A2 THE BULLETIN • SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 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
6 a.m.-noon Tuesday-Friday
7 a.m.-noon Saturday-Sunday
and holidays
Deschutes County cases: 6,161 (15 new cases)
Deschutes County deaths: 70 (zero new deaths)
Jefferson County cases: 2,000 (3 new case)
Jefferson County deaths: 31 (zero new deaths)
Oregon cases: 160,994 (381 new cases)
Oregon deaths: 2,357 (4 new deaths)
GENERAL
INFORMATION
COVID-19 patients hospitalized at St. Charles
Bend on Friday: 10 (2 in ICU)
541-382-1811
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.
ONLINE
130
(Dec. 4)
What is COVID-19? It’s an infection caused by a new coronavirus.
Symptoms (including fever, coughing and shortness of breath)
can be severe. While some cases are mild, the disease can be fatal.
108 new cases
120
(Jan. 1)
90
new
cases
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 cloth face covering or mask.
6. Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue or cough into your elbow.
7. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
110
*No data
available on
Jan. 31
due to state
computer
maintenence
(Nov. 27)
50
new
cases
90
70
60
(Feb. 17)
50
(Nov. 14)
7-day
average
40
31 new cases
28 new cases
(Oct. 31)
30
16 new cases
(July 16)
(Sept. 19)
20
(May 20)
1st case
100
80
47 new cases
9 new cases
www.bendbulletin.com
BULLETIN
GRAPHIC
129 new cases
COVID-19 data for Friday, March 19:
Crook County cases: 793 (3 new cases)
Crook County deaths: 18 (zero new deaths)
PHONE HOURS
SOURCES: OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY,
DESCHUTES COUNTY HEALTH SERVICES
New COVID-19 cases per day
10
(March 11)
EMAIL
bulletin@bendbulletin.com
March 2020
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January 2021
February
March
AFTER HOURS
Newsroom ................................541-383-0348
Circulation ................................541-385-5800
NEWSROOM EMAIL
Business ........business@bendbulletin.com
City Desk .............news@bendbulletin.com
Features..................................................................
communitylife@bendbulletin.com
Sports ................. sports@bendbulletin.com
NEWSROOM FAX
541-385-5804
OUR ADDRESS
Street .............. 320 SW Upper Terrace Drive
Suite 200
Bend, OR 97702
Mailing ........... P.O. Box 6020
Bend, OR 97708
B
ADMINISTRATION
Publisher
Heidi Wright ..............................541-383-0341
Editor
Gerry O’Brien .............................541-633-2166
DEPARTMENT HEADS
Advertising
Steve Rosen ................................541-383-0370
Circulation/Operations
Jeremy Feldman ......................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
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. Call to ask about
deadlines, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Phone ..........................................541-385-5809
Fax .................................................541-598-3150
Email .......................obits@bendbulletin.com
OTHER SERVICES
Back issues ................................541-385-5800
Photo reprints .........................541-383-0366
Apply for a job ........................541-383-0340
All Bulletin payments are accepted at the
drop box at City Hall or at The Bulletin,
P.O. Box 6020, Bend, OR 97708. Check
payments may be converted to an
electronic funds transfer. The Bulletin,
USPS #552-520, is published daily by
Central Oregon Media Group, 320 SW
Upper Terrace Drive, Bend, OR 97702.
Periodicals postage paid at Bend, OR.
Postmaster: Send address changes to The
Bulletin circulation department, P.O. Box
6020, Bend, OR 97708. The Bulletin retains
ownership and copyright protection of
all staff-prepared news copy, advertising
copy and news or ad illustrations. They
may not be reproduced without explicit
prior approval.
ý
Lottery results can now be found on
the second page of Sports.
White House appoints
OSU scientist to key
climate change role
BY ANDREW FREEDMAN
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — The
White House has appointed
Jane Lubchenco, a well-known
marine scientist at Oregon
State University and former
head of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, to a high-level position
coordinating climate and envi-
ronmental issues within its Of-
fice of Science and Technology
Policy.
The announcement sched-
uled for Friday marks another
step in the Biden adminis-
tration’s all-of-government
approach to tackling climate
change.
Lubchenco is serving in the
renamed position of deputy
director for climate and the
environment, which in previ-
ous administrations had been
known as the head of “energy
and the environment.”
Her portfolio encompasses
a broad set of issues that Pres-
ident Biden asked Office of
Science and Technology Policy
officials to address in a letter
on Jan. 15.
In that letter to Eric Lander,
nominated to serve as presi-
dential science adviser, Biden
tasked the office with finding
climate change solutions that
will help improve the economy
and health, “especially in com-
munities that have been left
Courtesy Jane Lubchenco via NOAA
Jane Lubchenco meets students during a groundbreaking ceremony
for an ocean sciences education center on the campus of University of
California , Santa Barbara in January 2010.
behind.”
mote solutions to
Office of Science
global warming that
and Technology Pol-
would have tangible
icy is also responsi-
benefits for working
ble for overseeing the
class Americans, in
U.S. Global Change
keeping with Biden’s
Research Program,
“Build Back Better”
which coordinates cli- Lubchenco:
campaign.
