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, February 14, 2024
Klamath Basin Weather
Winter Weather Advisory in effect today, Wednesday, February 14, through Friday, February 16, 10:00 PM.
Today
Wintery weather is back for this Valentine’s Day, with rain and snow expected much of the day, high near 40. Snow level 4500 feet rising to 5500 feet. South wind 7 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. Total daytime snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Tonight, rain and snow before 10pm, then a chance of snow. Low around 32. South wind 7 to 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.
See Road Camera Views around the Klamath Basin:
Lake of the Woods
Doak Mtn.
Hiway 97 at Chemult
Hiway 140 at Bly
Hiway 97 at GreenSprings Dr.
Hiway 97 at LaPine
Today’s Headlines
Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Deputies were recently alerted by a local business of the discovery of a card skimming device affixed to their credit/debit card reader.
Skimmers are devices used to collect card numbers that are later recovered to make fraudulent purchases.
Skimmers can usually be spotted by doing a quick visual or physical inspection prior to swiping or inserting your card. They are most often found at ATM’s and gas stations but are being located at retails stores and restaurants.
NOTE: Before using your card, check for alignment issues between the card reader and the panel underneath it. The skimmers are often placed on top of the actual card reader making it stick out at an odd angle or cover arrows in a panel. Feel around the reader and try to see if anything is already inserted- if there is, it may be a thin plastic circuit board that can steal card information. If the buttons on a keypad are too hard to push, don’t use it.
Consider using a credit card rather than a debit card when making transactions. Most credit cards have a zero-liability policy meaning in case of fraud, the cardholder has no responsibility to pay back those funds to the issuer. Regularly monitor your credit / debit card activity by checking your bank statements. Report any suspicious activity on your accounts to both your bank and law enforcement so others don’t become victims as well.
Refer to the Federal Trade Commission for Consumer Advice at: Watch out for card skimming at the gas pump | Consumer Advice (ftc.gov) or the Los Angeles County Consumer and Business Affairs website for helpful information at: Understanding Card Skimmers and How to Protect Yourself – Consumer & Business (lacounty.gov)
As muddy water flows down the Klamath River after the recent breaching of three dams, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a special meeting on Tuesday at what is now the former site of Copco Lake.
The supervisors say they want to hear from concerned constituents and provide “accurate and vital” information to them.
With the breaching last month of Iron Gate and Copco 1 dams in California about 25 miles southeast of Ashland and the breaching of JC Boyle Dam near Klamath Falls, sediment in reservoirs behind the dams has flowed downstream and muddied the river. It has killed fish, while muck left behind where reservoirs once stood has caused the death of at least 10 deer stuck in the muck.
Those scenes have prompted a flood of comments, including those made via social media sites and one made from the halls of Congress.
The dams are being removed in an effort to improve fish populations and river health.
The county has issued a news release stating that its meeting has been scheduled in response to “the public’s expressed concerns” regarding the dam removal project, and that it “will provide a platform for the public to voice their opinions, ask questions, contribute to the dialogue surrounding the project, and access accurate and vital information.”
As of late last week, no agenda for the meeting or list of any presenters was published to the county website, which contains pages specifically dedicated to the project. The meeting is set for 10 a.m. at the Copco Lake Community Center, 27739 Copco Road, Montague, Calif.
The Klamath River Renewal Corporation is the private company removing the hydroelectric dams, after their former owner, PacifiCorp, surrendered them rather than construct passages for migrating fish. The project’s estimated $450-million cost is funded through a $200-million surcharge on PacifiCorp and $250 million in bonds from the state of California. A fourth dam, Copco 2, was removed last year.
Self-guided tours of the new visitor center at the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex near Tulelake will be offered beginning at 9 a.m. this Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024.
A variety of opportunities are planned during the day, including family-friendly activities and crafts for youngsters, at the new complex center, which is located at 4009 Hill Road about five miles west of Tulelake. Along with touring the facility, visitors are also encouraged to take a self-guided audio tour, or walk the Discovery Marsh and Sheepy Ridge trails, both of which offer views of the refuge, and the wildlife.
