Klamath Basin News, Thursday, Nov. 2 – Mads Tolling and The Mads Men At Ross Ragland On Friday, Nov 3rd; What’s on the Ballot for Nov. 7 Election Day

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 and News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance, your Local Health and Medicare agents. Call 541-882-6476.

Thursday, November 2, 2023

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
Rain likely with a high near 59. Light winds southwest 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible. Overnight a 50% chance or rain, with a low around 39 degrees.
Friday
A 30 percent chance of showers, mainly after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 61. Rain expected overnight.
Saturday
Rain. High near 57. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Sunday

A slight chance of showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain after 11am. Snow level 7000 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 55.

 

Today’s Headlines

Election Day is coming – November 07, 2023

Klamath County residents received ballots this week containing one measure — a proposed five-year levy on behalf of funding the Klamath County museums.

Measure 18-131 asks voters whether they are willing to increase the current tax rate of 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value to 10 cents to fund the Baldwin Hotel, Fort Klamath Museum and Klamath County Museum.

Republican Rep. E. Werner Reschke presented his argument against the levy during a People’s Rights meeting earlier this month and again in an op-ed provided to the Herald and News.

In the meeting, Reschke asked attendees what the purpose of the proposed tax increase is. Some said it was for the purpose of setting a precedent so that other county departments might also submit ballot measures for additional funding. Some expressed concerns of misappropriation.

According to the ballot measure, the levy would provide sufficient funding for much needed repairs and maintenance of the museums.

When asked whether the county could spend those funds on anything other than the museums, Reschke said the funds could not be used for anything other than the museums.

County Commissioner Kelley Minty said it’s always a struggle to find the funding needed by all departments in the county, especially with rapid inflation in recent years.

Should it pass, the annual tax rate for a home valued at $150,000 would be $15.

(HeraldandNews.com)

 

Klamath County commissioners on Tuesday approved the county’s strategic plan during their weekly business meeting.

In February, the board contracted with the consulting company Moss Adams to assist in creating a 5-year strategic plan for the county. Together, the board and Moss Adams, along with the newly formed Strategic Plan Steering Committee held Town Halls via ZOOM and in person as well as online surveys for the community at large to share their voices in prioritizing the needs of Klamath County.

Named Imagine Klamath with the vision of creating a safe and thriving community that cultivates economic opportunity while honoring the unique natural beauty of Klamath County and fostering community connections, the strategic plan identifies five pillars of focus: economy, public safety and health, housing, recreation and high-performing government.

Commissioner Dave Henslee spoke about the plan saying it was a priority of his to have an outline and framework in place so that all organizations in the county could begin to break down silos and work together in aiming for the same target.

Also during the meeting, the board revised the county’s tobacco retail Licensing ordinance by updating the penalties for violations.

For the first violation, a $1000 fine will be imposed which may be waived if the violator successfully completes a diversion program along with a warning of license suspension.

The second violation calls for a $2,000 fine and a mandatory 30-day license suspension. On the third violation, the license will be revoked and a $3,500 fine will be imposed. All fines will be remitted to the Klamath County treasurer for the Tobacco Education and Cessation Fund. (HeraldandNews.com)

 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that three southern Oregon drug traffickers, including the head of a Klamath Falls, Oregon, drug trafficking organization, have pleaded guilty in federal court following investigations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Medford resident office.

Juan Jessie Martinez-Gil, 59, a former resident of Reno, Nevada, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Candice Nadine Mckee, 31, a distributor in Martinez-Gil’s network and resident of Lakeview, Oregon, pleaded guilty Monday to possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl.

Also on Monday, in a separate criminal case, Jessie Cole Merkel, 31, of Redding, California, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing fentanyl.

U.S. v. Martinez-Gil et al.

According to court documents, between August 2019 and September 2021, Martinez-Gil, the head of a Klamath Falls area drug trafficking organization, conspired with various associates, including McKee, to possess and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, in the form of counterfeit Oxycodone pills, in and around Klamath Falls.

A coordinated law enforcement operation conducted in September 2021 led to the arrests Martinez-Gil and several of his co-conspirators. Federal search warrants were executed on five locations and two vehicles. Over the course of the investigation, DEA special agents, working with other southern Oregon law enforcement agencies, seized approximately 17 pounds of methamphetamine and 700 counterfeit Oxycodone pills.

Martinez-Gil will be sentenced on February 22, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane. He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. Mckee will be sentenced the same day and faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison.

