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, February 10, 2021
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Mostly sunny, with a high near 50. Overnight, cloudy with a low around 32.
Thursday Rain and snow likely after 10am, becoming all rain after 1pm. Snow level rising to 5300 feet in the afternoon. Cloudy, with a high near 46.
Friday A 20% chance of snow before 10am. Snow level rising to 4600 feet in the afternoon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. West southwest wind 9 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Rain mixed with snow overnight. Snow level 4700 feet. Low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Saturday Rain and snow before 1pm, then rain likely between 1pm and 4pm, then a chance of rain and snow after 4pm. Snow level 4500 feet. High near 43. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Sunday A slight chance of snow after 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 42.
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
Governor Kate Brown’s office announced that 12 Oregon counties, including Klamath, have improved in COVID-19 risk level. On February 12, the county will move from an “extreme risk” to a “high risk” designation, allowing some businesses to increase activities. The Oregon Health Authority has reported some of the lowest new daily COVID-19 cases in the state in months, and Klamath County’s 7-day average of new cases plummeted from 41 at the beginning of December to 5 at the beginning of February. The county’s weekly case load per 100,000 and its test positivity rate, both metrics used by the state to determine risk level, had also been steadily dropping for weeks. For the last two weeks, the county reported below 200 cases per 100,000 and a test positivity rate below 8%, the threshold between “Extreme” and “High” risk.
Klamath County Public Health officials reported six new cases of COVID-19, on Tuesday and another death. The local case count is 2,695. Deaths now number 53. This week’s total is 15. The reporting week runs from Sunday through Saturday. The deceased was an 89-year-old man who died January 29 at Sky Lakes Medical Center. He had underlying health conditions.
Oregon reports 529 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 7 new deaths
There are seven new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,031, the Oregon Health Authority reported this morning. OHA also reported 529 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 147,932.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (4), Benton (20), Clackamas (65), Clatsop (2), Columbia (3), Coos (9), Crook (1), Curry (3), Deschutes (5), Douglas (16), Grant (1), Harney (18), Hood River (10), Jackson (19), Jefferson (5), Josephine (20), Klamath (6), Lake (13), Lane (39), Lincoln (1), Linn (9), Malheur (1), Marion (54), Morrow (3), Multnomah (78), Polk (19), Tillamook (1), Umatilla (29), Union (5), Wallowa (9), Wasco (7), Washington (40) and Yamhill (11).
Dr. Mychal Amos, chair of the Klamath Falls City Schools Board of Education has announced that two finalists have been named in their search for a superintendent. Following two days of interviews the first week of February, the board narrowed the field down to two finalists; Jeff Bullock, Curriculum Director of the KCSD and Keith Brown, retired Superintendent of Taylor Independent School District in Taylor Texas (as of 2/1/2021) and President of KB Consulting, a private firm specializing in primary/secondary education, school district operations, as well as school law and finance.
Mr. Bullock and Mr. Brown will meet in person with district staff, community leaders, and others February 17th and 18th. Members of the community are invited to meet both candidates during two virtual public forums on February 18th at 5:30 P:M and 7:00 PM (to join the meeting you will find the link on the front page of the school website at www.kfalls.k12.or.us). On February 19th both candidates will participate in second-round interviews with the Board of Education. The announcement of the new superintendent will be made on March 8, 2021 at the regular meeting of the Board of Education.
A Klamath Falls man has pleaded guilty to sending cards to former coworkers containing a white powdered pesticide threatened to be anthrax, prosecutors said. Kelly Michael Burns, 71, pleaded guilty Monday to eight counts of mailing threatening communications, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. In December 2019, Burns mailed four Christmas cards, postmarked in Medford, to former coworkers containing a white powder pesticide later identified as carbaryl, a known pesticide toxic to humans, court documents said. The cards were addressed to the victims’ workplace and contained violent threats. Three people including a pregnant woman at Burns’ former workplace were exposed to the carbaryl, had to go through a decontamination process, and were given a high-dose antibiotic, authorities said. The company was evacuated and closed for decontamination. Sentencing is set for May.
