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.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Sunny, with a high near 67. Overnight low of 35.
Wednesday
Sunny, with a high near 69.
Thursday
Sunny, with a high near 63.
Friday
Sunny, with a high near 71.
Today’s Headlines
The Klamath County Public Health Air Advisory is Green until noon today.
Saturday night at approximately 8:20am Klamath County Sheriff’s Office deputies along with troopers from Oregon State Police responded to an armed robbery at Worden Truck Stop on Highway 97 south of Klamath Falls.
Upon arrival deputies learned that two males and one female fled south towards California after holding an employee at gunpoint and making off with an undisclosed amount of cash. Information was immediately sent to California agencies alerting them of the suspects’ vehicle description.
The California Highway Patrol took David Everett Meeks and Briana Leigh Miller into custody within hours, while the third suspect fled into the woods. CHP initiated a search for the third suspect and Raymond Asher Evans was taken into custody several hours later.
All three suspects are lodged at the Siskiyou County Jail in Yreka California pending extradition to Klamath County.
The officer shot in the line of duty last week just north of Klamath Falls has been identified. Oregon State Police Trooper Kameron Gordon injured by gunfire during an officer-involved-shooting on Friday, April 10, 2020.
This was after a high speed chase of a suspect on Highway 97 near Wocus Road that left the suspect dead. Gordon and other law enforcement officers faced a barrage of bullets from the suspect’s AK47 rifle. The Oregon State Police would like to thank the public for the outpouring of concern for our Trooper, injured by gunfire Friday afternoon.
Trooper Kameron Gordon, Klamath Falls Patrol, is recovering and doing well. His family is looking forward to his speedy recovery and keeping him close to our hearts.
They would like to express our sincere appreciate to his colleagues, partner agencies and health care workers in Klamath Falls that contributed to his treatment.
The Klamath County Sheriffs Office is asking the public for information about Josh Wandell who was last seen at approximately 11:00PM on April 9, 2020 at his residence in Crescent Oregon.
Josh has substantial ties to the Crescent / LaPine area. Wandell is described as 6’1” about 220 lbs., blue eyes, brown hair, with tattoos on both arms and chest. He’s believed to be wearing a dark blue sweatshirt, blue or dark gray pants, and bright orange bandana.
If anyone has any information concerning the whereabouts of Josh Wandell please contact the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office.
Klamath County is reporting one new COVID-19 case overnight. That brings the county to 26 cases.
Oregon Health Authority reports 57 new cases of COVID-19 as of 8 a.m. today bringing the state total to 1,584. Oregon has 53 related deaths to the disease.
The new COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (7), Columbia (2), Douglas (2), Jackson (1), Josephine (1), Lane (4), Marion (4), Multnomah (24), and Washington (12).
Oregon’s 53rd COVID-19 death is a 66-year-old Washington County resident, who tested positive on March 30 and died on April 12 at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. She had underlying medical conditions.
Oregon businesses that missed the opportunity to apply for the coronavirus worker safety fund will have a second chance today, after the fund reopened with an additional $15 million.
The fund, established by SAIF, was closed five business days after its launch on March 31 after more than 1,300 businesses applied and used the initial $10 million available.
The applications represented small and large businesses from a wide range of industries across the state. The fund is designed to support employee safety, reduce injuries, and decrease exposures by helping businesses impacted by the coronavirus.
More than 53,000 SAIF policyholders across the state are eligible for funds. Some of the most common requests that SAIF is supporting include personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning supplies. In addition, resources to redesign or modify workspaces to encourage social distancing; mental health and wellness initiatives; and coronavirus and job reassignment safety training are eligible. Ineligible expenses include telecommuting and regular staffing expenses, including labor costs for employees reassigned to new positions. SAIF recommends policyholders submit applications as soon as possible, given how quickly the initial funding was exhausted. We don’t anticipate additional funding.
Policyholders who previously applied do not need to apply again; applications are still being processed from the first round of funding.
Oregon will put $8 million toward the Oregon Food Bank in an effort to address rapidly rising food insecurity.
The state will be pay out weekly toward the Oregon Food Bank as needed over the next eight weeks, according to the Governors office. Oregon expects to receive a 75 percent reimbursement from FEMA due to the federal emergency declaration.
The Oregon Food Bank includes a network of 21 regional food banks and more than 1,400 food assistance sites around the state. Since March, the system has seen a “dramatic increase” in demand, Brown’s office said. Meanwhile, the usual donations from food producers and grocers have fallen due to the increased strain on supply chains. Those donations generally account for the majority of Oregon Food Bank’s in-kind intake.
Governor Brown’s office said that the SNAP program is still the state’s “first line of defense” against hunger, touting recent efforts to expand SNAP eligibility and benefits.
Self-service at gas stations in Oregon has been extended through April 25. The initial order from the state fire marshal was set to expire April 11.
Self-service if a voluntary option at the pump. The fire marshal stated it allows customers to avoid face-to-face and hand-to-hand contact while applying physical distancing measures. It also allows gas stations to continue operating with less staff.
Attendants continue to sanitize equipment and fuel nozzles, while helping customers with their refueling as needed. Unattended self-service is permitted when a gas station owner exhausts all staffing options.
Stations that do not have an attendant on duty are required to post safety signs for physical distancing and instructions showing customers how to operate a fuel pump correctly. This extension of the self-service rules change does not affect areas of the state that are already authorized for self-service refueling under Oregon 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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