The latest news stories in the Klamath Basin and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM/102.5FM, BasinLife.com and The Herald & News.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
Saturday
Sunny, with a high near 58.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 57.
Road Conditions
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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
Coronavirus Cases in the U.S.: 16,489
Deaths: 223
Effective immediately, Sky Lakes Medical Center will begin screening people coming into Sky Lakes facilities for temperature as well as asking them if they have a cough. Anyone with a temperature of 100 degrees and not requiring medical care will be turned away.
Also, using information we have received from organizations in areas of severe COVID-19 outbreak and at the recommendation of Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Sky Lakes Medical Center will suspend all elective surgeries, procedures and therapies starting Friday morning, March 20. All urgent and emergent care/cases will still be performed.
Sky Lakes CEO Paul Stewart says they are taking these strong actions so we can further ‘flatten the curve’ of this pandemic and slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Conclusions from conversations I’ve had with state government officials and my colleagues at other hospitals are clear: Our strategies must be bold and immediate. Based upon the experiences of our peers in Washington state, taking a wait-and-see attitude hoping this will pass us by will come back to haunt us. Our best defense against a disastrous spread of this disease is isolating the chances of exposure“.
The COVID-19 pandemic is unprecedented but not unexpected, and Stewart says Sky Lakes will be ready.
HOW TO SELF-QUARENTINE AT HOME, CLICK HERE
Oregon Health Authority reported 26 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 114, as of 8:30 a.m. today, March 20. Yesterday that number was 88.
The COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (4), Deschutes (2), Grant (1), Linn (1), Marion (4), Multnomah (5), Union (1), Washington (6), Yamhill (2). Oregon Health Authority reports new cases once a day on its website: www.healthoregon.org/coronavirus.
Stay informed about COVID-19:
Oregon response: The Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Office of Emergency Management lead the state response.
State prepares Oregon Medical Station
The Oregon Health Authority, together with the Oregon Military Department, is assembling the Oregon Medical Station (OMS) at the Salem Fairgrounds. The OMS is a temporary mobile facility dedicated for emergency use in situations like the COVID-19 pandemic. The mobile facility will provide an alternate site for 250 patients currently in nursing home care.
The OMS is one component of Oregon’s larger emergency preparedness plan. Here is a snapshot of the facility:
- It will include beds, pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and equipment to support 250 patients.
- It which will be staffed by members of the State Emergency Registry of Volunteers in Oregon (SERV-OR) and the Oregon Disaster Medical Team (ODMT).
- It will have staffing for 24/7 operations.
- It will be housed in the Jackson Long building at the Salem Fairgrounds in a state-owned building.
- It will use dedicated supplies that have been stored in Salem at the State and Federal Surplus Property.
Military members from the Oregon Military Department, SERV-OR and ODMT have previous joint training experience for disaster-type events. All three groups have participated in an annual exercise known as Pathfinder-Minuteman, which presents multiple scenarios where first responders have causalities in need of immediate medical treatment.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown said Thursday morning she will not move forward with a shelter-in-place mandate for everyone in the state of Oregon, at this time. Four other states have set a shelter-in-place-at-home order, including California, New York, New Jersey and Illinois.
Governor Brown is, however, working on an interagency group to figure out what businesses are essential. Under many shelter-in-place mandates, including the one in San Francisco, workers are only allowed to leave their homes if they’re performing work for an essential business. Brown said she’s received dozens, if not more, of requests from businesses asking to be considered essential.
When asked if she had specific criteria required to make a shelter-in-place mandate she said she’s currently relying on public health experts to help make that decision and as of right now, per conversations she had with them, she said, “Their best information is the aggressive actions I’ve taken will work if Oregonians adhere to them.”
Brown continued to urge Oregonians to follow social distancing orders and group restrictions, saying health experts tell her if that’s followed it’ll help stop the spread.
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office in coordination with the courts, Community Corrections, Public Health, law enforcement partners, and other jails across the state, have developed plans to help prevent COVID-19 in our facility.
