Klamath Basin News, Friday, 10/9 – KCSD Teacher, Linnae Salvati, Selected For Fulbright Teachers for Global Classroom Program

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.

Friday, October 9, 2020

Klamath Basin Weather

Today   Partly sunny with a high near 73.

Saturday A chance of rain before noon, then showers after noon. High near 57. Overnight some showers likely with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday Mostly sunny, with a high near 59.

Columbus Day Monday Areas of frost before 9am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 69.

Today’s Headlines

Today’s Headlines

Oregon reports 484 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases overnight, 11 new deaths

COVID-19 has claimed 11 more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 594, the Oregon Health Authority reported today. OHA also reported 484 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 36,116. 

Today’s is the highest daily case count since the beginning of the pandemic in Oregon.

An outbreak of 59 cases of COVID-19 has been reported at Planasa Oregon Operations LLC in Klamath County. The case count includes all persons linked to the outbreak, which may include household members and other close contacts to an employee. 

The outbreak investigation started on Oct. 1, but the initial case count was below the threshold for public disclosure. State and county public health officials are working with the business to address the outbreak and protect the health of workers. 

Due to a delay in reporting, 40 cases from today’s daily case count for Klamath County have been added to case counts for the week ending Oct. 3. Twelve additional cases that were originally reported in a different jurisdiction were transferred to Klamath County. All 52 cases will be added to the week ending Oct. 3 in order to be counted toward the county’s school reopening metrics. The delay in reporting resulted from initial uncertainty about the location of the worksite where many of the cases were employed.  

The recent increase in cases reported in the OHA Weekly Report yesterday indicated that most cases continue to be traced to outbreaks in long-term care facilities, workplaces and social gatherings. 

The new cases in the state are in the following counties: Baker (1), Benton (11), Clackamas (31), Columbia (8), Coos (1), Curry (1), Deschutes (17), Douglas (9), Gilliam (1), Hood River (3), Jackson (17), Jefferson (11), Josephine (2), Klamath (44), Lane (71), Lincoln (3), Linn (20), Malheur (16), Marion (31), Morrow (5), Multnomah (82), Polk (5), Umatilla (18), Union (2), Wasco (4), Washington (58) and Yamhill (12).

 

Malin man dies in crash
On Thursday afternoon, October 8th, Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle crash on Hwy 39 at the Hwy 50 junction.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a GMC 1500 pick-up, operated by Richard Stone (72) of Malin, was southbound on Hwy 39 attempting to turn left (eastbound) onto Hwy 50.  The GMC turned in front of a northbound Ford F-350 pick-up operated by Marco Antonio Hernandez-Hernandez (32) of Tulelake, CA.  The two vehicles collided.

Stone sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.

Hernandez-Hernandez was transported to the hospital with injuries. OSP was assisted by Merrill Police Department, Malin Fire Department, Merrill Fire Department, and ODOT.

The Klamath Tribal Health Administration building, located on 6th Street in Klamath Falls, closed yesterday after an employee tested positive for COVID-19.

According to a release, a sanitation crew will clean and disinfect the property, which is located at 3949 S. 6th Street. The current plan is to reopen today. During the past several months, the Klamath Tribes have closed other facilities periodically to protect the health and safety of tribal members and the public, including tribal headquarters and the Kla-Mo-Ya Casino.

A Henley High School teacher has been selected for the Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms, a year-long program that teaches U.S. educators how to prepare students for a competitive global economy.

Linnae Salvati, who teaches Spanish, was among 71 educators chosen for the program, which includes travel abroad. Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected based on academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership potential.

“I am hoping my participation in the program will increase our local awareness of the international movement of global competency in education,” says Linnae Salvati. “I also want to learn about the plethora of opportunities and possibilities our students in Klamath have to participate on larger scale right now. A great quote from the program is, ‘We are not forming the leaders of tomorrow, we are teaching the leaders of today!’ ”

Salvati, who has taught at Henley, Mazama, and Bonanza during her decade with the district, will participate in a fourth-month virtual fellowship program on global competency this fall. This spring or summer, she will be assigned to a country overseas where she will teach for a two- to three-week term. The program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

The U.S. Census Bureau will continue followup with households in Klamath Falls and the surrounding area that have not yet responded to the 2020 Census. The current self-response rate in Klamath Falls is 63.7%, above Klamath County’s 58.6% but below the state’s 69.0% self-response rate.

