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March 28, 2024

Klamath Basin News, Wednesday, 6/22 – Sentry Eagle Open House This Weekend at Kingsley Field

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The latest and most comprehensive coverage of local News, Sports, Business, and Community News stories in the Klamath Basin, Southern Oregon and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM / 102.5FM, The Herald & News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insuranceyour local health and Medicare agents.

Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Klamath Basin Weather

Today Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph in the afternoon. Overnight clear with a low near 48.


Thursday Sunny, with a high near 89. Overnight low of 50 degrees.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 94.
Saturday Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.
Sunday Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Monday Sunny, with a high near 92.

Today’s Headlines

A 32-year-old woman faces attempted murder, arson, animal abuse and car theft charges after allegedly lighting a pickup truck and camper trailer — that was occupied by a woman and her two dogs — on fire earlier this month.

Porsha Marie Weaver, 32, of Bonzana, has been arrested by the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office in connection to the alleged arson and car theft June 4.

The arson occurred near Bluebill Lane and Wigeon Drive. According to police, they were greeted by a woman who told them Weaver intentionally lit a truck and occupied trailer on fire and then fled the scene in a stolen motor vehicle.

The allegedly stolen car was recovered but Weaver alluded police until she “presented herself” at the Klamath sheriff’s office June 8.

Weaver is charged with attempted murder, arson in the first degree, animal abuse in the first degree, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and criminal mischief in the first degree.

THIS WEEKEND! SEE YOU THERE! The 173rd Fighter Wing to host Sentry Eagle Open House this weekend at Kingsley Field, Klamath Falls, Saturday, June 25 and admission is free!

“We are excited to welcome our community on base to share our mission and these fantastic events,” said Col. Lee Bouma, 173rd Fighter Wing commander. “This is an active military base and we must keep safety and security in mind during this event; therefore, the public needs to understand that there are certain items that are not allowed on base.”

Those items include weapons, firearms, explosives, alcohol, drugs, pets, and drones. Additionally, large bags and coolers will not be allowed on base. Purses, handbags, portable folding chairs, small camera bags, and diaper bags are allowed, but will be inspected upon entry. Individuals who would like to come on base are asked to have official identification ready as they may be asked to present it upon entry.

In addition to the standard F-15C ground and air operations, there will be multiple aerial demonstrations, static display aircraft, flight line operations viewing opportunities, recruiting events, and local vendors.

The A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team from Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona will be providing an aerial demonstration as well as a heritage flight with the P-51 Val-Halla. There will also be a B-17 Flying Fortress, the aircraft 2nd Lt. David. Kingsley, the base’s namesake, flew in during World War II, along with other historical warbirds. See the insert for the full schedule of events.

This year, the wing has partnered with Klamath County Fairgrounds and Basin Transit Service to provide bus shuttles between the fairgrounds and the base every half hour. Cars may park off Arthur Street behind Hanscom’s Bowling Alley. Buses are scheduled to begin running at 8:30 a.m. with the last bus leaving Kingsley Field at 3:30 p.m.

“We know that parking at the base during this event can often get backed up and take a long time,” said Capt. Brandon McGraw, Sentry Eagle 2022 project officer. “We hope that providing shuttle service to the event will help alleviate a lot of those issues and we highly encourage people to use the parking at the fairgrounds for ease of access.”

Limited parking will be available off-base, north of the main gate in the fields near the airport. There will be signs and people directing traffic flow. Handicapped parking will be on base and will require a state issued disabled parking permit. See the attached insert for specific driving directions to Kingsley Field based on which direction you are traveling from.

“We are listing alternate routes of entry to help alleviate traffic congestion and reduce your wait time,” said McGraw. “As always, remember to obey all traffic laws, and give right of way to pedestrians. We look forward to a safe and exciting event!”

The Sentry Eagle Open House is being held in conjunction with the Klamath Freedom Days events. Additional Klamath Freedom Days events this weekend include the Klamath Kruise Thursday through Sunday, and the Pat Green concert at the Klamath County Fairgrounds on Saturday night. https://www.klamathfc.org/events

Additional details such as schedules, parking plans, and more are available online at https://www.173fw.ang.af.mil/Home/Sentry-Eagle/

or on the 173rd FW Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/173FW

The town of Lakeview will come alive this weekend with a variety of celebrations centered around the annual Dr. Daly Days Celebration.