KCSO Corrections staff are conducting assessments on all incoming arrestees to determine possible illnesses in an effort to minimize someone bringing the illness into the jail. We have developed plans, consistent with other jails across the state, to temporarily reduce jail populations.
These reductions are typically not violent inmates and risk to the community is low. This is in an effort to keep corrections deputies and inmates who can’t be released safe as well as have the appropriate space should it be necessary to isolate someone in the unlikely event they contract the virus.
In addition KCSO, on the advice of local, state, and federal officials to help limit the potential infection of jail staff and inmates, has cancelled all volunteer contact programs in the jail.
Yesterday morning, Klamath Falls police arrested a man wanted on murder charges.
Officers were conducting investigations of several alarms in the area, which led them to stop a suspicious vehicle near South 6th Street and Madison Way in Klamath Falls where Christian Rogelio Pena was arrested.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office sought Pena as a person of interest in the recent shooting on Summers Way that took place February 28, 2020 that resulted in injuries to two individuals.
KFPD officers exhibited great skill and extraordinary instincts in capturing Pena.
Sheriff Chris Kaber says they are thankful for the great cooperation the sheriff’s office has with the Klamath Falls Police Department. It is these renewed relationships with various partners across the county and the region that help improve the safety of all Klamath County residents.
Charges against Pena include, Attempted Murder, 1st degree Assault , Unlawful use of a weapon , Recklessly Endangering , Felon in Possession of a Weapon, Attempt to Commit a Crime , in addition to parole violations.
The Klamath County School District said yesterday they are working with a team of teachers and administrators to develop supplemental education and learning supports for all students. You can expect to hear from them about their plan by Friday, March 27.
More information about instructional delivery will be released the week of March 30-April 3. The Oregon Department of Education is discussing what actions need to be taken to accommodate high school seniors. They will provide this information as soon as it is available.
In the meantime, they are encouraging families to enjoy their scheduled spring break. All of their facilities, including the District Office, are closed until further notice.
They have established an information hotline to provide information to families who may not have regular access to the internet. That number is 541-851-8744. It has a pre-recorded message with the latest information and allows callers to leave a message. If you know someone who can benefit from our hotline, please share this information with them.
Custodians will continue cleaning our schools and ensure they remain disinfected for when students and staff return.
The district will offer its free meal program from Monday, March 30 until school resumes.
More details on locations and times will follow and be posted on our website — http://www.kcsd.k12.or.us/ — and Facebook page. Information may also be provided through your school’s One Call Now messaging system.
Klamath Falls City School District officials are looking seriously at implementing online learning resources following the extension of school cancellation for all schools in Oregon as mandated on Tuesday night by Gov. Kate Brown.
The district will extend free meals to April 28 as they continue to look at what and how to keep school going for more than 2,000 families within the city school district.
KFCS Superintendent Paul Hillyer said additional options are being considered, including online learning since so many of the district’s population has no access to a mobile device or internet service at home.
Crater Lake National Park is announcing modifications to operations to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and local and state authorities to promote social distancing.
As of March 18, 2020, the Steel Visitor Center at park headquarters is closed and fees will not be collected at the Annie Springs Entrance Station until further notice.
Ranger guided snowshoe walks have also been cancelled. Where it is possible to adhere to the latest health guidance, park areas remain open. It is still possible to come view the lake and go for a snowshoe walk or cross-country ski on your own. The Rim Café and Gift Shop remains open daily. Food is available for take-out only and is not to be consumed in the building.
Please be sure to maintain appropriate social distancing during all activities.
The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at Crater Lake National Parkis our number one priority. The National Park Service (NPS) is working with the federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels.
Likewise, Campgrounds operated by three Oregon state agencies will be shut down on different timelines in an effort to reduce the spread of coronavirus, state officials announced on Thursday.
Campgrounds operated by the Oregon Parks & Recreation Department will stay open for current overnight guests through April 2. However, reservations for all state park stays from April 3 through May 8 will be canceled and site fees refunded.
Most of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s campgrounds in the Clatsop, Santiam, and Tillamook State Forests are already closed for the season, and will not re-open. Year-round campgrounds will be closed starting Monday, March 23.
