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.
September 1, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Sunny, with a high near 90. Clear overnight with a low of 57.
Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 92.
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 94.
Friday Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Saturday Sunny and hot, with a high near 96.
Sunday Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Labor Day Monday Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Today’s Headlines
COVID-19 has claimed one more life in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 459, the Oregon Health Authority reported on Monday, Aug. 31st. Oregon Health Authority reported 162 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 bringing the state total to 26,713.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Clackamas (14), Coos (1), Crook (1), Deschutes (2), Hood River (1), Jackson (6), Lane (15), Lincoln (1), Linn (4), Malheur (9), Marion (36), Multnomah (34), Polk (6), Umatilla (6), Wasco (1), and Washington (25).
No new Covid cases were reported here in Klamath County according to the OHA release.
With Labor Day weekend coming up, OHA reminds Oregonians that the safest way to celebrate is to avoid groups and gatherings, to stay home as much as possible, and to follow face covering guidance if outside the home. Past holiday weekends have led to outbreaks in Oregon among people celebrating in unsafe ways and led to an uptick in cases. With cases falling, it’s more important than ever for Oregonians to modify or cancel holiday weekend gatherings and celebrate in safe ways so our state can continue to make progress against COVID-19.
The 173rd Fighter Wing will conduct night flying operations starting today through Wednesday. Operations will take place between approximately from 4-11 p.m. Night flying is one part of the course curriculum for F-15C student pilots at Kingsley Field, the premiere F-15C schoolhouse for the United States Air Force.
The majority of the training will occur in the military operating airspace to the east of Lakeview where the pilots can fly without lights. However, the local community will most likely hear the jets during takeoffs and approaches to and from Kingsley Field. Takeoffs will occur after sundown and the jets will return approximately an hour-and-a-half later. Community members may contact the wing’s public affairs office at 541-885-6677 to express any concerns they have during this time.
Construction crews will close South 6th Street in Klamath Falls starting today through tomorrow in the westbound right-hand lane. Construction will take place between Martin Street and Stiles Street, closing the right-hand lane from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The construction is to allow Charter/Spectrum to add overhead lines to existing utility poles. For additional information contact the Klamath Falls Public Works Department at 541-850-1254.
As a major botulism outbreak rages at Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge and a bird field hospital works around the clock to treat their winged patients, much-needed support has come from another Oregon wildlife refuge. Friends of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge has been collecting donations since August 23 and, as of Thursday, has amassed more than $7,000 to send to Bird Ally X, the nonprofit operating the duck hospital on Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. And they’re not finished yet. Janelle Wicks, executive director of Friends of Malheur, said supporting the Klamath Basin Refuges fits in with the nonprofit’s advocacy and outreach goals. She used to work as the environmental education specialist for the Klamath Basin refuges and received a call last week from visitor services manager John Fitzroy about the outbreak. Fitzroy asked Wicks if there was anything Friends of Malheur could do to help. Because of COVID-19, the hospital can’t rely on large groups of volunteers like it has in the past, so it needs money to hire interns who will be there consistently. Wicks settled on donating the funds to pay two more of those interns, who would be able to stay in refuge housing.
Around the state of Oregon
The Oregon Republican Party did not gather enough signatures by Monday’s deadline to recall Gov. Kate Brown — its second failed recall of the governor in less than a year.
Republicans have accused Brown of abusing her power and destroying the state’s economy through shutdowns imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The governor has stated shutdowns were in keeping with the advice of public health experts and were intended to save lives. For the recall to proceed, the state GOP needed to gather and submit 280,050 valid signatures to the Secretary of State’s office by Aug. 31 — 90 days from when the recall effort was initiated.
The campaign gathered 277,254 signatures, just short of the required number. They would not submit any signatures to the Secretary of State’s office. Most signature-gathering efforts submit many thousands more signatures than the required number to ensure they’ve gathered enough signatures that can be verified by elections officials.
Governor Kate Brown has announced a plan to crack down on violence in Portland after a man was shot to death during another series of clashes in the city over the weekend. The shooting happened on Saturday night after supporters of President Trump led a caravan into downtown Portland, leading to a number of fights between the Trump supporters and counter-protesters.
Portland Police said that they arrested at least 10 people in connection with those clashes. The circumstances of the killing are still under investigation, with PPB begging for people to let them investigate the case before jumping to conclusions. On Sunday, Governor Brown released a plan to “protect free speech and bring violence and arson to an end in Portland” with a surge of additional law enforcement officers to the city.
With Gov. Kate Brown’s new strategy to protect free speech and end the nightly violence in Portland calls on the help of law enforcement agencies that haven’t been involved in the protests, two of the agencies now say they will not be sending its deputies directly into the city to help in Brown’s plan.
Brown has asked the Clackamas and Washington county sheriff’s offices and the Gresham Police Department to provide personnel and resources to the PPB. All three agencies say they weren’t asked ahead of her Sunday speech and would not participate.
“Certainly it’s critically important that we all work collaboratively to help end the violence in Portland and we are requesting assistance from our local partners and I am hopeful that they can step up and assist.”
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office responded with the following statement:
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office will not be sending our staff into the City of Portland. We will assist the Oregon State Police with their calls for service in Clackamas County as needed while their resources are deployed in Portland.
