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.
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Klamath Basin Weather
Today Sunny, with a high near 81.Overnight, clear with a low around 51. West wind 6 to 11 mph becoming light north northwest after midnight.
Friday Sunny, with a high near 84. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday Sunny, with a high near 84.
Sunday Sunny, with a high near 89.
Monday Sunny, with a high near 94.
Today’s Headlines
The Klamath County Board of Commissioners and the Klamath Falls City Council have finalized approvals for their $300,000 shares for a new $600,000 installation of a fighter jet at Veterans Park in Klamath Falls.
The city of Klamath Falls and Klamath County will cover $300,000, each, as part of a memorandum of understanding for the static display of U.S. military firepower and to honor veterans.
The MOU was inked in June and the July 5 county vote gives final approval to its portion of the funding. The county funds are coming from local allotments from the American Rescue Plan Act pandemic relief programs.
The static display will be located at Veterans Park in downtown Klamath Falls.
The permanent display will feature a “decommissioned Air National Guard jet as a tribute to all community members who have served in the United States Armed Forces,” according to council documents.
County documents from May show the jet installation could be an F-15 fighter jet. The city has also approved its half of the project, also via ARPA funds.
Last week, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton, who leads the federal agency that oversees water management in 17 Western states, traveled through Oregon and California, visiting projects and meeting with concerned communities.
Touton started her week in the Klamath Basin and ended it near the California-Mexico border. Thursday, she sat down for an exclusive virtual interview with the Capital Press.
She was asked, with the West likely isn’t getting any more water, so what is Reclamation’s plan for better managing the water the region does get?
The Klamath Basin, straddling Oregon and California, is a center of conflict where farmers and ranchers compete with tribes and fish managers for scarce water during the ongoing drought.
The current interim plan is set to expire Sept. 30. Many farmers, ranchers and tribal members are urging Reclamation not to extend the interim operations plan and instead to do annual consultations to determine allocations, which they say would be more flexible and based on current conditions.
Touton was asked if she will consider granting this request. The commissioner declined to give a definite yes or no, but she didn’t rule out the option.
The commissioner said which tools her agency uses in the basin will depend on which tools local partners — including irrigation districts and tribes — welcome.
There’s a summer surge of Covid-19 cases happening around the state of Oregon. Locally at Sky Lakes Medical Center reported yesterday that they have 13 COVID-19 inpatients.
The CDC’s definitions for fully vaccinated and up to date have changed depending on age, dose timing, and which vaccines were administered. Sky Lakes says this complicates how they identify and report vaccination status for our COVID-19 inpatients. They say they anticipate these definitions will continue to evolve and change, and as such, will no longer report vaccination status as a result.
From the Oregon Health Authority, see our latest dashboard of Covid-19 cases and information. http://ow.ly/3HnZ50JPVNX
Environmental and conservation groups are poised to sue the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to stop logging plans in 17,000 acres of Oregon forests to protect an endangered seabird and the near-extinct coastal martens.
The green groups filed a notice of intent to sue Tuesday, July 5, indicating a pending Endangered Species Act lawsuit challenging BLM allowing logging in Southern Oregon as part of forest thinning efforts.
The lawsuit would be brought within 60 days of the precursor notice to the Biden administration.
The pending lawsuit looks to protect marbled murrelets (a small seabird) and coastal martens (a small cat-sized carnivore akin to skunks and weasels) native to Oregon and Northern California. Coastal or Humboldt martens number less than 200, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. The martens were thought to be extinct before being found again in the 1990s.
The conservation group is also part of the pending federal lawsuit along with the Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center. The federal agency has not yet responded to a request for the comment.
Oregon State University begins a unique partnership this month, joining a Klamath-area tribe to study the impact of removing four dams.
The removal of four Klamath River dams built between 1918 and 1962 is expected to be a massive undertaking.
Over the next five years, they’ll collaborate with the Yurok Tribe in a first-of-its kind partnership. The data will be useful for future dam removal plans.
The dams provide hydroelectric power for PacifiCorp, but don’t meet current fish passage guidelines. Managers determined decommissioning the dams was more cost effective than paying for the needed upgrades. Work is expected to begin next year, with the four dams slated for removal in 2024.
Craig Schuhmann has been promoted to executive director of Integral Youth Services (IYS) is a non-profit, faith-based social service organization for children in Klamath Falls.
