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A2 The BulleTin • SaTurday, July 24, 2021 The Bulletin LOCAL, STATE & REGION How to reach us CIRCULATION Didn’t receive your paper? Start or stop subscription? 541-385-5800 PHONE HOURS COVID-19 data for Friday, July 23 Deschutes County cases: 10,357 (23 new cases) Deschutes County deaths: 87 (zero new deaths) Crook County cases: 1,368 (2 new cases) Crook County deaths: 24 (zero new deaths) Jefferson County cases: 2,456 (9 new cases) Jefferson County deaths: 42 (zero new deaths) Oregon cases: 214,869 (613 new cases) Oregon deaths: 2,836 (2 new deaths) COVID-19 patients hospitalized at St. Charles Bend on Friday: 15 (4 in ICU) The Bulletin had been tracking the seven-day average case count based on state data since local coronavirus cases were first reported in March of last year. Starting with the July Fourth weekend, the state stopped providing county-level data for weekends or holidays. When data is available, The Bulletin will continue to publish information about the pandemic. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday-Sunday and holidays VACCINATIONS IN OREGON COUNTIES GENERAL INFORMATION 541-382-1811 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. ONLINE www.bendbulletin.com EMAIL bulletin@bendbulletin.com AFTER HOURS Newsroom ................................541-383-0348 Circulation ................................541-385-5800 NEWSROOM EMAIL Business ........business@bendbulletin.com City Desk .............news@bendbulletin.com Features.................................................................. communitylife@bendbulletin.com Sports ................. sports@bendbulletin.com NEWSROOM FAX 541-385-5804 OUR ADDRESS Street .............. 320 SW Upper Terrace Drive Suite 200 Bend, OR 97702 Mailing ........... P.O. Box 6020 Bend, OR 97708 BY AIMEE GREEN The Oregonian What’s true across the nation appears to be true in Oregon: If you’re a Republican, you’re less likely to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The Oregonian looked at the county-by-county statistics of Oregonians inoculated against the coronavirus and saw a clear correlation: The 10 counties with the lowest percentages of residents vaccinated all voted — by a landslide — for Donald Trump in the last presidential election. That’s Lake, Malheur, Umatilla, Grant, Harney, Gil- liam, Morrow, Union, Douglas and Baker counties. Eight of the 10 counties with the highest vaccination rates voted overwhelmingly for Jo- seph Biden. That’s Washington, Hood River, Multnomah, Ben- ton, Lincoln, Deschutes, Lane and Clackamas. Polk and Tillamook — where Trump beat Biden by slim margins of less than 2 percentage points — also made Oregon’s top 10 list of most-immunized counties. Another way to look at it? Compare the most-Republi- can county in the state — Lake — with the most-Democratic — Multnomah. Eight out of 10 voters in Lake County voted for Trump in November 2020, and 35% of residents 16 and older in the county had received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine as of early July. Conversely, nearly 8 out of 10 voters in Multnomah County chose Biden, and 73% of residents 16 and older — more than double the figure in Lake County — had received at least one jab. Asked about Lake County’s low inoculation rate, James Williams, chairman of the County Commission, bristled at the correlation between vot- ing and vaccinations. “If you are looking to attack or degrade the majority (or any part) of Lake County’s popu- lation, based around their po- litical affiliation and/or their medical choices,” Williams wrote in an email, “I would say that it not only shows a shame- ful personal bias on your part, but possibly the need to find a new profession.” Meanwhile, George Murdock, chair of the Uma- tilla County Commission, said he’s a Republican and got vac- cinated on the first day he was eligible. “Mind boggling” is how he describes the Republi- can-Democrat divide. “It just doesn’t make any sense to me,” Murdock said. “There’s absolutely no reason for it to be polarized between political parties.” Umatilla County, where 64% voted for Trump, has the third lowest vaccination rate in the state with just over 41% of res- idents 16 and older having re- ceived at least one shot. Murdock, 78, is vocal about his vaccination status and the story of his daughter, 46, who is still a COVID-19 long- hauler seven months after she came down with the virus. In Oregon, it’s also worth noting that the counties with the highest rates of vaccine hesitancy or resistance are generally