A2 THE BULLETIN • TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2021 The Bulletin How to reach us LOCAL, STATE & REGION DESCHUTES COUNTY CIRCULATION Didn’t receive your paper? Start or stop subscription? 541-385-5800 Total COVID-19 cases as of Monday, Jan. 11: Deschutes County cases: 4,579 (38 new cases) Deschutes County deaths: 27 (zero new deaths) Crook County cases: 531 (1 new case) Crook County deaths: 8 (zero new deaths) PHONE HOURS 6 a.m.-noon Tuesday-Friday 7 a.m.-noon Saturday-Sunday and holidays BULLETIN GRAPHIC 129 new cases 130 (Dec. 4) What is COVID-19? It’s an infection caused by a new coronavirus. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can cause a range of symptoms. Some usually cause mild illness. Some, like this one, can cause more severe symptoms and can be fatal. Symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. 120 108 new cases (Jan. 1) 110 90 new cases 100 (Nov. 27) 7 ways to help limit its spread: 1. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. 2. Avoid touching your face. 3. Avoid close contact with sick people. 4. Stay home. 5. In public, stay 6 feet from others and wear a cloth face covering or mask. 6. Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or cough into your elbow. 7. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Jefferson County cases: 1,608 (5 new cases) Jefferson County deaths: 21 (1 new death) Oregon cases: 126,607 (939 new cases) Oregon deaths: 1,613 (10 new deaths) GENERAL INFORMATION SOURCES: OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY, DESCHUTES COUNTY HEALTH SERVICES New COVID-19 cases per day 90 80 7-day average 70 60 47 new cases 50 (Nov. 14) 541-382-1811 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. (Oct. 31) ONLINE 30 16 new cases (July 16) (Sept. 19) 9 new cases www.bendbulletin.com 40 31 new cases 28 new cases 20 (May 20) 1st case 10 (March 11) EMAIL bulletin@bendbulletin.com March April May June July September August October November December January AFTER HOURS Newsroom ................................541-383-0348 Circulation ................................541-385-5800 LOCAL BRIEFING NEWSROOM EMAIL Business ........business@bendbulletin.com City Desk .............news@bendbulletin.com Features.................................................................. communitylife@bendbulletin.com Sports ................. sports@bendbulletin.com NEWSROOM FAX 541-385-5804 OUR ADDRESS Street .............. 320 SW Upper Terrace Drive Suite 200 Bend, OR 97702 Mailing ........... P.O. 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Box 6020 Bend, OR 97708 Phone ......................................... 541-617-7829 CORRECTIONS The Bulletin’s primary concern is that all stories are accurate. If you know of an error in a story, call us at 541-383-0367. Boyd Cave damaged by graffiti The Boyd Cave complex southeast of Bend, the site of repeated vandalism, has been damaged yet again with spray paint. Photo evidence of the damage, issued by the Deschutes National Forest, shows names and symbols tagged with paint on the cave walls. Similar damage in the past was cleaned up by local volunteers. Boyd Cave is a 1,880-foot-long lava tube that is openly accessible to the public. This cave and others in the De- schutes National Forest have been re- peatedly vandalized in recent years. “Vandalism in caves is increasing, particularly in some of the best-known caves,” said Jean Nelson-Dean, spokes- person for the Deschutes National For- est. “It impacts not only the recreational experience of exploring a cave but also the habitat for bats and plant species that rely on the cave environment to thrive.” Last year the U.S. Forest Service con- solidated a number of rules pertain- ing to caves into a single law. The new Deschutes County to offer free drive-thru COVID-19 testing Submitted photo/Deschutes National Forest The Boyd Cave complex southeast of Bend, the site of repeated vandalism, has been dam- aged yet again with spray paint. rule was made to help law enforcement prosecute those found guilty of damag- ing caves. Sgt. Jayson Janes, spokesman for the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office, said a reward is being offered for informa- tion that will resolve the case. To sign up for our e-Editions, visit www.bendbulletin.com to register. TO PLACE AN AD Classified ......................................541-385-5809 Advertising fax ..........................541-385-5802 Other information ....................541-382-1811 OBITUARIES No death notices or obituaries are published Mondays. When submitting, please include your name, address and contact number. 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They may not be reproduced without explicit prior approval. ý Lottery results can now be found on the second page of Sports. — Bulletin staff reports Oregon Zoo euthanizes Inji, perhaps Lawmaker fined, the oldest orangutan in the world sanctioned over state Capitol breach BY ANDREW THEEN The Oregonian BY DIRK VANDERHART Oregon Public Broadcasting A Republican state law- maker who let far-right dem- onstrators into the Oregon Capitol last month has lost his committee responsibilities and will forfeit unfettered access to the statehouse, as calls for his resignation grow. Rep. Mike Nearman, R-In- dependence, was stripped of his legislative committee as- signments and fined $2,000 for damage that occurred after he allowed demonstra- tors to breach the building, House Speaker Tina Kotek an- nounced Monday. As speaker, Kotek has au- thority to unilaterally impose both consequences. Meanwhile, Nearman has agreed to sign an agreement that he forfeit a badge grant- ing access to the