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Monday, August 21, 2023

Klamath Basin Weather

Today’s Headlines

The City of Klamath Falls, blinking streetlights and all, now are considering increasing parking fees and permits for those parking in an excess of two hours.

A mailer and an email were both sent to downtown businesses last week to inform them of the potential changes.

A QR code was provided on the mailer, linking downtown business owners to YouTube video. The video is not posted on the City of Klamath Falls’ YouTube site but instead was posted on the Assistant to the City Manager Aaron Snow’s YouTube channel (@AaronJacobSnow).

The video is unlisted and cannot be viewed without the QR code or a direct link.

According to the agenda for the Klamath Falls City Council meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 21, a public hearing on the change in parking permit fees will be held. Members of the public may enter their comments during the hearing.

The agenda item explains the current parking fee schedule as it stands in the City Code:

Current fees for part-time and full-time employees of downtown businesses are $30 and $50 per year, respectively.

There are currently four types of parking permits in the downtown area, including two all-day passes, one for reserved parking and one for overnight residential parking.

The council meeting agenda item lists some of the obstacles which occur with the current system, including estimates made by city staff that half of the purchased part-time employee parking permits are purchased by those who require full-time parking. The agenda report said city staff does not have the resources to enforce current permitting. (Herald and News)

Happy Camp Complex Incident Update

The Happy Camp Complex is comprised of 12 fires all burning on the Klamath National Forest over a large portion of Siskiyou County. The west side of the complex includes the Canyon, Three Creeks, Elliot, Ufish, and Malone Fires. The Canyon, Three Creeks, and Elliot are burning on the west side of Highway 96. Firefighters are focused on keeping the fires west of the highway and protecting structures along the corridor. 

The Ufish is burning east of Highway 96, southeast of Clear Creek. The fire is slowly backing toward the Highway 96 corridor. The Malone Fire is burning west of Elk Creek Road. Active fire behavior was observed on the Malone today and several spot fires ignited outside the primary lines. The spot fires were picked up by crews on scene. The crews are also working to strengthen the initial fireline built around the Malone Fire. 

The largest fire on the east side of the complex is the Head Fire. Today the fire was active on the east side. Firefighters used limited tactical firing operations to keep the line even and prevent large runs from occurring. On the north side of the Head Fire, firefighters worked on a dozer line north toward Horse Creek and addressed a 17 acre spot fire to the north of the main fire. Structure protection has been established and continues in the community of Hamburg. 

Good progress is being made on the Den, Townsend, and Block Fires and fire managers were able to shift some resources assigned to the Den to the Head Fire. The Block Fire is fully contained and some containment is expected on the Townsend and Den Fires tonight.  

The Gold and Scott Fires were very active today and firefighters worked hard to hold the fire on the ridge between Scott Bar Creek and Scott Bar Lookout and north to Anderson Peak. Crews are preparing structures in the area of Scott River as the fires back down slope to the river. A dozer line has been established on the north side of the Gold Fire down to the river. 

Two crews have hiked into the Marble Mountain Wilderness to address the Lake Fire. They reported today that the fire activity has moderated. The existing trail system will be used to the greatest extent possible to build a line around the Lake Fire. The assigned crews will remain in the area and be resupplied as needed by a pack train. 

One-tenth to one-quarter inch of rain is expected to fall on the fire area over the next two days. This will reduce fire behavior significantly and create an opportunity to engage some of the fires directly on the fire’s edge. Dozers will be used to open up lines previously constructed on other incidents.   

EVACUATIONS:  View current Siskiyou County evacuation orders, warnings and evacuation center locations by visiting: community.zonehaven.com  

An evacuation center has been established at the Kahtishraam Wellness Center, 1403 Kahtiishraam, Yreka, CA 95097. Call (530) 340-3539 if you have questions regarding the shelter.

