A2 THE BULLETIN • SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022
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ADMINISTRATION
Publisher
Heidi Wright ..............................541-383-0341
Editor
Gerry O’Brien .............................541-633-2166
Girl in foster care goes missing
in Bend, believed to be in danger
A 16-year-old girl in foster care is
missing from Bend, and the Oregon
Department of Human Services Child
Welfare Division is asking the public
for assistance in find-
ing her.
Mercedes “Bo”
Dunnington, who
also goes by the name
Katie, went missing
May 15 and is be-
lieved to be in danger,
Bo, or Katie
the Department of
Human Services said
Friday in a news release.
The state is requesting anyone who
may have seen her to call 911 or lo-
cal law enforcement. Bo, or Katie, is
known to spend time at local parks
and gas stations in Bend, the release
said.
The release added she was last seen
wearing a red and black button-up
fleece jacket with a hood. She is 5-foot-
6-inches, 187 pounds; her eyes are
green, and her hair is dyed blond.
Bulletin journalists win awards
The Bulletin took home seven Soci-
ety of Professional Journalists awards,
including first place awards for best
photo essay and best hard news feature
in the large newsroom division.
Education reporter, Bryce Dole,
and Redmond Spokesman editor, Tim
Trainor, also brought in awards from
work done at past publications.
First place awards went to photog-
rapher Ryan Brennecke, and Zack
Demars. Brennecke was awarded
first place in the Photo & Design cat-
egory for his photo essay titled, “The
Promise: An Aging survivor heads to
a Comprehensive Pandemic Coverage
package and a second for Investigative
Reporting for his story on a COVID
outbreak at Two Rivers Correctional
Institute called, “I might not make
it home: Hundreds fall ill and two
die amid COIVD-19 surge at TRCI.”
Trainor, the former editor of the Klam-
ath Falls Herald and News, took first
place in the writing category for the
Project Klamath series.
CDC community levels
for Central Oregon
Dean Guernsey/Bulletin photo
Firefighter Rick Ontiveroz takes a minute to breathe July 12 while battling the Grand-
view Fire near Sisters .
Hawaii.” Demars won first place for
his hard news story in the writing cat-
egory, ”Central Oregon remembers
9/11, 20 years later.”
Second place awards went to pho-
tographer Dean Guernsey, Editori-
al-page Editor, Richard Coe, public
lands reporter, Michael Kohn, Demars
and assistant features editor David Jas-
per.
Guernsey won second place in the
Photo & Design category for his por-
trait photography, “The Firefighter.”
Coe came in second in the writing cat-
egory for his Editorial & Commentary
entitled, “A failure of the community
on Emerson Avenue.” Kohn took sec-
ond in the writing category for his se-
ries on drought in Central Oregon, and
Jasper won second place for his col-
umn, “A hike up Overturf Butte affords
a view of Bend Life.” Demars won
second place in the hard news story
writing category for his story “Afghan
vets feel anger, hope as 20 years of war
come to an end.”
Dole and Trainor also brought home
awards from their time reporting at
past publications. Dole won two first
place awards in the writing category
for his pandemic coverage while re-
porting at the East Oregonian, one for
The Bulletin is no longer publish-
ing COVID-19 daily case counts by
county.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention monitors community lev-
els of COVID-19 to help communities
decide what prevention steps to take
based on the latest data. Levels can be
low, medium or high and are deter-
mined by looking at hospital beds be-
ing used, hospital admissions and the
total number of new COVID-19 cases
in an area.
The CDC listed the following levels
for Central Oregon:
Deschutes County: Medium
Precautions the CDC recommends
for communities with medium levels:
• If you are at high risk for severe ill-
ness, talk to your health care provider
about whether you need to wear a
mask and take other precautions.
• Stay up to date with COVID-19
vaccines.
• Get tested if you have symptoms.
Crook County: Low
Jefferson County: Low
Precautions the CDC recommends
for communities with low levels: Stay
up to date on vaccines and get tested if
you have symptoms.
