Category: Hometown News – Bend

New Bend PD chief sworn in; Krantz vows to start tenure by meeting with groups

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August 11, 2020

Bend’s new police chief was sworn in Monday.

Michael Krantz took the oath of office in a small private ceremony at the Bend Municipal Court inside the police station.

He comes from Portland where he served as an assistant chief.

Krantz said it’s a difficult time to take over a police agency because the pandemic makes it challenging to get to know the community.

“We’re also in a time where the killing of George Floyd has really brought a lot of emotion, anger and frustrations with really many people in the country,” he said. “And, that has brought challenges to law enforcement around making sure that we’re able to listen and engage with people.”

His hiring hasn’t come without some controversy from some who link Krantz to the Portland Police Bureau’s use of tear gas on protesters in recent weeks and years.

Even Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel questioned the hire.

▶️ Amid protests, some concerned with new Bend police chief’s Portland background

And on Monday, a group of local faith leaders issued a statement concerned about his work in Portland.

The group, called “Re-Imagine Oregon” wants assurances that Bend Police won’t use tear gas on peaceful protestors, among other things.

Krantz said he plans to spend his first month as chief meeting with a variety of people and groups, especially those who are frustrated.

 

 

▶️ Residential drug treatment facility burglarized in Bend; computers, cash taken

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August 10, 2020

By BROOKE SNAVELY
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS

An addiction residential treatment facility in Bend was burglarized over the weekend.

Adult & Teen Challenge near Bend High School reports losses and damages in excess of $10,000.

The break-in happened Sunday while the 24 residents and staff were out rafting on the Deschutes River.

When they returned, they found evidence of forced entry and discovered computers, cash, and prescription medications had been stolen.

“All of our office doors had been kicked in. Safes, filing cabinets had been pried open, looking for cash, prescription drugs. We aren’t entirely sure,” said Jason Koland, director of the Central Oregon Adult & Teen Challenge campus. “For us as non-profit, it hurts us pretty dramatically to have a theft like this happen.”

Koland says police are investigating.

The losses represent about 10 days of the center’s operating budget.

He says they will have to fundraise to pay for repairs until insurance reimburses the loss.

“It’s been an unfortunate event. We are in the business of helping people and, potentially, somebody we helped came back and did this.”

Koland says the timing of the burglary could not be worse.

All of Adult & Teen Challenges fundraising events, things like golf tournaments, have been canceled due to COVID 19 and cash flow is limited.

“The public can help by donating laptops. Watch for a needs-list to be posted on the Adult/Teen Challenge Facebook page, probably tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.”

Koland says the center has helped nearly 2,000 men recover from addictions in the ten years it’s been operating on Burnside Avenue in Bend.

“We are here to help, even after the burglary.”

Bend man arrested on drug trafficking charges; meth hidden in engine

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August 10, 2020

A 59-year-old Bend man was arrested Friday on drug trafficking charges, according to the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement team.

Lt. Ken Mannix said CODE team detectives had been investigating Jimmie Ginn for allegedly illegally trafficking commercial quantities of meth throughout the region.

The investigation showed he would travel outside the area, buy large quantities of meth and return to Deschutes County to sell them.

On Friday, law enforcement surveillance teams monitored Ginn’s activities, which included him conducting drug sales, Mannix said.

Around 6 p.m. Ginn was contacted and arrested during a traffic stop at Highway 97 and Grandview Drive in Bend.

During a search of Ginn’s vehicle, detectives found about 1.2 pounds of methamphetamine, some of which was individually packaged for sale and concealed inside the vehicle.

The rest of the methamphetamine was hidden within the engine compartment, Mannix said.

Additional evidence of the sales and distribution of methamphetamine was found inside the vehicle, including a large sum of cash.

Ginn was taken to the Deschutes County Jail and charged with possession, manufacture, and delivery of a controlled substance (meth.)

