La Grande Observer

Rotting posts prompt play equipment removal

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:13:37 +0100

Children who had intended to use the play equipment at Garden Club Park this weekend need to make other plans. City of La Grande Parks Department staff began removing the play equipment at Garden Club Park, also known as Y Park, Thursday morning. The equipment — a swing set, slide and climbing apparatus — is being removed because it has been determined to not be safe, said City of La Grande Parks Director Mark Touhey.

Proposed cuts worry students

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:11:19 +0100

14 positions, including 9 faculty jobs, could be eliminated under budget-balancing plan The announcement eight days ago by President Bob Davies that Eastern Oregon University will be making between $2 million and $2.3 million in budget cuts and adjustments has students worried, including those who will not be impacted by the reductions. “My biggest concern is that a lot of the things I benefited from are still there for future students,’’ said Timmy Brown, a senior who will graduate in June with degrees in math, computer science and English.

Cove�s Reddington gets off to speedy start at 1A state meet

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:06:51 +0100

EUGENE — Cove’s Morgan Reddington had a big opening day at the 1A state track meet Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene. Reddington took second place in the long jump with a jump of 16 feet, 7-3/4 inches. She also put herself in position to bring home medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes with top finishes in the prelims.

Enterprise track finds foreign flavor for winning

Fri, 24 May 2013 11:01:33 +0100

Wallowa County makes good use of its exchange students, putting them to work on the tracks, fields and courts of its high schools. Four European students are standouts on the combined Enterprise and Wallowa track team, coached this spring by Dan Moody, the Enterprise athletic director.

Coffey wins national NAIA crown

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:51:28 +0100

MARION, Ind. — Karlee Coffey had a goal Thursday night — to win a national title at the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She achieved her goal, winning the 10,000 meters and helping the Mountaineers take over first place in the team standings after one day.

Evans wins state title, O'Reilly finishes second

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:50:08 +0100

O’Reilly finishes second in 3,000 as Union teammates take top two spots in 2A race EUGENE — It was finally McKenzie Evans’ day. The Union junior won the state title in the 3,000 meters Thursday at the state meet in Eugene, setting a meet record with a time of 10 minutes, 28.57 seconds. She beat teammate and defending state champion Katriel O’Reilly, who finished second with a time of 10:41.79.

Bigler participated in occupation of Japan

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:43:54 +0100

It took almost 70 years but a previously unknown piece of Bob Bigler’s past caught up with him late last month. Bigler, who lives in Cove, was eating lunch at the Union County Senior Center when he struck up a conversation with John Turner, a lifelong La Grande resident. The Navy veterans began discussing their World War II experiences when they were surprised to learn their paths apparently crossed about 68 years ago. Bigler and Turner discovered they had traveled from the Philippines to Okinawa, Japan on the same tanker.

Sense of obligation drew LHS grad to the Marines

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:36:38 +0100

Jay Heine adheres to ‘adapt and overcome’ motto in face of three severe concussions he suffered while serving in Iraq Growing up in the wilderness of Mt. Emily sounds fun and enjoyable, but for Jay Heine it honed practical skills for his future in the Marines. Heine, a 2003 La Grande High School graduate, was deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines infantry in 2007. Over a seven-month stay in the Al-Anbar province, Heine suffered three Grade 3 concussions in mortar attacks and roadside bombings. One of his Purple Hearts hangs next to his desk at Legacy Dodge as a reminder that life is precious.

Obituaries for May 24, 2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:33:30 +0100

Collins, Thornhill, Stillman

Medical coding system expanded

Fri, 24 May 2013 10:27:33 +0100

Old system is being upgraded nationwide to one that has 115,000 alpha-numeric codes, each 5 to 7 digits long LA GRANDE — Medical coders throughout the United States are under a federally mandated deadline to learn and utilize an entirely new set of medical codes by Oct. 1, 2014. The current International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision or ICD-9 was developed by the World Health Organization, and it has been in use by coders since 1979. This system with its 24,500 codes seems simplistic now compared to the highly specific ICD-10 system, which has 115,000 alpha-numeric codes, each five to seven digits long.