U.S. v. Merkel

According to court documents, between February and April 2022, Merkel, a known northern California drug dealer responsible for trafficking quantities of fentanyl from California to Oregon, sold fentanyl to undercover law enforcement officers on two separate occasions. On April 14, 2022, Merkel was arrested while traveling from California to Oregon.

Merkel will be sentenced on February 22, 2024, by Judge McShane. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine, and three years’ supervised release.

Martinez-Gil et al. was investigated by the DEA Medford Resident Office with assistance from the Basin Interagency Narcotics Enforcement Team (BINET), a Klamath Falls area narcotics task force comprised of Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department, and Oregon National Guard.

Merkel was investigated by the DEA Medford Resident Office with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Oregon State Police, and the Central Point Police Department.

Both cases were prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.

 

Newly released Reno Police footage shows the arrest of an Oregon man accused of holding a woman captive in a cinderblock cell in Klamath Falls in July.

The body cam and dash cam video, obtained by KGW-TV in Portland, through a public records request has been heavily redacted with large portions blurred by the Nevada Highway Patrol.

Police located Negasi Zuberi, 29, in a Walmart parking lot in Reno on July 16.

Zuberi refused to get out of his car and threatened to hurt himself. After a 45-minute standoff, he surrendered.

Federal prosecutors claim Zuberi kidnapped a woman in Seattle, posed as a police officer and drove her 450 miles to his home in Klamath Falls, Ore. There, he locked the woman in a makeshift cinderblock cell in his garage in the Mills addition, according to the FBI. The woman was able to escape by beating down the cell while the man was out of the house.

Since his arrest in July, Zuberi has been charged in a separate case. Prosecutors claimed in May, that he raped a woman at gunpoint in Klamath County. No other details have been released.

Additionally, police say Zuberi tried to escape his Portland cell in late August by damaging a jail window.

The FBI says, Zuberi has multiple aliases and has lived in 12 states over the last decade. He’s being investigated in connection with at least four other sexual assaults in four states.  (KGW-TV, Portland)

 

 A Tulelake Volunteer Fire Department worker is being investigated for possible embezzlement.

It’s not the first time an embezzlement case has been linked to the department.

Back in 2019, a former assistant fire chief was accused of embezzling funds from the department donation account.  Over $100,000 was unaccounted for.

But the fire chief passed away before the sentencing.

Now, the Tulelake Police Department confirms that another worker at the department is being investigated for a similar reason. The agency says an estimated $85,000 is unaccounted for. The money was possibly taken from multiple fundraiser events and cash stored in safes.

The Siskiyou County District Attorney’s office has taken over the case, the investigation is ongoing.

(Siskiyou county SO)

 

The Greater Idaho movement, which wants to secede from the Beaver State and become a part of its neighbor to the east, had sputtered along for years, gaining little traction. But then, the coronavirus hit in the spring of 2020.

Under the current proposal, Klamath Falls and Klamath County would become part of Greater Idaho.

The global pandemic was “a blessing” for the movement, according to Mike McCarter, who took up the movement’s mantle in 2019. Quarantines and remote learning inflamed residents’ anger with the state government for shutting down schools and businesses. This tension invigorated the effort to join Idaho, a state whose government reacted wholly differently to COVID-19 than Oregon did.

Secession is a long shot that would require approval by Congress; so far, there have been ballot measures, and there has been a lot of talk. But the fact that the movement has gotten even this far illustrates the growing tear in the American fabric.

Greater Idaho has seen a success that other secessionist movements, regionally and in states such as California and Illinois, never reached. If supporters here achieve their goal, it could mean a paradigm shift nationally, proponents say, inspiring more states to split along cultural and political lines (HeraldandNews.com)

 

Friends of the Children has moved into their new location

From their press release: “Construction delays gave us a little extra time in our beloved Altamont clubhouse (below, left), where we have worked with youth for 23 years. But on October 30th, we finally moved our Klamath Falls home base to Old Fort Road (below, right). This once-dilapidated property is now a knockout community asset thanks to widespread support and the visionary design of architect Yabori Calvo.

Here, program youth (70 this year) can read in a sunlit library, learn cooking skills in a well-equipped kitchen, meet with tutors and a licensed clinical social worker in quiet rooms, express their creativity in the art room, and exercise on hiking/biking trails designed by Klamath Trails Alliance. They will find the peace and belonging they need to build relationships, skills, and hope”.

All residents of the Klamath Basin are invited to a self-guided tour of our new Friends Of The Children clubhouse at 1515 Old Fort Road on Sunday, November 12th, 1 pm – 5 pm. Please stop in! No need to rsvp.

