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.
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today A 30% chance of showers after 4pm. Snow level rising to 5300 feet. Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Overnight, a chance of rain showers before 10pm, then rain and snow showers. Snow level 5500 feet lowering to 4200 feet after midnight, with a low around 28. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Wednesday A 30% chance of snow showers, mainly before 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday, Thanksgiving Day Mostly sunny, with a high near 43. Overnight with a low around 22.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 42.
Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.
Klamath County Public Health officials reported 25 new cases of COVID-19 in the community on Monday. The local case count is 685.
COVID-19 has claimed six more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 826, the Oregon Health Authority reported this morning. Oregon Health Authority reported 1,174 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19, bringing the state total to 66,333.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (10), Clackamas (116), Clatsop (2), Columbia (18), Coos (7), Crook (8), Curry (1), Deschutes (44), Douglas (18), Grant (1), Harney (1), Hood River (6), Jackson (80), Jefferson (8), Josephine (17), Klamath (25) Lake (3), Lane (71), Lincoln (3), Linn (15), Malheur (10), Marion (120), Morrow (7), Multnomah (254), Polk (25), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (56), Union (26), Wasco (7), Washington (225), Wheeler (1) and Yamhill (17).
Meanwhile, Sky Lakes Medical Center closed its primary care clinic yesterday due to covid spread. In a Facebook post, the hospital said that “the Clinic is closed for additional cleaning and to follow through with testing in response to a sudden increase in positive cases among staff there.
The Drop-in Clinic for existing Sky Lakes Primary Care Clinic patients and Cascades East Family Medicine Clinic remain open. The situation is fluid, so listen and watch for updates. The clinic will call patients who have scheduled appointments.
Klamath Falls City Schools confirmed its first COVID-19 case on Monday, according to school officials. The COVID-19-positive at Pelican Elementary School last week prompted the school to quarantine the individual and at least 11 people within their student cohort, according to school officials.
Michelle McCabe, in her fourth year as principal of Pelican Elementary, said the school was making every effort to keep students safe at Pelican Elementary through cleaning and other COVID-19 protocols. Tuesday is the last day of in-person classes before Thanksgiving break, after which comprehensive distance learning begins on Nov. 30.
She also emphasized that her staff has been vigilant in wearing masks and following protocols set in place by the CDC and in conjunction with COVID-19 care coordinator Wendy Niskanen.
McCabe said it would be up to Klamath County Public Health to make the call of whether to close a school due to COVID-19.
Klamath Basin Sunrise Rotary Club recently presented the Oregon Tech Dental Hygiene Community Health Outreach Program with a check for $2,000, according to a news release.
A Rotary District 5110 Matching Grant was used to fund the program. Oregon Tech Dental Hygiene students will use the funds to assess dental needs within local elementary schools, provide education and then provide dental treatments free of cost at the Oregon Tech Dental Hygiene Clinic for these underserved children. This is the sixth year Klamath Basin Sunrise Rotary Club has helped fund this project.
For information about this project and Rotary contact Jack Baumann at baumann@aol.com.
Crews will break ground in just a few weeks on the Department of Human Services service center at TimberMill Shores downtown along Lake Ewauna.
There will not be a ground-breaking ceremony due to the COVID regulations and restrictions. The three-story 91,950-square-foot building will allow for consolidation of separate departments within the State of Oregon Department of Health and Human Services in Klamath Falls. The facility design has a focus on trauma informed care, with special attention to details for sounds and visual calming, as well as some elements that give a visual nod to the region, according to the developer.
Klamath Falls Holdings, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medford based Rubicon Investments, will lead the project. Construction will begin in early December and is expected to finish by April 2022. Rubicon Investments purchased multiple lots in the TimberMill Shores Development from the Shaw family.
The decision on siting the facility in the development was made in 2018, and design and permitting for the project has been completed.
Fremont-Winema National Forest managers want to encourage visitors enjoying the outdoors as we transition from fall to winter recreation to stay safe, be prepared and to be aware of regulations.
The mingling of sunny days with winter storms can make it seem like snow is melting and the Forest is still completely accessible. However, conditions can be deceiving and it is easy to get stuck, especially in the remote and rugged terrain of Lake and Klamath counties.
Recently, Forest and area Search and Rescue units have seen an uptick in people getting stuck on Forest Roads. Especially in areas where recent snowstorms have left snowy and icy conditions. Many of the people requiring rescue are not prepared if things go wrong.
As a general rule, when snow depth is 6 inches or greater, it is not safe to be on a Forest road in a wheeled vehicle. The roads are not plowed or maintained by the Forest during the winter and any plowing done by permittees for projects is inconsistent. During the fall, there is risk of getting stuck associated with any snow-covered road regardless of depth.