The Klamath Basin’s snowpack forecast isn’t looking so hot this month, but it’s still too early to tell whether water year 2021’s luck will change. The Natural Resources Conservation Service released its February outlook report last week, reporting below average precipitation and snowpack in river basins across Oregon. Though January did bring several winter storms to the region, warmer-than-normal temperatures caused them to dump more rain than snow on mountains, melting some of the powder that had already accumulated in some areas of the state. As of February 1, snowpack in the Klamath Basin was at around 70% of normal levels, compared to last month’s NRCS report that showed it at 87% of normal. This time last year, snowpack was at 85% of normal. January precipitation was just 68% of average, compared to 152% of average last year. Crater Lake National Park Headquarters snow course, which has the highest median of any snowpack measurement site in the basin, gained 9 inches of snow depth since the beginning of January, when it was at 119% of the median. But its snow-water equivalent (the amount of water contained in the snowpack) of 30.2 inches was lower than this time last year, when it was 32.2 inches. That’s 82% of normal.
Around the state of Oregon
Some Oregon Pharmacies Begin Scheduling Vaccine Appointments This Week
Select Oregon pharmacies will begin receiving COVID-19 vaccines through a new federal distribution program this week, with the state’s doses going to Costco, Health Mart, Safeway and Albertsons during the program’s initial phase.
Already, though, there is uncertainty over just when the retail pharmacies will receive their vaccines, start scheduling appointments and begin vaccinating eligible Oregonians. The confusion mirrors the broader questions affecting the vaccine rollout.
White House officials announced last week that approximately 1 million vaccine doses would be shipped directly to 6,500 pharmacies across the country this week in the first phase of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, with the possibility that vaccinations could begin as soon as Thursday.
Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen said that just over 130 pharmacies across the state would receive a combined 13,000 doses this week, with about 100 doses going to each participating pharmacy.
However, Trushar Patel, a pharmacist and owner of three Health Mart pharmacies in Tillamook, Gold Beach and Salem, said he was still awaiting clarification from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about whether the doses would show up Thursday or Friday.
He said the three pharmacies will wait until Monday to begin vaccinations to ensure they have the doses in hand. He said the appointments will be scheduled out over the course of next week.
Kristen Breland, a spokesman for Health Mart, said Tuesday that the company hoped to launch its online scheduler Wednesday. Patel encouraged individuals without internet access to seek help from friends and family so that pharmacies can avoid a flood of calls, but encouraged those who couldn’t access the internet to call their Health Mart pharmacy directly.
Approximately nine Health Mart locations across the state are expected to receive vaccines this week, but Breland said the company needed confirmation from the federal government before it could announce the locations receiving doses.
During this early stage of the vaccine rollout, Oregon is limiting vaccines to health care workers, people living in nursing homes and other congregate care settings, teachers and — beginning this week — people ages 80 and over. Oregonians over 75 will become eligible to receive vaccines on Feb. 15.
Most people up to now have received their vaccines at clinics, senior living facilities or special vaccination sites like the Oregon Convention Center. The Biden administration hopes its retail pharmacy program will ultimately make vaccines accessible to more Americans.
The vast majority of the vaccine doses that Oregon is receiving through the program this week will go to Safeway and Albertsons pharmacies across the state. The two grocery chains share common ownership and operate in tandem.
Company spokesman Jill McGinnis said they anticipate approximately 11,500 doses to be shipped to 115 Albertsons and Safeway pharmacies in Oregon.
All but four of the company’s Oregon pharmacies are expected to receive doses. The Albertsons locations in Hillsboro and Bend, the Safeway in St. Helens and the company’s stand alone pharmacy in Myrtle Creek will not receive doses.
Eligible Oregonians will be able to sign up for appointments online through Albertsons and Safeway sometime later this week by visiting www.albertsons.com/COVID-19 and www.safeway.com/COVID-19. McGinnis did not yet know when appointment slots would open. She said that Oregonians who don’t have access to the internet can call their pharmacies directly to try to schedule appointments.
“The online scheduler will open in conjunction with our receiving of the doses,” McGinnis said. “It is not open currently. We ask that the public continue to check over the course of the week and appreciate their patience.”
