Klamath Basin News, Wednesday, Jan. 17 – Some Spectrum Outages Statewide; Gilchrist Schools Closed Today; Travel In Oregon Remains Difficult

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 and News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance, your Local Health and Medicare agents. Call 541-882-6476.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Today’s Headlines

Spectrum customers in Klamath County and surrounding areas spent much of Sunday without internet or landline connection. Some customers are still without service in some areas here and around the state.

Severe winter storms over the weekend wreaked havoc on power lines and fiber optic cables across the region. Torrential snowfall and fallen trees disrupted service in multiple communities.

According to reports from a Spectrum customer service agent, the outage in Klamath and Deschutes Counties was caused by a damaged fiber optic cable. Customers reported waking up Sunday morning without working internet services or landline phone connections.

Service repair reports on the Spectrum website estimated service restoration at various times throughout the day, but service was not restored until around 5 p.m. Sunday.

Spectrum outages were widespread across the entire state of Oregon, as well as parts of California and Washington state. Locally, the areas hardest hit are Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, and Brookings, along with us here in the Klamath Basin.

According to the Spectrum Outage map, other areas affected in Oregon are Roseburg, Coos Bay, Eugene, Bend, Corvallis and Portland.

Klamath Falls city Streets Division crews are busy now with snow clean up and will be working the downtown core area and moving out from there.  They will be pulling snow from the curbs and placing it in the middle of the road on Main Street and Klamath Avenue.

As a reminder, when snow is being stored in the middle of the road on Main and Klamath, the parking areas where diagonal parking is normally allowed becomes parallel parking (next to curb). An effort is made to post signs on these blocks and the City appreciates your cooperation with this temporary parking change.

If you would like more information, please call City Public Works Department at (541) 883- 5363.

Severe winter weather took its toll on southern Oregon roadways as well, leaving multiple state highways closed for the majority of the weekend. Problems with travel persist in many places across the state today.

Saturday, an emergency alert from the Oregon Department of Transportation announced multiple closures, including a 39-mile stretch of Oregon Highway 66.

Klamath County Emergency Manager Ian Thigpen also sent out releases over the weekend, updating residents on the status of local services and weather conditions.

Rolling blackouts between Rocky Point and Lake of the Woods,” the Saturday update said. “More than 1,000 homes have lost power within the county over the last 24 hours.”

A tragic ending in a search for a man missing since Saturday was announced by family members Monday afternoon.

At 10:00pm on Saturday night, the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a person believed to be missing in the area of the Williamson River Highway and the Forest Service Road 45. This area is approximately 10 miles NE of Chiloquin, OR.

Reportedly missing was Corey Alexander, a 54-year-old man and his 1-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever.

The initial report indicated a friend observed Mr. Alexander a couple of miles from his cabin, before the snowstorm, however he didn’t speak with him and couldn’t remember the exact date or time he actually saw him.

His body was found reportedly near Applegate View Monday afternoon.

Sheriff’s Office deputies spent most of the first night searching the area and snow-covered roadways and they were able to locate Mr. Alexander’s locked pickup with 2-feet of fresh snow on it. There were no tracks in the snow or indication of a possible direction of travel. The area around the cabin where Corey Alexander stayed was also searched and there was no indication that anyone had been at the cabin since the snowstorm.

On Sunday, a Sheriff’s Office deputy and a Search and Rescue volunteer returned to the location and located an area where the subject may have been cutting wood.

Volunteer searchers followed tracks in the snow by snowmobile on Monday until they located the deceased man and his dog still with him.

The family has been notified and the dog was returned to the family.

Persons having information about the incident are requested to contact the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office at (541) 883-5130.

A death investigation is underway and the cause of death will be determined by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office.

Wynne Broadcasting’s BasinLife.com reminds you to be extra careful on streets and roads in and around town. Snowy, icy and slushy roads are making getting around the area very difficult.

Drive with caution, allow time for braking behind other vehicles in front of you.

Road Crews continued working around the clock to keep highways open and have reopened some of those closed by ice and downed trees and power lines across Oregon.

