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Klamath Basin News, Monday, July 6 – Oregon with 301 New Covid-19 Cases; No New Cases in Klamath County

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, Mick Insurance and The Herald & News.

MONDAY, JULY 6, 2020

Klamath Basin Weather

Today   Sunny, with a high near 82.  Overnight, clear with a low around 45.  Winds could gust as high as 28 mph.

Tuesday   Sunny, with a high near 77.

Wednesday   Sunny, with a high near 82.

Thursday   Sunny, with a high near 84.

Friday   Sunny, with a high near 86.

Saturday   Sunny, with a high near 89.

Today’s Headlines

COVID-19 has claimed two more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 215, the Oregon Health Authority reported on Sunday, July 5th.

Oregon Health Authority reported 301 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, bringing the state total to 10,230.

No new cases were reported in Klamath or Lake County.  Three new cases were reported in Jackson County and one in Josephine County.

Oregon’s 214th COVID-19 death is 96-year-old woman in Lincoln County who tested positive on June 30 and died on July 2, in her residence. She had underlying medical conditions.

Oregon’s 215th COVID-19 death is a 70-year-old man in Marion County who tested positive on June 11 and died on July 3, at Salem Hospital. He had underlying medical conditions. Also more information is now known about Oregon’s 213th COVID-19 death. She is an 86-year-old woman in Lincoln County who tested positive on June 29 and died on July 1, at Samaritan Pacific Community Hospital. She had underlying medical conditions.

Technical issues prevented negative test results from being processed and reported Saturday; those results were processed into the database yesterday. Presumptive cases are those without a positive diagnostic test who present COVID-19-like symptoms and had close contact with a confirmed case. County of residence for cases may change as new information becomes available.

Klamath Falls celebrated the Fourth of July a little differently this year, with COVID-19 affecting the ways people can gather.

Instead of the traditional parade, this year’s festivities included a drive-thru parade where decorated vehicles parked along Main Street in downtown and the rest of the street was open to people to drive by, waving flags, playing music and cheering to those they passed by. With a DJ playing music across from the usual Saturday Market, downtown was bustling with people celebrating a sunny Independence Day. At 10 a.m. on Saturday as the drive-thru parade began, jets from Kingsley Field did a flyover.

Klamath County Fire District 1 and AirLink, a critical care transport service, announced a partnership that began in May, which will have AirLink occupying the previously vacant station 5 on Lakeshore Drive at the intersection with Highway 140.

This puts AirLink at a more central location to decrease emergency response times and increase community exposure for the service. For the fire department, Chief Greg Davis said this fills an empty station and ensures it is cared for and maintained by AirLink’s crew. AirLink Program Director Deidre Heinrich called the setup “a win-win.” The AirLink crew, helicopter and fixed wing plane previously were housed at Crater Lake-Klamath Regional Airport, and the fixed wing plane remains there.

Drivers on Lakeshore or Highway 140, though, can see the helicopter at station five, and most of the crew lives in that station. Each plane has a crew of three, which includes a pilot, a nurse and a paramedic or respiratory therapist, Heinrich said.

Friends of the Children of the Klamath Basin recently welcomed two new staff members: Crystal Muno started March 16 as program director and Anne Keyser started June 15 as director of development and marketing.Operating in Klamath for 20 years, Friends of the Children is part of a national nonprofit working to end generational poverty by pairing youth with professional mentors (“Friends”) for 12+ years.

Muno manages the programmatic elements of the program and coaches the six, full-time mentors who provide professional mentoring for 46 children across Klamath County. She brings to her role extensive experience in people and project management, gained in positions such as artistic director of children’s programs at the Linkville Playhouse, marketing and public relations director for the Ross Ragland Theater, career specialist for Oregon Institute of Technology, and freshman success coordinator for the Klamath Falls City Schools.

Keyser got acquainted with her new community after moving from Massachusetts in 2018 by immersing herself in education. She founded a parent-teacher organization at Ponderosa Middle School, became a board member with the Pelican Education Foundation, and did publicity work for the Klamath Falls City School district. In 2019 she turned her communication skills to writing grant applications for Friends of the Children

Rocky Point Fire/EMS Hosts Fundraising Online Auction

To protect the health and safety of friends and neighbors, all onsite activities for the annual July Rocky Point Fire/EMS Summer Festival have been cancelled.  However, the fundraising effort continues with an impressive collection of items being offered for bid online at 32auctions.com/RPF.  The auction is in full swing and will continue through July 31.

Log on often, because new items will be added throughout the auction duration.  Choose among get away experiences, dining, wine cooler, jewelry, auto package, hand-carved bowls, art, gravel, adventures, a restored classic boat, and more.

Support for this important fundraiser helps provide emergency response for anyone in need from the top of Doak Mountain to the Jackson County line, Rocky Point, Lake of the Woods, and neighboring state and federal agencies.  

To contribute to this auction, or if you have questions, call 541 356-2550.

Fire Season Begins Today say Oregon Department of Forestry

Fire season is officially in effect on all Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) protected lands today, Monday, July 6. The North Cascade and West Oregon protection districts are the last two to declare fire season. ODF’s Southwest Oregon District was the first to declare fire season May 1.

Fire season is declared based on conditions at the local district level, with restrictions intended to help prevent human-caused wildfires. Fire season generally runs through mid-October and ends based on local conditions.

