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STATE MyEagleNews.com Wednesday, September 2, 2020 A7 Oregon governor unveils unified law enforcement plan for Portland’s violence Goal is to stem violence while protecting free speech By Dana Haynes Oregon Capital Bureau EO Media Group file photo People float down the Deschutes River in Bend in June 2020. Oregon health officials: ‘Strongly rethink’ your Labor Day plans By Courtney Vaughn Oregon Capital Bureau Oregon’s COVID-19 case rate seems to be in decline, but state health officials are nervous about a potential uptick in cases, following the upcoming Labor Day holiday weekend. Noting separate outbreaks tied to a 10-person family get-together earlier this sum- mer, and a weekend at the beach where 20 people gath- ered, the state’s top health offi- cials cautioned that outbreaks happened when people were infectious, but asymptomatic. “As we head into the upcoming Labor Day holiday, I want to caution people to strongly rethink your celebra- tions,” Patrick Allen, director of the Oregon Health Author- ity, said Thursday. “Limit your social gatherings outside your household. The governor has made indoor social gather- ings of more than 10 people off limits. “Wear a face covering out- side or indoors when you can’t maintain 6 feet of physical distance. If you have a small gathering, consider hosting it outdoors, rather than indoors and, of course, wash your hands frequently.” Allen and Oregon Pub- lic Health Director Dr. Dean Sidelinger said last week was the third consecutive week the state saw a decline in cases, but Oregon isn’t out of the woods yet. Allen said Oregon’s posi- tive test rate fell from 5.4% to 5.1% last week. “Hospitalizations offer fur- ther encouragement,” Allen noted. “Since Aug. 14, we’ve seen a 41% decrease in cur- rently hospitalized COVID- 19 patients from 167 to 118.” Allen cautioned that OHA still needs to confirm the trend with additional data. “We’re headed in the right direction, but we need to keep the pressure on to further slow the spread of the virus,” he added. The recent daily case counts don’t meet the state’s criteria for reopening schools to in-person learning. Accord- ing to the Ready Schools, Safe Learners plan laid out by OHA, the Oregon Depart- ment of Education and Gov. Kate Brown’s office in July, counties with 30,000 people or more must have 30 or fewer cases per 100,000 residents for three consecutive weeks, and a test positivity rate of 5% or less during that same timeframe. That same test positivity rate must be reflected state- wide. The guidelines allow for some exceptions, in order to meet the needs of students with disabilities and students in third grade or younger, who rely more heavily on in-per- son learning. State health officials pre- viously said it’s possible the state won’t meet those guide- lines until next spring, well into the 2020-21 school year. The good news? Fifteen counties, most of them rural, have lowered their rates of infection, kept their positive percentage rate low and pri- oritized a return to in-person learning for kindergartners through third graders. Sidelinger and Allen said, right now, those who get infected in Oregon pass the virus along to one other per- son, on average. If every- one stays disciplined and fol- lows the health guidelines for avoiding gatherings and wear- ing face coverings, that num- ber could drop to 0.75, and Oregon could meet the met- rics needed to bring kids back to school. Oregon metrics for reopening schools OHA directors said state health experts are looking to European countries like Den- mark, Sweden and Germany when formulating Oregon’s health metrics, and for cues on how to effectively stop the spread of the virus and reopen schools. “The specific nations that we looked at really did take actions to drive their case rates down before schools reopened,” Sidelinger said. He pointed to the use of face cov- erings and widespread test- ing as examples of methods other countries relied on when reopening schools. While some rural coun- ties in Oregon have boasted low case counts over the past three weeks, the state’s rules for in-person instruction rely on a combination of metrics, using both county and state- wide health conditions. After three months of Portland attempting to go it alone on the handling of nightly violence, Gov. Kate Brown on Sunday released a master plan that involves city, county, state and federal resources. The goal is to stem vio- lence while protecting free speech. “We all must come together — elected offi- cials, community lead- ers, all of us — to stop the cycle of violence,” Brown said. “But this is only the first step. Real change will come from the hard work to achieve racial justice. And it starts with all of us listening to each other and working together.” The governor’s uni- fied law enforcement plan comes one day after a clash with right-wing and left-wing protesters ended with one man dead. Initial reports indi- cated the man may have been connected to Patriot Prayer, a right-wing group that has staged violent protests in Portland for years. State Police troopers will continue their standard prac- tice of wearing body cameras to allow for the documenta- tion of their activities, Brown said Sunday. Portland Police do not employ body cameras. Brown is asking the Clackamas and Washington County sheriff’s offices and the city of Gresham Police Department