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, your local health and Medicare agents.
Monday, April 26, 2021
Klamath Basin Weather
Today A slight chance of snow showers before 11am, then a slight chance of rain and snow showers between 11am and 2pm, then a slight chance of rain showers after 2pm. Snow level rising to 4800 feet, with today’s high near 48. Overnight, mostly clear with a low around 27.
Tuesday Areas of morning frost then sunny, with a high near 63. Clear overnight with a low around 33.
Wednesday Possible overnight and early morning frost then sunny, with a high near 73.
Thursday Partly sunny, with a high near 82.
Friday Mostly sunny, with a high near 80.
Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.
Today’s Headlines
Oregon Tech Faculty On Strike Today
The Oregon Tech American Association of University Professors say they have gone on strike effective this morning, after failure to reach agreement in the final negotiation sessions scheduled over the weekend.
In a press release over the weekend, the union said “the strike will not be delayed by senior administration’s recent frivolous petition of the labor board and OT-AAUP will be seeking dismissal of the petition.
After almost 18 months of bargaining a new contract, Oregon Tech on Wednesday filed an unfair labor practices complaint against the faculty union and petitioned the Oregon Employment Relations Board to declare the strike scheduled for Monday unlawful. The university accused the union of bargaining in bad faith and causing unnecessary delays at the bargaining table.
While some tentative agreements were reached in negotiations last week, the parties have continued to negotiate over faculty salary and workload guidelines
There is one new COVID-19 related death in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,485. Oregon Health Authority reported 780 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of yesterday, bringing the state total to 180,700.
The number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 across Oregon is 291, which is four fewer than yesterday. There are 66 COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU) beds, which is no change from yesterday. Oregon’s 2,485th death is a 95-year-old man from Josephine County who tested positive on April 21 and died on April 24 at Asante Three Rivers Medical Center.
Klamath County’s total, according to the OHA, was 37 cases yesterday.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (8), Clackamas (89), Clatsop (1), Columbia (8), Coos (3), Crook (15), Deschutes (85), Douglas (4), Grant (27), Hood River (2), Jackson (15), Jefferson (1), Josephine (10), Klamath (37), Lake (1), Lane (36), Lincoln (6), Linn (31), Malheur (1), Marion (111), Morrow (2), Multnomah (169), Polk (8), Tillamook (2), Union (1), Wasco (3), Washington (81) and Yamhill (21).
In her most serious and stark tone in weeks, Gov. Kate Brown said Friday that she will shut down indoor dining in bars and restaurants in Oregon’s hardest-hit counties as soon as the end of this week if COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations continue to surge.
Brown said despite her best efforts to keep the economy open while holding back on virus-control measures, she will cancel a “warning week” buffer and immediately move what looks like a dozen counties into an “extreme risk” category by Friday if the number of statewide hospitalized patients reaches 300.
This includes Klamath County. Oregon is about to hit that “extreme risk” trigger any day now, with hospitalized patients at 276 Friday.
Oregon’s data cutoff for calculating risk metrics and restrictions is typically Saturday – but Brown will review the latest hospitalization data before announcing any restrictions, with an announcement likely Tuesday.
Two people are dead and others hospitalized after a collision on Spring Lake Road Friday night.
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office deputies, fire & EMS crews from Klamath County Fire District 1, and fire crews from Kingsley Fire, responded to the crash.
The driver and a passenger in one vehicle were pronounced deceased at the scene, and are identified as Jason Carl Anderson and Garrett Carl Anderson.
The driver of the second vehicle was transported to Sky Lakes Medical Center for his injuries and two other passengers in the second vehicle were uninjured. The cause of the crash is still under investigation but speed is believed to be a factor. No further information was available from KCSO.
The Klamath City Police Department released a statement on their Facebook page, Friday afternoon, saying that they have been receiving a number of reports involving scamming.
According to police, in these scam calls, people have been calling local individuals and businesses and have been soliciting money for the Klamath Falls Police Department. Police say that the caller ID also shows as KCP’s department personnel making these phone calls, however police say that this is a scam.
