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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Sunny, with a high near 60. Calm and clear overnight with a low around 30 degrees.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 63.
Friday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 63
Saturday
A 40% chance of snow during the day. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Overnight, a chance of snow flurries, low of 25.
Sunday
A slight chance of snow before 10am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
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 Yellow until noon today.
Oregon State Police conducted a traffic stop on a black Chevrolet Tahoe bearing California license plates on Highway 97.
The vehicle was occupied by a male driver and a female passenger with an infant. During the course of the traffic stop, multiple factors of criminal activity were observed. An OSP K-9 was applied to the exterior of the vehicle and gave an alert/indication to the presence of controlled substances.
A subsequent probable cause search of the vehicle revealed approximately 66 pounds of methamphetamine, two kilos of heroin, ten suspected fentanyl pills and a loaded firearm.
The driver was lodged in the Klamath County Jail for: Possession of a controlled substance, Methamphetamine, Distribution of a controlled substance, Methamphetamine, Manufacturing of a controlled substance, Methamphetamine, Possession of a controlled substance, Heroin, Distribution of a controlled substance, Heroin and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
The adult female was released pending further investigation to care for the infant that was within the vehicle. Child Protective Services was notified and made aware of the incident.
Klamath Water Users Association and the Klamath Project Drought Response Agency will host a public meeting on March 5th at 1 p.m., at the Klamath County Fairgrounds to present information on irrigation water supply availability in the upcoming growing season.
Through January snowpack and anticipated run-off for storage diversion and use during the irrigation season were favorable. However according to Klamath Drainage District Manager Scott White we’ve had an abrupt, negative change in expected run-off and it seems likely that there will be water shortages. DRA will also provide information on programs that will aid assistance to growers and well owners. The amount of irrigation water from Upper Klamath Lake depends on volumes in Upper Klamath Lake in spring and anticipated inflow expected through September, according to Klamath Irrigation District (KID) Manager Gene Souza. Right now that computation does not look good.
KID is working with all of the districts and the Bureau to make the best of what may be a tough situation. Representatives from the Bureau of Reclamation will also be in attendance.
The Klamath River Renewal Corporation continues progress toward implementing the Amended Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement removing the Klamath dams and restoring a free-flowing Klamath River by selecting McMillen Jacobs Associates to provide owner’s representation services.
McMillen Jacobs is a full-service engineering, construction management, environmental, and self-performing construction firm in the water resources, hydropower, fisheries, water conveyance, irrigation, transportation, heavy civil, and underground markets. They have completed more than 150 projects over the past 10 years at hydropower and fisheries facilities, and are fully qualified to advise on dam decommissioning, reservoir modifications, construction of fish hatcheries, water line replacements, fish passage and habitat restoration.
Uncontrolled bleeding is the leading cause of preventable death from trauma. Learn how you could save a life at free “Stop the Bleed” classes during the annual Sky Lakes Community Health Fair.
The health fair begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 7, at Klamath County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall No. 1. Admission is free. The “Stop the Bleed” sessions will start on the half hour beginning at 8 a.m.; the last session begins at 1:30 p.m.
Some elements of the program will be demonstrated in the main exhibit area of the fair, and the classes will feature an in-depth discussion of the topic. The greater the number of people who know how to control an injured person’s bleeding, the greater the chances that person has of surviving the injury, said Sky Lakes Trauma Program Manager Stacey Holmes the class instructor. You can register online at SkyLakes.org/Calendar. Space is limited.
Gordmans, a chain department store opening a new retail location soon in Klamath Falls, is planning a grand opening celebration welcoming the public for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and check presentation, according to a news release. The current store, Beall’s will transform to Gordmans.
The new location, located inside the Klamath Falls Town Center at 1851 Avalon, will hold its grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, March 17 at 9 a.m. Included in the event will be a $1,000 donation to Klamath Union High School.
Gordmans, part of the Stage community of storesamong its offerings allows shipment of Amazon orders to the in-store Amazon Counter for secure package pick-up. Included in the grand opening festivities will be free tote bags for the first 100 visitors and a chance to win free gift cards.
“At our Grand Opening Brand Bash, we’re inviting the community to join city representatives at the ribbon cutting where we will recognize and support Klamath Union High School,” said Michael Glazer, president and CEO of Stage Stores. “We are proud to be part of Klamath Falls, helping to sustain jobs, quality of life and economic growth for the community. Just as exciting is our strategy in bringing the Gordmans shopping experience to almost all of our department store locations across the country during 2020 and positively impacting even more cities.”