to support Port- land Police with person- nel and resources to keep the peace and to protect free speech. Oregon State Police have offered more than two dozen body cameras and associated evidence management to the Portland Police Bureau, and the bureau will evaluate their use, Brown said. The city of Portland has agreed to indem- nify Clackamas and Wash- ington counties and the city of Gresham for law enforce- ment assistance. In addition, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler will seek financial resources to reimburse these jurisdic- PMG file photo A Portland police vehicle. Gov. Kate Brown has released a new plan to counter violent protests in Portland. “WE ALL MUST COME TOGETHER — ELECTED OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, ALL OF US — TO STOP THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE. BUT THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP. REAL CHANGE WILL COME FROM THE HARD WORK TO ACHIEVE RACIAL JUSTICE. AND IT STARTS WITH ALL OF US LISTENING TO EACH OTHER AND WORKING TOGETHER.” —Oregon Gov. Kate Brown tions for their support. U.S. Attorney Billy Wil- liams and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will com- mit additional resources for investigation of criminal activity. The size and nature of those resources were not announced on Sunday. Brown said she also will convene a community forum, including Wheeler, and invite Black protest orga- nizers and community lead- ers to discuss racial justice and police reform in Port- land. The group will create a venue for all community voices to come together, lis- ten to each other and co-cre- ate a just and peaceful future, Brown wrote. The city was rocked on Sunday when a caravan of supporters of President Don- ald Trump — many of them armed — clashed with pro- testers on the city’s highways and streets, and later down- town. One man was shot that evening downtown. Media reports the man was wear- ing a Patriot Prayer hat, was visibly armed with paint ball guns and a knife, and wore other tactical gear. Joey Gib- son, the founder of Patriot Prayer, identified the victim as Aaron “Jay” Danielson. President Trump repeat- edly called out Portland’s nights of violence at the Republican National Con- vention and has subsequently tweeted about the violence here. On Sunday, he threat- ened to return federal troops to Portland. Federal law enforcement stationed in Portland in July significantly increased the levels of violence on the street. Gov. Brown subse- quently brokered a deal to get the federal authorities out of town. “The right-wing group Patriot Prayer and self-pro- claimed militia members drove into downtown Port- land last night, armed and looking for a fight,” Brown wrote on Sunday. “Every Ore- gonian has the right to freely express their views without fear of deadly violence. I will not allow Patriot Prayer and armed white supremacists to bring more bloodshed to our streets. “Time and again, from Charlottesville to Kenosha to Portland, we have seen the tragic outcome when armed right-wing vigilantes take matters into their own hands. Gun violence is never, ever the answer.” Governor appoints Terri Davie as new Oregon State Police superintendent By Peter Wong Oregon Capital Bureau Terri Davie will become the first woman to lead the Oregon State Police as superintendent. Gov. Kate Brown named Davie to succeed Travis Hamp- ton upon his retirement from the agency on Nov. 1 after a 30-year career. Davie’s appointment is subject to Senate confirmation. Davie is the current deputy superintendent, having held that job since July 2016. Brown’s statement, which she issued Monday: “Terri brings a wealth of law enforcement experience to this role and a strong record of lead- ing by example. She brings a focus on inclusivity and is dedi- cated to listening to community voices … as we work towards a more fair and just law enforce- ment system in Oregon. I look forward to her leadership as we do the hard work of trans- Contributed photo Terri Davie forming law enforcement stan- dards and training and putting the state on a path toward racial justice.” Oregon State Police will observe its 90th anniversary in 2021. Its current two-year budget tops $500 million, although $30 million is for the state fire mar- shal, whose staff is part of the agency. It employs almost 1,400 people, making it one of the largest state agencies. Although highway patrols are the func- tion most visible to Oregonians, the agency also operates foren- sics labs, investigates crimes and enforces fish and wildlife and gaming regulations. Davie issued a statement on the agency’s Facebook page: “The Oregon State Police is comprised of dedicated, pro- fessional and honorable people that are committed to serving all. It is my honor to represent them and be their voice and advocate during this time of national turmoil that surrounds the profession of policing. “Oregon’s troopers and all members of the Oregon State Police are remarkable individu- als full of compassion and heart for this state, its people and its natural resources. I am proud to have the opportunity to work beside them and to lead them as we continue to advance polic- ing in Oregon.” Davie has spent almost two Here’s the deal. The right insurance should help you feel confident and comfortable. I’m the right good neighbor for that. Call me today. 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