This celebration is especially significant because the fourth weekend in June marks the 100th anniversary of Daly Fund scholarships being awarded to Lake County students. Dr. Bernard Daly, who worked as a Lake County doctor for many years, is among the best known and remembered Irish immigrants because of his ongoing positive impacts on Lake County youth. He also was a county judge, state legislator, Oregon Agricultural College regent, rancher and banker.

The Daly Fund scholarship program was put into practice in 1922, two years after his death, when less than 2 percent of the nation’s young people went to college. The goal of the scholarship was, and remains, to financially help Lake County high school graduates attend college.

Daly’s history is explained in a book published earlier this year, “Bernard Daly’s Promise: The Enduring Legacy of a Place-Based Scholarship,” by Sam Stern.

Stern will be in Lakeview as the featured speaker at a Saturday night dinner at the Lakeview Elks Lodge. Cost of the meal is $30. 

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Now that summer is in full swing for local students, many school districts have started their summer meal programs.

To find the summer meal closest to your location, visit the Oregon Department of Education’s Summer Meals Map webpage.

Something new this summer is that meals will need to be consumed on-site.

Here in Klamath County, the Klamath County School District kicked off its summer lunch program Tuesday.  The program runs Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays through Aug. 18. A sack lunch with milk to be consumed on-site will be provided to children ages 1 to 18. Fruit or vegetables may be taken home.

There will be no meals available on July 4. Times are from 11:30 to noon at the following schools:

  • Peterson Elementary, Shasta Elementary,
  • Ferguson Elementary, Stearns Elementary,
  • Merrill Elementary
  • Mazama High School
  • Brixner Junior High School

During the pandemic, meals could be retrieved and taken away because the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) waived many of the program requirements, offering flexibilities to meal service operations in an effort to serve participants safely and minimize exposure to COVID-19. Several of those waivers are set to expire in the near future.

Nearly 200 educators gathered Monday in Klamath Falls for an all-day Education Summit featuring renowned speakers in K-12 social emotional learning and school culture.

The summit at the Running Y Conference Center was hosted by the Klamath County School District in partnership with Southern Oregon ESD. It was open to paraprofessionals, teachers, and other staff members from KCSD and Klamath Falls City Schools.

Keynote speaker Ricky Robertson covered the impact of ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and trauma on learning, behavior, and social emotional development. Breakout sessions with Robertson, Jody McVittle, and Roxana Amaral explored trauma-informed interventions, an introduction to Sound Discipline’s systemic work, and tools to build a classroom learning community.

The conference will help classroom educators build resiliency in students and foster the grit to accomplish challenging tasks. The district intends to build on this message with continuing professional development next year.

Sound Discipline is a non-profit organization that partners with educators and families to foster more equitable and healthier school systems and learning communities.

Around the state of Oregon

Oregon’s Minimum Wage Set To Increase July 1st

Minimum wage workers in Oregon will see an increase in pay starting July 1st.

In 2016, Oregon lawmakers created a three-tiered minimum wage. That means while many of Oregon’s minimum wage workers will see a new rate of $13.50 an hour, employees in the Portland area will get an increase to $14.75. Those are both increases of 75 cents per hour. Meanwhile, the minimum wage in rural parts of the state will jump by 50 cents to $12.50 an hour.

The Oregon Employment Department says roughly five percent of Oregon’s hourly workers earn the minimum wage.

This is the seventh and final increase that was written into the 2016 law. Next year, minimum wage increases will once again be indexed to inflation, though urban and rural areas will still have different rates.

“It’s not going to be a fixed (increase) like it has been for the last several years,” said Bob Uhlenkott, a researcher with the Oregon Employment Department. “Now it will float, based on the Consumer Price Index.”

Oregon’s rate remains among the highest minimum wages in the nation.

We want to keep you informed about COVID-19 in Oregon. Data are provisional and change frequently.This report covers the four-day period from June 17 to June 20, 2022.

