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, April 12, 2021
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Sunny, with a high near 63. North northwest wind 6 to 9 mph. Overnight, clear with a low around 30.
Tuesday Sunny, with a high near 57. Gusty winds at times to 23 mph.
Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 59.
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 63.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 69.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 73.
Today’s Headlines
A special event will allow qualifying Klamath Falls residents 16 and 17 years old to get their first-dose COVID-19 vaccinations. Appointments are required for the vaccination clinic, which will operate 3-8 p.m. tomorrow, on the fourth floor of Sky Lakes, in the original medical center.
Currently, qualifying underlying health conditions include Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, people with a BMI of 25 or greater, current and former smokers, people with substance use disorders, cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, Down syndrome, heart conditions, pregnancy, sickle cell disease, and people who are immunocompromised from organ transplant or HIV. Individuals also qualify if they live in the home of a frontline worker or in a household with three generations or more.
Appointments can be made by calling 1-833-606-4370weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. No walk-in slots or on-site appointments are available. Sky Lakes recently received confirmation that there will be an ample supply of the Pfizer vaccine, which is the only vaccine currently approved for the younger age group.
Meanwhile Sky Lakes Medical Center has a message for Klamath County adults: Help bring an end to the pandemic by getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
Appointments are now available for all Klamath County adults at three Sky Lakes vaccination clinics later this month. Shots will be given to people 18 and older on April 22 and April 23 at the Sky Lakes Vaccination Clinic on the fourth floor of the original medical center. Sky Lakes Collaborative Health Center on the medical center campus will be the site of an April 24 vaccination clinic also for those 18 and older.
The Oregon Health Authority will remove vaccination qualifying conditions beginning April 19. You can be assured of a dose and minimum wait times by making a COVID-19 vaccination appointment. Call 1-833-606-4370weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. to schedule your appointment. No walk-in slots or on-site appointments are available.
On Saturday the Oregon Health Authority reported its largest amount of new daily cases of coronavirus since February 5, with 761 new cases of the virus.
The last time that Oregon experienced more than 700 cases of the virus was more than two months ago, when health officials reported 846 new and presumptive cases of the virus. Over the last few weeks, Oregon has experienced a rise in new coronavirus cases, as more and more variants of the virus continue to be discovered throughout the country and the state.
Recently the Oregon Health Authority stated that it has identified 168 ‘Breakthrough’ cases of Covid-19, meaning that someone still got infected with the virus after 14 days or more of being fully vaccinated. That’s a very small percentage of the more than 700 thousand Oregonians who are fully vaccinated. But OHA says this should serve as a reminder that even though you can be fully vaccinated, no vaccine is 100 percent effective.
27 cases have been found in Region Two which includes Lane, Douglas, Curry and Coos Counties. Most of these people that caught the virus were a-symptomatic, but three people have died. OHA says that those three deaths represent 2 percent of the vaccine ‘Breakthrough’ cases. Even though new Covid-19 cases are on the rise, deaths from the virus remain relatively low in Oregon as health officials reported no new deaths on Saturday.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 170,085 Oregonians have been infected with coronavirus while 2,440 deaths have been attributed to the virus in the state of Oregon.
Oregon Tech issued a news release this weekend say that after 16 months of negotiations through a pandemic, Oregon Tech is disappointed that the faculty union has decided to focus on a strike instead of coming to the table with a true intent to reach a reasonable first contract for Oregon Tech faculty.
Oregon Tech believes the parties are making progress toward an agreement and additional negotiation sessions have already been scheduled. If the union were to strike, the University plans to continue providing students with the opportunity to continue their studies and complete their degree as scheduled.
The University’s fiscal health is being continually challenged by the uncertainties of the pandemic. Despite this, currently, the union is proposing a 20% salary increase in the first year and additional incremental increases in the next two years. Oregon Tech currently pays full time nine-month professors on average 11% more than comparable institutions when generous health insurance and retirement benefits are included. Using criteria agreed to by both parties, data presented to the faculty union April 5 demonstrates that current Oregon Tech faculty are already paid equal to or more than faculty at comparable universities.
The unions proposed salary increases would amount to approximately $9 million over the next three years. The unions salary increase proposals are coupled with a reduced commitment to student instruction time of roughly 20%.
Oregon Tech President Dr. Nagi Naganathan said Oregon Tech places emphasis on student instruction, and this has always been a point of pride for faculty and the University.”
Klamath Falls Streets Division crews will be busy this week performing work during the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Asphalt Crews will be performing utility cut paving today on Lynnewood Blvd., Pelican City and Harbor View, tomorrow at the Ross Ragland, American Legion, Ella Redkey Pool, and Hillside Avenue, Wednesday on South 8th and Klamath Ave and Thursday Broad St., Market St., Applegate Ave., Commercial St., and Washburn Way between White Ave. and Radcliffe Ave. Detours and signage will be in place where needed.
Around the state of Oregon
Saturday Medford Fire and Medford Police personnel responded to a report of a fire in the 2100 block of Kings Highway. Upon arrival, responders found a small, older RV on the property fully engulfed. Once the fire was contained, a body was discovered inside. Police and fire personnel are working to determine the cause of the fire. The initial investigation does not indicate signs of foul play. The decedent’s identity is not being released pending confirmation.
Grange Co-op will be giving away a total of 1,500 tree saplings in celebration of Arbor Day. The event will take place tomorrow at 11 a.m. and will last while supplies are available. Limit one tree per household. Arbor Day is a day designated to celebrating nature, and in doing so, individuals are encouraged to spend time outside planting trees. Grange Co-op has been giving away tree saplings in honor of Arbor Day since 2014. To receive a free tree sapling, visit the Arbor Day display at the Grange Co-op store. This year Grange Co-op is offering a variety of seedlings including Red Maple, Japanese Maple, Eastern Redbud, Maidenhair tree, Heartleaf Hornbeam and Korean Dogwood.
The Oregon Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the Legislature will have until Sept. 27 to complete the redistricting process, giving lawmakers more time to draw political boundaries following a delay in crucial census data.
The unanimous decision by the justices will give legislative leaders nearly three extra months to do their work. Redistricting, the process where lawmakers redraw legislative and congressional districts, occurs every 10 years following the census. Districts must be equal in population to each other. Although there’s a set number of state legislative districts, due to Oregon’s population growth in the last decade it is likely that the state will receive an additional seat in the United States House of Representatives.
This means that the number of congressional districts would increase from five to six. Earlier this year the U.S. Census Bureau announced that data may not be delivered until Sept. 30. Under the Oregon Constitution and state laws, the deadline to redraw districts is July 1.
This prompted Oregon’s Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, and House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland to file a petition with the state Supreme Court, asking for a redistricting extension until the end of the year.