The Sheepy Ridge Trail is a half-mile out-and back trail with a 170-foot elevation gain that leads to an overlook offering views of the refuge. The Discovery Marsh Trail is a 0.9-mile loop trail regarded as easy. Both have easy access from the new visitor center, which is just across the road from the former visitor center-refuge complex headquarters office.
Spokesmen for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Klamath Basin complex say the new visitor center was “designed to generate awareness and understanding of the natural and cultural history of the Klamath Basin and includes a separate classroom where school groups can learn about and share a sense of community and connection with the natural world.”
The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex is a wildlife preserve operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a region that includes portions of Southern Oregon and Northern California near Tulelake and Klamath Falls. The complex includes the Bear Valley, Klamath Marsh and Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuges in Southern Oregon and Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, and Clear Lake refuges in Northern California.
Klamath County Commissioner Dave Henslee has announced he will not be running for re-election in the coming year. Henslee confirmed that late last week, using Facebook as his platform to inform the public and press.
Henslee started his public service work as a reserve officer with the Corvallis Police Department in 1992 and became a full-time policeman in 1993.
Henslee ran for the seat of Klamath County Commissioner Position 1 in 2021 and was elected in 2022. After serving one term, Henslee has chosen not to run for a second.
The county commissioner thanked his supportive constituents for placing their trust in his leadership.
Henslee said he is certain he can still achieve the goals and vision he’d set when he chose to become a commissioner, and that by not running he can better “focus on the work.”
Henslee’s final day in office will be Dec. 31.
As of Friday, only one other candidate has filed for Klamath County Board of Commissioners Position 1 — Klamath County Sheriff’s Office Courthouse Deputy Dan Girard. Nominations will be accepted for elected positions at the county level until March 12. Ballots must be mailed in or dropped off by May 1.
For more information about the upcoming primaries, visit klamathcounty.org.
Oregon Tech announced that geomatics professor and department chair Jack Walker has been honored as the 2023 surveyor of the year by the Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO).
The award, presented at the PLSO 2024 Conference Jan. 19, recognizes Walker’s outstanding contributions to PLSO and the geomatics profession.
Walker, an Oregon Tech alumnus, began his academic journey studying civil engineering, but after taking courses in surveying, he changed majors and has enjoyed more than four decades studying and teaching geomatics.
After graduating from Oregon Tech, Walker worked for three years at the Bureau of Land Management and private firms before earning a Master of Science in geodesy from Purdue University, and rejoining Oregon Tech in a faculty position in 1984.
Walker now specializes in a wide range of technologies, including high-precision positioning applications, and is a commercial unmanned aircraft system pilot. He is also a registered professional land surveyor in Oregon, which allows him to remain involved in the hands-on aspect of the profession and to consult on projects he finds fun and interesting.
As Oregon Tech’s geomatics department chair, Walker emphasizes the importance of staying current with technology to keep the program modernized.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is offering a $50,000 reward for information as it investigates the deaths of three endangered gray wolves in Klamath County. The deaths happened late last year east of Bly in an area of known wolf activity.
FWS said the collars of two gray wolves showed a mortality signal on Dec. 29, 2023. Oregon State Police found two dead, collared wolves and another dead wolf without a collar. One was an adult, breeding female. The other two were subadults — not pups, but not yet full adult.
Neither FWS nor the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) would elaborate on the nature of the deaths.
Two of the wolves were part of the Gearhart Mountain Pack. ODFW said seven members remain in the pack including the breeding male.
Gray wolves are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act in the western two-thirds of Oregon.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at (503) 682-6131, or the Oregon State Police Dispatch at (800) 452-7888, *OSP (*677) or email TIP@osp.oregon.gov. Callers may remain anonymous. The reward is for any information that leads to an arrest, a criminal conviction or civil penalty assessment.
