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About The Bulletin. (Bend, OR) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 2022)
A2 The BulleTin • Tuesday, decemBer 13, 2022 The Bulletin how to reach us CIRCULATION didn’t receive your paper? start or stop subscription? 541-385-5800 PHONE HOURS 8 a.m.-3 p.m. monday-Friday LIVE CHAT 8 a.m. -12 p.m. monday-Friday GENERAL INFORMATION 541-382-1811 8 a.m.-5 p.m. monday-Friday ONLINE www.bendbulletin.com CONTACT THE NEWSROOM Main number ..........................541-382-1811 After hours ...............................541-383-0348 Fax ................................................541-385-5804 Main email .........news@bendbulletin.com EMAIL THE NEWSROOM Business ........business@bendbulletin.com City Desk .............news@bendbulletin.com Features.................................................................. communitylife@bendbulletin.com Sports ................. sports@bendbulletin.com OUR ADDRESS Street .............. 320 sW upper Terrace drive suite 200 Bend, Or 97702 Mailing ........... P.O. Box 6020 Bend, Or 97708 BY GEORGE PLAVEN capital Press PORTLAND — Eastern Oregon and Washington could become a regional hub for producing hydrogen fuel under a proposal recently sub- mitted to the U.S. Department of Energy. Obsidian Renewables, a Portland-area solar energy de- veloper, has applied for $700 million in funding from the federal energy department to help build the project, which includes two anchor hydrogen production facilities, in Moses Lake, Washington, and Herm- iston. The hydrogen would be stored and transported around the region via pipeline, pro- viding lower-carbon fuel for ports and businesses. As part of the Biden ad- ministration’s goal to achieve 100% clean energy nationwide by 2025, the federal govern- ment set aside $8 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to create up to 10 regional hydrogen hubs. Applications were due in November. Ken Dragoon, director of hydrogen development for Obsidian Renewables, said the company faces stiff competi- tion for the money — likening it to winning the lottery. The region is already an un- derdog in the energy depart- ment’s selection process, Dra- goon said, compared to places like Appalachia where there is more opportunity to cut into the production of fossil fuels, or the Gulf Coast where there is already hydrogen infra- structure in place. But the Northwest does have some advantages, he added. First, there is ample re- newable energy on the power grid from hydro, wind and solar resources that can be used for making clean hydro- gen. Second, both Oregon and Washington have passed tar- gets for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, driving de- mand for alternative fuels. “We’re getting outreach from entities in the region that want our product,” Dragoon said. “They’re coming to us.” The hydrogen would be made using a method known as electrolysis, coursing elec- tricity through water to sepa- rate the hydrogen and oxygen molecules. Because the elec- tricity would come from wind and solar power, that would make it green energy. According to the project de- scription submitted to the en- ergy department, the hub will serve data centers, utilities, food processors and a variety of tech companies in the re- courtesy of Obsidian renewables gion. A map of the hub shows roughly 550 miles of pipeline Eastern Oregon and Washington could become a regional hub for extending from the two an- producing green hydrogen under a proposal recently submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy. Obsidian Renewables, a Portland-area chor sites in Moses Lake and Hermiston, connecting to 15 solar energy developer, has applied for $700 million in funding to industrial parks across both help build the project, which includes two anchor hydrogen produc- states. tion facilities in Moses Lake, Washington, and Hermiston. Oregon State Hospital reports outbreaks PORTLAND Portland company proposes hydrogen hub B LOCAL, STATE & REGION ADMINISTRATION Publisher heidi Wright ..............................541-383-0341 Editor Gerry O’Brien .............................541-633-2166 BY JAYATI RAMAKRISHNAN The Oregonian 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 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 ........................................................541-633-2160 Business suzanne roig ............................541-633-2117 Calendar .....................................541-383-0304 Education .................................541-383-0367 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 Bryce dole .....................................541-617-7854 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. 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 Other information ....................541-382-1811 mark Graves/The Oregonian file The city of Portland has increased the number of homeless camp sweeps, such as this one on June 28. City increases homeless-camp sweeps BY NICOLE HAYDEN The Oregonian In mid-October, the city of Portland removed more homeless encampments than at any point since the start of the pandemic, sweeping 87 in a single week. And last month, city contracted work- ers again worked to remove as many tents camps as possible, clearing away nearly 80 in a week. In October and November, the aver- age number of sweeps increased fivefold from the first three months of the year, when clearing 15 a week was typical. Overall, homeless encampment re- movals increased in April and May, when Mayor Ted Wheeler ordered an unprecedented mass sweep