Overall, Oregon’s total response rate, which includes non-response followup by census takers and self-response by internet, phone and mail, is 99.9%. Households can still respond now by completing and mailing back the paper questionnaire they received, by responding online at 2020census.gov, or by phone at 844-330-2020 in English.

Households can also respond online or by phone in one of 13 languages and find assistance in many more. Those that respond will not need to be visited to obtain their census response. Participation in the 2020 Census is essential to all communities in order to secure their fair share of billions of dollars in federal funding for schools, health care, transportation, emergency services and disaster reconstruction, among other essential infrastructure programs, for the next 10 years.

Census data is also used to determine congressional representation for each state in the country.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month this October, the American Red Cross urges eligible donors to band together to provide hope and healing to patients fighting cancer by giving blood or platelets.

In appreciation, those who come to give Oct. 15-Nov. 11 will receive a $5 Amazon.com Gift Card via email, courtesy of Suburban Propane.

Donors are asked to make appointments by downloading the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.

The Red Cross is testing blood, platelet and plasma donations for COVID-19 antibodies. Red Cross antibody tests will be helpful to identify individuals who have COVID-19 antibodies and may now help current coronavirus patients in need of convalescent plasma transfusions. Convalescent plasma is a type of blood donation collected from COVID-19 survivors that have antibodies that may help patients who are actively fighting the virus. A positive antibody test result does not confirm infection or immunity. 

Several local events are scheduled for next week through October 23rd here in Klamath Falls.

The City of Klamath Falls is pleased to announce the creation of a Business and Non-Profit Emergency Assistance Grant program.

In partnership with our local business partners, the Klamath Falls Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce, the City of Klamath Falls has created the Emergency Business Assistance Grant and the Emergency Non-Profit Assistance Grant for up to $1,000 to aid in recovery from financial impact as a direct result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and COVID-related rules.  

The Grant Program is intended to provide short-term funds to businesses and non-profits who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Applications will be accepted starting today, October 6, 2020 and must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on October 20, 2020. The funds must be utilized for items such as rent/mortgage payment, utilities, or compliance with COVID-19 regulations and for up to the maximum of $1,000 per business or non-profit. The application form can be found online at www.klamathfalls.city. It is strongly encouraged for all applications to be submitted online.

Members of the city’s equity task force asked Klamath Falls City Council on Monday to consider making an official declaration denouncing racism and declaring it and economic inequity a public health crisis in Klamath Falls.

Council members allowed the task members to make the ask during the designated public comment period, then stated they plan to put the item on a future agenda to review as a formal resolution. The task force was appointed by city council following a May 31 demonstration in downtown Klamath Falls, which included Black Lives Matter supporters as well as individuals who were concerned about the potential for property damage and ties to Antifa — rumors which were unsubstantiated by local law enforcement. Council member Kendall Bell asked task force members on Monday to clarify what it would mean to declare a health crisis.

Klamath Falls City Council also approved a resolution to give $188,000 in funding from a COVID-19 relief fund to local groups, including: $8,000 to provide internet access to homeless youth, $50,000 for Klamath and Lake Community Access Services (KLCAS) for utility assistance, $100,000 for local businesses, and $30,000 for non-profits. 

It authorized the recommendation to OLCC of an off-premises liquor license for Fairfield Inn & Suites, which is slated to open in the TimberMill Shores development. The license would allow hotel guests to buy beer and wine to take to their rooms, and, authorized the recommendation to OLCC of a full on-premises liquor license for a new restaurant opening at what housed the former Biagio’s Bar and Grill at Harbor Isles Golf Course.

Even though education is mostly virtual these days, the Assistance League of Klamath Basin is partnering once again with local schools to provide new shoes and clothing for local students.