— Bulletin staff reports
DEPARTMENT HEADS
Advertising
Brian Naplachowski .................541-383-0370
Circulation/Operations
Maria Johnson ..........................541-617-7830
Finance Wendy Dougherty ...541-383-0324
Human Resources ................541-383-0340
Lawmakers set up group to safeguard abortion rights
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 Mark Morical ...............541-383-0318
TALK TO A REPORTER
Bend/Deschutes Government
Brenna Visser .............................541-633-2160
Business
Suzanne Roig ............................541-633-2117
Calendar .....................................541-383-0304
Education
Bryce Dole .....................................541-617-7854
Fine Arts/Features
David Jasper .................................541-383-0349
Health
Suzanne Roig ............................541-633-2117
La Pine ........................................541-383-0367
Public Lands/Environment
Michael Kohn ............................541-617-7818
Public Safety
Garrett Andrews ......................541-383-0325
Redmond
Joe Siess..........................................541-617-7820
Salem/State Government .. 541-383-0367
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.
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All Bulletin payments are accepted at the
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prior approval.
BY PETER WONG
Oregon Capital Bureau
The Oregon Legislature will
set up a work group to con-
sider budget, legal and service
questions that will arise if the
U.S. Supreme Court follows
through with a decision to
overturn or restrict a federal
constitutional right to abor-
tion.
Oregon is the only state
with no restrictions — the
Legislature removed penal-
ties four years before the high
court legalized it in 1973 —
and lawmakers wrote guaran-
tees of access into state law in
2017.
Voters also have rejected
five ballot measures between
1986 and 2018 to ban or re-
strict abortion or public fund-
ing.
“Time and again, Orego-
nians have clearly affirmed
their support for making
abortion and other care safe
and accessible to all,” House
Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Cor-
vallis, said in a statement
Thursday announcing the task
force.
“While other states roll back
protections and attempt to
criminalize health care access,
this collaborative process with
providers, clinics and elected
leaders will make sure Ore-
gon is prepared to support
access to care in this changing
landscape. We can’t be com-
placent.”
Legislative members are
Reps. Travis Nelson of north
Portland and Andrea Valder-
rama of east Portland, and
Sens. Elizabeth Steiner Hay-
ward of Beaverton and Kate
Lieber of Portland. Nelson is a
nurse and Steiner Hayward a
physician. All are Democrats;
no Republicans voted for the
2017 law guaranteeing access.
A spokesman for Rayfield
said other work group mem-
bers will be drawn from com-
munity groups, providers and
clinics.
According to the Gutt-
macher Institute, which sup-
ports abortion rights, 23%
of Oregon women lived in
counties without access to
abortion in 2017 — and that
access could be reduced fur-
ther if women in Eastern Or-
egon cannot turn to medical
care in Boise and Meridian,
Idaho. Idaho has passed a ban
on abortions after six weeks;
the law is set to take effect if
the Supreme Court eliminates
abortion as a federal right.
“The impact of overturn-
ing Roe will be felt largely by
Black, Latino and Indigenous
people, immigrants, people
living with low incomes and
people in rural areas,” Valder-
rama said. “Our communities
have long faced barriers to
abortion access and will be a
focal point of this work.”
“While other states roll back protections and attempt to
criminalize health care access, this collaborative process
with providers, clinics and elected leaders will make
sure Oregon is prepared to support access to care in this
changing landscape. We can’t be complacent.”
— House Speaker Dan Rayfield, D-Corvallis
women who would otherwise
qualify for state-supported
health care, except for their
immigration status. The Ore-
gon Health Plan already cov-
ers abortion for low-income
women, but only state funds
pay for it, since Congress
barred federal funds with
some exceptions in 1976.
The Legislature in its 2022
session added $15 million to
expand the capacity of pro-
viders and support for patient
needs.
According to preliminary
2021 figures from the Oregon
Health Authority, out-of-state
patients accounted for 632 of a
total 6,577 abortions.
According to Rayfield, rec-
ommendations from the work
group may include policy, ad-
ministrative and budget pro-
posals to protect, strengthen
and expand equitable access to
all forms of reproductive care,
gender-affirming care and
quality of care.
Recommendations may also
include protections for popu-
lations being targeted, includ-
ing LGBTQ children, families
and adults; reproductive and
gender-affirming care patients
and providers; health naviga-
tors and assisters; and more.
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State access
Oregon’s 2017 law requires
private health insurance plans
to cover abortion and other
reproductive services — an
exception is made for plans
offered by religious employ-
ers — and provides access
to services for low-income
Whispering Winds
would like to wish a
Happy
Mother’s Day
to all the mother’s
out there.
Especially our
residents & staff.
541-312-9690
2920 NE Conners Ave., Bend, OR
Call us to schedule a visit today!