Klamath Basin News, Tuesday, Aug 15 – KF Heat Advisory Continues; Downtown Traffic Lights Poll-What are your thoughts?

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Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Klamath Basin Weather

HEAT ADVISORY until Thursday, August 17, 11:00 PM 
 Red Flag Warning in effect all day today, August 15.  
  Fire Weather Watch in effect until August 16, 11:00 PM

Today’s Headlines

What should Klamath Falls do with the traffic lights on Main Street?

An online poll by the Herald and News is asking just that.  As of yesterday afternoon, 85% of those that responded said they should return them to how they were, with green, yellow, and red stoplights.

10% say take out all lights and put in stop signs at every intersection.

Only 5.3% say they should leave it the way it currently is.

The current configuration has been there since June.  So far,, traffic along Main Street, Klamath Avenue and Pine Street has decreased appreciably.

Citizens have expressed concerns and entered complaints regularly at city council meetings since the traffic test began. 

Main Street Jewelers is in the process of collecting signatures from residents to put a stop to the project. The business has filled nearly all allotted spaces for signatures on the petition provided by city staff.

Go to heraldandnews.com to voice your vote.  (herald and news/local sources)

U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley of Oregon announced Monday that the Upper Klamath Basin will receive nearly $92,000 from the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation for data collection and conservation planning through Oregon State University.

Wyden said “there have been incredible efforts by folks in the Klamath Basin to prepare and respond to more frequent and severe droughts caused by climate chaos — but all of that starts with everyone having all the facts “While I’m gratified Senator Merkley and I brought resources for species recovery and habitat restoration to the region in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, it’s clear that more needs to be done. To ensure the long-term viability of the Klamath Basin natural resources and economy, we must start with quality data, which is why I’m gratified to see this tool developed to help communities in the Basin set priorities that help everyone.”

The hydrologically unique Upper Klamath Basin requires continuous data collection to guide conservation planning. Oregon State University will incorporate empirical data for redband trout — which are an important species both culturally and economically — from previous field studies into a tool to guide conservation of juvenile redband trout rearing and habitat conditions in the Upper Klamath Basin.

Native redband trout hold valuable insights for the unique challenges and opportunities facing future runs of salmon and steelhead in the Upper Klamath Basin,” said Jonathan Armstrong, OSU associate professor. “Our project will upload key information on redband trout ecology to an interactive web tool where it will inform fisheries recovery and climate adaptation planning”. (Herald and News/Sen. Ron Wyden’s office)

A hillside plot of land alongside the Baldwin Hotel in downtown Klamath Falls sits empty and has for many years.

In 2017, Klamath County Commissioners contributed $100,000 to the city on behalf of developing the land into a “stunning” entryway into the downtown area.

During a city-county work session Monday evening, Commissioner Kelley Minty asked the city “where’s the hangup?”

John Bellon, from the City’s parks department, has been dedicated to developing the area since 2017 as well and recalled giving a presentation to the city council of the time with former Commissioner Donnie Boyd.

Since then, Bellon said, the city has committed some dollars towards its development, as well as his own efforts combined with regional design experts to put together a proposal. Bellon said when all is said and done, he expects the project will cost closer to $350,000.

The question expressed by both city and county officials was how to pay for the project.

City Manager Johnathan Teichert said the next step is fundraising.

City Councilor Kelsey Mueller-Wendt said she was willing spearhead the grant writing on behalf of the project.

County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot said finding the funds should prove to be an easy process. (herald and news)

See our Extreme Heat Awareness, Resources, Community Preparedness Page, From Klamath County Health Dept and Oregon Health Authority. CLICK HERE:

The National Weather Service says hazardous heat is likely in Oregon all this week, with widespread highs at least in the high 90s across most of the state.

Tanja Fransen, with NWS says some areas could see temperatures warmer than 105 degrees. Fransen added that low temperatures won’t fall far below 70 degrees.

“Those overnight temperatures aren’t going to recover very much,” she said. “If you can open your windows, 10 or 11 o’clock at night, and maybe have fans push the heat from the house out, that’s going to help.”

For most of next week, Fransen said, people should plan to avoid spending time outdoors, especially between 2-7 p.m. While the temperature may start to drop a few degrees each day from Wednesday on, she said it may not be back to the low-90s until the following weekend.