Operation School Bell is the league’s primary philanthropic program. Its purpose is to provide new, school-appropriate clothing for children in need in the Klamath Basin, including across the state border in Tulelake. According to board member Kathy Roberts, the new, clean clothing helps promote learning, school attendance and the self-worth of area youth. Children who participate in the event are selected by their schools, and are chosen based on need.

Elementary through high school students are gifted a certificate worth $120-$125 that they can take to the Fred Meyer store in Klamath Falls. Roberts said 930 children benefited from the program in 2019, and she noted that “well over 1,000” will take part this year.

Klamath County Fire District No. 1 partnered with the National Fire Protection Association, the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week, to promote this year’s fire prevention week campaign: “Serve up Fire Safety in the Kitchen.”

The campaign works to educate the community about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe. According to NFPA, cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries in the United States. 44% of reported home fires start in the kitchen and 66% of home cooking fires start with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, KCFD1 and community partners are unable to hold the annual fire prevention week extravaganza at KCC. However, a virtual extravaganza will be held to include a daily safety message, a series of virtual videos, and many fun activities. Several of the videos were made at the KCFD1 fire stations by local firefighter and EMS crews.

Voter pamphlets and ballots will be arriving to registered Oregon voters in Klamath County soon, according to the Klamath County Clerk’s Office.

Voters’ pamphlets are expected to be delivered to every household between Oct. 5-9, while ballots will be mailed on Wednesday, Oct. 14. The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 3 general election is Tuesday, Oct. 13. Online registration is available at oregonvotes.gov or at the County Clerk’s office at 305 Main St.

Completed ballots must be received in the Elections Office or any official drop site no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day. All ballots will now include a pre-paid postage return envelope; it is recommended that voters mail in their ballot no later than Wednesday, Oct. 28. All ballots come from local county offices; no ballots will be sent from Washington D.C. or Salem. A list of approved official drop-sites is listed on the back of the ballots as well as at www.klamathcounty.org/685/Drop-Sites.

If a ballot is not received by Tuesday, Oct. 20 contact the Klamath County Clerk Office at 541-883-5134 or at elections@klamathcounty.org or visit the Clerk Office.

Friends of the Children are offering a week-long scavenger hunt intended to provide a fun and engaging activity for individuals, couples and families while raising funds for child mentoring will take place Oct. 23-30.

The socially distancing-friendly event tasks participants with posting selfies from a variety of historic, cultural and natural sites around Klamath. Each photo submitted earns a raffle ticket for a chance at seven daily prizes and three grand prizes. Additional raffle tickets will be awarded for wearing Halloween costumes and completion of bonus challenges.

Grand prizes include $400 in gift cards to local restaurants, a two-night cabin stay and pontoon rental at Lake of the Woods Resort, and a two-night stay and four rounds of golf at Running Y Ranch Resort.  Teams of up to five people may register for $25 per team.

The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office, through grants awarded by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in association with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) conducted multiple High Visibility Enforcements, both day and night, from October 2019 through September 2020.

The grants are being used to increase traffic enforcement with focused patrols for Distracted Driving, Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII), Occupant Protection (Safety Belts), Pedestrian Safety and Speed Enforcement during the below specified events.

The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office was able to conduct these extremely beneficial High Visibility Enforcements without affecting the normal functions of the office. For the Fiscal Year 2020/2021, ODOT/NHTSA have awarded the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office $19,000 for High Visibility Enforcement across the five (5) categories. The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office would like to thank ODOT and NHTSA for their support in the sustained objective of ensuring the safe travel on roadways within Klamath County. As well as thanking the public for their continued support and cooperation in keeping Klamath County roadways safe for all Klamath County residents and visitors.

One of Klamath Comic Con’s most popular activities is going online!

Saturday, October 17th 11AM & 1PM
via Zoom – email apayne@klamathlibrary.org for an invite

One of the most popular activities at Klamath Comic Con 2019 was the “Drawtober Speedrun,” where participants created 31 drawings in only 31 minutes! We’re taking the madcap fun online in a Zoom event on Saturday, October 17th, with sessions starting at 11am and 1pm.

Drawtober is a worldwide event each year where artists make a piece of art inspired by a prompt each day during the month of October. Professor Franny Howes, the advisor for Lemon Brick Road Studios, the downtown Klamath County Library’s comics club for teens, does Drawtober a little differently – cramming 31 prompts into just 31 minutes!

