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A2 THE BULLETIN • SATURDAY, JANUARY 23, 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 PHONE HOURS 6 a.m.-noon Tuesday-Friday 7 a.m.-noon Saturday-Sunday and holidays COVID-19 data for Friday, Jan. 22: Deschutes County cases: 5,131 (28 new cases) Deschutes County deaths: 40 (1 new death) Crook County cases: 645 (14 new cases) Crook County deaths: 11 (zero new deaths) Jefferson County cases: 1,727 (9 new cases) Jefferson County deaths: 25 (zero new deaths) Oregon cases: 136,839 (877 new cases) Oregon deaths: 1,865 (22 new deaths) SOURCES: OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY, DESCHUTES COUNTY HEALTH SERVICES New COVID-19 cases per day BULLETIN GRAPHIC 129 new cases 130 (Dec. 4) What is COVID-19? It’s an infection caused by a new coronavirus. Symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath. This virus can be fatal. 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 mask. 6. Cough into your elbow. 7. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. LOCAL VACCINATIONS 8,942 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccinations given through St. Charles 108 new cases 120 (Jan. 1) 90 new cases 110 (Nov. 27) 100 90 7-day average 80 70 60 GENERAL INFORMATION 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 July June August September October November December January AFTER HOURS Newsroom ................................541-383-0348 Circulation ................................541-385-5800 COVID-19 | Failure to require masks NEWSROOM EMAIL Business ........business@bendbulletin.com City Desk .............news@bendbulletin.com Features.................................................................. communitylife@bendbulletin.com Sports ................. sports@bendbulletin.com NEWSROOM FAX 541-385-5804 MAXINE BERNSTEIN The Oregonian OUR ADDRESS Street .............. 320 SW Upper Terrace Drive Suite 200 Bend, OR 97702 Mailing ........... P.O. Box 6020 Bend, OR 97708 B Doctor sues over license suspension ADMINISTRATION Publisher Heidi Wright ..............................541-383-0341 Editor Gerry O’Brien .............................541-633-2166 The Oregon doctor who had his medical license suspended last month for failure to re- quire staff and patients to wear masks in his office is now suing the Oregon Medical Board. On Dec. 3, the board sus- pended Steven Arthur LaTu- lippe’s medical license, finding that his Dallas-based practice presents a serious danger to public health and safety. The board found that he and his staff refused to wear masks in the clinic and urged people who came to the clinic wearing during a Dec. 2 visit to LaTu- lippe’s clinic that neither pa- tients nor health providers were wearing masks. There were no screening procedures — such as the taking of pa- tient temperatures — before or upon entry to the clinic, and no hand sanitizer was made available in the waiting area. Instead, an article was posted in the public area of the clinic with a passage highlighted that claimed 94% of individ- uals who will experience seri- ous effects of COVID-19 have co-morbidities, according to the board’s suspension ruling. masks to remove them. LaTulippe on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit against the Oregon Medical Board, alleg- ing the suspension violated his due process and free speech rights, contending he’s been penalized due to a “mere dif- ference in medical opinion.” He contends the admoni- tion to wear masks to slow the spread of the coronavirus pan- demic has been “largely dis- puted by reputable studies and medical experts,” and claims he has harmed no one. An investigator with the state medical board found The suit contends that LaTu- lippe’s staff do not wear masks because they experience short- ness of breath, claustrophobia, and panic attacks. It alleges that the doctor’s medical license suspension will lead to “irreparable harm,” since many of his patients rely on him for pain treatment and prescriptions. The suit said LaTulippe is the only doctor within a rea- sonable driving distance of Dallas who specializes in pain and addiction. LaTulippe ran a family prac- tice clinic called South View Medical Arts in Dallas. He made anti-mask comments during a “Stop the Steal” elec- tion rally in Salem on Nov. 7. The video was posted on YouTube by the Multnomah County Republican Party The suit contends the board violated his free speech rights by referencing his comments at the political rally he attended. The suit contends the doc- tor never