 

PJ drive for Klamath County Foster Kids

The Klamath Quota club are collecting new PJ’s for foster kids.  You can drop off new pajamas at Oregon Department of Human Services, Caldwell Banker real estate office on So 6th, the Elks club and the following churches .

First Presbyterian church

Shasta Way Christian Church

Hope Lutheran Church

New Horizons Church

Foothills Christian Fellowship

55 and Alive group at Klamath Christian Center

Thank you very much from The Klamath Quota Club and BasinLife.com

 

Friends of the children of the Klamath Basin will launch its Annual Potato Sale fundraiser Saturday, November 4, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the parking lot of Klamath Falls Subaru on Washburn Way.
Beginning November 6, potatoes will be available for delivery in Klamath Falls.

The potatoes are premium russets donated by CAL-ORE Produce. They will be sold in 20-pound boxes for $25, with all proceeds directly supporting youth mentoring in the Klamath Basin.

New this year is online ordering through https://ddock.co/199bdd. Buyers can also call 541-273-2022.

Friends of the Children – Klamath Basin is a chapter of a nationwide organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of generational poverty through salaried, professional mentoring. We select youth facing the greatest obstacles and commit to working with those children for 12+ years. Learn more at friendsklamath.org (submitted press release)

 

Internationally renowned violinist and composer Mads Tolling and his Mads Men (musicians Colin Hogan, Sam Bevan and Eric Garland) are scheduled to appear at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Ross Ragland Theater.

Tolling, a two-time Grammy Award winner and former member of Stanley Clarke’s band and the Turtle Island Quartet, and the Mads Men celebrate the music of the 1960s “Mad Men Era” with their own distinctive style and innovative flair.

“Mads Tolling & The Mads Men — Playing the ‘60s” was released in 2017 with two sold-out performances at the legendary Bay Area Jazz Club, Yoshi’s. The album has been a favorite among fans and critics alike and was in the top 30 on U.S. Jazz Radio for two straight months, peaking at No. 5.

Tolling has created a fun and exciting program that is at once nostalgic as well as contemporary, as he reimagines classic songs from 1960s TV, film and radio. Repertoire ranges from “Mission Impossible” and “Meet the Flintstones” to “Georgia on My Mind,” “A Taste of Honey” and “All Along the Watchtower.”

Tours have taken the Mads Men to Europe and Japan, and the group has appeared in performing arts centers in California, Texas, Indiana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois and Pennsylvania.

This show is co-sponsored by Don and Connie Mausshardt, and Jean Pinniger.

Tickets are $25 for adults, $22 for senior/military/students $22 and $10 for children 12-and-under.

Visit the theater’s website at www.ragland.org to purchase tickets or learn more.

(HeraldandNews.com/Ross Ragland theater)

 

This week’s pet ready for adoption at Klamath Animal Shelter is a kitty named ” Squirrel “
Meet Squirrel!  She is a nice female Short-haired Siamese mix and 9 years old.  Squirrel is a lilac point which means her body is cream colored, her face, ears, legs and tail are grey, she has blue eyes.
Squirrel’s family decided they had too many animals, they said that she is litter box trained, has been around children as young as 9 years old, lived with other cats and there were large dogs in the home.
Squirrel is a very sweet and talkative kitty who loves attention and gets so excited that she drools from happiness. 
If you are interested in adopting Squirrel you can reach the Klamath Animal Shelter at 541-884-PETS (541-884-7387) located at 4240 Washburn Way, Monday through Friday from 12:00 – 4:00, walk throughs are available, pet meet and greets are by appointment.
View all adoptable pets anytime online at www.klamathanimalshelter.org

Around the state of Oregon

Union workers at Kaiser Permanente in Oregon walk off the job Wednesday, Oct. 4, 2023, demanding better staffing and wages. (KATU)

Kaiser Permanente Imaging Workers set to strike

The union representing Kaiser Permanente Imaging workers says they will join pharmacy technicians and clerks on the picket line starting today, according to sources.

The UFCW 555 says they are not discouraging patients from seeking care but Kaiser Permanente may experience delays or cancellations of appointments as Kaiser tries to find qualified and licensed replacement professionals.

“Nothing happens at a hospital without imaging technicians. These professionals include X-ray, Mammography, MRI, CT, Nuclear Medicine, EEG, Cardiovascular lab, Special Procedures Technologists, Sonographers, Dosimetrists, Radiation Therapists, and Imaging Assistants. Every part of their operation will be impacted.” Miles Eshaia – Communications Coordinator, UFCW Local 555.

Union officials say the strike will begin on Wednesday, November 1 at 6:00 a.m.

Bargaining is ongoing with the next session scheduled for today.