With unusually cold temperatures and another round of freezing rain expected Tuesday, travel will continue to be challenging.

Northbound Interstate 5 south of Eugene remains slow and congested due to overnight crashes.

If you must travel, carry chains – even if you have traction tires or four-wheel-drive – plenty of fuel, snacks and blankets in case of delays.

Temperatures remain below freezing across much of the state, and the National Weather Service is forecasting freezing rain across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington starting late tomorrow morning, with ice accumulations between 0.10 – 0.50 inches.

ODOT and Oregon State agencies are warning Oregonians to stay off roads and prepare for additional tree damage and power outages. Ice will make for extremely dangerous travel conditions.

ROAD CONDITIONS
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is asking drivers to consider delaying any travel until later this week if possible.

If you must travel, be prepared for conditions as difficult as the weekend. Even in areas where snow and ice began to melt in the daytime, overnight lows are expected to refreeze them on Monday and Tuesday nights. If you must travel, carry chains – even if you have traction tires or four-wheel-drive – plenty of fuel, snacks and blankets in case of delays. Some highways have reached the point where chains are required regardless of four-wheel-drive. Crews are plowing 24/7 and using de-icer by the hundreds of thousands of pounds, as well as sanding packed ice and snow on the roads. However, the amount of ice and extremely low temperatures limit the effectiveness of these tools – especially for vehicles without chains.

If you absolutely must travel, check road conditions by dialing 511 or visiting TripCheck.com. If you decide to travel, plan extra time for your journey and carry emergency supplies including food, water, phone chargers, blankets and warm clothes. Visit ODOT’s winter travel tips page for winter driving car essentials.

Some highways have reached the point where chains are required regardless of four-wheel-drive.

On Sunday night, vehicles spinning out, crashing or losing traction on northbound I-5 in south Lane county blocked the interstate for hours, causing a backup of traffic stopped on the highway. ODOT crews and Oregon State Police needed to awaken drivers sleeping in their cars between midnight and 3 a.m. Monday, and there were off-ramp backups of vehicles heading for fuel stations.

Crews are plowing 24/7 and using de-icer by the hundreds of thousands of pounds, as well as sanding packed ice and snow on the roads. However, the amount of ice and extremely low temperatures limit the effectiveness of these tools – especially for vehicles without chains.

Crews are also seeing some commercial vehicles traveling at or near 55 mph in icy conditions, which is a dangerous violation of Oregon’s basic rule to drive according to conditions. Crews also are seeing vehicles chain up in the travel lanes.

• As of 2AM this Tuesday morning, ODOT is reporting OR 58 is closed west of Odell Lake at milepost 61 due to a crash. Expect extended delays. There is no local detour route for this area.

Other Road notices:

• OR 126W remains closed between Mapleton and Veneta due to hundreds of downed trees. There is no estimate of when the highway can reopen. OR 126E is also delayed in Springfield at milepost 7.5 due to downed power lines.
• In the Portland area, we will continue to clear roads, but ice remains a threat especially in shady areas. Driving conditions will remain hazardous and motorists should stay off the roads if at all possible.
• The Columbia River Gorge is expecting dangerous travel conditions Monday and Tuesday caused by sleet, snow and ice on Interstate 84. Ice accumulations may bring down trees and power lines. We will monitor I-84 carefully and will close the interstate if conditions become unsafe.
• OR 126W remains closed between Mapleton and Veneta due to hundreds of downed trees. There is no estimate of when the highway can reopen. OR 126E is also delayed in Springfield at milepost 7.5 due to downed power lines.
• S. 20 is closed east of Sweet Home between mileposts 32 and 72 due to downed trees. There is no estimate of when the highway can reopen.
• OR 230 has reopened between Diamond Lake Junction Union Creek. Be prepared for delays and chain restrictions.

For the latest state highway information and to see current closures, visit Tripcheck.com. 

For the latest weather, visit the National Weather Service website.

If you decide to travel, plan extra time for your journey and carry emergency supplies. Delays and closures are happening statewide. Expect to encounter chain restrictions.