Merchandise selection at Gordmans includes apparel and footwear, home décor, accent furniture, wall décor, bedding and bath, kitchen gadgets, fashion jewelry, designer fragrances, toys and pet accessories.
Representative E. Werner Reschke has released the following statement: I have heard from countless constituents in my district urging me to do “whatever it takes” to stop Kate Brown’s cap and trade policy. I know the wrecking-ball-like effects cap and trade would do to my district, and I refuse to sit by and let bad legislation pass. I was elected to serve my constituents, not the will of the supermajority”.
Republican members of the House Committee on Energy and Environment refused to take a vote on a controversial Cap and Trade legislation, choosing to walk out from a hearing, according to a news release.
“Today, I did one of the most difficult things since my time as a Representative — I left a policy committee in protest by not voting on a bill,” said Representative E. Werner Reschke (R-Klamath Falls). “The bill in question is HB 4159, Cap and Trade. We (legislators) were being asked to vote on this bill in order to ‘keep it alive’ as bill deadlines are today. This is an abuse of the process by the super-majority to get a particular outcome, rather than a use of normative committee process that is intended to result in the best outcome for all Oregonians.”
Thursday’s early exit from a critical House policy committee, was done in protest to the fact that the committee purposely did not hear any public testimony on a highly controversial bill, or provide time to discuss among committee members regarding the policy of the bill.
“Cap and Trade is an extremely complex scheme that will cost Oregon families somewhere between $500-600 annually, to start,” said Reschke. “As the program continues, fuel, food and heating costs continue to increase. There are far better and far less costly ways to lower CO2 emissions in Oregon. This is not the way forward — especially for rural Oregon.”
“We have tried to engage with our colleagues on this issue, but have repeatedly been denied the opportunity to represent our districts in this conversation. Cap and trade will raise costs of living on all Oregonians, drive business out of the state, and hand control over to unelected bureaucrats. Oregonians are being denied access, and we won’t stand for it,” said Representative Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles), Vice-Chair of the committee.
House Bill 4159 was moved to House Committee on Rules without receiving any public input. Reschke is the Oregon House Representative for House District 56, which includes southern Klamath and Lake Counties.
Bend City Councilor Justin Livingston today announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for Oregon’s Second Congressional District, currently held by retiring Congressman Greg Walden.
The Oregon Department of Revenue (DOR) will host a series of meetings during the second week of March in southern Oregon and the south Willamette Valley to provide information to business taxpayers and tax professionals about the administrative rules for Oregon’s new Corporate Activity Tax (CAT).
The meetings are being held in cooperation with the small business development centers at Klamath Community College (KCC), Southern Oregon University (SOU), and Lane Community College (LCC).
“Our CAT team will personally engage taxpaying communities again in March. We want to provide taxpayers with the information and tools necessary to comply with the law and will ask taxpayers to provide us with feedback on the temporary rules completed to date,” said Nia Ray, director of the Oregon Department of Revenue.
The date, time and locations of the meetings include:
• Monday, March 9, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Klamath Community College, Conference Center, Room 7, 7390 South Sixth Street in Klamath Falls.
• Tuesday, March 10, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Stevenson Union, Room 323, Southern Oregon University, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard in Ashland.
• Wednesday, March 11, 6 to 7:30 p.m., Center for Meeting and Learning, Room 102, Lane Community College, 4000 East 30th Avenue in Eugene.
The meetings are part of a second statewide tour by the department’s CAT policy team. Department representatives used input collected from stakeholders during a 12-stop tour in fall 2019 in prioritizing and writing the rules. March’s meetings will include a presentation and discussion of the initial temporary rules.
The department does not provide tax advice, however, attendees will have a chance to ask questions about and share input on the rules and how they apply broadly to various business scenarios.
Additional meetings are planned in Bend, Ontario, La Grande, The Dalles, Gresham, Coos Bay, Lincoln City, Seaside, Portland, and Keizer. Visit the CAT page of the Department of Revenue website to see the complete schedule.
Follow @ORrevenue on Twitter for more CAT updates.
Visit www.oregon.gov/dor to get tax forms, check the status of your refund, or make tax payments; call 800-356-4222 toll-free from an Oregon prefix (English or Spanish); 503-378-4988 in Salem and outside Oregon; or email questions.dor@oregon.gov. For TTY (hearing or speech impaired), call 800-886-7204.
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