A4 The BulleTin • Thursday, april 15, 2021
COVID-19 in Oregon
Grant County has highest infections, lowest vaccinations in state
BY STEVEN MITCHELL
Blue Mountain Eagle
Grant County had the highest rate of
COVID-19 infections per capita in Oregon last
week, and the county also has the worst vaccina-
tion rate in the state.
The county’s rate of COVID-19 infections was
625 per 100,000 people, according to data from
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of Sunday, Grant and Coos counties had
the lowest vaccination rate in the state, 17.4%,
according to the CDC, which calculates based
on complete vaccinations.
Kimberly Lindsay, Grant County public
health administrator, estimated Sunday that
around 30% of the county’s residents are par-
tially or fully vaccinated.
Lindsay said the county has stopped request-
ing additional vaccine doses from the Oregon
Health Authority because of a lack of demand.
COVID-19 cases continue to climb
The COVID-19 outbreak in Grant County continues with the largest sin-
gle-day increase in cases reported Wednesday. Grant County Health De-
partment announced Wednesday 24 individuals in the John Day, Canyon
City, Prairie City and Mt. Vernon ZIP codes tested positive. The individuals
are working with their health care providers. Deschutes County also saw
coronavirus cases jump Wednesday.
— EO Media Group
She said the county put first shots into the arms
of 73 residents last week, along with 273 second
shots for the two-shot vaccines.
On Monday, Jessica Winegar, health de-
partment clinic manager, said the health de-
partment had 1,200 doses on the shelf that she
would not be taking to that day’s vaccination
event.
Greg Armstrong, the owner of Len’s Drug,
“I am very concerned. With 70%
unvaccinated, that leaves just over 5,000
people available for COVID-19 to move
through freely. That’s a lot of room to roam.”
— Kimberly Lindsay, Grant County’s
health administrator, pictured at a County Court
meeting in November
told the Eagle the pharmacy has more doses
than people coming in to get the shot.
“I am very concerned,” Lindsay said. “With
70% unvaccinated, that leaves just over 5,000
people available for COVID-19 to move through
freely. That’s a lot of room to roam.”
The surge in cases and the county’s low vac-
cination rate, particularly among seniors, con-
cerns public health officials.
As of Sunday, Grant County had vaccinated
34.8% of residents 65 and older, the lowest
rate among Oregon’s 36 counties, according
to CDC data. Meanwhile, in Harney County,
53.1% of people 65 and older received the vac-
cine. In Lake County, 48.7% rolled up their
sleeves. In Umatilla, 57.7%; Morrow, 55.1%;
Union, 53%; Baker, 99.9%; and Malheur,
58.5%.
Poll: 58% expect some remote K-12 learning for years; 61% say high unemployment rates are temporary
Continued from A1
A quarter of residents say the
change will be temporary and only
5% believe it will not happen at all, ac-
cording to the Oregon Values and Be-
liefs Center.
Klaus Heyne of Corbett wouldn’t
buy a gift online. But he’s happy to
skip the line for everyday items.
“I no longer buy my laundry deter-
gent or dishwashing fluid in Target,”
he said. “I buy it online. It’s here in
two days, and I didn’t pay a penny for
shipping.”
Remote education
A majority (58%) of Oregonians
expect remote learning for K-12 stu-
dents to continue for a few years, but
only on a temporary basis, compared
with 12% who think it will be per-
manent and 22% who expect online
Homeless
Continued from A1
The center would essen-
tially bring together services
that already exist, but make
it so homeless people would
not have to travel across the
city — which can be difficult
to do without a car or enough
money for gas — to get differ-
ent needs met.
McConnell offered a hypo-
thetical situation to illustrate
how difficult orchestrating ser-
vices can be. Think of a mom
trying to find child care for her
kid in one location, she said,
then having to travel to the em-
ployment center WorkSource
Schools
Continued from A1
“It’s a better, more kid-
friendly schedule,” Scott Coo-
per, chairman of the Crook
County School Board, told
The Bulletin after the board’s
meeting.
Crook County High School
will see the biggest shift with
a trimester schedule, going
from seven 55-minute peri-
ods to five 70-minute periods
each day. The middle school
and Pioneer Alternative High
School’s class schedules won’t
change much, according to dis-
trict data.
A recent school district sur-
vey found that 58% of middle
and high school students, 56%
of school staff and 68% of fam-
ilies preferred a schedule with
fewer, longer classes.
“Trimesters allow us to slow
our pace down and concen-
trate on five classes at a time
instead of seven,” said Mi-
chelle Jonas, principal of Crook
County High School. “Students
appreciated the slower pace of
not having a seven-period day.”
The longer class periods are
beneficial for classes with lots
of hands-on projects, like weld-
ing or chemistry, Jonas said.
And with trimesters, a stu-
dent who doesn’t like the class
they’re in, or who is struggling
with a subject, is only in that
class for 12 weeks, rather than
18, she said.