▶️ BLP board co-chair calls for limited return to class; says no one is stepping up

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August 10, 2020

By HANNAH SIEVERT
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS

In a guest column for The Oregonian, Bend-La Pine Schools Board Co-Chair Carrie McPherson Douglass outlined what she calls “a better plan” for opening schools in the fall, based on her conversations with teachers, parents and doctors.

“Neither the state department of education or local districts are stepping up to innovate or get creative and help solve the problem,” McPherson Douglass said.

Most schools will go back to online learning in the fall unless they can meet strict COVID metrics set by Gov. Kate Brown.

But McPherson Douglass said schools need to work to bring the most vulnerable students back into the classroom first. That includes students who are food insecure or students with disabilities who won’t get the help they need at home.

“We should be able to open classrooms to groups of 10 with all the proper social distancing and masking,” McPherson Douglass said. “That would bring all of our most vulnerable kids back into the classroom sooner.”

She also said a statewide online learning curriculum should be created, so each school district doesn’t have to create their own and teachers don’t have to spend time creating online courses.

“There is K-12 curriculum that already exists,” McPherson Douglass said. “It seems to me we should be using teachers for things an online curriculum can’t do, like providing feedback and providing social-emotional support, and really focusing on teachers on kids and families rather than creating online curriculum.”

McPherson Douglass said not all feedback has been positive from the op-ed, but she does think new ideas need to be proposed to create a productive school year this fall.

“I think in general people appreciate when leaders are willing to propose new ideas and call out when we’re not doing good enough,” McPherson Douglass said. “I’m not naive enough to think an op-ed will change the world, but I do think we need to get ideas out there and challenge thinking.”

▶️ Mt. Bachelor lift op tests positive, but visitors happy with ski area’s openness

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August 10, 2020

By MEGHAN GLOVA
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS

Like many Bend residents, Cole Cramer frequents Mt. Bachelor.

He says when he heard about the resort’s recent COVID-19 case, he was impressed by how much was shared.

“I think it’s good that they’re being transparent about it because some places aren’t saying anything,” Cramer said. “I’ve been up here, and it’s just good to know that I’ve been exposed, but I was keeping my distance and wearing a mask.”

According to Mt. Bachelor a lift operator tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday.

The individual worked at both the Little Pine and Pine Marten chairlifts between August 2nd and 8th.

Houston residents Cody Woolsey and Joan Stainton are visiting family in Bend. They were not aware of the recent case before arriving.

“I think it’s part of their duty to let everybody know what’s going on,” Woolsey said. “Just for everybody’s safety.”

“It’s better to have that information at hand,” Stainton added.

But does the situation have the guests thinking twice about a season pass this winter?

The answer was unanimous.

“If it’s open it’s open,”Cramer said. “And it’s worth it because we’re supporting the mountain.”

“There’s definitely a risk in buying a pass,” Stainton said. “But if you’re going to buy one I feel like you do that at your own risk. And you kind of know that this has been going on since February.”

“Even though COVID is going on and stuff, people are still getting outside, enjoying the weather,” Woolsey said. “I think it’s a great idea just to have something to do.”

As for guests who may have come in contact with the affected employee, Mt. Bachelor encourages them to “take any precautionary measures” they see fit.

▶️ New OSU-Cascades lab to help diversify local workplaces

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August 10, 2020

By ANYSSA BOHANAN
CENTRAL OREGON DAILY NEWS

OSU-Cascades is introducing a new lab this Fall.

No, not a science lab, but one aimed at diversifying workplaces across Central Oregon, and making them more inclusive for those whose voices aren’t typically heard.

Director Erika McCalpine says she hopes her new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lab will help to make organizations and workplaces comfortable for everyone.

“Gender, race, thought, whatever type of diversity is present is good diversity,” McCalpine said.

It is a time right now where there is heightened attention to this,” OSU Vice President Becky Johnson said.

“It’s about making these organizations inclusive enough that when that person of color, or that person of a different sexual orientation arrives, that they feel included,” McCalpine said.

McCalpine, along with several undergraduate student interns, will work with organizations like East Cascade Works.