Snow on north-facing slopes is the first to establish in the fall and last to break up in the spring. It presents an ongoing challenge that can result in being stuck. While the weather is sunny, it is still cold, especially in the mountains. Several Forest roads now have areas that are icy or covered in unstable, early season snow that presents risks to drivers.
With the holiday season starting this week and more people with family traditions to harvest a Christmas tree on the Forest, there are concerns more people may require assistance to get out of a sticky situation in the Forest. The best advice is to be prepared and turn around before getting stuck.
Some tips for those enjoying winter recreation on their public lands:
- Plan your trip – check the weather, bring plenty of warm clothes, enough water for everyone for 3 days, emergency food, tire chains, shovel, flashlight, flares and/or something to start a fire with, camp saw or hatchet, and cold weather sleeping bag or blankets.
- Make sure you have a full tank of gas when you leave and are prepared for changing conditions in the mountains and high desert! Also, let someone know where you are going and when you plan to be back.
- Keep vehicles on designated roads and be aware of changing weather and road conditions. Wet dirt roads can quickly turn to mud, making it possible to get stuck and causing damage to road, soil and water resources.
- In snowy conditions, if the snow on the road is 3 inches or greater, turn around – conditions are not likely to improve ahead.
- If there are puddles in the road, mud flipping off the tires or you can see your ruts in the rearview mirror, turn around.
- Do not count on technology – GPS can steer drivers onto impassable roads and there is not cellphone service across most of the Forest.
When enjoying a more remote primitive recreation experience in dispersed areas, it’s advised to turn around when road conditions begin to deteriorate and find a safe place to pull over and park to recreate. Pay attention to weather conditions, including increased winds and snowfall to ensure plenty of time to safely head back home.
“The Fremont-Winema is a spectacular forest, but the remoteness and rapidly changing winter weather and conditions brings more risk and increased potential for a dangerous situation to unfold,” said Fremont-Winema National Forest Recreation Program Manager Scott Stoffel. “It’s critical to plan your trip, have the right gear, pay attention to conditions and be prepared in case you get stuck and need to spend a longer time out there. We want everyone to have a safe and fun experience.”
For more information on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, visit www.fs.usda.gov/fremont-winema, follow the Forest on Twitter @FremontWinemaNF or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/R6FWNF.
Around the state of Oregon
Just ahead of Thanksgiving, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said she believes residents who know their neighbors are violating the most recent round of COVID-19 protocols, which includes capping the number of people allowed in your home at six, should call the police. That’s right, your neighbors may be snitches.
“This is no different than what happens if there’s a party down the street and it’s keeping everyone awake,” Brown said in an interview Friday.
The restrictions, known as a freeze, were implemented this week via an executive order by the governor. For the next two weeks in Oregon, and four weeks in Multnomah County, residents are banned from eating out at restaurants and going to the gym, among other restrictions. Social gatherings in our homes are also limited to no more than six people. Violators could face up to 30 days in jail, $1,250 in fines or both.
Critics of the freeze have called it unconstitutional. Clackamas County Chair-elect Tootie Smith said on FOX News the freeze made Oregonians “second-rate slaves” in their own homes. On Friday, the Marion County Sheriff’s office said in a statement, “We recognize that we cannot arrest or enforce our way out of the pandemic, and we believe both are counterproductive to public health goals.”
Oregon State University is testing out a new tool that could alert Oregonians about possible exposure to COVID-19.
Nearly five-thousand faculty, staff and students have downloaded Oregon Exposure Notifications for their smartphone. The app uses Bluetooth technology to anonymously tell other users when someone who was near them tests positive for COVID-19, giving them information about how to get tested themselves.
The system does not collect any personal information, and doesn’t track a user’s location.
The Ashland Police Department says that a man is dead after a shooting in the parking lot of the Stratford Inn early Monday morning. Police and firefighters responded to reports of the shooting just before 4:30 a.m., finding a man lying with a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Ashland Fire & Rescue tried to stabilize the man, but he was “beyond help,” APD said. The suspected shooter was still at the scene, and APD immediately detained him for interview.
The suspect, identified as 47-year-old Robert Paul Keegan of Talent, was later taken into custody. Forensics teams were on the scene near the intersection of Siskiyou Boulevard and Sherman Street on Monday morning, but had cleared the area by 10 a.m. While police have identified the victim, APD said that the agency will not release his identity out of respect for family and friends, who have just been notified.
Oregon said Monday it has finally begun paying $176 million in federal benefits the state has withheld from laid-off workers for eight months.
The so called “waiting week” benefits should go out to 246,000 Oregonians within the next three days, showing up on debit cards, direct deposit accounts or in checks. They’ll see an average of $715 apiece, though the size of the payments will vary considerably.
