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, December 18, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Partly sunny, with a high near 39.
Saturday Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Overnight, a 10% chance of snow, low of 25. Snow level 4700 feet lowering to 4200 feet after midnight.
Sunday A slight chance of snow before 10am, then a slight chance of rain. Snow level rising to 6600 feet in the afternoon. Partly sunny, with a high near 44.
Monday A chance of rain after 4pm. Snow level 5000 feet rising to 5600 feet in the afternoon. Partly sunny, with a high near 46.
See Road Camera Views:
Lake of the Woods
Doak Mtn.
Hiway 97 at Chemult
Hiway 140 at Bly
Hiway 97 at GreenSprings Dr.
Hiway 97 at LaPine
Today’s Headlines
Klamath County Public Health (KCPH) officials reported 61 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday. The local case count is 1,535. This week’s count is 150.
COVID-19 has claimed 21 more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,283, the Oregon Health Authority reported on Thursday. Oregon Health Authority reported 1,339 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of this morning, bringing the state total to 98,936.
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 551, which is three fewer than Wednesday. There are 113 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is unchanged from Wednesday.
The new cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (20), Clackamas (173), Clatsop (3), Columbia (18), Coos (5), Crook (4), Curry (1), Deschutes (48), Douglas (12), Gilliam (3), Hood River (23), Jackson (82), Jefferson (10), Josephine (24), Klamath (61), Lane (74), Lincoln (8), Linn (60), Malheur (13), Marion (148), Morrow (5), Multnomah (250), Polk (20), Tillamook (12), Umatilla (34), Union (13), Wasco (9), Washington (218), Wheeler (1) and Yamhill (27).
COVID-19 vaccine has reached Oregon and is first being distributed to hospital and Tribal health systems. KCPH has created a webpage to provide information as it becomes available.
Individuals may also send an email to KCPH@klamathcounty.org to subscribe to email vaccine updates. Asante is one of the first healthcare providers in the state of Oregon to received a shipment of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine, but doses will be extremely limited for the near future. Several administrators from Asante held a briefing with members of the press on Thursday, as Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center prepares to begin its first vaccinations for healthcare workers on Friday.
The very first healthcare workers in Oregon received their vaccinations Wednesday, and the event was streamed live by Governor Kate Brown’s office and hospital administrators. At Asante Rogue Regional, this first shipment will only cover doses for less than 15 percent of the staff. Medical staff who work in the highest-risk areas — where patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 are being cared for — will be prioritized.
As more of the COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, you’ll be able to get it at Fred Meyer. The grocery chain is working with state health departments and the federal government to be part of the federal roll-out plan. Fred Meyer has 133 pharmacies across the Pacific Northwest. Fred Meyer already offers antibody and COVID-19 testing.
Klamath County Commissioners approved an increase in the amount of relief funding available to local businesses impacted by Governor Kate Brown’s “freeze.” More than $1 million had been allocated to Klamath County from the state for distribution.
Commissioner Kelley Minty Morris said the South Central Oregon Economic Development District (SCOEDD), which is in charge of distributing the money, fulfilled all previous grant applications and had roughly half of the funds left over. Businesses directly implicated in the freeze can now receive a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $20,000 in grants — about double the original amounts. According to a Klamath County news release, applications will be accepted until Dec. 23.
The Klamath County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “Let it Glow” Christmas lights contest this year to encourage people to deck out their homes for the holiday with cash prizes for the winners.
The Chamber is awarding $100 to the Best in Show winner picked by Commissioner Kelley Minty Morris, $100 to the Clark Griswald, or most lights, winner voted on by sponsors $100 to People’s Choice voted on by the public via text and $200 to Best Biz Display picked by Klamath Falls Mayor Carol Westfall. Registration to be considered in the contest closed Dec. 4 and the contest runs until Dec. 29.
The event kicked off with the Dutch Christmas Crawl last Thursday where people could get a free hot chocolate from Dutch Bros. and drive around town to look at lights. The map of houses can be found at https://bit.ly/kfallslights.
Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot requested earlier this month to negotiate a settlement with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission regarding two ethics complaints filed earlier this year.
