Klamath Basin News, Thursday, Oct. 31 – Halloween in the Klamath Basin With Cold Temps

The latest Klamath Falls News around the Klamath Basin from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM/102.5FM, BasinLife.com and The Herald & News.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
Sunny, with a high near 56 degrees.

Friday
Sunny, with a high near 62.

Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 63. Overnight low of 32.

Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 67.

Monday
Sunny, with a high near 66.

Today’s Headlines…

The Klamath County Public Health Air Advisory is Green until noon today.

Today is Halloween and for tonight the City of Klamath Falls has announced that from 5:15 PM to 8:30 PM, Pacific Terrace will be closed from Melrose Street to Van Ness Avenue.

This closure is being conducted for the safety of the children while they are trickor-treating. The City of Klamath Falls encourages everyone to drive with caution on the side streets and throughout the community on Halloween for the safety of the children and their families.

Wildland firefighters worked to contain blazes across Western Oregon as windy conditions and low humidity gripped the state.

Strong east winds caused wildfire danger levels to climb on Wednesday. Southwestern Oregon is experiencing a similar weather pattern as California, where multiple fires have destroyed homes and forced thousands to evacuate. The Coos Forest Protective Association responded to four fires since Sunday, one of which the agency says was powerline related. Firefighters in Lane County have brought two fires that started Tuesday under control. Firefighters also contained a small blaze near Eagle Point Tuesday.

Firefighters continue to work a small fire in Josephine County that started Saturday. Fire crews are also working to control two somewhat larger fires in northwest Oregon east of Molalla and near Detroit. No injuries have been reported and no structures have been reported destroyed.

The Klamath County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday morning to adopt Ordinance No. 92, which creates procedures for establishing Tourism Improvement Areas which can be used to fund future tourism efforts in the county.

Commissioners Kelley Minty Morris and Donnie Boyd voted in favor of adopting the ordinance while Commissioner Derrick DeGroot voted in opposition. While DeGroot voiced concerns about some language in the ordinance and the number of business owners opposed to it, Morris said she felt they needed to pass this ordinance to get the ball rolling and iron out the details in future steps.

After nearly three decades of driving the traditional yellow school bus for Merrill and Malin families, Davida Croy has picked up and dropped off students on her Merrill and Lost River route for the last time.

She officially retired Oct. 23. The 65-year-old started driving bus in 1991 and is on her third generation of riders, driving the grandchildren of some of her first riders. Croy is among 80 bus drivers who work for the Klamath County School District, transporting around 3,800 students and covering more than 6,100 miles a day.

Annually, district bus drivers cover 1.3 million miles, including out-of-area. On her current route, Croy transports around 50 elementary and high school students, covering 92 miles a day

Around the region…

Fremont-Winema National Forest Christmas tree permits on sale Friday

The holiday season is right around the corner and the Fremont-Winema National Forest will have Christmas tree permits available starting this Friday.

Permits cost $5 and are nonrefundable.  A maximum of five permits can be purchased and can be used through December 25.

The permits are available for purchase in person at all Fremont-Winema National Forest offices and from several vendors in Lake and Klamath counties.

Each permit is valid to cut one tree and must be validated by completely removing the month, date and year from the permit.  The permit must then be secured to the tree trunk between the limbs in a place visible during transport of the tree from the forest.

The permits have five years available to remove for validation, so if weather or other conditions make it impossible to get a tree this year, the permit is still valid for use within the next four years.

For those who plan to purchase and use their Christmas tree permit this year, there is the new option to purchase the permit online through the Open Forest System.  The permit cost is still $5, but it is only valid for the 2019 season.  The transaction can be done from a computer or mobile device.  The permit must be printed to be valid and be visible on the vehicle dashboard when transporting the tree.

To purchase a permit online, please visit https://openforest.fs.usda.gov and select the Fremont-Winema National Forest.

Christmas tree permits from the Fremont-Winema National Forest are valid for use on the forest in Klamath and Lake Counties.  It is the responsibility of the cutter to ensure they are not getting their tree from private, state or other federal lands.  Christmas trees also cannot be harvested in Congressionally-designated Wilderness Areas, active timber sales, developed recreation sites or tree plantations.

Fourth graders with a valid Every Kid Outdoors (EKO) pass and accompanied by an adult can get a free Christmas tree permit from a Forest Service office carrying permits, including Fremont-Winema National Forest offices.  The free EKO permits are not available from vendors.

Students in the fourth grade can get an EKO pass and learn more about the program by visiting https://everykidoutdoors.gov and completing the application process.

Some parking areas on the Forest require a Sno-Park permit issued by the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).  Permits are sold at all DMV offices and by permit agents at resorts, sporting goods stores and other retail outlets.  Certain Forest roads are designated as snowmobile trails and closed to motor vehicle traffic.

Local Forest offices can answer questions regarding Christmas tree cutting, current conditions and roads. All Forest offices are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  The offices will be closed Thursday, November 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.  Normal business hours will resume Friday, November 29.

Bly Ranger Station

61100 Hwy 140 E

Bly, OR 97622

541-353-2427

Chemult Ranger Station

110500 Hwy 97 N

Chemult, OR 97731

541-365-7001

Chiloquin Ranger Station

38500 Hwy 97 N

Chiloquin, OR 97624

541-783-4001

Forest Supervisor’s Office/Lakeview Interagency Office

1301 S. G St.

Lakeview, OR 97630

541-947-2151

Klamath Ranger District

2819 Dahlia St., Suite A

Klamath Falls, OR 97601

541-883-6714

Lakeview Ranger Station

18049 Hwy 395 N

Lakeview, OR 97630

541-947-3334

Paisley Ranger Station

303 Hwy 31

Paisley, OR 97636

541-943-3114

Silver Lake Ranger Station

65600 Hwy 31

Silver Lake, OR 97638

541-576-2107

Christmas tree permits are available from the following vendors.  Please call for prices and availability.