ROAD CLOSURES: Highway 96 is closed from Seiad Creek Road to two miles east of Horse Creek.  Scott River Road is closed at Kelsey Creek Road. Fire and debris flow will continue to impact the Highway 96 corridor. Please check the Cal Trans website prior to travel in the area. County road closures will be listed on California Highway Patrol website.  quickmap.dot.ca.gov 

AIR QUALITY: For information smoke impacts and what you can do to protect yourself visit: https://www.airnow.gov/  

For additional information regarding the Happy Camp Complex, please go to the InciWeb page at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/ 

Fire Information: 

Phone: (530) 330-5441 

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily 

Email: 2023.happycampcomplex@firenet.gov

Incident Website: inciweb.wildfire.gov 

Due to extreme wildfire risk with active fires near transmission lines, Pacific Power has de-energized a transmission line serving the Crescent City area for the safety of the public and emergency responders.

The duration of the outage is unknown at this time, but customers should prepare for multiple days without power. Pacific Power is closely monitoring fire activity in the area, and will turn power back on when it is safe to do so.

Pacific Power will be standing up a Community Resource Center (CRC) for customers, bringing in additional generators and will have crews and resources staged and ready to restore power when conditions improve.

Emergency evacuation shelters are available for customers:

Del Norte High School – 1301 El Dorado St, Crescent City

Kahtishraam Wellness Center – 1403 Kahtishraam, Yreka

Happy Camp Wellness Center – 537 Jacobs Way, Happy Camp

Pacific Power is coordinating closely with local emergency management to address customer needs associated with this emergency. Customers will receive regular updates on the emergency outage via email and text message. For more details visit: PacificPower.net/Outages

The ‘Smith River Complex Fire’ in Del Norte County is causing havoc for travelers wanting to use Highway 199. Photos show the debris and how close the fires are to the highway.

Highway 199 is closed from Pioneer Road in Gasquet to Oregon Mountain Road at the Oregon border.

CalTrans District 1 is calling it a hard closure, meaning no one, not even emergency vehicles can use the road. Del Norte County Emergency Services said they expect the highway to open by the middle of next week.

However, CalTrans is not sure when it will re-open. Clean up on the highway could take some time, before it’s safe to re-open. (ppl/Caltrans/local sources)

Our own Oregon Tech has been acknowledged by U.S. Veterans Magazine as a 2023 Top Veteran-Friendly School.

U.S. Veterans Magazine annually ranks four-year colleges and universities based on the services they provide U.S. veterans.

According to U.S. Veterans Magazine, the annual review is an evaluation of the nation’s employers, initiatives, government agencies, and educational institutions. U.S. Veterans Magazine states the reviews are non-biased studies and valuable resources for job-seekers, business owners, students, consumers, senior management, business associations, employment agencies, and consumer groups.

For 76 years, Oregon Tech has remained dedicated to supporting active military personnel and veterans with an educational pathway that prepares them for a prosperous future.

Active military members benefit from pathways to Oregon Tech, such as Base to Bachelor’s and the Air University Associate Baccalaureate Cooperative, which promote college access and affordability.

Benefits for active military and veterans include unlimited funding for the Yellow Ribbon Program and adherence to the Section 702 Choice Act to benefit out-of-state student veterans. Oregon Tech’s on-campus resources include a Veteran Resource Center in Klamath Falls, a Veteran Lounge at Portland-Metro, and dedicated veteran and service member support.

For more information about Oregon Tech’s Student Veteran Program, visit www.oit.edu/admissions/student-veterans. (herald and news)

Klamath County Sheriff’s officers and drug enforcement teams continue to fight the illegal growing of marijuana in the county.

The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office executed search warrants on two different properties on late last week. A search warrant was served at a location off of Bliss Road south of Sprague River, Oregon.

A total of 1,907 plants were destroyed located in 10 plots of land. Using current Oregon prices for the product, the value of the illegal crop was estimated to have been worth more than $11 million. The amount of water estimated to have been used was 1,029,000 gallons over the growing season. No persons were contacted at the location. Investigation into misuse of a residential well is underway.

