Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $1.50
SATURDAY • March 13, 2021
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME
DON’T FORGET TO SET YOUR CLOCKS AHEAD ONE HOUR AT 2 A.M. SUNDAY
COVID-19 | Central Oregon
Central Oregon schools
Doors open a little wider Leaders
for businesses as risk drops make plea
for relaxed
distancing
regulations
BY KYLE SPURR
The Bulletin
All seven Central Oregon school su-
perintendents signed a letter to Gov. Kate
Brown urging the state to ease COVID-19
social-distancing guidelines and allow all
students in the region to return to full-time,
in-person learning.
The letter, sent Tuesday, was signed by
superintendents at Bend-La Pine Schools,
Crook County, Jefferson County, Culver,
Redmond and Sisters school districts and
the High Desert Education Service District.
Brown has not responded to the letter,
but her office is expected to address possible
changes next week.
Lora Nordquist, superintendent of
Bend-La Pine Schools, said Friday that each
school district supports safety restrictions
but wants to see slight changes that would
give classrooms more capacity to accommo-
date students.
See Schools / A4
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
Instructor Megan Susnjara demonstrates a workout move Friday while leading a fitness class at Tread Tabata in Bend.
COVID-19 | Vaccine
Case-count drop in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties allows restaurants to welcome more
Oregon needs
huge infusion
to meet goal
BY MICHAEL KOHN • The Bulletin
to hungry customers. About half the tables were blocked off to prevent too many patrons inside, but a handful of
tables were open for business.
BY GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
While the restaurant still has a ways to go
before being fully operational, Roach can seat
a few more patrons now compared to earlier
this week, thanks to Deschutes County drop-
ping a level in COVID-19 risk, from high to
moderate.
“We are just excited that we get to have the
opportunity to have more people here,” said
Roach. “On weekends especially it will help im-
prove the flow of customers so it’s much better.
It will give us more flexibility with the space.”
Friday marked a small victory for pubs,
restaurants, gyms, and other places of busi-
ness hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdowns.
The falling numbers of cases allowed them
to increase seating capacity, boosting morale
and potentially bottom lines too.
Deschutes County moved to moderate risk,
which allows indoor dining, entertainment,
and recreational centers to go to 50% capac-
CROOK COUNTY
Woman charged with felony after
dropping off horses, ‘disappearing’
BY GARRETT ANDREWS
The Bulletin
McCarl
TODAY’S
WEATHER
A Crook County woman is facing
possible incarceration on animal ne-
glect charges after allegedly leaving
her horses on land she didn’t own
and effectively “disappearing” as their
health deteriorated.
Partly sunny
High 64, Low 40
Page A8
Richele Lerae “Rikki” McCarl, 51,
relied on the kindness of Good Sa-
maritans to care for her two horses
over a six-month period in 2020,
according to a request to seize the
horses filed in Crook County Circuit
Court.
INDEX
See Horses / A7
Business
Classifieds
Comics
A5-6
B7-8
B5-6
Dear Abby
Editorial
Horoscope
A6
B4
A6
ity or 100 people, whichever is smaller. Rules
are also loosened for the number of people at
indoor and outdoor gatherings, as well as in
stores and malls.
Jefferson and Crook counties also moved
downward in risk as Central Oregon has seen
new case counts fall in recent weeks. Weekly
case counts are back down to levels not seen
since late October, less than 30 a day.
Oregon would need up to double the doses
of COVID-19 vaccine it currently receives to
fulfill President Joe Biden’s seven-week sprint
to allow all adults to be offered inoculation,
Oregon health officials said Friday.
Gov. Kate Brown and top state medical
experts held a press call Friday to say they
hoped to meet Biden’s timeline, but would
move cautiously.
See Risk / A4
See Vaccine / A7
Climate change impact on Bend
is topic of OSU-Cascades talk
BY MICHAEL KOHN
The Bulletin
Larry O’Neill always loved the
weather. From preschool age, when
other kids were watching the Cartoon
Network, he asked his parents to put
on the Weather Channel. As an adult,
he’s turned that passion into a career.
O’Neill is Oregon’s state climatologist. He is
also an OSU-Corvallis associate professor teach-
ing both graduate and undergraduate courses.
Local/State
Lottery
Obituaries
A2-3
B2
A6
Puzzles
Sports
B6
B1-2
On Tuesday, he will share his knowledge
on climate change in a Zoom discussion
sponsored by OSU-Cascades.
The climate change talk will focus on
issues specific to Bend and Central Or-
egon. O’Neill will address the ways that
climate change can affect life in the High
Desert, including reduced snowpack,
longer fire seasons, early water runoff, and im-
pacts on this area’s plants and wildlife.
See Climate / A7
The Bulletin
ù
An Independent Newspaper
We use
recycled
newsprint
Vol. 119, No. 62, 16 pages, 2 sections
DAILY
A
t lunchtime Friday at Mio Sushi in the Old Mill District, server Emma Roach brought platefuls of steak and sushi
U|xaIICGHy02329lz[
Get your copy in The Bulletin today!
HOMES, LAND, AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR SALE IN CENTRAL OREGON
• Reach local consumers with discretionary income and put your listing in front of those buying or selling homes with an
advertisement in Central Oregon Homes & Business.
• Featuring homes, land, and commercial property for sale in Central Oregon on a monthly basis.
• Publishing the second Saturday of the month in The Bulletin with the Real Estate section.
• Over 2300 additional copies distributed throughout Central Oregon.
• Showcase your home on the front of Central Oregon Homes & Business.
CALL DEBBIE COFFMAN
AT 541-383-0384