NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, September 8, 2021
A5
Hospital sets up tent as proactive measure COVID-19 testing clinics planned
Blue Mountain Eagle
Blue Mountain Hospital has
erected a tent outside the emer-
gency room as a proactive mea-
sure for COVID-19, but the
hospital still has capacity for
patients.
Rebekah Rand, Blue Moun-
tain Hospital District director of
emergency medical services,
said the tent is not currently
needed, but staff wanted to pre-
pare in case a surge of patients
come in, especially with the
long Labor Day holiday week-
end coming up.
“On
weekdays,
our
(COVID-19) numbers are look-
ing higher than they have in a
long time,” she said, adding the
hospital wanted to get the tent
set up in case it was needed. “If
a surge does come in and we do
need to use (the tent), we want
to have a good handle on what
our plan is.”
Hospital staff have been
boosted by Oregon National
Guard soldiers, who also
helped set up the tent, she said.
They also help set up barriers
for a new viral clinic.
Rand said Strawberry Wil-
derness Community Clinic,
inside the hospital, is in the fi nal
planning stages for a viral clinic,
which will operate on a mostly
walk-in basis for patients who
may not need emergency room
treatment but who are unable
to get an appointment with a
provider.
“When people are feeling
ill ... they can get care, and they
can access testing without hav-
ing to go to the ER,” she said.
“Obviously, if they’re having
severe symptoms, we recom-
mend they go to the ER.”
Rand said it will likely oper-
ate during regular business
hours, but the exact schedule
has not been determined. She
said the hospital is also working
on improved signage directing
people with COVID-19 symp-
toms to the second-level emer-
gency room entrance instead of
the main entrance.
Blue Mountain Eagle
COVID-19 cases in Grant
County continue to be identifi ed
amid the latest surge with testing
clinics planned.
Since Sept. 1, the Grant County
Health Department has reported
49 new cases. Since the uptick
began in mid-August, the county
has reported 155 cases, with 680
since the pandemic began. From
Aug. 22-28, Grant County had the
highest case rate in region seven
covering southeastern Oregon.
About 38% of Grant County
residents have been fully vacci-
nated, according to the New York
Times, with about 58% of those
65 and older fully vaccinated.
Grant County is reporting an aver-
age of six new cases daily, a rate
of 85 per 100,000 people, with a
330% increase in the last 14 days,
according to the Times. There
have been 673 total cases and
eight deaths.
The county has the highest
rate of pediatric cases — in peo-
ple under 18 — in the state. With
136 child cases reported and only
1,022 children in the county, the
rate is 13,309 per 100,000, accord-
ing to the Times. The next high-
est in the state is Jeff erson County
with a rate of 9,725 per 100,000.
COVID-19 testing clinics
Blue Mountain Hospital and
the Grant County Health Depart-
ment are collaborating to provide
COVID-19 testing clinics.
Individuals who are symptom-
atic or who have been in close con-
tact with an individual who tested
positive for COVID-19 in the past
14 days may be tested. The clin-
ics will take place from 10 a.m. to
noon Friday, Sept. 10; Wednes-
day, Sept. 15; and Friday Sept.
17. They will occur in the Grant
County Health Department park-
ing lot, 528 E. Main St., John Day.
COVID-19 symptoms include
fever, nausea, diffi culty breath-
ing, pneumonia, chills, runny
nose, vomiting, loss or change in
taste, diarrhea, sore throat, cough,
abdominal pain, loss or change in
smell, headache and muscle aches.
COPS AND COURTS
Arrests and citations in the
Blue Mountain Eagle are taken
from the logs of law enforcement
agencies. Every eff ort is made
to report the court disposition of
arrest cases.
Grant County Justice
Court
The Grant County Justice
Court reported the following for
the week ending Sept. 2:
Traffi c citations: 25
Violation crimes: 0
Misdemeanors: 0
Small claims/civil: 0
Hearings held: 3
Persons on probation: 40
Community service hours
completed: 13
License suspensions: 0
To collections/DOR: 56
Warrants issued: 1
Violation of the speed limit:
Jarrod X. Kellogg, 42, Casper,
Wyoming, Aug. 26, 60/35 zone,
fi ned $265; James L. Howden
42, Burns, July 23, 89/65 zone,
fi ned $265; Allan F. Dulwick,
67, Sisters, Aug. 4, 60/45 zone,
fi ned $140; Thomas A. Mulli-
gan, 45, New Windsor, New
York, July 27, 52/30 zone,
fi ned $265; Maria L. Mick,
31, Caldwell, Idaho, Aug.
10, 82/65 zone, fi ned $265;
Ruthvik S. Chunduri, 20, San
Ramon, California, July 25,
56/26 zone, fi ned $440; Faith
M. Myers, 25, Elizabethtown,
Indiana, Aug. 3, 73/35 zone,
fi ned $440; Anthony J. Galli-
natti, 29, Boise, Idaho, Aug. 6,
60/25 zone, fi ned $440.
Violation of the basic rule:
Alvin J. Eastman, 76, Lincoln,
Nebraska, Aug. 26, 79/55 zone,
fi ned $265; Kent T. Golding,
65, Bend, Aug. 19, 72/55 zone,
fi ned $140; Luis Of Sauceda,
46, Pasco, Washington, July 18,
80/55 zone, fi ned $265.
Violation of posted limits on
use: Keith A. Swanson, 31, Mil-
ton Freewater, July 27, fi ned
$115.
Failure to renew registration:
Shawn A. Hyde, 29, Burns, May
29, fi ned $115.
Failure to carry valid regis-
tration card: Shawn A. Hyde,
29, Burns, May 29, fi ned $115.
Failure to drive within lane:
Jason D. Lanning, 23, Seneca,
July 29, fi ned $265.
