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, February 16, 2022
Klamath Basin Weather
This Afternoon Sunny, with a high near 48. North northwest wind around 10 mph. Overnight, mostly clear with a low around 24.
Thursday Sunny, with a high near 54. Light and variable wind. Clear overnight with a low of 28.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 59.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 58. Slight chance of snow overnight with snow level lowering to 4200 feet after midnight . Partly cloudy, with a low around 30.
Sunday A slight chance of snow before 10am, then a chance of snow showers, mainly between 10am and 4pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 43. Overnight a slight chance of snow showers before 10pm.
Today’s Headlines
The city of Klamath Falls and Klamath Falls Police Department have been advised of a recent telephone scam.
In this scam, fraudulent callers posing as members of law enforcement, inform the victim that they missed their jury duty or court appearance and will have a warrant issued for their arrest unless they pay their bail or fines over the phone. These calls are fraudulent.
Any legitimate law enforcement officer will not demand cash or gift cards or the like from a member of the public.
Law enforcement defines this type of scam a government impersonation fraud, in which criminals impersonate government officials in an attempt to collect money. The criminals often attempt to extort victims with legal or financial harm to obtain personally identifiable information.
Scammers are becoming more sophisticated and organized in their approach, are technologically savvy and often target young persons and the elderly.
To protect yourself from falling victim to this scam, be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize. Do not send money or provide credit card information to someone you do not personally know and trust.
Never give out your personal information, including banking information, Social Security Number or other personally identifiable information over the phone or to individuals you do not know. Anyone who feels they were the victim of this or any other online or telephonic scam should report the incident immediately to (541) 883-5336.
Oregon reports 1,613 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 20 new deaths
There are 20 new COVID-19-related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 6,393, the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) reported today. OHA reported 1,613 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 680,852.
The new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases reported today are in the following counties: Baker (2), Benton (22), Clackamas (100), Clatsop (15), Columbia (8), Coos (36), Crook (18), Curry (12), Deschutes (95), Douglas (85), Gilliam (1), Grant (5), Harney (1), Hood River (8), Jackson (146), Jefferson (16), Josephine (54), Klamath (26), Lake (20), Lane (166), Lincoln (22), Linn (45), Malheur (23), Marion (148), Morrow (2), Multnomah (189), Polk (60), Sherman (1), Tillamook (9), Umatilla (50), Union (11), Wallowa (2), Wasco (17), Washington (140), Wheeler (6) and Yamhill (52).
Weekly coronavirus cases in Oregon plunged 40% in the past seven days, state data released Monday shows, returning to levels not seen since early January.
The Oregon Health Authority tallied 16,991 confirmed or presumed infections in the past week, including 4,756 announced Monday for the preceding three days. The highly contagious omicron variant has produced a near-symmetrical rapid spike and fall in the past two months. Average daily cases now stand at 2,427, dramatically below the peak of about 8,200 daily cases from three weeks ago.
Hospitalizations are also falling. The number of people hospitalized with a positive coronavirus test stood Monday at 865, down from a high of 1,130 last month. State officials last week said they would lift indoor mask mandates by March 31 or when hospitalizations hit 400, whichever comes sooner. Oregon appears on track to beat that outside date, with hospitalizations already dropping at a rate more than a week ahead of schedule, based on modeling by Oregon Health & Science University.
Sky Lakes Medical Center reports they are in active status today, with 28 total inpatients diagnosed with Covid-19.
Around the state of Oregon
Every year, Oregon schools are required to meet a deadline for having updated immunization records from families.
This year the deadline will be different in some counties due to the challenges posed by lingering impacts of the Omicron variant.
The official statewide deadline for parents to provide vaccine records for their kids is February 16, but seven of Oregon’s 36 counties will have alternate dates. For Douglas County, exclusion day will fall on March 30.
It’s April 20 for schools in Clackamas, Clatsop, Jefferson, Morrow, Multnomah, and Yamhill counties. OHA said that the change this year is due to “unexpected challenges” from the COVID-19 Omicron variant for local public health agencies, schools, and families. County health departments are supposed to have sent letters to families to let them know if their children’s records at a school or daycare show missing vaccinations. Parents who receive the letter are asked to take action by the date listed on the letter, depending on their county.
Under Oregon law, all kids in public and private schools, preschools, Head Start, and certified child care facilities must have up-to-date documentation of the 11 required immunizations or have an allowable exemption. Oregon has a very broad list of exemptions — allowing them for medical, personal, religious, or philosophical reasons. The COVID-19 vaccine is not currently required for children.
Three Dead in Mapleton Shooting – Deputies Searching for Suspect
Deputies are looking for a person of interest in the shooting deaths of three people east of Mapleton on Tuesday night.
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office received reports of shots fired just before 9:45 p.m. in the 14000 block of Highway 36.
Officials are now searching for a 25-year-old person of interest Jericho Jamison in connection with the deaths. Officials believe that he left the scene driving a silver Geo Metro with the license plate “158JZG”. The back window may be broken.
It is believed that Jamison and the three victims knew each other, and he is considered armed and dangerous. Jamison is described as a white male, 5’10 and 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. Active investigation is ongoing…If you have any information: (541) 682-4150
The Oregon House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday designed to cut some of the red tape around mobile home parks in the wake of the 2020 wildfires that destroyed so many of these communities.
House Bill 4064 A is designed to streamline local regulations on manufactured housing and clarify that Oregonians can place prefabricated homes in mobile home parks.
House Democrats say that this will break down barriers to “more innovative housing options.”
The bill is also intended to help Oregonians in mobile home parks rebuild after the 2020 fires. It expands the use of Oregon’s manufactured dwelling replacement loan program, giving people who lost their mobile home the option of using the loan to rebuild outside of the disaster area The Almeda Fire alone burned through 18 mobile home parks in the Rogue Valley, destroying between 1,500 and 1,700 manufactured homes or RVs. Across Oregon, there are about 140,000 manufactured homes.
Nationally, the median annual income of manufactured residents is about half that of households living in single-family homes. The bill passed the House in a 41-11 vote and goes on to the Senate for consideration.
Oregon is getting 35-million dollars in federal wildlife and sport fish restoration grants. The money was allocated to Oregon from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Most of the money will go toward wildlife and sport fish restoration. Hunter education programs will get nearly four-and-a-half million dollars.
Another candidate is entering the race for the Republican gubernatorial primary in Oregon.
Bob Tiernan was a state representative in Oregon from 1993 to 1997. He says he’ll bring business experience to be the state’s Chief Executive. Tiernan is donating one-million dollars to launch his campaign. He joins four other candidates who are running for the Republican primary.
A man who tried to open the emergency door on a Delta Airlines flight from Salt Lake City to Portland says he did it so passengers would record his personal statements.
Federal prosecutors say the incident happened on Friday. Michael Demarre allegedly removed the plastic cover on the emergency door handle and tried to open it during the flight. A flight attendant told him to stop and move to the back of the plane. Demarre complied and was restrained by the flight crew. He was charged in Portland with threatening to interfere with a flight crew. He’s being held pending further court proceedings.
A Jackson County man convicted of murdering his wife in 2006 has died in prison custody, according to the Oregon Department of Corrections. 75-year-old Jack A. Sterling was accused of murdering his wife, Joyce Sterling, in July of 2006. Though Sterling initially entered a plea of “not guilty,” he later changed his plea to no contest. He was sentenced to life in prison at the beginning of December that same year. According to contemporary reporting, Sterling had a history of alleged domestic abuse that culminated in the murder. He’d been married to Joyce Sterling for about two years. Sterling was incarcerated at Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, and he died February 12 at a nearby hospital. The DOC said that Oregon State Police have been notified and the State Medical Examiner will determine cause of death, as with all in-custody deaths.
After two skiers died at Mt. Bachelor ski area Friday and Saturday, a helicopter was dispatched to the mountain Sunday morning on a medical emergency call, transporting a 64-year-old man to St. Charles Bend.
A spokesperson for Mt. Bachelor confirmed a man was flown to St. Charles Bend at around 9:53 a.m. after he experienced a medical emergency.
First on Friday, and then again on Saturday, a skier suffered fatal injuries while skiing on Mt. Bachelor. The skier who died on Friday was a 66-year-old man, and on Saturday, a 60-year-old man succumbed to his injuries after crashing on the mountain.
While the exact circumstances and conditions that led to the fatal accidents are not currently available from official sources, other recreators said on social media they believe the latest fatality could have occurred due to an exposed log, usually covered in snow, on the mountain. Mt. Bachelor said in its conditions report Sunday that high pressure and warm temperatures has caused variable snow surface conditions.
The Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division responded to a report of a gut pile and a dead cow elk in rural Polk county on the Valsetz Main Line at mile 14.
Multiple people observed 2 subjects pulling out a cow elk on the afternoon of Friday, February 11, 2022. Based on the evidence recovered at the scene, the subjects pulled one cow elk out of the clear cut and down the road away from the kill site, leaving the other cow elk to waste clearly visible from the Main Line.
OSP is urging anyone with information regarding this case to call the Oregon State Police Tip-line at 1-800-452-7888, *OSP (*677), or email at TIP@state.or.us. Please, reference case number SP22037815.
***Report Wildlife and Habitat Law Violators***
The Oregon Hunters Association TIP reward offers preference points or cash rewards for information leading to an arrest or issuance of a citation for the unlawful take/possession or waste of Bighorn Sheep, Rocky Mountain Goat, Moose, Elk, Deer, Antelope, Bear, Cougar, Wolf, Upland Birds, Waterfowl, Furbearers, Game Fish and Shellfish. Cash rewards can also be awarded for turning in people who destroy habitat, illegally obtain licenses/tags, and for the unlawful lending/borrowing of big game tags.
PREFERENCE POINT REWARDS:
* 5 Points-Mountain Sheep
* 5 Points-Mountain Goat
* 5 Points-Moose
* 5 Points-Wolf
* 4 Points-Elk
* 4 Points-Deer
* 4 Points-Antelope
* 4 Points-Bear
* 4 Points-Cougar
CASH REWARDS:
* $1,000 Mountain Sheep, Mountain Goat and Moose
* $500 Elk, Deer, and Antelope
* $300 Bear, Cougar, and Wolf
* $300 Habitat Destruction
* $100 Upland Birds and Waterfowl
* $100 Furbearers
* $100 Game Fish and Shellfish