Capitol, give 24-hours notice before coming to the building and not allow unauthorized personnel access to the building. Nearman read those terms on the House floor Monday afternoon, after a closed-door debate in which some Demo- crats had urged a floor vote to make them more solid. No vote was ultimately held. The matter is unlikely to end there. Kotek on Monday called on Nearman to resign, and announced a formal com- plaint that could result in ad- ditional consequences, up to expulsion. “His actions have created immense fear among legisla- tors and Capitol staff,” Kotek said in a statement. “I believe he should resign immediately because he has al- ready breached the public trust and endangered our ability to safely conduct the people’s business.” TO SUBSCRIBE Call us ......................541-385-5800 • Home delivery and E-Edition ..........................$7 per week • By mail .................................$9.50 per week • E-Edition only ...................$4.50 per week Neil Marchington, chairman of Grotto, a group of cave enthusiasts, said another round of clean up at Boyd Cave will occur in April or May. Marching- ton said the clean up can’t occur in the winter months because the work would disturb hibernating bats. Anyone who wants to be screened for COVID-19 can sign up for a free drive- thru test 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center. No symptoms are required or identi- fication. Participants should register on- line at www.doineedacovid19test.com/ Redmond_OR_4369.html. Staff will be on-site to register those who are unable to preregister. Results will be available in two to three days. This is the first free drive-thru testing run by the county. “We are grateful to be able to provide an opportunity for our community to easily access free COVID-19 testing,” De- schutes County Public Health Director Nahad Sadr-Azodi said in a statement. “This event will also allow our teams to prepare for future vaccine clinics at the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center.” For additional information, call 541- 699-5109. Camp Umatilla gets funds for more upgrades East Oregonian Camp Umatilla will greatly increase its training capacity in upcoming years as Congress continues to appropriate fund- ing for improvements. The National Guard training center on the former Umatilla Chemical Depot, west of Herm- iston, received approval for con- struction of a $15.7 million bar- racks building in the National Defense Authorization Act passed by Congress on Jan. 1. The project is in addition to an $11.3 million barrack building already under design. Together, according to a news release, the buildings will increase the National Guard’s ability to house visiting soldiers by 448 beds. The Oregon Mil- itary Department expects to start construction in the sum- mer or fall, with completion in summer 2022. “This is a great training space now and with these improve- ments Camp Umatilla will be- come a premiere military train- ing facility for both our service members and the local commu- nity in the future,” Stan Hutchi- son, director of installations for the Oregon Military Depart- ment, said in the news release. The Military Department was notified it is set to receive an- other $6 million for more hous- ing in the following fiscal year. The 7,000-acre Camp Uma- tilla was originally part of the Umatilla Chemical Depot, but the U.S. Army turned over that portion of the depot to the Mil- itary Department in November 2017. At the time, the depart- ment announced it was plan- ning to spend $25 million on the facility over the next three years, including installation of water infrastructure, new roads, fencing and renovations of existing depot buildings, many of which date back to the depot’s construction in 1941. Inji, a 61-year-old female Su- matran orangutan who lived at the Oregon Zoo for more than half a century and was thought to be the oldest orangutan in the world, died Saturday. Zoo officials said Inji’s health had deteriorated in the past few weeks. She had dif- ficult moving and “rarely left her nest box.” She also wasn’t interested in eating her fa- vorite foods, according to a statement. Staffers said she appeared not to benefit from pain medicine, so veterinary staff “made the difficult deci- sion to humanely euthanize her” on Saturday. According to zoo offi- cials, Inji is believed to be the world’s oldest orangutan. She was also the oldest animal at the Oregon Zoo. “We knew she couldn’t live forever, but this really hurts, and I know many visitors are grieving along with us,” Bob Lee, who manages the zoo’s animal areas, said in a state- ment. “Inji’s ability to connect with people was incredible. Oregon Zoo, file Inji, 61, arrived at the Oregon Zoo as a 1-year-old and was believed to be the oldest orangutan in the world. She inspired generations.” Lee said she was “active and inquisitive through her golden years.” “She seemed to study hu- mans and enjoy watching them, especially children,” he added. She lived more than two de- cades past the typical life span for wild orangutans. Inji’s pre- cise birthday is unclear, but she arrived at the zoo Jan. 30, 1961, and was thought to be around 1 year old at the time. Inji arrived in the United States through the wild ani- mal trade, which was legal in that time. “We’re thankful that we were able to give Inji a good home, but it’s heartbreaking to think about the circumstances that brought her here,” Asaba Mukobi, the zoo’s senior pri- mate keeper, said in a state- ment. “Even though the wild animal trade is illegal now, it still exists. It is considered a major threat to orangutans’ survival, along with human encroachment .”