For residents within ODF’s 12 fire protection districts, the arrival of fire season means the end of unregulated outdoor debris burning, a leading cause of wildfires. While permits to burn may be issued in some areas, debris burning is generally prohibited throughout the summer due to increased wildfire risk. Violators burning without a permit will be cited and held liable for fire suppression costs.

Other public use fire restrictions are also in effect in several areas. The use of fireworks, tracer ammunition and exploding targets are illegal within ODF protection boundaries, as well as other state and federal lands. Campfires, the mowing of dry, cured grass, cutting and welding, power saw use and other spark-emitting activities are regulated at the local level, depending upon the conditions and fire danger. For example, during low fire danger, mowing may be allowed all day. However, during moderate, high and extreme fire danger mowing may be restricted to early morning or prohibited entirely until conditions improve.

ODF encourages the public to stay informed of current fire restrictions by visiting the agency’s Fire Restrictions & Closures website or calling their local ODF or protective association office. To learn more about preventing human-caused wildfires, visit Keep Oregon Green on the web at www.keeporegongreen.org.  

Forest operators are required to follow fire season requirements, including providing a water supply, fire tools, spark arresters on equipment, and fire watch. Similar to fire danger restrictions for the public, operators must follow rules under the four-tiered Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) system.  

Around the state of Oregon

More than 12 people were arrested in Portland early Sunday after throwing fireworks and mortars as they clashed with police during the latest rally decrying police brutality.

Police used tear gas and crowd control munitions to stymie protesters who they say broke windows at a federal courthouse and nearby businesses in a protest that lasted until 4:30 a.m. Sunday, according to a news release from Portland Police.

Names of the people arrested and what they were being arrested for were not immediately released. Police declared the scene a “riot” and called the protesters’ behavior “unacceptable.” Several officers were injured when fireworks and mortars exploded near them, police said.

Protesters in this liberal, predominantly white city had stayed main peaceful for some five weeks as they joined with thousands of others around the country decrying police brutality. But recent violence by smaller groups is dividing the movement.

Meanwhile, Police arrested seven men on the central Oregon coast Saturday night following an alleged racist incident during a Fourth of July celebration on the beach. Lincoln City Police said the men were part of a group of 10 white people from Clark County, Washington, who had been harassing a Black family by yelling racist slurs and using Nazi salutes as people spent the holiday on the beach in front of the Inn at Spa. After officers arrived, they formed a barricade between the group and the family, allowing the family to safely leave the beach, police said. Additional officers arrived at the beach and arrested the seven men on several charges, including riot, interfering with police, disorderly conduct, harassment, possession of illegal fireworks and offensive littering.

The Oregon State Police is aware of a concern an OSP Trooper made a hand signal that some could interpret as racist or sympathizing with racist ideology.

In a press release: The OSP condemns all racist behavior and ideology, so we of course were alarmed and concerned by the reports- which accompanied a small video snippet of a larger event. The OSP Trooper identified in the video did not engage in any white supremacy behavior, implicitly or explicitly. The agency commissioned an immediate review of the event, which occurred during a protest at Oregon’s Capitol on Saturday July 4th- as OSP troopers were policing an event that attracted counter- protestors. The body camera of the involved trooper was reviewed- in addition to the body cameras of troopers in the general vicinity.  Information indicates the trooper had just witnessed two protestors engaged in a physical altercation and one man was knocked to the ground.  Troopers arrested Christopher Davis (50) of Salem on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Harassment and he was transported the Marion County Jail.

The man that was knocked to the ground recovered his footing and interacted with troopers in the vicinity (the portion of the video that is being displayed by the media and social media).  An OSP trooper approached the man and asked if he was unharmed- while simultaneously displaying the hand signal commonly associated with “okay.”

The trooper was wearing a face covering and operating in a noisy environment. Another trooper advised the man they would be taking his information, which they did for a criminal investigation.  

Best available evidence indicates the trooper was simply checking on the man’s status and used the universal signal to signify this inquiry, which the man gestured he was- then patted this trooper and a second trooper on their shoulders in an apparent signal of appreciation. The man was the victim of a crime.

OSP condemns all racist behaviors and does not allow white supremacist behaviors by our officers and staff. We  appreciate that the public would be concerned and rightfully outraged if an OSP trooper were to flash an offensive gesture.  We would share in that outrage and concern.

Soldiers from the Oregon National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 162nd Infantry Regimentand the 2nd Battalion, 218th Field Artillery Regiment were due to arrive home from deployment on July 4, after serving in Jordan.

The 38 Oregon Soldiers returning home are members of the Scout platoon, Headquarters Company 2-162 Infantry and the 2-218 Field Artillery Fire Support Section. 

The Soldiers were part of the Jordanian Operational Engagement Program, deploying in various rotations from September 2019 to July of 2020. The Soldiers trained with the Jordanian Security Forces and Armed Forces, completing essential Soldier tasks such as basic rifle marksmanship, crew serves weapons and medical proficiency skills at the platoon and squadron level.   The Oregon Guardsmen had just come from Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas, where they were quarantined for 14 days, in accordance with COVID-19 federal guidelines, which included additional medical screening and current procedures as they return home to Oregon.

On Saturday, July 4, 2020 at approximately 2:30 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a crash on Hwy 197 near milepost 38.

Preliminary investigation showed that a Harley Davidson motorcycle, operated by Nathan Pyle (46) of Dallas, OR. was riding northbound in a group of motorcycles.  The riders were slowing to turn left onto Juniper Flat Rd.  Pyle was not able to stop and crashed avoiding the other motorcycles.

Pyle sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

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