 

SWEET HOME, Ore. – People living in Sweet Home now have a new place to seek out primary care or pick up their prescriptions thanks to a new Samaritan Health Services clinic.

The Sweet Home Medical Center is a department of the Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. It’s been in the works since 2021, but it is finally ready to see patients since opening its doors October 30. The new clinic will continue to provide essential medical services for the area, along with the other clinic in town, the Sweet Home branch of the Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital Medical Clinic.

One person was injured in a reported explosion at the Oregon State University campus Monday afternoon, according to police and university officials.

In a statement, the Corvallis Police Department said officers responded to the reported explosion around 2:30 p.m. at McNary Field, which is a park on the northeast side of the OSU campus. Officers and medics from the Corvallis Fire Department arrived to find one person with “significant injuries.”

The victim, identified as a 22-year-old man from Cottage Grove, was taken to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center for treatment. Police do not believe that he was a student at OSU.

Oregon State issued an urgent alert shortly after the explosion, telling people to avoid the area and follow instructions from authorities. They added that anyone else injured should call 911.

Police deployed an aerial drone and bomb-sniffing dog in the area to ensure that the area was safe. While CPD said that there is no further threat to the public, the cause of the explosion is still under investigation.  (OSU)

 

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer told supporters Monday that he won’t seek reelection, ending his congressional career after nearly three decades and setting the stage for a potentially contested Democratic primary to fill his Portland seat.

Blumenauer, 75, has represented Portland on the federal, state or local level for 50 years and ascended to the U.S. House in 1996 in a special election after then-Rep. Ron Wyden was elected to the U.S. Senate. He has been reelected 13 times, coasting to victory in the Democrat-heavy 3rd District every two years. He received 70% of the vote in his reelection bid last fall.

Multnomah County Commissioner Susheela Jayapal is expected to announce she is running for Blumenauer’s seat, multiple sources with direct knowledge of her plans told The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday. She could not be reached for comment Friday or Monday. It is unclear if other Democrats will also compete for the seat.

Blumenauer serves on the powerful Ways and Means committee and previously chaired the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee. (Oregon news)

 

U.S. health regulators are warning consumers not to use more than two dozen varieties of over-the-counter eyedrops because of the risk of infections that could lead to blindness.

The Food and Drug Administration advisory applies to lubricating drops sold by six companies, including CVS Health, Target, Rite Aid and Cardinal Health. Consumers should stop using the products immediately and avoid purchasing any that remain on pharmacy and store shelves, the FDA said in a statement Friday.

The agency asked the companies to recall their products last week, because FDA inspectors found unsanitary conditions and bacteria at the facility producing the drops. The FDA did not disclose the location of the factory or when it was inspected.

No injuries related to the products had been reported at the time of the announcement, but the FDA encouraged doctors and patients to submit cases through the agency’s online reporting system.  (FDA press release)

 

Two people are recovering after getting stranded in the snow in the Cascade Mountains in separate incidents last week.  

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office says it rescued a woman and a man from the mountains last Wednesday.  The woman was reportedly hiking through Willamette National Forest’s Jefferson Park when she got stuck in quickly accumulating snow.  The man was mountain biking on Hawk Mountain when he became stranded by heavy snow.  Officials say both individuals had to spend the night in the snow before crews managed to get to them to rescue them.

(Oregon news)

 

The operators of a southern Oregon dam and the company that repaired it face additional fines for violating state permits and polluting the North Umpqua River near Roseburg.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality fined the Winchester Water Control District and the foundation repair company TerraFirma on Thursday more than $134,000 for violating a key state water permit and water quality laws while repairs were underway on the Winchester Dam in August and September.

The agency said the water district and company allowed concrete to spill into the river, placed unpermitted mats made of heavy truck tires in the river, potentially polluting it, and failed to provide safe passage for migrating fish.

The North Umpqua is home to endangered and threatened salmon and home to lamprey significant to the nearby Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Tribe of Indians. The Winchester Dam is also upriver from a key drinking water source for the city of Roseburg and the Umpqua Basin Water Association.

The latest fines come on top of a near-record fine from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for $27.6 million for causing the preventable deaths of more than half a million juvenile lamprey. The department alleged the company and the water district poorly executed a fish salvage plan when they drew down a reservoir, ultimately leaving the lamprey exposed and dying for days.

(odfw)

 

A California murder case accusing a Gold Hill man of killing a child is advancing into next year.

69-year-old Fred Cain III faces a felony homicide charge in Solano County, California, for the 1987 death of a six-year-old boy from Valleho, California.  Cain’s case is advancing to a preliminary (pre-trial) proceeding in Solano County Superior Court set for January 22, 2024.  It follows his arraignment date last Friday for the murder charge.

