The latest News around the Klamath Basin from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS 1450AM/102.5FM, BasinLife.com and The Herald & News
MONDAY, AUGUST 5, 2019
KLAMATH BASIN WEATHER
Monday
Sunny, with a high near 91.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 91.
TODAY’s BASIN HEADLINES:
Late Sunday morning Amtrak Train 14 the Coast Starlight, Los Angeles to Seattle, left Klamath Falls for Eugene and was forced to make an unscheduled stop due to a male passenger threatening harm to himself and the other passengers on the train.
Mason Lira, of Fresno, Calif., made concerning statements about weapons and threats to passengers and the conductor. He made unusual gestures and acted in an unsettling way which prompted a call to Klamath 911 Emergency Communications District at 11:06 a.m.
The train stopped west of Highway 58 at Odell Lake near Shelter Cove where first responders were dispatched to the scene.
Law Enforcement met with Amtrak crew on scene and boarded the train. Mr. Lira was arrested without incident. No weapons were located and no injuries were reported.
The Amtrak train with 272 passengers and 15 crew was delayed for 4 hours 57 minutes.
The delay caused potential for thousands of dollars in lost revenue for Amtrak, Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe due to the tracks being shut down for that period of time.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, US Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers responded. Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team and Klamath Falls Police Department SWAT, were activated and assisted. Crescent Fire Department and Chemult Fire Department were placed on standby.
Murder on Saturday Morning
At approximately 2 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, Klamath County 911 received a call from 1718 Wall Street in Klamath Falls. EMTs and officers from the Klamath Falls Police Department responded to the call.and found 46 year old Wildon Lee Chadwell on the ground and unresponsive.
Emergency aid was immediately initiated and several significant wounds were discovered on the man’s legs. The injured man had lost a significant amount of blood and efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.
The Klamath County Major Crimes Team (MCT) was activated and officers from the Klamath Falls Police Department, Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and Klamath County Community Corrections initiated an extensive investigation.The investigation revealed that the decedent was visiting the Wall Street address and had an argument with the suspect, Timothy McCarter.
Witness statements indicated that McCarter lived in a trailer at the rear of the property at 1718 Wall Street. At approximately 2 p.m. members of the MCT executed a search warrant authorized by the Honorable Judge Roxanne Osborne and McCarter was taken into custody. McCarter, 56, of Klamath Falls is in jail on charges of murder, unlawful use of a weapon, assault in the first degree, contempt of court-2nd violation of a restraining order. No bail has been set.
The Klamath Falls city council has a regular meeting scheduled tonight at City Hall. On the agenda The council will vote on a request from Klamath IDEA Center for Entrepreneurship for $10,000 for the fiscal year 2019-2020.
According to the agenda, Klamath IDEA originally requested $20,000, but council staff recommended $10,000 as that is the remainder in Economic Development Funds. The proposed contract states funding will be used for hosting events downtown, supporting entrepreneurs and the creation of a “scorecard” to track the impact of these efforts within city limits.
The council will also vote on whether or not to allow the Crater Lake Klamath Regional airport to change the contract with RMC Aviation LLC which allows them to use the North West Aviation hangar facility.The airport currently leases the hangar for $1,000 per month. Entering into the lease with RMC Aviation LLC will triple monthly revenue from the premises to $3,000 per month, according to the agenda. And The council will also vote to approve a $361,730 contract with Mead & Hunt, a national consulting firm, to design the Taxiway B1 and D Rehabilitation Project.
Funding will come mostly from a grant from the Federal Aviation Agency ($339,121) and the remaining $22,609 will come from budgeted airport funds.The actual construction phase of the project is estimated to cost $3.5 million and will be funded in the same ratio as the design.
Finally The council will vote to adopt a construction services contract with Bob’s Excavating Inc., a Klamath Falls septic service company, for construction of the geothermal pipeline replacement project.The contract is not to exceed $815,615, and will replace geothermal pipelines from 4th Street to 8th Street.
The Milepost 97 fire south of Canyonville has grown to over 13,000 acres and is listed at only 50% contained. Currently over 1300 personnel are on the scene and a total of 586 structures are still listed as threatened.
Meanwhile the Evans Creek Fire 10 miles west of Sams Valley is currently listed at over 400 acres with 20 structures threatened and is list at just 10 percent containment. 208 personnel are currently battling the blaze.
A coalition aimed at bringing multiple parties together to discuss the future of water resources in the Klamath Basin is hiring an additional facilitator to help with the effort. Alan Mikkelsen, senior advisor to the Secretary of the Interior on water and western resource issues, says he is continuing to take part in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” meetings in addition to the facilitator. Mikkelsen most recently met with the coalition in Medford on July 30 and 31.
Mikkelsen said what was decided this week is to allow the facilitator to use the month of August to basically do his interviews and discussions with all of the individual parties in the Basin, and then convene a meeting in September.
Mikkelsen also emphasized solutions are nowhere on the horizon as work towards that goal continues on.
The 2019 Klamath County Fair wrapped up last night and according to Todd Hogarth, Klamath County Fairgrounds Manager, it was one of the most successful on record. While attendance figures are still being determined it was obvious many more citizens of the Basin attended the Fair than in recent years. Three major country concerts along with the Great Northwest Pro Rodeo were the fairs main attractions and all were well attended.
In spite of temperatures reaching the low 90’s Basin residents enjoyed the carnival, a multitude of vendors and various fair cuisine plus the annual 4H and FFA auction event which again garnered solid participation.
The city of Klamath Falls Public Works Department will be performing street repairs this week between 6:30 and 4pm. Today and tomorrow on the 200 block of Grant Street and Wednesday and Thursday in the Pelican City area. In addition city crews will be cutting weeds and cleaning the right of way in the downtown core area as well as the industrial area. Please exercise caution when driving in these areas.
The Oregon Health Authority issued a recreational use health advisory for Odell Lake in Klamath County due to the presence of harmful algae blooms and harmful algae toxins above recreational guideline values for human exposure.
People should avoid swimming and high-speed water activities, such as water skiing or power boating, in areas of the lake where blooms are identified. Although toxins are not absorbed through the skin, people who have skin sensitivities may experience a puffy red rash.
…For complete details on these and other stories see today’s Herald & News. Wynne Broadcasting and the Herald and News…stronger together to keep you informed.