“We support job seekers as well as industry,” said Heather Ficht. “And if we can help bridge some of those links, I think it could be highly effective in creating more inclusive workplaces in Central Oregon.”

Johnson says she feels it’s up to universities to be leaders during the tumultuous times we live in.

“We can’t just talk about it, we have to actually make some changes,” Johnson said.

“Doing this work in these organizations allows me to do work in organizations for people who are like me,” McCalpine said.

For more information on how your organization could be a part of the DEI Lab, you can reach out to McCalpine at erika.mccalpine@osucascades.edu.

Wells Fargo $45K grant helps Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity build 3 homes

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August 10, 2020

Wells Fargo Foundation has awarded Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity with a $45,000 grant to build three affordable homes.

Two of these homes will be in Redmond, and one home in Bend. The funding is part of an $8.1 million donation to Habitat for Humanity International for capacity building and direct mission support to build, renovate and repair more than 350 affordable homes across the United States.

The grant is provided through Wells Fargo Builds and is part of the Wells Fargo Foundation’s $1 billion philanthropic commitment to create more housing affordability solutions by 2025.

“We’ve had a rich history of working with Bend-Redmond Habitat for Humanity to strengthen our neighborhoods through philanthropy and volunteerism,” said Cindy Johnson Wells Fargo’s Greater Oregon Region Bank President. “Safe and stable housing enables people to build upon the rest of their life and, together, we can shift the narrative to help others understand that housing affordability is both an economic and humanitarian crisis that’s taking a toll on millions of people.”

Wells Fargo Builds provides philanthropic financial assistance from the Wells Fargo Foundation to support the construction, renovation, painting or repairing of homes with low-to-moderate income households.

In 2019 alone, Wells Fargo employees volunteered more than 1.9 million hours of service to strengthen their communities, including building, repairing, and improving 674 homes across the U.S. with several organizations through Wells Fargo Builds.

“We are truly thankful for the long history with Wells Fargo and their commitment to our organization,” said Robin Cooper Engle, director of development. “Their financial support and employee labor has helped us build affordable homes for 30 families in need in Bend and Redmond over the past 12 years. That is a significant contribution that we highly value.”

The grant will support the construction of three affordable homes in Bend and Redmond. The home in Bend will benefit a single mother and her daughter at the organization’s first Net Zero cottage community for 10 families. The home will be affordable to build and affordable for the new homeowner to maintain.

Bend man arrested after stabbing outside downtown bar

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August 10, 2020

A 42-year-old Bend man was arrested Sunday after allegedly stabbing another man outside a bar a day earlier, according to police.

Sgt. Tommy Russell said the incident started around 4:15 Saturday when officers responded to a reported stabbing near the M&J Tavern on Greenwood Ave.

The bartender at the M&J Tavern reported a patron had entered the bar saying he had just been stabbed by another unknown man about an hour earlier.

The bartender told the man she was going to call 911 but the victim said he did not want the police called.

Officers who responded reviewed surveillance video provided by the M&J Tavern and learned that the suspect arrived alone in a black 2019 Nissan Armada with no license plates displayed.

The two men had both been in the M&J Tavern, in the video poker area, minutes prior to the stabbing, Russell said.

The two men did not converse or interact with one another so it is unknown what prompted the attack.

The two men walked out of the bar nd the suspect stabbed the victim on a sidewalk nearby, Russell said.

Officers reviewed other surveillance video and learned the victim was stabbed at least one time in the upper left arm.

The suspect tossed the knife near the crime scene and it was recovered by the police, Russell said.

The suspect left the area in the black 2019 Nissan Armada and the victim left on foot.

On Sunday around 11:12 a.m. an employee at the Bend Factory Outlet Stores called Deschutes County dispatch to report seeing the suspect’s vehicle parked nearby.

The caller said she saw a man sitting in the vehicle.  Officers arrived a short time later, but the vehicle was unoccupied.

