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Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $1.50 SATURDAY • February 20, 2021 VIRUS CASES DROP IN OREGON STATE REPORTS DRAMATIC DECLINE • A2 DESCHUTES COUNTY COVID-19 | Central Oregon Marijuana producers advance after court battles Vaccinations fan out for different populations Commission declines to appeal case to the state Supreme Court BY BRENNA VISSER The Bulletin After roughly two years of legal battles, two marijuana producers can move forward and establish their businesses in rural Deschutes County. The Deschutes County Commission this month de- cided to not appeal a decision from the Oregon Court of Ap- peals, which affirmed a Land Use Board of Appeals ruling last month that said Deschutes County can’t stop marijuana production near “youth activ- ity centers” because the term is too ambiguous. The two applications were denied by the commission ini- tially because they were too close to what the county called “youth activity centers.” One application was rejected be- cause it was near facilities that host “youth oriented eques- trian activities” and “4-H agri- cultural activities,” according to court documents. The other was denied because the com- mission believed it would be too close to Sundance Mead- ows Ranch. Because the commission is not appealing this decision to the state supreme court, that means both applicants will be able to move their land use ap- plications forward. The coun- ty’s community development department has already issued administrative approvals, said Adam Smith, an attorney with the county. The decision to not ap- peal marks the end of a de- bate about a term that became a sticking point in multiple marijuana land use cases in Deschutes County. Commis- sion Chair Tony DeBone said that one “could deduce” a shift of leadership on the County Commission led to the decision to not appeal. When both ap- plications were before the com- mission, DeBone was the only person to vote against denying either application on the basis of the youth activity center rule. He was outnumbered by Commissioner Patti Adair and former Commissioner Phil Henderson, who was voted out and replaced by Commissioner Phil Chang in November. Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin Sam Hester, a family practice medical assistant supervisor with Mosaic Medical, administers the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine into the arm of Julie Stamper, the kitchen coordinator at Family Kitchen, during a vaccination clinic Friday at Bethlehem Inn in Bend. BY SUZANNE ROIG • The Bulletin F rom Warm Springs to Bend, medical professionals are ramping up COVID-19 vaccinations. In Central Oregon, the Department of Veterans Affairs asked for special approval to fly 144 doses of the vaccine from Portland to Redmond to be issued on Friday. Mosaic Medical workers left their clinic to vaccinate residents and workers at the Bethlehem Inn. And the three Central Oregon counties are banding together to streamline sign-ups for new vaccines coming in weekly. See Marijuana / A7 Dean Guernsey/The Bulletin Life Flight Network personnel transport COVID-19 vaccine Thursday that was flown in from Portland to be used at the vaccine clinic in Redmond. Separately, the Veterans Administration flew in vaccine for use at the clinic in Bend. See Vaccinations / A7 Winter weather across the coun- try has delayed a shipment of COVID-19 vaccinations scheduled on Sunday and first-dose appoints on Monday to Deschutes County. Health officials are saying that ap- pointments should be rescheduled for the same time on Thursday. Pa- tients will be notified via their St. Charles My Chart via email of their appointment time change. Patients unable to make that re- scheduled time should call 541- 699-5109, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The county was allocated 3,140 first-doses for next week, but now no new first-dose appointments will be accepted until the county receives an update on expected delivery. Crook County schools buck trend as enrollment grows during COVID-19 BY JACKSON HOGAN The Bulletin In a world without COVID-19, Gina Peniche’s son, Anthony Hernandez, would’ve started first grade last fall in- side an Elmonica Elementary School classroom in Beaverton. But by late Jan- Dean Guernsey/ The Bulletin A bit of snow High 44, Low 31 Page A8 INDEX Business Classifieds Comics A5-6 B7-8 B5-6 Dear Abby Editorial Horoscope A6 B4 A6 Local/State Lottery Nation/World A2-3 B2 A4, 7 Puzzles Sports uary, Anthony was still learning from home. This deeply frustrated Peniche. When the Beaverton School Dis- trict emailed parents on Jan. 28 to an- nounce a delay of in-person learning to April, Peniche decided she’d had enough. Four days later, Anthony was B6 B1-2 learning in-person at Barnes Butte Ele- mentary in Prineville. “I was like, ‘This is insane,’ so I de- cided, I’m going to bring him out (to Prineville), because my sister lives out here,” Peniche told The Bulletin. See Crook County / A7 The Bulletin ù An Independent Newspaper We use recycled newsprint Vol. 119, No. 44, 16 pages, 2 sections DAILY Gina Peniche and her sons, first grader, Anthony Hernandez and Leo Hernandez, 1, leave Barnes Butte Ele- mentary School in Prineville. Peniche moved to Prineville so Anthony could attend in-person learning. TODAY’S WEATHER More Information These are just a few of the steps health officials are trying to get the vaccines out to Central Oregon residents. According to the Ore- gon Health Authority’s dashboard, 47,523 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in De- schutes County. Jefferson County has administered 4,158 doses, according the data. And Crook County has administered 3,480 doses. Louie Pitt, the director of Gov- ernment Affairs & Planning for Warm Springs, said 566 people have been fully vaccinated on the Warm Springs Reservation as of Thursday. That’s about 18% of people on the reservation that are eligible for the shot, said Pitt. U|xaIICGHy02329lz[