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 20, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 62.
Thursday Mostly sunny, with a high near 61.
Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 68.
Today’s Headlines
Locally in Oregon’s primary election, results from the 8pm first release of numbers from the Klamath County clerk’s office featured significant leads by voter candidate favorites.
Donnie Boyd had a commanding 59% of the vote for Klamath County Commissioner position 1, with Gary Powless second with 14.9 percent following. If that lead holds past 50 percent through the ballot counts that will be finalized this morning, Boyd will win the election with no challenge from the other candidates in November.
Commissioner, Position 1 (Vote for 1)
Donnie Boyd 11193 58.77%
Kassandra Harding 1601 8.41%
Ryan Wheelock 2281 11.98%
Gary Powless 2771 14.55%
Kenneth DeCrans 319 1.67%
Derek Kimbol 787 4.13%
Write-in 95 0.50%
Total 19047 100.00%
With an even bigger lead after the first count was released was Derrick DeGroot, who had 65% of the vote after first ballots were counted. Rod Davis was a distant second with 21% of the vote, making it highly likely that DeGroot will earn another four-year term.
Commissioner, Position 3 (Vote for 1)
Jesse Withers 1157 6.04%
Derrick DeGroot 12589 65.70%
Reginald (Rod) Davis 3992 20.83%
Dennis Vader 1190 6.21%
Write-in 233 1.22%
Total 19161 100.00%
In similar fashion, the Klamath County Sheriff’s race looked to be over early with incumbent Chris Kaber garnering about 64% of the initial votes, with a sizeable lead over Daren Krag at just over 20 percent.
Sheriff (Vote for 1)
John Mogle 1045 5.24%
Daren William Krag 6116 30.65%
Chris Kaber 12739 63.83%
Write-in 57 0.29%
Total 19957 100.00%
Around Southern Oregon, the initial results from Oregon’s 2020 primary election are coming in. Republican Cliff Bentz takes the win over the many contenders including Knute Buehler, Jason Atkinson, and Jimmy Crumpacker.
Bentz will be the Republican nominee for Senator Greg Walden’s Senate seat in Washington D. C. come November.
“Being elected to represent the Republicans of CD2 in the 2020 race for congress is one of the most humbling experiences of my life,” said Bentz in a statement to supporters. “It’s an incredible honor to follow in Congressman Walden’s footsteps. Just as he has done, I will do my best to represent and uphold the values of CD 2 and Rural Oregon.”
Shortly before 9:30 p.m., Buehler — the closest challenger to Bentz’s lead — put out a statement conceding the election to Bentz and congratulating him on the victory.
For the Democrats, Alex Spenser picked up the narrow win over Nick Heuertz.
Congressman Greg Walden has held the 2nd District seat since 1999, but announced last October that he would not seek re-election, preferring to retire from politics. The massive 2nd District, which encompasses most of south, central, and eastern Oregon, has become the state’s only reliably Republican federal seat in recent years.
As a result, the Republican primary field was particularly crowded for this year’s election — including candidates Cliff Bentz, David Campbell, Glenn Carey, Jason Atkinson, Jeff Smith, Jimmy Crumpacker, Justin Livingston, Kenneth Medenbach, Knute Buehler, Mark Roberts, and Travis Fager.
Lost River Junior/Senior High School has been awarded a $10,000 Farm to School grant for projects that will provide hands-on learning and grow food for more than 550 area students.
The projects funded by the new grant will increase the amount of fresh, school-grown produce in Lost River, Merrill and Malin cafeterias, allow agricultural technology students to participate in planting, maintaining, and harvesting crops, and make it possible to grow food in greenhouses during the winter months.
Meghan Miller, agricultural science and technology teacher and FFA advisor at Lost River, designed and wrote the proposal for the competitive Oregon Department of Education funding.
Jamie Ongman, Lost River Junior/Senior High School principal, said the grant will bring 21st century farming and gardening technology into classrooms and enable schools to serve high-quality fresh food to students.
