The latest Klamath Falls News around the Klamath Basin and the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM/102.5FM, BasinLife.com and The Herald & News.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2019
Klamath Basin Weather
Thursday
Rain. Snow level 6500 feet. High near 45. Winds could gust as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Overnight, rain and showers mixed with snow at times. Snow level around 5000-4700 feet. Low of 36. Little or no accumulation.
Friday
Morning Rain and snow showers before 10am, then rain showers during the day, high near 40. Snow level near 4700 feet. Overnight, snow at 4600 feet with little accumulation expected, low of 27.
Saturday
A chance of snow showers before 4pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunday
Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37.
Road Conditions
Traveling? Check our cameras below for the latest road conditions from BasinLife.com.
Lake of the Woods Hiway 140
Greensprings Drive at Hiway 97
Doak Mountain looking east
Chemult, Oregon
LaPine, Oregon
Bly, Oregon
Medford at I-5 -Biddle Road & Crater Lake Parkway
Today’s Headlines
The Klamath County Public Health Air Advisory is Green until noon today.
As schools statewide struggle with math test scores, Henley High School seems to have found the right formula.
Henley currently is ranked among the top 20 schools in the state for math test scores scoring 21 percentage points above the state average and increasing its own scores by more than 23 percentage points in two years. Henley’s 53.6 percent score puts it as one of the top 4A schools and 17th overall out of 252 high schools in Oregon. Scores were released this fall and are posted on the Oregon Department of Education website.
In 2019, just under 54 percent of Henley juniors earned a passing score on the state exam, up from 44 percent in 2018. In 2017, only 29 percent of juniors passed the test.
Klamath County Fire District 1 is investigating a house fire that broke out Monday around 1:50 p.m. on the 1700 block of Menlo Way.
Fire Marshal Chad Tramp is investigating the cause of the fire, but building owner Ross Saunders said the tenant whom Saunders pulled out of the smoking building through the window told him that the fire started because a space heater fell over. Saunders, who lives next door to the building that caught fire said his wife called 911 and he pulled the tenant Brad Smith out of the window that he was hanging out of as smoke billowed out of the window around Saunders. District 1 Division Chief Devon Brown said the resident was out of the home before crews arrived and that no one was injured. Crews were able to contain the fire to the single building.
Although he lost his house, Saunders said he was just worried about getting Smith out and ensuring he was okay. Still, he considers the house a total loss and expects it to be condemned. He owns the two other surrounding buildings as well.
A holiday-themed model train show opens Saturday at the Klamath County Museum. A variety of train layouts, including N, O, HO and G-scale model sets will be displayed by the Klamath Rails model railroad club.
The show runs through December 28th with hours the same as the museum’s normal schedule, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday each week. Entry to the train show is free with regular paid admission to the museum. Admission fees are $5 for adults, and $4 for seniors, military and students. Youth 12 and under are free. Santa Claus will be available to visit with children attending the train show from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day through Dec. 24, with the exception of Dec. 19. A free session for families with special needs children will be provided from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 15. For more information contact the museum at (541) 882-1000
Ferguson Elementary School students learned about science concepts like static electricity, inertia, and friction and docked “spaceships” thanks to a Henley High School senior who for her senior project organized a hands-on Science Expo.
Elle Larson spent more than 30 hours organizing researching and determining hands-on science activities appropriate for kindergarten through sixth-grade students. She then recruited 40 high school volunteers to help her. Hands-on activities included stacking index cards without tape, making slime, creating static electricity and learning how it works, exploring inertia and friction by making spinning tops, racing hot wheel cars and using teamwork to simulate a spaceship docking. She chose Ferguson Elementary School because she attended the school as a grade school student.
U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio of Springfield has announced his opposition to the proposed Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas terminal and its 230-mile feeder pipeline in southern Oregon.