Jackson County (Oregon) Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) said last month its detectives helped California investigators arrest Cain for the cold case homicide September 18, 2023 at his residence in the 9500 block of Old Stage Road in Gold Hill, noting, “Cain waived extradition in Oregon and will be transferred to Solano County to face charges of murder, kidnap, and sodomy.”

The Solano County District Attorney Krishna Abram’s Office (SCDA) Cold Case investigators were reviewing a 1987 case involving a child abducted near his home in Vallejo, whose body was discovered four days later on Sherman Island in Sacramento County.  SCDA said an autopsy revealed the child victim had been sexually assaulted. (JCS0)

 

Campus Veteran Resource Center Grants Awarded to Oregon Colleges

The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) is pleased to announce it has awarded grants totaling $1,000,000 to expand Campus Veteran Resource Centers and bolster other services aimed at helping student veterans at Oregon’s public universities and community colleges.

Veteran Resource Centers are important investments in helping veterans transition from military service to college life, complete their education goals, and successfully transition to a career and their community.

The purpose of the Campus Veteran Resource Center Grant Program is to augment these existing campus resources, by funding innovative and impactful projects or programs designed to improve the lives of student veterans and help them succeed.

All 14 of the institutions who applied received a portion of the available grant funds, ranging in awards from $49,720 to $100,000. Awardees include Central Oregon Community College, Chemeketa Community College, Klamath Community College, Lane Community College, Linn-Benton Community College, Mt. Hood Community College, Oregon State University, Portland Community College, Portland State University, Rogue Community College, Southern Oregon University, Southwestern Oregon Community College, University of Oregon, and Western Oregon University.

The proposed projects were evaluated by a committee composed of Veteran Service Officers, education partners, members of the Oregon National Guard, and other partners who provide direct services to veterans.

“A post-secondary degree or course of study at a public university or community college is a critical pathway for many veterans to transition out of the military into a successful civilian career,” ODVA Interim Director Dr. Nakeia Daniels said. “But unlike most students, veterans often have very different life experiences from their peers.”

“Campus Veteran Resource Centers provide critical veteran resources and offer support networks with other student veterans, which can drastically improve outcomes and help ensure success for student veterans in their educational endeavors and future careers.”

Highlights of some of the funded projects include:

  • Funding support for Campus Veteran Coordinator positions, who work to ensure student veterans have access to benefits and supports they have earned.
  • The development of veteran-specific campus orientation and welcome programs for student veterans and their families.
  • The establishment of peer mentor programs and other support services to foster deeper connections among peers, resulting in increased veteran retention and succeeding in school.
  • Purchase of technology and electronic equipment for student use.
  • Purchase of tutorial software for veterans in the areas of college-level writing and math skills, tutoring, or a lending library.
  • Travel to state and national conferences to promote student veteran professional development and employment networking opportunities.
  • Programs that are designed to provide resources and assistance to address student veteran food insecurity, mental health & wellbeing struggles, transportation barriers and other emergency supports.
  • Veterans’ events, ceremonies, career fairs, and skill building workshops.
  • Marketing and advertising to expand outreach to historically underrepresented and underserved veterans.

More information about this grant can be found on ODVA’s website awww.oregon.gov/odva/agency-programs/grants/Pages/Campus-Grant.aspx.

 

Helping your neighbors and their families stay warm just got easier. Pacific Power will match every dollar you donate to the Oregon Energy Fund with $2 more.

Pacific Power customers who receive their bills by mail will find they include an Oregon Energy Fund contribution envelope in November. Customers who pay their bills electronically can send a check or enroll in the fixed donation program. To enroll in the fixed donation program, customers can call Pacific Power toll-free at 1-888-221-7070 or Donate to Energy Assistance (pacificpower.net).

This program allows customers to donate any dollar amount, starting at $1 per month, which is then incorporated into their monthly bill. Fixed donations will also be matched 2-for-1 by Pacific Power.

Donations may be tax-deductible and are forwarded directly to the Oregon Energy Fund, which verifies eligibility and allocates funds to those in need. All funds donated are used to assist families in need within the same county in which the donor resides.

Last year, donations from Pacific Power’s customers, employees and the company helped 1,591 individuals in need throughout Oregon, including 793 adults, 196 seniors, 174 people with disabilities and 602 children. This year, Pacific Power will match up to $144,000 in donations.

Customers who need bill assistance themselves can speak with Pacific Power representatives at 1-888-221-7070 who can help with payment plans that work for their individual needs, while directing them to agencies that may be able to help.

