A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2018
LOCAL
ANNIVERSARY
The Jessens in 2016
STAFF PHOTO BY JADE MCDOWELL.
Greater Hermiston Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Debbie Pedro shows off the reception area of the
chamber’s new offices.
Chamber opens new office
By JADE MCDOWELL
STAFF WRITER
The new year comes with
new digs for the Greater
Hermiston Area Chamber of
Commerce.
The chamber opened
their new offices in the Cor-
nerstone Plaza, 1055 S Hwy
395 Suite 111, on Tues-
day. There were still some
moving boxes to be seen
on opening day, but execu-
tive director Debbie Pedro
said it wasn’t stopping
chamber staff from serving
customers.
“We’ve already had quite
a few people in this morn-
ing,” she said.
The chamber had to
move out of its offices at the
Hermiston Conference Cen-
ter — now being re-branded
as the Hermiston Commu-
nity Center — by the end of
2017 after the city of Herm-
iston decided to take over
management of the center
and move its parks and rec-
reation department into the
space. Pedro said the cham-
ber would love to own its
own building eventually
but for now they are excited
they found a space visible to
travelers on Highway 395.
Racks of information for
visitors, plus pamphlets and
business cards from cham-
ber members, line the walls
of the reception area of the
new office, which used to
be a photography studio.
There are also individual
offices for chamber staff
and an open space that will
act as a conference room.
The chamber is renting stor-
age space elsewhere. Phone
numbers will remain the
same as before the move.
Pedro said the chamber
will continue to do every-
thing it did before — includ-
ing acting as Hermiston’s
visitor center and providing
services for members such
as educational classes —
besides running the confer-
ence center. Giving up that
duty will free up the cham-
ber to spend even more
time focusing on new ways
to serve chamber members
and the community, Pedro
said, and she was excited
about some new initiatives
that will be announced in
the coming months.
The new address has also
provided incentive to start
work on updating the cham-
ber’s website and other
offerings, and to find new
locations outside of the con-
ference center to hold things
like the chamber’s Busi-
ness to Business luncheon,
which is being revamped in
2018 to a longer event held
quarterly.
“There are a lot of part-
nerships being formed, and
partnerships that have been
longstanding that will con-
tinue,” Pedro said.
Over at the community
center, the parks and rec-
reation office was still in
the middle of unpacking
on Tuesday morning, but
is expected to transition
staff over from city hall on
Wednesday. Phone numbers
for the parks and recreation
department will also remain
the same despite changing
locations.
County gets funding to fight opioid abuse
Jarry and Dixie Jes-
sen of Hermiston are cele-
brating their 50th wedding
anniversary. They were
married Jan. 5, 1968, in
Stirling City, Calif.
Jarry retired from
Union Pacific Railroad in
1991. He enjoys hunting,
fishing and the great out-
doors. He also loves to
putter around his shop, and
spend time with his chil-
dren and grandchildren.
Dixie’s main claim to
fame is her enjoyment in
taking care of her yard
and garden. She also spent
many years bowling. She
looks forward to spending
time with family whenever
Though opioid abuse
is an epidemic across the
nation, locals may have rea-
son to take heart: four East-
ern Oregon counties are
receiving federal funds to
fight opioid abuse, in a part-
nership with the Oregon
Health Authority.
Umatilla, Union, Baker
and Malheur counties will
receive $200,000 over two
years, which health depart-
ments in those counties will
use to target prescription
drug abuse in the area.
“I’m sorry to say, our four
counties are a priority,” said
Jim Setzer, Umatilla Coun-
ty’s Public Health Director.
According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, deaths from opioid
overdoses have quadrupled
nationally since 1999. They
also reported that rural areas
are now seeing higher rates
of death due to drug over-
dose than urban areas. But
often, treatment is more dif-
ficult to access than in cities.
Along with Mike Sten-
srud, the new prescrip-
tion drug overdose preven-
tion coordinator for the four
counties, Setzer is aiming to
target several areas of opioid
addiction: prevention, treat-
ment and risk reduction.
In addition to community
STAFF PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS
Epidemiologist Jim Setzer comes to Pendleton from Namibia
to direct Umatilla County Public Health.
forums and education, the
program will aim to increase
local participation in Ore-
gon’s Prescription Drug
Monitoring Program, a data-
base that lets pharmacies
and physicians document
and monitor patient pre-
scriptions, and potentially
spot and stop opioid abuse.
Stensrud, whose position
is funded through the grant,
said Umatilla and Malheur
counties are two of about 10
in the state that are “high-in-
tensity drug trafficking
areas,” which he attributed
to their location — close to
major transportation corri-
dors, like I-84 and I-82. The
others in the state, Setzer
said, are along I-5.
Stensrud noted that
Umatilla man threatens family with ax
Kasey Shawn Pan-
key, 26, of Umatilla was
arrested Friday night in
Hermiston for threatening
to kill members of his fam-
ily with an ax during a fam-
ily meal.
The Umatilla County
Sheriff’s Office was called
to the disturbance on Bax-
ter Road at 10:46 p.m. after
family reported Pankey
had become upset and was
making threats. One fam-
ily member fought to take
the ax from Pankey. No one
was injured.
Deputy Nathan Rankin
responded took Pankey
into custody on six domes-
tic violence counts each of
second-degree attempted
assault, menacing, coercion
and recklessly endangering.
around the holidays, peo-
ple can be at an even greater
risk of opioid overdose.
