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, November 14, 2019
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Partly sunny, with a high near 62.
Friday
Partly sunny, with a high near 57.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 55.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Today’s Headlines
The Klamath County Public Health Air Advisory is Red until noon today.
Tuesday at approximately 4:30 p.m. officers from the Klamath Falls Police Department responded to a domestic disturbance call in the 300 block of Laguna Street.
Upon arrival witnesses informed law enforcement officers that 35 year old Robert Lee Faulkner left the residence angry and made reference to being armed with a handgun and seeking suicide by cop. Law enforcement began a search of attached property and located Faulkner concealed in brush and in possession of a handgun. The initial officer that located Faulkner perceived him as an imminent threat and fired their service weapon injuring Faulkner. The officers on scene immediately rendered medical aid and requested an emergency medical response. EMT’s transported Faulkner to Sky Lakes Medical Center where he underwent surgery. He is expected to recover from his injuries. No law enforcement officers were physically harmed in this incident. The Major Crime Team was activated and Oregon State Police leads the on-going investigation.
Klamath County District Attorney anticipates the grand jury will review the incident in the near future. Per investigative protocol the officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave and will be named at a later time.
First-time undergraduate freshmen and new transfer student enrollment at the Oregon Institute of Technology for fall 2019 again registered a strong increase signaling demand for professionally focused degree programs with high returns for graduates.
New freshmen at Oregon Tech in fall 2019 increased more than 14 percent from 2018 the largest freshman class increase for the university in 30 years and on top of a fairly large increase of 9 percent in the same category last year. New transfer students also increased more than 11 percent as did the university’s Online campus enrollment by about 9 percent. Oregon Tech’s full-time equivalent of the credit hours enrolled by students grew by 1.3 percent excluding those enrolled in high school dual credit programs.
Market factors as well as another strong graduating class the year before kept the overall credit hour increase to a modest level. Total enrollment is now at 5,319 students.
This Saturday Boy Scouts will be set up at local grocery stores for their annual “Scouting for Food” event.
They kick it off at 10 am. You can help them stock the shelves at the Food Bank for the holidays and winter. Each dollar you donate creates 8 meals for those in need in Klamath and Lake Counties. Winter is a rough time for many seniors and people living on low, fixed incomes. Utility bills can leave them short on money for groceries. This is an effort to make sure they don’t have to choose between heating and eating.
Last year Boy Scouts and the community raised nearly $2,200 and 2,600 pounds of food. Most wanted food items include:
Canned meat, fruit and vegetables, pasta, rice, beans, peanut butter, mayonnaise, oil and hot & cold cereals.
Crews will begin tearing down the former nursing home and mental health facility at 705 Washburn Way this week.
The building has fallen into disrepair and become not only a fire hazard but a health hazard with an unstable roof, asbestos in the walls and lead paint. Although the Klamath County Board of County Commissioners hasn’t come to a consensus about what to do with the county owned property once the structure is demolished, Commissioner Donnie Boyd said they wanted to get rid of the building due to its hazardous state. Boyd said they decided to demolish the building when inspections showed it would cost more to fix it than the building was worth.
The demolition of the 29,000-square-foot building is budgeted to cost $450,000. Crews already abated the asbestos and hazardous materials inside the building and stripped it to the studs, Boyd said, which has been going on for the past two months.
Around the state
The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a missing boater whose vessel was found unattended in the Pacific Ocean near southern Oregon.
59 year old Dan VanCleave was reported overdue Tuesday after he didn’t return home prior to sunset, according to the Coast Guard. His truck and trailer were found that night at a boat basin in Brookings and an aircrew later located his vessel just south of the Chetco River Jetty. Authorities found the 16-foot boat’s engine idling. VanCleave’s cellphone and other personal items were found, but no one was aboard the boat.
The Coast Guard says authorities towed the vessel into Brookings and continued to look for VanCleave through the night.
…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.