of the Old Town neighborhood, and have contin- ued to climb since then. Those increases came as Wheeler piled up rationales for clearing more camps, including emer- gency declarations that banned camping along high-crash corridors and, later, safe routes to schools. It’s unclear where the people who lived in those camps have gone. But Port- land-area shelters don’t have room for most of them, and city and county data indicate most people uprooted from 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 email .......................obits@bendbulletin.com LEGAL NOTICES email .....................legals@bendbulletin.com 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. camping on public land don’t want to live in group shelters. The stepped-up clearing of encamp- ments was made possible by doubling the number of contracted camp removal workers since the start of the year, said Cody Bowman, the mayor’s spokesper- son. In 2021, the city had 35 workers under contract, and by September 2022, there were 70. That increase set the tone for what the mayor’s office was ultimately building up to: declaring that camping would not be permitted anywhere in Portland outside of large city-designated camps. Instead, unhoused people will be offered a spot in a one of those city-run camping sites for homeless people plus some form of ad- diction treatment or mental health care, if needed. If they do not accept one or all of these offers and choose to continue camp- ing in unsanctioned areas, they will be cited by the city, which could trigger court appearances, fines or arrest warrants. Officials in Wheeler’s office say the new rules will go into effect by 2024, though they say the first of six planned city-run tent sites, which will cluster up to 250 people together, could begin op- erating as soon as May 2023. City leaders jump-started their plan by approving $27 million at the end of November to begin constructing the city-run sites. Some of that money will also be used to hire new homeless outreach workers and workers who conduct sweeps. In the meantime, sweeps continue to increase as houseless people’s interest in moving into shelters continues to de- crease. In June, the city began tracking how many people who were swept used a shelter bed for at least one night after workers offered them that option. From June to November, interest in utilizing a shelter bed following a sweep dropped by 24%. To be sure, on dry, mild nights, peo- ple are more apt to sleep outside versus during severe weather. When workers offer someone a shelter bed during a sweep, they also provide a ride to that shelter and storage for their belongings, among other services, Bow- man said. “Despite a growing homeless popu- lation, numerous shelter beds in Mult- nomah County go unused most nights,” Bowman said. “Portlanders living outside in unsanctioned, self-sited campsites de- cline shelter offer for a variety of reasons.” LOCAL BRIEF Bend Park & Recreation District holds food drive, amid increased need Citing an increased need for food bank resources locally, the Bend Park & Recreation District is holding a drive-thru holiday food drive on Satur- day, an effort to fill the Neigh- borImpact Food Bank. The district is asking people to bring canned foods, includ- ing proteins like chicken or tuna, soups and stews, vegeta- bles and fruit and dried black and pinto beans and lentils. Two locations will be open for donations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday: the Bend Senior Center entrance of the Larkspur Community Cen- ter on 1600 SE Reed Market Road; and the parking lot across from The Pavilion on 1001 SW Bradbury Drive. Garth Brown, food resource specialist with NeighborIm- pact, said in a press release that “the number of people who need food bank resources has increased 20% over last year,” increasing the need for items to fill pantry shelves. Donation bins are also available at Juniper Swim & Fitness Center, Larkspur Community Center, The Pa- vilion and the park district of- fice during regular business hours through Jan. 2. The district is asking people not to bring glass packaging. — Bulletin staff report Three units at the Oregon State Hospital are under med- ical isolation due to outbreaks of COVID-19 and influenza. Amber Shoebridge, a spokesperson for the state psy- chiatric facility, said two of the units are shut down for coro- navirus outbreaks, and another because of the flu. She said the isolation protocols go into ef- fect when there are at least two patients on a unit with a virus. It was not immediately clear how many patients are ill. Patients living on the af- fected units will be “strongly encouraged” to stay in their rooms and to wear masks when out of their rooms, Shoe- bridge said, but they will not be prohibited from roaming about the common areas of the unit. All treatment will occur within the unit, and patients will stay in their rooms for meals. Staff who work on the af- fected units must wear N95 masks and a face shield when working with patients, she said. A spokesperson for the state’s largest disability advo- cacy group, which works with state hospital patients, said pa- tients have been complaining of not being able to get tested for COVID-19, even when they’re symptomatic or have been exposed. “As we’ve learned, without access to regular testing, pa- tients can continue potential spread while they wait to be- come symptomatic,” said Tom Stenson, the deputy legal di- rector for Disability Rights Or- egon. Hospital officials could not immediately be reached about the availability of testing.