On Friday January 19, 2024, Klamath County Circuit Court Judge Alycia E. Kersey granted multiple pretrial motions, resulting in the City of Klamath Falls’ dismissal from a lawsuit filed by Dan Martin Construction, Inc.
The suit also included the City’s current Public Works Director Mark Willrett and former Development Services Director Scott Souders as defendants with the City. Both individual defendants were dismissed from the suit at the start of Friday’s hearing.
The lawsuit, filed in May of 2023, sought injunctive relief and 5.5 million dollars against the City and accused the City of various theories of breach of contract as well as tortious interference with a business relationship. The events relevant to the suit took place over several years.
Dan Martin, the owner of Dan Martin Construction, Inc., presented a plan for the development of homes outside of the city limits and northeast of the junction of Highways 39 and 140. After signing documents for the City which acknowledged not only the need for certain infrastructure upgrades for water to be available to his development, but also his agreement to pay for those upgrades, Martin demanded that the City pay for the upgrades to subsidize his development.
Since that time, the City proposed multiple methods to proceed, including various forms of cost sharing. Martin declined and filed suit. In response, the City filed several pretrial motions, including a motion for summary judgment and an anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) motion. After a 45-minute hearing on January 19, Judge Kersey granted the City’s motion to dismiss under the anti-SLAPP statutes.
She also granted the City’s motion for summary judgment, which resulted in a dismissal of the case. As part of the anti-SLAPP ruling, the City is statutorily entitled to recover fees and costs from Dan Martin Construction, Inc. Casey Murdock of Frohnmayer, Deatherage, et al. represented the City of Klamath Falls. Chase Beguin of Cauble & Whittington represented Dan Martin Construction.
From Kingsley Field, fighter jets from the local airbase will be conducting night flights in the area throughout the coming week.
A news release from Kingsley Field 173rd Fighter Wing said that nighttime operations will begin Monday, Feb. 12 and run through Thursday, Feb. 15. Pilots are expected to be flying overhead between the hours of 6 p.m. and 11 p.m.
“Night flying is one part of the course curriculum for F-15C student pilots at Kingsley Field,” the release said.
Most of the training will take place in the military operating airspace directly east of Lakeview where pilots can fly without lights, the release said.
Takeoffs will begin shortly after sunset with jets expected to return to base approximately 90 minutes later.
Adult student artists will exhibit their work through the month of February at the Klamath County Museum’s Modoc Gallery. A reception for the artists will be held from noon to 3 p.m. this Saturday in the museum’s lobby.
Student exhibitors include June Bell, Luisa Freeman, Billie Hagerman, Penny Hansen, Mary Johnson, Cindy Kalisch and Helen O’Hara.
The students are working on their technique under the instruction of Susan Liskey, who conducts weekly classes at the museum. Liskey offers instruction in oil and acrylics, with a focus on blending colors on canvas and softening edges with a fan brush.
Admission to the gallery is free during regular museum hours, Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Klamath County Museum is located at 1451 Main St. in Klamath Falls. For more information contact the museum at (541) 882-1000.
Amadeus Hernandez has won the Chamber of Commerce’s Youth Leader of the Year award.
A Lost River Junior/Senior High School senior won the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce’s Youth Leadership Award for his ongoing work as a leader and positive role model.
Amadeus Hernandez, 17, accepted the honor last month at an event attended by more than 600 people. He was among 10 Klamath Basin youth who were nominated for the award.
Amadeus is soft spoken with a quick smile. As captain of the school’s soccer team, he works to inspire his teammates, leading by example and providing a solid foundation for the school’s new soccer program. He also started an after-school weight lifting program for fellow athletes.
Lost River Principal Angie Wallin described Amadeus as someone who leads by example. “He’s a quiet positive leader, and he has been a great mentor to the younger students as the school started its soccer program.”
