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.
Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Sunny, with a high near 84. Overnight, clear with a low around 52.
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 93. North northwest wind 5 to 7 mph.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 95. West northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 94.
Sunday Sunny and hot, with a high near 97.
Monday Sunny and hot, with a high near 98.
Today’s Headlines
Klamath County will, by Friday, be one of only five counties in the state- and as it turns out, in the entire country- to have high risk restrictions due to Covid.
Jackson County will at last move down to lighter restrictions under Oregon’s COVID-19 risk level framework, Governor Kate Brown’s office announced on Tuesday. The county will enter Moderate Risk status effective Friday, officials indicated in an update.
As of June 18, there will be 22 counties at Lower Risk, five at Moderate Risk, and nine at High Risk. The only other county to drop in risk level this week is Polk County, which was approved for Lower Risk once it reaches a 65 percent vaccination rate. It is currently at 64.24 percent.
Klamath County remains at High Risk this week. Curry and Lake counties have been at Lower Risk status by dint of low case rates.
As of Tuesday, 67.9 percent of adult Oregonians had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Oregon officials estimated that 71,522 more people would need to receive a dose for the state to reach 70 percent.
There are seven new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 2,737, the Oregon Health Authority reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
Oregon Health Authority reported 314 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 205,459.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (3), Benton (1), Clackamas (25), Clatsop (3), Columbia (7), Coos (2), Crook (4), Curry (3), Deschutes (6), Douglas (18), Harney (1), Hood River (3), Jackson (39), Jefferson (2), Josephine (4), Klamath (7), Lake (1), Lane (24), Lincoln (2), Linn (9), Malheur (4), Marion (32), Multnomah (34), Polk (13), Umatilla (14), Union (1), Wasco (1), Washington (40) and Yamhill (11).
An argument on Monday between two apparent lovers devolved into a hit-and-run that left a man hospitalized with serious head injuries, according to the Klamath Falls Police Department.
KFPD officers responded to a parking lot behind 416 Walnut Avenue for reports of the hit-and-run shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday. The initial call reported that a male pedestrian had been hit by the driver of a pickup truck, knocking him to the ground. The driver fled the scene.
Officers arrived to find 39-year-old Dennis Wayne Myers lying on the ground in the parking lot behind a parked vehicle. He was suffering from significant head injuries, KFPD said, and medical staff took him to Sky Lakes Medical Center for further evaluation. Myers was later flown to St. Charles Hospital in Bend for more specialized treatment, and his current status is unknown.
Investigators soon identified the driver of the pickup as 37-year-old Amanda DeSpain, who they learned was involved in an “intimate relationship” with Myers. KFPD said that the two got into an argument in the parking lot prior to the incident.
KFPD said that the incident is still under investigation, and anyone with information that can assist should contact the agency at 541-883-5336, or call the anonymous tip line at 541-883-5334.
It has been nearly two full years since a headlining act rocked the main stage at the Klamath County Fair.
The pandemic-stricken year of 2020 forced a scaled-back production of the Fair to only its core elements, the Youth Livestock Show and Sale.
This year, with restrictions loosening up, Klamath County Fair officials are going all-in to bring the party back to Klamath County better than ever before. Starting with two new headlining acts to the Klamath Basin, ‘90s alternative rockers Everclear and the country music legends of Sawyer Brown.
Friday night, August 6, inside the John Hancock Event Center, Everclear will perform their iconic 90’s alternative rock hits. Country music legends, Sawyer Brown will take the stage on Saturday, August 7 to perform their renowned country-pop music of the ’80s & ’90s.
Concert tickets will start at $10 and go on sale Friday June 18, 2021. Purchase them online at klamathcountyfair.com.
Making a comeback this year is the highly anticipated Demolition Derby. Featuring over $9,000 in prize money up for grabs. Vehicular carnage will be held in the outdoor arena Saturday afternoon, ending before the start of the concert. Allowing demolition and country lovers to attend both events.
Local law enforcement are urging younger, more tech-savvy citizens to keep a protective eye out for scams that have swindled older generations out of large sums of hard-earned money.
The elderly are often targets of financial scams coming over-the-phone, via the internet and sometimes door-to-door. The scams are common nationally — the FBI estimates U.S. seniors register over $3 billion in scam-related losses annually — and Klamath County is no different.
Dan Towery, a Klamath County Sheriff’s Office detective who often is tasked with investigating elder fraud, said he usually works two or three such cases on a normal basis. Because of the ability of scammers to cover their tracks, investigating the cases often leads to dead ends for law enforcement.
The prevalence of the scams has pushed the sheriff’s office to publicly enlist the help of younger family and friends to ensure their parents and grandparents are not easy targets.
