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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 2021)
Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $1.50 MONDAY • April 26, 2021 COVID-19 violations SKATE MATES Kristin Wills, left, and Lindsay Hernandez try some synchronized skating on a quarter pipe while spending the morning rolling at the Ponderosa Park skatepark in Bend on Saturday. The pair said they started rollerskating as an activity during COVID-19 and are on their skates daily because they are hooked. Oregon has yet to collect money from OSHA fines Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin Lengthy appeals, limited enforcement of work safety rules can put penalties in limbo BY JAMIE GOLDBERG The Oregonian State workplace safety officials have issued at least 20 citations to Oregon businesses for flagrantly violating COVID-19 safety restrictions since the start of the pan- demic in March of last year, collectively fining those busi- nesses more than $400,000. But the state has yet to collect any of that money. The 20 citations were issued to 15 businesses that will- fully defied COVID-19 safety standards, with several busi- nesses receiving multiple citations for repeated violations. The businesses had appealed 16 of the 20 citations as of April 8 and the state anticipates the other four will be ap- pealed as well. Of those that have appealed, only one has reached a set- tlement with the state so far. Kozy Kitchen in North Bend, which was issued an $8,900 fine in June for opening for indoor dining against state health restrictions, reached an agreement to have its violation downgraded from “willful” to “serious” and its fine reduced to $4,000 — less than half the original penalty. Oregon is waiting for payment. The other appeals could take months to resolve, or lon- ger. Aaron Corvin, a spokesperson for Oregon Occupa- tional Safety and Health, known as Oregon OSHA, said the appeals process can last up to two years. See Fines / A4 J&J vaccine cleared for use in Oregon BY SAGE VAN WING Oregon Public Broadcasting Health care providers in Oregon may continue to admin- ister the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as long as they can en- sure that patients or their caregivers are informed about the benefits and risks in their primary language. The Oregon Health Authority issued that guidance this weekend after a safety review. The Centers for Disease Con- trol and the Food and Drug Administration lifted the pause on delivering the vaccine Friday, saying the risk of blood clots is extremely small. The Western States Scientific Safety Re- view Workgroup found that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is “generally safe and effective and that the resumption of its use is warranted once culturally and linguistically appropriate patient and provider educational materials in plain language that support informed decision-making are available.” There are over 100,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine stored at vaccination sites in Oregon. In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee said Saturday inocu- lations with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can resume. The Associated Press contributed to this story. THE FIRST 100 DAYS Biden’s speech will be historic in more ways than one WASHINGTON — For eight years, Joe Biden was a fixture at President Barack Obama’s addresses inside the House chamber, a near-constant part of the tableau. He winked. He pointed. He gripped the House speaker’s arm. He smiled, and he clapped with gusto. For 36 years before that, he often sat in the audience with his Senate colleagues. He twice gave a portion of the Democratic response to President Ronald Reagan. As one of the nation’s longest-serv- ing politicians, he has witnessed more speeches to a joint session of Congress than just about anyone. This week, he will give one. He will have a historic backdrop: Two women, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris, for TODAY’S WEATHER 200 The estimated number of attendees in the House chamber for Joe Biden’s speech before Congress on Wednesday, far short of the 1,600 normally in attendance for a presidential address. the first time will be in the immediate frame of the president — something Biden is planning to note at the begin- ning of his speech. In a different historic marker, both will be wearing masks as part of the coronavirus protocols in the chamber. Biden has been working on the speech for weeks, preparing remarks to reflect on the first 99 days of his presidency, and outlining a range of new initiatives he Some sun later High 54, Low 32 Page A10 INDEX Comics Dear Abby Horoscope A7-8 A4 A4 will pursue. He is expected to press the need for expanding access to health care and outline additional economic relief for American families. He also will re- new his call for police reform, coming in the wake of the conviction of former Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin in the murder of George Floyd. The address marks the conclusion of the first chapter of Biden’s presidency, one he has sought to enter with a burst of ac- tivity meant to reshape the country’s pol- itics and its place in the world. It will also be another vivid collision between the rit- uals of democracy and the pandemic that continues to grip much of American life. Members and senators won’t be allowed to bring guests. Biden is expected to have few, if any, aside from first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff. See Biden / A10 Kid Scoop Local/State Nation/World A9 A2-3 A4 Puzzles Sports Weather A8 A5-6 A10 Bill O’Leary/The Washington Post file Joe Biden, then vice president, arrives in the chamber at the U.S. Capitol where President Barack Obama was to deliver his State of the Union address before a joint session of Congress in 2014. The Bulletin An Independent Newspaper We use recycled newsprint Monday E-Edition, 10 pages, 1 section DAILY BY MATT VISER The Washington Post U|xaIICGHy02329lz[