Last December, former executive director Larry Zeilstra stepped down from his position, retiring from IYS after 22 years.
Schuhmann has worked for IYS since 2008, starting as the Outreach Programs Director, and later advancing to Operations Director. He is also an accomplished fly-fishing guide, as well as the editor of the magazine “Fly Fishing and Tying Journal.”
In the years prior to his work with IYS, Schuhmann studied at the University of Portland, earning his Bachelor’s degree in business and his Master’s degree in theology. He then began this tenure with the Archdiocese of Portland in 1998.
He said as the executive director, he hopes to take IYS in a direction of “continued growth, and development of community partnership,” with the intention of strengthening current programs and starting new programs to offer the community as well.
Klamath Folk Alliance, in partnership with the Ross Ragland Theater, announces the return of the annual Klamath Folk Festival on Saturday, August 27.
The event will feature 12 performances across two stages at the Ragland complex between noon and 7pm, children’s activities, and food and beverage vendors.
Headlining this year’s festival will be The Brothers Reed. With their fifth studio album released in May, a collaborative beer bearing their name with Pelican Brewing, and gracing the cover of “Southern Oregon Magazine,” The Brothers Reed are quickly becoming one of the Northwest’s most talked about acts.
Also on the bill are Shasta Music Summit co-founders, The Bee Eaters, and one-man band, savage folk artist Arthur Buezo. Along with cultural music performances from many local artists. Food and beverage vendors will be available, as well as children’s activities.
Tickets are available in person at the Ragland box office, 541.884.LIVE, and at Ragland.org. Proceeds go to help cover the ongoing nonprofit efforts and operations of the Klamath Folk Alliance and the Ross Ragland Theater.
Also coming to the Ross Ragland Theater is “Once Upon a Mattress”, an adaptation of the fairytale story, The Princess and The Pea, written by Hans Christian in 1983.
Placed in the 15th century medieval times lives Queen Aggravain (Played by Rebekah Beger), who has ruled that none may marry before her son Prince Dauntless the Drab (Played by David Robertson). However, she has managed to sabotage every princess that come along. From the swamps comes Princess Winnifred (played by Caresse Robertson) to the queen’s demise, and with the help of King Sextimus the Silent (played by Mat Landsiedel), she isn’t going to be quite so easy to for the queen to get rid of.
Show times at the Ragland are:
Friday, July 8th at 7:30 PM, Saturday, July 9th at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, July 10th at 2:00 PM
Friday, July 15th at 7:30 PM, Saturday, July 16th at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, July 17th at 2:00 PM
Thursday, July 7th, Dress Rehearsal is open to the public beginning at 7:30 PM, where donations can be given to Safe Families for Children.
Around the state of Oregon
JCSO Case 22-3851
Update on the story below: The suspect is deceased from an apparent self inflicted gunshot wound.
No lethal rounds were fired by law enforcement during the incident. SWAT and CNT attempted to contact the suspect via numerous means to resolve the situation peacefully. JCSO attempted less lethal means and negotiations but unfortunately the incident ended when the subject took his own life. The suspect’s name will be released pending notification of next of kin.
SWAT Responds to Armed Barricaded Domestic Assault Suspect in Central Point
The Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) SWAT, Crisis Negotiators Team (CNT), and detectives were called out early this morning for an armed, barricaded subject following a domestic assault.
JCSO Patrol deputies responded to a 911 call for a domestic assault at 2:27 a.m. on the 6000 block of Table Rock Road and the armed subject barricaded. The suspect has prior assaults on the same victim.
JCSO is working through contingency plans to create an environment and opportunity for the suspect to give up and be arrested. SWAT and CNT have made multiple notifications, and flash bang distraction devices have been deployed.
In an abundance of caution neighboring residences have been evacuated. This scene is active, please avoid the area while the situation is ongoing. JCSO Case 22-3851 Jackson Co. Sheriff’s Office
$6 million in grants helping Oregon fire service staff up this summer
SALEM, Ore. – To boost capacity within the Oregon fire service, the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has awarded $6 million in grants to the structural fire service to hire firefighting staff during the 2022 wildfire season.
The OSFM is excited to announce that 180 local fire districts and departments across Oregon were awarded $6 million in grant funding to support staffing through the 2022 wildfire season. As part of the OSFM’s Response Ready Oregon Initiative, this grant opportunity was available to all 306 local fire districts and departments.