“It’s a time of high
relapse risk that can arise
from not having family to
spend the holidays with,
or experiencing a ‘trigger,’
such as seeing an old friend
or family member you used
to get high with,” he said.
Stensrud said it’s even
more important during the
holidays to keep prescrip-
tion opioids locked up, to
prevent guests from taking
medications, either acciden-
tally or on purpose.
He said there are a few
hotlines substance abus-
ers can use for immediate
assistance — they can call
Lines for Life at 800-923-
4357, or text RecoveryNow
to 839863.
Treatment options
Stensrud and Setzer said
one of the program’s goals is
to see more medical provid-
ers prescribing Suboxone.
The medication for medical-
ly-assisted therapy is a com-
bination of Buprenorphine
and Naloxone. According
to American Addiction Cen-
ters, Buprenorphine is a
“partial opioid agonist” that
produces a milder form of
the effects that opioids have.
It gives the user the same
effect as an opioid without
the same high, which makes
it more difficult to abuse.
Naloxone blocks the effect
of opioids.
“There’s no risk of over-
dose as with a straight opi-
oid,” Setzer said.
He said that unlike other
treatments, such as meth-
adone, Suboxone can be
prescribed by a doctor and
administered at home.
While it’s an effective
treatment option, Setzer said
there’s a lack of providers
that prescribe Suboxone.
Chuck Hofmann, a doc-
tor at New Directions North-
west, an integrated mental
health and substance abuse
facility in Baker County,
said many providers don’t
prescribe Suboxone because
of the time involved to get
certified.
POLICE LOG
COMMUNITY
Echo Community Church
21 N. Bonanza Street, Echo OR
Phone: (541) 376-8108
Sunday School • 9:30am
Worship • 10:45am
Children’s Church • 11:15am
Potluck & Communion ~
First Sunday of the Month
POLICE
Continued from Page A5
driver was reported on S
Highway 395.
MONDAY, JAN. 1
12:04 a.m. — A fight was
reported on Diagonal Boule-
vard in Hermiston.
1:05 a.m. — A fight was
reported on W Hermiston
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Worship Service 10:30 AM
Sunday School 9:00 AM
Pastor J.C. Barnett
Children’s Church &
Nursery Available
700 West Orchard Avenue
P.O. Box 933
Hermiston, Oregon
541-567-8441
First Christian
Church
“Proclaiming the Message of
Hope, Living the Gospel of Love”
Sunday School 9:15am
Worship Gathering 10:30 am
Children’s Church 10:30 am
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
Seventh-day
Adventist Church
Saturdays
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
English & Spanish Services
567-8241
855 W. Highland • Hermiston
LANDMARK BAPTIST
CHURCH
125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232
Pastor David Dever
Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am
Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am
Sun. Evening Worship..............6:00pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......6:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
First United
Methodist
Church
Hermiston
191 E. Gladys Ave , Hermiston OR
Sunday Worship 11am • 541-567-3002
Nursery available Check us out on Face Book
Worship Livestream at herfumc.com
Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
Rev. Dr. Jim Pierce, pastor
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
DAILY MASS: Monday-Friday
...............................English 7:00 am
Thursday...............Spanish 6:00 pm
SATURDAY:.........English 5:00 pm
...............................Spanish 7:00 pm
SUNDAY:..............English 9:00 am
..........................Bilingual 11:00 am
..............................Spanish 1:00 pm
Offi ce..............................567-5812
The Full Gospel
Home Church
235 SW 3rd
Phone 567-7678
Rev. Ed Baker - Rev. Nina Baker
Sunday:
Sunday School........10:00 am
Worship...................11:00 am
Evening Service........7:00 pm
Wednesday Service..7:00 pm
“Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you.”
1 Pet. 5:7
Grace Baptist Church
555 SW 11th, Hermiston
567-9497
Nursery provided for all services
Sunday School - 9:30 AM
Worship - 10:45 AM
6:00 PM
Wed Prayer & Worship - 7:00 PM
“Proclaiming God’s word,
growing in God’s grace”
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
On Our Journey
With Jesus.
Scripture, Tradition and Reason
Family service 9am Sunday
Ave.
11:27 a.m. — A burglary
was reported on E Newport
Ave.
8:47 p.m. — A posible
burglary was reported on E
Gladys Ave.
11:36 p.m. — A caller
reported two people were
placing graffiti on a metal
shed on E Dogwood Ave. in
Hermiston.
possible.
The couple has three
children: son Stacey Jes-
sen of Heppner and daugh-
ters Kathi Keefer of Hono-
lulu, Hawaii, and Kelli
Biecker of Pendleton.
They have seven grand-
children: Kevin, Tyler,
Gunner, Maycee, Elijah,
Jared and Tresten; and one
great-grandson, Daniel.
WORSHIP
NEW BEGINNINGS
By JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN
STAFF WRITER
The Jessens in 1968
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
t. PH: 567-6672
We are an all inclusive Church
who welcomes all.
1520 W ORCHARD AVE
Sunday Worship Service
10:30 am Classes for Kids @ 9:15 am
SEEKING JESUS, SHARING LIFE,
SERVING PEOPLE
www.hermistonnazarene.org
To share your
worship times call
541-278-2678