Give snowplows and emergency crews extra space to do their work, and never pass a snowplow on the right. Our crews are working hard to clear roads, but their job becomes more difficult when disabled cars and trucks block traffic.

With power lines down, traffic signals may be off-line. Treat traffic signals that aren’t working like a four-way stop. Never drive over downed power lines.

TUESDAY MORNING, Jan. 16, 2024: Yet another storm system is set to hit our area, arriving along the Oregon coast by the mid-morning on Tuesday and moving across the state. Rain will become pretty widespread into lunchtime and dinnertime, although we’ll start to trend a bit drier into the late evening.

Snow levels will start off Tuesday morning around 2,000 feet, but will quickly shoot up to around 8,500 feet by Tuesday afternoon.  All this to say, we’re not expecting much snow through Tuesday.

Winds will pick up for Tuesday, but they’ll be even stronger for Wednesday—especially in the mountains. Snow levels will start to stabilize on Wednesday, settling between 4,500-5,000’. This means that travel impacts could go up a smidge above 4,500’, but widespread chain requirements and road closures aren’t expected. We’ll see lingering showers for Thursday and Friday, but another storm system is set to bring more widespread rain and snow (above 5,500-6,000’) chances into Saturday and Sunday.

Pacific Power crews continue to make progress and restore power around Oregon 

Pacific Power is responding to widespread outages across our Oregon service area. Crews are actively working around the clock to restore power to remaining customers experiencing outages.  

Pacific Power crews have worked tirelessly to fully restore power to several areas including Portland metro, Dallas, Clatsop, and Albany. Crews continue to make repairs and restore power to remaining impacted customers.  

Snow and ice accumulation on the wires is impacting repair and restoration work in some areas. Activities are proving more difficult, based on access, damage and weather impacts. Some customers in Cottage Grove, Creswell, Junction City, Coburg, Lebanon and Sweet Home may see outages into Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. 

Pacific Power is closely monitoring the next storm arriving midday Tuesday into Wednesday.  

“Our crews continue to work in the harsh weather conditions to restore power to remaining customers,” said Allen Berreth, vice president of transmission and distribution operations. “We appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers while we work to restore power as quickly and safely possible.” 

We know that any loss of power is an inconvenience to our customers, especially during cold weather and we thank customers for their continued patience. Our crews are working very hard to restore power to all impacted customers. 

Visit pacificpower.net/outages for a map showing current restoration estimates. 

Pacific Power encourages customers to report outages by calling 1-877-508-5088 or text OUT to 722797.Text STAT to 722797to check the status of your outage. 

To ease the inconvenience of power outages and assist crews in restoring power, Pacific Power suggests the following tips and safety precautions: 

Stay away from all downed power lines and utility lines. Even if the lines are not sparking, they could be energized and extremely dangerous. Call 911 and report the outage to Pacific Power at 1-877-508-5088. 

Don’t drive over downed power lines. If there is damage to your service mast or weather head, where the powerline connects to your home or business, you will need to contact a licensed electrician for repairs before service can be restored. Our crews can only work on company-owned equipment. 

Check on your neighbors, especially those who may need special assistance. Also, check with others who have electricity, to see if you can visit. 

If you have power at this time, keep mobile devices charged so that may be used in an emergency. Before anything happens, download the Pacific Power app to your smart device so you can have information readily available. 

Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed. Most food requiring refrigeration can be kept safely in a closed refrigerator for several hours. An unopened refrigerator will keep food cold for about 4 hours. A full freezer will keep the temperature for about 48 hours. 

Remember your pets! Pets who spend a lot of time outdoors need more food in the winter because keeping warm depletes energy. 

If you are using alternate heat or cooking sources, remember to allow plenty of ventilation. Never burn charcoal for heating or cooking indoors. 

If you are using a generator, make sure to follow all manufacturer’s instructions. Make sure the generator is outside and not near any household air intakes. Do not connect the generator directly to your breaker box as this can create a dangerous situation for crews working on the powerlines. Instead, plug essential appliances directly into the generator. 