Palomino Deli and Mini-Mart

42620 Hwy 140 E

Beatty, OR 97621

541-533-2411

Hours: Monday-Saturday 7 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Ed’s Fast Break

61430 Hwy 140 E

Bly, OR 97622

541-353-2551

Hours: Monday-Sunday 6 a.m.-8 p.m.

Sycan Store

61278 Hwy 140 E

Bly, OR 97622

541-353-2271

Hours: Monday-Sunday 6 a.m.-6 p.m.

Bonanza General Store

31919 Hwy 70

Bonanza, OR 97623

541-545-6621

Hours: Monday-Friday 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday 6 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

Crater Lake Junction Travel Center

34005 Hwy 97 N

Chiloquin, OR 97624

541-783-9800

Hours: Monday-Sunday 24 hours a day

Kircher’s Hardware

117 First St.

Chiloquin, OR 97624

541-783-2239

Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Keno Store

15211 Hwy 66

Keno, OR 97627

541-884-4944

Hours: Monday-Sunday 7 a.m.-8 p.m.

Campus Valero

2820 Biehn St.

Klamath Falls, OR 97601

541-884-0938

Hours: Monday-Sunday 6 a.m.-9 p.m.

Fuel Good ISA Fuel

3320 Washburn Way

Klamath Falls, OR 97603

541-892-2779

Hours: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Grange Co-op

2525 Washburn Way

Klamath Falls, OR 97603

541-884-7733

Hours: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Lake of the Woods Resort Marina

950 Harriman Route

Klamath Falls, OR 97601

541-949-8300

Hours: Thursday 9 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Closed Monday-Wednesday. Thanksgiving open from 12-5 p.m.

Oregon Avenue Food Mart

2075 Oregon Ave.

Klamath Falls, OR 97601

541-884-0938

Hours: Monday-Sunday 24 hours a day

Parker’s Rod & Gun Rack

7364 S. 6th St.

Klamath Falls, OR 97603

541-883-3726

Hours: Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sportsman’s Warehouse

1863 Avalon St.

Klamath Falls, OR 97603

541-273-3000

Hours: Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Base Camp RV Park

18020 Hwy 395 N

Lakeview, OR 97630

541-947-4968

Hours: Monday-Sunday 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Curiosity Corner Mercantile

2103 N. 4th St.

Lakeview, OR 97630

541-417-2520

Hours: Thursday-Sunday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Ed’s Fast Break

1206 South G St.

Lakeview, OR 97630

541-947-2678

Hours: Monday-Sunday 7:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Lakeview Shell Station

17697 Hwy 395 N

Lakeview, OR 97630

541-947-4899

Hours: Monday-Sunday 4 a.m.-10 p.m.

Cutting a Christmas tree on the National Forest is a great holiday tradition for many families and also helps with hazardous fuels reduction by removing smaller trees from the Forest.  Following are some tips to make your experience more enjoyable.

  • Plan your trip – check the weather, bring plenty of warm clothes, water, emergency food, tire chains, shovel, a saw or axe to cut your tree, and a tarp and rope to bring it home.  Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave and are prepared for changing conditions in the mountains!  Also, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back.
  • Keep vehicles on designated roads and be aware of changing weather and road conditions.  Wet dirt roads can quickly turn to mud, making it possible to get stuck and causing damage to road, soil and water resources.  If there are puddles in the road, mud flipping off the tires or you can see your ruts in the rearview mirror, consider pulling over and taking a hike to look for a tree, or turning around and finding a different area to cut your tree.
  • Cut your tree early in the season before favorite cutting areas can’t be reached because of snow.
  • Cut the tree as close as possible to the ground and leave as little of a stump as possible.
  • Attach the permit on the tree where it will be easily visible with the tree packed or tied on your vehicle for transport home.
  • To help keep your tree fresh, cut at least one inch off the base when you get home and stand the tree in a container of water in a cool, shaded area, checking the water level daily.

For more information on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema or follow the Forest on Twitter @FremontWinemaNF.

One lucky person who purchased a Powerball ticket in Aurora, has only a few weeks to claim $50,000 before it is set to expire.

On Thursday, Nov. 21, a winning Powerball ticket will expire, meaning the person who purchased the ticket in Aurora last year, will be unable to claim the $50,000 prize. Oregon Lottery tickets are valid for one year.  There are several other unclaimed Powerball prizes in addition to the one set to expire in November.

In February, a $100,000 Powerball prize sold in Portland will expire. In March, another $50,000 Powerball prize sold in Medford will also expire.


All unclaimed prizes go into the state’s Economic Development Fund. Each year approximately $5 million in unclaimed prizes goes into the fund. Lottery officials recommend that you always sign the back of your tickets with each Oregon Lottery game you play, to ensure you can claim any prize you may win.

The Oregon Lottery reminds players to always sign the back of their Lottery tickets, regardless of the game. In the event of winning a jackpot, they should consult with a trusted financial planner or similar professional to develop a plan for their winnings. Prize winners of more than $50,000 should contact the Lottery office to schedule an appointment to claim their prize.

Klamath Falls News from partnership with the Herald and News, empowering the community.

…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.

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