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Public Market Sign - Seattle

OKANOGAN COUNTY, Wash. — The number of Okanogan County residents filing first-time unemployment benefits claims rose dramatically last week. 

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Cariboo Restaurant on Queen Street

OKANOGAN — Diana Oestreich, owner of the Cariboo Restaurant in Okanogan, opened normally last Thursday, ignoring the governor’s new order shutting down indoor dining. She presented it as a “peaceful protest” and served a small number of regular customers who came in to support her. She said she did so in a safe manner, following all recommended guidelines, and the spacious restaurant - with its 5.5 foot high booths - lends itself to providing more than adequate distance between patrons. Staff usually includes only herself and one cook, further limiting exposure.

Friday morning, Oestreich had a visit from Okanogan County Public Health inspector Patrick Dunn. He said that the restaurant had to close down, and remaining open for such a protest wasn’t permitted. He admitted that the multiple restaurants located at the 12 Tribes Casino only three miles away were allowed to be open for indoor seating, as they are under tribal jurisdiction. She refused to close and kick out the handful of supporters currently there, and said that her 100% marks on her most recent health department inspections means that she runs a clean and safe establishment.

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The graveyard of businesses

After a long spring, summer, and fall of business restrictions and additional costs, and now facing more drastic restrictions as we enter the critical holiday season, there's no doubt that many of our local businesses won't be able to make it through the slow winter season in an even more constricted manner. 

While many aspects of the spread and impact of COVID-19 are carefully tracked and analyzed, the consequences and fallout from the Governor's reckless executive actions in response, are not paid nearly so much attention. Therefore, we find that we must track this metric of consequence to our local communities ourselves.

As Governor Inslee has taken full executive control of the COVID-19 response in the state, with no input from the legislature and other checks and balances in our system of government, it is then very fair to pin the full consequences of his irresponsible actions solely on him. Hence the reason why this list is named "Inslee's List - The Dead Business Log".

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Lumen Technologies Logo with rebranded CenturyLink Field

CenturyLink has changed its name in a rebranding of itself, to Lumen Technologies, or simply Lumen. At the opening of trading on September 18, 2020, the company stock ticker officially changed from "CTL" to "LUMN". Since then, other legal and regulatory hurdles have been in process to formally change the name of the company.

Today also marks a fourth name change in the works for Centurylink Field, as the Seahawks and Lumen announced today that the Seattle stadium will be renamed Lumen Field. This new name is pending approval later today by the Washington State Public Stadium Authority, the Washington State public corporation owner of the stadium.

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Okanogan County Public Health Logo

OKANOGAN — The Okanogan County Public Health Department's (OCPH) mission statement "is to promote health, prevent conditions of disease and/or disability, and to protect the health of the residents of Okanogan County", but many in the community believe that its Facebook page, at least, has been straying from that mission.

Near the center of this controversy, are two social media posts, which were added to the Department's official Facebook page - apparently by an authorized staff member, lamenting the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Friday, Sept 18th, 2020. One of the department's posts was sharing a post written by an academic who is very partisan for the political left, and who criticizes President Trump in nearly every post she makes.