Vaccine doses will also be going to 13 Costco locations statewide, according to the company’s website. Those stores are in Albany, Aloha, Bend, Central Point, Clackamas, Eugene, Hillsboro, Portland, Roseburg, Salem, Tigard, Warrenton and Wilsonville.
Individuals will be able to sign up for appointments by visiting https://www.costco.com/covid-vaccine.html. Appointments were not yet available Tuesday and a Costco spokesman would not answer questions about the company’s participation in the vaccine program.
Only Oregonians currently eligible to receive vaccines under state guidelines will be able to sign up for appointments through the participating pharmacies.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that vaccines be provided to broader groups of people if doses are in danger of being wasted, but that is unlikely to happen given the limited supply arriving at Oregon pharmacies this week.
Elderly Oregonians faced major obstacles trying to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations Monday when vaccines became available to those 80 years old and older. Some reported problems with online sign-up systems as metro-area appointments filled up in just two and a half hours.
Patel, the Health Mart pharmacist, said his Tillamook pharmacy is working directly with the county to ensure it can accommodate vulnerable individuals who are already on the county’s waitlist for COVID-19 vaccines. However, appointments at his other pharmacies and a certain percentage of appointments at the Tillamook pharmacy will still be made available to eligible Oregonians online.
But he expects there will be high demand for the limited number of vaccines available. Patel said they are prepared to answer questions and help customers sign up for appointments, but said there could be hiccups along the way as they get the program running.
The pharmacies also haven’t been told how many vaccines they should expect in subsequent weeks, Patel said. That has made it difficult for them to plan ahead. He said they will tentatively schedule customers who receive their first doses next week for second doses under the assumption that their vaccine allotment will go up over time, but may have to move second appointments around if they receive fewer doses than anticipated moving forward.
While Oregon pharmacies will receive only a limited number of doses this week, Jeff Zients, the White House’s COVID-19 response coordinator, told reporters last week that the program could be scaled up over time, with doses eventually being shipped to roughly 40,000 pharmacies nationwide.
Patel said he is hopeful that pharmacies will ultimately play an important role in the nation’s vaccine effort.
“Even though we’re a small piece of the puzzle,” Patel said, “we’re glad we’re able to do something for the community and can make a difference.”
Southern Oregon Lawmaker Introduces Bill That Would Bar Governor Brown from Shutting Down Businesses During Pandemic
A state lawmaker representing part of southern Oregon has introduced a bill designed to limit Governor Kate Brown’s power to shut down businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Representative David Brock Smith’s district covers parts of Curry, Coos, Douglas, and Josephine counties. House Bill 3177, the “Covid Business Equity Act,” would explicitly limit the Governor’s power to impose restrictions on restaurants, bars, gyms, and other fitness establishments — unless those restrictions apply to all businesses broadly.
Rep. Brock Smith highlighted the job losses in the hospitality sector as the major impetus for the bill.
“These business owners, their hardworking employees and their families have faced extreme hardships with devastating delays in business relief, unemployment insurance payments, with little to no income and no relief in sight,” Brock Smith said in a statement. “Many of these restaurants and hospitality industry businesses will close their doors forever, taking these jobs with them. Further, the majority of these impacted Oregonians are the most vulnerable working families across our state.”
In Oregon counties at the higher end of the state’s risk level guidance, restaurants and gyms face significant restrictions on indoor activities. For restaurants and bars, this means no indoor service in “Extreme Risk” counties.
HB 3177 carves out space for the Governor to continue requiring masking, physical distancing, physical barriers, and other restrictions that are “generally applicable to all types of businesses.” However, it would prevent Governor Brown from establishing restrictions on these sectors that don’t apply across all sectors.
Though restaurants and gyms have certainly seen the toughest restrictions of any businesses in the state, the guidance produced by Governor Brown’s office and the Oregon Health Authority includes tailored rules for a number of sectors, both private and public. As a result, it’s unclear how Brock Smith’s bill — if passed — would interact with a complex system of restrictions that doesn’t neatly break down into eating establishments, fitness centers, and everything else.
“Us legislators have been telling our constituents that while not in session, we have no authority to intervene on the Governor’s Executive Orders related to the Covid-19 emergency, subsequent mandates and their closures. We have now begun the ’21 Legislative Session and it is past time for the legislative branch to assert our responsibility; and I would argue the obligation, in guiding policy and lead in this work for the residents that put us here to do so,” said Brock Smith.
