NEWS
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2021
Hermiston FFA plans trip to national competition
Eighteen students go to Indianapolis
By ERICK PETERSON
Hermiston Herald
Three teams of Hermis-
ton High School FFA stu-
dents are leaving next week
to compete in the 94th
National FFA Convention &
Expo in Indianapolis.
Sandy McKay, Herm-
iston High School agricul-
tural science teacher and
FFA advisor, is in his second
year with FFA. He said the
school’s FFA is able to send
youths to national compe-
tition every two or three
years.
“It’s no small feat,” he
said.
To qualify for nationals,
students must get through
district competition, state
competition and regional
competition. For Hermiston
students, reaching Nationals
meant going head to head
with students from states
throughout the American
west.
Hermiston is sending
three teams. Two of those
teams won in regionals and
will advance in Indianapo-
lis. In all, 18 students will
travel to Naptown.
The Hermiston teams are
“advanced” teams — soph-
omores, juniors and seniors.
Of the 29 categories in FFA,
these students are compet-
ing in “career and leader-
ship events.” There are dif-
ferent rules and goals for
these events, helping stu-
dents with job skills.
The fi rst team is the
“nursery/landscape team,”
and students in this team
placed fi fth in regionals.
“It’s still a great accom-
plishment,” McKay said,
though the team will not
advance. They were, techni-
cally, in a national round by
virtue of this year’s unusual
situation.
Another team is “agricul-
tural issues,” a seven-person
team that puts on a skit on
an ag issue. The topic is an
issue at the forefront of tech-
nology — vertical farming.
In traditional farming,
people grow crops out-
doors in fi elds, but vertical
farming is growing crops
indoors, often in unused
factory buildings. Farmers
use hydroponics to grow
crops indoors. Grow lights
and artifi cial irrigation are
needed in vertical farming.
Another Hermiston team
Kylie Temple/Contributed Photo
From left, Hector Leal, Alexis Leathers, Cidney Estes, Grant Hills, Kylie Temple, Gretchen Barton, Abigail Conner and Elizabeth
Doherty, members of Hermiston High School’s FFA group, pose for a photo ahead of next week’s National FFA Convention &
Expo in Indianapolis.
will take the stage at nation-
als to debate the pros and
cons of switching to vertical
farming.
The third team, in the
“agricultural communica-
tions” category is a four-per-
son fi nals-qualifi ed team.
Students in this competition
put themselves into the role
of consultants and develop
a written media plan in
front of a panel of judges.
They will have to convince
judges to hire them for their
services.
Kylie Temple, a 16-year-
old junior, is one of the stu-
dents planning on going to
nationals.
“I’m beyond excited,”
she said.
Though she has been in
the FFA since her freshman
year, 2021 is her fi rst year
traveling to the big compe-
tition. COVID-19 ended her
dreams of this competition
previously, as she had qual-
ifi ed but was not able to go.
She has heard many sto-
ries of the competition and
said she would like to talk
to people from all over the
U.S.
She is a little nervous,
she said, but she is confi dent
she will do well at nationals
and even gain useful experi-
ence. Temple said she wants
to have a career in agricul-
ture business and marketing.
“I cannot ever see myself
leaving the agricultural
industry,” she said. Her
trip to nationals is one step
toward further work in that
industry.
DEQ seeks comments on Echo water quality permit
Hermiston Herald
The Oregon Department
of Environmental Quality
is seeking public comment
on the city of Echo’s pro-
posal for a new water qual-
ity permit for its wastewa-
ter treatment facility.
The state environmental
agency issued the notice
Monday, Oct. 18. Accord-
ing to the document, DEQ
intends to issue Echo a
new water quality permit
so it can manage domes-
tic wastewater from the
community in evapora-
tive lagoons and discharge
seasonally to the Stan-
fi eld wastewater treatment
plant. Part of the review
process is an opportunity
for public comment.
Echo operates a waste-
water treatment facility at
33245 Bowman Road that
consists of three wastewa-
ter stabilization lagoons
undergoing
a
solids
removal and upgrade proj-
ect to add aeration. The
city discharges its treated
wastewater to the Umatilla
River under a national pol-
lution permit.
The city needs a new
Water Pollution Control
Facilities permit because
once the upgrades are
complete, the city will
send winter discharge via
pressurized pipeline to the
city of Stanfi eld under an
agreement between the
two cities.
Echo will terminate the
existing wastewater permit
and cease direct discharge
to the Umatilla River. The
facility is designed to serve
a population of 885 peo-
ple and receives domestic
wastewater from residen-
tial sources and commer-
cial establishments.
The DEQ last inspected
Echo’s facility on Aug. 24,
via virtual inspection and
issued a warning letter for
failure to submit several
required reports on time.
The proposed per-
mit prohibits discharge
to waters of the state and
requires the city to have
a DEQ certifi ed opera-
tor supervise wastewa-
ter treatment and disposal
operations.
According to the notice,
the DEQ will hold a pub-
lic hearing if it receives
a written request for one
within 14 days of mail-
ing or posting the pub-
lic notice from at least 10
people or from an organi-
zation representing at least
10 people.
The department will
consider and respond to
all comments received and
may modify the proposed
permit based on com-
ments. DEQ gives equal
weight to written and oral
comments.