In addition to soccer, Wallin participates in track and has been involved in Lost River’s FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) program for the past six years, serving as a chapter officer and competing at the state, regional, and national levels. His nominators described him as a driving force in helping his FBLA chapter raise funds for conferences and competitions. Amadeus has competed at the regional, state and national levels for FBLA and is aiming to qualify for nationals again this year.
In addition, he is an officer for the school’s Latin Culture Club and volunteers with the Malin Centro Cristiano Church.
Residents neighboring the Portland Street railroad crossing awoken by late-night train whistles might soon sleep through the night.
The Klamath Falls City Council approved the next steps in establishing a quiet zone through the residential neighborhood during their meeting last week.
The item on the city’s agenda was to decide whether the municipality should enter into a public highway at-grade crossing agreement with Union Pacific Railroad.
The agreement will allow the city to widen the railroad crossing at Portland Street to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements.
The council approved the item with a majority vote of 3-to-1.
Had the council not approved the agreement, the agenda report said it would be a “deal killer” for ever establishing a quiet zone.
City Public Works director Mark Willrett explained that although the initial estimated and budgeted dollar amount exceeded $500,000, that number was reduced to roughly $300,000. Maintenance for equipment is estimated to cost $10,000 per year.
Klamath Union High School senior Mia Hidden was announced as the first-place winner of You Matter to Klamath’s fifth annual Youth Suicide Prevention video contest.
Hidden won $1,000 for her original video titled “Warning Signs.” Her video was one of 13 submissions. The contest, organized by local suicide prevention coalition You Matter to Klamath, is open to all seventh through 12th graders in the Klamath Basin.
Prizes ranged from $50 to $1,000, and were funded with donations from the Alky Angels — Sunrise Chapter, Cascade Health Alliance, Citizens for Safe Schools, Klamath Basin Behavioral Health, and Klamath Defender Services.
Each of the 13 contestants received a minimum prize of $50, in addition to a Dutch Bros. gift card.
During the months of April and May, over 800 third graders throughout Klamath County, Dorris, and Tulelake will receive FREE, LIFE-SAVING swim lessons through the Everyone Swims program at Ella Redkey Pool.
The Everyone Swims program is made possible this Spring through the partnership of Sky Lakes Medical Center and the City of Klamath Falls. Students receive individualized instruction, develop skills, build confidence, and learn life-saving skills, all while having fun with their peers in the water.
Ella Redkey Pool is looking for Volunteer Swim Lesson Instructor Aids. You have an opportunity to make a difference in a child’s life! Everyone Swims 3rd Grade Program has been a huge success in the past years and we are so excited to keep it going. We need your help to make this program possible.
No experience? No problem. As a pool volunteer you will receive intensive swim instruction training prior to the start of swim lessons. During the Everyone Swims program you will be paired with a Certified Lifeguard/Swim Lesson Instructor to guide you through the process, so you won’t be left alone to teach.
Everyone Swims Volunteer Schedule: • 6 weeks of lessons: Monday, April 15 – Thursday, May 23 • Lessons are held 4 days per week: Monday through Thursday • Morning & Afternoon session options: 9:00am – 11:00am and/or 12:15pm – 2:45pm Volunteer as much or as little as you’d like. All help is appreciated. All volunteers are required to pass a background check with the City of Klamath Falls.
Coming to Ross Ragland Theater!
The Missoula Children’s Theatre Spring Break Theater Camp Presents
Jack and the Beanstalk
Dates: Monday-Friday, March 25-29; 8:30am – 1:00pm
Performances: Saturday, March 30 at 3pm & 5:30pm
The Missoula Children’s Theatre presents JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, an original adaptation of the classic children’s story. What happens when a young boy plants Wonder Beans in his own backyard? For Jack, it is the beginning of a great adventure. With a little help from P.T. Wonder and a Giant, Jack learns a valuable lesson about true happiness. This musical production also features a host of other characters, including the Elegant Harp, Jill, Mother, Milky White, the Farmers, the Merchants, the Circus Performers and the Wonder Beans.
