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About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 2021)
A4 NEWS Blue Mountain Eagle Wednesday, February 10, 2021 Navigating the DMV during the pandemic By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle A trip to the Department of Motor Vehicles in the COVID-19 era has become a daunting experience for any- one with limited time to sit on the phone or with little to no broadband access. DMV spokesman David House shared three tips to ease the burden as it appears the DMV will remain by appoint- ment only for the time being. Schedule an appointment at oregondmv.com: He said he suggests peo- ple have a friend or a relative help them if they are not tech savvy or have limited broad- band access. According to the DMV website, anyone needing to change or reschedule an appointment can click on “modify or cancel an existing appointment” and follow the prompts. An email address and appointment type (driver test, written test, license renewal) is required. Drop by and knock on the door: House said many offices on the west side of the state are experiencing no-shows and last-minute cancellations. He told the Eagle these offices have gaps in their days to see some- one that day depending on the business they need to conduct. “If someone happens to be driving by or is in the neigh- borhood, they could knock on the door and ask if the staff can assist with what someone needs. That can work for some people in some cases because you’re doing errands you’re going through town,” he said. “I encourage people to check that out.” Call the local DMV office: He said when all else fails, people can call 503-945-5000. This is the only number where one can reach the John Day office. House said it is likely people will experience long wait times. House said peo- ple would likely need to call “several times a day” to get through to either an automated system or a live person. “You may be on hold for a while. And, or you may get an automated answering service where you’re going to answer a series of questions,” he said. “If you stick it through, you’ll get to a live person.” Grant County moving back to ‘lower risk’ VA hospitals are offering COVID-19 vaccines for veterans as seniors over 80 receive vaccinations By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle Veterans enrolled with the Veterans Health Admin- istration and their caregiv- ers may be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine by appointment throughout the state and may be able to arrange transportation. In a Friday press release, the Grant County Health Department said VA hospi- tals in Boise, Walla Walla and Portland are immunizing eli- gible veterans and caregivers. The health department also said eligible veterans could make an appointment at VA health care clinics in Roseburg, Eugene and Bend. Robert Van Voorhis of the Veterans Committee at the John Day Elks Lodge said three hospitals serving Grant County (Portland, Boise and Walla Walla) have different vaccine plans and websites. Boise VA Medical Cen- ter’s webpage is https:// w w w. b o i s e . v a . g o v / s e r- Eagle file photo A vial of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. vices/covid-19-vaccines. asp, and the phone number is 208-422-1499. Portland’s VA Healthcare System’s website is portland. va.gov/services/covid-19- vaccines.asp, and the phone number is 800-949-1004. The Jonathan M. Wain- By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle wright Memorial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla (Walla Walla VA Medical Cen- ter) webpage is wallawalla. va.gov/services/covid-19- vaccines.asp, and their phone number is 888-687-8863. Van Voorhis told the Eagle that the Boise VA Med- ical Center director asked the John Day Elks Lodge if there is interest among vet- erans served by Boise in getting their vaccines at the Burns Elks Lodge. While it is only a proposal, the response from veterans has been “very positive.” Grant County Veterans may also be able to sched- ule transportation to those appointments through the Disabled Veterans Veterans or the People Mover. The health department’s press release said to reach out to Katie Hoffman, with the county’s Veterans Services office at 541-620-8057 to coordinate with the DAV and 541-575-2370 to schedule a ride with the People Mover. Grant County put shots of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in the arms of a little over 100 people 80 years and older Monday at a closed vaccine clinic at the fairgrounds. The county reported its first new case since Feb. 1 on Tuesday, with one resident in the John Day ZIP code testing positive. The reduction in cases will move Grant County back to the “lower risk” category Friday, according to a Tuesday press release. With the state’s supply exceeding its demand, about 60 people in the 80 and over group remain on the waiting list, Kimberly Lindsay, the coun- ty’s public health administrator, said in a Monday phone call. She said those people would receive shots Feb. 16, and the county will begin to move into the 75 and older age group as vaccine sup- ply allows. Lindsay said the health department would be calling to schedule appointments in the order they received the email or called to be put on the list. Lindsay said several people were upset about not getting a shot on their first day of eligibility. She said others were not clear on the process. “We are administering every dose that we have available,” she said. Lindsay said, if the person misses the health department’s call, they always leave a voice mail letting them know they need to call back to make an appointment. The onus, she said, is on the per- son to call back. “We are not able to hold slots as we need to get the vaccine out,” she said. However, she said the health department will The Eagle/Steven Mitchell Rebekah Rand, director of emergency services at Blue Mountain Hospital District, fills a sy- ringe with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine shot. begin calling people who are due for their second shot and scheduling them for appointments Feb. 22 and March. 7. She said the county should receive an addi- tional 100 doses later this week but she does not know when the state will send more. She said the state is now sending vaccine allocations for rural counties only to local pub- lic health departments. Julie Mansfield Smith Principal Broker/Owner cuppercreeklandco@gmail.com cuppercreeklandcompany.com 541-934-2946 Office 541-519-6891 Cell 41909 Cupper Creek Rd. Kimberly OR 97848 WE HAVE QUALIFIED BUYERS LOOKING FOR LAND AND NEED MORE INVENTORY! 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