This event is open to all ages and all experience levels – even if you “can’t draw a stick figure.” The whole point is to get you making pictures without self-critique – essentially, you’re so busy drawing, you don’t have time to tell yourself that you can’t draw.

You’ll need enough paper to make 31 drawings – 9 pieces of regular printer paper folded in half will give you enough “pages,” plus a cover to collect them in! (You can pick up a pre-made Drawtober booklet at the Youth Services desk starting Monday, October 12th, while supplies last.)

To sign up or for more information, send Nac an email at apayne@klamathlibrary.org for the Zoom link. (The same meeting link will get you into either session.)

ROSS RAGLAND THEATER ANNOUNCES AUDITIONS FOR BEST OF THE PACK RATS CHRISTMAS

Ross Ragland Theater announces auditions for Best of the Pack Rats Christmas, a new holiday show comprised of all the favorite moments from past seasons. Created and written by Dan Neubauer with Music Direction by Dan Crenshaw, the production is directed by Executive Director Scott Mohon with choreography by Samantha Burris.

Auditions will be held on Sunday, October 18 at 2:00pm in the Honzel Studio in the Ragland’s Cultural Center at 218 N 7th Street in downtown Klamath Falls. The musical comedy performances are scheduled on December 10, 11, & 12, 2020 at 7:30pm in the Ross Ragland Theater.

Around the state of Oregon

The Pacific Northwest could play a major role in helping people recover from coronavirus. Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University are conducting a new trial for a potential treatment of COVID-19.

President Donald Trump said he received an antibody cocktail called Regeneron last week after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Dr. Akram Khan of OHSU says that the trial that just started this week is looking at antibodies very similar to what President Trump got. Dr. Khan stopped short of calling it a cure, saying antibody treatments prevent the virus from attaching to the cells, prevents it from replicating and decreases the severity of the illness.

The Bend City Council has unanimously voted to allow families displaced by the state’s wildfire to park their RVs and trailers temporarily on private land while they rebuild. The emergency declaration passed Wednesday will take effect immediately, according to The Bend Bulletin newspaper.

The policy is modeled on similar ones passed in the towns of Talent, where the wildfires displaced hundreds of families, and nearby Medford. The idea behind the emergency declaration is to help people who are rebuilding homes that were destroyed by wildfires in towns like Talent and Phoenix, which already had low vacancy rates before the fires, according to the order. Thousands of Oregonians have been displaced from multiple wildfires that devastated large swaths of the state in September.

A federal judge has dismissed a $30 million lawsuit filed by an Oregon State Police trooper who was shot 12 times in December 2016. Nic Cederberg and his wife sued Legacy Meridian Park Hospital claiming the suspect, James Tylka, should not have been released from the hospital because police requested a mental health hold.

But the judge ruled it is not reasonable to conclude that holding Tylka would have changed his criminal actions. Last year, the judge also dismissed a lawsuit Cederberg and his wife filed against Washington County’s 911 center. Cederberg was left with long-term disabilities from the shooting. He has several weeks to file an appeal.

General Season Archery Elk hunters who were unable to hunt because they were displaced or personally impacted by wildfires may exchange their tag for a “general season any weapon elk tag.

” This exhange option is available only to general season archery hunters who never had a chance to hunt during the 2020 season.  Oregon Fish and Wildlife says “Personally impacted” means living in an area that was evacuated due to wildfires or being a first responder, law enforcement, firefighter or utility worker who was unable to hunt. Having a family member that was impacted does not qualify you for a tag exchange. Hunters will be required to attest that they did not hunt during the archery season. Archery Elk hunters exchanging their tag will need to choose a tag for one of the following seasons instead (see the Big Game Regulations for more details about these seasons).

SNAP program extended
The Oregon Department of Human services is receiving federal approval for an additional extension for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients in 20 counties.