A second search warrant was served on Meadow Lane, south east of Sprague River, Oregon. Two subjects were located and taken into custody. 908 illegal marijuana plants were destroyed in two separate greenhouses. The value of the illegal marijuana crop was estimated to have been approximately $5.25 million. Approximately 490,000 gallons of water had been used to grow this illegal crop. Investigation into misuse of a residential well is underway.

Arrested at the Meadow Lane location were:

Anthony Charles Stone  (age 41)                            
Christopher David Mizzel (age 50)  

Both individuals charged with:
Unlawful Possession of Marijuana andUnlawful Manufacture of Marijuana.

Klamath County Code Enforcement, the Oregon Water Master’s office, and Klamath County Solid Waste added additional resources in the eradication. (kcso press release)

BADGER RUN RUMMAGE SALE IS SATURDAY, Aug. 26th, Benefitting Wildlife Care in Klamath County

Around the state of Oregon

The state suffered through another brutal heat wave this week, but the temperature spike in Eastern and Southern Oregon is expected to have a slightly longer tail.

While temperatures around the Portland area started to cool Thursday, the weather remained hot and dry east of the Cascades. Many of the major population centers in Eastern Oregon, including John Day, Ontario, Enterprise and La Grande were under a heat advisory from the National Weather Service as of late Thursday afternoon.

Communities closer to the Columbia River, like Pendleton, Hermiston, Boardman and Condon, were even hotter, earning them an excessive heat warning from the federal government. Hermiston set daily records for temperature twice this week, including a high of 107 degrees on Wednesday.

In Southern Oregon, the Rogue Valley International Airport recorded back-to-back highs of 106 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday, even as Thursday cooled to 99 degrees.

Eastern Oregon’s heat wave shouldn’t last too much longer. Most communities should see their temperature start to drop Friday before declining into the 80s over the weekend. National Weather Service meteorologist Cole Evans said the delayed end to the heat wave is just a standard weather pattern.

“The high pressure system that’s caused this heatwave is shifting more to the east,” he said. “That’s just the effect of that: It ends sooner in western Oregon and then lingers a little bit longer in Eastern Oregon.”

Looking beyond this weekend, Evans said Eastern Oregon has a chance of getting some rare summer rain next week. A tropical storm is expected to head northward from the southeast, and although that could elevate the risk of lightning in the region, Evans said it depends on what route the storm takes.

Many Eastern Oregon communities are enduring an especially hot summer. In Pendleton, both June and July were warmer than the 20-year average. (herald and news/OPB)

JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. – Over the past four days a total of 10 small fires have started along the northern end of the Bear Creek Greenway. Fortunately, firefighters have stopped all the fires before they had a chance to spread.

Law enforcement and fire officials are investigating the possibility of a potential arsonist on the loose. Fire officials and law enforcement need the public’s help. If you see any suspicious activity along the Greenway, please report it immediately so law can investigate.

The best way to report criminal activity is through the Sheriff’s App “Submit a Tip” feature. Download the App here: https://apps.myocv.com/share/a72997501

You can also call the JCSO Tip Line at (541) 774-8333. To report a crime in progress or if you see a fire start, call 911.

Gov. Tina Kotek on Friday appointed a retired Army officer to lead the Oregon Department of Emergency Management and oversee the state’s response to disasters ranging from wildfires to pandemics to the homelessness crisis.

Erin McMahon, a retired Army brigadier general who most recently worked as a senior adviser at the Virginia-based McChrystal Group, needs to be confirmed by the state Senate when it meets in September.

McMahon says  after over 15 years of supporting emergency management operations at the national level – including during the COVID-19 health emergency and dozens of climate-related catastrophes – she will capitalize on her prior work with FEMA and other federal partners to develop a strategic plan for emergency management that will help our communities before, during and after disaster,. 

McMahon previously served as principal deputy general counsel for the U.S. National Guard Bureau, where she supervised a team of 60 attorneys and advised top Department of Defense leaders on critical issues, including Oregon’s 2021 wildfires.