For more information, including COVID-19 data by county, visit our dashboard: http://ow.ly/46fP50JE5n2

Oregon map shows Coos, Curry & Hood River Counties  at "high" community level. Low level: Stay current on vaccines & boosters. If symptoms, get tested. Medium: If you're at high risk, consider mask and other precautions. Stay current on vaccines & boosters. If symptoms, get tested. High: Masking indoors in public recommended. Stay current on vaccines & boosters. If symptoms, get tested. If high risk, more precautions

As a rule addressing protections for workers against potential exposure to wildfire smoke is set to take effect July 1, Oregon OSHA encourages employers and workers to use new resources developed by the division to help understand and comply with the rule.

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Free resources are now available online include:

Wildfire smoke online course: Designed to satisfy certain training requirements found in the wildfire smoke rule, the course addresses such topics as air quality measurements, health effects and symptoms, the proper use of filtering facepiece respirators, and other safety measures.

Fact sheet about the key requirements of the wildfire smoke rule: This six-page document highlights the rule’s key overall requirements, offering a reader-friendly summary of what employers and workers need to know about the rule. 

Oregon OSHA adopted wildfire smoke and heat rules in May. Both rules encompass initial protective measures for workers who rely on employer-provided housing, including as part of farm operations. The heat rule took effect June 15. Resources to help understand and comply with the heat rule are available, including the recently released sample plan for the heat illness prevention plan and sample plans for rest breaks and acclimatization. 

  • Both rules were proposed in February, following a development process that included worker and community stakeholder listening sessions, input and review by rule advisory committees, and input from employer and labor stakeholders. The rules build on temporary emergency requirements that were adopted in summer 2021 following several months of stakeholder and community engagement.
  • The wildfire smoke rule addresses an array of exposure assessments and controls, and training and communication measures. The heat rule requires access to shade and cool water, preventive cool-down breaks, and prevention plans and training.

Oregon OSHA adopted wildfire smoke and heat rules in May. Both rules encompass initial protective measures for workers who rely on employer-provided housing, including as part of farm operations. The heat rule took effect June 15. Resources to help understand and comply with the heat rule are available, including the recently released sample plan for the heat illness prevention plan and sample plans for rest breaks and acclimatization. 

Both rules were proposed in February, following a development process that included worker and community stakeholder listening sessions, input and review by rule advisory committees, and input from employer and labor stakeholders. The rules build on temporary emergency requirements that were adopted in summer 2021 following several months of stakeholder and community engagement.

The wildfire smoke rule addresses an array of exposure assessments and controls, and training and communication measures. The heat rule requires access to shade and cool water, preventive cool-down breaks, and prevention plans and training.

Child care reimbursement rates are increasing for providers caring for children of families who receive support with child care expenses through the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS). 

ODHS pays child care providers for child care provided to families receiving child care assistance through the Employment Related Day Care (ERDC) and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. 

The new child care reimbursement rates are effective June 1, 2022 and increasing due to the passage of House Bill 4005 of the 2022 Legislative Session.

The average monthly reimbursement rates for full-time care are increasing by:

  • 18% for family, friend and neighbor care
  • Between 6 and 20% for child care centers 
  • Between 11 and 25% for licensed home-based care

Oregonians can apply online for ERDC, TANF and other government supports online at One.Oregon.Gov or by phone at 1-800-699-9075.

On Friday, June 17, 2022, at approximately 4:30 a.m., OSP Fish & Wildlife Troopers received information that a young buck deer was shot at the Reedsport Public Boat Launch parking lot in the town of Reedsport.

Investigation revealed that the deer was shot on-site with a handgun at approximately 3:00 a.m. The city was extra busy at this time, as a chainsaw carving competition and a rock and gem show were occurring over the weekend. Several people were camped nearby in campers and trailers.

OSP Fish & Wildlife Troopers are seeking public assistance identifying the subject .  that shot the young buck and left it to waste. Reedsport Police Department and Reedsport Public Works are assisting with the investigation.

OSP Fish & Wildlife Division is urging anyone with information about this case to call the Oregon State Police Tip-line at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Please, reference case number SP22-147967

Independent Candidate For Oregon Governor Visits Medford

Betsy Johnson, the Independent candidate for governor of Oregon,  visited Medford on Monday.