The approval allows the request the replacement of benefits as a result of food loss due to power outages and wildfires that began on September 7, 2020. Jackson, Josephine, Lake, and Klamath counties are among the 20 counties that now have until October 19, 2020 to apply.  To request replacement food benefits you can call your local office and submit the required information through email, fax, or regular mail. Recipients can use either Form DHS 0349D (Affidavit for Nonreceipt or Destroyed Food Stamp Benefits) or submit a signed and dated written request that includes how the food was destroyed, the date it happened, destroyed food items, and the amount paid for each item.

Temporary Housing Assistance Granted for Oregon Wildfire Survivors

Oregon took a significant step forward in wildfire recovery efforts this week. A State requested direct housing mission to help provide temporary housing for hundreds of Oregonians displaced by wildfire was granted from FEMA on Wednesday, October 7.

The state and FEMA are finalizing the implementation plan for this mission, under which residents in Jackson, Linn and Marion Counties who lost their homes in September wildfires may be eligible. Considerations for prioritization of these three counties included factors such as immediate need and lack of available rental resources. Jackson County alone accounts for more than half of the homes lost in Oregon.

Housing solutions in this mission are tailored to the individual needs and situations of survivors based on how quickly their homes can be repaired to a safe, sanitary and secure condition, and the availability of housing options in their communities. 

“The approval of this housing mission is an important milestone in the recovery process and provides some temporary stability to those who have undergone such disruption,” said Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps. “We’re grateful to FEMA for their support and continue to work directly with our state and local partners to put our plans in action.”

Direct housing assistance was requested for Douglas, Jackson, Lane, Lincoln, Linn and Marion. FEMA continues to evaluate the need for temporary housing assistance in additional affected counties. The state continues to work directly with the Red Cross and other public and private partners to ensure every impacted Oregonian has a safe place to stay.

To be eligible for direct housing assistance, Oregon wildfire survivors must register with FEMA and reside in Jackson, Linn or Marion County. Damage must be to the primary residence and must be a result of the wildfires. FEMA will reach out to individual households who are potentially eligible for direct temporary housing based on the results of their FEMA inspection.  

“We are deeply grateful to Oregon’s Federal Delegation and the Federal Government for recognizing the need in Oregon,” said Oregon Housing and Community Services Executive Director Margaret Salazar. “We were already facing extreme housing shortages across the state. The massive loss of housing caused by the wildfires only exacerbated this crisis. This swift action and much needed federal aid is welcome news to Oregon families impacted by the wildfires.”

Strong windstorms on September 7 ignited multiple wildfires across western Oregon and exacerbated wildfires already in progress. More than 1 million acres burned in 20 Oregon counties; some 4,100 homes were destroyed and thousands more suffered major damage.

The State of Oregon requested Direct Housing Assistance to meet the needs of disaster survivors based on the high number of destroyed homes and displaced residents as well as an extreme housing shortage within highly vulnerable communities.

Direct Housing Assistance is a program available through FEMA’s Individual and Household Program (IHP). The FEMA temporary housing program provides housing for up to 18 months after a disaster declaration.  Commonly, FEMA’s disaster housing programs pay for rental of apartments and homes and for immediate home repairs.

Douglas County Republican Headquarters in downtown Roseburg was vandalized again late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. The vandals broke eight windows and three doors and spread glass two-thirds of the way into the building, said Douglas County Republican Chairperson Valynn Currie.

It was the sixth similar attack this year. Currie said the nine windows that were damaged in the most recent previous attack in September had just been replaced last week. Now most will have to be replaced again — at an estimated cost of $2,500.

On Wednesday, Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division Troopers responded to the area of Abbott Street and Mt. Scott Lane in Glide, OR. They located a Whitetail Buck Deer that had been shot with a small caliber firearm in the morning or early afternoon hours of Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

The Oregon State Police is requesting that any person with information about this incident contact Oregon State Police Southern Command Center at 1-800-442-2068 or *OSP and leave information for Trooper Jason Stone if you are wishing to remain anonymous you may also contact the OSP through the Turn in Poachers line at TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or TIP E-Mail: TIP@state.or.us (Monitored M-F 8:00AM – 5:00PM)

Anyone providing information may remain anonymous and be eligible to receive a preference point or monetary award for information leading to a citation or arrest in this case. The TIP program offers preference point rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of big game mammals.

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