A U.S. regulatory agency has approved a controversial natural gas pipeline and marine export terminal project in Oregon.
One member said the environmental impacts are acceptable considering the public benefits that will be provided by the project. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington voted 2-1 in favor of the project.
It would be the first LNG export terminal on the West Coast. The project has been denied state permits. The marine export terminal would be located at Coos Bay, with a feeder pipeline crossing southern Oregon.
The battle within the state will surely continue in Salem.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification, arrest, and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the shooting of a Mid-State Electric Cooperative Substation in northern Klamath county.
On June 1, 2019, unknown suspects using high-caliber firearms shot at a transformer and power regulators located at the “Mowich” substation, located off of Hwy 58. Approximately 1,000 customers lost power due to the severe damage, which is estimated at more than $400,000. Contact the FBI by telephone or online if you can help.
Albertsons has reserved special hours for vulnerable shoppers at all of its stores in the U.S. during the coronavirus response, including all Safeway stores.
All Albertsons and Safeway stores have reserved at least the hours from 7 to 9 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday for these vulnerable shoppers to get what they need, although local stores may determine other hours. Store hours will be updated on the Albertsons and Safeway websites, where you can find a local store location for more specific information.
AROUND THE STATE OF OREGON
On Thursday morning, March 19, Oregon State Police and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Interstate 84 near milepost 342.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Pontiac Grand Am, occupied by Michael Maddox (55) of Weiser, Idaho, was parked on the eastbound shoulder of I-84 when an eastbound Ford Explorer, operated by Debra Archer (37) of Kelso, Washington, ran into the Pontiac.
Maddox, who was seated in the drivers seat, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Archer was transported by ground ambulance to the hospital for injuries. Passenger in the Ford Explorer, Jimmy Padilla (48) of Las Cruces, NM, was transported by air ambulance with serious injuries.
Temporary camping closures announced for Oregon state parks, forests, and wildlife areas
SALEM, Oregon –Three Oregon state agencies will suspend camping to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department will accommodate current overnight guests through April 2. Reservations for all state park stays from April 3 to and including May 8 will be canceled and site fees refunded. Before May 8, the department will review the state park campground closure to decide whether it should be extended. The decision affects all individual and group overnight facilities: campsites, yurts, cabins, tepees, and services operated by concessionaires. The suspended service also affects reservations for group day-use areas.
The Oregon Department of Forestry maintains campgrounds in the Clatsop, Santiam, and Tillamook State Forests. Most campgrounds are currently closed for the season, and will not reopen for individual or group use. Year-round campgrounds will close starting on Monday, March 23. All day-use and campground restrooms are temporarily closed due to limited janitorial services. A reopening date for all restrooms and state forest campgrounds has not yet been determined. During this time, trails, forest roads and trailheads on state forestlands will remain open to the public.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is closing its Wildlife Areas to overnight camping effective Sunday, March 22. The closure affects both dispersed camping and established campgrounds. Several wildlife areas are also currently fully or partially closed to all visitors as part of annual seasonal closures to protect wintering wildlife. While camping will be prohibited, wildlife areas that are currently open remain open to visitors for day-use activities including wildlife viewing, fishing, hunting and other outdoor recreation. See the ODFW Wildlife Area Visitor Guide for more information (link at bottom).
State park, forest, and wildlife area camping areas are built into relatively small areas by design. Maintaining social distance is difficult. Working with fewer staff and volunteers is becoming a reality, making it difficult to maintain proper cleaning procedures. To support the state goal of reducing transmission of COVID-19, temporary campground closures are necessary. The details of these actions—such as dates and affected programs—are under constant review and will change as new information develops.
This will reduce long-distance travel for many people, but all state natural resource agencies remind Oregonians that a local outdoor experience can improve our mental and physical health, especially now. Daytime activities are still widely available and encouraged. The usual reminders, plus the new COVID-19 guidelines, apply:
- Prepare for your visit with the clothing, supplies, and knowledge you need to have a safe visit.
- If you’re ill, stay home.
- Cover sneezes and coughs with a tissue (then throw it away) or inside of your elbow.