The state commission had initially planned to release a report on Friday regarding their investigation into a complaint against DeGroot alleging conflict of interest and allegedly taking a gift of more than $50 from an individual with an administrative or legislative interest. DeGroot was granted what the commission calls a “time waiver” of the deadline in order to negotiate a settlement by his next hearing date, according to Susan Myers, an Ethics Commission investigator on Wednesday. Myers said she could not share the outcome of the investigation while the matter is suspended, but that the final order will be presented during the Jan. 29 commission hearing.
DeGroot said the request for a settlement negotiation doesn’t necessarily mean there will be one.
Klamath Falls has become the first certified Blue Zones community in the Pacific Northwest, culminating a multi-year effort to improve healthy lifestyles.
Healthy Klamath, Sky Lakes Medical Center, Sharecare, Inc. and Blue Zones, LLC achieved the certified Blue Zones Community status, which recognizes Klamath Falls’ community well-being transformation through successful implementation of the Blue Zones Project by Sharecare, a first-of-its-kind population health program that brings evidence-based best practices in built environment, policy, and social networks to participating cities.
Brought to Oregon through an innovative sponsorship by Cambia Health Foundation in collaboration with Sharecare and Blue Zones, the local Blue Zones Project initiative encourages all Oregon communities to optimize their surroundings to make the healthy choice the easy choice. The project is a privately led, publicly endorsed initiative intended to inspire community members to improve their well-being.
Cambia Health Foundation, Sky Lakes Medical Center, Cascade Health Alliance, the City of Klamath Falls, and Klamath County provided financial backing to support the project in Klamath Falls.
Klamath Falls City Streets Division crews will be performing work December 21st through December 25th.
Streets Crews-Will be performing sanding for ice control and pothole repair as needed throughout the City as needed.
Sign Maintenance and Sweeping Crews will be performed throughout the City as needed.
Detours and signage will be in place where needed. Streets Staff thanks our citizens in advance for proceeding with caution in areas where crews are working. Work may be delayed or cancelled due to weather.
Klamath County libraries to close for Christmas, New Year’s Day
All branches of the Klamath County Library District will be closed on Friday, December 25th in observance of Christmas, and on Friday, January 1st in observance of New Year’s Day. The downtown Klamath County Library will also close early at 1pm on both Thursday, December 24th and Thursday, December 31st.
No library materials will be due on a day that the libraries are closed for a holiday.
For more information, please call 541-882-8894, or see the calendar on our website: klamathlibrary.org.
Around the state of Oregon
Due to circumstances beyond the control of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP), tax aide volunteers normally provided during the tax season for members will not be available for the 2021 tax season, according to a news release.
AARP is unable to find space large enough to adequately accommodate needs due to COVID-19 guidelines and qualifications as a gathering space for large groups. As a result, no tax volunteers will be made available for the upcoming tax season.
Dozens of states, including Oregon,have filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Google on Thursday, alleging that the search giant has an illegal monopoly over the online search market that hurts consumers and advertisers.
The lawsuit, announced by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, was filed in federal court in Washington, D.C. by states represented by bipartisan attorneys general. The lawsuit was joined by the attorneys general of 35 states as well as the District of Columbia and the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico.
The lawsuit was joined by the attorneys general of Alaska, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Phase 1a of Covid-19 Vaccine plan targets wide range of health settings
As COVID-19 immunizations have begun around the state of Oregon this week, Oregon Health Authority has finalized its recommendations for who will be the first to receive doses of new COVID-19 vaccines.
Oregon’s Phase 1a COVID-19 Vaccine Plan and Recommended Sequencing aligns with federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for broad groups to be included in the initial phase of vaccine distribution.
With a focus on health equity, the plan adds more granularity to federal recommendations and outlines specific populations within the broad groups — and in a wide range of health settings — that should be the focus for vaccination “when considering the allocation of scarce critical resources in the face of a public health crisis such as COVID-19.”
The plan also creates a framework for distributing and sequencing COVID-19 vaccines throughout Oregon based on equity, individual, environmental and activity factors that put people more at risk for contracting or spreading the virus or experiencing serious health consequences from the virus.
“This plan helps us make sure we follow our own principles of health equity as we strive toward meeting our priorities for distributing the vaccine during this critical first phase,” said Dana Hargunani, M.D., M.P.H., OHA chief medical officer.