The lawmaker urged people to email their legislators in support of the bill. HB 3177 is currently on the House Speaker’s desk, awaiting referral.
Arson in Grants Pass
On February 8th, 2021 at approximately 2116 hours, the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety received numerous 911 calls from the 1200 block of NE Grable Drive. Callers reported vehicles being set on fire by a male suspect with a gas can. GPDPS Police and Fire/Rescue units were immediately dispatched to the area.
The male suspect reportedly fled the area on foot shattering windows of other vehicles as he ran. Additional callers reported their car tires had been slashed while parked in the area of NE 12th Street and NE Meier Drive.
As Police units were arriving into the area, they observed citizens chasing the male suspect near the corner of NE D Street and NE Beacon Drive. The male suspect was placed in custody without further incident.
The suspect was identified as 36-year-old, Grant Brannaman who has a listed Portland Oregon address. Grants Pass Fire/Rescue arrived and assisted with the fire clean-up as the fire had been extinguished prior to their arrival. One vehicle sustained heavy damage from being lit on fire. Brannaman was later lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the charges below.
1. Arson in the Second Degree
2. Criminal Mischief in the First-Degree x 2
3. Criminal Mischief in the Second-Degree x 3
4. Felon in Possession of a Restricted Weapon
5. Disorderly Conduct
It is possible there are other victims of this incident. If you are a victim, or have further information please call the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety at (541)-450-6260 and reference Case # 2021-6043. We would also like to the thank the alert citizens who assisted in apprehending the suspect. Grants Pass Dept. of Public Safety
UPDATE: Grand Jury Indictment of Jay Reese, Grants Pass
Following Jay Reese’s arrest on February 2, 2021, a search warrant was granted and served on Reese’s cell phone. Two images were located consistent with child sexual exploitation. One image depicted a toddler-aged female and one depicted a prepubescent female; both images included an unknown adult male subject engaged in sexual conduct. Based upon this evidence, Reese was lodged on the addtional charges of Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse I (two counts) on February 3, 2021.
On February 9, 2021, this case was presented to the Josephine County Grand Jury. Reese was indicted on the following charges:
- Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree (three counts)
- Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the First Degree (two counts)
This case remains under investigation and anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety at 541-450-6260.
DATA DENIALS – When someone applies for disaster assistance through FEMA, the agency feeds their information through a third-party service, according to FEMA’s employee manuals.
If someone’s information doesn’t match up with that service’s database, it spits out a denial. People often receive eligibility determinations within hours of submitting their applications.
FEMA’s automated data verification can be problematic for people with unconventional living conditions. If someone was informally living out of a garage or a spare bedroom — or living in a mobile home with a title that never formally transferred to their name — they’re more likely to get denied assistance. If they have a Spanish name that is sometimes Anglicized or misspelled — or they have two last names that are sometimes hyphenated, sometimes not — they’re also more likely to be denied. It could get particularly tricky if a family includes undocumented parents with a child who is a U.S. Citizen.
If there are multiple households living on a property — like roommates sharing a home, or multiple families in different buildings with the same address — only one of them could apply for assistance. If the same address gets multiple applications for assistance, they’re more likely to be denied.
These factors tend to leave out historically marginalized people with low incomes, says Sarah Saadian of the Low Income Housing Coalition.
“These programs are not designed to serve people with the greatest needs,” Saadian says. “And so, it’s unsurprising that we keep seeing these outcomes over and over again.”
The most common reason people are denied assistance in their initial applications is because of a clerical error or a missing document, according to FEMA spokesperson Jassiel Olivero Melo. She wouldn’t say if the agency was working on improving its disaster assistance applications to alleviate this common mistake.
“If the agency finds that there may be something in the application process that is causing applicants to fall short or needs some [interpretation], I am very sure the agency will improve it, if that’s the particular case,” Melo says.
CHALLENGES WITH MOBILE HOMES – Jackson County officials say two-thirds of the homes destroyed by the Almeda Fire were manufactured homes. Like Meunier, mobile homeowners face a number of challenges in applying for disaster assistance. They need to provide months-long proof that they paid space rent, a copy of their lease agreement, and a title to their home, which isn’t always available because of the generally informal process of buying a mobile home.
