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.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Cloudy and a chance of rain on the drive home in the late afternoon with a high near 44. Snow level rising to 6000 feet in the afternoon. Overnight, a chance of rain and patchy freezing fog with a low around 31 degrees.
Thursday Patchy fog before 10am. Patchy freezing fog before 7am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 51.
Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 51.
Saturday A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 7am, then a chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Sunday Mostly sunny, 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.
Yesterday shortly after midnight Klamath County Sheriff’s Office deputies attempted to stop a Gold Oldsmobile in the 1800 block of Gary Street in Klamath Falls.
The driver fled at a high rate of speed and after disregarding a stop sign struck a power pole near the intersection of Etna Street and Frieda Avenue. Deputies observed the driver, Stella Renee Forrester of Klamath Falls, exit the vehicle and attempt to flee the scene on foot.
Deputies took Forrester into custody in the backyard of a residence in the 4200 block of Frieda Avenue. Forrester was taken to SkyLakes medical center for evaluation and later booked into Klamath County Jail on charges including: Attempt to Elude x2, Hit and Run, Reckless Driving, Driving While Suspended, Disobey Traffic Sign, Possession of Methamphetamine, as well as being held on parole violation.
Gov. Brown appointed nine members to the new Oregon Conservation and Recreation Advisory Committee who will advise the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission on expenditures related to the Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund.
Among those nominated was Dr. Karl Wenner of Klamath Falls for the Klamath Mountains Ecoregion. The Oregon Legislature created both the Advisory Committee and the Conservation and Recreation Fund in House Bill 2829 in 2019.
The Fund is a new way for Oregonians to support projects that protect and enhance the species and habitats identified in the Oregon Conservation Strategy and create new opportunities for wildlife watching, urban conservation, community science and other wildlife-associated recreation.
The Legislature has challenged Oregonians to demonstrate support for fish and wildlife conservation by generating $1 million for the Fund at which point the state’s General Fund will match with an additional $1 million.
Break out your 1900’s period costumes for an event reflecting on the 1920 fight for women’s right to vote and the founding of a group dedicated to that cause the League of Women Voters, for a 100th anniversary event at the Ross Ragland Theater on Sunday.
February 9th being the 100th anniversary of the group’s founding followed by the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th amendment granting women the right to vote, the League of Women Voters of Klamath County invites people to the Ragland to reflect on “the Great Fight to Win the Vote for Women” that was just a short century ago.
Doors open to the theater at 1:15 p.m. with voter registration tables and cookbook and t-shirt sales in the lobby before the program begins at 2 p.m. with speakers from around the community, including Klamath Community College President Roberto Gutierrez, Klamath County Commissioner Kelley Minty Morris, Klamath Falls Mayor Carol Westfall and Klamath County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Heather Tramp.
Klamath Basin Blood Drives continues in the area with the Red Cross.
In response to a critical shortage of supplies, in particular Type O, the American Red Cross blood drive is on this month of February. Type O positive blood is the most transfused blood type and can be given to Rh-positive patients of any blood type.
All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license, or two other forms of identification, are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age in most states (16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Donors of all blood types – especially types O positive and O negative – are urged to make an appointment to give blood or platelets at www.RedCrossBlood.org, calling 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767), or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
Klamath blood drives
Noon to 5 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10 at Cerulian Inn, 100 Main St.
8:30 am. to 2:30 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 12 and 13, Klamath Union High School, 1300 Monclaire St.
For more information visit www.redcross.org.
Around the state
Buckle Up Oregon. Between February 3, 2020 and February 16, 2020, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is utilizing grant funding to put more deputies on the streets with a focus on seat belt usage.
We urge everyone, whether you are a driver or a passenger, to use your seat belt! Buckling up is the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself in a crash.
In 2015, seat belts saved an estimated 13,941 people from dying. From 2011 to 2015 seat belts saved nearly 64,000 lives—enough people to fill a large sports arena.
Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not replace them. In fact, if you don’t wear your seat belt, you could be thrown into a rapidly opening frontal air bag; a movement of such force could injure or even kill you. Visit www.nhtsa.gov/airbags for more on air bag safety.
With seat belts, proper fit matters. To be sure your seat belt fits you better here are some tips to consider. Before you buy a new car, check to see that its seat belts are a good fit for you. Ask your dealer about seat belt adjusters, which can help you get the best fit. If you need a roomier belt, contact your vehicle manufacturer to obtain seat belt extenders. If you drive an older or classic car with lap belts only, check with your vehicle manufacturer about how to retrofit your car with today’s safer lap/shoulder belts.
For more information on seat belt safety for children and pregnant women, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website at www.nhtsa.gov/seatbelts. You will find information on when your child is ready for an adult seat belt and NHTSA’s seat belt recommendations for pregnant women to buckle up the right way every trip, every time.
More state elections directors are expressing interest in Oregon’s vote-by-mail elections, Oregon’s elections director said Tuesday as Democratic Party officials in Iowa struggled to announce votes from their presidential caucus.