“When you start an elective
and don’t like it, 18 weeks is a
long time,” Jonas said. “Twelve
weeks gives them the ability to
start over fresh, or try some-
thing new.”
Having high schoolers start
the day an hour later benefits
both teens and teachers, Jonas
and Cooper said. What would
normally be first period is now
teacher prep time, so teachers
classes to shut down soon. Republi-
cans (30%) are more likely to predict
an end to e-learning than Democrats
(20%) and Independents (18%).
Forest Grove fitness instructor Ra-
chel Sandage said the mostly import-
ant skills for younger pupils include
“how to get along with people, how to
share — and you can’t learn that on-
line.” But the 60-year-old said it might
be fine for digital-minded high school
and college students.
Heyne, 69, disagreed, saying his son
had put off college for a year rather
than spending big bucks for a virtual
institution.
“Higher education thrives on inter-
personal exchanges,” he said.
High unemployment
Oregonians are bullish when it
comes to finding a job. Most (61%)
say high unemployment rates will
be temporary, compared with 23%
who expect it on a permanent basis.
Homeowners (65%) are more likely
than renters (56%) in seeing lasting
unemployment as transitory.
RobinAnna Davis said the genie
of automation and algorithms can’t
be stuffed back in the bottle, but that
doesn’t mean the economy will col-
lapse.
“Progress happens,” said the resi-
dent of rural Clackamas County. “It
happened to the blacksmiths when
cars came along. People evolved.”
Telemedicine
The rise of telemedicine left some
Oregonians heading in different di-
rections. The poll showed 43% be-
lieve virtual doctor’s visits will be-
come permanent for nonurgent
Oregon in the hopes of find-
ing a job only to then have to
travel again to find a place with
a computer so she can then ap-
ply for that job.
“The goal is to be a one-stop
shop for housing insecure or
homeless,” McConnell said.
Whether the shelter would be
a 24/7 operation, or just winter
warming shelter has yet to be
determined, McConnell said.
The city has been keeping an
eye out for a location but has
not identified a property yet,
she said.
The next most immediate
step is to initiate a public pro-
cess to find a nonprofit organi-
zation to operate the center as
soon as Gov. Kate Brown signs
the bill that includes the money.
The idea then is to use the
$2.5 million to buy a building
and pay for some of the oper-
ating costs, without other non-
profits contributing their exist-
ing services, she said.
The goal would be that
whatever entity is chosen to
run it would eventually pur-
chase the center or take it over
completely, McConnell said.
Depending on how success-
ful the city is in finding a site
and nonprofit partner, the cen-
ter could be open this coming
winter, she said.
can collaborate, grade and dis-
cuss lesson plans together, they
said.
And teenagers getting a lit-
tle extra sleep is a plus as well.
A 2014 article in the Journal
of the American Academy of
Pediatrics found that insuffi-
cient sleep can result in anxiety
and mood disorders becoming
more common for teens. Teens
who don’t get enough sleep are
also more likely to cause a car
crash due to drowsiness, and
are at higher risk for cardiovas-
cular disease and obesity.
Cooper, who has two kids of
his own at Crook County High
School, noticed they reacted
positively to a later school start
this school year.
“Our teenagers thrived when
they got a little more sleep in
the morning,” he said.
e e
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Reporter: 541-633-2160,
bvisser@bendbulletin.com
health care visits — while 35% said
it’s only an ephemeral part of life. The
Oregon Values and Beliefs Center
reports that divide was “the closest
split” among survey respondents. Or-
egon seniors (45%) were more likely
than young adults (30%) to think the
COVID-prompted change will be
permanent.
“If it’s not something I need to go in
for, why would I?” Sandage asked.
“The virtual visits, it just makes
sense,” said Davis, 58.
Heyne suspects insurance compa-
nies prefer telemedicine because it’s
easier on their bottom line, saying he
trusts the long-established relation-
ship he has with his general practi-
tioner.
“Healing is a human enterprise,” he
said. “If you need telemedicine, you
don’t need a doctor.”
BERNIE MADOFF • 1938-2021
Ponzi schemer dies in prison
Associated Press
Bernard Madoff, the infa-
mous architect of an epic se-
curities swindle that burned
thousands of investors, out-
foxed regulators and earned
him a 150-year prison term,
died behind bars early
Wednesday. He was 82.
Madoff’s death at the
Federal Medical Center in
Butner, North Carolina, was
confirmed by his lawyer
and the Bureau of Prisons.
Last year, Madoff’s law-
yers unsuccessfully asked a
court to release him from
prison during the corona-
virus pandemic, saying he
suffered from end-stage
renal disease and other
chronic medical conditions.
His death was reportedly
due to natural causes.