While that season wasn’t as destructive as the 2020 fires that burned more than a million acres, the state had more than 1,000 fires that burned close to 520,000 acres in 2021. (herald and news)

Moderate to extreme fire behavior was observed on the Smith River Complex. The 2 fires that are impacting SW Oregon are the Holiday and Kelly Fires.

Significant growth occurred on the Kelly fire extending its footprint North, South and West.

Heat signature mapping shows that the Kelly and Holiday fires could combine soon. The Holiday Fire has crossed into Oregon as of early this morning. Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest (RRSNF), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) resources continue to be proactive by reopening old fire containment features and identifying areas of opportunity in protection of life and property.

All efforts continue to be a joint effort by RRSNF, Medford BLM and ODF. An additional order for resources was placed last night by RRSNF and Medford BLM for varying types of specialized heavy equipment and additional hand crews, as good work continues by all cooperating agencies across SW Oregon. The Flat Fire remains in the same footprint as previously reported.  (blm/odf press release)

Three samples collected Aug. 15 from mosquitoes in Medford and Phoenix tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to a news release from the Jackson County Vector Control District. 

“Residents are advised to take basic precautions against mosquitoes since WNv is spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes,” the release said. “People should consult their health care providers if they experience any flu-like symptoms, especially in people over 50 years of age with underlying conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes.”

Authorities suggest taking the following precautions:

• Eliminate/treat standing water in your home.
• Avoid outdoor activities at dawn or dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
• Wear long-sleeved shorts and pants outdoors.
• Make sure screen doors and windows are in good condition.
• Use repellants containing DEET, lemon/eucalyptus oil or Picardin.

“The virus also affects wildlife and domesticated farm animals,” the release said. “Horse owners should get their horses vaccinated for WNv and horses with neurologic disease should be examined by a veterinarian. West Nile testing is available at Oregon State University.”  (kdrv 12)

TUALATIN, OR – The Alliance and its undergraduate private, nonprofit college and university members welcomed nearly 1,100 student visits during Oregon Private College Week (OPCW) July 24-28, 2023.

Demonstrating the growing appeal of independent higher education, the event saw a nearly 10% increase in student visits compared to the previous year. Notably, prospective students and their networks travelled from 28 different states, showcasing the allure of Oregon’s private colleges and universities.

Among the attendees, less than half of visiting students were Oregon residents, underscoring the widespread appeal these Alliance member institutions hold. Impressively, even international candidates journeyed from places like Japan and The Netherlands to explore the offerings of Oregon’s esteemed private educational institutions.

A pivotal aspect of OPCW is the inclusion of various community-based college access programs, which serve as instrumental platforms for fostering educational opportunities. This year, Alliance campuses welcomed students from community-based college access programs such as Oregon GEAR UP, Latino Network, and ProjectYouth+. The week-long event facilitated engaging campus visits, allowing participants to delve into academic programs, financial aid options, interactive discussions with admissions personnel and current students, and comprehensive campus tours.

The member campuses who participated, include:

• Bushnell University
• Corban University
• George Fox University
• Lewis & Clark College
• Linfield University
• Multnomah University
• Pacific Northwest College of Art
• Pacific University
• Reed College
• University of Portland
• Warner Pacific University
• Willamette University

The next iteration of Oregon Private College Week, July 29 – August 2, 2024, holds the promise of welcoming an even greater number of prospective students, alongside valued community partners, as Oregon’s private, nonprofit colleges and universities continue to exemplify excellence in education and inclusivity.

The Oregon State Marine Board is asking boaters to avoid power loading during low water at reservoirs.

Power loading is when the boat’s motor is used to push the boat onto the trailer. The prop wash causes the dirt to wash out from under the end of the boat ramp. The concrete cracks and breaks apart. They want boaters to kill their motors and use a bow line and winch to get their boat on the trailer. (oregon news)

OHSU and Legacy Health have started planning for a merger.

They’ve signed a letter of intent that starts the process. Legacy would become part of OHSU. The combined system would have more than 32-thousand employees and over 100 locations, including 10 hospitals and three-million patients.

A definitive agreement is expected in the next few months and the deal would close next year, pending regulatory review. (oregon news)

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