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FRIDAY • January 15, 2021
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SPORTS PULLOUT, B3-5
COVID-19 | Evidence that the resurgent coronavirus has caused a spike in layoffs, A7
Reopening plan now includes distance learning
Bend schools will hire new
teachers for online cohorts
BY JACKSON HOGAN
The Bulletin
In Bend-La Pine Schools’ initial
plan to restart in-person learning in
late January/early February, fami-
lies were given two options: return
to classrooms, or enroll in Bend-La
Pine Schools Online. Comprehensive
distance learning — the system most
students had participated in since the
COVID-19 pandemic began in March
2020 — wasn’t a choice.
But after federal COVID-19 fund-
ing became available to hire more
teachers, Bend-La Pine changed
course this week, informing families
that comprehensive distance learning
would be a third option.
However, unlike spring and fall
2020, students that opt to stay in com-
prehensive distance learning will be
placed in an online cohort of students
from around the district, and they’ll
have new teachers.
This change in the comprehensive
distance learning plan has drawn
mixed reactions from local parents
and school staff.
“Ideally, everyone would be with
their same teacher, but we have to be
realistic,” said Mariah Staats, a mother
of two sons at Cascade Middle School,
who plans to stick with comprehen-
sive distance learning. “We’re rolling
with it; we’re coming from a place of
gratitude.”
How is comprehensive distance
learning changing?
The differences between com-
prehensive distance learning and
Bend-La Pine Schools Online can
seem negligible at first glance. In both
options, students learn from home us-
ing the internet. But beyond that, the
two programs are quite different.
See Reopening / A6
MOM-POWERED SLEDS
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
With their two young daughters in tow, Emily Wiseman, left, and her friend Alexis Brandow laugh while cross-country skiing back to their vehicles after spending the afternoon at Wanoga Sno-park on
Thursday. With clear skies and warmer temperatures forecast to continue through the weekend, check out today’s paper for information on local trail and sno-parks. Conditions report, see B2.
An unlicensed contractor targets Oregon has almost 200,000
locals with ‘leftover asphalt’ scam unused COVID-19 vaccines
BY GARRETT ANDREWS
The Bulletin
Francis Petersen was standing at
the end of his long driveway in La
Pine when he was approached by
a friendly man with an offer. The
TODAY’S
WEATHER
man said he was a contractor
driveway.
and he had some asphalt left
“I’d never had any as-
over from his last job. Would
phalt job done before so
Petersen like his driveway re-
I didn’t have any knowl-
paved at a discount?
edge of what it should
Fast forward several years
cost,” said Petersen, 86.
and $45,000 — what Petersen
“Toward the end of the
ended up paying to repave his
job I looked up on the
Johnson
driveway — and he admits he
internet and saw that
never should have said yes.
he charged me twice what it should
Today, weeds grow through nu-
have cost.”
merous cracks in the still-unfinished
See Scam / A6
Cloudy
High 50, Low 28
Page B5
INDEX
Business
Classifieds
Comics
A7-8
B5-6
B7-8
Dear Abby
A8
Editorial
A5
Explore
B1-2,9-10
Horoscope
Local/State
Nation
A8
A2
A4
Obituaries
Puzzles
Sports
The state’s attempts to
track them are a mess
BY ROB DAVIS
The Oregonian
Oregon’s tracking system for
COVID-19 vaccines is riddled with
errors, new data show, raising ques-
tions about the state’s ability to effi-
ciently get shots in arms and closely
track bottlenecks as its urgent and
unprecedented vaccination effort pre-
A8
B8
B3-5
pares to expand.
Two hospitals haven’t administered
any shots, according to the state’s in-
ventory. The hospitals say they have.
Some smaller recipients, including
county health departments and fire
districts, have more doses on hand
than they were allocated, the result of
untracked transfers. And more than
20 locations given small volumes of
vaccine appear to have used none at
all.
See Vaccines / A6
The Bulletin
An Independent Newspaper
We use
recycled
newsprint
Vol. 119, No. 13, 18 pages, 2 sections
DAILY
Wanted in three states,
Johnson faces charges in
Deschutes County
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