prevented any patient from wearing a mask in the of- fice, and that he never told any individual patient to remove their mask for any reason other than medical necessity. DEPARTMENT HEADS Advertising Steve Rosen ................................541-383-0370 Circulation/Operations Vitto Kleinschmidt ...................541-617-7830 Finance Anthony Georger ....................541-383-0324 Human Resources ................541-383-0340 TALK TO AN EDITOR City Julie Johnson ...................541-383-0367 Business, Features, GO! Magazine Jody Lawrence-Turner ............541-383-0308 Editorials Richard Coe ...........541-383-0353 News Tim Doran .......................541-383-0360 Photos .........................................541-383-0366 Sports ..........................................541-383-0359 TALK TO A REPORTER Bend/Deschutes Government Brenna Visser .............................541-633-2160 Business Suzanne Roig ............................541-633-2117 Calendar .....................................541-383-0304 Crook County ..........................541-617-7829 Deschutes County ................541-617-7818 Education Jackson Hogan ...........................541-617-7854 Fine Arts/Features David Jasper .................................541-383-0349 General Assignment Kyle Spurr ...................................541-617-7820 Health Suzanne Roig ............................541-633-2117 Jefferson County ..................541-617-7829 La Pine ........................................541-383-0367 Music Brian McElhiney .......................541-617-7814 Public Lands/Environment Michael Kohn ............................541-617-7818 Public Safety Garrett Andrews ......................541-383-0325 Redmond Jackson Hogan ...........................541-617-7854 Salem/State Government .. 541-617-7829 Sisters .........................................541-383-0367 Sunriver .....................................541-383-0367 REDMOND BUREAU Mailing address ..................P.O. Box 6020 Bend, OR 97708 Phone ......................................... 541-617-7829 CORRECTIONS Cat lost in Oregon makes it back to Arizona BY CARISA CEGAVSKE The News-Review Lexi is an ordinary house cat who, as far as her family knew, didn’t even know how to hunt. So when the McMillan fam- ily of Gilbert, Arizona, lost her at Thielsen Forest Campground about 6 miles from Diamond Lake in August, they feared she wouldn’t make it. But somehow, this little gray- and-white, long-haired cat sur- vived a grueling autumn in the wild. In September, she came within one mile of a raging wild- fire that devastated the area. By November, she was clinging to life through a heavy snowstorm. But this month, she was re- turned to her family in Arizona thanks to the actions of con- cerned citizens who stepped in to help a cat in need. Lizzy McMillan said Lexi’s a good traveler — she walks on a leash, rides in a backpack and happily stays in a camper — but she escaped while the adults were distracted. They were hop- ping in and out of the truck while attempting to execute a 45-point turn to pull their travel Courtesy of Lizzy McMillan via The News Review Maxine, left, and Violet McMillan enjoy a reunion with their cat Lexi. trailer out of a campsite that was just too small for it. Lexi’s people noticed the cat was missing a few miles down the road and returned to look for her, staying an extra day in hopes of finding her. But they had no luck. But Lexi had one thing go- ing for her. Her family had a microchip implanted when she had been spayed. Exactly what Lexi did during the rest of August and Septem- ber is unknown. But by late Oc- tober, Oregon Department of Transportation workers based at the Lemolo maintenance shop off Highway 138 East about a mile away were reporting hav- ing seen a stray cat in the area. Among his other duties, Ore- gon Department of Transporta- tion maintenance crew member Chris Southwick is one of the people who runs those snow- plows that keep the highway open in the winter. Southwick said he and other employees who work at the Lemolo shop started bringing food for the cat they knew was out there somewhere, but it never seemed to eat anything. Then one day around Thanksgiving, Southwick saw tracks in the snow at the sta- tion — fresh cat tracks. The tracks wandered off to- ward the corner of the yard where several pieces of equip- ment were parked. The tracks ended at a truck. “So we opened up the hood of the truck that was there, and there it was sitting on top of the engine trying to get warm. So I grabbed it,” he