OREGON
East Oregonian
A8
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Oregonians will get 17% of their 2020 state income taxes back
By BETSY HAMMOND
The Oregonian
SALEM — Oregonians will get
17% of their 2020 Oregon income
taxes back as a kicker credit when
they file their 2021 taxes next
year, the Oregon Department of
Revenue announced Tuesday,
Oct. 12.
Revenue officials determined
more than a month ago that
Oregon’s unique kicker rebate law
would generate a jaw-dropping
$1.9 billion. But they needed to
finalize and certify exactly how
much each tax filer would be enti-
tled to.
The official answer is 17.341%
of 2020 state income taxes paid.
Taxpayers can find their 2020 tax
liability on line 22 of their 2020
Form OR.
Oregonians get a kicker rebate
when the state’s revenue exceeds
by 2% or more what state fore-
casters projected far ahead of
time. No other state has a simi-
lar law.
People who paid 2020 Oregon
income taxes can file for and
receive the credit in 2022, even if
they don’t owe Oregon taxes on
their 2021 income.
If you owe the state money,
whether for back taxes or for
other items, such as court fines or
child support, however, the state
may use all or part of your kicker
for that debt first.
State drops requirement for substitute teachers Former Secretary of
and there isn’t much time
State Clarno challenges
to prepare for a quality
lesson. We have also had to
SALEM — Oregon is
state redistricting map
combine classes and change
relaxing requirements to
the lesson plan for the day to
By DILLON MULLAN
Pamplin Media Group
become a substitute school
teacher in the face of a wide-
spread shortage stretching
educators thin.
Oregon Teacher Stan-
d a rd s a nd P r a ct ice s
Commission Executive
Director Anthony Rosilez
said the licensing agency
filed a temporary rule to
implement an emergency
substitute teaching license.
In December 2019,
he said, the state had at
least 8,300 active substi-
tute licenses, although that
number does not include
retirees and other part time
school staff with active
teaching licenses who can
also substitute.
A year later, that number
dropped to 5,500, and this
month, Rosilez said, the
state is down to around 4,738
substitute teachers.
The emergency rule
relaxes the requirement for
a bachelor’s degree.
“It temporarily relaxes
the specifi c higher educa-
tion requirement of the tradi-
tional substitute license but
mandates impactful admin-
istrative support for the
emergency licensed sub,”
Pamplin Media Group/Contributed Photo
Substitute teacher Sarah Lewins at Jason Lee Elementa-
ry, Portland, helps Mintwob Mintwab properly put on her
mask at the start of the fi rst day of in-person, hybrid learn-
ing in spring 2021.
Rosilez said. “This license
will allow school districts
to reach a wider pool of
potential substitute teach-
ers. In terms of the number
of people who are applying
for sub licenses, we can see
that number is signifi cantly
down.”
New licenses can take up
to seven weeks to process.
Every person issued an
emergency license can only
work inside the district spon-
soring them. The license is
not renewable and expires
after a year.
“It could be a parent who
is only working part time,
or maybe lost a job. It could
be a person who has been a
regular volunteer at a school
... It could maybe be a college
student who’s looking to
work while they go to school
at night,” Rosilez said.
In the Banks School
District, which has about
1,050 students in rural Wash-
ington County, middle school
Principal Darla Waite-Lar-
kin said she submits to a
third-party contractor called
Education Staffi ng Solutions,
for around 10 positions each
day, some of which are
unfi lled staff positions. She
said before the pandemic, the
district traditionally has been
able to fi ll positions open for
hire and therefore not rely on
substitutes as the pandemic
hinders in-person learning.
“It is a last-minute fix,
provide a lesson for students
who might be in different
content classes or at a diff er-
ent place in the curriculum,”
Waite-Larkin said. “We
have heard from a few of the
substitutes that we have used
in the past, that they are not
interested in coming into
the schools this year due to
concern about the virus. I
think this is the same for bus
drivers and other positions.
Most schools in the state are
in the same predicament that
we are.”
The minimum pay for
licensed substitutes, accord-
ing to state law, is about $195
per day, but it can vary by
district.
