Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM/102.5FM, BasinLife.com and The Herald & News.
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Sunny, with a high near 62. Overnight clear and a low near 30.
Thursday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Friday
A 30 percent chance of rain after 5pm. Snow level 5300 feet rising to 6000 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Overnight, a chance of rain before 11pm, then rain and snow likely. Snow level 5200 feet lowering to 4200 feet after midnight . Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday
A 50 percent chance of snow. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunday
Partly sunny, with a high near 46.
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 at approximately 1:30AM Klamath County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the 25000 block of Bedfield Cemetery Road in Klamath Falls on reports of someone suffering from a gunshot wound.
Upon arrival deputies, assisted by Oregon State Police and EMS personnel from Klamath County Fire District 1, requested a medical transport helicopter due to the nature of the injuries. The injured person was transported by helicopter to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and later to OHSU in Portland where they remain in stable condition at this time.
The name of the victim has not been released and the Sheriffs office is continuing to investigate the incident.
At approximately 8:45PM Tuesday Klamath Falls Police Department officers attempted a traffic stop in the area of South Side Bypass and Washburn Way, at that time however the driver attempted to elude and officers terminated pursuit.
Officers and deputies working with Oregon State Police troopers determined the vehicle was reported stolen in Riverside County California. Shortly after Klamath County Sheriff’s Office deputies observed a vehicle matching the description pass through the intersection of Homedale Road and Bartlett Avenue while tailgating another vehicle and failing to stop.
Deputies then attempted a traffic stop and the driver attempted to elude deputies while traveling through a residential neighborhood at higher than posted speeds. The driver then exited the moving vehicle in the area of Travis Way and Ferndale Place. Deputies along with KFPD Officers then pursued on foot and the driver was shortly located and taken into custody.
Gonzalo Diaz is being lodged at Klamath County Jail and is facing charges including reckless driving, attempt to elude a police officer, recklessly endangering, and unauthorized use of motor vehicle.
Due to low snowpack and precipitation and continuously warming weather Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed an executive order on Monday declaring a drought in Klamath County.
Snowpack is 65% of normal in the Klamath Basin as of March 4, according to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Mountain snow is critical because it acts as a natural reservoir, replenishing streams and lakes during the irrigation season.
The declaration allows for agricultural producers to apply for aid to help them recover any crop losses during the Summer months. Commissioner Donnie Boyd said he thinks it’s fantastic that her and her staff jumped on it so quickly in order to get the drought declaration through so that Klamath Basin farmers know what is in place and they can start putting in for disaster relief and other programs.
With the drought declaration, growers who have invested in developing supplemental water supplies through groundwater wells will be better able to access that resource. In addition, state agencies are obliged to coordinate with the federal government to address the situation.
Klamath Water Users Association will hold a public meeting today at 1 p.m. in Building No. 2 at the Klamath County Fairgrounds to help connect agricultural producers with resources to navigate the drought.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly 80% of the state in abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions. Conditions are faring better along the northern coast and northeast Oregon, where the Umatilla, Walla Walla and Willow basins still have 121% of normal snowpack.
When Ruth Wallace sent her fiancé Scott O’Neil to the store for groceries a Scratch-it worth $250,000 was not on the list.
Normally Ruth purchases the Scratch-its and only every so often she said. However, this time Scott bought the tickets and happened to pick up some of the $20 Scratch-its. The Klamath Falls couple scratched their tickets and each ticket Ruth scratched was a winning ticket. According to Ruth when she scratched her last ticket she thought it was a $250 winner but when Ruth looked at it further she realized it was actually $250,000. Scott purchased the $20 Cash Spectacular Scratch-it at the Madison Market on 6th Street.
After taxes the couple took home $170,000. The couple said they were moving into a new home soon, so the winnings will go toward new furniture and moving expenses. They also said they may purchase new cars.
The Klamath County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee is hosting a candidate forum to welcome Republican candidates for Oregon’s Congressional District 2 (a position currently held by Congressman Greg Walden who announced he will not seek re-election). The forum, co-hosted by the Herald and News, is scheduled for Monday, March 9th from 6 to 8 p.m. at Oregon Tech auditorium.
This forum will give voters an opportunity to ask questions and better understand the Republican candidates who have filed for Congressional District 2. A similar Democratic candidate forum will be coordinated at a later date.
The town hall-style forum will be moderated by Joe Spendolini, chair of the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee. Attendees will be able to submit questions in writing to then be addressed by candidates.
Current Republican candidates for Oregon’s Second Congressional District include Jason Atkinson, Cliff Bentz, Knute Buehler, David Campbell, Jimmy Curmpacker, Justin Livingston, Justus Mayo, Kenneth Medenbach, Mark Robert and Jeff Smith.
For more information on the forum, contact the Klamath County Chamber at (541) 884-5193 or visit www.klamath.org.
Oregon Housing and Community Services was excited to announce funding awards of over 15 million dollars to build 435 affordable rental homes in communities across the state.
These awards come at a critical time as Oregonians continue be impacted by housing instability as a result of tight rental markets and rising housing costs. Funding in these developments include state and federal resources, a combination of Low Income Housing Tax Credits, General Housing Account Program, Oregon Affordable Housing Tax Credits and Oregon Multifamily Energy Program funds.
One of the developments that received awards are 8 homes in the Bridgeway Apartments in Klamath Falls.
Around the state
New CDC data shows suicide was leading cause of death among Oregon youth in 2018
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that suicide was the leading cause of death among Oregon youth ages 10 to 24 in 2018, up from the second leading cause of death in 2017. Oregon is now ranked 11th highest in the nation for youth suicide death rates (up from 17th in 2017).