DeFazio said in a letter to campaign supporters last week that he doesn’t support the project because the federal approval process is run by “unelected political appointees, the project tramples on private property rights, and it will exacerbate the urgent and immediate threat of climate change.” While he hadn’t taken a hard stance on Jordan Cove previously, DeFazio has spoken out against the 2005 Bush-Cheney Energy Policy Act, which allowed the Federal Energy and Regulatory Commission to claim eminent domain for energy projects. According to DeFazio he has introduced legislation to reverse the commission’s eminent domain powers.
Donald J Trump for President Committee and the Republican National Committee today announced members of the Trump Victory Effort, which will strive to advance the agenda if President Trump and the Republicans up and down the ballot.
The Trump campaign team includes three honorary state chairs including State Representative E. Werner Reschke of Klamath Falls. The RNC’s Oregon Team includes a regional political director.
Former State Rep. Knute Buehler announced today that he will seek the Republican nomination for Congress for the seat of retiring Congressman Greg Walden.
Born and raised in Roseburg, Knute grew up working in the woods and driving a Pepsi delivery truck. Knute and his two brothers were the first in their family to attend college. Knute earned his undergraduate degree from Oregon State, played baseball and was a Rhodes Scholar. After attending Oxford University, Knute earned his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Knute was elected to the Oregon House in 2014 and re-elected in 2016. Knute was the Republican nominee for Secretary of State of 2012 and for Governor in 2018. In four statewide elections – primary and general – Knute has won the second congressional district four times.
In his campaign for Governor, Knute made expanding economic opportunities to all of Oregon a centerpiece of his campaign.
The pile of socks in Dena Morosin’s fourth-grade class room keeps growing.
So far, Morosin’s students at Shasta Elementary School have collected 446 pairs of socks to donate to the Klamath Falls Gospel Mission this holiday season. Their goal: At least 600 pairs. A student suggested calling the mission to find out what was needed. Turns out socks are needed. Socks of all sizes, colors and styles. So the students created the Shasta Scorpion Sock Drive Challenge, and challenged each student in their school to donate at least one pair of socks to the cause – there are 606 students who attend Shasta Elementary – in the hopes of reaching 600 pairs by Dec. 20.
Anyone who wants to join the Shasta Scorpion Sock Drive Challenge, can drop off new socks at Shasta Elementary School, 1951 Madison St. Business who want to join can email Morosin at morosind@kcsd.k12.or.us.
Around the state
Oregon drivers are enjoying gas prices that are falling more quickly than in other states.
For the week the national average for regular slips two cents to $2.57 a gallon. The Oregon average drops six cents to $3.12. This is the fourth-largest weekly decline in the nation. Oregon also has the second-largest monthly decline in the nation with a drop of 19 cents. The cheapest gas in the nation can be found in Texas ($2.22) and Mississippi ($2.23). For the 43rd week in a row, no states have an average below $2 a gallon.
The Oregon Emergency Communications (E911) tax rate will increase from $.75 cents to $1, beginning January 1, 2020.
This is the first increase to the E911 tax since 1995. Phone companies and retailers are required to collect the tax and pay it to the Oregon Department of Revenue. The E911 tax provides about 24 percent of the total operating costs for 9-1-1 centers in Oregon. Examples of products or services subject to the E911 tax include Landline telephone service, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, Wireless telephone prepaid or postpaid service and Additional prepaid minutes, regardless if the purchase is made at a retailer’s physical location, online, or over the phone.
Yesterday, 33 year old David Carl Paulsen of Bend was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison and two years’ supervised release for illegally manufacturing and possessing marijuana during a March 2018 butane honey oil explosion in Bend.
According to court documents, on March 18th Bend police officers responded to an explosion at a residence where David Paulsen lived with his wife 34 year old Jennifer Paulsen and their three-year-old daughter. Witnesses reported that, following the explosion, the Paulsens were running around their house, putting items in their truck and car and telling neighbors not to call the police. Witnesses also reported that David Paulsen gave his daughter to a neighbor and told the neighbor to tell police that she had been with the neighbor during the explosion.
Both Paulsens suffered severe burns. During a search of the residence, investigators discovered more than 34 pounds of marijuana.
…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.