We’re hearing that the Klamath County Fairgrounds is back open and they are starting up horse rides and barrel racing.
While the Klamath County Fair has been cancelled, at least one element will continue this summer. Klamath County 4H – FFA livestock auction and show events are hopefully going to take place.
The fairgrounds managers say the economic impact of the shutdown is likely to extend beyond the fairgrounds to local motels and restaurants.
Among the events scheduled for the Klamath County Fairgrounds in the near future is graduation ceremonies for Henley High School. Henley’s commencement is scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday, June 7th, at 3.
Oregon reports 33 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, 8 new presumptive cases, 2 new deaths
COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 140, the Oregon Health Authority reported late yesterday.
Oregon Health Authority reported 33 new confirmed cases and 8 new presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 8 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 3,726. The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Curry (1), Deschutes (6), Jackson (1), Marion (12), Multnomah (9), Umatilla (3), Washington (6), Yamhill (3).
WATER USERS OPPOSE YUROK TRIBE REQUEST FOR FLOW INCREASES
Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) filed its opposition with a federal court to a motion filed the Yurok Tribe and Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Association that was filed May 13.
The tribe’s motion requests that the court re-open a lawsuit that was put on hold for two years in March, and that the court immediately require increased flows below Iron Gate Dam in the Klamath River.
KWUA President Tricia Hill said: “The last thing we need is even less water for the Project. Our situation is beyond dire already.”
The original lawsuit, filed in the Federal District Court for the Northern District of California last July, challenged a biological opinion that had been issued in March of 2019 related to flows in the Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam. The lawsuit was put on hold based on the Bureau of Reclamation’s completion of an interim operations plan that would augment flows in some hydrologic conditions and commitment to a process with technical advisors from different stakeholders.
KWUA intervened as a party in the lawsuit last fall.
The tribe’s motion asserts that Reclamation is not operating consistently with the interim plan and asks for flows to be augmented approximately 400 cubic feet per second (cfs), until 23,000 acre-feet of “augmentation” has been completed—over 7,000 acre-feet of augmentation flows have been released in May so far. Today, Klamath River flows below Iron Gate, are approximately 1000 cfs.
In its filing, KWUA says that the tribe is not entitled to re-open the lawsuit at this time because the 2020 operations plan included the augmentation water, and there has been no announced change. More importantly, the request would increase the already-severe water shortage that the Project is experiencing this year.
“We’re hoping for more but concerned that the water for the Project may only be 80,000 acre-feet this year. By comparison, there will be over 400,000 acre-feet going down the river below Iron Gate through September,” said Tulelake Irrigation District Manager Brad Kirby, and expert of Project operations who filed a declaration with the court.
“Meanwhile, 170,000 acre-feet, which is nearly half of the 400,000 acre-feet total, will be water from Upper Klamath Lake that was stored under an irrigation water right. The claim is being made that Reclamation is reducing river flows, but the fact is that the Reclamation is planning to subsidize river flows considerably with water that was stored for irrigators.”
Klamath Irrigation District (KID), although not a party or intervenor in the case in San Francisco, filed a “friend of the court” brief with the court.
The tribe’s motion points to disease concerns related to C. shasta, a microscopic parasite that can infect salmon. In a declaration filed with the court, KWUA Deputy Director Mark Johnson explained that C. shasta concentrations dropped significantly last week, during a period that Reclamation was reducing flows to current levels. Johnson also said that the specific genotype of the parasite that can infect coho, the species listed under the Endangered Species Act, have not been at levels of concern at any time this year.
The hearing on the motion will take place before Judge William Orrick on Friday, May 22, at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom conference. The public can listen at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89565679842?pwd=Y1hkeHBlMXNRT1ZzcU5Va01xWVpMQT09
Meeting ID: 895 6567 9842 Password: 582565
Brittany Johnson, the partner at the Somach, Simmons & Dunn law firm who led KWUA’s briefing effort, said she is hopeful that the court will rule, or state how it intends to rule, at the May 22 hearing to give the water users more certainty on how to manage their supplies as best they can, although a formal order may take somewhat longer.
