FRIDAY • February 12, 2021 • Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $1.50
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SPORTS PULLOUT, B3-6
Coronavirus in Central Oregon
Outbreak shutters Summit High School
Extracurricular activities, including sports, will be canceled through weekend
BY JACKSON HOGAN
The Bulletin
In the middle of their first week
back to in-person learning since
March 2020, students at Bend’s
Summit High School suddenly re-
turned to distance learning Thurs-
day, after 12 positive COVID-19
cases were identified in the school.
The move to online distance
learning, and the presence of mul-
tiple COVID-19 cases in the school
community, was confirmed by an
email sent Wednesday night to
Summit High families by Principal
Michael McDonald . The identities
of the people who tested positive
— including whether they were
students or staff members — were
not revealed due to health privacy
laws.
All extracurricular activities,
including sports, will be canceled
through the weekend, so contact
tracing and case investigation can
be conducted, said Julianne Rep-
man, Bend-La Pine Schools’ direc-
tor of safety and communications.
All Summit students will take
part in distance learning Fri-
day as well. However, that was
pre-planned as a time for school
staffers to receive their second vac-
cine doses, according to the high
school’s website.
See Summit High / A6
BEND
After yearlong delay
Wilderness trail permit
system to begin May 28
Pandemic stalled rollout for Deschutes and Willamette national forests
BY MICHAEL KOHN
The Bulletin
A
plan to require permits for certain
trailheads in the Central Oregon
Cascades, which was delayed last
year due to COVID-19, will be implemented
for this summer’s hiking season.
Day-use permits will be required for 19
out of 79 trailheads between May 28 and
Sept. 24 in the Mount Jefferson, Mount
Washington and Three Sisters wilderness
areas, according to Jean Nelson-Dean, a
spokesperson for the Deschutes National
Forest.
During the same period, overnight-use
permits will be required for all trails in the
three wilderness areas. Hikers who already
hold a Pacific Crest Trail long-distance per-
mit are exempt. There are also exceptions
for hunters with certain types of permits and
volunteers with the Forest Service.
The Forest Service adopted the limited
entry permit system in the Central Oregon
Cascades as a way to curb the degradation of
trails due to the ever-increasing numbers of
trail users. Trail widening, litter and human
waste had become noticeable problems, and
the Forest Service adopted the permit system
to limit the number of users on the trails.
See Permits / A4
Local social
justice leader
announces
mayoral bid
BY BRENNA VISSER
The Bulletin
Luke Richter, the leader of the
social justice organization Central
Oregon Peacekeepers, announced
he will run for mayor of Bend in
2022.
Richter, 29, officially announced
on Wednesday his bid to un-
seat incumbent
Mayor Sally Rus-
sell, who was
elected in 2018.
Russell said in
a text message
that she will not
make a decision
about whether
Richter
she will run again
any time in the near future.
The main reason Richter wants
to run is because he feels Bend is
lacking strong leadership, calling it
“wishy washy,” he said.
Richter said Russell’s limited
presence at the protests sparked
by U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement agents detaining two
Bend men in August was an exam-
ple of a time Bend needed strong
leadership.
See Richter / A6
JEFFERSON COUNTY
School district
to put $24M
bond on ballot
Lawsuit: Lieutenant was source of bullying campaign
BY GARRETT ANDREWS
The Bulletin
A third person in two years has
now sued the Redmond Police De-
partment alleging a toxic workplace
that punishes officers who speak up.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday, Lt. Eric
Beckwith, 13-year veteran of Red-
TODAY’S
WEATHER
mond Police, is accused of sexist, rac-
ist and unprofessional behavior, in-
cluding referring to an Asian officer as
his “pocket ninja” and bragging about
saran-wrapping a disabled student to
a bed once in college.
“Plaintiff personally witnessed
Beckwith bully and haze new recruits,
Colder with snow
High 23, Low 9
Page B5
INDEX
Business
Classifieds
Comics
A7-8
B6
B7-8
reserve officers and even private citi-
zens, especially those suffering from
drug addiction,” reads the lawsuit
by officer Hannah Copeland, filed
Thursday in Deschutes County Cir-
cuit Court. “This behavior was open
and overt and the department and the
city did nothing to curb Beckwith’s
Dear Abby
A6
Editorial
A5
Explore B1-2, 9-10
History
Horoscope
Local/State
A8
A6
A2, 4
Puzzles
Sports
abusive behavior.”
Copeland, a 20-year Redmond of-
ficer currently employed with the
department, alleges that since 2016,
she’s been subjected to retaliatory dis-
cipline and bullying by Beckwith and
others.
BY JACKSON HOGAN
The Bulletin
Residents in Madras, Warm
Springs and Metolius will vote on a
$24 million school bond from Jef-
ferson County School District later
this year.
Although a list of projects has
not been set, the bond, which
won’t raise property taxes, could
pay for new roofs, better lighting
and additional classrooms at the
Warm Springs K-8 Academy.
The Jefferson County School
Board unanimously approved put-
ting this bond on the Nov. 2 ballot
at a meeting Monday night.
See Bond / A6
See Lawsuit / A4
B8
B3-5
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Vol. 119, No. 37, 18 pages, 2 sections
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Hikers check out the view from the
top of Tam McArthur Rim. Little Three
Creek Lake is on the left. The Bulletin file
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