Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Blue Mountain eagle. (John Day, Or.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 15, 2021)
NEWS MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, September 15, 2021 A3 Eagle file photo Blue Mountain Hospital has set up a tent in case it is needed for an increase in COVID-19 patients. The hospital still has capacity. Hospital offers new services as COVID-19 cases continue Blue Mountain Eagle Eagle file photo John Day City Manager Nick Green, left, and Mayor Ron Lundbom John Day secures EDA grant for Cyber Mill locations By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle The city of John Day announced they are getting closer to receiving a $2 mil- lion grant to bring additional broadband internet to Grant County. According to John Day City Manager Nick Green, the $2 million grant from the Economic Development Adminis- tration would help bankroll the opening of the John Day and Seneca Cyber Mill locations. Green said the city started its final 30-day notice for the project last week. He said the United States Department of Agriculture also awarded $6 million to construct the lines to build out a fiber-op- tic network. Green said the city closed on its pur- chase of 241 W. Main Street, the future location of the John Day Cyber Mill. He said the city is working on a tenant agree- ment with the Cyber Mill to operate the site once the tenant improvements are complete and the building is ready for them to move in. Green said the Grant County Digi- tal Board moved to purchase the Cyber Mill’s Seneca location, and it will serve as the planned point-of-presence for the fiber-optic network and house servers, routers and network switches. He said the board selected the site because it was available and had reasonable proximity to the highway and the existing fiber-op- tic network at Seneca City Hall and Sen- eca School. In addition, he noted that it has sufficient space to scale the fiber optic network while also allowing for the Cyber Mill to operate a shared office space as a nonprofit. Green responded to criticism from a newly-formed Political Action Com- mittee, Grant County Conservatives, who said it was inappropriate that Josh Walker, the digital board’s chairman, was the owner of the building sold for the Cyber Mill’s Seneca location. Green said that Walker is one of sev- eral building owners of the group Mahog- any Ridge Properties and had been “dili- gent” about recusing himself from those discussions. Moreover, Green said, the other board members made those deci- sions. He told the Eagle that the real estate market in Seneca is not “exactly robust.” “They chose this location strategically because it was recently remodeled and was move-in ready,” he said. Walker, who was on the email thread, told the Eagle that Green answered the questions and did not add anything else. Green said the Grant County Digi- tal Board is an intergovernmental group formed under ORS 190. The three stand- ing members, he said, are Grant County and the cities of John Day and Seneca. Green said Seneca appointed Walker, while the county tapped Prairie City res- ident Dan Becker, who also serves as the board’s co-chair. John Day, he said, chose Elliot Sky, a John Day city councilor. He said the board has two at-large board members, Denise Porter from Long Creek and Harsh Patel of John Day. He told the Eagle the standing members appoint the at-large positions to serve two-year terms. Grant County has reported 80 new COVID-19 cases since Sept. 8. Since the recent uptick began Aug. 16, the county has reported 235 cases. Strawberry Wilder- ness Community Clinic at Blue Mountain Hospital is now offering a viral clinic for patients experienc- ing mild to moderate viral or COVID-19 symptoms including: fever or chills, cough, mild respiratory or breathing issues, fatigue, muscle or body aches, head- aches, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, conges- tion or runny nose, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. The clinic’s hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Patients may check in at the COVID- 19 information tent in the upper hospital parking lot or call 541-575-0404. The hospital advises patients not to enter the hos- pital with symptoms. Strawberry Wilder- ness Community Clinic is also now offering COVID- 19 monoclonal antibody administration to high-risk individuals who qualify. People who have mild to moderate symptoms, have tested positive for COVID- 19, are presumptively posi- tive, or have a known expo- sure and are high-risk can contact their primary care provider’s office to discuss the treatment. Monoclonal antibod- ies are only authorized for non-hospitalized, high-risk individuals, with mild to moderate symptoms. These antibodies can help pre- vent progression to severe COVID-19 symptoms and complications. It is best to receive treatment as soon as possible after onset of illness. Qualifications for mono- clonal antibody treatment include: age 65 or older, elevated body mass index, pregnant, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, immuno- suppression, cardiovascu- lar disease, including high blood pressure, chronic lung disease such as COPD or asthma, sickle cell disease, neurodevelopment disor- ders and having a permanent medical device in place. Charolais Heights and Valley View intersection making progress By Steven Mitchell Blue Mountain Eagle John Day City Manager Nick Green said work at the Charolais Heights and Val- ley View intersection is ongo- ing, and he expected the city would soon complete paving. Monte Legg, John Day’s public works director, said the project, which, according to past agenda documents, began in early spring, was slated to be completed in the fall. Eagle file photo Legg said the city had “set- backs” that included moving Monte Legg, John Day’s Public Works director. phone lines and other utilities, digging up a maintenance hole completion date from Legg. Green said perhaps they and replacing a cone. According to Sky, peo- could on the website, but in He told the council that ple within the area had com- Charolais Heights, they kept crews have put in storm drain plained about not receiving taking down the neighbor- systems, put down base rock, any updates from the city on hood’s internet. Legg said keeping the pub- and would be starting curbing. the project’s progress. Sky He said the community said he would like to give peo- lic informed had already been should start seeing some ple a place to read about prog- discussed and that they plan to “real progress” in the coming ress on street improvement update the city’s website after projects in the future. talking to the engineer and the weeks. City Councilor Gregg contractor. Legg said the radiuses and A community member in all of the intersections had Haberly told Sky that the city could not give people the audience told the council been finalized and surveyed. Nonetheless, John Day definitive timelines on street that they need to keep emer- City Councilor Elliott Sky improvement projects like gency service agencies aware of the project’s progress if said he did not hear an actual Charolais Heights. they get a call. He said if they have an ambulance call, fire call or police call, they need to know how to get in. Legg said that he had been in touch with the John Day Fire Chief and Rebekah Rand, Blue Mountain Hospital’s head of emergency services, about access and the project’s progress. City Councilor Heather Rookstool suggested the city make drivers aware that, with school back in session, many kids from Charolais Heights walk down the dirt road to catch the school bus at the Seventh Street Complex park- ing lot. The family of Lolieta "Babe" Gregg would like to thank Blue Mountain Hospice, Blue Mountain Eagle, all that provided food, wine, flowers, cards, many phone calls, prayers, those who took time to stop by, and all of our amazing friends who gave support to us through this difficult time. Much love and appreciation to all. Gary, Shannon, Mitch, Mindy and Families. S260849-1 S226597-1