The City of Klamath Falls said the Moore Park loop road will be closed to vehicle traffic until the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 16.

Fallen tree limbs and excessive tree debris are the reason for the closure. For more information, residents can reach out to the Klamath Falls Public Works department at 541-883- 5363.

Mazama High School is expanding its manufacturing program next year, offering a career pathway track with college-credit courses and renovating and upgrading its metal shop.

The changes will allow students to graduate high school with certifications needed for the workplace and seamlessly transition into degree programs at Klamath Community College or Oregon Tech.

The school last month was awarded a $250,000 Oregon Department of Education Career and Technical Education (CTE) revitalization grant to renovate the metal shop. Grant funds will pay for welding booths, high-pressure exhaust fans, plumbing for gas lines, and other updates necessary to create a safe and effective learning environment for students.

Klamath County School District has allocated funds to hire an additional full-time manufacturing teacher starting in September 2024 as well as money for essential tools and equipment for both the metal and wood shops. The district’s maintenance and project crew will be in charge of the renovation work.

Plans include adding six metals classes in addition to the eight manufacturing classes for high school students and four new exploratory manufacturing courses for eighth-graders at Brixner Junior High School. The eighth-graders would travel to Mazama for the metal and wood shop classes. Manufacturing courses cover a broad range of skills, including construction, welding, metal work, carpentry, and production planning, creation, and processing.

Sergio Cisneros, vice principal at Mazama High School, said he believes the pathway program will fill a need not only for students, but for the local economy. Data indicates there are currently about 135 open manufacturing and production jobs in the region.

Anna Monteil, Mazama’s CTE coordinator, and Cisneros teamed up to write the successful grant.

Michael Edwards, manufacturing teacher at Mazama, said the shop renovation and new equipment will allow students to develop skills in line with industry standards and needs.

The high school has offered manufacturing classes in its metal and wood shops for more than 30 years, but advanced classes had not been dual credit. Mazama’s manufacturing program currently has 223 students enrolled. 

Crater Lake National Park has been experiencing extreme weather conditions over the past week that have resulted in failures of the park communication system.  

This has significantly impacted the ability to report emergency incidents so delays in response should be expected. Due to these conditions all facilities are closed, and backcountry travel is strongly discouraged. Highway 62 through the park remains open, but because of heavy and drifting snow and poor visibility, we are asking visitors to refrain from traveling in the park.  

As is typical during winter and spring, the North Entrance Road and Rim Drive are closed for the season. The road from park headquarters to Rim Village is currently closed due to the weather conditions. It is sometimes necessary throughout the course of the winter to close that section of road so the plow operators can focus on roads critical for safety access in the park. When this section of road is closed, there is no way to access a lake view by vehicle. 

Updates will be provided as conditions change. Please check for alerts on the park website at www.nps.gov/crla and on the Crater Lake National Park Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064393373885. Road status is also available on www.tripcheck.com.

Cascade Health Alliance and Healthy Klamath are hosting Family Fun Days around the county. The events are free and open to the public to increase awareness of community resources.

Event-goers will be treated to free tacos and raffle prizes, and there will be a bouncy house for kids. Denise Martinez of Klamath Community College said the event’s purpose is “to help get the word out in smaller communities that there are resources available to them.”

Currently, there are regular weekly outreach efforts in Merrill, Chiloquin, Sprague River, Klamath Falls and Keno, and are scheduled as follows:

Klamath Falls — Every Tuesday, 2 to 4 p.m., at the Klamath County Courthouse, 316 Main St.

Keno — Every 2nd and 4th Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Keno Tractor, 15555 Highway 66, Keno Merrill — Every 3rd Wednesday, 1 to 3 p.m., Merrill Water Department., 301 E. First St., Merrill

Malin — Every 3rd Thursday, 2 to 4 p.m., Malin Library Conference Hall, 2307 Front Street Malin Chiloquin — Every 2nd and 4th Friday, Farmer’s Market Lot, Chiloquin

Sprague River — Every 2nd and 4th Friday, Sprague River Community Center, 23411 Sprague River Road.

