Klamath Basin News, Monday, Apr 18 – Klamath Tribes Sue Biden Administration Over Water Releases of Upper Klamath Lake

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Monday, April 18, 2022

Klamath Basin Weather

Today A 20% chance of rain. Snow level 5200 feet rising to 5900 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Windy with gusts to 35mph. Overnight, rain mixed with snow flurries, low of 30 degrees. Snow level 5900 feet lowering to 4200 feet after midnight .

Tuesday A chance of snow showers before 11am, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 50. West southwest wind 8 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Overnight, cloudy with a low around 33.
Wednesday A slight chance of snow before 8am, then a slight chance of rain and snow between 8am and 11am, then rain likely after 11am with a high near 51.
Thursday A chance of snow before 11am, then rain likely. Snow level rising to 4700 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 49. Chance of precipitation is 70%.
Friday A slight chance of snow before 11am, then a slight chance of rain. Snow level rising to 4800 feet in the afternoon. Partly sunny, with a high near 51.Friday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 29.
Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.

Today’s Headlines

The Klamath Tribes are suing the Biden administration over its decision to release some water from Upper Klamath Lake for use by drought-besieged farmers and other irrigators.

That’s not the only grief the U.S. government is getting over its decision to release a small amount of water in the Klamath Basin as the region faces severe drought conditions. Oregon-based Klamath Tribes contend the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s decision to release 50,000-acre feet of water for the Klamath Project violates the Endangered Species Act (ESA). 

The tribes are made up of the Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin peoples in southern Oregon and northern California. The Klamath Tribes argue the release of water will hurt the Lost River sucker fish and shortnose sucker fish. Both are listed as endangered species. Don Gentry, the Oregon’s tribe’s chairman, has written the heads of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service notifying them of the intent to sue the government alleging ESA violations.

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will provide 50,000 acre-feet of water this season to Klamath Project irrigators as the region grapples with a third consecutive year of extreme drought conditions. That is about 15% of what farmers say they need from the Klamath Reclamation Project, which gets irrigation allotments from the dammed river water in Upper Klamath Lake.

Farmers did not get any water allocations last year as the region faces the severe drought conditions. Gentry said in his April 14 letter to USBR Acting Commissioner David Palumbo and USFWS Director Marsha Williams that a planned Klamath water release will negative impact spawning for the sucker fish.

It will be the third lawsuit the tribes has brought against the federal government in the last five years, Gentry said in his letter.

Has this week’s wet and wild wintry weather made an impact on the water year and the drought for the state of Oregon?

In the Willamette Valley and Northwestern Oregon, yes. The rest of the state, not so much. Oregon climatologist Larry O’Neill says that coming into this storm, we were having a very rapid meltdown of the snowpack across the state. And what this storm did is — it’s cold, and it looks like it will remain cold for at least the next week, So it will preserve what snow we do have,”  and he adds, “just a couple of days ago we’re looking at possibly an historic early melt-out, one of the earliest melt-outs, four to six weeks early; now, we’re looking more along the lines of one to three weeks early.

The last storm even managed to head farther south than most had been going, bringing some highway-closing snow to the Siskiyou Summit Willamette Pass, and Lake of the Woods highways. O’Neill says . in terms of our water supply, that was very good news, because it meant a little more water in a region that was staring down an historically bad water season. What that might help with is maybe a little more irrigation water, a little less pressure on the municipal water supplies, and possibly a little bit more water for stream flow and fish habitat. J

ust in the past week, snowpack in the Willamette Basin went up from 73% to 102%. In the Hood/Sandy/Lower Deschutes it went from 100% to 127%. In the Rogue/Umpqua Basin it went up from 34% to 63%.

For the rest of the region, the numbers aren’t so positive. Unlike California, which can and does move water from the wetter northern part of the state to the drier areas in the south, Oregon does not have that kind of infrastructure set up to do that.

A custodian, a kindergarten teacher, a bus driver trainer, a special education resource specialist, a paraprofessional, a band director, and two high school teachers are receiving the Klamath County School District’s top honor this year – a Crystal Apple Award.

The district’s Crystal Apple awardees personify educators who go above and beyond for students. They will be recognized Tuesday at KCSD’s annual Crystal Apple Awards Gala.

The gala begins at 7 p.m. at the Ross Ragland Theater. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free and the public is encouraged to attend.

Students from Henley High School and Stearns and Merrill elementary schools will perform at the event.

