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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (June 9, 2021)
WEDNESDAY • June 9, 2021 • Serving Central Oregon since 1903 • $1.50 SPORTS PULLOUT, A5-8 Oregon’s public defense office out of money Nonprofit puts to Bend chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace distributes bedding kids bed BY GARRETT ANDREWS The Bulletin The head of the state public defense of- fice said his office is out of money with nearly a month to go until new budget funds would be available. Lane Borg, outgo- ing director of the Oregon Office of Public Defense Services, did not provide a specific amount Tuesday morning while discussing the shortfall during a regular conference call to managers of Oregon public defense providers. Borg attributed the shortfall in part to the pandemic and said his office, which is responsible for paying attorneys who repre- sent criminal defendants who cannot afford their own attorneys, will soon ask the Legis- lature for additional money. “The agency is presently working on a plan to avoid delay of any kind of payment for the vast majority of providers while the rebalance request is pending,” Borg wrote in a letter dated Friday. “And we expect to have more information to share with you early next week.” According to several people on Tuesday’s call, an expected impact of the shortfall is delayed payment for people providing “downstream” public defense work, such as private investigators, foreign language in- terpreters, social workers, psychologists and forensic scientists. These professionals, who typically receive payment in 30 to 60 days, could have to wait up to three months for compensation. Following the call, Jennifer Kimble, ad- ministrator of 22nd Circuit Defenders, a le- gal aid consortium for Crook and Jefferson counties, started writing an email to mem- bers, urging them to hold aside some extra money this month. Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin BY SUZANNE ROIG • The Bulletin R obyn and Bob Mickelsen knew that retirement included helping their community, but not how they wanted to do it. While visiting friend s in Grants Pass, the Mickelsens discovered their calling: Build- ing beds for children of families in need. In January 2020, right before the pandemic began, the couple started a chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit with 250 branches across the United States that uses donations of lumber, mattresses and new bedding to provide a bed for every child. The nonprofit estimates that, nationwide, Robyn Mickelsen talks about how to load pieces of a bunk bed into a trailer before heading out with fellow volunteers Tony Wahlberg, from left, Jeff Jones, Rick Scherbert and Bob Mickelsen to deliver beds Friday. about 3% of the families in any given com- munity don’t have a bed for every child. “We thought it was a great idea and thought about bringing it up here,” said Robyn Mickelsen, 68. “We didn’t want to sit around, and we wanted to give back to the community.” They started their chapter in January 2020 and built a few beds, but then the pandemic shut them down. They began to accept requests in June the same year and delivered 105 beds, pillows and blankets to families by year’s end. And their volunteer effort is still going strong. On Friday, the Mickelsens delivered two bunk beds to Kara Anderson’s Redmond apartment. Anderson, who has four kids, saw a post on Facebook of someone else who had received free beds and reached out to the Mickelsens. See Nonprofit / A4 See Public defense / A4 Rankings show little change as state nears goal for 65% vaccination rate BY GARY A. WARNER Oregon Capital Bureau Most Oregonians will see no change this week to local COVID-19 risk level restric- tions as 30 counties retained their current tiers, Gov. Kate Brown said Tuesday. But if nearly 100,000 more residents get vaccinated, the whole system of do’s and don’ts would go away. “If you have been waiting to get vaccinated, go get your shot today,” Brown said. “It’s TODAY’S WEATHER never been easier to get an appointment.” The new weekly COVID-19 risk rankings released Tuesday showed five counties moving down a level, with just one rising. Deschutes County retains its lower-risk level, while Crook and Jefferson counties remain in the high-risk tier. Lane, Coos, and Wasco counties dropped to lower risk, the least restrictive category. Yamhill and Josephine counties Thunderstorm High 58, Low 38 Page A12 INDEX will drop to moderate level. The changes in the five coun- ties will go into effect Wednes- day, sooner than in some previ- ous risk-level announcements in prior weeks. Harney was the only county to move into a more restrictive level. It will be at moderate risk effective Friday. All other counties remain at their current levels until at least Thursday, June 17. There will be 21 counties at the lower-risk level, four at moderate risk and 11 at the high-risk level. The Business Classifieds Comics A11 A14 A9-10 Dear Abby Editorial Horoscope A7 A8 A7 higher the risk level, the more restrictions meant to limit the spread of COVID-19. Brown has shifted the em- phasis on risk-level assign- ments to include how well a county is doing in vaccinating residents. Counties that can show they had administered at least one shot to 65% of eligi- ble adult residents are allowed to drop to the lower risk level regardless of infection rates in their county. See COVID-19 / A12 Local/State Lottery Nation A2 A6 A 12 Obituaries Puzzles Sports A4 A10 A5-7 Bend’s Skyline magnet school to close and combine with Realms BY KYLE SPURR The Bulletin Skyline High School, a small experimental school in Bend, will close this fall and combine with Realms High School. The two magnet schools opened four years ago and already share a warehouse on Brinson Boulevard. “We have decided to unify the two schools under one high school at the Brinson campus,” said Katie Legace, executive di- rector of high school programs for Bend-La Pine Schools. The Bulletin An Independent Newspaper We use recycled newsprint Vol. 117, No. 329, 14 pages, 1 section 2021 Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo Exhibitor & Contest Guidebook The Exhibitor & Contest Guidebook includes all of the rules and regulations pertaining to the fair and details of each of the exhibit categories. The main reason for Sky- line’s closure was significant staff turnover, with 50% of the teachers, the principal and office manager deciding to leave, according to a recent newsletter from Realms High School. In addition, the news- letter said enrollment was lower than expected next year, with fewer than 25 freshmen confirmed to attend, and there were some questions about how to expand the school in the future. See Skyline / A12 DAILY COVID-19 county risk levels U|xaIICGHy02329lz[ FIND YOUR COPY INSIDE T H E BU L L E T I N TODAY!