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.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020
BASIN LIFE BULLETIN: Hazardous driving conditions throughout the Klamath Basin and Southern Oregon. Do not be on the roads today if at all possible. Road crews are busy but dangerous conditions exist throughout the area. Allow extra time if you must be on the roads today.
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Snow flurries much of today. High near 33. Total daytime snow accumulation of 2 to 5 inches possible. Overnight, a 40% chance of snow showers before 4am with a low around 18. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday A 20% chance of snow during the day. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. Overnight, a 20% chance of snow with a low of 25.
Saturday A 40% chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Overnight cloudy, low of 28.
Sunday Partly sunny, with a high near 40.
Monday, M. L. King Day A slight chance of rain and snow between 10am and 4pm, then a slight chance of rain after 4pm. Cloudy, with a high near 42.
Road Conditions
Traveling? Click and check these cameras below for the latest road conditions.
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.
ALL KLAMATH COUNTY SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED TODAY, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020 due to heavy snow in the Klamath Basin.
ALL KLAMATH FALLS CITY SCHOOLS ARE CLOSED TODAY, Thursday, Jan 16, 2020 due to inclement weather conditions.
OREGON TECH as of 9:00AM is now OFFICIALLY CLOSED for the day, today.
As of 10:00AM ODOT: US97 now open at Oregon-California border. Expect severe winter driving conditions and delays today south of Dorris and into the Weed/Mt. Shasta area. If you don’t need to drive today, don’t.
In Oregon, monitor Tripcheck or 511
In California, http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
6:30AM ODOT: SW
Oregon:
Expect delays this morning due to snow and chain restrictions
on southern Oregon mountain passes. Budget extra time and expect congestion
near chain-up areas on the I-5 corridor mountain passes.
* I-5 Siskiyous: chains required on all vehicles except 4x4s
unless towing
* I-5 Sexton, Smith and Stage Passes: chains required on
trucks over 10,000 GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight) and other vehicles if towing.
* I-5 Canyon Mountain: snow, carry chains
* U.S. 199 Hayes Hill: snow, carry chains
* Oregon 42 Camas Mountain: snow, carry chains
* Oregon 140, Cascade Summit: Chains Required on vehicles
towing or over 10,000 GVW.
Check Tripcheck for the latest, changing conditions.
6:30AM ODOT: SW Oregon:
From Caltrans:
U.S. 199 (Redwood Highway) is closed at the California border to the intersection with California 197 due to downed trees and powerlines due to snow in the Smith River canyon.
High winds pushed crews out of the High Cascades closure area yesterday afternoon. Due to the hazard to public and crew safety the Oregon 62 closure is back to Prospect from Union Creek.
These winds have halted progress for the day due to hazard trees. Crews will re-evaluate this morning but with another foot of snow in the forecast through today clean-up work will be evaluated day by day. Current High Cascade closures include Highway 138 closed from Toketee to U.S. 97 and Oregon 62/230 closed at Prospect.
The Klamath County School District has two openings on its budget committee.
The Board of Directors will conduct interviews for the positions at its March 12th meeting. Applications will be accepted until 4 p.m. on February 25th. Open seats are position 2, which represents the Henley Elementary-Keno zone and position 3, which represents the Bonanza-Lost River zone. The KCSD budget committee includes five at-large members appointed by the school board and the five school board members.
Of critical importance to the Klamath Basin widespread snowstorms have boosted the Pacific Northwest’s previously anemic snow pack to almost normal levels statewide in just two weeks.
Last year saw something similar unfold in Oregon, when a series of storms hit in February that boosted what had been a lagging level of snow-water equivalent. This year statewide the snow-water equivalent increased from 45% of normal to 79% of normal between December 30th and January 14th according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,\ which tracks the measurements.
Every hunter who purchased 2019 big game or turkey tags needs to report their hunt results by the deadline, which is Jan. 31, 2020 for most tags.
Hunters are required to report on each deer, elk, cougar, bear, pronghorn and turkey tag purchased—even if they were not successful or did not hunt. Sports Pac license holders need to report on each big game or turkey tag issued. Hunters who fail to report deer and elk tags by the deadline will be penalized $25 when they go to purchase a 2021 hunting license. This penalty is assessed once, regardless of the number of unreported tags. Reporting deadlines are January 31st for all 2019 hunts that ended by December 31st and April 15 for all 2019 hunts that end between January 1st through March 31st.
The Oregon Department of Revenue will begin processing state tax returns on January 27 the same day the IRS will begin processing federal returns.
Taxpayers can submit their returns earlier but processing won’t start until the tax season officially begins. Once processing begins, returns will be processed in the order received. However, the Oregon Department of Revenue won’t be issuing personal income tax refunds until after February 15. This refund hold is part of the state’s tax fraud prevention activities and will allow confirmation that the amounts claimed on returns matches what employers report on forms W-2 and 1099. The IRS is also holding federal tax refunds until after February 15 but only for those taxpayers claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit or the Additional Child Tax Credit.
Around the state
Laundry day got very exciting for a Portland man who accidentally washed his wallet with an Oregon’s Game Megabucks ticket worth $8.4 million inside.
Scott Moe said he washed his wallet and then realized he had Lottery tickets in there. He said a couple of the tickets were destroyed, but not the jackpot ticket. Moe was piecing together his laundered lottery tickets right before bed and after utilizing the Lottery’s ticket-scanning app for the first time. Moe said that luckily the ticket worth $8.4 million was the last one he bought and protected by other tickets in his wallet.
Moe took the bulk-sum option, which splits the prize in half to $4.2 million and after taxes Moe took home $2.85 million.
…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.