Organizations and vendors can join by contacting jenniferd@cascadecomp.com.  

The Linkville Players announce the opening of their second show of the 2023-24 season, “A Company of Wayward Saints”  playing at the Linkville Playhouse.

Written by George Herman, “Saints” is a tribute to the dedication and heart of actors, as well as the understanding and truth-telling that can come out of acting.

The play follows a comedic acting troupe, with familiar Renaissance-era characters such as Pantalone the greedy old man, and Capitano the swaggering braggart, as they find themselves broke and broke down right here in Klamath Falls.

A wealthy patron offers to pay their way home — if they can impress him with an improv show on the topic of his choosing. The tale that ensues takes us through the history of man from the garden of Eden to the assassination of Julius Caesar, up into modern life.

But, when improv goes awry the troupe is forced to look beyond the slapstick and costumes and face the redeeming powers of humor and understanding.

The show, produced by special arrangement with Concord Theatricals, features an all-local cast including Em Barr, Brian Green, Chris Malloy, Mathew Landsiedel, Jared McCleve, Corrie Judd, Rikkilea McGuffy and newcomers Aidan Coe and Hanna Levesque.

Performances take place Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of one Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on Jan. 21. The play will enjoy a seven-performance run, ending on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024.

Tickets can be purchased for $15-18 in advance at Poppy (522 Main Street) or up to half an hour before curtain at the Playhouse directly.

Around the state of Oregon

Ice and Snow and Freezing Temperatures — ODOT traffic alert. Road conditions remain challenging statewide. Delay your travel if possible.

The Pacific Northwest is expected to see freezing temperatures and maybe even lowland snow all this week as part of the polar vortex blasts southward from the Arctic.

Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade on Tuesday released the preliminary list of presidential candidates who will appear on the state’s May primary ballots.

They will include GOP frontrunner former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

President Joe Biden is expected to appear on the Democratic primary ballot alongside two longshot candidates, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help guru Marianne Williamson.

The Oregon Supreme Court last Friday declined to hear a challenge from a left-wing voters rights group aiming to bar Trump from Oregon’s primary ballot, saying it would wait until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the issue.

National nonprofit Free Speech for People sought to bar Trump from the ballot, citing his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, after Griffin-Valade said in November that state law does not give her the authority to determine the qualifications of candidates in a presidential primary.

Drivers spent hours stuck on Interstate 5 as winter weather snarled traffic on Sunday and Monday south of Eugene.

State highway officials required chains on sections of the highway but vehicles lacking the equipment spun out or crashed on ice and blocked the freeway beginning at about 6 p.m. Sunday.

The gridlock continued well into Monday, with hours-long delays reported for northbound traffic, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation.

ODOT spokesperson David House said that despite crews preparing for the storm, laying down more de-icer and sand than in previous years, the severity of the storm hampered driving conditions.

He said an increased number of commercial vehicles, such as semi trucks, were not using chains this year. When those vehicles spin out, he said, they are more likely to block traffic.

It got so bad on I-5, House said, that drivers were simply stopping in traffic lanes to chain up instead of pulling off to the side of the highway. That backed traffic up so much that some drivers just sat in their cars and went to sleep.

Even more trouble is surfacing about Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center and one of its physicians.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that Asante Health System, a southern Oregon healthcare corporation, and one of its physicians, have agreed to pay $430,000 to settle allegations that the company and its physician knowingly submitted false claims for payment for certain cardiothoracic surgeries to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE.

Between January 1, 2015, and January 31, 2021, Asante and Dr. Charles Carmeci, a cardiothoracic surgeon practicing at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, knowingly submitted claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE for cardiothoracic surgeries including decortications, PleurX catheter placements, pericardiectomies, mediastinal mass resections, patent foramen ovale, atrial septal defect closures, and Bentall procedures, knowing they did not meet the criteria for reimbursement or were otherwise improper.

Medicare and Medicaid are public health insurance programs administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). TRICARE is a civilian health care program administered by the Defense Health Agency (DHA), a joint, integrated combat support agency within the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

The settlement reached is not an admission of liability by Asante or Dr. Carmeci and both parties deny the government’s allegations.