said. Southwick brought her inside and gave her some food. Lexi — who Southwick was calling “Snowy” — fit in well with his family and its two cats, two dogs, chickens and fish. But Southwick thought about how sad his kids would be if it had been their cat who was lost. And he wondered if she might have a microchip that would identify the cat’s owners. So he took Lexi to Saving Grace Pet Adoption Center to find out. She did have a chip, and so the next leg of Lexi’s journey was about to begin. Saving Grace Cattery Man- ager Brooke Winterholer said the animal shelter reached out to the McMillans. Saving Grace volunteer Jan- ice Quist, as it turns out, winters each year in Surprise, Arizona, about an hour from Gilbert, where the McMillans live. Once they arrived in Sur- prise, Lizzy McMillan’s husband, Andy McMillan, drove down to pick up Lexi. He put the cat into a clear cat backpack and hauled her out for the last leg. In the months since they lost Lexi, the family had moved to a new home. Waiting at home, unaware that Lexi had been found, were three children. Maxine McMillan, 10, had received Lexi as her fifth birthday present. She and her brother Everett, 7, and sister Violet, 4, were not told the cat had been found . “They were so excited and couldn’t believe that she had been found,” Lizzy McMillan said. 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. 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 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. STATE BRIEFING Salem Capitol protester arrested on attempted assault charge SALEM — A man wanted for his alleged role in an attack on officers at the Oregon State Capitol in December has been arrested. The Salem Police Depart- ment said in a news release that Richard Braatz of Eugene was arrested Thursday in Sa- lem while participating in a rally to protest the presidential election results. Braatz was lodged at the Marion County Correctional Facility on charges of sec- ond-degree attempted assault and riot in connection with a special legislative session on Dec. 21. Demonstrators, some armed, attacked authorities that day with bear spray, broke glass doors and called for the arrest of Gov. Kate Brown. It wasn’t immediately known if Braatz has a lawyer to com- ment on his case. — Bulletin wire report LOCAL BRIEFING St. Charles identifies source of COVID outbreak A COVID-19 positive pa- tient who visited St. Charles Redmond has been identified as the source of the infection that spread to more than 30 caregivers at the health care facility. The unnamed patient was admitted to St. Charles Red- mond on Dec. 31 and tested twice for COVID-19 and both tests were returned as neg- ative, according to a release from St. Charles Health Sys- tem. The patient was tested again on Jan. 6 and the results were positive. The patient was not wear- ing a mask during the visit due to underlying health con- ditions that made mask wear- ing difficult. St. Charles staff had been wearing specialized personal protective equipment during the visits, but the equipment was “overwhelmed by pro- longed exposure to the highly symptomatic patient,” accord- ing to the release. “Negative COVID-19 test results are not foolproof,” said Dr. Jeff Absalon, St. Charles chief physician executive. “In spite of negative test results, if a patient is highly symptom- atic we need to treat them as if they are COVID-19 positive and aerosolizing, in which case the higher level of PPE is required.” One patient and 33 St. Charles caregivers at the Red- mond hospital have tested positive for the COVID-19 due to the outbreak. The health system began its vacci- nation campaign on Dec. 21, so none of the 33 Redmond caregivers was fully vacci- nated. The hospital is now focused on contact tracing to ensure that everyone who may have been in contact with infected employees is aware of the situ- ation and taking precautions. Testing is being offered to all St. Charles Redmond care- givers. — Bulletin staff report For almost 20 years Whispering Winds Retirement community has stood strong. Being local and family owned, we’ve never waived on the values and dedication it takes to make retirement living the best it can be. We are all banded together in the love for our residents and team members. We are dedicated to their safety and security, especially in these unsure times. We believe that everyone deserves a safe place to call home. Whispering Winds...we are all in this together. Call today to schedule a tour! 541-312-9690 2920 NE Conners Ave. Bend, OR 97701 www.whisperingwinds.com