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Governor Jay Inslee announced a new COVID-19 phased recovery plan last week called "Healthy Washington - Roadmap to Recovery." This began on January 11, and reset every county into Phase 1. According to this new plan, retail occupancy remains at 25%. It also allows for limited live entertainment and fitness center activities.

"No one was untouched by the effects of the pandemic in 2020; many have and continue to suffer through no fault of their own," said Inslee during a press conference on Tuesday, January 5. "We aren't out of this yet, but we are close to turning the corner on COVID-19 and this third wave of infection."
This new plan is laid out in hopes that it will avoid overwhelming the state's health care systems. The new recovery system aims to safely ease some restrictions while ensuring care for Washingtonians and encouraging economic recovery.

On Wednesday, January 6, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) released the definitions of the next phase of COVID-19 vaccinations. The next group, Phase 1B, is broken up into Tiers. The state is not ready to move into vaccinating Phase 1B since they are still finishing up vaccinating 1A.

Phase 1B include:
Phase 1B1 (Tier 1)

• All people 70 years and older
• People 50 years and older who live in multigenerational households

The 5th Annual Esther Borte Walk In the Park is coming to Toledo in February, this one is a bit different than the rest. The participants will still participate in the 5K walk, run, or roll. They just get to do it at their leisure.

The participants choose the date, time, and route of their race. You can track your race using the app of your choice, just take a screenshot and email it to walkintheparktoledo@gmail.com.

The City of Winlock is looking for volunteers who are interested in training in the water and sewer department. This will be the fifth year offering this training, former Mayor Lonnie Dowell started this program the first year and the program has continued under former Mayor Donald Bradshaw and Mayor Brandon Svenson.

Over the years, volunteers who have graduated from the program are: Sue Parker who is now a licensed water and sewer operator. Heather Luurs has graduated and passed the program but she has not taken her certification. Jessie Weimer has graduated and has passed his water and wastewater certificate. James Agren will graduate in April of 2021. This training will open up opportunities to work in this field. Wages in this field range from $35,000 per year up to $100,000 per year.

You will be getting training in water distribution and wastewater.

Flowers by Lynne, an established business in Raymond for nearly four decades, closed its doors on New Year's Eve 2020. Owners Lynne and Les Goodwin put Flowers by Lynne on the market a couple of years ago and now want to enjoy their retirement.

Lynne said that it was not a very difficult decision for them to sell the building and retire.

"We had thought about it for a while as Les and I are both at the age of retirement," she told the Herald.

Lynne talked about what originally inspired her to go into business in the first place. In December of 1981, when the country was suffering from high-interest rates and a poor business market, Lynne and her husband, Les, rolled the dice, and the gamble paid off.

SOUTH BEND - As long as Washington is safe enough from COVID-19 to compete in sports, the tentative date to start practices for the local sports of football, volleyball, girls and boys soccer and Willapa Harbor Tri-District Cross Country is February 1. In all, it will include a total of eight local sports. Last Wednesday, Evergreen state schools were given the go ahead by the the WIAA Executive Board, which voted to amend its season schedule, while moving traditional fall sports to WIAA Season 1. The WIAA will review Seasons 2 and 3 at its January 19 meeting.

"I think the WIAA's decision to move fall sports to Season 1 is the right move," Raymond HS Athletic Director Mike Tully told the Herald Friday afternoon. "It makes sense when you look at what is allowed in the governor's new reopening plan.