This case was investigated by the HHS Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), FBI, and DHA. Both agencies were represented in this matter by Alexis Lien, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. Lisa M. Re, Assistant Inspector General for Legal Affairs for HHS-OIG, and Salvatore M. Maida, General Counsel for DHA assisted in this litigation.

This is a separate incident from a current investigation in which as many as 9 reported patients may have died due to medication diversion, which authorities say painkillers were switched with bags of tap water at the facility.

A Bend man who allegedly pulled a gun during a violent robbery attempt last week and fled pursuing officers two days later, hitting two vehicles, then left the car at Farewell Bend Park and eluded a major manhunt was located and arrested early Tuesday morning at a northeast Bend hotel.

Customers who want to stall the effects of a price increase on Forever Stamps have this week to act before the cost goes up to 68 cents each.

The cost of the stamps, as well as the cost of many other services offered by the U.S. Postal Service, will increase on Sunday, Jan. 21.

The price of Forever Stamps, now 66 cents each, will climb to 68 cents. That’s the stamp used for letters up to 1 ounce.

The postal service said it will not change the additional-ounce price. It will stay at 24 cents. But other charges — for certified mail, post office box rental fees, money order fees and the cost to purchase insurance when mailing an item — will climb.

• Letters, metered, 1 ounce: Increase from 63 cents to 64 cents
• Domestic postcards: Increase from 51 cents to 53 cents
• International postcards: Increase from $1.50 to $1.55
• International letter, 1 ounce: Increase from $1.50 to $1.55

The rate changes will be the second in six months.

Watches, Warnings or Advisories for Oregon https://alerts.weather.gov/cap/or.php?x=1

The largest dam removal in U.S. history entered a critical phase this week, with the lowering of dammed reservoirs on the Klamath River.

On Thursday, the gate on a 16-foot-wide bypass tunnel at the base of Iron Gate dam, the lowest of those slated to be removed, was opened from a crack to 36 inches.

Amy Cordalis stood in the dawn chill to witness the first big surge as the gate was widened. She’s an attorney and Yurok Tribe member who has played a critical role in advocating for dam removal. As water poured through the tunnel, she could hear boulders rolling and tumbling. The water turned to dark chocolate milk as decades of pent-up sediment surged through.

“This is historic and life-changing,” Cordalis said. “And it means that the Yurok people have a future. It means the river has a future; the salmon have a future.”

One hundred seventy-three feet high, with a 740-foot crest, Iron Gate is an earth embankment dam with a skinny, many-fingered reservoir behind it. The lowering — or drawdown — of Iron Gate and two other reservoirs on the Klamath River will make way for the removal of three remaining hydroelectric dams that are part of the Lower Klamath Project in Northern California and southern Oregon.

For decades, these barriers have blocked salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey from accessing habitat above them and contributed to poor water quality below. The Klamath River was once the third-largest salmon producer on the West Coast, but in the time since the dams were constructed, the Klamath’s coho and Chinook runs have dwindled to a fraction of their historic abundance.

When tribal activists first started calling for the removal of four Klamath River dams in the late 1990s, people thought they were “crazy,” said Leaf Hillman, an elder of the Karuk Tribe who helped launch the campaign. “We’ve never really considered any other alternative to removing dams. And so it was a fight that we were committed to, and that we knew that we had to win. And it’s been an intergenerational struggle.”

A massive die-off of Chinook salmon in 2002 catalyzed increased activism around getting the dams removed. An estimated 34,000 to 78,000 fish died. The loss of these fish didn’t just mean the loss of a fun summer fishing activity, said Brook Thompson, a Yurok Tribe member who was 7 years old at the time and is now in her late 20s. “Those salmon to me are the connections I have with my relatives,” she explained. “In a day, that was all gone.”

