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.
MONDAY, MAY 4, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Sunny, with a high near 68. Overnight, clear and about 39 degrees.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 71.
Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 64.
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 75.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 82.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 84.
Today’s Headlines
Coronvirus Cases in Southern Oregon
Klamath County: 0 new cases. 8 active cases, 31 recovered (39 cases total).
Jackson County: 0 new cases. 11 active cases, 38 recovered cases (49 cases total).
Josephine County: 1 new case. 9 active cases, 12 recovered, 1 death (22 cases total).
Though no new cases were reported over the weekend in Klamath County, the state’s death toll from COVID-19 is unchanged from Saturday and remains at 109, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 8 a.m. today.
They also reported 45 new cases of COVID-19 as of 8 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 2,680. The new COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (1), Coos (4), Hood River (2), Josephine (1), Malheur (1), Marion (21), Multnomah (5), Umatilla (3), Washington (7).
The Oregon Government Ethics Commission is reviewing a complaint filed against Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot on Thursday.
The complaint alleges DeGroot, who is running for re-election, took a hunting trip to Mexico with Rocky Mountain Construction owner Jamie Jackson, which he didn’t pay for. It also alleges DeGroot failed to declare a conflict of interest when voting to award a nearly $2 million contract to Rocky Mountain Construction, where DeGroot’s son works as a laborer.
DeGroot said the claims made in the complaint are false and that he has done nothing wrong.
The complaint accuses DeGroot of violating two Oregon statutes. One states that a conflict of interest exists if a decision made by a public official “would be to the private pecuniary benefit or detriment of the person or the person’s relative or any business with which the person or a relative of the person is associated.” The other statue states that a public official “may not solicit or receive, directly or indirectly, any gift or gifts with an aggregate value in excess of $50 from any single source that could reasonably be known to have a legislative or administrative interest.”
DeGroot says the claims made in the complaint are false and that he has done nothing wrong.
Meanwhile the Oregon Government Ethics Commission is also reviewing a complaint filed April 3rd alleging Commissioner Donnie Boyd created a position to increase his pay and used county resources while working for Pape.
The complaint alleges Boyd created a position for himself as a Community Development Director which included a $25,000 per year pay raise and that he conducted duties for his outside employment with Pape while using county resources. Boyd denies all allegations in the complaint and says he welcomes an ethics commission investigation into the matter.
The Dutch Bros Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dutch Bros Coffee, has donated $6,500 to the United Way of the Klamath Basin COVID-19 Emergency Response Campaign.
According to a news release, this Dutch Bros gift is part of a larger $1 million commitment to assist United Ways and their COVID-19 supported organizations throughout seven states where Dutch Bros maintains business operations.
Friday morning, Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Division responded to a call of several goats abandoned in the area of Highway 97 and Military Crossing approximately fifteen miles south of Chemult.
When KCSO Animal Control Officials and Deputies arrived on scene they found three goats already deceased and two goats still alive but in very poor health. KCSO Animal Control Official transported the two goats to Klamath Falls for veterinary attention but due to the poor health the two remaining goats were euthanized. Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the publics help in identifying the owner. There were five goats total, four brown and one white.
Anyone having any information is urged to contact Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Division, attention Animal Control Official Amanda Graham, at 541-882-1279 extension 6302 or via email at agraham@klamathcounty.org.
Around the State of Oregon
Early this Monday morning at approximately 12:21 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a vehicle crash on Interstate 5 southbound near milepost 29.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a Mazda sedan, operated by Sidney De La Cruz (26) of Ashland, was southbound on Interstate 5 when she struck a pedestrian that was in the travel lanes of Interstate 5. A second vehicle, a Ford utility work truck, operated by Shawn Child (49) of Molalla, also struck the pedestrian.
The pedestrian was pronounced deceased on scene.
De La Cruz and Child were not injured. Interstate 5 southbound was closed for approximately 2.5 hours following the crash. OSP was assisted by Medford PD, Central Point PD, Mercy Flights, Medford Fire, and ODOT.
The name of the pedestrian will be released at a later time.
Demonstrators flocked to the state Capitol on Saturday, the latest in a series of national protests demanding governors ease social distancing restrictions meant to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.
A few hundred folks gathered in front of the Oregon State Capitol, rain alternately pounding and drizzling as many attendees waved signs with slogans like “Reopen Oregon,” “Open schools” and “no more masks.”
Other demonstrators waved the U.S. flags or “Don’t Tread on Me” flags, while others waved banners reading “Trump 2020.”
Organizers say they view the social distancing mandates issued by Gov. Kate Brown as government overreach.
