The latest and most comprehensive coverage of local News, Sports, Business, and Community News stories in the Klamath Basin, Southern Oregon and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM / 102.5FM, The Herald & News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance.
Thursday, August 27, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today: Sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon.
Friday: Sunny, with a high near 91.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 92.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 83.
Today’s Headlines
Another slowdown for the Jordan Cove LNG Energy Project came earlier this month when the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife asked for more information regarding an alternate route for the Pacific Connector Pipeline.
Operated by Canadian corporation Pembina, the 229-mile natural gas pipeline would run from a compression station near Malin to an export terminal in Coos Bay. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) approved the project in March, but construction may not begin until Jordan Cove receives several permits from the state. In FERC’s final environmental impact statement last November, the agency recommended several partial reroutes of the pipeline to achieve slight improvements in its impact to local ecosystems. One alternate route, the Blue Ridge Variation, adjusts about 15 miles of the pipeline just southeast of Coos Bay. According to the EIS, it would avoid 32 fewer acres of old growth forest, 17 fewer marbled murrelet habitat areas and about a half mile of northern spotted owl habitat.
For nearly a century the historic theater originally known as the Esquire, now the Ross Ragland, has served as a beacon for the arts in the Klamath Basin, and soon its distinct spire shall shine once more.
Following an extensive “Light the Tower” fundraising campaign and months of renovations, the new LED lighting display marking the Ross Ragland Theater’s distinct tower will fill Klamath Falls night skies with a special ceremony tonight at 7pm outside of the theater on North 7th Street. The public along with press and donors are welcome to attend the tower lighting, socially distanced of course, and the event will also be livestreamed on Ross Ragland Theater social media. The event will begin with photo opportunities and speakers, with the tower officially relighting at 8 p.m. with a flip of the switch by campaign donors. The event culminates fundraising efforts extending back to 2019 in an effort to revive the Ragland’s historic spire, which once was decked with bright neon matching downtown Klamath Falls’ numerous theaters.
COVID-19 has claimed six more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 433, the Oregon Health Authority reported this morning.
OHA reported 222 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 25,571.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (1), Clackamas (15), Columbia (1), Coos (5), Deschutes (4), Douglas (4), Jackson (25), Josephine (2), Lane (8), Lincoln (3), Linn (1), Malheur (9), Marion (38), Morrow (2), Multnomah (54), Polk (1), Umatilla (24), Union (3), Wasco (1), Washington (18), and Yamhill (3).
Oregon’s 428th COVID-19 death is a 90-year-old man in Baker County who tested positive on August 11 and died August 21 in his residence. He had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 429th COVID-19 death is a 92-year-old woman in Multnomah County who tested positive on August 1 and died August 15 in her residence. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 430th COVID-19 death is a 55-year-old man in Jefferson County who tested positive on June 26 and died August 25 at St. Charles Medical Center Bend. He had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 431st COVID-19 death is an 82-year-old woman who tested positive on June 25 and died August 25. More information about place of death is being confirmed. She had underlying conditions.
Oregon’s 432nd COVID-19 death is a 55-year-old woman in Marion County who tested positive on May 5 and died August 15. The death certificate listed COVID-19 disease or SARS-CoV-2 as a cause of death or a significant condition contributing to death.
Oregon’s 433rd COVID-19 death is a 62-year-old man in Multnomah County who tested positive on August 16 and died August 22 at Adventist Health Portland. He had underlying conditions.
Hikers getting ready to walk the only trail to the waters of Crater Lake are now being greeted and informed by Crater Lake National Park about what is and isn’t allowed at the lake.
Crater Lake Superintendent Craig Ackerman said two rangers are now stationed at the beginning of the Cleetwood Cove Trail. A third patrols the 1.1-mile long trail and visits the lakeshore area. Their work is part of stepped up efforts to prevent the use of illegal materials, such as snorkels and even blow-up kayaks and other flotation devices, that could negatively impact the lake’s water quality. Earlier this month, concerns about polluting the water quality of Crater Lake, which many believe is one of the world’s clearest and most pristine lakes. It was feared visitors were bringing items that could result in invasive species and non-native organisms impacting its water quality.
Ackerman said the story that originated in the Herald and News spurred interest regionally and nationally, from National Public Radio, USA Today and other news outlets.
Dogs and their handlers in Klamath Falls are about to get a new life off-leash. Klamath Falls workers broke ground on the city’s first public dog park, with plans to open in October.
The park, which is being constructed on the south end of Kit Carson Park, will have areas designated for small and large dogs, watering stations, and a granite path around the perimeter, according to Andrew Lakey, associate engineer and project manager for the city. The city has dedicated more than $50,000 for the park and the Klamath Falls Dog Parks Association is fundraising and offering volunteer labor for a rough value of $20,000. The path will be made of decomposed granite and user-friendly year-round, Lakey said.
Alycia Edgeworth Kersey was sworn in Tuesday as Klamath County’s newest Circuit Court judge by her predecessor Roxanne Osborne.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown appointed Kersey to fill the seat after Osborne’s July 31 retirement. Brown’s office considered three candidates, in addition to Kersey, for the position. Friends, family and coworkers filled the courtroom to watch Kersey take her oath and don the black judge’s robe. Kersey takes on the role of judge in the courthouse where she began as a law clerk. She was also a deputy district attorney with Klamath County before opening her own criminal defense practice. Now, with Kersey crossing to the other side of the bench, she hopes to continue Osborne’s legacy. Osborne served 30 years as a Klamath County judge and was the county’s first female judge when she was appointed in 1990.