the smallest and most rural in the state. Some observers say that might con- tribute to lower vaccination rates: Residents don’t perceive COVID-19 as a significant threat. B Trump-Biden voting split aligns with rates ADMINISTRATION Taxpayers foot $100,000 bill for governor’s political consultant Publisher Heidi Wright ..............................541-383-0341 Editor Gerry O’Brien .............................541-633-2166 LOCAL BRIEFING Open house now online for Wilson Avenue Corridor Project The Wilson Avenue Corri- dor Project has been chosen as the first project to be done out of dozens promised in the $190 million Transporta- tion General Obligation bond passed by voters last year. The corridor project will replace a damaged and aging traffic signal, improve walk- ing and biking infrastructure and upgrade a water line, among other improvements, according to the city of Bend. DEPARTMENT HEADS Advertising Brian Naplachowski .................541-383-0370 Circulation/Operations Jeremy Feldman ......................541-617-7830 Finance Anthony Georger ....................541-383-0324 Human Resources ................541-383-0340 TALK TO AN EDITOR City Julie Johnson ...................541-383-0367 Business, Features, GO! Magazine Jody Lawrence-Turner ............541-383-0308 Editorials Richard Coe ...........541-383-0353 News Tim Doran .......................541-383-0360 Photos .........................................541-383-0366 Sports ..........................................541-383-0359 This project was selected by the transportation bond oversight committee, which is made up of residents to over- see how and when the bond money is allocated. The city is moving toward design work for the west section of Wilson Avenue from Second Street to Douglas Street, ac- cording to the city. A virtual open house is ac- cessible now through Aug. 9 at bendoregon.gov/wilson. An in-person open house will be at the Vince Genna Stadium parking lot from 4 to 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 2. — Bulletin staff report TALK TO A REPORTER Bend/Deschutes Government Brenna Visser .............................541-633-2160 Business Suzanne Roig ............................541-633-2117 Calendar .....................................541-383-0304 Crook County ..........................541-617-7829 Deschutes County ................541-617-7818 Education ....................................541-617-7854 Fine Arts/Features David Jasper .................................541-383-0349 General Assignment Kyle Spurr ...................................541-617-7820 Health Suzanne Roig ............................541-633-2117 Jefferson County ..................541-617-7829 La Pine ........................................541-383-0367 Public Lands/Environment Michael Kohn ............................541-617-7818 Public Safety Garrett Andrews ......................541-383-0325 Redmond.....................................541-617-7854 Salem/State Government .. 541-617-7829 Sisters .........................................541-383-0367 Sunriver .....................................541-383-0367 REDMOND BUREAU Mailing address ..................P.O. Box 6020 Bend, OR 97708 Phone ......................................... 541-617-7829 CORRECTIONS The Bulletin’s primary concern is that all stories are accurate. If you know of an error in a story, call us at 541-383-0367. TO SUBSCRIBE Call us ......................541-385-5800 • Home delivery and E-Edition ..........................$7 per week • By mail .................................$9.50 per week • E-Edition only ...................$4.50 per week To sign up for our e-Editions, visit www.bendbulletin.com to register. TO PLACE AN AD Classified ......................................541-385-5809 Advertising fax ..........................541-385-5802 Other information ....................541-382-1811 OBITUARIES No death notices or obituaries are published Mondays. When submitting, please include your name, address and contact number. Call to ask about deadlines, Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Phone ..........................................541-385-5809 Fax .................................................541-598-3150 Email .......................obits@bendbulletin.com Kristyna Wentz-Graff/OPB file Gov. Kate Brown speaks at the Reopening Oregon Celebration at Providence Park in Portland on June 30. GO ONLINE BY HILLARY BORRUD The Oregonian Gov. Kate Brown is on track to spend more than $100,000 in taxpayer funds for one of her longtime advisers to serve as a part-time political