No operator’s license:
Thomas A. Mulligan, 45, New
Windsor, New York, July 27,
fi ned $265.
Driving while suspended:
Timothy A. Edwards Jr., 29, Mt.
Vernon, July 22, fi ned $440;
Harrison E. Caron, 32, Bend,
July 18, fi ned $440; Katie M.
Watt, 35, John Day, July 21,
fi ned $440.
Operating an unsafe vehi-
cle: Timothy A. Edwards Jr., 29,
Mt. Vernon, July 22, fi ned $265;
Dalton J. Davis, 25, Yakima,
Washington, July 18, fi ned
$265.
Driving uninsured: Tim-
othy A. Edwards Jr., 29, Mt.
Vernon, July 22, fi ned $265;
Harrison E. Caron, 32, Bend,
July 18, fi ned $265.
Failure to carry proof of
fi nancial requirements: Dalton
J. Davis, 25, Yakima, Washing-
ton, July 18, fi ned $265; Travis
J. Freniere, 35, John Day, June
5, fi ned $265.
Driving outside restric-
tions: Juvenile, 16, John
Day, July 28, fi ned $265.
Careless driving: Ruthvik S.
Chunduri, 20, San Ramon, Cali-
fornia, July 25, fi ned $265.
Failure to yield to pedestrian
on sidewalk: Ruthvik S. Chun-
duri, 20, San Ramon, California,
July 25, fi ned $265.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce reported the following
for the week ending Sept. 1:
Concealed handgun licenses: 5
Average inmates: 8
Bookings: 7
Releases: 9
Arrests: 2
Citations: 5
Fingerprints: 1
Civil papers: 10
Warrants processed: 5
Assistance/Welfare check: 1
Search and Rescue: 1
Aug. 30: Cited Spencer Bra-
den 20, Canyon City, for speed-
ing, 51/35 zone.
Aug. 30: Cited Jordan
McLuckie, 23, Portland, for
speeding, 61/35 zone.
Aug. 30: Cited Jarrod Kel-
log, 42, Casper, Wyoming, for
speeding, 60/35 zone.
Aug. 31: Cited Rheanna
Cartner, 23, Seneca, for driv-
ing under the infl uence of
intoxicants.
Sept. 1: Cited John LaFran-
chise, 55, John Day for driving
uninsured, driving while sus-
pended and failure to install an
ignition interlock device.
Oregon State Police
Aug. 26: A trooper stopped
a vehicle for a traffi c infraction
on Highway 395. Upon contact,
the trooper observed indica-
tors of drug impairment. During
fi eld sobriety tests, additional
indicators of impairment were
observed. The driver, Timothy
A. Edwards, 29, was arrested
and transported to Grant County
Jail where he cooperated with a
drug evaluation. He was lodged
at the jail. His vehicle and dog
were removed from the scene
by a friend.
Aug. 28: A trooper stopped
a driver on Highway 395B
near milepost 120 for operat-
ing an ATV on a state high-
way. On contact, the driver had
watery, glassy, bloodshot eyes,
and a strong odor of alcohol on
his breath. The driver admit-
ted to drinking three beers.
During fi eld sobriety tests, fur-
ther indicators of impairment
were observed. The driver,
Kyle L. Kinsey, 32, John Day,
was arrested for driving under
the infl uence of intoxicants and
transported to the Grant County
Jail. He provided a blood alco-
hol content sample of 0.10%.
He was issued a citation for
DUII.
Dispatch
John Day dispatch worked
108 calls from Aug. 29 to Sept.
3, including:
• John Day Police
Department
Aug. 29: Advised of an
injured buck on Northwest
Third Avenue.
Aug. 30: Responded for
bank fraud on Adam Road.
Aug. 31: Arrested Holly
A. Newman, 48, John Day, for
fourth-degree domestic assault.
• Grant County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce
Aug. 30: Ashley Post, 32,
Portland, was arrested for
domestic violence on Highway
395.
Aug. 31: Responded for an
elderly woman who fell and
could not get up on North Hum-
bolt Street.
Aug. 31: Harassment was
reported in Ritter.
Sept. 1: Advised of a stolen
shotgun on Highway 395 near
Silvies.
Sept. 2: Received a report of
fraud in Canyon City.
Sept. 2: Cited Paul H. Rog-
ers, 64, Sarasota, Florida, for
speeding, 46/25 zone.
Sept. 2: Received a report of
a domestic dispute on Cotton-
wood Street.
• Oregon State Police
Aug. 29: Advised of a
cow on Highway 26 near
milepost 136.
Aug. 31: Received a report
of a vehicle-versus-deer crash
on Highway 26 near milepost
163.
• John Day ambulance
Aug. 29: Responded with
Long Creek ambulance for a
woman with breathing prob-
lems on East Main Street.
Aug. 29: Dispatched for a
child with diffi culty breathing
on Riverside Street.
Aug. 30: Responded for an
unresponsive person on Valley
View Drive.
Aug. 31: Responded for a
woman who fell at Valley View
Assisted Living.
Sept. 1: Responded for a
nonresponsive woman on Cot-
tonwood Street.
Sept. 1: Dispatched for a
woman with a possible stroke
on Patterson Drive.
Sept. 1: Dispatched with
Long Creek ambulance for a
man with chest pain on Third
Street.
Sept. 1: Responded for a
78-year-old man who fell on
Southwest First Street.
Sept. 2: Responded for a
man with a possible appendix
problem in Long Creek.
Sept. 2: Responded for a
woman who was sick on Harper
Creek Road.
• U.S. Forest Service
Aug. 29: Advised of a fi re on
Fields Peak.
Aug. 30: Smoke was
reported in Murderers Creek.
AT THE
HARNEY COUNTY
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