HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
Wednesday, June 30, 2021
153rd Year • No. 26 • 14 Pages • $1.50
MyEagleNews.com
Riding for Glory
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
The crowd cries ‘liberty’ at the countdown of three at the close
of the Arise USA rally Thursday at the Grant County Fairgrounds.
Arise USA
Organizers: Tour aims to unite
99% against 1% in government
said the county has gone from
doing active forestry work and
stewardship of the forest to
Nearly 40 people showed now doing “very little of it.”
up to encourage people to get Traylor said devastating fi res
more involved with their gov- have “eaten up” a signifi cant
ernment at the local level at portion of the county.
“Now we look at fi re as
the Grant County Fairgrounds
fi re season,” he said. “Unfor-
Thursday
The goal of the Arise USA tunately, fi re has become big
tour, organizer Robert David business. And big business
requires big fi res.
Steele said, is to unite
This is happening all
99% of the country
through the West.”
against the 1% in gov-
In his speech,
ernment, who he said
Steele said that for-
no longer represent
mer Donald Trump
the people.
legal team member
Steele, a former
Sidney Powell is fac-
spy with the U.S.
ing a million-dollar
Central Intelligence
Agency, said the Robert David defamation lawsuit
Steele
brought by Domin-
group got on the road
ion Voting Systems,
May 7 and would be
at Mt. Rushmore for Inde- a voting machine company at
pendence Day with events the center of conspiracy theo-
planned throughout the coun- ries related to the election.
“We want fair and hon-
try through at least August.
The group’s grievances est elections,” he said. “Elec-
ranged from COVID-19 tronic voting machines were
restrictions to alleged election created in order to designate
fraud to satanic pedophilia the winner before the fi rst vote
is cast. And I absolutely guar-
and critical race theory.
Emceed by radio host Trent antee you that my friend Sid-
Loos from Nebraska, featured ney Powell is going to kick
speakers included Kevin Jen- Dominion’s ass.”
He said, if he were the
kins, the Urban Global Health
Alliance founder, and local CEO of Dominion, he would
be in Switzerland getting a
speaker Dave Traylor.
Traylor, who spoke fi rst,
See Rally, Page A14
talked about local issues. He
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Riders from the Oregon Veterans Motorcycle Association though Grant County Sunday to honor POW/MIAs.
Veterans motorcycle association honors
prisoners of war and those missing in action
By Steven Mitchell
Blue Mountain Eagle
R
oughly 60 motorcycle riders from the Oregon Veterans
Motorcycle Association rolled through John Day Sun-
day to honor prisoners of war and service members
missing in action.
At the same time, the Grant County Chamber of
Commerce dedicated its fl agpole to POWs and MIAs as community
members lined the streets with fl ags to honor them.
Larry Moyer, president of the Central Oregon Chapter of the VMA
and a Persian Gulf War veteran, said the group has focused on raising
money for other veteran causes. This ranged from purchasing a home
in Central Oregon for returning veterans to serve as transitional hous-
ing to providing fi nancial assistance to veterans in distress.
“Every member here today is a member that started out being one
of those people,” he said.
Moyer said people often ask him what the group does, and he
wanted to explain to the audience what they do.
The group also recognized the Grant County Chamber of Com-
merce and Elks Lodge members Charlie Caughlin and Bob Van
Voorhis for their service to the community.
Moyer also read from former POW Oscar “Whitey” Lent’s letters
from when he was held captive on Wake Island during World War II.
Lent, a longtime John Day resident and business owner who passed
away in 1982, was one of over 1,000 civilian contractors taken pris-
oner in December 1941, when Japanese troops overran Wake Island
in the western Pacifi c Ocean.
“This is why we do this,” Moyer said while holding back tears.
The group honored Leslie Traylor, Lent’s daughter.
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Juan Rubio, an Army veteran, stands at attention
during the fl ag pole dedication Sunday at the Grant
County Chamber of Commerce.
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
The Eagle/Steven Mitchell
Grant County’s veterans line up during Sunday’s fl ag pole dedication at the Grant County Chamber of Commerce.
Kevin Jenkins, founder of the Urban Global Initiative, speaks
Thursday during the Arise USA rally at the Grant County Fair-
grounds.
Pandemic restrictions lifted
Mandates on masks, social
distancing and capacity
limits removed
Oregon Capital Bureau
Eagle fi le photo
A sign hangs in front of Dark Horse
Rentals letting the community know
they are open for business last year.
Gov. Kate Brown announced statewide
COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted
on Wednesday, June 30.
Oregon lifted the pandemic limits
in place for over a year today.
“When Oregon reaches 70% or by
Wednesday, June 30, we will lift the
safety programs we have relied on and
open our economy,” Gov. Kate Brown
said in a press call on Friday morning.
Mandates on masks, social distanc-
ing and capacity limits of restaurants
and venues have been removed.
“Eff ectively, Oregon is 100% open
for business,” she said.
But Brown and health offi cials said
that the crisis for the state is not over.
“Some 98% of people dying from
COVID-19 are unvaccinated,” Brown
said.
Oregon
Health
Authority
Director Pat Allen said the pan-
demic is not over, but the man-
agement of the crisis will shift to
local officials.
County commissioners will be
responsible for public health deci-
sions, and the state will only com-
pile statistics and offer assistance.
“Local officials will be respon-
sible for those decisions and for
the consequences,” Allen said.
Allen warned that areas with
high numbers of unvaccinated res-
idents were in danger of infection
flare-ups with the limits lifted.
“They’re dry tinder,” Allen
said.
Setting a firm deadline was
needed as the state headed into the
popular July 4 weekend.
“Obviously businesses and
venues need certainty on reopen-
ing,” Brown said.
Decisions on schools will also
shift to local leaders.
Oregon policy intends to have
“full-time, in person instruction,”
said Colt Gill, director of the Ore-
gon Department of Education.
New guidance to schools will
be sent by June 30 and will include
summer school recommendations.
Brown said she believed the
new system will work and add
flexibility instead of a one-way
approach across all 36 counties.
But she did not rule out state-
wide emergency orders if the virus
makes a widespread resurgence.
“We obviously don’t know
what the future holds,” she said.