Around the state of Oregon
In Medford, measures intended to fund the construction of a sports and events complex received their response from voters on Tuesday night. With more than 19,000 votes tallied, voters were 57.7 percent in favor of Measure 15-187 for transient lodging intermediaries and 53 percent in favor of Measure 15-188 to raise the transient lodging tax.
Results are still preliminary and may change as more votes are counted.
The plan for a Medford Sports and Events Complex at the Howard Memorial Sports Park include a competitive pool, recreational pool with water slides, and outdoor seasonal splash pad, basketball courts, multi-courts, and space for a presentation and exhibit hall.
In order to fund the facility, the City of Medford proposed a two percent increase to the transient lodging tax, expanding the current airport rental car tax to apply to commercial locations across the city, a $2.40 per month increase to the park utility fee, and early repayment of the U.S. Cellular Community Park debt service bond.
“This indoor complex will contain indoor recreational and competitive pools and a multi-purpose events center,” the City said. “By combining aquatics and the events center into a single facility, the City reduces both development and operational costs through the sharing of spaces.”
Measure 15-187 would amend the city charter to expand the lodging tax to include lodging intermediaries like Airbnb and VRBO, while Measure 15-188 would amend the city charter to raise the lodging tax from 9 to 11 percent.
For Oregon’s Secretary of State position, Republican voters knew who they wanted but Democrats had a much closer call.
Republican Kim Thatcher built an overwhelming lead of more than 84 percent over competitor Dave Stauffer, ensuring that she will be the party’s candidate in November.
Democratic votes were much more evenly split between candidates Mark Hass, Jamie McLeod-Skinner, and Shemia Fagan. At 10 p.m., Hass had a narrow lead with almost 37.4 percent of the vote, and Fagan trailed with a close 34.8 percent. McLeod-Skinner had a respectable 27.1 percent.
For the past several years, the Secretary of State position has been held by Republicans. The late Dennis Richardson took office in January of 2017 after winning a statewide election, but he passed away following a battle with brain cancer last February. Governor Kate Brown then appointed former Republican House Speaker Bev Clarno to take up the position until another election could be held.
Brown was required to choose a Republican replacement for Richardson, but held to the condition that Clarno would not run for election in 2020 — opening the door to an entirely new field of candidates.
As the state of Oregon braces for deep cuts and a revenue shortfall of as much as $3 billion, state spending on direct coronavirus response has blown through the $100 million mark — and doubled in just the last two weeks reported, records show.
The high rate of spending provides context for ongoing tensions between Governor Brown and state and local governments over about $1.4 billion that the state received from the federal government under the federal CARES Act.
So far the state has agreed to shift about $415 million to local and tribal governments, but Multnomah Chair Deborah Kafoury and Clackamas Chair Jim Bernard said Friday that they aren’t getting enough to fund costs associated with their counties’ reopening.
The situation will take more shape with state economists’ release of a budget forecast this week.
But if state agencies continue spending $20 million to $30 million a week just on direct coronavirus spending, the 12-month total of unexpected spending would easily exceed $1 billion — and that does not include indirect costs caused by the pandemic.
The spending includes tens of millions for personal protective equipment, payments to local public health authorities, and a $4.2 million weekly payment to two nursing facilities that the state is paying to house nursing home residents who have COVID-19.
Andrew Phelps heads the state Office of Emergency Management, which has been tracking the spending. He said there are more questions than answers over how much of Oregon’s spending on the coronavirus will be recouped — even concerning the CARES Act money that’s already been authorized.
“We’ve gotten pretty definitive guidance that it can’t be used to make up for lost revenue that the state or more local jurisdictions experience,” he said, but beyond that, there’s been “so little guidance.”
One point of clarity: the CARES funding must be spent by Dec. 31.
The other area where the state can go for funding is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thanks to a disaster declaration issued for Oregon by President Donald Trump on March 29. But how much it will get is unclear.