You may submit your
comments by mail, fax or
email to:
Patty Isaak
Oregon DEQ
800 S.E. Emigrant Ave.,
Suite 330
Pendleton, OR 97801
Fax: 541-278-0168
Email:
patty.isaak@
deq.state.or.us
All comments are due
Nov. 23 by 5 p.m. Com-
ments also become part of
the public record.
To view information
about this proposed per-
mit, including the applica-
tion, permit fact sheet and
underlying
documents,
contact Isaak, a DEQ per-
mit coordinator, to make
an appointment to review
the documents in person.
The DEQ can provide
documents in an alter-
nate format or in a lan-
guage other than English.
Call the DEQ at 800-452-
4011 or email deqinfo@
deq.state.or.us for more
information.
State reports 14 workplace outbreaks in Umatilla,
Morrow counties, marking second week of decline
EO Media Group
PENDLETON — Four-
teen workplaces in Uma-
tilla and Morrow counties
reported outbreaks in the
Oregon Health Authority’s
most recent weekly report.
It was the second
straight week where work-
place outbreaks declined
in the county as infection
is slowing slightly across
the region and state. Most
of the facilities reported a
few extra cases, and sev-
eral reported no changes
since last week’s report.
The state publishes an
active outbreak in nurs-
ing homes if the facility
reports more than three
cases. The outbreak is con-
sidered resolved if no new
cases are reported within
28 days of the last case.
The local assisted living
facilities with COVID-19
outbreaks are:
• Regency Hermis-
ton Nursing & Rehabilita-
tion Center, Hermiston, 33
cases and one death since
July 15.
• Willowbrooke Terrace,
Pendleton, 21 cases and
one death since July 30.
•
Cascade
Valley
Assisted Living & Mem-
ory Care, Milton-Freewa-
ter, nine cases since Sept.
2.
• Ashley Manor —
Sage, Umatilla, 12 cases
since Sept. 27.
• Juniper House, Pend-
leton, eight cases since
Oct. 1.
The state publishes a
workplace outbreak when
fi ve or more cases are
The most valuable and respected
source of local news, advertising and
information for our communities.
reported at a facility with
30 or more workers. An
outbreak is considered
resolved if no new cases
are reported within 28 days
of the last case.
• Good Shepherd Med-
ical Center, Hermiston, 62
cases since July 21.
• Walmart Distribu-
tion Center, Hermiston, 51
FOSTERS NEEDED
Church
St. Johns
Episcopal Church
Join Us
N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston
541-567-6672
JOIN OUR INCLUSIVE
CONGREGATION
ON OUR JOURNEY WITH JESUS
Small or large breed animals - for short or long term. We need your help!
Small and Large Animal Care
541.567.1138
80489 Hwy 395 N
Hermiston
www.oregontrailvet.com
Please go to fuzzballanimalrescue.com for more
information about adopting, fostering or donating to our rescue.
Mail in donations also accepted, please send to: PO Box 580, Hermiston, OR 97838
“Grow Your Faith Through God”
Sunday School...9:00 am
Worship Service...10:30 am
567-3013
775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston
NEW BEGINNINGS
Seventh-day
Adventist Church
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
541-289-4774
Due to the
COVID-19
pandemic, animal
shelters need
our help more
than ever. Please
donate to your
local shelter, or
offer to foster an
animal in need.
First Christian Church
Services 9:00am Sundays
In-person or streaming
on Facebook or Zoom
CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP
Mon: 8-6
Tue - Fri: 8-5
Sat: 8-12
Emergency Service
• First Coast Security,
Hermiston, 11 cases since
Sept. 16.
• Lamb Weston Pack-
ing Center, Boardman, 11
cases since Aug. 18.
• Union Pacifi c Rail-
road, Stanfi eld, 10 cases
since Sept. 20.
• JVB Dairy, Ione, eight
cases since Sept. 18.
DIRECTORY
www.eomediagroup.com
Mark Sargent, DVM • Brent Barton, DVM
Eugenio Mannucci, DVM, cVMA • Jana von Borstel, DVM, cVMA
cases since April 26.
• Eastern Oregon Cor-
rectional Institution, Pend-
leton, 28 cases since July
12.
• Two Rivers Correc-
tional Institution, Umatilla,
23 cases since July 15.
• CHI St. Anthony Hos-
pital, Pendleton, 15 cases
since Aug. 19.
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..............5:00pm
Tues. Creation Club (Sept-May)..4:30pm
Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......5:00pm
www.hermistonlmbc.com
Hermiston Christian
Center & School
Sunday Gathering: 10:00 AM
Saturdays
Sabbath School........9:30 a.m.
Worship Service......11:00 a.m.
English & Spanish Services
541-567-8241
855 W. Highland Ave.
Hermiston, OR 97838
Sunday Prayer Gathering: 6:00 PM
Our Lady of Angels
Catholic Church
Iglesia Católica Nuestra
Señora de los Ángeles
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
Nursery care is available 3 years & under
Kids Club available 4 years-5th grade
NEED PRAYER? CONTACT US!
1825 W. Highland Ave.
541-567-3480 | hcc4u.org
hcc4u2020@gmail.com
565 W. HERMISTON AVE.
To advertise in the Church Directory, please contact
Audra Workman 541-564-4538 or email aworkman@eastoregonian.com