“The trend we are seeing
is we are not filling our
absences with certified
substitutes on a consistent
basis. We’re only in week
three. You see more absences
in winter,” Banks Superin-
tendent Jeff Leo said. “We
usually fi ll in-house or have
an administrator sub. If a
spot doesn’t get fi lled, we ask
teachers during prep time if
they can cover that class. We
do the best we can.”
Workers rank what they value in a workplace in study
when choosing a place to
work and that it is really
important to people with-
out a college degree because
a good salary can be more
diffi cult for those to come
by,” said Amaury Vogel,
associate executive direc-
tor of the Oregon Values
and Beliefs Center, which
conducted the survey Sept.
14-22. “The ranking tells us
a little bit more because it
makes people choose a few
priorities.
Earning a good salary
was a priority for 72% of
those participating in the
survey who were 30-54
years of age and 64% for
all respondents. While it
makes sense that earning a
good salary ranks among the
top priorities, Vogel said the
By SUZANNE ROIG
The Bulletin
SALEM — Workers
value having a job they can
be proud of, that’s close to
home with fl exible hours and
that has health insurance,
according to a survey by the
Oregon Values and Beliefs
Center.
Rated the highest by all
demographic groups by
those surveyed, at 63%, was
having a work-life balance,
according to the survey. The
second highest workplace
feature was health insurance
and working with people
that the survey respondents
respected.
“It’s unsurprising that
most people rank earning
a good salary as the most
important consideration
Five vie for four city council
work-life balance probably
was not something workers
placed such a high value on
20 years ago.
“Oregonians in the 30-44
age range are more likely
than other age groups to have
young children and therefore
prioritize a fl exible sched-
ule, but it’s a bit surprising
that those 18-29, who are
often just establishing their
careers would prioritize fl ex-
ible hours.”
When Annis Henson was
a full-time worker, health
insurance was a priority for
her and her family. The Bend
resident worked for Habi-
tat for Humanity as a fi eld
staff er prior to retirement.
As a worker she valued the
collaborative nature of work,
and having a supervisor who
valued her opinion.
“My work was very satis-
fying,” Henson said. “I could
see results in the work we
did.”
The center’s online
survey was sent to 1,124
Oregon residents. The
survey’s margin of error is
between 1.7% to 2.9%. The
Oregon Values and Beliefs
Center is an independent,
nonpartisan organization.
Looking at the demo-
graphics, people of color
and white people aligned
on what is important about
where they choose to work,
according to the survey. The
top priorities in both groups
were earning a good salary,
developing skills, flexible
hours and feeling appreci-
ated.
By DIRK VANDERHART
Oregon Public Broadcasting
SA LEM — For mer
Oregon Secretary of State Bev
Clarno and three other Oregon
Republicans have fi led a chal-
lenge to new congressional
districts recently passed by
state lawmakers, arguing the
plan amounts to blatant parti-
san gerrymandering that is
unconstitutional and contrary
to state law.
The suit, filed Monday,
Oct. 11, in Marion County
Circuit Court, is the fi rst such
attempt to alter the six-district
map that Democrats pushed
through during a contentious
special legislative session last
month.
That session nearly ended
in a Republican walkout after
House Speaker Tina Kotek,
D-Portland, reneged on a deal
to grant the GOP an equal
say in new congressional and
legislative maps. Instead,
Republican lawmakers
showed up on the last possible
day and allowed Democrats
to pass a map that could lead
to Democratic control of fi ve
of the state’s now-six seats in
Congress. Oregon picked up
an additional U.S. House seat
because of population gains
recorded by the recent U.S.
Census.
“The result of this highly
partisan process is a clear,
egregious partisan gerry-
mander, as has been widely
acknowledged both in Oregon
and across the country,” the
lawsuit reads. Later it notes:
“Democrats are projected to
win fi ve of the six of Oregon’s
congressional seats in a typi-
cal year, results that are not
even arguably justified by
the Democrats’ overall polit-
ical support in this State or
the political geography of the
State.”
Clarno, of Redmond, the
secretary of state until this
year, was joined by three
other former Republican
offi cials: Gary Wilhelms of
Portland, a former House
Republican leader; James
Wilcox, former mayor of The
Dalles; and Larry Campbell
MORE
INFORMATION
The Oregon Values and
Beliefs Center, a nonparti-
san charitable organization,
has partnered with Pamplin
Media Group and EO Media
Group to report how Orego-
nians think and feel about
various subjects.