(pp and l press)

 

Several thousand low-income people have been booted off Medicaid in Oregon even though they still qualify for the free health and dental insurance, while thousands of others have been told they will retain coverage even though they don’t qualify.

Many of those who’ve lost benefits are children.

The Oregon Health Authority said in a news release Thursday that “medical benefits for 2,268 people had incorrectly ended at the end of September.” It added that “1,226 people incorrectly received notices explaining that their benefits would end at the end of October.”

It’s unclear whether even more have wrongly lost coverage, whether those two groups are related or how many children have been affected overall.

The Capital Chronicle asked the agency about this problem more than a month ago, and it has still failed to answer basic questions about the children.

Losing coverage could cause hardships for families inadvertently booted from the program, especially if they need specialized or intensive care. County and federally supported clinics provide care to low-income residents, but they don’t usually have dialysis or surgery centers, for example. Hospitals emergency rooms will tend to emergencies.   (Oregon news)

 

In Portland today, police are asking the public’s help locate the suspect in a May 14th shooting in the Cully Neighborhood that killed one man and left two other people wounded.

Police are looking for Jesus Ivan Perez-Toribio, 33, who was indicted by a Multnomah County Grand Jury in the shooting on Oct. 27th. He is described as a Hispanic male, 33 years old, 5’7” tall, and 160 pounds. His photo has been released so the public can be assisted in learning his location so he can be arrested.

In the press release today, the Portland Police Bureau said anyone who knows of Perez-Toribio’s location should not approach him and instead call 911 or 503-823-0449 and reference case number 23-125743.

The investigation began on May 14th earlier this year when North Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a shooting in the 6500 block of Northeast Killingsworth Street. When the officers arrived, they found three injured victims. EMS responded to the scene to treat the victims. The suspect or suspects had left the scene before officers arrived and no immediate arrests were made. Detectives responded to the scene to investigate.

One of the victims, Jose Valentin Perez, soon died of his injuries. The names and conditions of the other two victims have not been released.

On Oct. 27, after the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office brought the case to a Grand Jury, Perez-Toribio was indicted for murder in the second degree, attempted murder in the second degree, and assault in the second degree. Jose Perez’s family has been notified of the indictment and provided a previously unreleased photo of him.

According to police, anonymous tips can be sent through Crime Stoppers of Oregon. Anyone wishing to submit a secure and anonymous tip regarding any unsolved felony crime should visit www.crimestoppersoforegon.com or visit the App Store and download P3 Tips for your smart phone or tablet.

 

A former Salem jewelry store owner faces new charges for scamming customers. Douglas Gamble owned Timeless Jeweler.

He’s accused of swapping synthetic stones for natural diamonds and selling lab-grown stones as real diamonds. He was arrested in September and since then 18 new victims have come forward. A total of 27 victims lost between 700-thousand and 800-thousand dollars.

 

Salem Police are investigating the deaths of two people from shootings.

Sunday morning, police responded to Liberty Road South and Browning Avenue on a report of shots fired and a person leaving the scene in a vehicle. One victim died at the scene. Officers pursued the suspect’s vehicle, it crashed through the property of two businesses on Commercial Street and the driver was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No other injuries were reported.

(Oregon news)

 

An outbreak of salmonella poisoning linked to bagged, precut onions has sickened at least 73 people in 22 states, including Oregon, U.S. health officials say.

The diced onion products were sold at food service and other institutions in the U.S. and Canada and at retailers in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. Retail sites included Stater Bros., Bashas’ markets and Smart & Final stores in Arizona and California and Smart & Final and Chef’s Store in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Only the 3-pound bags were sold in Oregon. The onions were served in some Spokane schools. Federal officials report 15 people nationwide have been hospitalized, including a handful in Oregon.

Gills Onions of Oxnard, California, has recalled packages of diced yellow onions, red onions, onions and celery and a mix of onions, celery and carrots, known as mirepoix. The products recalled had use-by dates in August 2023. They are no longer for sale in stores, but consumers may have them — or foods made with them — in freezers

(Oregon news)

 

The highly anticipated new Ritz-Carlton hotel in downtown Portland is set to open its doors today.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for tomorrow morning. The luxury hotel will also begin welcoming its first guests tomorrow. The 35-story hotel has 251 rooms and is the first Ritz-Carlton property to open in the Pacific Northwest.  (Oregon news)

 

Police have identified the person suspected of attempted murder and stealing a car in Seaside early Friday morning as 18-year-old Isaiah J. Thompson, who is also accused of stealing a car in Multnomah County in April.