She urged people to check in on friends, family and neighbors who might not have access to cool indoor spaces. She added that pets should be indoors as much as possible.

Klamath County Public Health (KCPH) officials announced the Bedrock Fire will continue to affect the county’s air quality for some time.

“The northern part of Klamath County is experiencing a lot of smoke intrusion,” KCPH Director Jennifer Little said. “Wind is also causing it to drift south which will find air quality reaching the threshold of unhealthy for sensitive groups periodically throughout the county.”

The Bedrock Fire is in Lane County with 10% containment. It is now 15,178 acres. It is burning actively on rugged forested land. Resources from the USDA Forest Service, Oregon Department of Forestry, and private industry are working to fully suppress the fire. Unusually dry fuels, steep slopes, and gusty winds have contributed to rapid fire growth.

Projected containment for the Bedrock Fire is Oct. 1.

There can be air quality changes from moment to moment. Check hourly air quality conditions at https://aqi.oregon.gov/ or https://www.airnow.gov/. (herald and news)

Klamath County will have work crews at the following locations this week and ask you to please use caution when in these areas and watch for flaggers.

If you are able to avoid the work zones, please use an alternate route for your safety and the safety of Klamath County employees and our contractors.

Chip Seal Crew

August 21— Westside Road; August 22 — Westside Road, Sunset Beach, Lakeshore Drive; August 23 — Lakeshore Drive, Sharp Road, Horsely Road; August 24 — Dayton Street, Derby Street, Gary Street, Gettle Street.

4 a.m. – Early Morning Broom Crew

August 22 — Westside Road; August 23 — Westside Road, Sunset Beach, Lakeshore Drive; August 24 — Westside Road, Sunset Beach, Lakeshore Drive, Sharp Road, Horsely Road; August 25 — Sharp Road, Horsely Road, Dayton Street, Derby Sreet, Gary Street, Gettle Street.

Paint Striping/Stencil Crew

• Clover Creek Road, Westside Road, Fort Klamath area, Williamson River Road
• Road and Utility Work — Vicinity of Stearns Elementary School
• Expect daily lane closures. — Crest Street: Clinton to Denver

See the following link for a map of roads to be chip sealed for the 2023 season, or log onto the Klamath County Public Works website at http://www.klamathcounty.org/734/Maps.

In general, flagging stations will be set up at the end of the work zone and delays will be 0 to 20 minutes for the motoring public. Our goal is to minimize the delay to the motoring public. Other minor work is occurring through the county but we are only listing the major items in this announcement. Please do not contact the County if you do not see work occurring, it could be finished already or will be rescheduled.

Klamath County Public Works and the Board of County Commissioners appreciate the motoring publics’ patience during the repair season for our local roads and bridges. If you have any questions regarding work, please contact the Public Works Department at (541) 883-4696.

(public works/Herald and news)

The Ella Redkey Pool will be hosting Summer Splash 2023 this Friday night.

 This event is sponsored by the Friends of Ella Redkey Pool and includes free admission to the first 100 people ($5 per person, $20 per family up to 6 people after), family friendly music, and a raffle with 18 different baskets to choose from.

The Summer Splash will begin at 7:00 p.m. and the fun will continue until 10:00 p.m. with the raffle beginning at 8:00 p.m. All proceeds raised by this event will be applied to future projects and equipment at the pool. Tickets are available for purchase at the Ella Redkey Pool during normal hours of operation. Must be 18 years old or older to purchase a ticket, and winners do not have to be present at the drawing. Tickets are $5 each or $20 for 5 tickets. Tickets can be purchased up to the drawing time. For inquiries call (541) 273-1477. (city of KF press release)

Around the state of Oregon

Lookout Fire Grows, Gov. Kotek Declares Emergency Conflagration

With Red Flag Warnings in place and increased fire activity on the Bedrock Fire in Lane County, the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has mobilized four task forces to the fire through Immediate Response.

The task forces are from Multnomah, Douglas, Polk, and Washington counties. The Multnomah County task force was previously assigned to the Wiley Fire in Linn County and was moved on Sunday to begin assessing homes and preparing communities. 

