January 15, 2021
Business and
development tidbits
Middle school
Furniture will be ordered
for Warrenton’s new middle
school in less than 45 days.
Construction is that far along.
Project Manager Scott Rose
reported during Wednesday
night’s school board meeting
that all steel construction is
complete, the second-floor
slab has been poured, they’ve
begun roofing work and 25
percent of the exterior wall
framing is complete. Drywall
installation should be com-
plete by Feb. 1.
The school is “still on tar-
get” for completion by late
July with the site ready for
students in the fall.
New Gearhart trail
The Ridge Path is under
construction in Gearhart. It’s
a new trail being built by vol-
unteers and paid for by dona-
tions.
The path begins on the right
side of City Hall, 698 Pacific
Way, and passes through sev-
eral neighborhoods. Walkers
will find Sitka spruce, west-
ern hemlock, salal, shore
pine, and pink honeysuckle.
A loop back to City Hall pass-
es along the golf course and
the Necanicum Estuary.
City of Gearhart
Volunteers work on the Ridge
Path.
The Columbia Press
3
Clatsop sees its fourth death from coronavirus
volving COVID-19 should
The Columbia Press
report it to the Depart-
Clatsop County had its
ment of Justice hotline at
fourth
COVID-related
866-720-5721.
death this week and also
returns to the state’s “ex-
Vaccines for vets
treme risk” category on
Veterans age 75 and old-
Friday, Jan. 15.
er should soon receive a
The county’s fourth death
phone call from Veterans
was an 85-year-old Clat-
Administration staff to
sop County man first diag-
schedule COVID-19 vacci-
nosed Dec. 3. He died Dec.
nations.
31 at Legacy Meridian Park
Currently,
operators
Medical Center in Tualatin.
and staff will not be able
The county’s redesigna-
to schedule veterans who
tion as “extreme” means
call in for a vaccination, so
additional
restrictions
be sure to take phone calls
on businesses and social
coming from the VA.
events. The county had
The VA encourages peo-
been downgraded from “ex-
ple to check for vaccine in-
treme risk” to “high risk” on
formation online at port-
Jan. 1, but increased cases
land.va.gov or by calling a
during the two-week period
Heather Bashor/Oregon Military Dept. recorded information line
meant a return to the more
at 503-220-3434.
Oregon National Guard Spc. Toby
restrictive class.
Restrictions again have SeWell vaccinates a Salem resident
Fitness center fined
been placed on bars, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds on
Oregon
Occupational
restaurants, gyms, the- Wednesday.
aters, conference centers,
Safety and Health Administra-
ly converted small business tion has fined a Salem fitness
and nursing homes.
The declaration by Gov. Kate COVID-19 relief funds into center $126,749 for willfully
continuing to expose employ-
Brown is based on the county’s their personal use.
Andrew
Aaron
Lloyd,
50,
ees to coronavirus disease de-
case count per 100,000 peo-
of
Lebanon
and
Russell
A.
spite a public health order to
ple. There were 103 cases from
Dec. 27 to Jan. 9, putting the Schort, 38, of Myrtle Creek limit capacity.
The fine was the result of
county’s “metrics” above 200 were charged by the U.S. At-
cases per 100,000 population. torney’s Office on Jan. 7 with
While in the extreme risk wire fraud, bank fraud and
category, restaurants and bars money laundering.
They’re accused of filing false
are allowed no indoor dining
applications
to receive $2.2
or drinking, although outdoor
million
in
Paycheck
Protection
dining is allowed. All indoor
recreation and entertainment Program funds and Economic
establishments are closed. No Injury Disaster Loans using
indoor visitation is allowed at three separate bogus business-
es.
long-term care facilities.
The loan application packag-
There had been 35 cases
recorded in Clatsop County es included some of the same
during the previous seven days information across the differ-
ent business entities, includ-
that ended Wednesday.
Since the first case in March, ing physical locations and the
the county has had 660 peo- names of several dozen em-
ple contract the virus. Eleven ployees.
After receiving the funds,
people have been hospitalized.
The rest have recovered or are Lloyd transferred at least $1.8
million to a personal online
recovering.
Statewide, there have been brokerage account and pur-
129,109 cases and 1,708 deaths chased various securities. In
the months that followed, the
attributed to coronavirus.
investments increased to $10
Pandemic fraud
Two Oregon men face feder- million. Anyone with informa-
al charges after they alleged- tion about attempted fraud in-
an inspection launched in re-
sponse to multiple complaints
against Capitol Racquet Sports
on Commercial Street.
It is the largest penalty is-
sued to an employer by Oregon
OSHA for a violation related to
COVID-19. The division cited
the violation as “willful” and,
at the discretion of the admin-
istrator, imposed the maxi-
mum penalty allowed.
Send in the Guard
The Oregon National Guard
is helping distribute vaccina-
tions to residents.
On Jan. 12, 40 medical per-
sonnel who are guard mem-
bers were activated by the
governor to assist the state in
distributing vaccines at the
Oregon State Fairgrounds in
Salem.
The state had vaccinated
120,000 people as of Wednes-
day.
Help from the National
Guard was initiated through
a plan developed by Salem
Health Hospitals and Clinics.
Use of the State Fairgrounds
as an alternative hospital lo-
cation was established at the
beginning of the coronavirus
outbreak.