A2 THE BULLETIN • SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2021
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LOCAL, STATE & REGION
DESCHUTES COUNTY
COVID-19 data for Saturday, May 1:
Deschutes County cases: 8,116 (88 new cases)
Deschutes County deaths: 73 (zero new deaths)
Crook County cases: 994 (6 new cases)
Crook County deaths: 20 (zero new deaths)
Jefferson County cases: 2,135 (5 new cases)
Jefferson County deaths: 32 (zero new deaths)
Oregon cases: 185,597 (794 new cases)
Oregon deaths: 2,498 (3 new deaths)
129 new cases
120
(Jan. 1)
7-day
average
90
new
cases
103 new cases
(April 23)
110
100
(Nov. 27)
90
74 new cases
80
(April 10)
50
new
cases
70
60
(Feb. 17)
47 new cases
50
(Nov. 14)
(Oct. 31)
16 new cases
(July 16)
30
(Sept. 19)
9 new cases
ONLINE
40
*State data
unavailable
for Jan. 31
31 new cases
28 new cases
8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri.
EMAIL
130
(April 29)
108 new cases
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
6 feet from others and wear a face covering or mask.
5. Cover a sneeze with a tissue or cough into your elbow.
6. Clean frequently touched objects and surfaces.
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bulletin@bendbulletin.com
BULLETIN
GRAPHIC
125 new cases
(Dec. 4)
What is COVID-19? A disease caused by a coronavirus.
Symptoms (including fever and shortness of breath) can
be severe, even fatal, though some cases are mild.
GENERAL
INFORMATION
www.bendbulletin.com
SOURCES: OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY,
DESCHUTES COUNTY HEALTH SERVICES
New COVID-19 cases per day
20
(May 20)
1st case
10
(March 11)
March 2020
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
January 2021
February
March
April May
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B
Rep. Nearman charged for breach
BY ANDREW SELSKY
Associated Press
541-385-5804
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SALEM — Prosecutors
leveled two criminal charges
Friday against a Republican
member of the Oregon House
of Representatives who let far-
right rioters into the state Capi-
tol in December.
Rep. Mike Nearman, R-In-
dependence, was charged with
official misconduct in the first
degree and criminal trespass
in the second degree. Oregon
State Police struggled to force
the rioters back out of the Cap-
itol, which was closed to the
public, on Dec. 21 as lawmak-
ers met in emergency session
to deal with economic fallout
from the coronavirus pan-
demic.
Marion County Deputy
District Attorney Matthew
Kemmy told Nearman’s attor-
ney, Jason Short, in a letter Fri-
day his client must appear in
court on May 11 or face arrest.
Short was out of his office
Friday and not available for
comment. Nearman did not
immediately respond to phone
State Rep. Mike
Nearman, R-In-
dependence,
chats with fel-
low represen-
tatives on the
House floor
in 2019. Near-
man has been
a source of con-
troversy since
video emerged
showing him
allowing far-
right demon-
strators into
the state Cap-
itol.
Kaylee Domzalski/
OPB file
and email messages seeking
comment.
Nearman had been seen on
security cameras letting vio-
lent protesters into the Oregon
Capitol. They attacked author-
ities with bear spray. Outside
the building, some of the pro-
testers assaulted reporters and
broke glass doors on the mar-
ble sheathed Capitol. State po-
lice investigated the case.
In January, after Nearman’s
role became clear from the se-
curity footage, House Speaker
Tina Kotek called for his resig-
nation and stripped him of his
committee assignments.
“Rep. Nearman put every
person in the Capitol in serious
danger,” Kotek said on Jan. 11.
She referred to the deadly
storming of the U.S. Capitol
that had occurred just days be-
fore, on Jan. 6, by supporters of
then President Donald Trump:
“As we tragically saw last week
during the insurrection at the
United States Capitol, the con-
sequences (here) could have
been much worse had law en-
forcement not stepped in so
quickly,” Kotek said.
According to court records,
the misconduct charge alleges
Nearman, who is from the
town of Independence west
of Salem, “did unlawfully and
knowingly perform an act ...
with intent to obtain a benefit
or to harm another.”
The charge is a Class A mis-
demeanor, punishable by a
maximum 364 days in prison
and a $6,250 fine.
The trespass charge accused
him of unlawfully letting oth-
ers into the Capitol. It is a Class
C misdemeanor, punishable by
a maximum of 30 days in jail
and a $1,250 fine.
Oregon Public Broadcasting
was first to report Nearman
being charged, later announced
by the office of Marion County
District Attorney Paige Clark-
son.
Find it all
online
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Ways you
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Thelma’s Place:
Willamette Valley faces resurgence
of crop-destroying gray-tailed voles
BY SIERRA DAWN MCCLAIN
Capital Press
A massive population spike
of gray-tailed voles is wreak-
ing havoc on Willamette Valley
cropland for a second straight
year.
Vole populations peak in
cycles, researchers say. The
last big population boom in
the valley was about a decade
ago. Gray-tailed vole numbers
surged again in 2020, and pres-
sure is building into 2021.
“(2020) was the most ex-
treme year we’ve seen in recent
history,” said Nicole Anderson,
associate professor and field
crops extension agronomist at
Oregon State University.
Anderson expects more seri-
ous crop damage in 2021.
Voles feed on roots, grasses
and other living plant material.
They burrow underground
and sometimes pull grass
stems into their holes.
Voles last year damaged
grass seed, hazelnut, blueberry,
clover and nursery tree crops.
Bryan Ostlund, who rep-
resents blueberry, clover, grass
seed and other commissions,
said the grass seed industry
was hit hardest.
Industry leaders estimate
voles destroyed 10% to 30% of
2020’s crop. This amounts to
a “very conservative” estimate
of $50 million lost, said Roger
Beyer, executive director of the
Oregon Seed Council.
Many fields took a 75% to
80% loss.
“It was heartbreaking,” said
Steve Salisbury, director of re-
search and regulatory programs
at the Oregon Seed Council.
One grass seed grower,
Becky Berger of Berger Inter-
national, lost about $400,000 in
yields. In some fields predicted
to produce 3,000 pounds, the
yield was only 700 pounds.
Berger described the events
as “extremely frustrating” and
“economically frightening.”
This spring, she said, she’s
Farmers in
Oregon’s
Willamette Valley
are battling
a growing
population of
voles.
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University of Idaho
seen a recent uptick in vole ac-
tivity again.
Voles are targeting other
crops, too, including red and
white perennial clovers, blue-
berry bushes and hazelnut trees.
Even livestock farmers have no-
ticed pasture infestations.
“It takes a lot of patience
to deal with this mess,” said
Donna Harnsberger, who raises
cattle, horses and llamas on a
small ranch in Cottage Grove.
Researchers say gray-tailed
voles are understudied, so it’s
not clear why populations tend
to surge and then crash. Some
theorize harsh winters and
pathogens may cause popula-
tion crashes.
Redmond: 541-548-3049
Day Respite and Support Groups
www.thelmasplace.org
“You can’t do it unless
you can imagine it.”
- George Lucas
MICHAEL GWINUP
103 NW Oregon Ave. • Downtown Bend
541-306-3176 • redchairgallerybend.com