At 11:26 a.m. a man identified as 42-year old Bend Brian Blanton of Bend approached the officers and asked why they were around his vehicle, Russell said.

The original investigating officer immediately recognized Blanton as the suspect in the stabbing, based upon his review of the surveillance video.

Blanton was still wearing the same clothing as he was in the video of the stabbing, Russell said.

Blanton was arrested and taken to the Deschutes County Jail on the charges of second-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Also Sunday officers with the Bend Police Department identified the victim of the stabbing as a 35-year old Bend man.  He was contacted, interviewed and he cooperated with investigators.

He refused medical treatment despite the injury likely needing sutures.

During the interview, officers learned that the victim left the M&J Tavern to return to his vehicle that was parked along the sidewalk on NE Greenwood Avenue.

As he approached his vehicle he saw the suspect, Brian Blanton, slashing one of the tires on his vehicle.  He verbally confronted Blanton who in turn ran at him, kicking him in the chest and cutting his upper left arm one time with a folding “pocket” knife.

The victim recognized Blanton, whom he has known for many years.

Blanton walked away and the victim returned to the M&J Tavern to get some paper towels to stop the bleeding on his arm.

The victim had no explanation as to why Blanton would vandalize one of the tires on his vehicle.

In addition to the previously listed charges, Blanton was also charged with second-degree criminal mischief for the damage he did to the victim’s vehicle tire, Russell said.

Mountain biker injured on Tiddlywinks Trail

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August 6, 2020

A mountain biker was injured on Tiddlywinks Trail in Bend on Thursday morning, according to the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.

Sgt. Nathan Garibay said DCSO received a call about the biker — 40-year-old Corina Davis from Seattle — at around 11 a.m., and they responded with two deputies and 13 search and rescue volunteers.

Responders evaluated the condition of Davis and transported her to a road using a wheeled litter. A DCSO pickup took her to an ambulance, which then transported her to St. Charles.

The rescue mission took over two and a half hours because of the location of the accident, terrain and lack of road access, according to Garibay. Two off-duty nurses stayed with Davis until first responder medics arrived.

 

City of Bend issues new safety, health requirements for lodging facilities

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August 6, 2020

The City of Bend has issued new rules for short term rentals and lodging properties to help stem the tide of COVID cases in the region.

The new regulations, agreed to at Wednesday’s city council meeting, remain in effect until the city enters Phase 2 of the statewide reopening plan.

· A 24-hour waiting between bookings whenever a guest has known or suspected COVID-19, for safety of housekeeping personnel and next guests

· Pre check-in communication with guests regarding COVID-19 health guidelines and community concerns

· Adherence to and support for Oregon Health Authority (OHA) mask and distancing guidelines, including limiting group sizes

· Rigorous sanitation plans and protections for the housekeeping staff

“A lot of operators are already doing these things,” said City Manager Eric King. “This just raises the bar for everyone.”

Prior to finalizing the lodging operations regulations, city staff worked with public health experts with Deschutes County Public Health and representatives of Bend’s hotel and short term rental industries who manage approximately 800 hotel room and 50 short term rentals, a significant share of Bend’s 3,128 hotel and motel rooms and 991 short term rentals.

▶️ Bend sends new message to potential visitors: Stay Home

“Like everyone else in our community, these operators expressed concerns about ensuring their facilities are sanitary, compliant with Oregon Health Authority guidelines, and that they have adequate plans in place to protect staff and guests should a confirmed COVID-19 infection occur in one of their facilities,” said Business Advocate Ben Hemson. “Generally, lodging facilities seem very open to increased sanitation plans and communication about public health best practices.”

“We need help from the lodging industry,” said Councilor Barb Campbell. “Their customers need to understand that the virus is here too. Visitors, locals, all of us need to wear our masks and physically distance from others.”

Gov. Kate Brown has required masks for customers, employees and visitors age five and older when indoors, and outdoors when six-foot physical distancing is not possible.

The City of Bend issued an order to make these rules enforceable through the City’s Police or Code Enforcement processes.