Seaside police responded at 12:20 a.m. after a 911 caller said they’d been attacked and had their Ford Mustang stolen near the 100 block of Ninth Avenue, officials said.

The assault victim was taken to a hospital in critical condition, according to a statement from the City of Seaside. Seaside police said Saturday they had probable cause to arrest Thompson on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon, first-degree robbery, unauthorized use of a vehicle, eluding police and reckless driving.

After a high speed chase that ended in up Washington County near Hillsboro on highway 26 with the intersection of highway 47,  Thompson allegedly crashed the car and fled on foot.

Officers from Beaverton, Hillsboro and Tigard, as well as Washington County sheriff’s deputies, were searching the area for Thompson and were using drones and police dogs.

Police asked anyone with information to call Seaside Detective Michael Crowe at 503-738-6311.

(Oregon live)

 

Search and Rescue Crews Saved Two People As October Snow Catches People Off Guard

Major snow that began to fall in the Cascade Mountains on Wednesday caught some people off guard as they tried to explore hiking and biking trails in Oregon.

Snow blankets Oregon’s Cascade Mountains after an autumn snowfall on October 25, 2023

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office conducted two separate search and rescue missions on Oct. 25, plucking two people from remote areas in the mountains, officials said in a news release Friday.

The first call came in from a rescue beacon at about 7:35 a.m., the sheriff’s office said. A woman hiking through Jefferson Park in the Willamette National Forest had run into heavy snow that was accumulating quickly, and needed help getting out.

Crews who were dispatched to the trail spent the day trying to hike to the woman, but were ultimately stymied by upwards of 4 feet of snow and white-out conditions that continued throughout the day, officials said.

That evening, at around 7 p.m., the sheriff’s department received another report: a mountain biker who was stranded on Hawk Mountain as heavy snow fell in the Mount Hood National Forest.

The biker, who’s from Australia, had cell service on top of the mountain where he texted his father back home. His father contacted the Australian consulate, who in turn reached out to the sheriff’s department.

Rescue crews attempted to call the biker, but his cell phone had died, they said. They then tried to hike up Hawk Mountain to find him, but ran into the same snowy conditions that stopped crews in Jefferson Park.

Both the stranded hiker and biker would have to spend the night stuck in Oregon’s snowy mountains.

The next day, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reached out to other organizations, including search and rescue crews from Linn, Lane and Deschutes counties, as well as the Oregon Air National Guard, for help.

With their resources combined, the rescue crews were able to rescue both people from the mountains.

People routinely get stranded in the Cascade Mountains, especially when remote areas see sudden snowfall. Every winter, search and rescue organizations urge travelers to keep an eye on weather conditions before going out, and to keep emergency supplies in their vehicles just in case. (SOURCE)

 

Snow is beginning to fall in the mountains of Oregon and ODOT has started to close the Old McKenzie Pass Highway, OR 242, for the winter season. Only the west side will be closing at this time.

On the morning of Monday, Oct. 30, crews will close the highway from the western gate at OR 126 to top of the pass at Dee Wright Observatory. The east side of the highway from the observatory to Sisters will remain open until weather becomes too severe or until Nov. 9, whichever comes first. Weather on each side of the pass varies, and it’s not uncommon to close or open each side of the highway separately. 

McKenzie Pass is a secondary, scenic highway. Weather, costs and logistics make it impractical to maintain for travel year-round. In the winter, we focus our staff and resources on main highways to keep them plowed, open and safe. 

When the highway is closed, it is closed to all users and is not maintained. Travelers going past locked gates and closure signs could encounter hazards and working equipment on the road, and there are no services or cell coverage. 

Every year, McKenzie Pass opens and closes with the seasons. Dates vary depending on road and weather conditions. 

McKenzie Pass became a seasonal scenic highway in 1962 with the completion of the Clear Lake-Belknap Springs section of Oregon 126. Even during its time as the main route between the Willamette Valley and Central Oregon, the narrow, twisting roadway and high elevation (5,325 feet) made the highway too difficult to maintain and keep clear during the winter months.

(ODOT)

 

From Thanksgiving Day through New Year’s Eve, visitors near and far will travel to Shore Acres State Park in Coos Bay for the annual Holiday Lights.

With the help of more than 1,500 volunteers, hundreds of thousands of lights will be strung throughout the botanical gardens at the park to mark the winter tradition, which brings thousands of guests and dollars to the south coast each year.

Janice Langlinais, executive director of the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor and Convention Bureau, says there are a few steps to keep in mind when coming to see the holiday lights, including the timed entry system.

