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.
Tueday, February 16, 2021
Klamath Basin Weather
Today A 20% chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 41. West northwest wind 9 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
Wednesday Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. Overnight, snow likely after 4am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Thursday Rain and snow, becoming all rain after 1pm. Snow level rising to 5100 feet in the afternoon. High near 44. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
Friday A slight chance of rain and snow before 7am, then a slight chance of snow between 7am and 1pm, then a chance of rain and snow after 1pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 45.
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
There are zero COVID-19 related deaths reported overnight in Oregon, and the state’s death toll remains at 2,137. Oregon Health Authority reported 184 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of yesterday, bringing the state total to 150,464. Case and electronic laboratory result counts are lower than anticipated today. This is likely related to the winter weather event and hazardous travel conditions.
OHA reports just one new case in Klamath County.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Benton (7), Clackamas (7), Columbia (1), Crook (1), Curry (3), Deschutes (24), Douglas (13), Harney (4), Jackson (6), Jefferson (4), Josephine (4), Klamath (1), Lake (5), Lane (26), Linn (1), Malheur (1), Marion (6), Multnomah (23), Polk (3), Umatilla (3), Union (5), Washington (30), Yamhill (6).
OHA reported that 6,693 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Oregon has now administered a cumulative total of 683,887 first and second doses of COVID-19 vaccines. To date, 885,250 doses of vaccine have been delivered to sites across Oregon. The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 210, which is three fewer than yesterday. There are 53 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is one more than yesterday.
The National weather service says a winter weather advisory is in effect for our general area. The focus is on the Siskiyou Mountains and Southern Oregon Cascades and South Central Oregon Cascades.
The WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT through this afternoon. Snow is expected. Total new snow accumulations of 7 to 14 inches. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph in exposed areas.
Those most likely to see snow are South Central Oregon Cascades to include Highways 62 near Crater Lake…230 and 138 near Diamond Lake…140 at Lake of the Woods…and 58 at Willamette Pass. Drivers can expect slippery road conditions. Gusty winds combining with wet snow at times could bring down tree branches. Snow levels will peak at 5000 to 5500 feet and then lower through Tuesday morning, bottoming out around 2500 feet.
As always, check with tripcheck.com if you have to travel over the passes as you head in or out of the Klamath Basin.
Livestock producers are witnessing the end of an era as Shasta Livestock Auction Yard in Cottonwood, Calif., — a legendary mainstay in the cattle industry for producers in locations throughout several western state held its last sale.
The Peek family, which owns the operation, stated in a press release that the shift away from regular weekly sales is “certainly not the end of Shasta Livestock’s involvement in livestock marketing.” Western Video Market has become a bigger part of the business over the years, offering customers the option of attending and bidding in livestock auctions virtually.
Western Video Market will continue to be based in Cottonwood along with Shasta Livestock’s country and video sales. “Several internal changes are currently being made to improve the services offered in these divisions of our business,” the Peeks shared.
Around the state of Oregon
That winter storm that blanketed the Pacific Northwest with ice and snow is causing lingering problems Monday, with hundreds of thousands of people in Oregon still in the dark after heavy snow and then ice brought down tree branches over the weekend and blocked storm drains in Washington state and Idaho raising concerns about flooding. Portland General Electric’s map of power outages listed 288,922 customers without electricity, most in Clackamas County. At least 4,000 power lines were brought down by ice and tree limbs and multiple transmission lines were severely damaged by the storm that swept through this weekend. Officials in Boise, Idaho, were concerned about thousands of storm drains that could be clogged by snow and ice, causing flooding.
Flooding was also a concern in western Washington as milder Pacific air arrived early Monday, with snow melting, storm drains clogged and rain expected. A car fell from the Glenn L. Jackson Memorial Bridge and into the Columbia River Sunday night, prompting a search effort by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol Unit. The vehicle was discovered but divers had not entered the water to search as of 8:25 p.m., Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Tremaine Clayton said. The vehicle was reportedly traveling south on the span of Interstate 205 that connects Oregon and Washington, according to media reports in the area. Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Brandon Pedro said the marine unit was dispatched to the bridge’s midspan.
The frigid weather and snowfall that blanketed the Portland area led Oregon Department of Transportation officials to urge motorists to stay home Sunday. Agency officials advised motorists to monitor TripCheck before chancing icy roads. Oregon Governor Kate Brown says her emergency declaration will help get resources to the area to speed up the process. On Saturday, the governor declared a state of emergency in nine Oregon counties. She says this will ensure that all necessary state resources are available on the ground the help those impacted the hardest by the snow, ice from the storm and the destruction that resulted.
In Central Oregon, an outbreak of COVID-19 traced to Summit High School students who attended a party a week ago had infected 24 students as of Saturday, and extended the closure of in-person classes at the Bend school through Friday. School principal Michael McDonald said in an email that Deschutes County had confirmed 24 cases of COVID-19 among youth who attend Summit High and were primary or secondary exposures from the party. While Summit had in-person classes Feb. 8 and 9, there was no confirmed spread of the virus at school, he said. However, to prevent the potential spread of the virus, the school will return to distance learning through Friday, with an expected return to in-person classes and activities Feb. 22. That will allow the equivalent of a 10-day quarantine from the last time students were in the school building with academics or activities, McDonald said.