There are three age groups for the Spring Break Camp with opportunities for students from Kindergarten to age 18!
Cost: $175, multi-student discount available; scholarships available
Group 1: Kinder – age 7 have the opportunity to be part of the production on stage! They will audition on Monday and begin rehearsals that day! (16 spots available)
Group 2: Ages 8 – 8th grade have the opportunity to be part of the production on stage! They will audition on Monday and begin rehearsals that day! (44 spots available)
Group 3: Ages 12-18 have the opportunity to be an assitant director for the show! Have the experience of helping backstage and to learn from MCT’s director team! (4 spots available)
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROSS RAGLAND SPRING CAMPS HERE!
KLAMATH FALLS, OR, Thursday, February 8, 2024 – Join the Ross Ragland Theater for an unforgettable night of celebration and giving back! The Red Tie Masquerade Ball & Scholarship Fundraiser will occur on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
The Red Tie Masquerade Ball & Scholarship Fundraiser is a premier fundraising gala
and social event that raises awareness of the need and benefits of keeping access to the arts
and arts education for K-12 students across the Klamath Basin and Southeastern Oregon.
The doors will open at 5:30, with performances and events scheduled throughout the evening.
This must-attend event is full of elegance, delicious food, and live entertainment, all
dedicated to supporting the Ragland in funding our seven revered education programs that
help create arts education opportunities for students across the Klamath Basin. Our
education programs offer over 20,000 individual opportunities for arts education to all
students in the Basin, K-12, each year.
Your support will make a difference in the lives of many students who dream of a
brighter future. You don’t want to miss this fantastic opportunity to have fun and make a
lasting impact.
Our Masquerade Ball promises an unforgettable night filled with surprises,
enchantment, and a Silent Auction you don’t want to miss! So, mark your calendars and
prepare for a mystical experience like no other. We can’t wait to see you there!
Red Tie Masquerade Ball & Scholarship Fundraiser: February 24, 2024 starting at 5:30
pm.
TICKETS: $75 for singles, $120 for couples
Call 884-LIVE today to reserve your ticket now!
Visit the theater’s website at www.ragland.org to purchase tickets online and learn more
about the theater. The box office is open 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or two
hours before show time the day of any show.
If you would like more information, please email: development@ragland.org
Klamath County libraries to close for Presidents’ Day
All Klamath County libraries will be closed on Monday, February 19th in
observance of Presidents’ Day. No materials will be due on a day that the
libraries are closed.
For more information, call us at 541-882-8894.
Each week, BasinLife.com and KFLS News 1450AM & 102.5FM feature a pet of the Week ready for adoption from the Klamath Animal Shelter.
This week’s pet of the week this week is a dog named ” Melon ” Melon is an 8 month old male Labrador Border Collie mix, he is black with white markings, he weighs around 50 pounds
Melon’s family had to move and the new landlord wouldn’t allow him. His family said that he is started on house training, lived with children 6 months and older, he knows sit, lays down, loves belly rubs, playing with toys and playing with dogs at the dog park
If you are interested in adopting Melon the shelter is located at 4240 Washburn Way, Monday through Friday from 12:00 – 4:00, walk throughs are available, pet meet and greets are by appointment, you can reach the shelter at 541-884-PETS (541-884-7387)
View all adoptable pets anytime online at www.klamathanimalshelter.org
Just for reading our news, click to enter to win Free Movie Tickets from BasinLife.com and Wynne Broadcasting.
Click here!
Around the state of Oregon
Children in school or childcare need to have up-to-date immunizations by February 21st, or they may be kept out of school.
February 21st is School Exclusion Day this year in Oregon. State law requires all children in public and private schools, Head Start and certified childcare facilities to show documentation their immunizations are complete. Last year, more than 26-thousand letters were sent to parents reminding them to get their kids immunized.
County health departments offer vaccines for people who can’t pay or don’t have health insurance. Call 211 to find out more.