“It is not a timed entry per person. It is per parking space. So when people are booking their space, they are booking a time-specific parking spot no matter how many people are in the car,” said Langlinais. “If people have a state park pass, a coastal passport or another special pass from the state parks, the five dollars is waived. They still need to book the spot and the time that they’re going to go.”

There’s also a shuttle from the Charleston Marina to Shore Acres that will run every Thursday – Saturday evening as well as on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Langlinais says Holiday Lights started in 1987 with 6,000 lights. It was the first time visitors could enter the garden house where holiday treats are served.

“Now, all these years later, there are 325,000 lights, animated sculptures. It is a total winter wonderland. From an economic impact standpoint, it is extremely important for our communities to have visitors here in the winter. This is the slower time for tourism. It brings people here to help our restaurants stay open during the holidays, our attractions,” said Langlinais.

The $5 parking passes are available for hour long time slots between 4:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. daily.

 

High Desert Museum’s new Endangered In the High Desert Exhibition Opens Nov 11th
BEND, OR — What do a 100-pound chinook salmon, ten-inch-tall pygmy rabbit and vibrant San Rafael cactus all have in common?

Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) — a half-century-old law that aims to protect vulnerable species from extinction — all three of these species are currently classified as endangered in some regions of the High Desert. Defined by the ESA, an endangered species is one that is “in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range.”

Opening on November 11, the High Desert Museum’s Endangered in the High Desert exhibition will call attention to species in the region that are either facing or recovering from the threat of extinction. This intriguing and informative exhibition is a component of the Museum’s yearlong exploration of the Endangered Species Act, 50 years after it passed unanimously in the Senate and by a vote of 355-4 in the House of Representatives. President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

“Fifty years later, the Endangered Species Act continues to be an influential law that has generated a significant amount of dialogue in its time,” says Executive Director Dana Whitelaw, Ph.D. “We look forward to exploring this significant legislation and its many complexities in the High Desert region.”

Visitors will first encounter a floor-to-ceiling map introducing many of the exhibition’s ambassador species — 24 of the 29 featured species that represent the many listed, de-listed and at-risk but not yet listed species in the High Desert — and their locations in the region. A playful mural of the High Desert landscape details each of the ambassador species. This massive mural splits into four distinct sections, first differentiating between endangered, threatened and delisted species at the state and federal levels. The fourth section asks guests to consider the future of several species in the area, including the monarch butterfly, western bumble bee and Pacific lamprey.

With vibrant colors and engaging photography, this exhibition is meant to ignite conversations about these plants and animals – including lesser-known species like the whitebark pine and the Oregon spotted frog – while also calling attention to the ecological connectivity within the greater ecosystem.

“Species depend on access to healthy habitat to survive” says Donald M. Kerr Curator of Natural History Hayley Brazier, Ph.D. “In designing the exhibit, we wanted to depict plants and animals in the context of landscapes and waterscapes. The exhibit’s images and murals convey that endangered species conversation does not happen in a vacuum; the broader ecosystems matter.”

After Museum visitors experience the brand-new Endangered in the High Desert exhibition, they can encounter a handful of the ambassador species in-person. Just a short walk from the exhibition, a bald eagle — a delisted species — lives in the Museum’s care. Six threatened and delisted species currently live in the Museum’s care: the bull trout, Foskett speckled dace, steelhead trout, peregrine falcon, bald eagle and desert tortoise. Small signs placed throughout the Museum will distinguish between these species and others living on Museum grounds.

Endangered in the High Desert is part of a yearlong series of exhibitions and public programs at the Museum to explore and reflect on the ESA’s impact in the High Desert and beyond. This includes the current exhibition Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan, open through February 11, 2024, as well as Andy Warhol’s Endangered Species: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundationwhich opens Saturday, December 9.

Endangered in the High Desert will be on display through July 7, 2024. This exhibition is made possible by the Visit Central Oregon Future Fund and the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation, with support from DoubleTree Hilton and Waypoint Hotel. Learn more at highdesertmuseum.org/endangered-high-desert.

 

One of Bend, Oregon’s best attractions has long been Drake Park, downtown. Now it offers visitors another draw: a handsome boardwalk that offers a safe and scenic walking path along the Deschutes River.

Visitors can now enjoy the Drake Park boardwalk, which opened in August, offering an improved walking path over the edge of Mirror Pond that connects to nearby Pacific Park.

The Bend Parks and Recreation District allocated $7.3 million for the project, which broke ground in February 2022, though the cost eventually ballooned to $8.3 million, according to The (Bend) Bulletin, which reported on the boardwalk’s completion.

The parks district said the project was not only meant to offer a better walking path, but also to address concerns like environmental impacts and ADA access in Drake Park.

(Oregon news)

 

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