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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 23, 2020)
NEWS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 Wildfi res add to workload of Employment Department By PETER WONG OREGON CAPITAL BUREAU Oregon’s widespread wildfi res will add to the already heavy workloads of the state Employment Department. But even as some employ- ees cope with the after-ef- fects of the fi res and evacu- ations — and offi ces resume operations and are cleared of smoke — the acting director says the agency is taking on more tasks in addition to the workloads generated by the business shutdowns result- ing from the coronavirus pandemic. “On top of our exist- ing economic troubles, the added disasters from the fi res are incredibly painful for so many people,” David Ger- stenfeld said on Wednesday, Sept. 16. “We are here as a resource and we will con- tinue to be one through this diffi cult time.” Gerstenfeld spoke about two specifi c actions during a weekly conference call with reporters. “We are going through the claims, we have to identify people we know are from the areas most heavily impacted by the fi res, so that we can prioritize the work on their claims,” he said. Despite a record 566,100 claims for regular unemploy- ment benefi ts fi led statewide in the past six months — about eight times the 71,000 claims fi led for a comparable period in 2019 — Gerstenfeld said on Sept. 16 only about 1,100 were pending, most of them fi led in the past few days. Those claims are paid from a state trust fund into which employers pay taxes. The agency is still work- ing through adjudication of more complex claims that self-employed and gig work- ers have fi led for under the CARES Act, which made these workers eligible for unemployment benefi ts for the fi rst time. About 54,000 people are being paid fed- eral benefi ts under Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, but others are still awaiting payments. Gerstenfeld said starting this week, the agency’s com- puter mainframe system will be able to account for work- ers earning a maximum of $300 per week before their unemployment benefi ts are reduced. That change came about in Senate Bill 1701, proposed at the suggestion of Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle and passed by the Ore- gon Legislature on Aug. 10. Calculations are retroac- tive to Sept. 6, the fi rst full week after Gov. Kate Brown signed the bill on Sept. 1. Gerstenfeld said the orig- inal target for implementa- tion was mid-December. He said people receiving bene- fi ts do not need to take further action. He also said he antici- pates supplemental benefi t payments of $300 per week for six weeks — from July 26 through Sept. 5 — will start at the end of Septem- ber as previously announced. The federal money comes from FEMA under the Lost Wages Assistance program, which follows up supple- mental payments of $600 per week under the CARES Act, but that stopped at the end of July. HERMISTONHERALD.COM • A9 POLICE LOG TUESDAY, SEPT. 15 SATURDAY, SEPT. 19 8:02 a.m. — A vehicle theft was reported on West Hermiston Ave- nue. 8:50 a.m. — A bomb threat was reported on West Elm Avenue. 11:50 a.m. — A domestic disturbance was reported on East Newport Avenue. 1:16 p.m. — A burglary was reported on West Lathrop Avenue. 2:16 p.m. — A motor vehicle accident was reported on North First Street and Theater Lane. 3:10 p.m. — A motor vehicle accident was reported on Northwest 11th Street. 6:02 p.m. — A motor vehicle accident was reported on North First Street. 6:44 p.m. — An assault was reported on South Highway 395. 9:31 p.m. — A domestic disturbance was reported on East Sand- stone Avenue. 9:45 p.m. — Unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle was reported on North First Street. 11:10 a.m. — A vehicle theft was reported on South Highway 395. 11:35 a.m. — A disturbance was reported on Southeast Third Street. 2:42 p.m. — A vehicle theft was reported on Northwest Third Street. 4:03 p.m. — A fi ght was reported on East Hurlburt Avenue. 4:42 p.m. — A motor vehicle accident was reported on Southwest 11th Street. 5:55 p.m. — An assault was reported on East Newport Avenue. 7:36 p.m. — A drunken driver was reported on Southwest 10th Street. 8:40 p.m. — Child abuse/neglect was reported on East Highland Avenue. 11:43 p.m. — Unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle was reported on Southeast Sixth Street. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 16 12:10 a.m. — A drunken driver was reported on Northwest Willow Court. THURSDAY, SEPT. 17 10:54 a.m. — A disturbance was reported on East Jennie Avenue. 9:17 p.m. — A disturbance was reported on North First Street involv- ing three customers refusing to leave. FRIDAY, SEPT. 18 1:06 a.m. — A disturbance was reported on North First Street. 6:07 a.m. — A drunken driver was reported on East Theater Lane. 9:38 a.m. — A domestic disturbance was reported on West Sunland Avenue. 7:46 p.m. — A motor vehicle accident was reported on East Main Street. 10:26 p.m. — A burglary was reported on West Hermiston Avenue. SUNDAY, SEPT. 20 11:45 a.m. — Child abuse/neglect was reported on Southwest Seventh Street. 2:11 p.m. — A motor vehicle accident was reported on East Theater Lane. 5:12 p.m. — Child abuse/neglect was reported on South Highway 395. 10:54 p.m. — A motor vehicle accident was reported on North First Street. MONDAY, SEPT. 21 8:14 a.m. — A burglary was reported on East Feedville Road. Some- one reportedly broke into a building and stole a sculpture. 1:18 p.m. — A domestic disturbance was reported on East Harper Road. 1:18 p.m. — A caller reported a possible drunken driver was reported on South First Street cut them off , and then almost hit a pedestrian. 5:47 p.m. — An assault was reported on Northwest Sixth Street. 9:26 p.m. — A disturbance was reported on Northeast Sixth Street. 9:32 p.m. — A possible drunken driver was reported on Northwest 11th Street. Call For An Appointment: Toll Free 1-855-525-4677 Hermiston: 1050 W. Elm St., Ste #220 Hermiston, OR 97838 541-289-4601 Kennewick: 8901 W. 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