Glen Szymoniak, superintendent of the Klamath County School District, said the Crystal Apple Awards represent a meaningful way to recognize and thank those who inspire and support students and coworkers.

Here are the district’s Crystal Apple Awards winners: Cynthia Fee, Mark Teel, Meghan Miller, Melinda Downing, Molly McAuliffe-Hepper, Maggie Hill, Rob Izzett and Lori Nealy.

Friends of the Children of the Klamath Basin invites the community to its annual fundraising program and auction, called Friend Raiser, Thursday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m.

The event is presented by Lithia Ford of Klamath Falls. Party Packs of wine, goodies, and coupons are available for home parties, with or without gift certificates included for take-out meals from Thai Orchid Cafe or Harbor Clubhouse.

Seats and tables for site parties are available at the Collman Dairy Barn, Fable Restaurant, and Running Y Lodge. All must be purchased online at the event site, along with raffle tickets for a $1,250 Holliday Jewelry gift certificate.

Bidding for silent auction items begins online May 12 at 5 p.m. Bidding for live auction items begins online May 19 at noon. Auction items range from unique handcrafted items to dining and travel experiences.

Four candidates for position No.1 on the board of Klamath County Commissioners participated in a forum at Oregon Tech sponsored by the chamber of commerce on Thursday night.

Allen Headley, Dave Henslee, Todd Gessele, and Brandon Fowler, all of whom will appear on the primary ballot May 17, appeared onstage.

A recurring theme on the evening was the use and distribution of county resources, with all candidates agreeing that they would first focus on public safety and supporting the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office.

All four agreed that the first step to growing a successful community starts with making the people feel safe. Henslee also brought up the need for more housing, saying that housing was one of the most important resources to the county.

Headley brought up education and discussed the need to expand on our current higher education organizations and bolster their internships and trade offerings. All of the candidates said focusing on public safety would help the county grow in industry and population, thus expanding the business market of the area. On the public safety topic, the wildfires that have plagued the county in recent years were brought up. Community members wanted to know what the role of the commissioners would be in managing wildfire emergencies, and how to mitigate them altogether.

Fowler reiterated that there needs to be more funding for emergency services. He said the funding should not stop with law enforcement and should be expanded to fire departments and other public safety agencies. The extra funding would allow, according to Fowler, more suppression and prevention tools and strategies.

Headley suggested cutting through and getting rid of federal red tape that prevented the management of fuels.

Henslee also wanted to get rid of the red tape, but suggested that there needs to be funding and grants available for agencies to manage forests and fuels.

There are 19 candidates listed on the Republican side of the Oregon gubernatorial race. Four of those candidates appeared in front of Klamath County voters last week at Oregon Tech in a forum sponsored by the county’s chamber of commerce in an effort to answer questions and win over the Republican voters of the county ahead of the primary that is set for May 17.

Former Superintendent of Schools for the Alsea School District Marc Thielman, tech CEO Nick Hess, attorney Bob Tiernan, and CEO Jessica Gomez were in attendance. Brandon Merritt and Christine Drazen were originally scheduled to attend, but both were unable to make it because of adverse travel conditions.

The four candidates answered a litany of questions that were written by attendees on index cards. The questions, asked by Klamath County Chamber of Commerce vice president Joe Spendolini, ranged in content from the Second Amendment, to business structure and tax burdens.

Generally, the candidates were in agreement on most issues. Some candidates were more extreme on certain issues, but all of the candidates seemed to agree and build upon the answers of their opponents.

The Republican primary is scheduled for May 17. The top Republican candidate and the top Democratic candidate will appear alongside third party candidates on the general election ballot in November.

Klamath IDEA announced today that it will host the next IDEA Talk at Brevada Brewhouse on April 27.

The event will feature an Oregon digital banking entrepreneur, Siva Narendra. Narendra is chief executive officer of tyfone inc., a digital banking technology company he co-founded in Portland in 2004. The company is focused on small community banks and credit unions. He has served as its CEO since 2011.

Narendra also co-founded iCashe, a digital payment fintech company building a community commerce solution called purs.digital, and has served as its president for the past year. He is an inventor with more than 100 patents. In addition, inventions he patented have led to the launch of OneIDLab, a digital security company.

Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, Narendra was a Senior Staff Scientist at Intel’s Corporate Technology Group where his contributions led to the issuance of 75 patents. He is a published author and has more than 60 peer-reviewed papers. In addition to serving on the boards of the two technology companies he founded, he is on the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines. Narendra also served as a board member at OnPoint Community Credit Union from 2017 to 2021. Narendra holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institution of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The event will be held at Brevada Brewhouse from 5:30-8:30 pm. Food and one non-alcoholic drink is included in the $25 per person ticket price. Beer and wine will be available for purchase. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for networking and the Talk will start at 6:15 p.m.

Attendance will be limited to 40; tickets can be purchased in advance at Facebook.com/KlamathIDEA or at KlamathIDEA.org on our calendar page.


A 28-year-old man faces felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault charges over an alleged domestic incident in Chiloquin earlier this month.

The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office said Samuel McConathy was arrested April 12 in relation to charges from an April 5 incident. Police said McConathy’s 21-year-old wife told deputies her husband “grabbed her by the neck, applied enough force to restrict her breathing” and “also struck the left side of her face several times with his closed fist” during an argument The woman said she left the residence and called 911.

Officers said McContathy fled the scene but he was located at another Chiloquin residence and arrested. McConathy also faced assault, reckless driving, DUI and firearms charges in 2021, according to court records. His attorney has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Incoming freshmen at nearly all of Oregon’s public universities will pay more for tuition this fall as schools struggle with inflation and budget deficits and face uncertain enrollment with COVID-19 still lingering.

Rate increases range from 2% to 7% for Oregon residents across the state’s seven public universities.

Oregon Tech has proposed the largest increase, raising annual tuition and fees by 7% or nearly $700 for Oregon residents attending full time and more than $2,000 for out-of-state students.

At every university, student tuition and fees make up more than half of revenue. About a quarter comes from state appropriations and the rest from other sources, according to the Oregon Department of Education. Enrollment among all but one of the state’s public universities – Oregon State – was down in 2021-22 from 2019, before the pandemic.

Students attending Oregon Tech’s campuses in Klamath Falls and Portland might pay 7% more in tuition and fees beginning this fall. Because the increase is above 5%, the change has to be approved by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission.  Southern Oregon University’s Board of Trustees has not yet received a proposal for 2022-23 tuition.

They’ll meet April 22 to discuss options, according to Joe Mosley, director of community and media relations.

Around the state of Oregon

Oregon’s 2022 Primary Election is coming up on May 17, and Oregonians should start to see Voters’ Pamphlets and ballots arrive in the mail in just a few weeks.

The Oregon Secretary of State’s Office has launched a campaign ahead of the May Primary to explain how closed primaries work. The campaign’s goal is to get information out about the process and to eliminate misinformation.

Both the Republican and Democratic primaries are closed, which means only people registered with those parties can vote for their candidates. The deadline to change party affiliation is April 26th. Oregon’s Primary Election is on May 17th.

In the meantime, if you’re planning to vote in the May election, here are the three most important dates you need to know:

April 26: Last day to update voter registration

If you’re planning to register to vote, update your mailing address or change your party affiliation ahead of the primary, you must do so by 11:59 p.m. on April 26 for the change to take effect in time.

You can check your voter registration status using the Oregon Secretary of State’s My Vote online system. Enter your name and date of birth and the system will tell you whether you’re registered as an active voter, as well as your current party affiliation and the address on file where your next ballot will be mailed.

You can also register to vote or update your registration information through My Vote. You’ll need an Oregon driver’s license, permit or state ID card to complete the process online. 

If you do not have an ID, the system will generate a voter registration card that you will need to print, sign and mail or hand-deliver to your county elections office. You can also print out a blank card to fill out by hand.

April 27: Start checking your mailbox for a ballot

Ballots will start being mailed to voters with Oregon addresses on April 27 (military and overseas ballots are mailed several weeks earlier), and the last of them will be mailed by May 3. Absentee or replacement ballots will be mailed by May 12.

Once you have your ballot, you can fill it out and submit it at any time either by mailing it back in or dropping it off at a ballot drop box.  You can track the status of your ballot – both while it’s on its way to you and once you’ve submitted it – through My Vote.

Most Oregon political parties hold closed primaries, which means your ballot may look different depending on your party registration. In the race for Oregon governor, for example, registered Democrats will only be able to vote for Democratic candidates. The winning candidates from each party’s primary will face each other in the General Election in November.

Some nonpartisan races may be decided based purely on the May election results. For example, there are two Portland City Council races on the May 17 ballot, and if one of the candidates gets at least 50% of the primary vote, they’ll win the seat directly. If none of them hit that mark, the top two finishers will advance to a runoff in November.

