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.
Picture above by Lee Juillerat, Herald & News
FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Friday A 20% chance of snow during the day, otherwise mostly cloudy, with a high near 30. Overnight, a 20% chance of snow flurries 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.
At approximately 2:25 A.M. yesterday Klamath County Fire District No. 1 received the report of a structure fire with a possible victim trapped inside at 2154 Eberlein Ave.
The fire was reported by group passing by. They stopped and made attempts to get the victim out but were not successful due to the extent of the fire. Law Enforcement Officers from Klamath Falls Police Department and fire personnel arriving on scene noted a large fire within the kitchen and living room area. Fire personnel simultaneously worked to locate the victim and extinguish the fire.
The victim, Madeline L. Murray, was located by fire crews in the living room area and found deceased.
One firefighter was injured and transported to Skylakes Medical Center where they were treated and released. Damage to the home is estimated at $80,000.00. The fire has been ruled accidental.
High Cascade highways remain closed overnight due to additional snow and trees that fell overnight and yesterday.
However, Oregon 138E is expected to open a limited distance today by 2 p.m. The highway will only be open from U.S. 97 west into Diamond Lake and Three Lakes SnoPark only. No through traffic. Crews are working on the Oregon 138 connection from Roseburg area as well as Oregon 62 from Prospect north toward Union Creek and Crater Lake National Park boundary.
Klamath Falls has seen a considerable amount of snow this week, and the flakes didn’t stop for most of the day yesterday.
According to the National Weather Service office in Medford, the worst should be behind us. They say another storm system is coming on Friday but will hit the Cascades more than Klamath Falls. Also another system is coming in on Monday and this one will be more over Northern California so they expect maybe a couple of inches Monday night into Tuesday.
The NWS recorded 4.8 inches of new snowfall a mile north of Klamath Falls, and 3.8 inches in Northwest Klamath area, 3.1 inches in Altamont and 3 inches in Keno. The heavy snowfall over the last week has boosted the snowpack in Klamath County and across the West Coast. Thursday morning, the NWS reported that the snowpack in Klamath was at 97.19% normal, still in the abnormally dry category.
Thanks to the snow Thursday the Weather Service said it looks like the snowpack has reached normal levels.
As of 8:25AM Friday, 1/17/20, ODOT: SW Oregon: OREGON 62- Crater Lake Highway- Highway is now open from Prospect thru Union Creek to its junction with Oregon 230.
To encourage visitation and appreciation for America’s public lands, the Bureau of Land Management announced that it will waive recreation-related visitor’s fees during five 2020 Fee-Free Days.
On these five days, recreation-related fees for all visitors to agency-managed public lands across the nation will be waived. Deputy Director of Policy and Programs for the BLM, William Perry Pendley, hopes that with their fee-free days Americans will get outside to enjoy the 245 million acres of public lands across our nation, most of which are in the West and Alaska.
The next Fee-Free Day is Monday in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Natural Grocers opened with a bang in Klamath Falls Wednesday. According to a store employee, the store gave away its 100 prize bags filled with kitchen supplies in just about five minutes and the store at 2800 S. Sixth St. in the Jefferson Square shopping mall was packed, despite harsh winter weather.
Natural Grocers is a Colorado-based health food chain store known for selling only organic and GMO-free produce, pasture-based dairy and antibiotic and hormone-free meats. The store carries a large variety of dietary supplements as well as household items, pet supplies, body care products and books and will also soon carry beer and wine.
On Tuesday, the store held a private pre-opening event in which it gave merchandise samples, and food catered by Leap of Taste. Each attendee also got a $5 gift card to the store.
Around the state
A county judge in Oregon on Thursday ordered the secretary of state to process two clean energy ballot initiatives that environmentalists want to bring before voters in November, after the state official had rejected them.
Secretary of State Bev Clarno had earlier said the ballot initiatives violated a state requirement that legislative measures stick to one subject. Marion County Judge David Leith, ruling in favor of backers of the initiatives, said she was wrong.
The judge’s permanent injunction means the process of earning a final ballot title from the attorney general will resume.
To encourage visitation and appreciation for America’s public lands, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced that it will waive recreation-related visitor’s fees during five 2020 Fee-Free Days.
On these five days, recreation-related fees for all visitors to agency-managed public lands across the nation will be waived.
“One of the greatest assets we have in this country is our public lands,” says Deputy Director of Policy and Programs for the BLM, William Perry Pendley, exercising the authority of the BLM Director. “With our fee-free days, we hope that Americans will get outside to enjoy these national treasures – the 245 million acres of public lands across our nation, most of which are in the West and Alaska.”
The Fee-Free Days for 2020 are: January 20 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day), February 17 (President’s Day), June 13 (National Get Outdoors Day), September 26 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day).
BLM-managed public lands offer a wide array of recreational opportunities, including hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, boating, whitewater rafting, off-highway vehicle driving, rock climbing, and more. Americans make approximately 67 million visits annually to BLM-managed lands, supporting approximately 48,000 jobs nationwide and contributing almost $7 billion to the U.S. economy.
On fee-free days, site-specific standard amenity and day-use fees at BLM recreation sites and areas will be waived for the specified dates. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, group day use, and use of special areas, will remain in effect.
For more information on recreation opportunities on BLM-managed public lands, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation or www.recreation.gov
…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.