The change in rank is due to multiple factors: There was a rise in the suicide rate as well as a drop in the rate of unintentional injury deaths, the former leading cause. The unintentional injury category includes overdose deaths and motor vehicle accidents. While the suicide rate has increased, the unintentional injury rate decreased from 2017 to 2018.
“Suicide continues to be a concerning problem in Oregon across all age groups, including youth, as this new data confirms,” said Dana Hargunani, Oregon Health Authority’s chief medical officer. “We continue to prioritize work across Oregon to support young people in schools, at home and in our communities. Fortunately, we are able to apply best practices that work to prevent suicide, and there are many ways you can get involved.”
The 2018 CDC data is included in the 2019 Youth Suicide Intervention and Prevention Plan annual report, which was released to the Legislature this week.
Advocates and state agency staff have been working to address this growing issue and together requested dedicated funding for suicide prevention in 2019.
Governor Kate Brown included more than $6 million for suicide prevention in her budget for the 2019-2021 biennium, marking the first time this work has been funded by the state. The funding is being used to:
- Fully fund Oregon’s 24/7 Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
- Create statewide access to proven suicide prevention programming.
- Provide funding to Oregon tribes for suicide prevention.
- Address higher risk groups (LGTBQ youth, veterans, people with lived experience).
- Support school districts to create and implement suicide prevention plans.
- Fund youth peer-to-peer crisis intervention, outreach and youth development through the Oregon YouthLine.
- Add capacity to support suicide prevention programs at the Oregon Health Authority.
- Additionally, the Oregon Department of Education and the Oregon Health Authority are collaborating to implement Senate Bill 52 – also known as Adi’s Act – which requires school districts to have a suicide prevention, intervention and postvention response plan by the start of the 2020-2021 school year. The two agencies are also working together to support school safety (including suicide prevention), which is outlined in the Student Success Act (Section 36, pages 21 and 22).
What can I do?
Join in the efforts. Creating a suicide-safe Oregon is everyone’s work. There are many projects underway in communities across Oregon.
- Individual level:
- Be a trusted adult. Research shows that even one caring adult in a youth’s life is protective against suicide.
- Get trained to recognize signs of suicide. Encourage your workplace, your friends, your faith community to get trained with you.
- Community level:
- School districts are working on their suicide prevention, intervention and postvention plan, as directed by Senate Bill 52. If your school district needs support or resources, staff can contact Lines for Life at schoolsupport@linesforlife.org or 503-575-3759.
- Statewide level:
- Join the Alliance to Prevent Suicide’s work.
- Attend the statewide conference on suicide prevention scheduled for fall 2020. Sign up to receive information about the conference or learn more at the Oregon Suicide Prevention website.
- Join your regional suicide prevention coalition.
For more information:
- If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, please know that help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline run by Lines For Life at 800-273-8255 or text ‘273TALK’ to 839863. En español: 888-628-9454. TTY: 800-799-4TTY (4889).Youthline is a teen-to-teen crisis and help line. Teens are available to help daily, 4 to 10 p.m. Pacific Time (off-hour calls answered by Lines for Life). Call 877-968-8491 or text teen2teen to 839863 or chat at http://www.oregonyouthline.org/.
- See Crisis Services by Oregon County and a list of crisis lines on OHA’s website.
From the State of Oregon Fire Marshal’s Office
Following meetings in 16 communities throughout 2019 on a Listening and Understanding Tour, the Office of State Fire Marshal has released its final report focusing on needs of the Oregon fire service to address the challenges from wildfires in the wildland urban interface (WUI).
The Governor’s Fire Service Policy Council, the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, and the Oregon Fire Marshals Association have endorsed this report.
The outreach focused on communities near and in wildland areas at elevated fire risk and engaged more than 250 individuals involved in the prevention, mitigation, and response to fire in the WUI.
“Currently, our Oregon fire service has identified gaps that need to be filled to address the new reality of wildfire threatening communities, people, and property,” said State Fire Marshal Jim Walker. “Our frontline responders to wildland fire called for addressing needs in personnel, resources, and funding. Addressing these needs would support Oregon’s larger strategy of confronting the growing challenge of wildfire.”
The OSFM heard from fire chiefs and firefighters, tribal partners, community leaders, forestry, emergency management, and others during its Listening and Understanding Tour.
Overall, the participants called for a stronger statewide approach as well as specific tools, messaging, technology, data, and risk mapping ability that would allow local agencies to share a common goal and have a clear path moving forward as a unified front.
During the tour, the OSFM heard that some fire agencies and areas had the personnel and funding capacity to provide outreach campaigns, but others were limited in their approach or focused solely on response.
Findings from the tour pointed to the implementation of statewide strategy to address the threat of wildland fire and minimize the disparities in the information shared and the level of prevention and mitigation work being done by the structural fire service.
As a result of the tour, the OSFM has proposed to address the needs identified by the fire service through creating a statewide strategy for prevention, education, and planning at the community level.
Provisions for such positions were initially proposed in legislation during the 2020 Legislative session.
The 2020 Girl Scout Cookie season will end on March 8 when cookie booths close up for the last time until 2021.
This year, Girl Scouts introduced Lemon-ups™—a crispy lemon cookie baked with messages inspired by Girl Scout entrepreneurs—and brought back such iconic favorites as Thin Mints®, Samoas®, and Trefoils®.
Find Girl Scout Cookies
This is the final week to purchase Girl Scout Cookies in 2020. Customers can locate a nearby Girl Scout Cookie booth daily through March 8 with the Cookie Finder at girlscoutsosw.org/cookies.
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