May 17: Election Day

If you haven’t already submitted your completed ballot, this is the last day to do it. Ballots must be submitted at a drop box by 8 p.m. or mailed and postmarked by 8 p.m. on May 17 to be counted.

In prior years, mail-in ballots needed to be received on or before Election Day in order to be counted, but Oregon passed a law in 2021 that allows mail-in ballots to be counted even if they are received up to seven days after Election Day.

However, ballots must still be mailed AND postmarked before 8 p.m. on Election Day to count, and it’s important to remember that newly dropped-off mail does not get postmarked until it has been picked up from the mailbox and processed at a post office.

In other words, if it’s 6 p.m. on May 17 and you still haven’t submitted your ballot, it’s very likely too late to send it through the mail. The best way to make sure your ballot gets counted is to find your nearest drop box and deposit it before 8 p.m.

County election offices and the Secretary of State’s office typically begin posting early election results shortly after the 8 p.m. submission deadline, with periodic updates in the subsequent hours and days as more ballots are counted.

Oregon Employment Department Economic update

On April 13, the Employment Department released the March unemployment rate and jobs numbers for Oregon.

Oregon’s unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in March. As of March, the state’s unemployment was only slightly higher than the record-low 3.4% we saw in the months right before the pandemic recession.

Oregon employers added 102,000 jobs in 2021. Solid job gains have continued into the first few months of 2022. 

Oregon employers added 5,600 jobs in March. Construction saw the biggest gains, adding 1,500 jobs over the month. Financial activities added 1,400 jobs. These gains occurred in the real estate and rental and leasing part of the sector.

In contrast, professional and business services lost 900 jobs in March.  Those losses were concentrated in the administrative and waste services part of the sector. That includes businesses like temp agencies and call centers, among others.

Oregon has recovered 87% of the jobs lost in the pandemic recession. This is similar to what’s happening in the U.S., which has regained 93% of the jobs lost in spring 2020.

According to Gail Krumenauer, state employment economist, “There still seems to be a misperception out there that workers just aren’t coming back to jobs yet, or that people are just leaving the workforce altogether. Actually, in March, Oregon had more people in the labor force than ever before. At the same time, we also had a larger share of people ages 16 years and older participating in the labor force than we’ve seen in about a decade.”

She continues, “Even though inflation has been casting a shadow over the economy in recent months, we’ve been seeing good job growth and ongoing declines in unemployment.”

Two years into the Covid pandemic, an agency progress report

In 2020, the pandemic caused hundreds of Oregon businesses to close, creating an unprecedented and immediate surge of unemployment claims.The unemployment rate skyrocketed in three months from 3.4% in January 2020 to 13.3% in April 2020. The number of unemployed Oregonians increased by 279%, and the number of unemployment insurance benefit claims filed per month increased by 800%. The scale and pace of this job loss was like nothing seen before in Oregon or the nation. 

Just like other state employment agencies across the country, the Oregon Employment Department, having weathered previous recessions, was overwhelmed with the torrent of Oregonians seeking benefits. This left people in desperate need of help, who waited for hours on hold. 

Now, two years later, the department has improved in many ways. As we move past the second anniversary of the beginning of the pandemic in Oregon, Acting Director David Gerstenfeld commented on the challenges and accomplishments the Employment Department experienced, as well as the department’s status in April 2022. 

“We’ve resolved the initial claims backlog, with more than $12 billion in benefits paid from March 2020 to today,” Gerstenfeld said. “That’s 12 billion that went back to help people and communities in Oregon; $12 billion in two years compared to an average of about $520 million per year in pre-pandemic times.” 

In addition, the phone wait times for the unemployment insurance contact center have improved dramatically. As of April 1, 2022, staff answer 98% of calls in five minutes or less. 

One of the ways the department measures its success as an agency is to compare Oregon to other states. Two of these measures are whether state agencies get first benefit payments to claimants within 21 days, and what percentage of claims are adjudicated within 21 days.

“Even though these core state measures tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor regarding customer service have some serious flaws, they still help paint a general picture,” said Gerstenfeld. 

For first-payment timeliness, Oregon ranked 34th in the nation in the first quarter of 2020, while in the first quarter of 2022, Oregon ranked eighth. For adjudication timeliness, Oregon ranked 45th in the first quarter of 2020, and now in the first quarter of 2022, Oregon rankedfifth.  

