VIEWPOINTS Officials promote law and order – at least for the laws they like Yamhill County’s Friday March 5, 2021 $2 KEEPING YOU CONNECTED SINCE 1866 McMinnville, Oregon 156th year, No. 18 GUN SANCTUARY ORDINANCE Deluge of letters swamps county Ore. Firearms Federation online campaign established by the Commission Chair Mary Starrett. ordinance. Berschauer said she would further Oregon Firearms Federation. Some gave names such as “Deez Commissioner Lindsay Ber- revise it to address their concerns. request generates more More than 1,000 letters were nuts” or “Garlic Press,” or did schauer submitted a revised than 1,000 responses submitted, starting last week, not provide any name, although version of the ordinance Wednes- In addition to the deluge from many from around the state. Some the majority listed apparently valid day night. One change was to state out of the county, commissioners By NICOLE MONTESANO appeared to think they were com- names. that it would not apply to any gun also received about 27 letters of Of the News-Register menting on state legislation, rather As a result, Huffer said he wants law currently in effect. support from people who identified County Administrator Ken than the county’s proposed ordi- to revise how the county accepts Both District Attorney Brad themselves as county residents. Huffer told commissioners Thurs- nance. written testimony. Berry and Sheriff Tim Svenson They also received 76 letters in day his staff is struggling to keep Hundreds of submitters used Commissioners also heard said they received the new version opposition, from people who all up with all the letters submitted a pre-written form letter set up extensive concerns from the coun- only an hour before the meeting, appeared to be county residents, regarding a proposed Second through freeroots.com by the fed- ty district attorney, sheriff and and said they needed more time to although only about 39 of them Amendment sanctuary ordinance, eration, which is run by Kevin county counsel, and decided to consider it. many of which originated from an Starrett, brother of Yamhill County again delay voting on the proposed After the discussion, however, See SANCTUARY, A2 COVID-19 County Kicking into gear apologizes for wrong hospital numbers By NICOLE MONTESANO Of the News-Register Yamhill County Health and Human Services Director Lind- sey Manfrin apologized this week for an error that, for sever- al days, indicated extremely high hospitalization rates for county COVID-19 patients. Information that around 20% of COVID hospitalizations statewide were Yamhill County residents was shared on Face- book by Commissioner Casey Kulla last week and reported in Tuesday’s News-Register. Manfrin followed up Wednes- day evening, saying there was currently no one hospitalized with COVID-19 who resides in Yamhill County. Thursday, however, the county listed three people as hospitalized. “Yamhill County Public Health discovered that when pulling this data there were a number of peo- ple who were discharged from Rusty Rae/News-Register the hospital and this information McMinnville midfielder Alexis Saucedo fires a shot on goal during the Grizzlies’ boys soccer season opener Monday against rival Newberg. Mac was not accounted for due to the fell to the Tigers, 2-0, but beat Tigard 1-0 in Wednesday’s non-league match. See story on A10. The News-Register’s sports section will return to a data system being used. The only twice-weekly publication schedule starting next Tuesday. way for us to accurately pull this data is manually,” Manfrin wrote in an e-mail to the News-Reg- ister. Amity mayor quits “This was a stand alone data error and all other data includ- Redistricting process faces after brief tenure ing OHA hospitalization data, case counts, cases per 100,000 By PUL DAQUILANTE and positivity rates are accurate,” Of the News-Register Manfrin said. challenges in Legislature Amity Mayor Joshua Clark, who The county reported three ran unopposed in last November’s new deaths from COVID-19 on Legislators have until July 1 to 1 deadline, finding new sources general election and took office Wednesday, and one on Thurs- Census delays expected create redistricting maps, but the of data to use and relying on Jan. 1, resigned before the start day. to complicate situation Census Bureau announced official language in the Constitution to of Wednesday night’s regular city There have now been 69 deaths population data will not be avail- possibly delay legislative redis- council meeting. from COVID-19 in the county. By DORA TOTOIAN able until at least July 30. tricting until 2023, according to He told councilors Robert According to the Oregon Of the News-Register If the legislators are unable OPB. Andrade, April Dyche, Rachel Health Authority: The Legislature will hear to complete the tasks in time, Oregon’s