The Oregon Values and
Beliefs Center is commit-
ted to the highest level of
public opinion research. To
obtain that, the nonprofi t is
building the largest online
research panel of Orego-
nians in history to ensure
that all voices are repre-
sented in discussions of
public policy in a valid and
statistically reliable way.
Selected panelists earn
points for their partic-
ipation, which can be
redeemed for cash or
donated to a charity. To
learn more, visit oregonvbc.
org.
of Eugene, a former House
speaker. They argue that
Democrats’ handling of the
process harms them “by frus-
trating their ability to vote for
and campaign for congres-
sional candidates who share
their values, and who share
their views on issues such as
gun rights, transportation, and
water rights.”
Current Secretary of State
Shemia Fagan is named as
defendant, which is required
by state law.
They have asked the court
to block the plan and draw its
own, along with awarding the
plaintiff s attorneys fees.
The court challenge to
Oregon’s congressional map
will be the state’s fi rst time
operating under a new system
for resolving such confl icts.
Under a law passed in 2013,
a panel of fi ve judges — one
from each of the state’s current
fi ve congressional districts —
are the arbiters of the dispute.
That panel has until Nov. 24
to decide whether to dismiss
legal challenges to the new
congressional maps.
Committed to excellence for our readers
seats in Hermiston | REGION, A3
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1,
First Place Awards
2020
News Photo -"Embracing Disaster" by Ben Lonergan
A large crowd of Black Lives
Matter
protesters link arms and march
through downtown Pendleton
on
Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020.
144th Year, No. 191
WINNER OF THE 2019 ONPA
Proactive
approach
pays off
N
BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTE
$1.50
ST
200 march through
streets of Pendleton
in peaceful Black
Lives Matter protest
THE WEEK
IN PHOTOS
Stuart Roberts met
five
HANDED
UMATILLA COUNTY SENTENCE WALLA times with organizers
IN
RESIDENTS WANTED DOWN MURDER prior to Aug. 29 march
A
WALL
By ALEX CASTLE
FOR COVID-19 STUDY
East Oregonian
A2
NORTHWEST,
AWARD
Protest draws a crowd
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Pendleton
WEEKEND
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REGION, A9
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
GENERAL EXCELLENCE
LIFESTYLES, A10
By ALEX CASTLE AND
ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
P
ENDLETON — Pendleton
Police Chief Stuart Roberts
praised the proactive safety
planning of organizers with the
Black Lives Matter protest on
Sat-
urday, Aug. 29, as a key in keeping
the event peaceful.
And aside from a few minor
incidents between some protesters
Counterprotesters watch
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
and counterprotesters, the plan-
from across the road as Black
Lives Matter protesters lay
Park in Pendleton to pay tribute
down at Roy Raley
ning paid off.
to George Floyd on Saturday,
Aug. 29, 2020.
“I think what really gave us an
$1.50
opportunity to prepare to the
best LENCE AWARD
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GENER
was the AL EXCEL
WINNER OF THE 2019 on the part of the BLM willingness
organizers
to communicate,” Roberts said
on
Aug. 31.
5REHUWVVDLGKHKHOG¿YHPHHW
ings with the protest’s organizers
new
— Briana Spencer, Nolan Bylenga
OHA also reported 396
each had two deaths. The cases of COVID-19 on July 24,
and John Landreth — in the
days counties
is 282. The 28
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By GARY A. WARNER
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reports of infections and said they need the rate to be 5% or
more “cautious
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and the spike in
on a addition
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to issued
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SALEM — On a day when SROLFH
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from
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Police Department and 10 troopers
from Oregon State Police provid-
Budtender Iverson Winter
cards
ing assistance on Aug. 29.
checks identifi cation
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While police had a number of
at Kind Leaf Dispensar
y,
JULY 25-26, 2020
144th Year, No. 175
PENDLETON
Downtown
association
director
resigns
Chamber to take
a bigger role in
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e’ on COVID trends
Oregon has a ‘glimmer of hop
ID,
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
See Approach, Page A8
Pend-
PENDLETON — The n is
leton Downtown Associatio
execu-
now looking for its third g the
tive director since establishin
position in 2017.