“I frankly rel-
mate research among
“I frankly relish the
ish the op-
13 different agencies.
opportunity to repre-
portunity to
Every four years, this
sent a president who
program produces the represent a
values the science,”
president who
U.S. government’s de-
she said, noting that
values the sci-
finitive report on cli-
for Biden, complex
ence.”
mate change science
issues such as climate
and impacts, known
change are ultimately
as the National Climate Assess- about people on the ground. “I
ment.
really like that he always brings
In an interview, Lubchenco
policy back to people. It’s very
said her aim is to seek to pro-
grounded in what’s real.”
Democrats seek to end GOP
boycotts of Oregon Legislature
BY ANDREW SELSKY
The Associated Press
SALEM — Walkouts by Republicans in Ore-
gon’s Legislature have become so frequent, with
GOP lawmakers torpedoing progressive legisla-
tion, that Democrats want to sanction boycot-
ters with $500 daily fines and even disqualify
them from holding office.
The issue has become acrimonious, with Dem-
ocrats saying the boycotts harm the democratic
functioning of the state. Oregon is particularly
vulnerable to boycotts because, while 46 of the
other statehouses in America require only a simple
majority for a quorum, the northwestern state re-
quires two-thirds of lawmakers to be present.
Democrats have most of the seats in the Ore-
gon Legislature, but lack the two-thirds majority
to conduct business if Republicans stay away.
On Thursday, the Senate Committee on Rules
held an emotional public hearing on four mea-
sures that seek to deprive Republicans of the
leverage from quorum rules that critics say they
have weaponized.
This is the third straight year in which Repub-
licans have used walkouts. They have also some-
times insisted that bills be read in full, causing
bills to stack up after they leave committees, and
delaying floor votes on them.
The Legislature’s 2020 session ended early, and
acrimoniously, because of a Republican boycott
. House Speaker Tina Kotek said then that Re-
publicans violated their constitutional duty of
voting on bills, adding: “We have been held hos-
tage by a small group of elected representatives.”
This year, Republicans have already been ab-
sent from a Senate floor session. GOP lawmakers
have insisted on bills being read in full, leading
Kotek to schedule night sessions in the House.
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
Oregon lawmakers
consider bills to
reduce wildfire risk
BY MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
Capital Press
Oregon would emphasize
reducing fuels in high-risk
forests near communities and
key environmental resources
as part of broader legislation
aimed at mitigating wildfire
hazards.
A crucial aspect of the pro-
posal involves steering for-
est treatments toward where
they’re most needed, regard-
less of property ownership.
“We are taking an all-lands
approach here,” said Dylan
Kruse, government affairs
director for the Sustainable
Northwest nonprofit . “Im-
mediately, we’re going where
there’s the most urgent need.”
At its core, the legislation is
aimed at selecting where and
how to conduct forest proj-
ects that would be most effec-
tive, Kruse said.
“We know we can’t treat all
the forest acreage we want to
in this state, so we have to nar-
row down and prioritize where
we get the best return on in-
vestment,” Kruse said during a
recent legislative hearing.
The U.S. Forest Service
has developed a “quantitative
wildfire risk assessment” that
indicates about 5.6 million
acres in Oregon need fuels
treatments, he said.
Under the legislation, proj-
ects would begin in the four
highest risk categories, with an
eye toward protecting human
life, property and critical infra-
structure, as well as watershed
health and habitat restoration.
LOCAL BRIEFING
New charge for deputy accused of hitting stepson
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s deputy accused of striking
his teenage stepson last year faces a new charge in an updated
indictment.
Blair Joseph Belding, 43, appeared this
week in Deschutes County Circuit Court for
a pre trial hearing where a new count of ha-
rassment was read against him.
The alleged victim is the same 15-year-
old he was accused of striking and choking
during a domestic dispute May 30, 2020. The
Belding
alleged harassment is said to have occurred
on the same date.
Belding was charged in June with one count of fourth-de-
gree assault and one of strangulation.
Per state law, he was placed on paid administrative leave for
the duration of his criminal case.
Belding started his career as a reserve deputy with the De-
schutes County Sheriff’s Office in 2000 and was hired full time
in 2002. He was assigned as a corrections deputy at the time he
was placed on leave of absence last summer.
He has a plea hearing scheduled for April 19.
— Bulletin staff report
541.480.8130
louie@louiehoffman.com
“Catch My Drift”
Louie Hoffman, CCIM
Principal Broker, Licensed in Oregon
SRES, Senior Real Estate Specialist
%(1'_5('021'