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.
Monday, December 28, 2020
Klamath Basin Weather
This Afternoon Sunny, with a high near 38. Tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 14.
Tuesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Cloudy overnight with a low of 22.
Wednesday Snow likely, mainly after 5pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Overnight, snow likely, mainly before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Thursday A 20 percent chance of snow before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40.
Friday, New Year’s Day A chance of snow after 11am. Partly sunny, with a high near 41.
Saturday A chance of rain and snow. Snow level rising to 4900 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41.
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
COVID-19 has claimed five more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,427, the Oregon Health Authority reported on Sunday.
Oregon Health Authority reported 1,416 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as this morning, bringing the state total to 109,725. The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 492, which is 20 more than Saturday. There are 105 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is eight more than Saturday.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (8), Benton (9), Clackamas (59), Clatsop (3), Columbia (4), Coos (10), Crook (5), Curry (7), Deschutes (32), Douglas (9), Grant (2), Harney (2), Hood River (12), Jackson (29), Jefferson (11), Josephine (32), Klamath (46), Lane (67), Lincoln (16), Linn (33), Malheur (21), Marion (83), Morrow (5), Multnomah (188), Polk (13), Tillamook (9), Umatilla (32), Union (7), Wasco (11), Washington (79), Yamhill (27).
Sky Lakes Medical Center found that the October ransomware attack on the hospital’s computer system did not access patient information, but the hospital said it has been unable to recover some old patient medical images.
Patients don’t need to do anything at this time, and the medical center will notify patients whose images may be permanently unavailable. On October 27, Sky Lakes discovered several computers had been encrypted with ransomware. The medical center employed a cyber security firm and investigated the impact the hack had on computer systems. Sky Lakes has increased network security measures to prevent a similar attack in the future.
Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA) remanded local permits that would have allowed the Jordan Cove Energy Project to construct a natural gas export terminal on the North Spit of Coos Bay, forming another setback for the project that would also include a 229-mile pipeline running through Klamath County.
The export facility, which would be the first on the West Coast if approved, would send around 6.8 million metric tons of liquid natural gas per day mostly to Asian markets. Much of the gas would come from Canada and U.S. Rocky Mountain states. Coos County approved Jordan Cove’s application for the facility’s required permits in 2016, but LUBA remanded those decisions based on “various procedural and substantive errors.”
Jordan Cove reapplied for those permits in 2019, and applied for a conditional use permit, floodplain development permit and other approvals for modifications to the project. The county approved those at the end of 2019. Led by the Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, a collection of local residents and environmental groups appealed to LUBA to revoke those permits. They argued that Coos County didn’t properly evaluate whether the construction and operation of the Jordan Cove terminal would conform to public trust standards.
United Way officials announced Monday that $393,874 had been raised, nearly 80% of a community fundraising campaign launched earlier this year, according to a release for Klamath County.
“This represents 79% of our $500,000 community campaign goal,” said Lauren Jespersen, campaign chairman. The United Way campaign will announce its final results at the end of January. The campaign marks the 75th annual community fundraiser, the funds from which are used to support various local programs. Spirit awards will be presented to companies with employee campaigns that achieved a minimum 5% increase in donations this year compared to past years.
Contributions to United Way can be sent to United Way of the Klamath Basin at 136 N. Third Street in Klamath Falls, OR 97601. Contact United Way at 541-882-5558 or for more information.
Following Joe Biden’s presidential win, more than 100 tribal leaders penned a letter to the president-elect urging him to add an Indigenous person to his cabinet.
Activists and environmental organizations also pushed for Haaland’s nomination over recent weeks. They all pointed to the Department of Interior’s tenuous relationship with Native Americans — officials forced tribes off their lands to make way for National Parks, sent them to military-style boarding schools to assimilate them into non-Native culture and, most recently, rolled back protections for lands that are culturally important to them — as something in need of a reset.
Don Gentry, chairman of the Klamath Tribes, said he and the tribal council are excited about Haaland’s appointment, given her experience with natural resource management and treaty rights. As a tribal member and lawmaker, Haaland has an understanding of the federal government’s duty to uphold treaties, which hasn’t necessarily been a given for previous Interior Secretaries. Paul Simmons, executive director of the Klamath Water Users Association, said he hadn’t worked with Haaland yet and is interested in who she’ll appoint to lower-level positions, like assistant secretaries. Those people tend to have more direct contact with Basin stakeholders. He’ll also be looking out for who Biden appoints to lead the Bureau of Reclamation, which will likely incorporate Haaland’s consultation.