Over the past 72 hours, our agency has been working diligently to be ready for this critical weather event and increased fire danger. On Saturday, task forces were pre-positioned in Lane County. The OSFM has been in constant contact with the local fire agencies and the team managing the Bedrock Fire to provide support. 

The OSFM is in contact with California to bring in additional strike teams through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). These additional resources are a proactive move to ensure Oregon has the necessary resources to respond to the increased fire threat.  

As of Monday morning, the Bedrock Fire was estimated to be 19,297 acres in size and 20 percent contained. A virtual meeting is planned for this evening. More information can be found on the Bedrock Fire 2023 Facebook page. Smoke from that fire has made Klamath Basin air quality worse several times in the past week.

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office has level 2 and level 3 evacuation notices in place for those living near the fire. For the latest evacuation information, Lane County Emergency Management is posting updates to its website.  

The OSFM is asking Oregonians and visitors to be extremely cautious during these heightened wildfire conditions. We all need to be wildfire aware and take necessary precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire.   (osfw news release)

Oregon’s state-run paid leave program has started taking applications. The first leave can start September 3rd with payments going out through direct deposit or prepaid cards two weeks later.

Paid Leave Oregon will cover time off for family members, illness, and safe leave. Around 41-thousand claims are expected at the start and then 12-thousand a month as the program moves forward. Grants are available for small businesses to help cover for employees while they’re on leave. Eleven states have similar programs. Details at paidleave-dot-oregon-dot-gov. (oregon news)

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival received a $250,000 donation from Sid and Karen DeBoer on Tuesday.

As a popular tourist destination in Southern Oregon and as it still recovers from the pandemic, OSF said it’s feeling grateful for the generous support.

Sid DeBoer is the chairman and owner of Lithia Motors, Inc. but is also known for his charitable work throughout Southern Oregon. With their donation, the Deboers are encouraging other local donors to support historical theatre organizations, like OSF.

 OSF has been successful with recent fundraising campaigns and has had a busy summer season. But, the numbers aren’t even close to what they were pre-pandemic.

Thanks to its recent fundraising efforts, OSF is wrapping up some finishing touches and plans to announce its 2024 season in the near future. (kdrv 12)

Gray whales are a sight to see and we are fortunate to have them off our coast, feeding in the summer months.

Oregon State University scientists have been watching them much more closely than the rest of us. In recent years, they’ve been using non-invasive techniques like drones, to really get to know the 212 gray whales called the Pacific Coast Feeding Group.

The population is much smaller than the 16,000 or so that travel farther north to Alaska to feed, in the Eastern North Pacific.

The habitat here off the Oregon coast is much different than the habitat of the gray whales feeding in Alaska or in the arctic would experience. It’s much more shallow, rocky, kelp forest, so you could see where a different morphology: smaller size, shorter skulls (and) flukes might actually help them thrive and survive in this habitat,

(oregon news)

–

Oregon manufacturing’s pandemic recovery may be over, with factories shedding thousands of jobs since last summer.

The declines stand out because other parts of Oregon’s economy are continuing their recovery, adding workers, and because the state’s jobless rate is near a historic low at 3.5%.

Manufacturing recoveries tend to be incomplete, reflecting a long-term decline in factory work in Oregon and across the country.

That protracted deterioration of blue-collar jobs reflectsoffshored production work, especially in the 1990s and early 2000s; increased automation on the factory floor; and the closure of aging factories that are too expensive to replace.

Oregon manufacturing has held up better than in other parts of the country, but in the pandemic’s wake, Oregon factories appear to be faring a little worse.

Nationally, manufacturing employment is up about 1% in the past year. It’s down a little more than 2%, about 4,100 jobs, in Oregon.

(oregon news)

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians announced it is closing tribal lands to public use due to the excessive heat warning.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Coos, and Curry counties that extend through Thursday, August 17.

The National Weather Service also issued a Red Flag Warning for parts of Douglas County and the Rogue Valley until 8 p.m. Monday.

According to the National Weather Service, “extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities.”

The Cow Creek says this closure will take effect Monday and las through August 24.  The Tribal Board of Directors will reassess at that time.

