A6 The BulleTin • Friday, June 25, 2021
Ousted Rep. Nearman publishes website on lawmakers
BY ZANE SPARLING
Pamplin Media Group
Expelled state Rep. Mike
Nearman has been in the news
plenty this year.
Turns out, he wants to write
it, too.
The Independence-based
Republican has been qui-
etly publishing the web-only
Northwest Observer since July
of last year.
With roughly 1,000 fol-
lowers each on Facebook and
Twitter, it’s not a general circu-
lation news source for the state.
But it’s certainly attracted the
attention of those refreshing
the #Orpol and #Orleg inter-
net hashtags that insiders use
to track the back and forth in
Salem.
Bonds
Continued from A1
A state study showed that
nearly half of all public uni-
versity buildings are over three
decades old, with the average
age hitting 34 years. In addi-
tion to specific projects, the
bonds will be used to pay for
$80,810,000 in general main-
tenance and repairs across the
state university system, includ-
ing improving access for the
disabled and updating systems
to meet modern use and safety
codes.
All cost figures for projects
include debt service and sales
costs connected to the bonds.
The funding now heads to
the House and Senate for ap-
proval.
Oregon State University-
Cascades, Bend
Student Success Center,
$14,035,000
The Bend campus of Ore-
gon State University will use
the funds to create a mod-
ern-version of a student union.
Campus leaders see it as a
place to meet, learn and seek
services. Plans call for aca-
demic advising, career coach-
ing, tutoring, counseling, a
wellness center and space for
students to hold group meet-
ings or study. A state study
shows the campus currently
has just slightly more than
50% of the 28,000 square feet
of “academic support space”
it needs. The desire for a cen-
terpiece of the new campus
led students to levy an extra
charge to their fees to finance
an additional $500,000 of
spending on the facility.
Heat
Continued from A1
The heat wave will affect
the entire Northwest, where
some areas, such as Pendleton
and Portland, are expected to
reach 110 degrees.
The cause of the heat?
“A strong high pressure
system will build over the Pa-
cific Northwest through the
weekend and into next week,”
Brooks said. “Sinking air un-
der the high pressure will re-
sult in very hot temperatures.”
Excessive heat can be
deadly, and extra precautions
need to be taken to avoid
heat illness, according to the
weather service excessive heat
warning, which was issued
Thursday.
“Pay attention to safety,”
Brooks said. “Drink water
way before you decide to go
out and do stuff. Don’t drink
any alcohol or caffeine if
you’re going to go outside and
be active. Take lots of breaks.
Try to avoid heavy labor in
the afternoons.”
It is also important to en-
sure the safety of pets during
excessive heat. Leaving pets
in hot cars or houses can
lead to heat stroke and even
death, and scorching asphalt
and truck beds can burn their
paws, the Humane Society of
Central Oregon said in a press
release. To ensure their safety,
pets should be left in cool en-
vironments, given lots of wa-
ter and should only be taken
out for exercise in the morn-
ing and at night.
Conserving energy
A weather-related power
outage during the heat wave
is unlikely, said Tom Gauntt,
a spokesperson for Pacific
Oregon Capital Insider, file
Former state Rep. Mike Nearman was the state director of the anti-
union group Freedom Foundation in 2019.
State Rep. Karin Power,
D-Milwaukie, first noted that
state business records listed her
then-colleague as the owner of
the Observer, prompting Ne-
arman to publish a one-off de-
scribing the website as “outed”
and admitting he does some
writing for the site. The Ob-
server doesn’t have a staff page
listing that information else-
where.
Exactly how often Nearman
turns his pen on state lawmak-
ers depends on who you ask.
Observer contributor Donna
Oregon State University,
Corvallis
Reser Stadium, $40,555,000
The football stadium for the
Oregon State Beavers will get a
new west grandstand. It will in-
clude new seating, enclosures,
restrooms, concessions, press
boxes and athletic training and
storage spaces. Around the sta-
dium will be new parking, walk-
ways and lanes for vehicles, in-
cluding fire lanes. The plan may
include interior facilities for aca-
demics or a health care facility.
Cordley Hall, $87,065,000
The 1950s-era building
houses the school’s Integrative
Biology and Botany and Plant
Pathology program with stu-
dents and their research hav-
ing a worldwide impact. The
235,000-square-foot building is
the site of classes for about 60%
of all students on the Corvallis
campus. The renovation will
include environmentally and
economically advanced heating,
cooling and electrical systems.