These priorities include ensuring that vaccine is accessible for those who are included in Phase 1a and want to be vaccinated, and that information about COVID-19 vaccines is broadly available in a linguistically accessible and culturally responsive manner.
As stated in the plan, these priorities are critical “to be responsive to the diversity of people living in Oregon, and to mitigate historical and contemporary injustice and stigma of communities of color, tribal communities, people with disabilities, and longstanding mistrust of the system and distrust of vaccines.”
The plan breaks up Phase 1a into four groups. Examples include but are not limited to:
- Group 1: Hospitals; urgent care; skilled nursing and memory care facility health care providers and residents; tribal health programs; emergency medical services providers and other first responders.
- Group 2: Other long-term care facilities and congregate care sites, including health care providers and residents; hospice programs; mobile crisis care and related services; individuals working in a correctional setting; personnel of group homes for children or adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
- Group 3: Outpatient settings serving specific high-risk groups; in home care; day treatment services; non-emergency medical transportation.
- Group 4: Health care personnel working in other outpatient and public health settings.
The types of individuals or settings within each group are not listed in any particular order and don’t indicate a planned “in-group” sequence, but are intended to be concurrent as logistics and vaccine dose availability allow, the plan states. In addition, the plan calls for applying the broadest definition of “health care personnel” as outlined by ACIP and the CDC, which includes contractual staff not employed by a facility.
In all, OHA expects that between 300,000 and 400,000 individuals will have access to COVID-19 vaccination during Phase 1a. Work is in progress to further estimate the numbers of people within each of the Phase 1a groups.
OHA also continues to work with state agency and community partners to communicate broadly about Phase 1a plans, and to develop detailed distribution plans for all potential Phase 1a recipients.
OHA’s equity-focused Vaccine Advisory Committee will be informing the next phases of vaccine distribution beyond Phase 1a to include critical workers, people with underlying health conditions and those older than 65. The general population isn’t expected to be eligible for vaccination until sometime in spring 2021.
Marina concession lease at Lost Creek Lake in Shady Cove, ending Dec. 31, 2020
A lease allowing a private business to operate the public marina at Joseph Stewart State Park on Lost Creek Lake will end Dec. 31, 2020. The lease ran for two 20-year periods, the maximum allowed under its terms, and began in 1981. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) manages the lease and park through an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The business changed hands over the course of the lease, and is currently held by Lewis Resorts, LLC.
OPRD is exploring options for service in 2021 that include requesting businesses to submit proposals to operate the public facility, or working with other public partners. A public announcement will explain decisions for 2021.
Owners with boats moored at slips near the marina will be contacted to explain next steps. In the meantime, owners can send questions to Park Manager Nathan Seable at OPRD, Rogue Management Unit, 3792 N River Rd Gold Hill, OR 97525 or by email to Nathan.seable@oregon.gov.
Pacific Power grants are helping Oregon communities jump-start electric mobility of electric bikes, traactors and buses
Over $1.3 million in grants awarded by Pacific Power will fund a range of electric mobility projects including statewide electric transportation education programs and purchasing electric school buses
PORTLAND, ORE. (December 18, 2020) – Nonprofits, local governments and school districts served by Pacific Power will receive over $1.3 million in grants for innovative clean transportation projects. Electric Mobility Grants will fund a range of community-driven electric transportation projects from purchasing e-bike instant rebates for 60 individuals in low-income households to building a mobile electric vehicle showroom that will bring interactive consumer engagement to underserved communities. Several grant recipients will use the funds to purchase nontraditional electric vehicles, including an electric tractor that will be loaned to local farmers, and utility vehicles that will be used for irrigation and farming work.
“We were blown away by the ingenuity and scope of the proposed projects,” said Cory Scott, managing director of customer solutions. “Grant funds will support efforts to provide more sustainable agricultural equipment options that could lower farm operating costs. Some of the electric mobility projects will ensure traditionally underserved communities have clean transportation alternatives and, in one case, increase sustainable access to healthcare. Grant recipients displayed a high-level of creativity and innovation in how electricity can power vehicles, communities and the future.”