Gerstenfeld explained, “During the past two years, Oregon improved from nearly last in the nation to among the top states in the country. We did what was best for Oregonians and focused on helping those who had been waiting the longest – even though we knew it would initially not look good in how the federal performance measures are reported. That approach, and the strategic changes we made to how we help Oregonians, means Oregon has made great gains that many other states are not seeing.”

Gerstenfeld: “We look forward to continued growth and evolution…”

While the Oregon Employment Department has improved its performance in many key areas, Gerstenfeld acknowledged there is still more work to do. “We have done a lot to improve, and we know it’s not enough – we are committed to continuing to improve. While we continue to work on pandemic-related effects on our Unemployment Insurance system (like overpayment waivers and federal program resolution), we remain agile and focused on improving the customer experience. We look forward to the continued growth and evolution of the Employment Department, as we continue providing the essential services that impact the people, businesses, and communities of Oregon.” 

### The Oregon Employment Department (OED) is an equal opportunity agency. Everyone has a right to use OED programs and services. OED provides free help. Some examples are sign language and spoken language interpreters, written materials in other languages, braille, large print, audio and other formats. If you need help, please call 971-673-6400. TTY users call 711. You can also ask for help at OED_Communications@employ.oregon.gov.

The number of working-age immigrants living in Oregon has fallen by nearly a third over the past five years, reversing decades of steady increases and contributing to the state’s labor shortage.

Oregon counts a little more than 200,000 foreign-born workers between the ages of 25 and 54, according to U.S. Census data compiled by Josh Lehner with the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. That’s down from nearly 300,000 in 2017.

Historically, about 80% of foreign-born Oregonians in that prime age bracket have jobs, according to Lehner, roughly the same percentage as the overall population. So that pencils out to about 55,000 fewer workers than if immigration had continued at the same pace it did from 1997 to 2014.

FBI Issues Warnings on Sextortion Targeting Kids

The FBI is sounding the alarm on increased efforts by cybercriminals targeting kids in what they call “sextortion.”

The FBI says it’s happening in alarming numbers, tens of thousands of cases around the country, and six cases here in Oregon in just the past couple months, with criminals most recently specifically targeting young boys.

Poster encouraging young people to report sextortion to the FBI if they are a victim.

According to the FBI, a “sextortion” case typically starts with an adult predator tricking a child, often a teen, into thinking they’re having an online conversation with someone their age.

“They’re able to feign a relationship with these kids” said Kieran Ramsey, special agent in charge of the FBI in Portland “And manipulate that conversation into a deeper, more private, more intimate realm.”

Then comes the “ask,” for a photo.

“Perhaps at first, it’s just a little flirtatious, but then it progresses. Progresses to nudity. Progresses to video, and really explicit video,” said Ramsey.

Ramsey said these criminals used to just ask for more photos or videos, threatening to share the material the victim already sent if they don’t comply, but recently that’s changed, with the predators now demanding money.

“And it’s disturbing as a parent, I’m a dad, but in law enforcement as well to know that these are criminals that are specifically targeting our children, our kids,” he said.

Ramsey said the criminals have recently shifted their approach, specifically targeting teenage boys.

Talking about worst case scenarios, Ramsey said “Sadly, we’ve seen cases across the country where the bad outcomes for kids include self-harm even to the point of suicide, because of that embarrassment.”

For parents, the FBI recommends having honest conversations with their kids about this threat. Parents should also know what social media apps and gaming platforms their kids use. They should go as far knowing the usernames and passwords for their kids’ profiles, and they should do regular spot checks on their kids’ conversations.

Many teenagers may see this as an invasion of privacy, but Ramsey recommends telling them that there are criminals out there looking to exploit them right now.

“Because this person says they’re my age and because they like the same things I do does not necessarily mean they are who they say they are,” he said. “If they took that extra step to know who they’re dealing with, perhaps we could eliminate this problem altogether.”

MORE INFO: https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/stop-sextortion-youth-face-risk-online-090319

If you or your child believes they have been the target of a sextortion attempt, you can contact your local FBI field office for help. You can also use the FBI’s internet crime complaint center and file a complaint online. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/portland

Environmental Cleanup Continues After Medford Fuel Center Fire

Environmental agencies are continuing efforts to clean up the spill of petroleum products into Bear Creek after Tuesday’s three-alarm fire at a fuel depot near downtown Medford.

A “light sheen” of oil has been detected on the Rogue River, near the confluence of Bear Creek, but a spokesperson from the EPA said they don’t expect a significant amount of oil to have entered the river.