Officers say that if you receive one of these calls to please protect your identity and do not give any credit card information or any other sensitive information.
Klamath Water Users Association filed a motion on Monday to reopen federal court proceedings concerning the Bureau of Reclamation’s Klamath Project operations.
The litigation will not affect the current water year, but it could clarify legal issues surrounding the use of stored water in Upper Klamath Lake and the Bureau’s authority under the Endangered Species Act.
In 2019, the Yurok Tribe sued the Bureau of Reclamation in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Francisco over the agency’s planned operations for the Klamath Project. They argued that the biological opinion the operations were based on contained faulty data and that the Bureau would violate the ESA were it to carry out the plans. The parties to the lawsuit came to an agreement that Reclamation would develop an interim operations plan, effective through Water Year 2022 until the completion of formal ESA consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service, which would stay the litigation.
The court’s stay stipulated that any party may seek to reopen the case if the Bureau deviates from the interim plan.
Colten Wright, from Lost River High School, was awarded a $1,500 college scholarship by the Oregon Wheat Foundation.
Students were evaluated based on academic record, leadership, community service and a submitted essays. Wright will graduate from Lost River and plans to attend Boise State University with a focus on business administration. His parents are Heath and Heather Wright of Wright Family Farms. Colten participated in football, baseball, basketball and is involved in community service clubs and student council, serving as president for two years. He has also held leadership positions in FFA.
A Bonanza woman who was extradited to Kentucky in February 2020 after being involved in a 2016 crash that killed a man, was recently indicted in a by a Kentucky grand jury.
According to the superseding indictment, Megan Felton, 36, of Bonanza, is accused of having driven under the influence of drugs, wrecking her vehicle and causing the death of Roger Wilson, according to the Times Tribune newspaper in Corbin, Kentucky. Megan Felton has also gone by the name Megan Feltner. She was indicted in 2017 for reckless homicide, however officials weren’t able to arrest her until nearly three years later.
The lone measure on the ballot for the May 18 special election, Measure 18-120, asks Klamath County voters to raise the hotel room tax rate from 8% to 11% to fund tourism and county services.
As ballots are prepped to be mailed out to voters, opposition to the tax is coming from two sides. Bruce Hall, the owner of Big Pines RV Park in Crescent, created a website opposing the measure that is signed by dozens of property owners, from Klamath Falls to Gilchrist. Hall said that the increased room fees would outpace the surrounding areas and will drive away customers.
However, Kate Marquez, chair of the group, said she hopes that 30% of funds raised by the tax would be used to fund county tourism services, like the museum or — even better, in her mind — increase the tourism grant program that funds local events that can attract tourists.
Around the state of Oregon
Covid-19 Vaccinations in Oregon
Today, OHA reported that 33,721 new doses of COVID-19 vaccinations were added to the state immunization registry. Of this total, 25,099 doses were administered on April 24 and 8,622 were administered on previous days but were entered into the vaccine registry on April 24.
The 7-day running average is now 34,852 doses per day. Oregon has now administered a total of 1,476,008 first and second doses of Pfizer, 1,229,881 first and second doses of Moderna and 92,058 single doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines.
Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).
To date, 1,731,015 doses of Pfizer, 1,454,400 doses of Moderna and 215,000 doses of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been delivered to sites across Oregon.
OHA Clears Health Care Providers To Resume Johnson & Johnson Vaccinations With Informed Decision-Making In Patient Languages
Oregon health care providers and pharmacies may resume administering the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine if they can ensure patients or their caregivers are informed about the benefits and risks of the vaccine in their primary language.
The Oregon Health Authority issued guidance to health care providers earlier today. Currently, there are approximately 124,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine that have been stored at Oregon vaccination sites, while providers awaited resolution of the recent federal and Western States safety reviews.
On April 13, the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommended a pause on use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following reports of rare and serious blood clots in a small number of people, out of the approximately 7.5 million people who’d been vaccinated at the time.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office is prioritizing cases of property damage and violence during demonstrations in Portland.