Pacific Power restored service to 18,000 customers in the Portland and Willamette Valley areas
Restoration work continues aided by additional crews coming from sister and neighboring utilities. The company cautions that some outages could extend into Wednesday and Thursday.
Nearly 360 Pacific Power employees and contractors continued to assess and repair damage caused by a series of storms that brought heavy ice and snow to the region.
Joining Pacific Power crews on Tuesday morning are 75 additional personnel from Rocky Mountain Power, MidAmerican Energy and Nevada Energy and other regional utilities.
At times during the past few days upwards of 80,000 customers from across the Willamette Valley up to Portland and along the North Coast experienced service disruption due to the destructive ice storms. As of 7 p.m. today, that total has dropped to 28,000 customers.
“Crews made good progress today given how widespread the damage is,” said Allen Berreth, vice president of operations. “Removing large tree limbs and fixing broken crossarms and replacing poles is our focus as crews work safely and as swiftly as possible to get service back online for customers. We’re grateful for the additional help coming in from other utilities and we will continue to apply every resource we have until all customers have power.”
The company released a new interactive map where customers can view estimated times of restoration in the Willamette Valley by entering an address. The map is available at pacificpower.net/outages-safety/restoration-status.html.
Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797. Text STAT to 722797 to check the status of your outage.
To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions:
- Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088.
- Don’t drive over downed power lines.
- Maintain safe distances from workers. Repair work is being done under our COVID-19 safety protocols. Waves and acknowledgement are welcome, but please allow crews to do their work at an appropriate distance both for operational and COVID-19 safety.
- If there is damage to your service mast or weather head, where the powerline connects to your home or business, you will need to contact a licensed electrician for repairs before service can be restored. Our crews can only work on company-owned equipment.
- Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit.
- If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available.
- Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours.
- Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy.
- If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors.
- If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead, plug essential appliances directly into the generator.
BEWARE OF CARBON MONOXIDE WHEN USING ALTERNATE HEAT SOURCES
Loss of power and freezing temperatures have some Oregonians using alternate heating sources, many of which come with the added risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, toxic gas produced when anything is burned. Gas and oil furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces as well as wood burning and gas stoves are common sources in the home.
The only way to know if you are being exposed to carbon monoxide is by using a detector. Common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Exposure to carbon monoxide can cause loss of consciousness and death. If carbon monoxide poisoning is suspected, seek fresh air and consult a health care professional right away.
If used inappropriately, items that emit heat can produce dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. Follow these important steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
- Use caution with kerosene or gas space heaters; use vented space heaters whenever possible and make sure they are clean and inspected.
- Never use a gas range or oven to heat your home.
- Check exterior exhaust vents to be sure they are clear of snow, ice and fallen debris.
- Do not use charcoal grills or camp stoves indoors.
- Never run a portable generator or any gas-powered engine in a basement, garage or other enclosed
rarea, even if doors and windows are open.
For more information on carbon monoxide safety, visit the Oregon Health Authority website.
Fact sheets on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning after an emergency are available in multiple languages. Visit OHA – Recognizing and preventing carbon monoxide poisoning.
Salem, Oregon — If you’ve had power outages due to the recent ice storms, it’s a good time to think about food safety. Oregon Emergency Management reminds residents that when your food has not been stored at the proper temperature, it can make you sick.
Here are a few tips to help you know how to protect your health and your food.
- A full freezer will hold the temperature for approximately 48 hours (24 hours if it is half full) if the door remains closed. If you have dry or block ice it may help keep your refrigerator as cold as possible if the power is going to be out for long time.
- Digital, dial or instant-read food thermometers and appliance thermometers will help you know if the food is at safe temperatures. Always keep appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer.
- Never taste food to determine its safety! You can’t rely on appearance or odor to determine whether food is safe.
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible to maintain the cold temperature. The refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about 4 hours if it is unopened.
- Use a food thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it. Throw away any food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit (40°F).
- Always keep meat, poultry, fish and eggs refrigerated at or below 40°F and frozen food at or below 0°F. This may be difficult when the power is out.
- Always discard any items in the refrigerator that have come into contact with raw meat juices.
To find more food safety tips, visit https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/HealthyEnvironments/FoodSafety/Pages/tips.aspx or contact your local public health office.
FATAL CRASH – ECOLA STATE PARK RD. – CLATSOP COUNTY
On Monday, February 15, 2021 at approximately 6:04 P.M., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to a single vehicle crash on Ecola State Park Road.
Preliminary investigation revealed a Mazda MZ3, operated by Rony Tomas-Garcia (23) of Seaside, was southbound on Ecola State Park Road when it veered off the road, struck a tree, and came to rest on its top.
A 3 1/2 month old baby girl sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased.
A passenger, Esperanza Martin-Ramirez (20) of Roseburg, was transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital and later transferred to OHSU.
Tomas-Garcia was transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital and released after receiving medical treatment.
He was arrested for Manslaughter, Assault, Reckless Driving and DUII. He was lodged in the Clatsop County Jail.