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A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Lifted:
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and Morrow counties all
remained at lower risk
for weeks, and some for
months.
Umatilla County Public
Health Director Joe Fiu-
mara said there could be a
number of explanations for
this, including the county’s
greater population den-
sity and its industrial facil-
ities increasing the risk
of infection, but it’s diffi -
cult to pin exactly why the
county continues to report
relatively high case counts.
Umatilla County is being
dragged across the state’s
70% fi nish line by western
counties with much higher
vaccination rates. But
county offi cials are worried
that reopening may lead to
case spikes in the county
due to its low vaccination
rate.
“Somehow, being over
the line gives the impres-
sion that COVID is over,”
Umatilla County Commis-
sioner George Murdock
said. “And that’s a false
assumption. It’s not. It’s not
over, even if Oregon opens
up, it’s not over here. It’s
going to continue.”
Two weeks ago, Uma-
tilla County reported 76
cases, 35 more than the
previous week, accord-
ing to county health data.
That’s the steepest weekly
case spike the county has
reported since April, after
reporting declining weekly
cases for fi ve straight
weeks. Cases declined
again this past week.
“We were trending
downwards, and that (case
spike) keeps us solidly
in that high risk unfortu-
nately,” said Fiumara. “I
wish it wasn’t this way.
But, we’re waiting for the
rest of the state to carry us
across the goal line.”
Fiumara said much
of the county’s cases are
being traced back to small
social gatherings but with
no large outbreaks. How-
ever, he said people who
have been exposed often
are reluctant to cooperate
with contact tracers, all but
assuring cases are going
unreported and making it
diffi cult to track the spread
of infection.
Fiumara
and
Mur-
dock each said nearly all
reported cases are coming
from people who have not
been vaccinated against
COVID-19.
“We have vaccina-
tion sites open all over the
county,” Murdock said. “It
is not an accessibility prob-
lem. We have enough sites,
and we have enough vac-
cine. We just don’t have
enough people willing to
get a shot.”
Murdock described the
county’s vaccine rate as
“extremely demoralizing.”
He added he believes res-
idents likely will be less
inclined to get vaccinated
when restrictions are lifted.
Fiumara said it’s been
frustrating to see peo-
ple choose not to get vac-
cinated, as it has likely
contributed to the county
remaining among the state’s
most stringent restrictions
for longer than almost any
county in Oregon.
“We knew what the out-
come of that choice was
going to be,” Fiumara said
of residents not getting vac-
cinated. “We were going
to stay in high risk. We
were going to stay in these
restrictions longer.”
Fiumara and Murdock
each said they are glad
the county’s economy is
primed to reopen when
the state reaches 70%. But
with the county’s vacci-
nation rate remaining low,
they said it’s possible cases
could spikes around the
large upcoming summer-
time events and holidays.
“I think we’ll experi-
ence cases of COVID lon-
ger than most other coun-
ties,” Murdock said.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021
Heat:
Continued from Page A1
them a window unit.
If anyone thinks their
air conditioning unit isn’t
working property or is on
the verge of failing, they
should call immediately,
said Seth Draper, service
manager for Bruce Heat-
ing and Air, which has loca-
tions in Hermiston and the
Tri-Cities. HVAC techni-
cians are stretched thin right
now, he said in an interview
Thursday, June 24, and
aren’t available to show up
at a moment’s notice.
“We’re slammed,” he
said.
As the heat wave across
the western United States
continues to spread, it’s also
taking longer to get parts in
— three to fi ve weeks, in
some cases.
Draper said to help air
conditioners stay in good
working order, it’s import-
ant people make sure their
fi lters are clean and so are
their outside units, which
can become clogged with
cottonwood fl uff or other
debris.
He said as temperatures
soar above 110 degrees this
week, people will need to
have reasonable expecta-
tions for how cool they can
get the inside of their home.
“One hundred and fi f-
teen degrees outside really
stresses AC units,” he said.
People can help reduce
that stress by keeping their
blinds closed and lights off
as much as possible, he said,
and not running appliances,
such as ovens, that will add
heat to the house. They also
should reduce traffi c in and
out of the house as much
as possible, and try open-
ing the windows if it cools
down at night.
As people crank up
the air conditioning in tri-
ple-digit temperatures that
are supposed to stretch
for at least another week,
Steve Meyers, spokesper-
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
A water cooler sweats in the main hall at the Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center in
Hermiston on Tuesday, June 29, 2021. EOTEC opened Tuesday as a cooling center for area
residents and plans to remain open through the week.
son for Umatilla Electric
Cooperative, said the util-
ity will be closely watching
weather conditions and sys-
tem loads. While extreme
weather does put additional
demand on the power sup-
ply, he said UEC has made
it a priority to maintain its
infrastructure to reliably
provide power in all kinds
of conditions.
“Our power supply is suf-
fi cient to meet the expected
spike in demand from air
conditioning and irrigation
during this extreme heat
wave,” he wrote in an email.
He said in a typical
year, UEC provides more
than $1 million in rebates
and $300,000 in low-inter-
est loans for energy effi -
ciency upgrades in mem-
bers’ homes and businesses.
Those investments help
reduce the demand on
UEC’s system, he said.
In a news release, Pacifi c
Power suggested customers
should set their thermostats
at 78 degrees while they’re
home and 85 degrees while
they’re out.
If someone doesn’t have
an air conditioner, they can
use fans blowing across
cool water, bowls of ice or
frozen water bottles to help
cool down a room, or hang a
“You can go down and
buy blocks of ice, and put
them in the trough,” he said
last week. “When it’s really
hot, on the 115 (degree) day,
that’s probably what we’ll
do here.”