Funding for these grants are made possible by the Oregon Clean Fuels Program, which is administered by the state Department of Environmental Quality and aims to reduce the carbon intensity of Oregon’s transportation fuels. Pacific Power raises funds through the sale of Clean Fuels Program credits, which the company aggregates on behalf of customers who charge their electric vehicles at home.
Electric Mobility Grant Recipients:
- Hacienda CDC – Charging infrastructure in support of affordable housing.
- Corvallis-Benton County – e-bikes and helmet rebate program for low-income households.
- The Environmental Center –
- Partnering with Forth to develop a mobile electric transportation showroom.
- Partnering with the Center for Transportation and Environment to deliver electric bus and e-bike outreach and training.
- Crook County Fairgrounds – Electric tractor funding to support the Electrifying Oregon’s Agricultural Economy initiative.
- Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council – Electric bus feasibility and needs assessment for public transit system.
- Oregon Environmental Council – Charging infrastructure and electric utility vehicles to demonstrate viability within Oregon’s agricultural sector.
- North by Northeast Community Health Center – Charging infrastructure and electric vehicle to support a medical clinic devoted to African American health equity.
- City of Mosier – Electric vehicle and e-bike charging infrastructure.
- Bend LaPine School – Charging infrastructure and electric bus to support school bus fleet.
Since 2018, Pacific Power has made it easier for drivers to choose electric by partnering with communities and businesses to install electric vehicle chargers across Oregon, Washington and California. In addition to the Electric Mobility Grant, Pacific Power offers a free technical assistance program for organizations looking to install electric vehicle charging. The program provides a feasibility analysis for electric vehicle technology charging options, costs, rates, and best practices for siting, installing and managing equipment.
In the face of the pandemic impacting the economic health and vitality of communities, these investments come at a time when cities and towns across the Pacific Northwest are looking to grow through electric mobility expansion. It’s just one way Pacific Power is committed to helping them create the energy future they want and need.
For information on technical assistance and to learn more about the benefits of electric vehicles, please visit www.pacificpower.net/ev.
Wilson High School in southwest Portland will be renamed after one of five history making black women. It was previously named after the 28th President Woodrow Wilson. He was known for introducing segregation in the federal government and praising the confederacy. Following the death of George Floyd, students and alumni requested the change. Some of the names in consideration are: Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells and Harriet Tubman.
Visitors encouraged to explore on their own and stay local
This year’s winter whale watching and the 2021 First Day Hikes will go on, but volunteers won’t be stationed at whale watching sites and hikes won’t be led by rangers or volunteers.
“Oregonians love these traditions, but with the pandemic continuing to affect our communities we encourage everyone to visit the whale watching sites and hike or explore a state park Jan. 1 on their own,” said Lisa Sumption, director of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.
The parking fee for the 25 parks that normally require a parking permit will be waived for First Day Hikes Jan. 1, 2021. Some parks may display posters that include recommended hikes and ranger favorites.
“We encourage visitors to explore parks close to their homes, wear face coverings and practice recommended social distancing,” Sumption added. “If a park is crowded, please consider visiting another nearby park.”
Although trained volunteers and staff will not be available this winter at whale watching sites, most viewing sites managed by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department remain open to visitors, but they should expect reduced services in some locations. The Whale Watching Center in Depoe Bay is closed, but the viewing deck on the exterior of the building is open.
Before your visit a state park, take a look at the Oregon State Parks status map that shows open and closed parks, as well as parks with reduced services. A new COVID-19 resource, Parkpulse.io, is also available. The online mapping tool provides information about most of Oregon’s publicly accessible recreation areas including city, county, state, and federal lands. This web resource displays nearby recreation opportunities based on a user’s location and shows detailed information for each site, such as; available amenities, the potential for encountering crowds and an estimate of site specific COVID-19 prevalence.
NEIGHBORWORKS UMPQUA RECEIVES $100K GRANT FROM UMPQUA BANK
ROSEBURG, Ore., (December 16, 2020)—With the help of a new grant from Umpqua Bank, NeighborWorks Umpqua is expanding its Financial Opportunity Centers’ bilingual financial education offerings to help rebuild Southern Oregon’s economy, one family at a time.