“For people who are living in mobile homes, they may not have those title documents,” Sarah topSaadian says. “Even if your state may require you to register it, it just doesn’t happen like that. Sometimes the park owner might have it. Sometimes it’s never delivered when the home is delivered.”
Saadian and the Low Income Housing Coalition are encouraging FEMA and Congress to enact legislation that allows mobile homeowners to self-certify homeownership in lieu of title documents, a process that had been allowed after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico. FEMA only allows self-attestation in U.S. territories, not in the states.
Mobile home parks have historically been located in areas that are susceptible to natural disasters, including wildfires and hurricanes.
“They’re in areas where wildfires occur and where flooding can occur because they’re tucked away,” says attorney Ilene Jacobs with the California Rural Legal Assistance. “Some of them are quite substandard and are in areas adjacent to a highway.”
The Almeda Fire burned through the Bear Creek Greenway, a riparian area and bike path running along the Interstate 5 freeway. Several manufactured home parks abutted the greenway and freeway before the fire raged through those properties.
Jacobs has spent years working closely with disaster assistance groups and legal-aid clients. She says every time there’s a disaster, the same patterns arise: high rates of denial, low rates of appeals, and large numbers of low-income families falling through the cracks.
“These are lessons that we should have learned a long time ago and not learn every time there’s a disaster,” Jacobs says.
Federal Authorities Uphold Oregon Denial of Permit For Jordan Cove LNG Terminal
Federal authorities on Monday affirmed the state of Oregon’s finding that a proposed major West Coast liquified natural gas pipeline and export terminal is not consistent with its coastal zone management plans.
Jordan Cove’s Canadian backers, Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corp., had appealed the state’s finding to the U.S. Commerce Department. The company hoped the Trump Administration would override the state’s federally delegated authority to determine if projects are consistent with the Coastal Zone Management Act, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declined, saying the company had failed to show that the project is consistent with the law. Pembina didn’t immediately respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.
It’s the latest hurdle the $10 billion terminal and pipeline project have encountered. On Jan. 19, federal regulators upheld the state’s earlier decision against granting the project a clean water certification. The state has also denied a necessary dredging permit for the project. Without those approvals, the project, which has been in the works for over 15 years, cannot move forward.
Jordan Cove would be the first such LNG overseas export terminal in the lower 48 states. The proposed 230-mile (370-kilometer) feeder pipeline would begin in Malin, in southwest Oregon, and end at the city of Coos Bay on the rural Oregon coast.
Project opponents cheered Monday’s decision.
“Pembina’s last-ditch effort to override Oregon’s authority to stop Jordan Cove LNG has failed,” Allie Rosenbluth, campaigns director at Rogue Climate, said in an emailed statement.
Pembina could reapply to the state for both its clean water and coastal zone certifications, although it’s not clear it would get different outcomes.
Deputies Search for Missing Oregon Woman Near Hagg Lake
Authorities are asking for the public’s help in finding a 38-year-old woman who could possibly be in danger.
Tara Callahan was reported missing late Friday night. She’s described as about 5-foot 5-inches tall, weighing 150 pounds, with brown hair and green eyes.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were called out to her Aloha apartment complex at about 11:30 p.m. on reports she might be a danger to herself. The person who called said Callahan was heading to Henry Hagg Lake to possibly drown herself, the sheriff’s office said.
The sheriff’s office found her car at Boat Ramp C, but they were unable to find her. A search team worked through the weekend to find her, scouring the woods and shoreline around the lake.
A Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office dive team also searched the waters nearby, but couldn’t find her.
Authorities are asking anyone with helpful information to give them a call. This case remains under investigation and the search is continuing. If anyone has any information regarding the location of Ms. Callahan, please call non-emergency dispatch at 503-629-0111.
On Wednesday morning at about 1:30 A.M., the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety received multiple 911 calls of a domestic disturbance in the 1100 block of SW G Street.
It was reported a male and female were arguing, and subjects were running back and forth from a vehicle to a residence. As police units were responding, 911 callers reported hearing gun shots, and seeing a dark colored SUV leave the scene at a high rate of speed.