Linkville Players Announce Tentative New 2020-2021 Season
With a spirit of cautious optimism and a healthy can-do attitude,The Linkville Playhouse is excited to announce its intention to present five new productions during the 2020/21 theatrical season, which begins in November and concludes the following July. The new season will feature one dramas, three comedies and a musical comedy.
“We feel strongly that we can offer theatrical performances in a COVID safe model,” says Linkville President of the Board, Brian Fitz Gerald, “We have a lot of creative people who make up our troupe – they’ve already had a half dozen ideas on how to limit our seating, allow social distancing and still provide a quality season.”
Indeed the Linkville Players has a precedent of providing the Basin with high quality, local performances, having staged over 300 theatrical productions since it was founded in 1960. The all-volunteer theater group’s home is located at 201 Main Street, where it has performed since 1985.
The five new productions, which will be available for subscription through the purchase of season tickets beginning in October include Talk Radio (a tense drama centered around a late-night radio host), Norma and Wanda (another play by Jeff Daniels following in the absurd comedy style of the wildly popular Escanaba series), Ruthless! (a musical comedy about show biz and the mother-daughter relationship), Barefoot in the Park (an ever-popular Neil Simon comedy about newlyweds) and In the Beginning (an original comedy written by our the troupe’s very own, Kevin Coleman).
Each of the four straight productions will be presented over four weekends and will include eight evening performances and one Sunday matinee. The musical comedy, which is the fourth of the five productions, will be presented 11 times over five weekends, with one Sunday matinee.
The only pharmacy in sparsely populated Lake County has come under scrutiny by the state’s Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) for failing to enforce mask regulations on customers.
The owners are now speaking out, saying that the State of Oregon is requiring them to discriminate against the large number of customers they serve who also have disabilities. In addition, OSHA has slapped them with $10,000 in fines. Pharmacist Caleb Howard and his brother represent the fourth generation in his family to operate Howard Drugs in Lakeview, the only pharmacy in Lake County in southern Oregon.
In an interview with PJ Media, Howard says that OSHA admits that they require his pharmacy to discriminate against customers who have medical conditions making it impossible to wear masks, in direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In the interview, Howard read the language of the rule in the letter he received from the State of Oregon: “Individuals who have a medical condition that may make it hard to breathe or a disability that prevents the individual from wearing a mask, face shield, or face covering can request an accommodation in the business, or indoor-outdoor space operator, to enable full and equal access to services, transportation, or facilities open to the public.”
On Tuesday, a Lake County Grand Jury indicted Dean Arthur Wood, age 32, for the murder of Jacob Wheat. On Monday, July 6, Lake County 911 received an emergency call reporting a shooting at 11 North G Street in Lakeview, OR. Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies and Oregon State Troopers responded and found Jacob Wheat, age 26, of Lakeview, OR laying in the parking lot.
Mr. Wheat was critically injured and died while responding officers attempted first aid. The Lake County Major Crime Team was activated to investigate Mr. Wheat’s death. Dean Arthur Wood has been charged with Murder 2, Assault 1, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Unlawful Use of a Weapon related to the incident on July 6. Additionally, Dean Arthur Wood’s wife, Misty Lynn Wood, age 32, was indicted for Hindering Prosecution and Tampering with Physical Evidence related to events following the murder of Jacob Wheat. Dean Arthur Wood and Misty Lynn Wood have been lodged at the Lake County Jail.
The Lake County Major Crime Team consists of the Lake County District Attorney’s Office, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Lake County Community Corrections and the Oregon State Police.
Around the State of Oregon
Republican leaders say a petition to recall Gov. Kate Brown from office has crossed an important threshold.
With just days to go before an Aug. 31 deadline, Lane County Republican Chair John Large said he learned on Tuesday that 281,000 signatures have been collected. The campaign needs to gather 280,050 valid signatures by Monday in order to trigger a recall election. However, the Oregon Secretary of State will still need to count and verify each signature, a step that past efforts to recall the governor haven’t reached.
Bill Currier, chair of the Oregon Republican Party, did not turn in a similar petition last year due to a lack of sufficient signatures. Currier is also the organizer behind this year’s campaign, dubbed ‘Stop the Abuse: Recall Kate Brown.’ Neither the GOP recall petition nor Michael Cross’ “Flush Down Kate Brown” petition managed to gain the needed signatures to trigger a recall of Oregon’s governor in 2019. Cross’ petition submission form attested to an estimated 290,000 signatures, but the Oregon Secretary of State determined the “submission fell short of the 280,050 signatures necessary to trigger a recall vote.” Large said they plan to continue gathering signatures through the weekend to cancel out any signatures that may be invalid.
The Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers did not play Game 5 of their first-round playoff series last night.
The boycott, along with all the NBA playoff teams, is in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday. Blake was shot multiple times by a police officer and a family lawyer said it would be a “miracle” for him to walk again. There is no immediate word as to when the game will be made up.
Western Oregon University has announced 95-percent of fall courses will be online at both the Monmouth and Salem campuses. President Rex Fuller says other universities that opened have been forced to reverse course because of coronavirus outbreaks. He says they’ve spent a lot of time preparing for the possibility that courses would need to be online. The remaining five-percent of in-person courses will be science labs or creative art classes.
The Superintendent of the Oregon State Police is retiring. Travis Hampton announced yesterday his retirement will be effective November 1st. Governor Kate Brown thanked him for his 30 years of law enforcement service in Oregon. She says his calm and determined leadership was especially important as he managed the transition of duties from federal officers to state law enforcement outside of the U.S. Courthouse in Portland.
…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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