State fines Florence cafe nearly $18K over COVID-19 rules

FLORENCE — The state of Oregon has fined a Florence restaurant nearly $18,000 for willfully exposing workers to COVID-19 after an investigation in which officials say compliance officers were threatened.

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday, Feb. 23, announced the fine for The New Blue Hen, The Register-Guard reported.

The New Blue Hen, doing business as Little Brown Hen Café, had been allowing indoor dining since at least Dec. 26, a state investigation found.

“The business did so despite knowing it was violating a public health order limiting the capacity for indoor dining to zero in an ‘extreme risk’ county,” the state news release said.

The restaurant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Complaints about the restaurant led to an inspection during which, “several people – including one carrying a firearm – blocked the business’ entrance and threatened compliance officers” on Jan. 4, according to the state.

The state assigned two compliance officers and both identified themselves during the inspection and asked to speak to the owner, the state said, at which point they were threatened.

The people at the entrance followed them to their cars shouting at them as they left, officials said.

Michael Wood, administrator for Oregon OSHA, imposed the $17,800 penalty, which is twice the minimum penalty for a willful violation to reflect “the need to ensure a more appropriate deterrent effect where employers insist on disregarding public health measures.”

Airline ordered to pay $3.2 million after woman falls, later dies

PORTLAND — A jury has ordered Alaska Airlines to pay $3.2 million to the family of a 75-year-old disabled woman who died four months after falling down a Portland International Airport escalator.

KGW reported the family of Bernice Kekona, of Spokane, Washington, filed a wrongful death suit against Alaska Airlines in December 2017, alleging neglect at the airport contributed to her injuries.

The jury returned its verdict Monday, Feb. 22.

In June 2017, Kekona was traveling from Hawaii to Spokane with a transfer of planes in Portland. She was disabled with an amputated leg and other health issues.

At the Portland airport, while trying to get to a gate for her connecting flight, she fell down an escalator, resulting in significant injuries that led to her death, according to the lawsuit.

In a statement, the Seattle-based airline said: “We’re disappointed in the ruling and are evaluating next steps. There is no more important responsibility than the safety and wellbeing of our guests, whether they’re in our care or the care of a vendor.”

Kekona’s family said they had requested gate-to-gate service for their mother, who needed wheelchair assistance. According to the complaint, gate agents met Kekona as she deplaned in Portland and provided her a wheelchair ride to the top of a skybridge. She was then left alone, according to the family, and became confused, leading her to tumble in her wheelchair down an escalator.

— Associated Press