MALHEUR COUNTY
A program to prescribe fruits and vegetables to Oregonians who are experiencing food insecurity and who may also be enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan has been growing locally since March of 2019. There are two entities locally, Valley Family Health Care, and Malheur County Health Department, which can prescribe food through a voucher system to be redeemed at local participating stores, including Grocery Outlet Bargain Market, Red Apple and Waremart, in Ontario, and M & W Market, in Nyssa.
Innovative program
A news release from Eastern Oregon Health Living Alliance, issued in early April, outlined how the Frontier Veggie Rx Innovation program is making efforts to help resolve food insecurity for individuals and families in rural areas.
ONTARIO Six candidates are running for four seats that are opening up on the Treasure Valley Community College Board of Directors in the upcoming 2021 District Director Election on May 18.
Two of the seats, Positions 1 and 6, will see two-way races with no incumbent candidates; while only incumbents, Betty Carter and Roger Findley, respectively filed for Positions 2 and 4. In the two-way race for Position 1, Cydney Cooke will face off with Dirk De Boer. In the two-way race for Position 6, Christopher Plummer will face off with Ken Hart.
Position 2 is a two-year seat, the rest are four-year commitments.
Candidates were all invited to participate in the Argus Observerâs introduction to the community. The deadline was noon on Monday.
MALHEUR COUNTY
As health authorities around the country fall in line with federal guidance to push the pause on distributing anymore of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine until further review, officials with the Malheur County Health Department say the reason is for an âextremely rare potential side effect.â Additionally, they state that if it is related, looking at the overall data matters.
âIf it is related, itâs important to keep in perspective that itâs six out of 6.8 million, and that the risk of potentially damaging health effects and risk of death from COVID-19 are far greater,â reads an emailed reply from Erika Harmon, public information officer at Malheur County Health Department on Tuesday morning. âVaccines are safe and effective, and they are necessary to save lives.â
MALHEUR COUNTY
Malheur County Health Department offers BinaxNOW drive-up testing to people who live or work in Malheur County and have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. There is no out-of-pocket cost and no insurance required. Test results are available in 15 minutes.
Testing is available by appointment on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to noon, and Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. To schedule an appointment, phone (541) 823-3232.
Additionally, Valley Family Health Care is offering COVID-19 testing every Monday through Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Treasure Valley Community College baseball field in Ontario. Anyone requesting a test will be tested. There are no out-of-pocket costs, and test results are available in 15 minutes. For more information about the Valley Family testing, phone (208) 452-6661.
ONTARIO
Those who live or work in Malheur County and would like to get a COVID-19 vaccine are in luck if they are in phase 1a or the first subgroup of phase 1b which includes those connected to education. Vaccines will be distributed at no cost to the first 350 of those individuals who show up to the Four Rivers Cultural Center beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday at Four Rivers Cultural Center.
Although the vaccines will be free, individuals with insurance are asked to bring insurance cards so that administration fees can be billed to their respective company.
Vaccines will be distributed until about 2 p.m. on a first-come, first-serve basis to those who qualify.