NeighborWorks Umpqua was one of three nonprofits awarded a $100K grant to continue adapting its services to strengthen Oregon’s economic recovery.
The grant will directly support bilingual financial education services offered through Financial Opportunity Centers in Josephine and Jackson Counties. Two new positions – a bilingual customer navigator and bilingual financial coach – will be hired to provide services in Spanish for LatinX families negatively impacted by the pandemic and wildfires. The new hires will provide financial education to clients on saving, budgeting, banking, access to FEMA funding, and more.
“Bilingual financial education helps break down language and cultural barriers to build trust, financial stability, and opportunity for all,” said Merten Bangemann-Johnson, CEO. “Umpqua Bank’s grant to NeighborWorks Umpqua will advance financial equity by building our cultural and language-specific services.”
“Along with so many worthy nonprofits, NeighborWorks has risen to the challenge of innovating to fulfill its mission during a challenging year, and Umpqua Bank is pleased to assist,” said Brenden Butler, Umpqua Bank vice president and community development officer. “They are doing impressive work to help families build – and build back – financial stability, one client at a time.”
NeighborWorks Umpqua is a Southern Oregon rural-focused housing and community development corporation committed to promoting opportunity for all. Learn more about NeighborWorks Umpqua at www.nwumpqua.org.
The OSP Fish & Wildlife Division is asking for public assistance to identify the person(s) responsible for the unlawful take of a cow elk in Yamhill County.
On December 16, 2020 a Trooper from the McMinnville Office received a call regarding a deceased cow elk. The elk was located near MP 14 on Hwy 22 at Sourgrass Summit and the junction with Little Hebo Road. The elk is estimated to have died 3 days to a week earlier. A pass-through wound, bullet and bone fragments consistent with a rifle shot were located. No meat was taken. The elk remains were found in an open area and 50-75 yards from the two major roads. There are a very small number of elk tags valid for this area in December.
The Oregon State Police is requesting that any person with information about this incident contact the TIP line and leave information for Trooper Tayler Jerome. Individuals wishing to remain anonymous may also contact the Oregon State Police through the Turn in Poachers line at; TIP Hotline: 1-800-452-7888 or *OSP (677)
TIP E-Mail: TIP@state.or.us (Monitored M-F 8:00AM – 5:00PM)
(Salem) – Now is the time for high school students across Oregon to let their creativity flow for a good cause: increasing awareness about workplace safety for young workers.
They will have the opportunity to do so using expanded options and updated rules for the annual contest organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]). The 2021 media contest invites participants to do the following:
- Choose one of two themes:
- Hit by or pushed against an object
- Slips, trips, or falls on walking surfaces
- Bring the chosen theme to life either by creating a video that is between 30 to 90 seconds in length or by developing a graphic design piece.
- Incorporate a new tagline into the video or graphic design project: “Work. It can be more dangerous than you think.”
The top three entries in each of the two media categories will take home cash prizes ranging from $300 to $500. In each category, the first-place winner’s school, club, or organization will receive a matching award.
Some participants may dream up a bold, splashy graphic design to get their message across. Others may grab a smart phone or camera and craft a video that leans on humor or documentary-style seriousness to captivate their audience.
Either way, participants are encouraged to tap their imaginations and inspire young workers to think twice about their personal health and safety at work, and the reality that they could be hurt on the job.
And while they carry out their projects with pizzazz, contestants need to ensure the personal health and safety of their team. That includes avoiding endangering anyone during the creation of your project; ensuring entries do not depict unsafe behavior or show participants not following COVID-19 guidance; and following Oregon Health Authority guidance for COVID-19.
The deadline for submissions is 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 19, 2021.
Participants are encouraged to submit entries online. Submissions may also be mailed on a USB thumb drive. Contest winners will be unveiled during a streaming event in spring 2021.
For more information about the entry form and rules, contest expectations, and resources – including graphic design examples and 2020 finalist videos – visit the O[yes] online contest page.
The contest sponsors are local Oregon chapters of the American Society of Safety Professionals, Construction Safety Summit, Central Oregon Safety & Health Association, Hoffman Construction Company, Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences at OHSU, Oregon OSHA, SafeBuild Alliance, SAIF Corporation, and Oregon SHARP Alliance.