Another 170,000 people will have to keep waiting for their payments, possibly until late January. It’s not clear how much money is coming their way. The Oregon Employment Department says workers don’t need to do anything additional to receive their money. The payments will be equal to one week of benefits.
The waiting week saga has been among the most painful in a succession of failings at the Oregon Employment Department this year.
On Sunday, November 22, 2020 at approximately 5:50 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a vehicle crash on Interstate 5 near milepost 256 (Market Street Interchange).
Preliminary investigation revealed a pedestrian was attempting to cross the freeway when he was struck by a Dodge Ram pickup, operated by Ana Gutierrez (39) of Salem, and a Toyota 4-Runner, operated by Josh Jolley (33) of Salem.
The pedestrian, whom will be identified when appropriate, sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Gutierrez and Jolley are cooperating with the investigation.
Two lanes of I-5 southbound were closed for approximately 3.5 hours.
Police say one person was arrested during dueling demonstrations outside the Justice Center. The Portland Police Bureau says two groups of about two-dozen people each gathered at the building over the weekend.
One of the groups was calling itself pro-police, with members carrying “Trump 2020” flags. The other group called themselves antifascists and counterprotesters. It’s not yet clear what led to the arrest or which group the person arrested was in.
Several positions and programs at Western Oregon University will be reduced and eliminated next year in an attempt to curb a growing concern for the institution’s financial stability.
The Statesman Journal reports the university’s board of trustees on Nov. 18 approved an adjusted 2021 budget, which required an update on fall 2020 enrollment numbers. The previous budget, initially adopted at the board’s June meeting, was based on a projected enrollment decrease of 2.5%, officials said. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and “many other factors,” officials reported enrollment was actually down about 7.9%.
EUGENE, Ore.—Culver, Oregon resident Thomas R. Campbell, 29, was sentenced in federal court today for the flagrant and repeated poaching of protected and Tribally significant bull trout, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
“One of the most solemn duties of the U.S. Attorney’s office is enforcing the laws for the protection of our threatened wildlife and upholding our special trust relationship with our tribal partners,” said United States Attorney Billy J. Williams. “This case demonstrates our priorities in exercising those duties and holding accountable those who would flagrantly disregard our nation’s laws that protect threatened species.”
“Bull trout are an iconic species of the Pacific Northwest whose populations are suffering from habitat degradation, and are protected by Tribal, State and Federal laws,” said James Ashburner, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The defendants in this case caused great harm to the recovery efforts of all of the government and non-government groups who have invested in the recovery of this species. This joint case demonstrates the resolve of Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, Oregon State Police, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in preserving bull trout for future generations.
A special thank you goes out to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon for placing an emphasis on environmental crimes that impact the natural world we all enjoy.”
According to court documents, on multiple occasions in 2017 and 2018, Thomas R. Campbell poached bull trout from the Metolius River, fishing from both U.S. Forest Service lands and while trespassing on the “Eyerly Property,” which was held in trust by the United States for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Campbell also encouraged others to do the same.
The Metolius River requires catch-and-release for all species of fish, including bull trout. Although one can legally angle for bull trout on the Metolius River and in Lake Billy Chinook, bull trout are not legal to target elsewhere in Oregon. This makes the Metolius River one of the Oregon’s crown gems of angling.
Campbell targeted, kept, and grossly mishandled bull trout despite admittedly knowing the laws protecting the species and how to properly handle fish to immediately release unharmed. He also committed these crimes despite numerous warnings from public viewers of his social media boasts about his poaching. Campbell repeatedly posted photos of his bull trout poaching exploits to his social media platforms where he had more than 1,000 followers.
Bull trout are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The species has been depleted by a range of factors, including overfishing. Today, bull trout inhabit less than half of their historic range. Central Oregon’s Metolius River helps serve as a prized spawning ground, and it is used to help repopulate other waters where bull trout numbers have dwindled even lower. These magnificent fish are revered by anglers and are a cherished Tribal resource. Poaching represents a lethal threat to their recovery.
On August 13, 2020, Campbell pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges contained in the criminal information. These counts charge violations of the Lacey Act, 16 U.S.C. § 3372(a)(1) for knowingly acquiring and transporting bull trout from the Metolius River in the Deschutes National Forest and from Warm Springs’ Tribal land.
Robert “Bobby” Brunoe, the General Manager of Natural Resources and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs addressed the sentencing judge on behalf of the Tribes. He discussed the Tribes’ sovereignty over the Warm Springs Reservation, the severity of the trespasses by non-members like Campbell, and the cultural importance of bull trout to the Tribes. Mr. Brunoe also discussed his own connection to these fish, recalling his grandmother’s subsistence fishing for bull trout when he was a child. He stressed the importance of protecting and restoring bull trout.