If you get a COVID-19 vaccination from Cascade Health Alliance in Klamath Falls, you also get up to $100 in free groceries.
Members of CHA, 12 years old and up, will receive a $50 gift card to Grocery Outlet for each vaccination dose they receive.
The one-dose Johnson & Johnson and two-dose Pfizer vaccines will be distributed at the Sky Lakes vaccination center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 19.
If a member receives both Pfizer vaccine doses before July 10, they will receive two $50 Grocery Outlet gift cards. The incentive will be offered through August. Space and gift cards are limited, so register in advance to secure your vaccine slot and gift card by calling 1-833-606-4370.
Ella Redkey Pool brings zumba glow to the Klamath Basin on Wednesday, June 16 from 8–10 p.m.
The low-impact, high energy workout is good for beating the midweek blues. Bring an appetizer and join in the pool time fun from 8-9 p.m. with the workout from 9–10 p.m.
Space is limited, so register now in person at the pool or at EllaRedkeyPool.com. The cost is $15 per participant and includes glowing accessories and two hours of pool time.
Around the state of Oregon
Jackson County has been approved to move down from High Risk to Moderate Risk.
Effective Friday, there will be 22 counties at the Lower Risk level, 5 at Moderate Risk, and 9 at the High Risk level.
“We are incredibly close to achieving a 70% statewide adult vaccination rate, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and lifting health and safety restrictions,” Brown said. “Vaccines are the best way for Oregonians to protect themselves, their families, and communities against COVID-19. Because so many Oregonians have stepped up to get vaccinated, Oregon’s case rates and hospitalizations have continued to decline.
“But, if you are not vaccinated, COVID-19 remains just as dangerous as before. If you have been waiting to get vaccinated, go get your shot today. It’s never been easier to get vaccinated, and you may just win $1 million through the Take Your Shot, Oregon campaign.” When Oregon achieves a first-dose 70% statewide vaccination rate for residents 18 or older, Oregon will lift all risk level health and safety restrictions. Some restrictions based on CDC guidance for use of masks and physical distancing may remain in place.
Dutch Bros Files for IPO
Dutch Bros, the drive-through chain of coffee stands based in Grants Pass, says it has filed for an initial public offering after years of rapid growth. It could be Oregon’s first major IPO since 2004.
Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, reported last month that the chain hoped a prospective stock offering would give it a $3 billion market value. That could make it the biggest IPO in Oregon history.
Founded in 1992, Dutch Bros now operates nearly 470 stores in 11 states, stretching from Seattle to San Antonio, where the franchise chain is in the process of opening its newest location. It employs about 13,000 altogether.
Dutch Bros reported in 2018 that it had sold an unspecified stake in the business to a private equity firm, TSG Consumer Products. At the time, Dutch Bros said it hoped to use “TSG’s expertise and resources” to grow to 800 locations in five years.
Grants Pass natives Travis and Dane Boersma founded the business together after growing up on a family dairy farm. Dane Boersma was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2005 and died in 2009.
The company filed for its IPO confidentially, meaning it has started the regulatory process of going public but isn’t ready to disclose financial results and other corporate information required of public companies.
Oregon Adds 6,900 Jobs in May
Oregon’s unemployment rate was 5.9% in May, the same as the revised rate in April. This was the first time Oregon’s rate was below 6% since March 2020 when the state’s rate was 3.6%. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 5.8% in May from 6.1% in April.
In Oregon, nonfarm payroll employment grew by 6,900 in May, following monthly gains averaging 11,400 in the prior four months. Monthly gains in May were largest in private education (+3,400 jobs); professional and business services (+2,900); construction (+900); and financial activities (+900). Only one major industry shed more than 500 jobs in May: transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-800 jobs).
In May, Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment totaled 1,864,000, a drop of 109,000 jobs, or 5.5% from the pre-recession peak in February 2020. Oregon’s employment dropped to a low of 1,687,500 by April 2020. Since then, Oregon has recovered 176,500 jobs, or 62% of the jobs lost between February and April 2020.
Leisure and hospitality accounts for the bulk of Oregon’s jobs not recovered since early 2020. It employed 169,600 in May, and added only 1,600 jobs in the most recent two months. The industry is still 46,700 jobs below its peak month of February 2020, so it accounts for 43% of overall nonfarm payroll jobs lost since Oregon’s pre-recession peak. The restaurants, bars, and hotels that make up accommodation and food services have shown flat hiring trends over the most recent three months; the employment level in this component industry has been close to 150,000 in March, April, and May.
Local government is another industry that has a long way to go to get back to normal. Employment averaged 207,400 in the past 12 months, compared with an average of 229,000 during the most recent pre-recession year of 2019. In May, local government employed 207,800. Local government education—including K-12 schools, community colleges, and public universities—accounts for over half of all local government employment.
