OFF PAGE ONE
A8 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
Umatilla County’s COVID-19
death toll reaches 190
Neal:
Continued from Page A1
Oregon State Rep. Greg
Smith, R-Heppner, said Neal
was “a strong advocate for
ports throughout the United
States, and his work in eco-
nomic development at the
Port of Morrow has made
our economy stronger in
Eastern Oregon.”
“Ryan has left a legacy of
hard work, professionalism
and goodwill throughout our
region and will be missed by
all of us,” Smith said.
Lisa Mittelsdorf, the
port’s economic develop-
ment director, said port com-
missioners will meet to dis-
cuss next steps for fi lling
Neal’s position.
Neal graduated from
Oregon State University in
2004 with a degree in busi-
ness management. He began
his management career with
Knight Transportation in
2006 as operations manager
for the national trucking
company, and was later pro-
moted to regional sales man-
Hermiston Herald
Hermiston Herald, File
Ryan Neal, executive director of the Port of Morrow, died Jan.
17, 2022. He was 40.
ager in 2011.
In 2012, Neal was hired
as director of operations for
Haney Truck Line LLC in
Yakima, managing day-to-
day operations for staff and a
fl eet of more than 400 trucks.
Neal spent another two
years at Marten Transport as
an area sales director before
returning to Boardman with
the Port of Morrow. He took
over as general manager of
the port’s freezer warehouse
in 2016, where food pro-
cessors store frozen vegeta-
bles before shipping them to
stores.
The port’s board of direc-
tors hired Neal as executive
director from a pool of 33
applicants.
“He really wanted to
move back to this area after
he went to college,” Rus-
sell said. “He was trying
to make a diff erence in his
community.”
Pod:
Continued from Page A1
optimistic about her location
in Hermiston.
“I’m so happy to be
here,” she said.
By April, barring inclem-
ent weather, Hunt said he
expects to see the remain-
ing vendors pass require-
ments and move into spots
in the pod. Then, addi-
tional improvements will be
made, he said. Among those
improvements, according
to Hunt, will be a new 5- to
6-foot fence around the prop-
erty. He said he also wants to
bring in live music and have
local bands perform.
Hunt said he hopes to see
a public restroom added to
the pod, though Spencer said
restrooms are not planned.
The portable toilet on the
property should suffi ce,
Spencer said, and there are
restrooms across the street
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2022
The COVID-19 death
toll in Umatilla County con-
tinues to mount. Umatilla
County Public Health has
reported the count’s 190th
victim of the disease.
She was 72, the health
department reported, and
tested positive Nov. 27 and
died Dec. 4 at Asante Three
Rivers Medical Center,
Grants Pass.
Umatilla County Pub-
lic Health also recently
reported the county’s 189th
victim was a 75-year-old
woman who tested posi-
tive Jan. 8 and died that day
at Good Shepherd Medical
Center, Hermiston.
COVID-19 cases in
Umatilla County are rap-
idly rising. According to
the Oregon Health Author-
ity, Umatilla County as
of Wednesday morning,
Jan. 19, has 18,593 cases
of COVID-19, and per
100,000 people, the county
has the worst case rate in
Oregon.
From Jan. 10 through
Jan. 17, according to
OHA date, the county has
recorded 1,857 cases of
COVID-19. Jan. 10 and 11
had more than 300 cases
each, and Jan. 14 hit a
record of 413.
Since then, however,
numbers eased off , with
270 cases total Jan. 15-17.
Monday, Jan. 17, was a hol-
iday, so numbers could rise
again.
Statewide, the total
number of cases as of the
morning of Jan. 19 was
541,415 according to the
Oregon Health Authority,
with 5,892 deaths.
Umatilla County Pub-
lic Health also recently
announced it implemented
surveillance strategies of
COVID-19 in the commu-
nity and moved away from
individual
investigation
and contact tracing calls
to focus on investigating
outbreaks in high-risk set-
tings. The move is in align-
ment with today’s Oregon
Health Authority, accord-
ing to a press release from
the county.
“UCo Health will con-
tinue to collect reports of
COVID-19 in Umatilla
County and report data
regarding disease preva-
lence through the Regional
COVID-19 Data Dashboard
posted at Ucohealth.net,”
the press release stated.
The county health
department also stated it
encourages anyone who
tests positive for COVID-
19 through laboratory or
at home testing to stay
home for fi ve days from the
start of symptoms or test
date, whichever is earlier.
Anyone who knows they
have been in contact with
COVID-19 and they are not
up-to-date on the COVID-
19
vaccination
series
should stay home for fi ve
days from their last known
exposure to a COVID-19
positive individual. More
information on COVID-
19 quarantine and isolation
can be found at ucohealth.
net and the CDC website.
Individuals in need of
additional support and
education regarding their
COVID-19 illness or expo-
sure may reach out to
the county health depart-
ment offi ce by calling
541-278-6290.
“It is imperative that any
person who is exhibiting
symptoms of respiratory ill-
ness stay home,” the health
department urged. “Call
your primary care provider
fi rst to discuss the next
steps. If you are experienc-
ing a medical emergency,
call 911.
Listening session will gather
opinions for media coverage
Ben Lonergan/Hermiston Herald
Patrick Hunt slathers barbecue sauce on a brisket sandwich
Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, at his Southern Twain BBQ food truck at
the Hermiston Food Pod.
in the park.
Even without a regular
bathroom, Spencer said the
food pod is about serving the
residents of Hermiston.
“There’s so much inter-
est in food trucks in town,
and there aren’t a lot of good
places to put them,” he said.
“The city saw this as a way
to step up and help create,
from a survey standpoint,
something that is really
important to citizens who
have wanted a permanent
spot for food trucks.”
Hunt said the food pod
will be a family location,
where a person can “bring
your kids and your grand-
parents, all at the same
time.” He he expressed hap-
piness about the pod and its
future.
“I want this to be Herm-
iston’s go-to spot,” he said.
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Hermiston Herald
News organizations and
nonprofi t groups in Ore-
gon have teamed up to
learn what voters want can-
didates for governor to be
talking about as they com-
pete for votes. They seek
Oregonians to participate in
a free “Let’s Talk” 90-min-
ute virtual listening session
to share their understand-
ing of the race through the
media.
Voters would join others
via the Zoom platform to
discuss off the record what
information they want to
know about the candidates
— and what they don’t
want to hear. The gover-
nor’s race promises to be
one of the most important
in recent Oregon history
with several high-profi le
candidates.
The eff ort is led by the
Oregon Capital Chronicle,
a nonprofi t digital news ser-
vice focused on state gov-
ernment and politics; Rural
Development Initiatives, a
nonprofi t focused on com-
munity vitality in rural Ore-
gon; and the Agora Jour-
nalism Center, part of
the University of Oregon
School of Journalism and
Communication.
The East Oregonian is
participating as a host.
Sessions with voters
grouped in their region will
take place by the end of Feb-
ruary. To participate, Ore-
gonians can go to “Let’s
Talk” at www.surveymon-
key.com/r/8JV25WF to sub-
mit their interest along with
basic information.