U.S. District Court Judge Ann Aiken sentenced Campbell to five years of federal probation and banned him from angling or hunting anywhere in the United States as a condition of probation. In addition, Judge Aiken ordered Campbell to pay a $6,000 criminal fine to the Lacey Act Reward Fund and $649.95 in restitution to the Oregon State Police for his destruction of a trail camera designed to catch poachers. Campbell was also ordered to perform 300 hours of community service with a non-profit focused on conservation or with a collaborative relationship with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs.
This case was investigated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Services, Office of Law Enforcement; Oregon State Police, Fish and Wildlife Division; Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Branch of Natural Resources; and the United States Forest Service, Law Enforcement and Investigations. It was prosecuted by Will McLaren and Pam Paaso, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Sherwood, Oregon man pleaded guilty today for smuggling drugs into the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, announced U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams.
Richard Steven Alberts II, 32, pleaded guilty to the charge of Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§841(a)(1), 841 (b)(1)(C), and 846. He will be sentenced on February 22, 2021 by the Honorable Michael H. Simon.
According to court records, in 2019, Alberts was a Correctional Officer at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Wilsonville, operated by the Oregon Department of Corrections. While employed there, defendant began an inappropriate and illegal sexual relationship with an inmate.
To foster the relationship, Alberts agreed to smuggle drugs, including OxyContin pills, methamphetamine, and heroin into the prison and to provide them to the inmate. In addition, Alberts smuggled multiple cell phones into the facility that the inmate used to communicate with Alberts and others outside the prison. Defendant knew that the smuggled methamphetamine and heroin were not for the inmate’s personal use, but, instead, were intended for distribution to other women incarcerated at Coffee Creek.
On the evening of June 3, 2019, defendant met co-defendant Joseph Jimenez in a parking lot in Portland, where Jimenez provided Alberts with heroin. The next day, on June 4, 2019, Alberts smuggled that heroin into Coffee Creek, and later provided it to the inmate. Just a few days later, an Oregon Department of Corrections investigator seized a small amount of methamphetamine and over 6 grams heroin from the inmate. An investigation by the ODOC and FBI revealed that the seized heroin was, in fact, the same heroin that Alberts had obtained from Jimenez and smuggled into Coffee Creek. Alberts was immediately placed on administrative leave from ODOC.
“This corrections officer selfishly abused his position of trust and in doing so, endangered the lives of vulnerable inmates fighting for their own sobriety” said United States Attorney Billy J. Williams. “Instead of protecting the inmates, he exploited them. The excellent investigative work of the Oregon Department of Corrections, the Oregon State Police, and the FBI now ensures that a man who once guarded inmates will become one himself.”
DOC Director Colette S. Peters said, “The Oregon Department of Corrections is committed to preventing sexual activity involving employees and the people in our care and custody; and take decisive action when allegations are brought forward. When DOC’s Inspector General’s Office and the leadership at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility received a tip about Alberts’s criminal behavior, the agency immediately acted by launching an internal investigation and contacting state and federal law enforcement. Our goal was to ensure a thorough investigation, a fair process, and prosecution, if warranted. We have thousands of employees who provide outstanding public service each and every day. I would like to thank our partners at the US Attorney General’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oregon State Police, and the Washington County District Attorney’s office for their cooperation and seeing Alberts sentenced for his illegal and dishonorable behavior.”
“Alberts abused his position of power over the Coffee Creek inmates with the trafficking of meth and heroin,” said Renn Cannon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. “Instead of ensuring a safe environment for these women as he should have been, he exploited addiction and targeted a vulnerable population for his own gain. We can’t let such behavior stand.”
Alberts faces a maximum sentence of is 20 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release and a fine of $1,000,000. As part of the plea agreement, defendant agreed to immediately resign from the Oregon Department of Corrections, where he is currently on unpaid administrative leave. Defendant also agreed to immediately and permanently decertify as a law enforcement officer with the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. So long as defendant demonstrates an acceptance of responsibility, the parties will jointly recommend a sentence of 12 months and 1 day of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
In addition, Alberts has agreed with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office to waive indictment and plead guilty to the offense of Custodial Sexual Misconduct in the First Degree under ORS 163.452 (a Class C felony). At sentencing, both parties will recommend that Alberts receives a sentence of three years of formal probation, including conditions that Alberts will participate in an evaluation, and if indicated, participate in sex treatment.
The Oregon Department of Corrections, Oregon State Police and the FBI investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Craig Gabriel and Scott Bradford, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
The U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to enforcing the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA). PREA requires the development and promulgation of “national standards for the detection, prevention, reduction, and punishment of prison rape.” These standards, like the law mandating them, are intended to address a serious public safety, public health, and human rights problem—the incidence of sexual violence in our nation’s confinement facilities. To learn more about PREA, please visit: https://bja.ojp.gov/program/prison-rape-elimination-act-prea/overview.