A return to pre-pandemic employment is closer at hand for several major industries that were less impacted by the COVID recession. Although the following industries still haven’t surpassed their pre-recession peak, each is within 3% of attaining that milestone: trade, transportation, and utilities; financial activities; information; construction; and professional and business services.
To file a claim for unemployment benefits or get more information about unemployment programs, visit unemployment.oregon.gov.
Equal Opportunity program — auxiliary aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Contact: (503) 947-1794. For people who are deaf or hard of hearing, call 711 Telecommunications Relay Services Oregon Employment Department.
Employers across the region are struggling to hire enough qualified employees to sustain their businesses.
Recent data from the Oregon Employment Department shows that underlying wage growth remains in-line with pre-covid trends. This is in addition to Oregon job openings having returned to pre-pandemic levels, indicating businesses are not responding to the pandemic recession as if there is a surplus of available workers.
What the current unemployment rate excludes is would-be workers who are out of the labor force. This means that people under this category neither have a job, nor are they looking for one.
An estimated 45,000 people in Oregon said they were prevented from looking for work due to Covid-related reasons during the first quarter of 2021.
Gov. Kate Brown Signed Bill That Permanently Allows Bars And Restaurants In Oregon To Serve Cocktails To-Go.
A temporary rule change that allowed Oregon bars and restaurants to sell cocktails to-go during the pandemic will become permanent with a bill passed by the legislature and signed into law by Governor Kate Brown.
In December of 2020, the legislature approved a bill that temporarily allowed establishments with full on-premises sales licenses to sell cocktails and single servings of wine to-go, as bars throughout the state struggled under coronavirus restrictions that all but prevented their ability to do business.
The original bill had a sunset date — 60 days from the end of Governor Brown’s emergency declaration for COVID-19.
While it’s unclear how much of a boon cocktails to-go proved to be for Oregon bars, the temporary change was popular enough that trade groups supported making it permanent.
“No Drone Zone” in Place for the U.S. Olympic Trials in Lane County
The FBI, working with local, state and federal partners, will enforce a “No Drone Zone” area in Eugene and Springfield during the upcoming U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track & Field. The zone, which falls under a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR), will be established by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and it will be in effect during the active event days (June 18 – 21 and June 24 – 27).
The TFR will run two nautical miles out from Hayward Field on all active event days and three nautical miles out (to include the Race Walk events in Springfield) on June 26th.
The FAA B4UFLY mobile app is one of many ways that drone operators can access information about controlled airspace, special use airspace, critical infrastructure, airports, national parks, military training routes and temporary flight restrictions. The B4UFLY app is available to download for free at the App Store for iOS and Google Play store for Android. More info on the app can be found here.
The FBI has the authority to seize drones that violate these TFRs, and drone operators may face civil penalties or criminal charges. If you are a drone operator, ensure you are aware of these restrictions and comply with them.
Anyone with information about potential threats targeting the U.S. Olympic Trials should contact the FBI at (800) CALL-FBI or at tips.fbi.gov, or call local authorities. — FBI – Oregon
‘Finders Keepers’ Glass Float Event Along Lincoln City Beaches
This year over 3,000 gorgeous glass floats are being hidden along seven miles of sandy beach in Lincoln City. These glass floats are made by local artisans, and if you find one, the treasure is yours to keep.
From the Siletz Bay to Roads End, float fairies will be hiding hand-crafted glass floats for beachcombers to find starting on June 14th, 2021. The floats will be above the high tide line but below the beach embankment. They’re being placed during daylight hours only and hidden throughout the day.
Glass float hunters should be aware of weather and ocean conditions, and be mindful of the environment.
There’s only one rule: One float per person per year. If you find more than one, be sure to leave it for the next lucky beachcomber.
When you find your float, you can call a number to register it and receive a certificate of authenticity from the artist who created it.
You can learn more about the Finders Keepers glass float event in Lincoln City here. https://www.oregoncoast.org/glass-floats/?fbclid=IwAR1r5_XuyYOWY7lsMBCKpTI4ujy4DOmcF6Hs4Q2lz29qz9YG1SJHe6wvdvg
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife are warning of rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2). It poses no human health risk, but it can cause rapid death for rabbits and hares. The virus can spread through direct contact between infected and susceptible rabbits, in addition to exposure to contaminated materials. Predators, insects, and people can also spread the virus through contact.
RHDV2 was first detected in Oregon in March of this year, but these case were among domestic rabbits within the greater Portland area. ODFW warned rabbit hunters to take extra precautions, especially if they have any contact with pet or domestically raised rabbits.