When police arrived, a perimeter was established around the residence. Police contacted the occupants of the apartment and requested they exit. Two females were initially detained until police could ensure nobody was injured inside, and there was no immediate danger to the public. Police collected evidence outside that confirmed gun shots had been fired.
Through the investigation that followed, one of the females at the apartment was determined to have been the victim of domestic menacing with a firearm. The suspect, who was known to the victim, was located by police near his home in the 200 block of SW High St.
The suspect was taken into custody and identified as 18-year-old Braeden Laahs. The ensuing investigation revealed a firearm and other related items that were seized for evidentiary purposes. Laahs was later lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the following charges.
1. Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Firearm)
2. Felon in Possession of a Firearm
3. Domestic Menacing
4. Pointing a Firearm at Another
5. Disorderly Conduct
Upon completion of the investigation, further charges may follow. If anyone has information related to this incident, we ask that you please call the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety at (541) 450-6260 and reference Case # 2021-6275.
The Oregon Lottery’s Scoreboard sports betting game had three-and-a-half-million dollars placed on the Super Bowl. There were 150-thousand wagers with the average bet of 23-dollars. A total of 35-hundred people bet on the coin toss and four-thousand wagers were made on what color Gatorade would be poured on the winning coach. The game generated 700-thousand dollars for the Oregon Lottery.
A Monday night earthquake was felt in the Portland, Oregon, area. The United States Geological Survey reports a magnitude 4.0 quake occurred about 9:34 p.m. just southeast of Parkdale, Oregon. The epicenter was about 21 miles (33 kilometers) west southwest of The Dalles. The PacNW Seismic Network reported the quake was felt in both Portland and Vancouver, Washington. There were no reports of damage.
Kroger, the grocery chain that owns QFC and Fred Meyer, said Friday it will offer employees a one-time $100 payment after they receive the coronavirus vaccine.
Employees who cannot get the vaccine for medical or religious reasons can take an “educational health and safety course” to get the bonus, the company said. The payment is meant to encourage workers to get vaccinated and “recognize our associates’ contributions,” Kroger executive Tim Massa said in a statement Friday.
The federal government says employers can mandate the vaccine, though for now most companies say they are not yet planning to require it. Kroger workers who “receive the full manufacturer-recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine” will be eligible for the $100, the company said.
Officers with the California Highway Patrol stopped an Oregon man for reckless driving on Friday — finding handguns, drugs, and an explosive device in the vehicle, the agency said.
On Friday night, a CHP officer responded to reports of a reckless driver on I-5 near Yreka. The officer found the driver in question on I-5 southbound north of Yreka and pulled him over for “speeding and other vehicle code violations.”
CHP said that officers developed probable cause to search the vehicle during the stop. A search reportedly uncovered three loaded handguns, two of which had been reported stolen. The officers also found heroin, methamphetamine, and supplies for drug sales. A deputy with the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office responded and took the suspected explosive device for “examination and proper disposal.”
Agents from the North State Major Investigations Team also responded to assist with the investigation. The driver, identified as 29-year-old Chad Curtis Loynachan of Tigard, Oregon, was booked into the Siskiyou County Jail on multiple felony charges.
FATAL CRASH ON HWY 219 – YAMHILL COUNTY
On Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at approximately 6:15 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a two vehicle collision on Hwy 219 near milepost 22.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Nissan Frontier, operated by Alexander Lewis (20) of Aurora, was southbound when it moved into the northbound lane, to pass a tow truck hooking up a trailer on the southbound shoulder, and collided with a northbound Kia operated by Erika Wanmer (22) of Dayton.
Lewis was transported by ambulance to OHSU.
Wanmer sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
Grehan Dutton (27) of Dayton, passenger in Kia, was transported by air ambulance to Legacy Emanuel.
Oregon State Police are charging a man with manslaughter and DUII after a deadly crash in Lincoln County. Troopers say 33-year-old Johnny Widerman of Newport was driving southbound on Highway 101 in his pickup truck Sunday night when he veered into oncoming traffic and collided with a minivan. The crash killed 20-year-old Ruben Vasquez, and seriously injured the driver and two juvenile passengers.
