Around Town from mid-April to mid-May 2020

Scholarships for health students

The Lebanon Community Hospital Foundation is accepting applications for its scholarship programs for east Linn County students pursuing careers in health care.
Scholarships are available for medical and nursing students as well as students in a
Linn-Benton Community College health career program.
Deadline to apply is 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 30.
Scholarship recipients will be announced by June 1.
The following scholarships are available:
The Frank Girod, MD, Medical Scholarship for students enrolled in medical school.
Applicants must have a primary residence in east Linn County and must submit an application, a written statement about their goals and any community service involvement, as well as a Cost and Resource Estimate Work Sheet.
The Rachel Easton, RN, Nursing Scholarship.
Applicants must submit an official transcript including fall 2019 grades, a one- or two-page typed statement discussing why you are pursuing a nursing degree and a listing of your goals; a completed application form and a Cost and Resource Estimate Work Sheet; any special circumstances you might like the Easton Scholarship Committee to consider; plus a signed and dated letter of recommendation from someone who knows you well.
The John and Carol Dinges Medical Scholarship for east Linn County students enrolled in an entry-level health care program at
Linn-Benton Community College.
Examples of entry-level programs include certified medical assistant, certified nursing assistant, medical office specialist and dental assistant. First preference will be given to seniors and graduates of Lebanon High School, but seniors and graduates at all high schools in east Linn County are invited to apply.
The Nurse Education Scholarship for caregivers and Certified Nursing Assistants who are pursuing continued education in the nursing field. Preference given to applicants from the Lebanon area and single parents. Applicants must submit an application.
Applications and additional information on all scholarships are available at www.samhealth.org/careers-education/scholarships/linn-county or by calling (541) 451-6303.

Free firewood in Willamette NF

Personal firewood cutting will be free to the general public through June 1 on Willamette National Forest.
No permit will be required during that period, the U.S. Forest Service has announced.
Woodcutters can take up to four cords of firewood for personal use.  A cord is the amount of tightly piled wood in a stack 4 feet high by 4 feet wide by 8 feet long.
Personal-use firewood cutting allows you to remove downed timber or to cut standing dead trees under most conditions on the Willamette National Forest.
It is important to check with the local ranger district to see what specific local restrictions or requirements may apply.
Woodcutters are also required to follow requirements governing types of trees cut, location of trees, wetlands considerations and skidding and yarding restrictions.
Firewood cutting information and guidelines are available at go.usa.gov/xvrDp.
Handouts will also be made available to pick up from the front doors at the Sweet Home Ranger District headquarters at 4431 Highway 20, by emailing [email protected] , or by calling (541) 367-5168.

Forestry group to offer scholarships

Linn County Small Woodlands Association is offering four $2,000 scholarships to students graduating from Linn County high schools who plan to pursue forestry or forestry-related natural resources fields of study in an Oregon college or in a dual-enrollment program (such as LBCC-OSU and LCC-UO).
The scholarships are renewable at $1,000 to $2,000 rates, depending on the success of the group’s Seedling Sales.
Academic achievements, honors and awards, school activities and community engagement will be considered.
Application forms, to be postmarked or e-mailed by May 4, are available at Linn County’s high schools and from Katie Kohl, LCSWA scholarship chair, at [email protected].

Business support during COVID-19

To better support local businesses during the COVID-19 health crisis, Linn-Benton Community College’s Small Business Development Center has created a new platform for virtual business forums, called Let’s Keep Connected.
The site offers three virtual town hall forums per week, at 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and at 5:30 p.m. each Wednesday.
Content will vary and include information on funding programs, other resources and updates, and Q&A sessions with SBDC Advisors and other local agencies and organizations.
Check it out at letskeepconnected.org and sign up for one of the upcoming town hall forums. All events are free, but registration is required.
More information is available at www.linnbenton.edu/extended-learning/small-business-development-center/index.php.

Extension offers online ag help

Oregon State University Extension offers a variety of agriculture-related helps and activities for those confined to their homes.
♦ Science Information for the kids (and you) – www.asas.org/meetings/virtual-resources. This collection of programs has been reviewed by and is being promoted by the American Society of Animal Sciences. It offers online resources for educators and parents in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions.
♦ OSU Chick-Cam – www.youtube.com/watch?v=50EXdnUQt7c&feature=youtu.be&t=32.
♦ Gardening – Through the end of April, OSU Master Gardeners are offering free access to OSU’s online Vegetable Gardening course. The easiest way to get there is to visit workspace.oregonstate.edu/catalog-page#all-courses and scroll down to the “Free Intro to OSU Master Gardener Program.”
For beef farmers, there are a number of options:
♦ Beef Quality Assurance online training is available. BQA is a national program that raises consumer confidence through offering proper management techniques and a commitment to quality within every segment of the beef industry. See more about BQA and find the on-line trainings available at www.bqa.org. The BQA program offers several certification options including the following:
– Cow/Calf – For those who breed and sell weaned calves;
– Stocker/Backgrounder – For those who raise and sell feeder cattle;
– Feedyard – For those who feed and sell fed cattle; and
– Transportation – For those who truck cattle (professional driver or farmer-ranch).
BQA certification is for three years. Update yours now if needed or add another certificate on another sector of the beef industry.
For more information on the BQA or other animal husbandry questions, contact Shelby Filley at (541) 236-3016 or [email protected].
♦ Animals and COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Information is available from the Oregon Department of Agriculture www.oregon.gov/ODA/agriculture/Pages/COVID-19.aspx or from the federal Center for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/index.html (scroll down and click on “”If You Have Animals.”

Search and Rescue recruit openings

The Linn County Sheriff Sheriff’s Office is recruiting young men and women, ages 14 to 18, to join the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Team and participate in a 10-day summer training program.
This will be the 27th Search and Rescue Training Academy in Linn County and will be held June 19-29.
Those who are interested in becoming an integral part of the Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue mission should have an interest in community service and a desire to be a part of a highly trained and professional life saving organization.
There is an application process that includes oral interviews, a background check and physical aptitude test. Applicants must attend one recruit meeting at the Sheriff’s Office at 7 p.m. on May 1 to attend the academy. Successful applicants will be eligible to attend.
Training will include classes in wilderness survival, shelter building, search tactics, first aid/CPR, map and compass reading, rappelling and many more topics.
For more information about the program contact Lt. Joe Larsen at the Linn County Sheriff’s Office (541) 812-2272 or visit the Linn County Sheriff’s Office website at www.linnsheriff.org. Online applications are available on the website and at the Sheriff’s Office in Albany.