population gains in the King, Sandy McArthur and Napua n An 80-year-old man in Yam- testimony on redistricting for deciding state districts will fall to past decade also mean it’s likely Ann Rich that he was leaving office hill County tested positive on congressional and state-level leg- Secretary of State Shemia Fagan to add a sixth congressional seat. for personal reasons he did not Dec. 29 and died on Feb. 19 at islative districts beginning next and drawing up congressional Some of the most notable popula- disclose. his residence. He had underlying week. Hearings on Oregon’s 1st districts will be decided by a spe- tion increases have been around Clark had already informed City conditions. Congressional District, which cial panel of judges appointed Washington County, according to Administrator Michael Thomas of n An 85-year-old woman in includes Yamhill County, are on by the Chief Justice of the Ore- a map presented to the Legisla- his decision. Yamhill County tested positive March 9 and 20. gon Supreme Court, according to ture from the Population Research “Thank you for electing me,” on Dec. 29 and died on Feb. 17 Redistricting occurs every the state Legislative Policy and Center at Portland State Univer- Clark said. “I learned a lot in my at her residence. She had under- 10 years after the census is Research Office (LPRO). sity. Oregon’s 1st Congressional three months.” lying conditions. completed. But last year’s pan- Legislators are exploring District includes Washington and Lehman, the council president, demic-induced census delays are options like asking the Oregon See COVID, A5 likely to complicate the process. Supreme Court to extend the July See DISTRICTS, A5 See AMITY, A3 Along School board narrows field to three CORONAVIRUS the Superintendent finalists Working with the search firm Wednesday and Thursday, March (COVID-19) Street Human Capital Enterprises, they 9-11. A community focus group won’t be made public Found believed a private search would also will visit with the finalists. Below are a number of resources to Objects attract the most experienced, high- The News-Register staff Afterward, board members will help educate you and your family. moving ly qualified candidates, he said. deliberate and may choose one out of McMinnville School Board Some of the candidates might not candidate for the job. Oregon Health Authority - Oregon.gov/OHA longtime members plan to interview three have applied if they had needed to Vollmer said the board hopes Our Health Oregon - OurHealthOregon.org spot A3 finalists for the superintendent reveal their interest to their current to hire a new superintendent this position next week in the effort to employers, he said. Yamhill County Public Health - hhs.co.yamhill.or.us/publichealth month or in early April. find a replacement for Superinten- Board members reviewed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - CDC.gov dent Maryalice Russell, who will applicants who responded to a He plans to give an overview World Health Organization - WHO.int retire in June. nationwide search on Feb. 22. of the search activities Monday, The names will not be announced. They chose five to interview via March 8, at the board’s March For general information on coronavirus, call 211 Chairman Larry Vollmer said he Zoom on Feb. 27, then narrowed business meeting. The public ses- Additional resources are also available at and other board members chose to the field to three. sion will start at 7:30 p.m. via WillametteValleyMedical.com conduct a more private search than The finalists will come to Zoom. was done in 2002, when Russell McMinnville for in-person inter- For a Zoom link, send email to was hired. views with the board Tuesday, [email protected]. U|xaIICGHy02366qzZ A2 Friday, March 5, 2021 News-Register/McMinnville, Oregon he told the commissioners. Sanctuary “We have not had this issue Recruitment begins for new KEEPING YOU come up before; I think Continued from A1 that’s important for you to Newberg-Dundee police chief understand.” CONNECTED identified themselves specif- The News-Register staff staff,” Newberg City Man- ically as living in the county. Berry also asked Smith The city of Newberg is ager Dan Weinheimer said. HOW TO REACH US To address the issue of what the ordinance means seeking input from residents “The next chief will lead outside letter campaigns, when it describes “extrater- of Newberg and Dundee on our team as we build on our ritorial” acts. Editor-in-Chief Sports Editor Huffer said he wants to cre- the qualities they believe successes. I think this pro- Ossie Bladine Logan Brandon ate an online form for people Smith said it is “a creat- should be exemplified by cess will shine a light on the 503-687-1269 503-687-1205 to fill out when they want to ed and defined term by this the next police chief.