W
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Direc-
announced that Executive resign-
tor Wesley Murack was
“personal
ing immediately for
reasons.”
was
Murack
native,
Texas
A
in late
hired by the association
nt
2018 for his tourism developme
lly and
experience, both domestica
abroad.
Murack replaced Molly Turner,
intern to
who was elevated from
Q¶V ¿UVW
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executive director in 2017. take a
to
quit less than a year later
Commu-
job with Blue Mountain
the posi-
that
adding
nity College,
a busi-
tion needed someone with
ness background.
In a press release, association
high-
President Angela Thompson nts
lighted some of the developme
including
in Murack’s tenure,
Oregon
obtaining a grant from the
ren-
Parks and Recreation to cover
Audito-
ovation costs at the Vert
rium and the old Eagles Lodge.
One of the last events Murack
departure
organized before his
concerts
was a series of outdoor
stoke
on South Main Street to help but
business during the pandemic,
COVID-
the series was cut short as
Umatilla
19 cases rose throughout
County.
reached
be
Murack could not
and
for comment, but Thompson
Pendleton Chamber of Commerce
about
CEO Cheri Rosenberg talked future
’s
the downtown association
Develop-
at a July 21 Pendleton
meeting.
on
ment Commissi
gap
Given the three-month
predeces-
between Murack and his
it would
sor, Thompson anticipated a new
take three months to hire mean-
executive director. In the exec-
time, she planned to assume she
utive director duties, although
please
Masks complicate
businesses asking
for identification
from customers
Pendleton on Wednesda
A truck fl ying a “Trump 2020”
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
July 22, 2020.
fl ag drives by a line of counterprot
ter during a protest at Roy
esters and shouts at Black
Raley Park in Pendleton
by Ben Lonergan
Lives Mat-
Staff
on photo
Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020.
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bleed resulted from a congenital
abnormality called arteriovenou
malformation (AVM), a tangle s
of
abnormal blood vessels connect-
ing arteries and veins in the
By KATHY ANEY
brain.
The knot of vessels impedes normal
East Oregonian
EORRGÀRZ
The abnormality is rare in chil-
LEXINGTON — Kelly Boyer
dren. People with AVM sometimes
doesn’t see her grandson
much go their entire lives
without a rup-
these days. COVID keeps the
Lex- ture. The average age
ington woman away.
of diagnosis
It’s a frustrating reality, espe- is 31 and the risk of hemorrhage for
cially since this spring 5-year-old untreated AVM is between 2% and
4% yearly.
Evan Kates suffered a brain
aneu-
rysm and several strokes that
left
See Grandmother, Page A8
Business or Economic Story - "A reopening plan 173
years in the making" by Antonio Sierra
Feature Photo - "Comet NEOWISE" by Ben Lonergan
Contributed photo
Brothers Cole, left, and Evan
Kates pose for an undated
photo. Evan, who
is now 5 and has a rare congenital
brain abnormality called AVM,
ering after a ruptured aneurism
is recov-
and several strokes this spring.
Local Column - Kathy Aney
Special Section - "Sidelined"
Third Place Awards
General Excellence
Feature Story - "At the brink: Local COVID-19 survivor
remembers how close virus came to killing him" by
Antonio Sierra
Spot News - "Community mourns: Colleagues mourn
Pendleton city councilor" by Antonio Sierra, Kathy
Aney
Photo Essay - "Banjo Man" by Ben Lonergan
Enterprise Reporting - "Stuck in the middle: Police
officers of color describe experiences in law
enforcement" by Jade McDowell
Small size belies big
COVID-19 problem
2020 Oregon Newspaper
Publishers Association
Better Newspaper Contest
Awards
Sports Photo - "Pickup Men" by Ben Lonergan
Page One Design - Andy Nicolais
See Director, Page A12
when it
the pair are neck-and-neck .
comes to the virus’ prevalence took a
Morrow County’s surge
the county
twist on July 15 when
at the pub-
announced that a worker
had tested
lic health department
, and two
positive for COVID-19
presumed
other staff members were
positive after falling ill.
