Laurel Brauns
Posted inNews

“Help Is On The Way”

$2 trillion federal stimulus will likely pass, including at least $1200 for everyone who filed taxes in ’18 or ’19
Laurel Brauns

The largest economic aid package in American history is expected to pass within days, following compromises from both sides of the aisle in Washington, D.C. According to Oregon U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley—who hosted a virtual press conference from Washington, D.C. with Oregon reporters this afternoon—Oregon will receive up to $1.5 billion in stabilization funds, of […]

Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides

Acupuncture For Dogs?

As Eastern medicine gains popularity and credibility among humans, local dogs appear to find the treatment beneficial
Laurel Brauns

Yogi the toy poodle is one of Dr. Steve Blauvelt’s smallest—and hardest working—patients. Yogi regularly volunteers for Partners in Care, a hospice organization in Bend. At only 4 pounds, 6 ounces and a “teddy bear” haircut, Yogi is “great with frail patients,” according to Yogi’s human, Bonnie Smith. But Yogi’s sympathetic qualities—which provide a source […]

Posted inSpecial Issues & Guides

Pets’ Free Pass By

Sorting out the myths of traveling with the pet you depend on for emotional support
Laurel Brauns

Some pet owners have taken advantage of laws meant to protect people with disabilities and mental illness. More and more pets are permitted on airplanes, in apartments and inside grocery stores and restaurants because they are considered Emotional Support Animals. Legitimate ESAs help their owners with mental health issues, ranging from anxiety and depression to […]

Posted inNews

Point of No Return

Local leaders and hospital administrators beg the public to “stay home now”
Laurel Brauns

Local officials and hospital administrators say Central Oregon is at a turning point. People in the community can either obey orders and stay put, or patients suffering with severe symptoms of COVID-19 will soon overwhelm local hospitals. During a virtual press conference today with nearly 50 attendees, local officials—joined by St. Charles Health System administrators—urged […]

Posted inNews

Nowhere To Go

The challenges of ‘shelter in place,’ with shelters full and public buildings shut
Laurel Brauns

For some homeless people in Bend, adhering to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s directive to stay 6 feet away from other people may be impossible. They sleep in tight quarters in shelters or may interact frequently with others at outdoor tent encampments. They cannot “stay home” if they are experiencing symptoms. A vast […]

Posted inNews

Updated: City Council Votes to Remove Transportation Bond

Wednesday’s Bend City Council convened, but with social distancing
Laurel Brauns

Update 3/18, 7:28 pm: The Bend City Council voted unanimously tonight to take the city’s proposed transportation bond off the May ballot. Below is the story we posted Tuesday night. O n Wednesday, the Bend City Council will meet in its usual location in the Council Chambers—with one big agenda item on the table. The […]

Posted inNews

Unemployment Numbers Spike from 800 to 18,500 in Two Days

As small businesses seek relief, Chamber, state and federal legislators work on bolstering an economy in freefall
Laurel Brauns

Numbers released Wednesday from the Oregon Employment Department show an economy in freefall due to COVID-19. OED had 800 new unemployment claims on Sunday. By Tuesday, that number was 18,500. The sharp uptick came after Gov. Kate Brown’s announcement that all bars and food service establishments would need to go to take-out or delivery only […]

Posted inNews

What Can Local Legislators Do?

Helt, Knopp work on solutions to keep money flowing for Oregonians
Laurel Brauns

The 2020 Oregon legislative session may have ended this month in a partisan showdown—but state legislators are working together now on solutions for Oregonians struggling with the fallout of closures from the coronavirus. Some members of the Oregon Legislature are meeting virtually as the Special Joint Committee on Coronavirus Response. The purpose of the committee […]

Posted inNews

Everything is Closed

As restaurants close and the school re-open date gets extended into late April, connections to the community move online
Laurel Brauns

In one never-ending week, the world has transformed in ways most of us have never experienced before. Here in Bend and throughout the state, the order is to self-quarantine and save the tests for those who need it most. The coronavirus took the life of the first Oregonian on Friday, a 70-year-old man at the […]

Posted inNews

New Local Phone Line Ready For Calls

Questions about the coronavirus will be answered by caregivers and county health services professionals
Laurel Brauns

St. Charles Health System and Deschutes County Health Services joined together to open a new phone line to answer questions from the public about COVID-19. Call 541-699-5109 Monday – Friday from 8am-5pm. The line is staffed by caregivers and county health services professionals. The service is free and open to individuals in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties who […]

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