She connected with voters over a beer at Common Block Brewing Company as part of her campaign to fill the seat being vacated by the outgoing Kate Brown. Dozens of community members came out to see her and get a better sense of who they might be voting for.

“This is a moment in time when enough Oregonians are feeling that their government is not working for them, whether it’s on crime and lawlessness, housing, or schools,” Johnson said.

Oregon has not had a governor unaffiliated with either party take office since 1930. In the past, Johnson has been both a Republican and a Democrat, serving in the Oregon legislature for twenty years before resigning last year to focus on her run for Governor.

Johnson says that people feel badly served by the current state government, although she acknowledges she herself has been a member of the legislature for many years.

“I was, and I railed against it hard. I have a well-earned reputation for being pretty grumpy with state agencies and pretty hard on budgets when they weren’t showing up,” she said.

Johnson is running against Democratic Speaker of the House Tina Kotek and Republican House Minority Leader Christine Drazan. One area Johnson may be at odds with the electorate in Oregon is her history of voting against gun control legislation, particularly in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde.

When asked what she would say to someone who would like her to be stronger on that issue, she pointed to recent statements that she would support stricter measures.

“I’ve softened my position. This is a profound moment in time, and I’m a responsible gun owner. I don’t shy away from that. You cannot punish responsible gun owners, conversely, we’ve got to figure out how to just stop this gun-no gun debate,” she said.

Johnson was not on the ballot in last month’s primary for either party and is still looking to acquire the appropriate number of signatures to be eligible in the general election in November.

During a lengthy Q&A period on Monday, several topics came up, such as what she would do to combat homelessness, as well as how she would ensure the Rogue Valley gets a better seat at the table when it comes to statewide issues in Salem.

“I like her. I like her spunk. I’m a Republican. I know she’s coming from a Democratic side but she’s very centrist. In order to bring this polarized state and nation together in some way, we have to have somebody in the middle,” said attendee Lisa North.

When asked what her number one priority in office would be, Johnson said tamping down crime and lawlessness in Portland.

Truck Crash Shuts Down Northbound I-5 in Medford

UPDATE 6/21 5:17 pm: All northbound I5 lanes now open. Southbound lanes are now congested due to a secondary crash which ODOT said has been cleared.

UPDATE 4:25 pm: Interstate 5’s northbound slow lane is now open, the fast lane is still closed.

A truck crash has blocked all northbound Interstate 5 traffic north of Exit 27. The northbound on-ramp is also blocked.

A new grant program aims to help members of the Oregon’s nine federally recognized Native American tribes with the cost of attending college next academic year.

The Oregon Tribal Student Grant program will cover attendance costs, beyond what federal and state financial aid cover, at eligible colleges or universities in the state. Students can use the money for tuition, and they can also apply it to other expenses like housing, books and transportation.

The Oregon Legislature approved the program for one year. Already, more than 500 people have started applications, according to the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission. State officials encourage students to apply for the grant by Aug. 1, which is the “priority deadline.”

Tribal representatives including Sandy Henry, the education director for the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians, were involved in the rule-making process for the grant program. 

For passengers flying out of or arriving at busy U.S. airports on Monday, many of them were greeted with dozens of flight cancellations in addition to the thousands of already scrubbed flights nationwide.

Thousands of passengers were left stranded at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with some forced to sleep in the airport while others were forced to hunt for available rooms at hotels nearby – accommodations that they wanted the airlines to cover.

Delta officials provided three reasons: challenges with air traffic control, weather and unscheduled absences.

Delta also said it sincerely apologizes to its customers over the late and canceled flights.

The Federal Aviation Administration limits the number of hours airline pilots can fly each month to 100 with no exceptions.

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A man facing charges in Oregon and California who escaped from a psychiatric unit in Bend is back in custody.

41-year-old Jeremy Allbritton was reported missing on Monday morning.

Then at around 11:20 p.m. that evening, St. Charles Medical Center staff called 911 to report that Allbritton had arrived back at the hospital.

Bend police and Deschutes County deputies arrested Allbritton a short time later. Allbritton faces charges of coercion, menacing, fourth-degree assault and harassment, as well as two Deschutes County warrants, a California warrant and a violation of his release agreement.

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