otec.coop/scholarships.
541-963-6577
541-573-6377
541-576-2160
W EATHER F ORECAST FOR THE WEEK OF J AN . 27 – F EB . 2
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Chance of
snow
Chance of
snow
Partly
sunny
Slight chance
of snow
Chance of rain
and snow
Chance of rain
and snow
Cloudy
41
43
42
43
44
43
45
30
29
26
30
33
28
23