District Attorney Mike Schmidt says in a statement that the violence and property destruction witnessed in the city over the last year is “unacceptable” and that it doesn’t align with Portland’s community values. Schmidt says his office is continuing to “prioritize the prosecution of people who are destroying property and committing violence.”
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife would get a 12-percent boost in its budget under a bill that has bipartisan support in Congress.
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would dedicate one-point-three-billion dollars to state fish and wildlife agencies. The money would help implement State Wildlife Action Plans, like the Oregon Conservation Strategy. It would also allocate 97-million dollars to tribal fish and wildlife agencies. Oregon would get 23-million dollars a year under the bill.
Suspects Arrested in Burglary of Hemp Drying Facility in Grants Pass
On 4/25/21 at approximately 0930 hours, Officers from the Grants Pass Department of Public Safety responded to 2152 NE Spalding Avenue for a reported burglary in progress. Victims reported two males had entered the hemp drying facility and were taking items later valued at over $20,000.
When confronted, the suspects drove their vehicle at the victim in an effort to escape with the stolen property. The suspects then exited the vehicle and fled on foot. The passenger of the vehicle was able to escape the building while the driver of the vehicle ran to the other side of the facility and concealed himself under hemp trimmings.
Officers arrived at the scene and locked down the facility. Additional units continued to search the area with the assistance of the Josephine County Sheriff’s Department. Officers at the facility gave numerous commands into the area of the building the suspect was last seen, ordering him to surrender, but he refused to comply. Due to the suspect remaining concealed and not knowing if he possessed a weapon or was lying in wait for officers, a K-9 unit was called to the scene.
Additional commands were given to the concealed suspect who did not respond. After a brief search, the suspect was located and apprehended by K-9 Brock. The suspect was taken into custody and identified as 59-year-old Jeffrey Charles Waegner. Waegner was provided medical treatment prior to being lodged at the Josephine County Jail on the following charges:
- Aggravated Theft 1
- Burglary 2
- Robbery 1
- Reckless Driving
- Interfering with Police
- Resisting Arrest
While Officers were searching for the second suspect, GPDPS received a call from alert citizens at Edgewater Christian Fellowship indicating a subject matching the description of the outstanding male had entered ther facility. Officers contacted the subject at the church who was determined to not be involved.
The second suspect was soon located walking on Foothill Blvd near Lawless Lane and taken into custody. He was identified as 41-year-old Michael James Ellis. Ellis was transported to the Josephine County Jail where he was lodged on a parole violation. Additional charges are being referred to the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office against Ellis.
Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to contact Officer Ken Frownfelter at 541-450-6260 — Grants Pass Dept. of Public Safety
Talent Food Truck Featured in Commercial on the Oscars
If you watched the Oscars Sunday night you might have noticed that a Talent food truck was in the national spotlight. Starring in a national commercial during the Academy Awards program!
The Daddy Ramen Food Truck landed in the commercial after the ad’s director heard about the devastating fire that destroyed the truck as well as the owner’s home.
The Asian cuisine has been providing meals to those in need for years, but the owner lost his home and the food truck in the Almeda Fire. Co-Owner Phoenix Sigalove says the director saw his story and wanted to feature him and his wife in the commercial.
“Starting with losing everything in the fire to being supported so beautifully by our community in the most unexpected ways and the icing on the cake has been to be able to have this incredible opportunity,” said Sigalove.
Sigalove and his wife have since gotten another food truck and will begin serving their Asian cuisine in the next few weeks. Here’s their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/DaddyRamen/
Oregon National Guard Soldiers Mobilized to Support NATO Partners in Poland
The Oregon Army National Guard is deploying approximately 130 Soldiers assigned to Alpha Troop, 1st Squadron, 82nd Cavalry Regiment to Poland to support the European Deterrence Initiative as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
The Soldiers were formally mobilized in a ceremony held on April 25, at the West Albany High School football stadium as family, friends and co-workers were in attendance to send them off prior to their upcoming deployment.