“Our office has heard from multiple fire chiefs across Oregon who say this funding will have a profound, positive impact in communities across the state,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Agencies will be able to have additional paid firefighters at the ready during these critical summer months. This will help to keep fires small and away from communities.”
The grant aims to bolster capacity within the Oregon fire service and the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS). The OSFM uses OFMAS to mobilize the Oregon fire service to incidents like wildfire and floods to help protect Oregonians, their homes, and critical infrastructure.
Local fire agencies were able to request up to $35,000 to support staffing during this critical time of year. This additional funding will increase on-duty capacity throughout the 2022 fire season at the local level and allow agencies to mobilize quickly to fires at the local, regional, and state (conflagration) levels.
“The community of Chiloquin Fire & Rescue and our mutual aid partners in Klamath County will benefit greatly. The recent 242 and Bootleg fires ravaged our communities, highlighting the need for a robust firefighting force, available anytime,” Chiloquin Fire & Rescue Chief Mike Cook said. “This grant will provide us the capability of using trained students, overtime staff, and volunteers during future events.”
Using this grant, Chiloquin Fire & Rescue plans to staff two Type 6 engines or one Type 3 and a Type I tender throughout the 2022 fire season.
“Saturday, July 2nd was the first day our additional staff was on shift,” Cook said. “We had a smoke report that turned out to be a fire in heavy timber. The engine staffed through this grant was able to get the fire under control and turn it over to the Oregon Department of Forestry. This is proof the program is viable and a great addition to the small rural departments.”
Funding for this up staffing grant opportunity was made possible through the Oregon Legislature and Senate Bill 762.
ABOUT RESPONSE READY OREGON — The OSFM’s Response Ready Oregon initiative was created to help bolster capacity and modernize wildfire response within the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS). The goal of Response Ready Oregon is to attack fires while they are small and keep them away from communities. To learn more about the OSFM or Response Ready Oregon, visit oregon.gov/osp/programs/sfm.
Oregon State Police Ready for World Athletics Championships
Oregon is excited to welcome the world!
The State of Oregon, along with Travel Oregon and the University of Oregon will host the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 and welcome 2,000 of the world’s best track and field athletes from over 200 countries to #Oregon.
For the first time, the World Athletics Championships will take place on U.S. soil. There is no better place for Team USA to compete than at Hayward Field.
Visit www.Worldchampsoregon22.com to learn more about the events happening July 15-24, 2022, at the newly reimagined Hayward Field at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
With so many people coming to visit from all over the world, let us show them how enjoyable Oregon is. That means helping our visitors travel safely around our state.
Be prepared for an increase in motor vehicles on Oregon’s highways- give yourself extra time to get to your destination whether it be to work, the store, or the #WCHOregon22.
Know before you go- use www.tripcheck.com to know about any traffic delays, crashes, or construction projects.
Always obey the rules of the road- everyone deserves to get to their destination safely.
Like your momma always said, “Let’s be on our best behavior while we have guests in our home.”
#HighwaySafety #RulesoftheRoad #YourOregonStatePolice
3 Ballot Measures Certified for Vote In 2022
As of July 6, 2022, 3 statewide ballot measures were certified for the ballot in Oregon in 2022.
On the ballot:
Measure 1: Right to Healthcare Amendment
Description: Amends the Oregon Constitution to add that the state “ensure that every resident of Oregon has access to cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care as a fundamental right”
Measure 2: Remove Slavery as Punishment for Crime from Constitution Amendment
Description: Repeals language allowing slavery or involuntary servitude as criminal punishments and authorizes an Oregon court or a probation or parole agency to order alternatives to incarceration for a convicted individual
Measure 3: Exclusion from Re-election for Legislative Absenteeism Initiative
Description: Excludes state legislators from re-election for unexcused legislative absenteeism
Click here for more details.
Fatal Crash on Hwy 38-Douglas County
On Tuesday, July 5, 2022, at about 12:30 p.m., Oregon State Police Troopers and emergency personnel responded to multi-vehicle, serious injury, blocking crash on Highway 38 near milepost 25.