Land Board also directs DSL to explore accepting a 2,700-acre land donation that would help protect a near-extinct trout species, approves other property transactions
SALEM, Ore. – The State Land Board today approved multiple property transactions – including the sale of 20 acres in Redmond to the Oregon Military Department for a new readiness center.
The new center, which would replace an existing 65-year-old armory, would serve as both a training facility for the Oregon National Guard and an essential facility for supporting the community during emergencies.
“When constructed, this new readiness center will be a resilient facility that is more capable of surviving, and being a local and state asset, during an earthquake or other natural disaster,” Stan Hutchinson, OMD director of installations, told the Land Board.
The $1.66 million sale is part of a broader collaboration between the Department of State Lands, OMD, the City of Redmond, Deschutes County, and other partners. The overall 945-acre project includes expansion of the county fairgrounds and creation of new large-lot industrial land that’s expected to attract technology businesses and bring more family-wage jobs to central Oregon.
Other land transactions approved by the Land Board today will:
- Help conserve habitat for the endangered Fender’s Blue butterfly. The Board approved releasing 382 acres of state-owned subsurface mineral rights to surface property owner Oak Basin LLC, to obtain a conservation easement for permanent protection of oak and butterfly habitat in Linn County.
- Enhance the entrance to South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in Charleston. The Board approved the purchase of 1.14 acres adjacent to the existing South Slough Reserve entrance. The purchase will allow for immediate property improvements, like clearing dead vegetation to reduce wildfire risk, and also position the Reserve to submit future grant proposals for entrance upgrades.
- Release 45 acres of state-owned subsurface mineral rights at the former Hillcrest Youth Correctional Facility in Marion County to the surface property owner Watch Hill Capital LLC.
- Create eight acres of new lands in Upper Klamath Lake for the Oregon Department of Transportation’s expansion of Highway 140.
The Land Board also directed DSL to explore a potential donation of 2,700 acres in Malheur County – an acquisition that would help protect the endangered Lahontan cutthroat trout, a species on the brink of extinction.
Western Rivers Conservancy purchased the acres to secure ownership of one of the last remaining Lahontan cutthroat trout isolated strongholds in the Northern Great Basin. Donating the acres – which include rangeland and irrigated meadowland – would ensure public ownership and ongoing access for species restoration projects. Cattle grazing on the donated land could provide significant income for the Common School Fund.
DSL will conduct due diligence on the potential donation and return to the Land Board with a recommendation.
About the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands: The State Land Board consists of Governor Kate Brown, Secretary of State Shemia Fagan and State Treasurer Tobias Read. Established by the Oregon Constitution in 1859, the Land Board oversees the state’s Common School Fund. The Department of State Lands is the Land Board’s administrative agency, managing the lands and resources that help fund Oregon’s public schools and protecting the state’s waterways and wetlands for the many benefits they provide.
Stay safe this Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day: A holiday revered by some, feared by many, known by all. As with any holiday during the pandemic, it’s going to look a bit different this year. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
If you’re going on a date with someone new, keep it outdoors, maintain six feet of distance from one another and wear a mask. This way, you’ll greatly reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to one another. Or, keep it virtual and chat over video.
If you’re going on a date with your significant other, keep others safe by wearing your mask and keeping six feet of distance from people outside of your party.
If you’re looking for things to do:
- Consider having a picnic at a local park. Here’s 51 Easy Picnic Food Ideas to get started.
- Go on a bike ride together (or skate if that’s your thing).
- Check out some hiking in the great Oregon outdoors. Oregon Hikers maintains a comprehensive guide to the best trails available in Oregon.
- Take a stroll through a nearby botanical garden.
- Get a bite to eat at a local restaurant with outdoor seating or pick up take-out. Learn more about What to Expect at Oregon Restaurants During COVID-19.
- Keep it virtual and play a Zoom-friendly game. Here are 11 you can try out right now.
- For general information on going out during the pandemic, visit Travel Oregon’s webpage.
The CDC also has these suggestions:
- Make Valentine cards or decorations and drop them off to loved ones.
- Celebrate with loved ones virtually.
- Prepare a special meal or dessert.