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, MAY 13, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today A chance of rain much of the day, high near 54. Snow level 5400 feet rising to 6400 feet. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. Overnight low of 45.
Thursday Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after 11am, with a high near 58.
Friday Partly sunny, with a high near 67.
Saturday A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 68.
Today’s Headlines
Klamath County Public Health (KCPH) officials report one new presumptive case of COVID-19 in the community, bringing the total to 41, according to a news release. Going forward, Klamath County’s total cases will include both confirmed and presumptive numbers.
Presumptive cases are those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case. Presumptive cases are counted in the county’s positive case tally. The total includes eight active cases and 33 recoveries. Laboratories have processed 2,532 tests for Klamath County, as of Monday, May 11.
Commissioner Kelley Minty Morris says this is not expected to affect or impact the county’s reopening plan, submitted to the Governor earlier this week.
We expect there to be additional cases and have solid strategies in place to handle them.
The state of Oregon’s death toll from COVID-19 is unchanged from yesterday and remains at 130, the Oregon Health Authority reported this morning.
Oregon Health Authority reported 61 new confirmed cases and 11 new presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 8 a.m. today bringing the state total to 3,358.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (1), Clackamas (6), Clatsop (1), Deschutes (4), Jackson (1), Josephine (1), Klamath (1), Linn (1), Marion (29), Multnomah (9), Polk (2), Wasco (1), Washington (14), Yamhill (1).
Yesterday, Jackson County Public Health said that a case confirmed in another Oregon county was transferred to Jackson after “residency was confirmed,” bringing the total to 50. The last confirmed case was announced on Friday, April 24 — more than two weeks ago.
Of the 50 total cases, Jackson County says that at least 40 have fully recovered. Nine cases are still being monitored by public health staff.
Monday night at about 10:45PM, Klamath Falls city police and fire crews arrive on scene at 10th and Pine Streets after a reported stabbing.
The person that fled was described as a tall man wearing a mask and black gloves. No information was immediately available on the victim or condition at the time. The case is still under investigation.
Local police officials are still searching for the person responsible for setting several fires in the Klamath Falls area Saturday night.
Arson is suspected following fires that were sparked near Klamath Falls Gospel Mission and two Klamath Falls businesses on Saturday evening.
The fires are under investigation by Klamath Falls Police Department and Deputy Fire Marshal Chad Tramp.
A brush fire was reported in a field behind the mission around 9:30 p.m., followed by fires behind Coastal Farm & Ranch on Avalon Street at about 10 p.m., and Diamond Home Improvement on South Sixth Street at around 10:30 p.m.
Due to the proximity to one another and times that the fires were reported, Davis said natural causes and accidental causes for the fires were ruled out and the fires were likely human-caused. KFPD Capt. Rob Dentinger said KFPD also believes the three fires are connected. The fires are currently under an active investigation.
For the first time in history, there will be no American Legion baseball played in Oregon this summer, including the Klamath Falls Falcons program.
Oregon Legion baseball commissioner Mike Sowles made the announcement on the state’s Legion baseball page yesterday. The simple message read, “Oregon American Legion Baseball Season for 2020 is cancelled.
We hope to return for the 2021 season bigger and better.”
Numerous roadblocks stood in the way as Oregon begins to slowly open up again from the shutdown due to Corona virus. Many Legion baseball programs use school district facilities, which are off limits through early September, in the summer months. In addition, the teams in the Portland and Salem areas, where phase 1 will likely not happen until mid-June, would be hard pressed to not only find facilities but be ready to play by the original July 1 date set last month by Oregon Legion baseball.
State champions have been crowned in Oregon since 1960.
“We’re safe, we’re open, we’re ready to take care of our patients.”
That’s the message from Charlie Tveit, CEO of Lake District Hospital in Lakeview, a small town in southern Oregon 100 miles east of Klamath Falls.
This is national Hospital Week, an ideal time to acknowledge Oregon’s 62 community hospitals’ deep commitment to safety. All have taken significant precautions to prevent the spread of infectious disease during the pandemic. In fact, Tveit and other hospital leaders say effective infectious disease control has always been a top priority. They want their communities to know it’s safe to come back and address their health needs.
AROUND THE STATE
There’s just one week left until Oregon’s primary election. Ballots must be taken to a ballot drop-off site by next Tuesday. Ballot drop-off sites will be open until 8 p.m.
Voters can also mail in their ballots by May 14 to ensure it arrives at the election office on time.
It could be some time before the Portland metropolitan area is ready to enter phase one of Oregon’s reopening plan.
Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury told reporters it’s still too early to predict when the county will be ready to apply for phase one.
Washington County Chair Kathryn Harrington says her county won’t be ready until after June. Leaders in Clackamas County say they won’t be able to reach the prerequisites for application within the next few weeks.
Sentencing is scheduled Thursday morning for a man convicted of DUII for a crash that killed three teenagers in Salem.
Court records show Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Palacios was found guilty on all counts for the crash that killed Trinity Watt, Madison Capobianco and Makayla Tryon last June. Police say he admitted to drinking eight beers before getting behind the wheel and then running a red light, crashing into the teens’ car.
A Redmond woman has died after falling from a stand-up paddleboard into a lake northwest of Sisters, authorities said.
The woman fell into Scout Lake, a small body of water near the popular Suttle Lake, according to the the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office.
The woman was identified as Valerie Mallory, a 44-year-old Warm Springs teacher.
She wasn’t wearing a life jacket, according to the sheriff’s office. She was pulled from the water but despite measures including CPR but didn’t survive.
Late last week, the Oregon State Marine Board noted five boating fatalities on Oregon’s waterways this spring, all with two things in common — not wearing life jackets, and cold water. The board reminds everyone to be safe on the water and wear life jackets.
The U.S. Census Bureau, in coordination with federal, state and local health officials, will begin to drop off 2020 Census questionnaire packets at front doors of households in Oregon this week, according to a news release.
This is done in areas where the majority of households do not receive mail at their physical address. The Census Bureau began hand-delivering census materials on March 15, but suspended all fieldwork for this operation on March 18 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Temporary field staff have been trained to observe all social distancing protocols and will wear official government-provided personal protective equipment for their safety and the safety of the public. This operation is contactless and follows the most current federal health and safety guidelines.
The health and safety of Census Bureau staff and the public is always a top priority.
The Census Bureau will deliver 2020 Census invitations and paper questionnaires at the front doors of roughly 5.1 million stateside households and 27,229 households in Oregon. This operation is crucial to ensure a complete and accurate count of all communities, which helps guide hundreds of billions of dollars in public and private sector spending per year.
Oregon workplace safety regulators have cited an Albany, Oregon food processor for unsafe practices after nearly three dozen of its employees were contracted the coronavirus.
The $2,000 penalty against National Frozen Foods appears to be the first of its kind since Gov. Kate Brown ordered businesses to ensure space between workers.
The Albany food manufacturer had employees standing as close as two feet apart, rather than six feet, as ordered by Brown.
…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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