The overhaul will transform
classrooms, laboratories and
faculty offices. Seismic upgrades
will be made to better withstand
large earthquakes that were
relatively unknown in the area
before major research into the
Cascadia Subduction Zone.
exit in the event of an emer-
gency. Modernized electrical
and mechanical systems will
allow more interior space for
classrooms, hallways and of-
fices. Hardware and software
upgrades will allow classrooms
to use 21st-century technology
and enhance the experience of
students who take part in dis-
tance learning. The Rural En-
gagement and Vitality Center
will offer enhanced programs,
while the renovated spaces will
improve admissions, advising
and student services.
Eastern Oregon University,
La Grande
Inlow Hall, $18,520,000
The bonds will finance ren-
ovations that maintain the
historic integrity of the first
building on campus while giv-
ing the landmark a new life for
future generations of students.
The complete overhaul will
improve entrances for better
access for all students and safe
Power. But there are ways to
conserve energy during a heat
wave as air conditioning use
rises.
Gauntt recommended
keeping the air conditioning
on throughout the afternoon,
because cooling an excessively
hot house takes more energy
than keeping it cool through-
out the day. He also recom-
mends delaying oven, washer
and other utility use during
the hottest days this weekend.
“It might not be the great-
est time to bake a bunch of
brownies,” he said.
Lastly, he recommends cov-
ering the windows during the
afternoons and opening them
in the evenings.
“Things are a little differ-
ent in the high desert where
it tends to cool off at night,”
he said. “That becomes pretty
relative when you’re talking
triple digits, but when the
evening comes and you do
get that breeze, then you can
open things up.”
Temperatures are expected
to drop to the 70s and 60s
each night this week in Cen-
tral Oregon.
Resources
For people experiencing
homelessness, excessive heat
can be life-threatening, espe-
cially if they have no access to
water or a place to cool down.
The upcoming heat wave
prompted the city of Bend,
Deschutes County, the Home-
lessness Leadership Coali-
tion, the First Presbyterian
Church of Bend, Shepard’s
House Ministries and Family
Kitchen to provide cooling
centers for the homeless.
Between Saturday and
July 4, the First Presbyterian
Church of Bend will operate
Portland State University,
Portland
Gateway Center,
$68,990,000
The existing Art Building
would be renovated, with space
on an adjacent lot used to ex-
pand the School of Art and
Design, the Center for Student
Health and Counseling, and
the Speech and Hearing Sci-
ences program areas. Class-
rooms, laboratories, study and
meeting spaces would receive
upgrades. The building will be
designed to include business or
commercial space.
University of Oregon, Eugene
University Hall (formerly
Deady Hall), $58,245,000
One of Oregon’s rare sites
on the National Register of
Historic Places will be given a
preservationist-driven over-
haul that will include class-
rooms, offices and a theater.
While retaining the look of the
university’s longstanding place
in Oregon history, the 7,000
students and 115 faculty mem-
bers who use its classroom and
offices will work and study in a
on weekends and Shepard’s
House Ministries will operate
on weekdays as cooling cen-
ters from noon to 5 p.m. Fam-
ily Kitchen will provide free
lunches.
Two cooling shelters will
open in Redmond. Red-
mond Collective Action will
open a shelter at NE 17th
Street and Greenwood Av-
enue from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
on Sunday and 2 to 6 p.m.
Monday through Wednesday.
The Redmond Service Pro-
viders will have one available
and open to pets at Mountain
View Fellowship on Monday
through Friday from noon to
5 p.m. Transportation will be
available through Dial-a-Ride.
A cooling shelter also
will open in Madras start-
ing Saturday. The shelter
will be available daily until
July 4 from noon to 5 p.m.
at the Madras Free Method-
ist Church, 976 S. Adams St.
Transportation will be avail-
able at Fourth and Maple
streets at 11:45 a.m. Pets wel-
come.
According to David Notari,
director of development with
Shepherd’s House Ministries,
water and other needed sup-
plies will be available to the
homeless and others needing
assistance.
“We’re doing everything
we can to make sure we have
what’s needed for those who
access our services, whether
they spend the night or
they’re just in the area,” Notari
said. “We will make available
for those who come to us, and
even those who don’t spend
the night, any extra water they
need or shelter supplies.”
If temperatures rise slightly
above expectations, it will be a
record breaking year for Cen-
Bleiler said Nearman writes
“most” of the articles with the
anonymous byline “staff re-
ports,” which populate much of
the site’s daily coverage.
“I’m sure others have written
a few, too. But I think Mike is
the only one that can tell you
for sure,” said Bleiler, who has
written about 200 articles for
the site on an unpaid basis.
But associate editor Ben
Fisher described Nearman as
an “occasional” writer for the
site and downplayed his signif-
icance.
“Everybody — they try to
focus on who’s writing. I think
what’s more important is our
content, rather than who it
might be,” he said. “By all
means it’s not just him or only
safer, improved interior space.
Building materials and elec-
trical systems will be updated
to meet current safety codes.
Classrooms will be modern-
ized and include computer
workstations.