Since mid-March, Brown’s orders have shuttered many businesses, put some parks and campgrounds off limits and required public schools to adopt distance learning programs. The reserved parking lot in front of the building was packed for much of the three-hour event. A sizable crowd formed across the street between the Department of Education headquarters and state library building as country and hard rock music blasted from tents and horns blared from a non-stop parade of vehicles circling the block.
The highest rate of coronavirus cases in Washington state is in Yakima County, an agricultural giant that has more than double the state average of cases.
In fact, the county of 250,000 people has the highest rate of COVID-19 cases of any county on the West Coast. Health experts point to a large number of essential workers, a large number of cases in long-term care facilities and a large agricultural workforce living and working in close quarters as the causes.
The new Department of Labor and Industry rules require growers and operators to have procedures for a suspected or confirmed case of the virus, to educate workers on health recommendations, and to have employees stay home if they are sick. They are also required to ensure social distance and physical barriers between workers, to have hand-washing stations and to increase sanitation.
More information is being released on the criminal investigation of a deadly house fire on Tuesday in Sweet Home.
Police have identified the four victims found dead in the home as 63-year-old John Shobert, 41-year-old Tiffany Shobert, 15-year-old Johnathon Shobert, and two-year-old Charlotte Shobert. Investigators say autopsies have been concluded, but the causes of death are being withheld pending contact with family members and additional investigative work. Police said during the initial examination, there was evidence of gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma.
May is Wildfire Awareness Month in Oregon, and federal, state and firefighting agencies are encouraging Oregonians to make sure their homes and property are protected from wildfire.
The Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal and Keep Oregon Green, in collaboration with Oregon forest protective associations, the Office of Emergency Management and federal wildland agencies, are taking this opportunity to promote defensible space around homes before fire strikes this summer. With many Oregonians spending more time at home because of statewide efforts to control the spread of COVID-19, residents can use the coming weeks to reduce risks and make their homes and communities safer.
“The roof is one of the most critical parts of the house when it comes to wildfire protection,” says Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker. “Embers can collect and ignite on the roof, in gutters and enter unscreened openings around the house. Non-combustible roofing material is preferred. Regardless of the construction, please keep your roofs, gutters and eaves clear of all leaves, pine needles and other flammable debris.”
To reduce the risk, fire officials suggest removing dead vegetation a minimum of 30 feet around homes and other structures. In most cases, trees and healthy plants do not need to be removed. However, trees should be pruned and grass kept short and green to keep fire on the ground and more manageable by fire crews. Maintain a five-foot fire-free area closest to the home using nonflammable landscaping material and fire resistant plants.
“Defensible space is a property’s first line of defense against wildfire,” says Oregon Department of Forestry Fire Prevention Coordinator Tom Fields. “Creating and maintaining defensible space around homes can improve your property’s likelihood of surviving a wildfire. Having defensible space also makes it safer for firefighters who may have to defend someone’s home.”
Homeowners should also consider access issues for large fire trucks. Long driveways should be at least 12 feet wide, have 10 feet of vegetation clearance from the centerline out, and about 14 feet overhead. Large vehicle turnaround areas are critical for your safety as well as firefighter safety.
Should a fire occur near a community, Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps encourages residents to be prepared if an evacuation is necessary. “Wildfires can come without warning and move quickly, so residents need to prepare now in case they have to leave their home,” Phelps said. “Make sure to put together a ‘Go Kit,’ register for emergency notification systems in your community and make a plan where your family will go and how you will stay in contact if evacuated.”
It is the homeowner’s responsibility to protect their homes by building defensible space. For more information, visit the websites for the Office of State Fire Marshal, the Office of Emergency Management, Keep Oregon Green and the Oregon Department of Forestry, or call your nearest ODF or forest protective association office.
Additional information on preparing for wildfires can be found on the Ready.gov website.
Near Lakeview, an Oregon State Police Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a Dodge sedan, for traffic violations, on Hwy 140 near milepost 89 late last week.
A search of the vehicle revealed 31.8 grams of heroin, 32.9 grams of methamphetamine, $2,606.00 in U.S. currency, a .45 caliber handgun and ammunition were located.
The driver, Dennis Langahit (37) of Redding, California, was lodged in the Lake County Jail on charges of Unlawful Possession of Heroin, Unlawful Delivery of Heroin, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine, Laundering a Monetary Instrument, Tampering with Evidence, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Criminal Conspiracy.
The investigation led Troopers to a residence in the Lakeview area where they located additional items of evidence related to the distribution of methamphetamine.
…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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