That program typically reimburses state spending by a rate of 75%, but Oregon is seeking a full 100% — much as Puerto Rico received after Hurricane Maria in 2018, Phelps noted.
Gov. Kate Brown on May 1 made that request. About a dozen states have sent similar letters, said her spokesman, Charles Boyle. Oregon hasn’t yet received a response.
Brown recently said more federal coronavirus aid will be needed to offset the state’s planned cuts.
At the same time today, the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) announced another $134 million in additional foodbenefit relief for Oregon families.
Right now more than 351,000 students are receiving free meals from Oregon schools and will get additional food benefits for groceries during the school closure.
Households will receive food benefits equivalent to the cost of one lunch and one breakfast for each eligible student – $5.70 per normal school day for the months of March, April, May and June.
Beginning in June, these additional benefits will be automatically deposited for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households to their existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) accounts on their regular issuance date. Benefits are sent out from the 1st to the 9th of the month, based on the last digit of your SSN.
Students who get free school meals but do not receive SNAP benefits will automatically receive an Oregon Trail Card in the mail in the months of June and July. Parents do not need to apply if their children are part of a school where all students receive free meals.
Families whose children attend participating schools and have experienced significant income loss may have become eligible for free school meals, and there is still time to apply.
Apply online at https://www.ode.state.or.us/apps/FRLApp/Default or contact your local school.
To find out if your school participates in this program, visit https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/childnutrition/Pages/COVID-19.aspx.
Benefits will be retroactive to March 16, 2020 for students who received free and reduced-price meals when schools closed. For newly eligible free or reduced-price students or SNAP households, benefits will start at the beginning of the month they become eligible. Eligible students will receive the following:
- $69 for March
- $126 in April
- $120 in May
- $69 in June
More information about the program is available at https://govstatus.egov.com/or-dhs-benefits or https://www.oregon.gov/ode/students-and-family/childnutrition/Documents/FAQ – Parent – Website.pdf.
For more information about food assistance, visit needfood.oregon.gov or call 2-1-1.
If you are lacking resources due to loss of income and are at risk of homelessness, Oregon Housing and Community Services’ COVID-19 Rent Relief Program may be able to help.
OHCS has allocated $8.5 million through a needs-based formula to regional Community Action Agencies (CAAs). The formula weighed severe rent burden data, poverty data, homelessness data and unemployment claims.
CAAs will begin taking applications in the coming days. Oregonians in need should contact their local CAA directly. Tenant income loss documentation and other materials are required to access this program. Rent payments will be made directly to the landlord on behalf of the tenant.
The $8.5 million was allocated by the Oregon Legislature through the Joint Emergency Board. OHCS anticipates additional resources from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act will be made available in the weeks ahead.
The funds were allocated statewide to local communities. See the Governor’s blog for the full list and contact information
Oregon has received its first shipments of the experimental coronavirus drug remdesivir. (rem-desiv-ir.)
The drug is being tested as a treatment for COVID-19 and is believed to help patients with severe symptoms recover faster. The Oregon Health Authority has enough of the drug for 80 patients to receive a 10-day treatment course. There are currently 56 people hospitalized for COVID-19 in Oregon.
On Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at approximately 4:15 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Hwy 99E milepost 26 near Harrisburg, Oregon.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a Kia Rio was traveling southbound when it crossed into the northbound lanes and into the path of a northbound Chevrolet Silverado.
The operator of the Kia sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
The operator of the Chevrolet was transported to Riverbend hospital. The northbound lane of Hwy 99E was closed for about an hour and a half.
The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety would like to announce the opening of our Police and Fire/Rescue lobbies.
Their new Police building is located at 726 NE 7th St. The Police lobby hours are from 8 am through 11 pm daily. Lobby hours for Fire Rescue, located at 800 East Park St., are from 8 am to 12 pm, and from 1 pm to 5 pm Monday through Friday. The team will still be practicing social distancing within the public buildings.