11,600
Overseeing a county of
Admin-
people, Morrow County said the
istrator Darrell Green
department
county’s public health
a
isn’t large enough to coordinate So
itself.
response to the virus by
See Problem, Page A12
Second Place Awards
Headline Writing - Andrew Cutler
U
More
MORROW COUNTY — have
than 1,400 cases of COVID-19
national
earned Umatilla County Morrow
g
attention, but neighborin
County hasn’t been spared.
as of
Morrow County’s 207 cases to the
n
July 21 pales in compariso but the
Umatilla County case count, means
former’s smaller population
See Crowd, Page A8
CROSSING THE DIVIDE
Jacob Bryant just wanted to
chat —
peacefully, and quietly, with
someone
associated with the Pendleton
Black
Lives Matter protest. Page A8
5-year-old suffers
life-threatening brain
aneurysm, strokes
at
and a plastic sneeze guard lay-
the counter provide other
ers of protection.
lit-
“The masks do make it a
M A T I L L A
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COUNTY
even
not
to
used
we
identi- because
Checking
sunglasses or hats when
¿FDWLRQ LV PRUH allow came in,” Krenzler said.
complicated when people far, he said, they hav-
So
everyone is wear-
seen anyone trying to use
ing a mask, but en’t
mask to get away with using
local businesses say a
else’s ID.
someone
they’re making it work.
For anyone who is opposed
Brandon Krenzler at Kind to wearing a mask or is wor-
peo-
of shop-
Leaf Pendleton said most
from ried about the risk
ple are still recognizable
business now
their ping indoors, the
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan
their photo, even with But offers a walk-up window where
y in
to Kind Leaf Dispensar
mouth and nose obscured.
people can be served outside Signage on a plexiglass shield at the entrance
a mask and
they are required to wear
if staff do have a question,
advises customers that
y, July 22,
cus- the building.
the people Pendleton 21 years of age to enter the facility on Wednesda
they’re allowed to ask the and
said
Krenzler
be at least
tomer to step back 6 feet
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mask
since the employee’s own
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
Counterprotesters joined in
chants
of “Blue lives matter,” “All
lives mat-
ter” and “USA” as roughly 200
ers against police brutality and protest-
injustice trickled into the park racial
to
to community speeches at 4 p.m. listen
At least one protester on the
Lives Matter side of the street Black
trading barbs with counterprote began
and organizers told them to stop sters,
engag-
ing or leave.
“We will not acknowledge them.
We
will not be them. Ignore them,”
Spencer, one of the protest’s Briana
organiz-
ers, said at the opening of the
event as
attendees donning masks and
carrying
signs circled around the park lawn.
Spencer, a Black, Puerto
Rican
woman of the Confederated
Tribes of
Grandmother raises funds
for her ailing grandson
By JADE MCDOWELL
East Oregonian
Morrow County tries
to navigate its own
way through pandemic
P
ENDLETON — Despite a pal-
pable sense of anger, a Black
Lives Matter march in Pendleton
remained peaceful and unim-
peded on Saturday, Aug. 29.
By 3:30 p.m., about 150 peo-
ple had gathered opposite
of
Roy Raley Park on Southwest
Court
Avenue with an array of American,
Confederate, “Trump” and “Thin
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cers with the Pendleton Police
Depart-
ment stationed themselves at
the street
corners.
Feature Story Personality - "Finding peace: Pendleton
man coming to grips with trauma of Las Vegas
shooting" by Kathy Aney
The Astorian
East Oregonian
Bend Bulletin
Capital Press
LaGrande Observer
Baker City Herald
Wallowa County Chieftain
Blue Mountain Eagle
Hermiston Herald
Seaside Signal
Redmond Spokesman
Chinook Observer
Coast River Business Journal
Education Coverage - "Dashed dreams: $3.6 million in
Oregon Promise Grants revoked" by Kathy Aney
Staff photo by Ben Lonergan,
to increase
in Boardman is working
Columbia River Health
of a rapid testing machine.
ty through the acquisition
File
its testing capaci-
Lifestyle Coverage - "A spike in calls" by Kathy Aney
EASTOREGONIAN.COM