He’ll be keeping his
dog in the air-conditioned
house, he said, and if any of
the other animals are show-
ing signs of heat exhaus-
tion, they can come inside
too.
Experts
recommend
people keep their pets
indoors during high heat,
with plenty of drinking
water, and if needed, get-
ting them wet can provide
extra cooling. Walk or run
with pets in the early, cool
part of the day, and before
the asphalt gets hot, and
make sure they get breaks
with access to water.
Pets and people should
never be left in hot cars.
Oregon’s good Samari-
tan law, which has been in
eff ect for four years, allows
someone to enter a vehi-
cle to remove a child or
domestic animal in immi-
nent danger of suff ering
harm without facing crim-
inal or civil liability under
certain requirements. That
law could get a workout
with this heat.
wet sheet over their window
if there is a breeze coming
through in the evenings.
Protecting animals
Darren Cox, owner of
Baker’s Pond Farm outside
Hermiston, said livestock
tend to weather the Eastern
Oregon climate well, but do
need extra protection when
the heat reaches extremes.
He said he sprays the
chickens and ducks with
water when it gets espe-
cially hot, and when it’s
up over 100 degrees some-
times the goats need wetted
down too.
“They hate water,” he
said of the goats, “but we do
spray them when they get
hot. You don’t have to do
as much with cows. They’re
used to the elements.”
The farm’s barn has a big
awning where animals can
congregate in the shade, he
said, and they will have fans
running. Pigs don’t sweat,
so Cox said he’ll be mak-
ing sure they have plenty
of water and mud to roll
around in.
One of the most import-
ant things will be making
sure animals have “plenty
of cool, clean water” in their
troughs as they go drink
more than usual, Cox said.
EASTERN OREGON
marketplace
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Pendleton, OR 97801 Hermiston, OR 97838
See www.easternoregonmarketplace.com for classified ads from all over Eastern Oregon
EAST OREGONIAN • HERMISTON HERALD • BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE • WALLOWA COUNTY CHIEFTAIN
157 Events
OPEN NOW:
Black Cat Fireworks
11am-dusk. Shop early! Sup-
plies limited. 1875 N 1st St.,
Hermiston. In front of Suds
Yer Duds.
204 Automobiles
WRECKING YARD
We pay $200 and up
We buy All Cars and Trucks.
Damaged, Non-Running,
Unwanted.
509-370-1091/876-8777
UPSE AUTO
354 Auction Sales
504 Homes for Sale
504 Homes for Sale
AUCTION NOTICE!!!!
Estate Sale
Sunday, July 11th, 2021
Bidding starts at 10a.m
SHARP!!!
Location: Athena Oregon,
97813
Columbia River Auction, LLC
Auctioneer: Paul Kramer
541-571-5771
For pictures and listing look up
Columbia River Auction LLC
on Facebook
Lots of Antiques and collect-
ibles fishing gear shop tools
butcher equipment ect.
Prices are up! Now may be the
time to gain some equity and
move up to a larger home. Call
Matt Vogler for a free Market
Analysis.
Matt Vogler
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(541) 377-9470
Manufactured home for sale on
rented ground. Call 541-276-
6606 for more information.
360 Garage Sales
You can
find your
dream home
Check out our
Real Estate Listings
in the Classifieds
Burton & Ilene Hill
Estate Sale
Over 80 years of accumulation.
•Reclaimed and rough cut
lumber •Farm equipment-horse
collars •Clothing •Tools
•Antiques •Old mill and barn-
wood •Multi-Family •Collectibles
•Furniture •Household Items
•Antiques •Tools
61597 Union Cove Hwy 237
Cove. June 28-July 3 9am-8
pm
CALL 1-800-962-2819
to advertise here!
502 Real Estate
GARAGE SALE?
Advertise it here
in the classifieds!
How Much is your Home Worth?
Call Matt Vogler, The Weekend
and After Hours Agent, for a free
Market Analysis. 541.377.9470.
More Listings needed to meet
current buyer demand!
Matt Vogler
John J. Howard & Assoc.
(541) 377-9470
541-377-6855
A phone call Away! Help to find
the home for you with access to
all possible homes on your list.
Please call with your questions
for the answers to help you into
your new home.
305 SW Court Ave., Pendleton
TURN HERE
REALTY & TRAVEL
Current MLS listings include
several 3 and 4 bedroom, 2
bath homes for sale in popu-
lar locations. Call Matt Vogler,
“The Weekend and After Hours
Agent” for addresses and pric-
ing.
Matt Vogler
John J. Howard & Assoc.
541.377.9470
651 Help Wanted
651 Help Wanted
The City of Pendleton is
accepting applications for
Sr. Account Clerk in the
Finance Department. For
more information and to
apply visit www.pendleton.
or.us/employment.
Full-Time Employment
Riverbend Youth Transitional
Program is hiring a perm., FT
Facility Maintenance Worker.
Salary $2,946-$4,441/mo.
w/benefits. Apply NOW at
oregonjobs.org and search
REQ-67142. EEO employer.
La Grande, OR.
(503)373-187
4jennifer.piol-wenger@oya.
state.or.us
631 For Rent
DESERT SAGE MANOR
APARTMENTS
Affordable housing for Se-
niors 62 and older is accept-
ing applications.
Please call 541-667-8607 for
information or to get an appli-
cation.
BUYER meets seller every day
of the week in the classified
columns of this newspaper.
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IMESD is currently seeking
qualified applicants
for:
The City of Pendleton is
accepting applications for
Building Maintenance
Technician. For more in-
formation and to apply visit
www.pendleton.or.us/
employment.
•Full time Custodial/
Maintenance Tech.
•Part-Time Print Shop
Specialist
For a full list of our current
openings please visit
our website
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Looking for a new place to
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homes to fit your needs.
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