For decades, Madoff en-
joyed an image as a self-
Reporter: 541-617-7854,
jhogan@bendbulletin.com
OBITUARY
Vern Eldon Rice
September 21, 1953 - April 7, 2021 (67)
Vern was born in Eugene,
Oregon to Leonard and
Gladys Rice and spent his
childhood in Springfi eld,
Oregon. Vern married
Donna (Schille) Rice in
1980. Vern and Donna
moved to Central Oregon
in 1984. Vern devoted
his career life to energy
conservati on working at
Midstate Electric Co-op
from 1984 to 1991 and
then Central Electric Co-op from 1991 to 2018.
Vern loved spending ti me outdoors with family and
friends sharing his enthusiasm for hiking, backpacking,
disc golf and canoeing.
Vern is survived by his wife Donna, sons Aaron and
Alex, sister Judy Bodenhamer and multi ple nieces and
nephews.
There will be no service due to Covid restricti ons.
Donati ons in Vern’s memory can be sent to: Council on
Aging of Central Oregon
Working from home
Half of state residents think work-
ing from home will persist indefi-
nitely, compared to 37% who believe
it’s merely a passing phase. The re-
mainder (11%) were unsure or re-
jected the change (3%). Portland area
denizens (57%) far outpaced those
living outside the metro or Willa-
mette Valley areas (37%) in seeing the
change as permanent.
When Sandage, the fitness instruc-
tor, polled her students about return-
ing to in-person workouts, about half
of the retirees were happy to keep
working out virtually.
“It’s convenient for them to roll out
of bed and do it online,” Sandage said.
“I have students joining my classes
from Boston, Toronto and Europe. I
don’t think it’s ever going to go back to
100% in person.”
Raymond L. Fisk
of La Pine, OR
Oct 16, 1942 - April 10,
2021
Arrangements:
Baird Memorial Chapel
of La Pine is honored
to serve the Fisk family.
Please visit our website,
www.bairdfh.com, to share
condolences and sign the
online guestbook.
Dale Ross Cheney, Sr.
of Redmond, OR
October 14, 1934 -
March 5, 2021
Arrangements:
Autumn Funerals -
REDMOND
www.autumnfunerals.net
541-504-9485
Services:
Services have been held.
Beverly Ann Martell
of Bend, OR
Oct 4, 1937 - April 9, 2021
Arrangements:
Baird Memorial Chapel
of La Pine is honored to
serve the Martell family.
Please visit our website,
www.bairdfh.com, to share
condolences and sign the
online guestbook.
OBITUARY DEADLINE
Call to ask about our deadlines
541-385-5809
Monday-Friday 10am-3pm
Email: obits@bendbulletin.com
made financial guru whose
Midas touch defied market
fluctuations. A for-
mer chairman of the
Nasdaq stock market,
he attracted a devoted
legion of investment
clients — from Florida
retirees to celebrities
such as film director
Steven Spielberg, actor Madoff
Kevin Bacon and Hall
of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax.
But his investment advisory
business was exposed in 2008
as a Ponzi scheme that wiped
out people’s fortunes and ru-
ined charities. He became so
hated he wore a bulletproof
vest to court.
The fraud was be-
lieved to be the largest
in Wall Street’s history.
At the time of Mad-
off’s arrest, fake ac-
count statements were
telling clients they had
holdings worth $60 bil-
lion. A fraction of that
has been recovered.
One of his sons, Mark, killed
himself on the second anniver-
sary of his father’s arrest in 2010.
Madoff’s other son, Andrew,
died from cancer at age 48. His
wife, Ruth, is still living.
OBITUARY
Leroy Eugene Hall
June 1, 1930 - November 20, 2020
Leroy
Eugene
Hall, age 90,
passed away in
Redmond, OR
on November
20, 2020. He is
greatly missed
by family and
friends.
He was born
June 1, 1930
in Manhatt an,
Kansas
to
Franklin (Frank)
and Anna Pearl
(Maine) Hall. He
was the oldest of four children. His parents moved the
family to Foster, Oregon when he was nine years old.
Leroy graduated from Sweet Home High School in 1949
and worked in the woods setti ng chokers and falling
ti mber unti l he went into the service in 1951. He proudly
served his country in the Korean War from 1951 to 1953
when he was honorably discharged.
Leroy moved to Redmond in 1954 where he met his wife
Anna Lee Renno. They were married July 7, 1954 and
raised their family. Leroy worked in road constructi on,
traveling all over Oregon unti l he reti red in 1997. Leroy
never knew a stranger and kept people laughing at his
stories and jokes. He loved fi shing, camping, gardening,
and traveling with his dog “Bo”.
He is preceded in death by his parents, wife, a daughter,
his brother, and two sisters. He is survived by his
three children, Loren (Jeanene) Hall of Redmond,
Tana Gagnebin of Boise Idaho, Gena (Shawn) Huff
of Redmond, six grandchildren, and two great-
grandchildren. Graveside service will be at 12:00 at the
Redmond Memorial Cemetery with a Celebrati on of Life
at the VFW Hall Redmond 1:00pm Saturday April 24,
2021.