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, July 19, 2021
Klamath Basin Weather
This Afternoon Widespread haze. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Southwest wind 8 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Overnight, mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. West northwest wind 11 to 16 mph and could gust as high as 24 mph.
Tuesday Widespread haze before 2pm. Sunny, with a high near 91.
Wednesday Sunny, with a high near 90.
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 93.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 94.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 95.
Today’s Headlines
The Bootleg fire remains at 22% containment with 298,662 acres burned. 2,053 personnel are working on suppressing flames. The blaze has burned at least 67 homes and 100 outbuildings while threatening thousands more.
According to Bootleg Fire officials, red flag weather conditions played a significant role in fire behavior on Saturday as the fire pushed over Sam’s Cabin Road and the 27 Road to the north.
The fire continues to be held from Preacher Flats to Mitchell Monument, and is pushing further east, approaching the 28 road. Fire crews inserted a dozer line and burnout to minimize the fire growth overnight. One of today’s priorities is holding these areas to prevent further spread of the fire. Crews are also working on constructing a direct fireline and building contingency lines north of the fire in the Sycan Marsh and along the 28 Road to the south.
These contingency lines could be used as the fire continues to move towards the communities of Paisley, Summer Lake, and Silver Lake. Structure protection groups today will be focused on homes along the 34 and 28 roads. Crews plan to work around Deadhorse Lake to begin preparation of advance of the fire.
As work is completed, structural firefighters will continue their work further north on the southeastern corner of the fire. Additional evacuation levels have been implemented in Lake County.
Sponsorship funding from Sky Lakes Medical Center, Klamath Basin Behavioral Health, and Blue Zones Project – Healthy Klamath, in partnership with the City of Klamath Falls, Klamath County Economic Development Association, and other local organizations, is gaining momentum in providing a new ADA-accessible playground in Moore Park.
The project will be a community gathering space for people of all abilities to enjoy, with rubber surfaces and play structures that are ADA-friendly. Artistic elements that showcase the culture and history of Klamath Basin will be incorporated into the design.
With features such as a lava cave labyrinth, a Klamath Tule hut and an F-15 Jet, the custom-designed, 18,000-square-foot playground will replace the current play equipment located next to the tennis courts in Moore Park.
Sky Lakes Medical Center’s $26,000 equipment sponsorship is the largest contribution to the project to date.
Local businesses and organizations are encouraged to join with the growing number sponsoring equipment on the playground. Equipment pricing ranges from $1,000-$12,000, and organizations will receive a plaque next to the piece acknowledging their contribution. Additionally, composite fence posts surrounding the playground can be engraved to commemorate family, and personal donations are available for $100.
In the last two weeks, the Klamath County Watermaster’s office has received 82 complaints from people in the Klamath Basin experiencing water shortages in their personal wells.
Dani Watson, watermaster of District 17 in Klamath Falls, knows there are many more empty wells that have yet to be reported. Some were able to find water tanks and fill them from their neighbor’s pumps, or from other wells that haven’t yet dried up. Water storage tanks are wide-based, plastic cylinders with a hole in the top to put water, and a few holes on the side to hook pumps into. T
hey are bulky and not easy to transport — you have to bring the water to them.
Tonight through Thursday night the 173rd Fighter Wing will conduct night flying operations between approximately 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., according to the Air Force Air National Guard.
Night flying is part of the training curriculum for F-15C student pilots at Kingsley Field. “Whether defending the homeland or deployed in contingency operations, F-15 pilots must be proficient at night flying,” said Col. Jeff Edwards, 173rd FW Commander in a statement.
“Night flying training includes the full spectrum of skills needed to be a combat-ready F-15 pilot.”
Take-offs will occur after sundown with the jets returning about an hour-and-a-half later. Most of the training will occur in military airspace east of Lakeview where pilots can fly without lights. The community will likely hear the jets during take-offs and approaches to and from Kingsley Field.
Streets division crews will be performing asphalt dig-outs and utility cut paving this week at several locations.
Today on Glenridge Way and Homedale Rd. intersection, and Rosemont Ct.
Tomorrow on Main St. and N. 8th St. intersection.
Wednesday on Klamath Ave. between S. 9th and S. 11th St.
Thursday on Esplanade Ave. between Wall St. and Spring St. Paint crews will be performing painting of sidewalks, parking T’s and legends.
Tomorrow through Wednesday on Washburn Way from Crater Lake Parkway to Laverne Ave., and East Main St. between S. 6th St. and Main St. Use caution in all work zones.
Around the state of Oregon
As the highly transmissible delta variant sweeps across the nation fueling an increase in COVID-19 cases Oregon is no exception.
For at least 11 consecutive weeks COVID-19 cases had been decreasing in Oregon, until last week.
Health experts point to the highly contagious delta variant, first detected in India, as a factor as state and federal officials continue to warn about a “pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
According to Tim Heider, a spokesman for the Oregon Health Authority cases are increasing and this is certainly due to the increasing percentage of the delta variant in Oregon. This has been seen in communities across the world. If you are fully vaccinated, you are well protected from COVID, including the delta variant. If you are not vaccinated, make a plan to do so, and take precautions like wearing a mask indoors and in outdoor crowded places until you are vaccinated.”
Last week the the Oregon Health Authority reported 1,318 new COVID-19 cases — an 11% increase from the previous week. Hospitalizations rose from 66 to 104.
The outbreak in the U.S. is becoming “a pandemic of the unvaccinated” because nearly all hospital admissions and deaths are among those who hadn’t been immunized. In Oregon, more than 70% of Oregon’s adults have been fully or partially vaccinated. But in some rural counties there is a significant portion of the population that still has not received a shot. In Lake County a mere 36% of adults are partially or fully vaccinated.
In 12 out of the state’s 36 counties, less than 50% of adults in those counties have been vaccinated.
Northern California’s Dixie Fire roared to new life Sunday, prompting new evacuation orders in rural communities near the Feather River Canyon.
The wildfire, near the 2018 site of the deadliest U.S. blaze in recent memory, was 15% contained and covered 39 square miles. The fire is northeast of the town of Paradise, California, and survivors of that horrific fire that killed 85 people watched warily as the new blaze burned.
In California, a growing wildfire south of Lake Tahoe jumped a highway, prompting more evacuation orders, the closure of the Pacific Crest Trail and the cancellation of an extreme bike ride through the Sierra Nevada.
The Tamarack Fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 4, had charred nearly 29 square miles of dry brush and timber as of Sunday morning. The blaze was threatening Markleeville, a small town close to the California-Nevada state line. It has destroyed at least two structures, authorities said.