- Avoid touching your face.
- Wash regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. It’s up to you to practice good personal hygiene, and not every place at every park can be kept clean all the time.
- If place is so crowded you can’t maintain a healthy social distance—at least six feet—find a different place to go.
Know before you go:
- Travel Oregon travel alerts: https://traveloregon.com/travel-alerts/.
- State park service reductions and closures: https://bit.ly/OPRD-covid.
- Oregon Department of Forestry: https://www.oregon.gov/ODF/
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife: https://myodfw.com/visit-odfw-wildlife-areas
Today, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams warned of several new fraud schemes seeking to exploit the evolving coronavirus public health emergency by targeting vulnerable populations.
Scammers have already devised numerous methods for defrauding people in connection with COVID-19. They are setting up websites, contacting people by phone and email, and posting disinformation on social media platforms. Some examples of scams linked to COVID-19 include:
- Testing scams: Scammers are selling fake at-home test kits or going door-to-door performing fake tests for money.
- Treatment scams: Scammers are offering to sell fake cures, vaccines, and advice on unproven treatments for COVID-19.
- Supply scams: Scammers are creating fake shops, websites, social media accounts, and email addresses claiming to sell medical supplies currently in high demand, such as surgical masks. When consumers attempt to purchase supplies through these channels, fraudsters pocket the money and never provide the promised supplies.
- Provider scams: Scammers are contacting people by phone and email, pretending to be doctors and hospitals that have treated a friend or relative for COVID-19, and demanding payment for that treatment.
- Charity scams: Scammers are soliciting donations for individuals, groups, and areas affected by COVID-19.
- Phishing scams: Scammers posing as national and global health authorities, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), are sending phishing emails designed to trick recipients into downloading malware or providing personal identifying and financial information.
- App scams: Scammers are creating and manipulating mobile apps designed to track the spread of COVID-19 to insert malware that will compromise users’ devices and personal information.
- Investment scams: Scammers are offering online promotions on various platforms, including social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure COVID-19, and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result. These promotions are often styled as “research reports,” make predictions of a specific “target price,” and relate to microcap stocks, or low-priced stocks issued by the smallest of companies with limited publicly available information.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office urges Oregonians to take the following precautionary measures to protect themselves from known and emerging scams:
- Independently verify the identity of any company, charity, or individual that contacts you regarding COVID-19.
- Check the websites and email addresses offering information, products, or services related to COVID-19. Be aware that scammers often employ addresses that differ only slightly from those belonging to the entities they are impersonating. For example, they might use “cdc.com” or “cdc.org” instead of “cdc.gov.”
- Be wary of unsolicited emails offering information, supplies, or treatment for COVID-19 or requesting your personal information for medical purposes. Legitimate health authorities will not contact the general public this way.
- Do not click on links or open email attachments from unknown or unverified sources. Doing so could download a virus onto your computer or device.
- Make sure the anti-malware and anti-virus software on your computer is operating and up to date.
- Ignore offers for a COVID-19 vaccine, cure, or treatment. Remember, if there is a medical breakthrough, you won’t hear about it for the first time through an email, online ad, or unsolicited sales pitch.
- Check online reviews of any company offering COVID-19 products or supplies. Avoid companies whose customers have complained about not receiving items.
- Research any charities or crowdfunding sites soliciting donations in connection with COVID-19 before giving. Remember, an organization may not be legitimate even if it uses words like “CDC” or “government” in its name or has reputable looking seals or logos on its materials. For online resources on donating wisely, visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website.
- Be wary of any business, charity, or individual requesting payments or donations in cash, by wire transfer, gift card, or through the mail. Don’t send money through any of these channels.
- Be cautious of “investment opportunities” tied to COVID-19, especially those based on claims that a small company’s products or services can help stop the virus. If you decide to invest, carefully research the investment beforehand. For information on how to avoid investment fraud, visit the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website.
- For the most up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) websites.
If you or someone you know believe you’ve been the target or victim of an outbreak-related fraud scheme, please contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) by visiting www.IC3.gov. If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.
…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.
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