Oregon Elections Director Steve Trout said he just got back from a conference of all the state election directors and there’s more and more discussion, more and more questions about can vote by mail help us. He said obviously we’ve been doing this for over 20 years now successfully. He appeared at a press conference alongside FBI Special Agent in Charge Renn Cannon and U.S. Attorney for Oregon Billy Williams to discuss election security.
In addition to Oregon, Washington , Colorado, Utah and Hawaii also vote by mail. With Oregon voters mailing their ballots or leaving them at official drop boxes, hackers have fewer places to get in and target the election system.
While customers often remember the cookie sellers they see in front of area businesses like Fred Meyer, JOANN (fabric and craft stores), Safeway-Albertson’s and Wal-Mart, they may never know about the countless hours contributed in support of Girl Scouts by volunteers.
Volunteers serve in a variety of important roles, including booth sales coordinators, cookie inventory managers, cookie rally organizers, incentive organizers, regional volunteer organizers and warehouse coordinators.
Girl Scouts that participate during Depot Days gain exposure to these operations and hone business and entrepreneurial skills including communication, customer service, logistics, math, and group management.
“The amount of Girl Scout Cookies moved during Depot Days is truly amazing. It’s a huge endeavor, and volunteers, girls and their families make it happen,” says Victoria Foreman, Director of Product Sales for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. “We love that girls get to see behind the scenes of Girl Scout Cookie inventory management, from planning to organization to execution. These are key skills needed to run a business, and girls get unique, hands-on practice through the cookie program.”
Girl Scout Cookies are distributed on Saturday, February 8, at warehouses located in Eugene, Tualatin, and Vancouver, and deliveries are made throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington from February 6-12.
Oregon counties, tribes and community partners are using a 2019 legislative investment to continue modernizing the state’s public health system, including expanding interventions to prevent and respond to emerging disease threats.
The Legislature’s 2019 allocation for public health modernization, the initiative launched seven years ago to upgrade the state’s governmental public health system, provides an investment of $15.6 million for the 2019-2021 biennium.
“A key to building a modern public health system in Oregon is ensuring every person in Oregon — regardless of income, race, ethnicity or geographic location — has access to essential public health services,” said Lillian Shirley, public health director at the Oregon Health Authority. “A modern public health system provides core public health functions and maintains the flexibility needed to focus on new health challenges, such as emerging infectious diseases, climate change, threats from human-caused and natural disasters, and chronic diseases.”
She adds, “We’re seeing the importance of a modern public health infrastructure in our preparations for and responses to recent emerging disease crises, such as those created by the outbreaks of vaping-associated lung injuries and novel coronavirus.”
The bulk of the funding, about $10.3 million, is being distributed to local public health authorities — county public health departments — to address local priorities for controlling communicable diseases. The funds also continue support for seven regional partnerships, covering 32 of 36 counties, and allow expansion of successful approaches to communicable disease control efforts started in 2017. The approaches demonstrate new models of public health programs considered among the foundation of essential services for every community to protect and promote health.
Examples include deployment of regional teams to respond to outbreaks; improving immunizations among 2-year-olds and adolescents; providing training and technical assistance to the health care community on controlling sexually transmitted infections; sharing information about public health threats with the health care provider community; using data analytics to improve infectious disease data access, analysis and sharing; and building relationships with populations experiencing a disproportionate burden of communicable disease and poor health outcomes.
Theron Gilbert Geber, 36, a resident of Coos Bay, Oregon, was sentenced to five years in federal prison followed by a four-year term of supervised release for distributing methamphetamine and unlawfully possessing sawed-off shotguns.
According to court documents, in March 2019, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) learned that Gerber, who had prior state felony convictions, was selling firearms and methamphetamine in the Coos Bay area.
On April 4, 2019, an undercover ATF agent met with Gerber for a firearms purchase. Upon entering Gerber’s home, the agent saw drug paraphernalia and approximately 20 to 25 firearms displayed for sale. During the meeting, Gerber stated, “everything’s for sale for the right price.” Gerber then sold the agent a short-barreled shotgun, a Glock pistol, three magazines, three drum magazines, and 91 rounds of ammunition—all for $600.
The agent arranged a second purchase the following week. On April 11, 2019, the agent again met with Gerber inside his residence. This time, the agent purchased an AK-style rifle for $500 and asked if Gerber would sell methamphetamine. Gerber agreed to sell the agent approximately 13 grams of methamphetamine for $240.
Finally, on April 25, 2019, the agent brokered a third firearm purchase from Gerber. Gerber sold the agent a second sawed-off shotgun, an AR-style pistol, 181 rounds of assorted ammunition, six 30-round AR-style magazines, and a Colt .45 caliber “Night Defender” pistol for $1,500. A short time later, ATF agents executed a search warrant on Gerber’s residence and arrested him.
As part of his plea agreement, Gerber agreed to forfeit the firearms described in the indictment.
On January 6, 2020, Geber pleaded guilty to one count each of unlawful possession of a short-barreled firearm and distribution of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by ATF and prosecuted by Nathan J. Lichvarcik and William McLaren, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
…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.