The unit has been deployed in 2009 to Iraq and as part of the 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT) to Afghanistan in 2014. In 2015, 1-82 Cavalry was selected to participate in the West Coast Stryker Brigade Transformation and became part of the 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, Headquarter in Washington State. —Oregon Military Department
Lower Your Risk: Be Part of National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day!
May 1st is National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. The 2020 wildfires burned more than a million acres in Oregon and damaged many homes and communities. This year you can help lower fire risks for your community and home!
The National Fire Protection Association encourages everyone to help with wildfire preparedness and reduce fuels around homes. NFPA offers ways to make your home and community safer ahead of fire season here: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/National-Wildfire-Community-Preparedness-Day
COVID-19 has changed life, but community members got creative for events to reduce wildfire risk. While more people work from home and community dynamics differ, you can still be part of Wildfire Community Preparedness Day.
Oregon communities competed nationally for $500 grants to help with Wildfire Community Preparedness Day prevention projects.
Twenty-four Oregon communities received grants this year. For eight years in a row, State Farm Insurance has funded these grants. Oregon added eight communities to its list of winners this year compared to last year! Nationwide 150 communities will use these awards to reduce wildfire risk and create a safer future!
These 24 Oregon communities received awards:
- Ashland (13 communities)
- Eugene
- Grants Pass
- McKenzie Bridge
- Redmond
- Roseburg
- Sisters
- Springfield
- Sunriver
- White City
- Williams (2 communities)
What the experts say:
“Wildfire can happen anytime, anywhere,” said Oregon Department of Forestry’s Fire Prevention Coordinator Tom Fields. “The more we can do now to protect our homes and communities before fire strikes, will pay dividends in the long run. With the lion’s share of fires caused by people, it is time we take personal responsibility not only for our property, but also for our actions that could ultimately prevent disaster from striking at all.”
In light of last year’s fires and the ongoing drought, Keep Oregon Green, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, and Oregon Department of Forestry are working hard to help people learn about defensible space, an effective way of protecting homes. (Oregon Dept. of Forestry)
Keep Oregon Green President Kristin Babbs said, “We’ve already witnessed wildfire evacuations in April. If a fire accidentally starts on your property, whether by a rekindled debris burn pile or an equipment-sparked fire, it will be unlikely to spread to neighboring houses due to lack of fuel. Defensible space also increases a home’s chances of surviving a wildfire during the heat of summer.”
Office of State Fire Marshal Assistant Chief Deputy Claire McGrew said, “Wildfire safety starts with you and your property. Now is the time to take action to prepare our homes, families, and communities for wildfires by starting on our own property before there is smoke on the horizon.”
Projects for Wildfire Preparedness Day can range from a few hours up to an entire day. These are some examples of what you can do:
• Remove debris and dry leaves within 3 to 5 feet from a home’s foundation and up to 30 feet.
• Keep your roof and gutters free of downed tree limbs, broken branches, and leaves.
• Share wildfire safety information, or order free Firewise materials from the catalog or READY.gov.
• Pool resources to pay for a chipper service or bins to get rid of yard and tree debris.
• Make a map of the community and mark where elderly neighbors and people with animals live and assign helpers to assist these people during an emergency.
Keep Oregon Green is a 501 (c)3 non-profit that promotes programs and messages encouraging the public to work together in their communities to prevent the risk of wildfire. KOG’s work targets residents, particularly those in the wildland-urban interface, and recreationists using Oregon’s public and private lands.
State Farm’s mission is to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto, home and individual life insurance in the United States. They serve more than 83 million policies and accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
National Fire Protection Association wasfounded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
Oregon Department of Forestry’s mission is to serve the people of Oregon by protecting, managing, and promoting stewardship of Oregon’s forests to enhance environmental, economic, and community sustainability.
The Office of State Fire Marshal’s mission is to protect people, property, and the environment from fire and hazardous materials. The office carries out these duties through prevention education, inspections, code enforcement, and preparedness and response activities. Our vision is to provide premier public safety services.