“There have been no visible impacts to fish and wildlife,” said Bill Dunbar with EPA Region 10. According to Dunbar there are also currently no concerns about drinking water quality.

The fire at Carson Fuel Pacific Pride destroyed four buildings that housed a handful of businesses, including Sky High Smoke n’ Accessories, La Clinica, Southern Oregon Printing, La Mota Medford and more.

Agencies estimate more than 12,000 gallons of various petroleum products were released during the fire. The majority was mechanical lube oil, as well as diesel, gasoline and kerosine.

There is no current estimate on the volume that flowed into nearby Bear Creek, but agencies including the EPA, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and NEXGEN Logistics, LLC are cleaning up the spill. Contractors have deployed 400 feet of oil absorbent booms on Bear Creek in an attempt to contain the petroleum released in the waterway.

Biologists have been responding to oiled waterfowl in the creek since the fire. Environmental nonprofit Rogue Riverkeeper posted on social media on Friday that they are conducting independent tests for water contamination in Bear Creek.

According to the Medford Police Department on Friday there have been no arrests made in connection with the fire and the cause remains under investigation.

Drunk Driver Crashes Into Grants Pass In-N-Out Drive-Thru Sign

Friday morning at approximately 1:44 AM Grants Pass Police Officers were summoned to the corner of NE 7th St. at NE Morgan Ln. regarding a vehicle that had crashed into the In-N-Out Burger sign.

Following a thorough investigation, Raul Ortiz, who had been the driver of the vehicle, was arrested and lodged for suspicion of driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicants. Considerable damage was sustained by the iconic burger sign, but luckily there were no serious injuries. Grants Pass Police Department

It‘s difficult to predict how COVID-19 will affect our lives in the future. But we can do our best to prepare for what may come.

There are simple steps we can take to better protect ourselves and our family in the event of a future COVID-19 surge, times of high community spread or a when someone gets sick with COVID-19.

We can stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters.

We can keep high-quality masks, COVID-19 tests and thermometers in our homes so they are available when we need them during times of high community spread or if we get sick.

We can strategize for how we can stay away from others if we get sick and how we will access treatment.

Visit our blog for tips on COVID-19 preparedness from Dr. Dean Sidelinger, state health officer and state epidemiologist: http://ow.ly/aFqk50IKXOq

Preparing for future waves of COVID-19. Keep an eye on community spread. Keep COVID-19 tests at home. Seek routine check-ups or other health care you may have delayed before. Know your risk of severe COVID-19 illness. Keep high-quality masks at home. Have a plan if you or someone in your home tests positive.
There are several treatments being used for COVID-19, for different kinds of people facing different risks. COVID-19 treatments are in extremely short supply around the country. If you get sick with COVID-19, call your health care provider to see if you're eligible. If you're not sure who to contact, call 211. Don't go to the emergency room to seek these treatments.

While we currently have highly effective vaccines that protect against the virus that causes COVID-19, medical research continues to identify effective treatments.There are several treatments being used for COVID-19. They are for different kinds of people facing different risks, and they are in extremely short supply around the country.

If you get sick with COVID-19, contact your health care provider or 211 to see if you’re eligible for COVID-19 treatment. Please don’t go to the emergency room to seek these treatments.To learn more about COVID-19 treatments, visit https://govstatus.egov.com/or-oha-covid-19-treatments.

Two members of the Gypsy Joker Outlaw Motorcycle Club in Oregon are being sentenced to life in federal prison for the kidnapping, torture, and murder of a former club member.

Mark Dencklau was the Portland clubhouse president, and Chad Erickson was a club member. They accused the victim, Robert Huggins, of breaking into Dencklau’s home in Woodburn, tying up his girlfriend and stealing multiple guns. Huggins was an estranged member of the club. He was kidnapped, tortured, and killed. His body was left in a Clark County field. Dencklau and Erickson were convicted during a trial in December.

A tip from the City of Portland’s Fraud Hotline has led to an investigation of spending in the Park Ranger program.

The Portland Auditor’s office found Park Ranger staff spent 66-hundred dollars on food purchases that didn’t follow the city’s policy. A manager also used City funds to buy a hat for 113 dollars that wasn’t part of the ranger uniform. The Parks Bureau conducted its own investigation and increased purchasing oversight, monitoring, and training. It did not agree to all of the recommendations from the Auditor’s Office.

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