A Klamath Falls student garnered honorable mention honors in the September 2020 Cricket League Writing Competition. Maud Birrer-Lundgren, 15, received honorable mention for a magazine-sponsored competition that requires each contestant to submit an original story about time travel.
Birrer-Lundgren will appear in the Cricket League section of the January 2021 Cricket Magazine, which features the best short stories, poems and articles written by children. In each issue, Cricket sponsors a different and unique writing or art competition, with hundreds of entries pouring in each time from Cricket readers all over the world. Winners receive recognition and a certificate, and the best entries are published in the magazine and online at www.cricketmagkids.com/contests.
During the month of November, staff of the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) participated in “No Shave November,” an annual fundraising effort to raise funds for cancer research and treatment by collectively growing moustaches and beards during the month.
Pledged funds from the month-long effort requested a minimum $10 towards cancer research awareness project or a recipient family in need of assistance due to a cancer related illness. This year members chose Azella Lopez, a six-year old girl recently diagnosed with Leukemia and diabetes. Azella will need to regularly travel to Medford and Portland for treatment for the next several years.
This year “No Shave November” raised $351, with additional contributions from members of $886 and $500 from the Klamath County Peace Officers Association. On Tuesday, Dec. 22, KCSO staff presented the total funds raised, $1,737 in all, to Azella and her family.
Residents within Klamath, Jackson and Douglas counties are among 20 Oregon counties designated as being eligible for a Special Election Period (SEP) for Medicare prescription plan enrollment due to 2020 wildfires.
Medicare insured residents are currently eligible until Jan. 31, 2021 to enroll in the Special Election Period (SEP) due to Oregon’s multiple large-scale wildfires and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding. Those that did not enroll or change their Medicare Advantage Plan or Prescription Plan during the annual enrollment period (AEP) may now be eligible to enroll in an Advantage Plan or another prescription plan at this time.
Residents who may be eligible for SEP enrollment are urged to contact their local Medicare agent or call 1-800-MEDICARE (633-4227) or visit www.medicare.gov for more.
Around the state of Oregon
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue team is searching in the Prospect, Oregon area for a missing 10 year old girl. Police say that the girl may look around 13 years old.
Dystanie Lynn Rome-Elliott was last seen on Flounce Rock Rd. in Prospect, OR. earlier this morning around 12:30 a.m. The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office says that Dystanie is around 5 feet, 120 pounds with red hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a long sleeve blouse or black long turtle neck shirt, red yoga like pants and a hoody unknown color. If you have located Dystanie or have any information please contact 911 Dispatch / Sgt. Shawn Richards Jackson County Sheriff’s Office 541-776-7206.
In Coos County, the county health department is fighting a new battle to keep people focused on COVID testing, and battling what they say is a growing push by people who are urging people to not get tested in hopes that will get businesses open sooner.
Coos Health and Wellness has seen social media posts advocating that people shouldn’t get coronavirus tests and stop cooperating with contact traces, saying that if people don’t get tested, it will reduce case rates and pull the county out of the extreme risk category. The health department is frustrated with these comments. Now the health department is seeing an increase in cases it can’t link to another case, but they aren’t sure if that’s due to people not cooperating or if it means there is an increase in community spread. For health care workers at Bay Area Hospital, they have been anxiously awaiting to see when and if they will get overwhelmed with new COVID cases.
Oregon Health Authority Offers Mental and Emotional Resources for Difficult Times:
- Mental and emotional health resources are available on OHA’s Safe + Strong website.
- Or call the Safe + Strong Helpline at 800-923-4357 (800-923-HELP). The line offers free, 24-7 emotional support and resource referral to anyone who needs it — not only those experiencing a mental health crisis.
On Thursday, December 24, 2020 at approximately 9:00 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle collision on Hwy 97 near milepost 119.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Subaru Legacy, operated by Kyle Willet (19) of Terrebonne, was southbound when it crossed into the northbound lanes and collided with a Chevy 3500 pickup operated by Thomas Kasch (79) of Culver.
Willet sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Kasch was transported via air ambulance to a Bend area hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
On Friday, December 25, 2020 at approximately 3:06 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Hwy 395B near MP 53.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Ford Ranger pickup, operated by James Stroud (83) of Ukiah, was northbound when it traveled off the roadway and rolled.
Stroud and his passenger, Linda Stroud (79) of Ukiah, both sustained fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased.