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.
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Klamath Basin Weather
Today A chance of rain and snow before 1pm, then rain likely. Snow level 4600 feet rising to 5100 feet. Cloudy, with a high near 40. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Overnight, light showers mixing with snow after 7pm, then gradually ending. Patchy freezing fog after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.
Thursday Patchy freezing fog before 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 38. Overnight, some snow flurries with a low around 31. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday Rain and snow showers, mainly before 10am. High near 39. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than one inch possible.
Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 38.
Sunday Partly sunny, 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
A late evening power outage affected much of the southeast area of Klamath Falls and Henley area beginning about 10:10PM last night.
Pacific Power estimated that it would restore power about midnight but power did not return until 4:40AM this morning, affecting thousands of customers on a cold night.
COVID-19 has claimed 44 more lives in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,550, the Oregon Health Authority reported this morning. The state adds 1,059 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 overnight, bringing the state total to 119,488.
Vaccinations in Oregon: Today, OHA recorded 3,964 doses of vaccine administered — including 317 second doses — raising the state’s total number of doses administered to 55,239. This figure is based on preliminary reports of 2,818 doses administered yesterday, as well as 1,146 administered on prior days that had not been recorded.
All vaccinations occurred at Oregon hospitals, long-term care facilities, emergency medical service (EMS) agencies, urgent care facilities and Local Public Health Authorities (LPHAs).
To date, 210,975 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
COVID-19 hospitalizations: The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 494, which is 17 more than yesterday. There are 107 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is five more than yesterday.
The total number of patients in hospital beds may fluctuate between report times. The numbers do not reflect admissions per day, nor the length of hospital stay. Staffing limitations are not captured in this data and may further limit bed capacity.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (18), Clackamas (139), Clatsop (3), Columbia (3), Coos (17), Crook (22), Curry (2), Deschutes (69), Douglas (21), Harney (1), Hood River (5), Jackson (69), Jefferson (10), Josephine (26), Klamath (10), Lake (2), Lane (65), Lincoln (6), Linn (42), Malheur (16), Marion (99), Morrow (6), Multnomah (163), Polk (28), Sherman (1), Tillamook (4), Umatilla (75), Union (3), Wallowa (2), Wasco (6), Washington (100) and Yamhill (23).
With the holidays now over, Jackson, Klamath and Lake counties are not expecting a post holiday surge. However, the counties are expecting by the end of this week or next week to see if there are any trends or higher than normal case counts.
Valeree Lane from Klamath County Public Health and Dr. Jim Shames from Jackson County Public Health both saw a recent increase of Covid-19 cases from young adults in their 20’s prior to the holidays. Dr. Jim Shames also said that he does not expect a rise in cases with schools re-opening with in-classroom learning, next week.
Following criticism of Oregon’s rate for COVID-19 vaccinations, Governor Kate Brown issued a statement on Monday directing health officials to ramp up efforts.
Oregon trails 40 other states in vaccinations for coronavirus. That news has prompted blow-back from other public figures. As of Monday, the Oregon Health Authority reported that just over 51,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, including the first handful of second doses. But Oregon has received roughly 190,500 doses in total, and OHA says that those doses have already been distributed to sites across the state.
In her statement, Governor Brown underlined that Oregonians must be vaccinated as quickly as possible, but defended the state’s roll-out. Brown said that she has directed OHA to reach a benchmark of 12,000 vaccinations in the state per day, to be achieved by the end of the next two weeks.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to overwhelm hospitals around the country and globe, data shows that hospitals in Oregon and Washington are not at capacity yet.
Data collected from the Oregon Health Authority and by our sister station in Seattle are painting a better picture of how many hospital beds are currently filled in Oregon and Washington. According to the Oregon Health Authority, 536 intensive care unit beds are currently filled in the state, with 19% of them being filled by confirmed coronavirus patients.
In total, 477 patients are currently hospitalized for the coronavirus. 102 of those patients are in the ICU, with 54 of them on ventilators. When combined with Washington’s data, roughly one out of every five ICU beds in the Pacific Northwest are occupied by patients that tested positive for the coronavirus.
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office is closing the book on two deaths in the Bonanza area at the end of last month — ruled by investigators as a homicide and a suicide.
The Sheriff’s Office says that deputies responded to the 7000-block of Bly Mountain Cutoff Road north of Bonanza just after midnight on December 24 after someone reported a body. Deputies identified the body as belonging to 54-year-old Troy Allen Gordon of Bonanza. During an initial investigation of the case, deputies interviewed 56-year-old John Bartlett Gordon Jr., his brother, also of Bonanza.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, John Gordon was later discovered with self-inflicted injuries in the Bonanza area. He died on December 28. On December 30, the Oregon State Medical Examiner ruled Troy Gordon’s death a homicide. The Sheriff’s Office says that “no further investigation is anticipated” into the death of either man.
Police Chief Dave Henslee announced Monday night he will retire from the Klamath Falls Police Department, tentatively effective May 1.
Henslee has served as chief of police since 2015, and said he always planned to retire after six years with the department. He has served a total of 28 years in law enforcement, including 22 with the Corvallis Police Department. Henslee said he believes police chiefs and anyone in a high position has a “shelf life,” and that leadership changes are important so that organizations don’t become stagnant. Henslee grew up in Southern Oregon and said that coming back to Klamath has felt like returning home.
Henslee and his wife plan to stay in Klamath County after his retirement from the force. They will turn their attention to running their cattle ranch in Merrill. He also hinted at possible plans to run for a public office.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s delisting of the gray wolf from the Endangered Species Act went into effect Monday, officially transferring Gray wolf protections from the federal government to state governments.
That means instead of following ESA rules when dealing with wolves, Klamath County residents will have to familiarize themselves with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s management plan. Wolf management in the state had been split geographically in 2011, after Fish and Wildlife delisted the species east of Highways 395, 78 and 95. Now, the state will also manage the area west of those highways, which includes Klamath County and the majority of Lake County. While the new jurisdiction is slightly less stringent than the ESA, it’s nowhere near open season for wolves in Oregon.
ODFW identifies “areas of known wolf activity” where packs have become established like the Rogue Pack, whose area overlaps with ranches near Fort Klamath. The agency communicates with livestock producers in these areas about wolf conservation and non-lethal protection measures like fencing, protection dogs and alarms.
Mother Nature is busy in our region today. The National Weather Seriice has issued a WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 10 PM PST WEDNESDAY (tonight).
South to southwest winds 15 to 30 mph with gusts up to 50 mph expected. In California, Modoc County. In Oregon, Northern and Eastern Klamath County and Lake County. From 1 AM to 10 PM PST Wednesday. Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. The winds will affect Highway OR31 between Paisley and Silver Lake.
The higher terrain of Modoc, Lake, and far eastern Klamath County will also be affected. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor objects.
Around the state of Oregon
With three deaths announced the day before, now two more Josephine County individuals have died from complications relating to COVID-19 infections.
A 69-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 Dec. 27, 2020, and died Jan. 4 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass. He had underlying conditions.
A 53-year-old man tested positive for COVID-19 Dec. 15, 2020, and died Jan. 5 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center in Grants Pass. He had underlying conditions. These are the 26th and 27th deaths of Josephine County COVID-19 patients.
A bookkeeper from LaGrande who diverted more than $1.1 million from medical and dental practices where she worked to support a lavish lifestyle was sentenced Tuesday to four years in federal prison.
The “rather shocking” betrayal by Anndrea D. Jacobs continued for at least five years including after her arrest while she was on pretrial supervision, Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Bounds said. Jacobs, 49, speaking by phone from Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail, told the judge she got “caught up in living a double life, things just spiraled out of control.”
Jacobs pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return for 2011, aggravated identity theft in the furthering of wire fraud and impersonating an IRS employee.
The world’s richest person made the single-largest charitable contribution in 2020, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual list of top donations, a $10 billion gift that is intended to help fight climate change.
Amazon’s founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, whose “real-time” worth Forbes magazine estimates at roughly $188 billion, used the contribution to launch his Bezos Earth Fund. The fund, which supports non-profits involved in the climate crisis, has paid out $790 million to 16 groups so far, according to the Chronicle. Phil Knight, who with his wife, Penny, made the second- and third-largest donations last year according to the Chronicle, increased his wealth by about 77% over the same March-to-December period. Knight and his wife gave more than $900 million to the Knight Foundation and $300 million to the University of Oregon.
On Wednesday, January 6, 2021 at approximately 4:13 A.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to the report of a motor vehicle crash on Interstate 5 at the northbound Market St. Interchange.
Preliminary investigation revealed that a female pedestrian was in the off-ramp lane of traffic when she was struck by a Honda Civic, operated by Nicholas Kreitzer (46) of Salem, that was exiting the freeway.
Kreitzer stopped and cooperated with the investigation.
The female pedestrian was pronounced deceased. The name will be released when available.
Portland, Oregon is still a protesting mess. Will it change in 2021 with Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler or will the snowflake mayor actually begin to crack down on “antifa anarchists” after the riot on New Year’s Eve?
Months of catch-and-release policing has residents wondering if anything will change.
“Right now there’s a lot of people that are emboldened to just do whatever they want,” Gabe Johnson, co-founder of the Coalition to Save Portland, speaking to local press.
Johnson feels city and county officials have set a precedent that will be hard to reverse, and thinks the mayor’s announcement is “just more words.”
Out of more than a thousand arrests reported by the Portland Police Bureau and other local law enforcement since late May 2020, only about 8.4% of cases are still open, according to court records. The rest have been dismissed or listed as no complaint, which means authorities are not currently pursuing charges.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt has repeatedly argued cases could be reopened later, but few cases have actually happened in the past seven months.
Meanwhile, demonstrators and moreso, the rioters have embraced the lack of prosecutions as a win.
“If (the police) want to arrest 50 people a night, then, OK, that’s what they’re going to do,” Braxton with Black Unity PDX told reporters. “Their jail is too small. They don’t have room for that many people and the DA isn’t prosecuting anymore. So we won that, too.”
First timers or people who aren’t being “obnoxious” often get let out right away, Braxton observed.
The total number of arrests associated with demonstrations and occupations has steeply declined since the summer, but a riot on New Year’s Eve in downtown Portland added another three to the tally and prompted a three-part commitment from Mayor Wheeler.
He said he wants federal, state, county and local law enforcement to convene to deal with “anarchist violence” as soon as possible. He wants people convicted of criminal destruction to be required to meet with those whose businesses they damaged, and perform public service. Wheeler also wants the state legislature to enact tougher penalties for repeat offenders, a request with which legal experts anticipate problems.
At least 61 people have been booked or cited by police at multiple protests. The vast majority of those are not being prosecuted: Only nine repeat arrestees have pending charges.
A spokesman for Wheeler said a person would be considered a repeat offender based on arrests or prosecutions, adding that the mayor’s office hopes stiffer penalties will make it easier for the DA’s office to prosecute cases where someone has been arrested at multiple demonstrations. What a mess in Portland. Stay tuned.
The Grants Pass Department of Public Safety, the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (P.A.A.R.I.) and Options for Southern Oregon are pleased to announce the launch of “A New Way Home”, a program that will provide support to those struggling with addiction.
As a part of the program, the city created a Community Response Team (CRT), which is made up of two Grants Pass Police Officers. These officers have received specialized training in de-escalation and are well versed in community resources that can be utilized to support those in need.
CRT officers will work with Options for Southern Oregon, an organization that offers substance abuse support services, to facilitate outreach to those who have overdosed on drugs, as well as their families.
The Grants Pass Police Department is also introducing a new non-arrest referral program. Residents struggling with addiction can come directly to the Grants Pass Police Department and surrender illicit drugs without the fear of being arrested. Officers will direct individuals to Options for Southern Oregon where they can receive evaluation and treatment.
Residents can also anonymously turn over unwanted prescription drugs at drug drop boxes. The boxes are located at 726 NE 7th St., and at the Parkway Public Safety Station at 800 East Park St.
Additionally, P.A.A.R.I. has donated 101 doses of the overdose reversal medication Narcan to support the program.
“We are eager to partner with P.A.A.R.I. to address the addiction crisis and its impact on our city,” said Chief of Public Safety, Chief Warren Hensman. “As of August of this year, our officers had administered Narcan to overdosing individuals more than 25 times. This is a lifesaving drug that can give those fighting addiction a second chance, and we are so grateful for P.A.A.R.I.’s generous donation and are looking forward to the positive impact this new program will have on our community.”
“Those struggling with substance use disorders need to know that there are resources to help them on the pathway to recovery, and I commend the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety for taking this innovative approach,” P.A.A.R.I. Executive Director Allie Hunter said. “This new program will help those working to overcome addiction to receive the help that they need and will ultimately save lives.”
The program was inspired by Becky Ward and others who have struggled to overcome addiction. Ward was in a car crash and was prescribed opioids for pain relief, which ultimately set her on a path to opioid addiction, and eventually led to her turning to heroin before losing her life to an overdose in 2019.
Eugene Police are looking for additional victims after a woman was reportedly raped at Maurie Jacobs Park in the River Road area.
Nakoda Santana Thunderwolf, 41, of Eugene, was arrested Dec. 23 for first-degree rape, first-degree sex abuse, strangulation and fourth-degree assault. He also faces charges of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration and tampering with physical evidence.
The charges filed against Thunderwolf state that the crime occurred on or about Dec. 23. A detective with the Eugene Police Violent Crimes Unit is investigating the crime. If you have any information, contact Detective Cliff Sites at 541-682-5147.
Ag Employers Fight to Keep Employees Safe, Housed, and Earning Wages this Farming Season
January 6, 2021, SALEM, OR: On January 4, the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation (OFB) filed a formal Petition to OR-OSHA on behalf of agricultural housing providers seeking common-sense solutions to agricultural labor housing protections during COVID-19. As OFB has made clear since the beginning of the pandemic, there is a way to protect agricultural employees and farm operators, while also keeping farms viable and employees housed and earning wages. Unfortunately, the rules adopted by OR-OSHA in May 2020, and extended through Executive Order 20-58, fail to strike this important balance, and have caused substantial harm to both farmworkers and the farm families who employ them.
In OFB’s 31-page Petition, agricultural employers propose administrative rules related to physical distancing, masks, face shields and face coverings, sanitation, ventilation, signage, training, notification, reporting, and mandatory COVID-19 response plans. The proposed rules would remedy past deficiencies by allowing for more safe housing options, protecting employee autonomy, and providing a necessary contingency plan for employers if there is an outbreak on farm. As proposed, the rules would come into effect immediately, and would sunset upon the end of the emergency declaration or at the end of 2021, whichever comes first.
“Because our concerns with the current rules have continually fallen upon deaf ears, filing a formal Petition is the only way to ensure that agricultural housing providers have a seat at the table when determining how best to manage their housing and protect their employees during COVID-19. We hope this Petition shows the state and the public what we already know to be true — Oregon’s farm and ranch families will walk the walk when it comes to protecting the wellbeing of those who work and live on the farm,” said Samantha Bayer, OFB Policy Counsel.
“OFB looks forward to working with the state in the adoption of these rules, and hopes OR-OSHA will initiate a formal rulemaking based upon this Petition as soon as possible to protect farmworkers and operators,” said Bayer.
Oregonians Fighting for Freedom
There is no logical or scientific reason Oregon small businesses cannot be open for business, especially as many have bent over backwards to comply to infectious disease cleaning and spacing guidelines. If the big box stores and airlines can be open so can Main Street businesses.
Senator Dennis Linthicum (R-Klamath Falls) said it best: “Oregonians’ constitutional rights are under attack with the never-ending statewide lockdowns that cause significant destruction. Governor Kate Brown and her bureaucratic demolition crew continue to ladle cash and benefits to their own, while penalizing small business owners, especially those in the food service industry. Oregonians across all economic classes are being horrifically harmed by the governor’s crafty, pernicious, and unconstitutional mandates.”
Despite horrific struggles in 2020, many of these struggling businesses will see a tax hike in 2021.
In Oregon, some main street businesses across the state are and have reopened safely, despite over 18,000 Oregonians filing tattletale complaints with OR-OSHA. OHSA is investigating a café in Florence and a restaurant in Klamath Falls has been fined $8,900.
A grassroots movement is empowering small businesses to disobey the arbitrary COVID-19 orders and reopen their doors for business. “Every business is essential because every business employs people who rely on their jobs to feed their families.”
Oregon businesses and leaders have asked Governor Kate Brown for data to point out why she and her bureaucratic agencies have arbitrarily shutdown restaurants and gyms. No such data has been provided. But big box stores have been deemed “essential” by arbitrary rules. 2020 was the year shopping changed forever.
From Sen. Linthicum: “Oregon’s bloated bureaucracy has sanctioned a devastating transfer of wealth from small businesses on main street to big corporate interests via arbitrary, capricious and unscientific lockdowns… Democrats are usually critical of corporate America and quick to tax and over-regulate businesses at every turn. Yet, now they are eerily quiet when massive transfers of wealth are benefiting Wall-Street big-shots, while devastating small businesses, middle-class entrepreneurs and lower-income working people.”
The prioritization of big box stores has destroyed main street businesses that once made up the fabric of American society. According to a survey by NFIB (or anyone paying attention – just look out your window as you drive through town), small businesses cannot last much longer.
15 signs you are in an abusive relationship with the government. YOU CAN BREAK THE CYCLE. Support local. Support the Oregonians who are standing up to government tyranny.
“Equity” will lead to preventable deaths in Oregon says OHA
Vaccines should be given and taken by choice. Equal protection under the Constitution is still the right of every Oregonian.
- As California has been deemed the nation’s “epicenter” of the COVID-19 pandemic (despite having the strictest lockdowns), several frontline essential workers prioritized in state and county vaccination plans have declined to take the shot.
Oregon is ranked #41 in the nation for its slow vaccine rollout. Governor Brown and the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) like to blame the federal government for not telling the state how many vaccines it will receive. But if Governor Brown and OHA have an issue with how many vaccines the state is allocated, that needs to be taken up with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). From the Operation Warp Speed website: “The CDC recommends the initial phase of the COVID-19 vaccination program be offered to healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities. Governors and jurisdictions will ultimately decide who will receive the vaccines.”
Operation Warp Speed, led by the federal government, has the goal to produce and deliver 300 million doses of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines with the initial doses available by January 2021.
Oregon could ask for some of the millions of vaccines that are sitting unused in cold storage. Americans should also be pushing for half-doses of the vaccine. Here’s the NYT: “In the trials, people between the ages of 18 and 55 who received two half-doses produced an ‘identical immune response to the 100-microgram dose,’ Dr. Slaoui said.” Dr. Slaoui’s thoughts are evidently the “wrong” science as the FDA has said it “risks public health” to halve the doses to vaccinate more Americans more quickly.
ROSEBURG, Ore., (January 6, 2021)—Deer Creek Village, an affordable multifamily development offering a preference for veterans, is nearing completion in April 2021 and NeighborWorks Umpqua will begin taking applications on January 15, 2021.
Located at 2843 NE Douglas Avenue, this project began in 2019 as an $18M investment to address Roseburg’s housing needs. The units and property set a new standard of affordable living as they are well-designed by Studio C Architecture, energy-efficient, and feature modern amenities. Deer Creek Village features a mix of studio, one and two-bedroom units. It will provide housing to veterans, individuals, and small families making less than 60% of the Area Median Income, or about $33,000 per year. Rents range from $305 to $795, depending on unit size and household income. Umpqua Community Property Management will manage the property.
“Vacancy rates in Roseburg are still really low, and affordable, quality housing is hard to come by. Deer Creek Village is informed by the principles of inclusionary housing, seeking to provide affordable housing to a wide range of people of diverse backgrounds, which includes veterans, seniors, homeless or those who experience a disability,” says NeighborWorks Umpqua Director of Acquisitions and Development, Brian Shelton-Kelley.
As nearly 30% of Roseburg residents are severely rent-burdened, affordable housing is desperately needed. Deer Creek Village is NeighborWorks Umpqua’s first significant affordable housing development in Roseburg since 2013.
This development was made possible by U.S. Bank, Oregon Housing and Community Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Oregon Community Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners, Roseburg Urban Renewal Agency, and Rose and Robert Rothstein.
Rental applications for Deer Creek Village will be available on January 15 on the website: nwumpqua.org/deer-creek or available outside the NeighborWorks Umpqua building at 605 SE Kane St., Roseburg.