Tribal lands will be patrolled by Cow Creek Tribal Police and Douglas Forest Protection Agency.

(cow creek tribe press release)

Lots of mosquitos in Oregon

Health officials are reminding people heading outdoors in eastern Oregon to prevent mosquito bites after a recent jump in the number of mosquito pools – collections of up to 50 insects – testing positive for West Nile virus, according to local vector control districts.

Emilio DeBess, D.V.M., state public health veterinarian at Oregon Health Authority’s (OHA) Public Health Division, said high heat combined with sporadic precipitation has created perfect conditions for mosquito growth in recent weeks. As a result, eastern parts of the state are seeing more mosquitoes and a corresponding increase in traps containing West Nile-positive insects.

The increase in mosquito populations may be behind new human cases of the virus.

“Eastern Oregon has seen a little bit of rain, leading to additional water available for mosquitoes to lay eggs,” said DeBess. “We saw an increase of 13 West Nile-positive mosquito pools in one week, 10 of them in Baker County, and two presumptive human cases.”

So far in 2023, a total of 22 mosquito pools have tested positive for the virus. Eleven have been in Baker County, seven in Malheur County, two in Union County, and one each in Jackson and Umatilla counties.

Last year, there were five human West Nile virus cases in Oregon, and three cases among horses, with 45 positive mosquito pools. There also were five human cases in 2021, along with eight horse cases, two bird cases and 75 positive mosquito pools.

Groups at risk for severe disease include adults 50 and older, immunocompromised people and those living with certain conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

While most infected people show little to no signs of disease, one in five show signs of West Nile fever. Flu-like symptoms can last from a few days to several weeks and may include fever above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, severe headaches, stiff neck, mental confusion, muscle weakness, shaking, paralysis or rash. Anyone experiencing such symptoms should contact their health care provider.

The easiest and best way to avoid mosquito-borne diseases is to prevent mosquito bites:

• People should mosquito-proof their homes by following these steps:
  
  
  • Eliminate standing water in and around the home and business where mosquitoes can breed.
  • At least once or twice a week, empty water from flowerpots, pet food and water dishes, birdbaths, swimming pool covers, buckets, barrels and cans.
  • Clean out clogged rain gutters.
  • Remove discarded tires and other items that could collect water.
  • Look for containers or trash in places that may be hard to see, such as under bushes or under your home.
• Take personal precautions to prevent mosquito bites.
  • Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. Generally, the more active ingredients a repellent contains the longer it can protect against mosquito bites. Repellents containing DEET, oil of lemon eucalyptus or Picaridin are recommended; follow directions on the container for applying it to the skin.
  • Repellents may irritate the eyes and mouth, so avoid applying repellent to the hands of children. When using an insecticide or insect repellent, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s DIRECTIONS FOR USE, as printed on the products.
  • When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants whenever you are outdoors.
  • Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when outdoors with infants.
  • Consider staying indoors at dawn and dusk, which are peak mosquito biting times. Install or repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot get indoors.
  •  

The Klamath National Forest is still seeking members to serve on the Siskiyou County Resource Advisory Committee.

The RAC recommends projects for funding to federal land managers to benefit resources on public lands. The committee constitutes of community members representing the public, industries, schools, environmental organizations, and local government. RAC members solicit, review, and recommend projects that aim to:

• Improve maintenance of existing infrastructure,
• Implement stewardship objectives that enhance forest ecosystems,
• Restore and improve land health and water quality, and
• Create additional employment opportunities.

The RAC has helped fund numerous projects in Siskiyou County. For example, as the representative of archeological and historical interests, landscape architect Bob Talley has advocated for funding of historical trail maintenance. These projects are funded under the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000,

Interested applicants must submit a cover letter and download and complete the Member Interest Form and the Advisory Committee or Research and Promotion Background Information Form (klamath national forest press release)

Sports fans at Oregon State can now see the 160-million-dollar renovation of Reser Stadium on the OSU campus in Corvallis which is complete, and the public is invited to an open house.

Hoffman Construction rebuilt the older half of the stadium. The open house will be held August 19th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Under the stadium seating is a 30-thousand-square-foot Health Center and a student Welcome Center. Donors contributed 90-million dollars toward the project. (oregon news)

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