Western Oregon University,
Monmouth
Student Success Center,
$21,615,000
The existing Old Education
Building would be demolished
and replaced by a new facility
to house student services. The
center would offer modernized
environments for advising, tu-
toring, support group activity,
computer labs and study space.
Oregon Institute of
Technology, Klamath Falls
$55,650,000
Funds will build a new res-
idence hall for 900 students,
including sleeping and study
space.
Oregon Institute of
Technology/Oregon
Manufacturing Innovation
Center, Scappoose
$5,105,000
Bonds would pay for two
new labs within the Research
and Development facility, in-
cluding a powdered metal
handling vault and airlock to
support the addition of laser
powder bed fusion and binder
jetting methods of additive
manufacturing. Office space,
conference rooms and other
spaces will allow partnering
with university researchers
from other locations to develop
new additive manufacturing
projects.
e
gwarner@eomediagroup.com
tral Oregon.
The all-time high recorded
in Central Oregon was 108
on Aug. 7, 1970. The all-time
high for June was 102 on June
26, 2017, followed closely by
101 on June 28, 2015, accord-
ing to Brooks.
The hottest day on re-
cord for Bend is 106 on Aug.
1, 1916, according to the
weather service.
“This is one of the hotter
Junes we’ve ever seen,” Brooks
said. “It could definitely break
the June record.”
e
Reporter: 503-380-5285,
djefferies@bendbulletin.com
him. I’m largely responsible
for it.”
Fisher said the site — which
was built by Nearman, a for-
mer computer programmer
— isn’t a money-making ven-
ture, describing it as a calling.
The 42-year-old said anonym-
ity was necessary due to safety
concerns.
“You won’t see my name on
a lot of articles. I’ve been a tar-
get. I’ve gotten some masked
phone calls from antifa,” said
Fisher.
“We put a conservative view
to the facts the same as the
left does putting their spin on
facts,” added Bleiler. “We are all
volunteers.”
Nearman first took office
in 2014. He came to interna-
Judges
Continued from A1
“It’s about time,” Adair
said. “We haven’t approved
a new judge since 2003 and
our population has expanded
by around 40,000. We hope
to add new programs, such
as expanded programs for
veterans. This is something
we’ve been working on for
three years.”
Deschutes County District
Attorney John Hummel was
likewise pleased.
“This is great news,” Hum-
mel said. “We’re glad we’re
one step closer to achieving
the result we’ve been work-
ing a decade to achieve. …
This is good for victims of
crime, people suspected of
crime, witnesses, defense at-
torneys, prosecutors, civil at-
torneys, judges. It’s good for
Deschutes County. It’s about
time.”
House Bill 3011 amended
the state statute on the num-
ber of judges in each judi-
cial district: “The eleventh
judicial district consists of
Deschutes County and has
[seven] nine judges.”
The bracketed word is
the current number and the
number after that is the re-
vised number of judges.
The Legislature also has to
approve funding for the two
judges. That was included in
House Bill 5006, the annual
budget reconciliation bill. It’s
traditional nickname in the
Legislature is “The Christmas
Tree Bill,” as it is full of tar-
tional attention for opening a
side door of the Oregon State
Capitol during a special session
on Dec. 21 — spurring a scuf-
fle between armed protesters
and state troopers enforcing a
COVID-related closure of the
building. He now faces crimi-
nal charges in the matter.
In a first for Oregon history,
state lawmakers voted 59-1 to
expel Nearman in June, though
he could be back sooner than
later. According to Oregon
Public Broadcasting, Nearman
has filed paperwork indicating
his willingness to be appointed
to his old seat, though it’s un-
clear if Republican party pre-
cinct officials and local county
commissioners are actually
willing to give him the nod.
“It’s about time. We
haven’t approved a new
judge since 2003 and our
population has expanded
by around 40,000.”
— Patti Adair, Deschutes
County commissioner
geted spending in House and
Senate districts, usually re-
quested by lawmakers.
The bill allocated $721,500
from the state’s general fund
for two new circuit court
judgeships.
The judgeships would be-
gin Jan. 1, 2022.
The subcommittee ap-
proved $867,280 in the gen-
eral fund for six permanent
full-time positions, including
one judicial assistant, one
courtroom clerk, and one
back-office clerk for each
newly established judgeship.
Judicial staff would begin on
Nov. 1, 2021
The bill says the Deschutes
County government will as-
sume facility (courtroom and
office space) and associated
costs for the judges and staff.
The subcommittee that
approved the judgeships in-
cludes the House Speaker
and Senate President , as well
as the top two Republican
leaders in the Legislature, two
chairs from the full Ways &
Means Committee, and Re-
publican vice-chairs of the
full committee.
e
gwarner@eomediagroup.com
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