FALL
SPORTS
PREVIEW
Hermiston
Herald
HermistonHerald.com
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
COUNTY FAIR
RESULTS
SPECIAL
SECTION
INSIDE
$1.00
LOVE OF PHOTOGRAPHY
INSIDE HER SHOES
PAGE A8
Special Section Inside
HELP NEEDED NOW
ABOUT TOWN
Medicare 101 sessions
continue this week
Area meetings about applying
for Medicare and the latest
updates to the program are
continuing this week at free
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Oregon’s State Health Insurance
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the Medicare 101 sessions are
90 minutes long and include a
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are:
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Umatilla Public Library, 700
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of Morrow, 2 Marine Drive,
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materials, RSVP by contacting
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registration is requested, no one
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For more information, visit
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Herald offi ce closed
Monday for Labor day
STAFF PHOTO BY JADE McDOWELL
A sign outside Express Employment Professionals advertises the need for more skilled workers.
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As the Labor Day holiday nears,
employers say fi nding
skilled labor can be tough
they can work their way up to better pay and
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ularly rare in Eastern Oregon is computer
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June 2015 June 2014
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ing the services of Express Employment
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Oregon
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Preliminary, seasonaly adjusted rates.
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Source: Oregon Employment Department
Right now most of the jobs the company is
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thing between minimum wage and $11 an
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See JOBS, A16
age, and drivers know if they stick around
UNEMPLOYMENT
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
State Employment Department records
say there may be more than 2,000 people
unemployed in Umatilla County, but when a
Hermiston employer has a job opening that
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Many of the job openings in the area take
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makes matching employers with employees
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said the company needs truck drivers who
already have their commercial license, have
at least two years of experience on the road
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“You want the better, responsible ones
that will be on time, and we’re competing
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Event center in doubt for 2016
county fair, Farm-City rodeo
Offi cials not sure the
project will be ready
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
Partners in the Eastern Oregon
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the project may not be ready in time
to host the 2016 Umatilla County
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billed as the last at the Umatilla
County Fairgrounds, and in June the
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thing was on schedule to be ready
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like “maybe” and “probably” have
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tion, and at Friday’s meeting of the
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Brookshier addressed the question
needed to have those answers by
the end of September to give the
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one else wishing to use the event
center in 2016 — adequate time to
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revenue from government entities
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STAFF PHOTO BY JADE McDOWELL
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The newly-designed logo for the
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Eastern Oregon Trade and Event
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Center.
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See EOTEC, A16
Brookshier said he felt the group
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Herald and East Oregonian at
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in observance of the Labor Day
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We also have early deadlines
this week for advertising to
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Legislators hear
correctional
officers’ concerns
By JADE McDOWELL
Staff Writer
Eastern Oregon legislators got
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with the American Federation of
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listened to the concerns of union
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ons as part of an informal event
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After the event, treasurer Darin
Davis said the caucus members
wanted to bring problems to the
legislators’ attention, but also just
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ME members see eye to eye with
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the union’s members identify as
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“Historically labor unions
have always taken a Democratic
stance, but what makes us unique
is our membership is primarily
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don’t want to be lumped into a
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He said the conservative
caucus would like to work with
everyone, not just conservative
politicians, to push for better
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“Our number one concern is
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one goes home safe and healthy
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erage life expectancy for a man
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disorder and a variety of other
ills are common, and Davis said
it is important for politicians —
and the general public — to be
aware of the challenges the line
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