Preliminary investigation revealed a tan Toyota Corolla, operated by Cedric Lossing (24) of Myrtle Point, was traveling east overtaking a motorhome in the passing lanes when it crossed the centerline and crashed head on into a westbound Jeep Cherokee, operated by Cathy Fore (60) of North Bend. A red Peterbilt dump truck, operated by David Buoy (60) of Clatskanie, was traveling westbound following the Jeep Cherokee and attempted to avoid the collision by steering into the eastbound lane where it crashed through an eastbound bumper-pulled Winnebago travel trailer pulled by a Grey Ford F150, operated by Timothy Prulheire (70) of Grants Pass. The grey Ford F150 traveled into the westbound lane where it collided with a blue Kenworth dump truck, operated by Dillan Bloomer (27) of Clark Fork, Idaho, pulling a flatbed utility trailer hauling a grader.
Cedric Lossing was transported to RiverBend Hospital in Eugene. Cathy Fore and a passenger in the Jeep, Patrick Culbertson (70) of Myrtle Point, were transported to RiverBend Hospital in Eugene. Patrick Culbertson sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at RiverBend. David Buoy and Dillon Bloomer were uninjured. Timothy Prulheire and his passenger, Joan Prulhiere (81) of Grants Pass, reported minor injury but declined medical treatment at the scene.
Hwy 38 traffic remained open while Oregon State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit members investigated the scene.
OSP was assisted by Scottsburg Fire Department, Reach Air Ambulance, North Douglas Fire and Ambulance, Kellogg Fire Department, Elkton Fire Department and ODOT.
Oregon Historical Society Celebrates Hatfield Centennial July 12 with Free Admission, Special Guests, and Root Beer Floats
Plus, Senator Hatfield’s oral history interview to be released to the public for the first time through OHS Digital Collections
On Tuesday, July 12 — what would have been Senator Mark O. Hatfield’s 100th birthday — the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) will commemorate the Hatfield Centennial at a special event in downtown Portland. A brief program will begin at 11am in the Oregon Historical Society’s pavilion (1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland) where former Oregon governors Barbara Roberts and Ted Kulongoski, and OHS Boyle Family Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk, will share their memories of working with Senator Hatfield. The program will also include remarks from Oregon Health & Science University president Dr. Danny Jacobs, who will speak on the senator’s impact on OHSU, and Willamette University board secretary Sean O’Hollaren, who will officially announce the opening of the Hatfield Archives at Willamette University. Following the program, attendees can enjoy root beer floats — Senator Hatfield’s favorite — featuring ice cream donated by Salt & Straw. Admission to the Oregon Historical Society’s museum will be free all day.
The traveling exhibit, The Call of Public Service: The Life and Legacy of Mark O. Hatfield, which premiered at OHS one year ago on July 12, 2021, before traveling to museums and heritage organizations around the state, will also be back on view at OHS. The exhibit, which focuses on the lasting impression the senator had on Oregon and the nation, features three pop-up kiosks that highlight the issues Hatfield championed: healthcare, education, equal rights, the environment, and world peace. The exhibit is available to rent at no cost through the end of 2022, thanks to a generous sponsorship from the Samuel S. Johnson Foundation.
The centennial celebration also coincides with the release of the senator’s official oral history, which was restricted from public release until Hatfield’s 100th birthday. The Hatfield interviews are part of a decades-long OHS initiative, the Oregon Legislature Oral History Project, which was conducted between the late 1980s and early 2000s and documents the stories of state officials who served between about 1960 and 1998. The senator’s interviews will go live on the OHS Digital Collections website (digitalcollections.ohs.org) on Tuesday, July 12, alongside twenty-four oral history interviews with Hatfield’s congressional aides, staff, and advisors that are currently available on OHS Digital Collections.
In a remarkable forty-six-year career in elected office, Mark O. Hatfield earned a reputation as the most respected and influential politician in Oregon’s history. First elected as an Oregon State Representative in 1950 at the age of twenty-eight, Hatfield never lost an election and would go on to serve Oregon as a state senator, secretary of state, governor, and a United States senator.
“I am one of hundreds of Oregonians who served as a college intern in Senator Hatfield’s office and am incredibly fortunate to have called him a mentor and a friend,” said OHS Boyle Family Executive Director Kerry Tymchuk. “In these often-polarizing times, let us all remember these words of Senator Hatfield: ‘All of us need each other, all of us must lift and pull others as we rise, all of us must rise together — powerful, free, one self-determined people.’”
About the Oregon Historical Society
For more than a century, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of artifacts, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms & website (www.ohs.org), educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all.We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Have-You-Seen-Me-Southern-Oregons-Missing-People-161249961222839/posts/