For the next week, water will flow through the bypass tunnel at an average rate of 2,200 cubic feet per second, draining down Iron Gate reservoir between two and four feet per day. Later this month, J.C. Boyle, the uppermost of the three dams, will be breached, followed by Copco 1. By June, the Klamath River should be flowing more or less within its historic channel, and the work of dismantling the structures can begin.

Advocates are quick to point out that dam removal alone will not save the Klamath River’s salmon runs. However, removing the barriers will open up 76 miles of coho habitat and over 400 miles of Chinook habitat, says Shari Witmore, a fish biologist at NOAA Fisheries.

If modeling is correct, as many as 80% more Chinook salmon could return to the basin within about 30 years after the dams are removed. Ocean harvest could increase by as much as 46%. But this will depend in part on restoring important tributaries, including the cold spring-fed rivers in the upper Klamath Basin, which have been compromised with diking and draining of wetlands.

“Once we restore that, we put this basin back together,” Witmore says. “That creates a lot of resilience over time with climate change, and it buffers against multi-year droughts.”

Cordalis, the Yurok Tribe member, agrees that more work lies ahead. But she’s also looking forward to fulfilling a simple personal goal. “Fishing,” she said. “I want to go fishing.”

The American Red Cross is experiencing an emergency blood shortage as the nation faces the lowest number of people giving blood in 20 years. 

The Red Cross blood supply has fallen to critically low levels across the country, and blood and platelet donors are urged to make a donation appointment to help alleviate the shortage and help ensure lifesaving medical procedures are not put on hold.

Over the last 20 years, the number of people donating blood to the Red Cross has fallen by about 40%. When fewer people donate blood, even small disruptions to blood donations – such as the nearly 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations the Red Cross experienced between Christmas and New Year’s Day alone – can have a huge impact on the availability of blood products and dramatic consequences for those in need of emergency blood transfusion. 

Blood products are currently going to hospitals faster than blood donations are coming in, and in recent weeks, the Red Cross has had to limit distributions of type O blood products – among the most transfused blood types – to hospitals.

Don’t wait – to make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The City of Newport declared a state of emergency because of storm damage

Downed trees and branches caused power outages over more than half of the city. Overview Assisted Living lost power on Saturday. The City and Pacific West Ambulance worked with the facility to take care of residents. The City and Lincoln County were working to set up a shelter.

 At least four people have died from storm related causes in the Portland area during the arctic freeze. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner is investigating two suspected hypothermia deaths. One person was killed in an RV that caught fire after it was hit by a tree, and a man in Lake Oswego was killed when his home was hit by a tree.

Both Oregon and Oregon State women’s basketball teams played their games this weekend in an empty arena as university officials made the decision to not allow fans to attend due to icy weather conditions on area roads.

Mt. Ashland Ski Area remained closed after continuous power outages.

On Saturday (1/13/2024), the power went out around 2 p.m. and the ski area was closed early.

Visitors were given vouchers to use at another day.

But on Sunday (1/14/2024), the electrical problems continued.

According to their Facebook, more technical difficulties occurred around 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning.

Staff say that Pacific Power crews are working on restoring power.

They are unsure when they will reopen, but to stay updated you can visit their website.

On Thursday, John V. Burne, a former OSU president passed away at the age of 95.

Mr. Byrne served as OSU’s 12th president, from 1984 to 1995. OSU staff credit him with much of the institution’s success.

Byrne oversaw expansions and renovations to the campus and established more than 30 new degrees and certificates. He retired in 1996 but continued to be involved in events.

He is survived by his wife, children and grandchildren.

Following up on a feature film shot on the Southern Oregon coast, which has two limited screenings.

BAD FISH was shot almost entirely on the Southern Oregon coast.

A lot of the talent in front of and behind the cameras are Southern Oregon locals.

Without giving too much away, the thriller film follows an investigation into mermaids, terrorizing a town.

Bad Fish will have one screening in Brookings, which is sold out, Tuesday .

But Wednesday (1/17/2024, you can watch with the film with the director and cast members at the Varsity Theater in Ashland.

The film is directed by Brad Douglas, a southern Oregon native with ties to Wynne Broadcasting as a voice talent.

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