Clackamas County Sheriff Roberts said Brown did not divulge her Unified Law Enforcement Plan with the CCSO before making it public. Roberts said if he had been made aware of it “I would have told her it’s about changing policy not adding resources. Increasing law enforcement resources in Portland will not solve the nightly violence and now, murder. The only way to make Portland safe again, is to support a policy that holds offenders accountable for their destruction and violence. That will require the DA to charge offenders appropriately and a decision by the Multnomah County Presiding Judge not to allow offenders released on their own recognizance, and instead require bail with conditions.”
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has also chosen not to send its deputies to Portland. Sheriff Pat Garrett said he is committed to supporting the PPB through indirect ways “like analyzing risks associated with social media, air support, assisting with a specific criminal investigation, etc. At this time, I do not plan to send deputies to work directly in Portland. PPB is a terrific partner and I am very sympathetic to what they are enduring. However, the lack of political support for public safety, the uncertain legal landscape, the current volatility combined with intense scrutiny on use of force presents an unacceptable risk if deputies were deployed directly. Lastly, I support the steps outlined in the Joint Media Release by the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association and the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police, and remain committed to work with partners and community leaders towards peace and an end to violence.”
Garrett was referring to the following joint statement from the Oregon Association of Chiefs of Police and the Oregon State Sheriff’s Association:
“As law enforcement professionals we believe public safety is the foundation for safe, healthy and thriving communities. We are committed to the wellbeing of the communities we serve and support the right to assembly and free speech enshrined in our constitution. As statewide associations, we are deeply concerned about the criminal acts at recent protest events in Portland that have put community livability and personal safety at risk. We unequivocally condemn the violence and loss of life that occurred this past weekend.
“These are incredibly challenging times in Oregon and throughout our Country. Law Enforcement has clearly heard and recognizes the need to make improvements to ensure it is meeting the needs of all communities it serves. With that said, abandoning Law Enforcement or the need for policing, is not working. It has only shown that it undermines the rule of law and puts our community at greater risk.
“Over the weekend, members of our associations were approached to assist with policing in the City of Portland. Unfortunately, due to the lack of support for public safety operations, the associated liability to agencies who would be assisting in Portland and the lack of accountability for those arrested committing criminal acts, we cannot dedicate our limited resources away from the communities we serve. We know there will already be an additional burden on local law enforcement agencies as Oregon State Police Troopers are re-assigned to assist in Portland.
“We would propose the following as steps to bring an end to the criminal acts and violence in Portland beginning with a strong statement by elected leadership at all levels that criminal acts are not legitimate protest and that those who commit crimes will be held accountable. There must be support for Law Enforcement actions, through preventative detention and prosecution, when criminal violators are arrested. Finally, there must be publicly voiced support for Law Enforcement and its efforts to protect lawful protesters and hold criminal violators accountable in a very difficult environment.
A 48-year-old man who was accused of carrying a loaded gun at an earlier downtown Portland protest is now under investigation in the fatal shooting Saturday night of Aaron Jay Danielson. Michael Forest Reinoehl calls himself an anti-fascist and has posted videos and photos of demonstrations he attended since late June. On July 5 at one of the demonstrations, Reinoehl was cited at 2:10 a.m. in the 700 block of Southwest Main Street on allegations of possessing a loaded gun in a public place, resisting arrest and interfering with police. Reinoehl spent no time behind bars.
There is a missing person, possibly on the Fremont-Winema National Forest. Johnny Smith is a 91-year-old male who went for a drive and has not made contact with his family since yesterday. The family thought they saw his car in their rearview mirror heading north on Forest Road 3660 at Hwy 140 (milepost 66.8) when they turned towards Lofton Reservoir. The last known location was approximately 24 miles northeast of Patton Meadows. He is driving a grey, 2-wheel-drive Honda CRV with Oregon plates. If you locate Johnny or have information on his whereabouts, please call Lake County Dispatch at 541-947-2504 or 911.
The Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim in a deadly shooting that happened northeast of Weed in the early hours of last Thursday morning. Officers from the Weed Police Department received a 911 call about a possible shooting on the north side of Highway A12, somewhere in the subdivision off Perla Drive. Sheriff’s deputies and detectives from the Siskiyou County Major Crimes Unit responded, finding a dead man inside of a structure there. A witness told investigators that the unidentified suspect — or suspects — left the scene. The Sheriff’s Office said that an “extensive” crime scene investigation is now underway. On Monday, the agency released more information, revealing that the murder happened on a parcel of land “containing illegal marijuana cultivation.” The victim was identified as 52-year-old Shao H. Huang of San Francisco. Huang’s next-of-kin have been notified, the Sheriff’s Office.
Governor Kate Brown announced on Monday that she has chosen a successor to Oregon State Police Superintendent Travis Hampton, who plans to retire at the end of October. Brown said that she has appointed Terri Davie to the role effective November 1. The appointment is still subject to confirmation by the state Senate. According to Brown’s office, Davie has almost 24 years of law enforcement experience in Oregon. She started with the Oregon Department of Corrections, working her way up from a correctional officer to the rank of Lieutenant at the Oregon State Penitentiary. Davie joined Oregon State Police as a patrol trooper in 2001, assigned to the Albany Area Command.
…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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