consultant. Under an arrangement dat- ing back to early 2020, Brown hired her former communi- cations director, Chris Pair, through a no-bid state contract at a rate of $6,500 a month to attend weekly meetings of the Western Governors Associa- tion on expanding electric ve- hicle infrastructure, the gover- nor’s signature initiative during her time as chair of the group. So far the state has paid Pair $91,000 under the contract, ac- cording to the governor’s press secretary. During the same time, Brown also paid Pair an un- disclosed amount through her political action committee for work that she has declined to describe, beyond saying it was unrelated to state business. Brown did not disclose that • To read the complete story, view it at www.bendbulletin.com Pair might be hired back on the state’s dime as a consultant when a reporter asked about the longtime communications director’s departure at a Jan. 17, 2020, press conference. “We’re continuing to work together in other capacities,” the governor said of Pair. But she refused to say what that work was be- cause she said the duties “don’t have to do with stateside at this point” and were paid for by her political action committee. A month later, the governor’s staff asked state procurement officials to prepare a no-bid contract worth up to $150,000 for Pair’s consulting company, Althea, so that Pair could assist with Oregon’s share of work on the Western Governors’ As- sociation electric vehicle rec- ommendations, according to public records. The contract called for the state to pay Pair $78,000 a year, roughly half the $158,000 salary he previously earned as the governor’s com- munications director and se- nior adviser. Brown declined to com- ment on why it was necessary and beneficial to taxpayers for her to hire her former staffer through a no-bid contract. Pair also did not respond to calls for comment. Liz Merah, press secretary for the governor, wrote in an email that Brown had tasked Pair with developing her initia- tive for the Western Governors’ Association when he was still her communications director, so “when Chris chose to move on from the governor’s office in late 2019,” Brown asked Pair to complete the work. Merah said Pair’s state-paid work for the governor has been strictly separated from any other political work he does for Brown. “All work performed by Althea LLC under this con- tract is related to the West- ern Governors’ Association,” Merah wrote. OTHER SERVICES Back issues ................................541-385-5800 Photo reprints .........................541-383-0366 Apply for a job ........................541-383-0340 All Bulletin payments are accepted at the drop box at City Hall or at The Bulletin, P.O. Box 6020, Bend, OR 97708. Check payments may be converted to an electronic funds transfer. The Bulletin, USPS #552-520, is published daily by Central Oregon Media Group, 320 SW Upper Terrace Drive, Bend, OR 97702. Periodicals postage paid at Bend, OR. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Bulletin circulation department, P.O. Box 6020, Bend, OR 97708. The Bulletin retains ownership and copyright protection of all staff-prepared news copy, advertising copy and news or ad illustrations. They may not be reproduced without explicit prior approval. Check Out Our Cottages! All the Amenities & Conveniences of Home & So Much More. Call today to schedule a tour! 541-312-9690 2920 NE Conners Ave. Bend, OR 97701 www.whisperingwinds.com Citing delta variant, Washington state urges indoor masks The Associated Press SEATTLE — Washing- ton state’s top epidemiologist is recommending that ev- eryone wear a mask or face covering in crowded indoor places because of the rise of the COVID-19 delta variant — even if they have been vac- cinated. Dr. Scott Lindquist said Friday the state is seeing a “fifth wave” of the new coronavirus that is sending more people to the hospital. The state saw 2,572 new cases reported for Wednes- day compared with 750 seven days earlier. The state Department of Health reports that about 350 people statewide are hospital- ized with COVID-19, which is roughly half the figure for earlier waves of the pan- demic. “The majority of these hos- pitalizations can be prevented by people getting vaccinated,” Linquist said. Washington state’s popula- tion is about 7.65 million. The Department of Health and Gov. Jay Inslee aren’t for- mally reinstating mask man- dates or other measures yet, Lindquist said. bendbulletin.com IT’S FAIR TIME! Get your Deschutes County Fair & Rodeo Guide in The Bulletin on Sunday, July 25!