Wind and snow may cause hazardous travel conditions in the Columbia River Gorge and mountain passes this week with a low probability of snow in the Portland area.
ODOT maintenance crews will be ready with winter tools including plows, salt, de-icer and sand. If you must travel, be prepared.
Starting today, with various types of winter weather threats possible in Oregon, travelers need to be extra cautious on the roads in the days ahead. Travelers should consult Tripcheck.com and check weather forecasts on their planned routes.
Tripcheck.com provides live cameras showing road conditions around the state, along with other information that can help travel planning including altitude and temperature.
If you must travel in winter weather, be prepared. Pack your vehicle with the essentials: tire chains, snacks, water, medications and warm clothing. Fill up your vehicle’s fuel tank and fully charge its battery. Plan your route ahead, and if you’re following GPS navigation, make sure it sticks to main roads because many rural roads are not maintained in severe weather and can be very treacherous.
If you’re walking or rolling to your destination, watch for lingering ice on sidewalks. Public transit is another option, but the winter weather may have caused schedule changes, so check those before you head out. For folks on bikes, road shoulders and bike lanes may be extra slushy, so be careful.
Deschutes County jail deputies failed to do periodic checks or provide medical support for a 22-year-old woman suffering from drug withdrawal with a history of suicide attempts, a lawsuit alleges.
The woman, Kendra Nicole Sawyer, took her own life by hanging herself with a jail towel in her single-cell unit a day after she was booked into the county jail in February 2023, according to the lawsuit.
At least two other deaths in the county jail involving drugs or drug withdrawal show Deschutes County could have avoided conditions that led to Sawyer’s suicide, her lawyers allege in the wrongful death suit.
Jailers exhibited negligence and deliberate indifference to Sawyer’s serious medical condition and mental illness, attorneys R. Joseph Sexton claims.
Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. Jason W. Wall, contacted by email and phone Monday and Tuesday, did not provide any response to the allegations.
A dead whale has washed ashore at Sunset Beach State Park on Monday, according to the Seaside Aquarium.
Whale experts describe it as a “Fin whale,” the second largest whale in the world, after Blue whales.
The aquarium says a necropsy is planned to determine how the endangered whale died but is asking the public to please avoid the whale, as any interference could put the examination in jeopardy.
Once the necropsy is done, the Seaside Aquarium says it will share their teams’ findings.
Medford Police blocked off a road during a tense multiple-hour standoff on Monday, earlier this week.
People were turned away from Temple Drive in Medford as police cars and trucks surrounded a house. Police were seen using drones above the suspected residence. Eventually, a man exited the house with his hands up and walking backwards. Police then entered the home with shields and a K9.
MPD later confirmed that the suspect is in custody.
Prices at the pump are starting to climb in most states. Oregon, however, is trending in the other direction.
According to AAA, the national average this week sits at $3.15 a gallon. Oregon’s average dipped by 2 cents, now at $3.60. In fact, all counties in Oregon have averages below $4 a gallon, except curry county at $4.24.
AAA said gas prices often start to rise this time of year, so it recommends enjoying these number now while they’re still around.
“Unless we get some kind of shock to the global oil market, right now it looks like gas prices will likely inch up in the short term instead of rocketing higher,” said Marie Dodds from AAA.
Dodds said the switch from winter to summer blend fuel, no more sunsets before 5 p.m., and a higher demand for gas overall are all reasons for prices to rise this time of year.
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is designating two final wind energy areas for offshore Oregon.
The Biden-Harris Administration’s wants 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030 and 15 gigawatts of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035, and it says Oregon’s offshore areas “hold 2.4 gigawatts of clean renewable energy potential.”