The Resource Education and Agricultural Leadership Program (REAL Oregon) recently announced the successful completion of Class 3. The final in person session of this cohort, scheduled for March 17 -19 in Boardman, was canceled due to the pandemic and the Governor’s stay-in-place order. However, despite this and other logistical challenges, Class 3 wrapped up their formal training with a virtual fifth and final session.
REAL Oregon Board Chair Jake Gibbs commented on the challenges. “The preference would have been meeting in person in Boardman, that wasn’t possible. We did, however, deliver great online presentations and had excellent class participation in our virtual session.”
REAL Oregon Executive Director Greg Addington noted that while the formality of an actual Class graduation will have to wait, the program is happy to welcome the following outstanding individuals into our growing alumni network.
Randi Bural -Northwest Farm Credit Services
Tricia Chastain – Northwest Farm Credit Services
Allison Cloo – Oregon Aglink
Dave Coates – PCC Airfoils
Jackson Coleman – Coleman Agriculture (pending)
Matthew Cook – Cook Family Farms
Betsy Earls – Weyerhaeuser (pending)
Jeremy Felty – Oregon Small Woodlands Assoc.
Jason Flowers – Flowers Farms
Brennan Garrelts – Lone Rock Resources
Kelley Hamby – Central Oregon Irrigation District
Rob Hamlin – Riddell Farms/Ash Creek Oregon
Matt Hegerberg – Heron Timber (pending)
Gordon Jones – OSU Southern OR Extension
Katie Kissler – Hancock Forest Management
Catherine Kiyokawa – Kiyokawa Family Orchards
Brent Klumph – OSU Research Forests
Heidi Leib – Boise Cascade Wood Products
Nathan Miller – Oregon Department of Agriculture
Jolene Moxon – Modoc Co. (CA) Ag Department
Sean Naumes – Naumes, Inc.
Lisa Patrick – SAGE Center/Port of Morrow
Nicole Ruggiero – Tualatin SWCD
Whitney Henneman – Silver Butte Timber Co.
Susan Schmidlin – Schmidlin Angus Farms
Andrea Sonnen – Oregon Dept. of Agriculture
Nicole Sullivan – TU/Owyhee Watershed Council
Diann Washburn – Oregonians for Food and Shelter
Alexa Weathers – Kerr Supply Company
If a participant misses one or more sessions for any reason, their graduation status is pending, and they are given up to two years to complete the session they missed with another class.
REAL Oregon is a collaboration of industry and other groups throughout the state that have recognized the importance of developing and grooming natural resource leaders now and in the future. In addition to one of a kind networking opportunities and learning more about the state, the program will bring current and future leaders together from agriculture, fishing, and forestry sectors in a series of five statewide sessions starting this fall. The annual leadership development program will expose this cross-section of representatives to the diversity of Oregon’s geography, economy, and cultures through training in board governance, communication skills, conflict resolution, government interaction, public policy work, critical thinking, media relations, professional presentations, public speaking, relationship building and other areas.
Recreational crabbing will reopen to non-residents tomorrow, Wednesday, May 20 along most of the Oregon coast. Recreational clamming along the entire coast will remain closed to non-residents for now.
Non-resident license holders will be allowed to participate in crabbing in Oregon bays and estuaries, and in Oregon ocean areas, that are south of Cape Falcon. Ocean areas north of Cape Falcon, as well as the Columbia River, will remain closed to non-resident crabbing for now.
Coastal communities have begun to gradually reopen but communities and land managers are taking a phased approach. Clamming tends to draw many people to beaches on specific days when there is a minus tide, especially during the summer. With more potential for crowding at beach access sites, clamming and some crabbing on the North Coast remains closed to non-residents for now.
Crabber enthusiasts are also reminded to always check the Oregon Department of Agriculture shellfish safety page or call the safety hotline (1-800-448-2474) before crabbing. ODA regularly tests crabs and other shellfish for toxins and closes areas when toxins are at a level that would make then unsafe for human consumption. Currently, there are no crabbing closures due to toxins in Oregon.
…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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