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.
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Sunny, with a high near 67. Overnight, cloudy, low near 37.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 73. Northwest wind 5 to 9 mph. Overnight low of 39.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 70.
Saturday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Today’s Headlines
The Klamath County Public Health Air Advisory is Green until noon today.
Klamath County Public Health officials have announced a new COVID-19 case in the county. It brings the county case count to 22, with 21 being active and one recovery.
There have been 399 tests given in the county. More testing kits are now in the county. Individuals who are not showing symptoms should not be tested. The kits should be used to determine a diagnosis for a person with symptoms. As more testing happens, more positive cases will be found. It is important to look at the number of people who have been hospitalized, only three, in relation to the overall total of 22.
Evidence is showing that people may contract the virus and have no symptoms. They may infect others without realizing it.
This is why it is important to continue the practices of staying home, social or physical distancing of six feet, disinfecting surfaces, and frequent handwashing.
COVID-19 has claimed 4 more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 34 as of Wednesday morning. Oregon Health Authority also reported 49 new cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 1,181.
The new COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (7), Clatsop (1), Deschutes (4), Klamath (1), Lane (1), Linn (1), Marion (6), Multnomah (15), Polk (2), Washington (11).
Oregon’s 4 deaths include an 83-year-old female in Marion County, a 98-year-old female in Marion County, a 71-year-old female in Marion County and a 91-year-old female in Washington County. All four victims had underlying medical conditions.
Sky Lakes Medical Center has acquired additional supplies allowing expanded COVID-19 testing capability starting yesterday.
Tests will continue to be done at the drive-up Screening Site at the Sky Lakes Community Health Education Center, 2200 N. Eldorado Blvd.
Vehicles are to enter from the north driveway, and exit from the south driveway. Sky Lakes staff will gather essential information and collect the necessary samples. Testing is available for anyone who presents at the testing site.
A physician’s order is not required although patients are encouraged to call their provider prior to testing.
Testing for COVID-19 is important so people can learn quickly if they are infected with the virus, and so doctors can test people with whom those patients came in contact. These steps will help slow the spread of the virus. The samples collected at the Sky Lakes site are analyzed at commercial labs. Results are generally available in 3-5 days.
A Sky Lakes or Cascades East primary care physician will contact the patient to go over the results.
Tuesday night saw a fatal crash on Highway 97 near milepost 259 according to Oregon State Police Troopers.
Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash, revealing that a Nissan Versa, operated by Austin Wills (29) of Sacramento, CA. was southbound when it drifted into the northbound lanes and into the path of Perterbilt semi truck operated by Robert Hall (75) of Klamath Falls.
Wills sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Hall was not injured.
Highway 97 was closed for approximately 3 hours with being reduced to one lane for another hour. OSP was assisted by the Klamath Falls Sheriff’s Office, Chiloquin Fire Department, and ODOT.
As school districts prepare thousands of grab-and-go meals for students learning at home, packaged foods and even plastic snack bags are becoming scarce.
Fortunately for Klamath Falls City Schools Food Services, generosity is plentiful in Klamath Falls, whose community members and businesses have come forward to support this week’s distribution of 16,000 meals.
Organizing a week’s worth of breakfasts and lunches for each student presented another challenge. The community responded with Sherms Thunderbird, Holiday Market, Albertsons and Eastside Liquor donating large bags able to hold a full week’s meals in a single, easy-to-handle package.
While the state of Oregon is currently not recommending out-of-state residents visit the state for recreation due to the Governor’s Stay Home Save Lives order all watercraft entering Oregon are still required to be inspected at an aquatic invasive species station when the stations are open.
This includes commercial watercraft, which, will account for most of the inspections while the stay-at-home order remains in effect. Located throughout Oregon, stations are open if large orange “Boat Inspection Ahead” signs are posted on highways followed by “Inspection Required for All Watercraft.” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife inspection stations in Ashland and Ontario are open year-round.
Seasonal stations open May 12th in Brookings, Klamath Falls, Lakeview and Umatilla. Inspections for aquatic invasive species typically take five to 10 minutes.
ODFW staff working at the stations are taking necessary precautions to protect themselves and others against the spread of COVID-19 by wearing proper protective equipment and maintaining physical distance from others.
The Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington sold a total of 48.8 million board feet of timber at auctions last month. The timber, located on Oregon and California Railroad Revested Lands across western Oregon sold for nearly $13.8 million.
According to BLM Oregon/Washington Acting State Director Jose Linares timber sales continue to support Oregon’s economy and well-paying jobs in local communities. These sales are also an important tool to accomplish our forest management objectives.
For every million board feet of timber harvested on BLM-administered lands in western Oregon an estimated 13 local jobs are created or maintained and $647,000 of non-Federal employment income is invested into local economies. One million board feet of timber is enough to build approximately 63 family homes.
The BLM’s forest management objectives include producing a sustained yield of timber, enhancing fish and wildlife habitat, restoring dry forest ecosystems, reducing wildfire hazard, maintaining road networks, and protecting water quality.
In response to projected water supplies that may be less than half of typical Klamath Project demand local water users have taken steps to incentivize management actions to stretch those available supplies.
The Klamath Project Drought Response Agency is expected to open programs for enrollment on April 15. Klamath Water Users Association has calculated the irrigation water supply available from Upper Klamath Lake – known as the “Project Supply” – likely to be available to the Klamath Project this year. This year’s Project Supply – estimated to be approximately 140,000 acre-feet – was calculated after receipt of the Natural Resources Conservation Service April 1 assessment of Upper Klamath Basin run-off for the irrigation season.
The east side of the Klamath Project, consisting of 30,000 acres in Langell Valley and Horsefly Irrigation Districts, relies exclusively on the Lost River system, including Clear Lake and Gerber Reservoirs. The east side should have a full supply available this year.
EagleRidge High School Meeting Notice
The Board of Directors of EagleRidge High School, an Oregon Nonprofit Corporation, will hold a Board Meeting on Thursday, April 16, at 4:00 pm.
The link for joining the meeting is listed below. The meeting agenda includes discussion of the Healthy and Safe Schools Plan, COVID 19 responses and issues and a report from the Director. The Board may also consider other business brought before the board.
EagleRidge High School was established to create and implement an autonomous, high achieving and equitable small high school in collaboration with the Klamath Falls City School District pursuant to the Oregon Charter School law.
The meeting will be conducted in accordance with the Oregon Public Meetings law.
…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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