Marcy Barlett on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, cleans the common room at Alikut Hall, one of the residence halls on Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, to help keep COVID-19 from spreading among students living on campus. EOU in January conducted more than 1,200 tests of students for COVID-19 and found 2% tested positive. The New York Times in a March 2 report the university had 111 cases, making it No. 3 on a list of cases linked to Oregon colleges since February 2020.

Hansell appointed to serve on State Fair Council

SALEM — Oregon Sen. Bill Hansell has an additional job.

Senate President Peter Courtney recently appointed the Republican from Athena to serve on the Oregon State Fair Council, according to a press release.

“I am excited and honored to have been appointed to the State Fair Council, formerly called the State Fair Board,” Hansell said. “I look forward to ensuring state and county fairs will be enjoyed by countless more Oregonians in the future.”

The Oregon State Fair Council is a state of Oregon Public Corporation. The governor appoints 11 of its members, and the Senate president and House speaker appoint one member each.

“I want to thank Senate President Peter Courtney for the appointment. I look forward to serving on the council,” Hansell said. “The Oregon State Fair has been held since the early days of statehood and, along with county fairs, are critical sources of economic vitality and cultural celebration.”

The Union County Fair welcomed the appointment.

“Bill Hansell has done great things for this community,” said Jamie Jo Haddock, president of the Union County Fair Board. “I’m glad to have him on and I will be glad to work with him.”

EOU No. 3 on list of Oregon colleges COVID-19 cases

SALEM — A New York Times review of COVID-19 cases published March 2 shows 3,189 cases of the disease linked to Oregon colleges since February 2020. The University of Oregon had the highest reported positive test count at 1,479. Oregon State is second at 787, cases and Eastern Oregon University was third at 111 cases.

The Times put an asterisk next to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, which reported 335 cases early in the pandemic. The campus includes a medical center and other facilities that serve the community.

The review compiled 535,000 cases at more than 1,900 colleges and universities.

New program offers more preschool options

PENDLETON — The Oregon Department of Education’s Early Learning Division has a new grant to help children ages 3 and 4 to attend quality preschool programs before entering kindergarten.

Preschool Promise is a model for a publicly funded, high-quality preschool system, according to a press release from the InterMountain Education Service District. It leverages local and culturally relevant early child care and education programs and makes them available to children living at 200% of the poverty level (for example, a family of four making $53,000 or less per year).

According to Michelle Gomez, coordinated enrollment specialist at the Blue Mountain Early Learning Hub, the purpose of Preschool Promise programs is to create an inclusive, welcoming environment for all children and families.

There are 11 Preschool Promise locations in the Blue Mountain Early Learning Hub region of Morrow, Umatilla and Union counties. Gomez said some of these programs are home-based and some are more traditional preschool classrooms.

To qualify for Preschool Promise programs, children must be 3 to 4 years old on or before Sept. 1 of the program year and they must live in Oregon. The annual or previous 12 months’ income of the child’s family must be at or below 200% of the federal poverty line. Children in foster care are automatically eligible.

For more information and to sign up for Preschool Promise, visit www.BlueMountainKids.org or email Contact@BlueMountainKids.org.

— The Observer