It says the final Wind Energy Areas (WEAs) are based on reducing potential conflicts of ocean users, particularly on commercial fishing.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek responded to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) proposal for final wind energy areas along the Oregon Coast for offshore wind, saying, “Offshore wind is likely to play an important role in meeting our state’s growing energy demand and goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040. It also presents a significant economic development opportunity for the Oregon coast. As BOEM moves forward with establishing a federal offshore wind leasing process this year, Oregon is committed to developing a robust and transparent state roadmap to inform offshore wind opportunities. This state roadmap will also ensure that coastal communities and Tribal nations are consulted throughout the process, in close coordination with
BOEM says the WEAs “were developed following extensive engagement and feedback from the state, Tribes, local residents, ocean users, federal government partners, and other members of the public.”
On Feb. 14, 2024, BOEM will publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing its intent to prepare an environmental assessment of potential impacts from offshore wind leasing in the WEAs. The notice will initiate a 30-day public comment period. Another public comment period would occur if BOEM decides to move forward with a lease sale in either of the WEAs.
BOEM says the two WEAs total approximately 195,012 acres, “and they avoid 98% of the areas recommended for exclusion due to their importance as commercial fishing grounds.”
The Brookings WEA is 133,808 acres in size and is about 18 miles from shore. The Coos Bay WEA is 61,204 acres and is located 32 miles from shore. A map of the final WEAs is online at BOEM’s website.
A former professional wrestler is accused of killing his wife in Portland’s Lents neighborhood.
Police say 70-year-old William Haynes, better known by his ring name Billy Jack Haynes, shot his 85-year-old wife Janette Becraft last week and then barricaded himself inside their home.
He surrendered to police after about two hours and was taken to a hospital for an unidentified medical condition that police say is not related to the homicide. Police say it could be many days before he’s released from the hospital. Haynes wrestled for the WWE from 1986 to 1988 and was known for his feuds with Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Hercules Hernandez.
The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) said that the number of unintentional overdoses from methamphetamine increased by 20 times. The window of overdose deaths was taken from 2009 to 2022.
In a Facebook post from Saturday, OHA said overdoses from methamphetamine are still rising. When used at the same time as alcohol or opioids, it can increase the risk of an overdose.
Assistance is available for those struggling with methamphetamine addiction by calling 1-833-975-0505.
Pacific Power is offering a new program for customers to save money and power.
The Optimal Time Rewards program allows residential customers in Oregon to earn incentives by putting a smart thermostat in their home. This is to monitor power consumption and rewards you when you reduce power usage during peak hours.
Officials with Pacific Power say they wanted to give customers a chance to save money while also reducing strain on the electrical grid.
To find out more about the program or how to enroll for a smart thermostat, you can go to Pacific Powers website.
More coordination is needed to care for an increasing number of patients with severe behavioral health needs in Oregon.
The Oregon Health Authority had an outside firm evaluate the state’s competency restoration system. It found that legal and clinical groups have different definitions. Access to care varies widely across the state. And there’s a lack of information sharing across sectors.
It recommends better communication among the groups involved, more treatment options, and more behavioral health providers. More information regarding this is available on the Oregon Health Authority website.
Following a successful strike kickoff rally and picket Saturday, Feb. 10, home health and hospice nurses are back on the picket line at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services in Lane County.
Home health and hospice nurses at PeaceHealth are holding a limited duration strike Feb. 10 – 24 to protect their community’s health and safety, combat care delays, secure equitable pay and address PeaceHealth’s staffing crisis at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services. Picket lines will be maintained Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. at the PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services offices (123 International Way, Springfield, OR 97477) for the duration of the strike. Nurses are available for media interviews Monday, Feb. 12 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. on the picket line by appointment. Please contact Kevin Mealy, 765-760-2203, Mealy@OregonRN.org, to arrange interviews or filming.
The more than 90 registered nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA).
The Oregon Nurses Association (ONA) is the state’s largest and most influential nursing organization. We are a professional association and labor union which represents more than 18,000 nurses and allied health workers throughout the state, including more than 90 nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Home Care Services and nearly 1,500 frontline nurses at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center. ONA’s mission is to advocate for nursing, quality health care and healthy communities. For more information visit: www.OregonRN.org.
The Bureau of Land Management is hosting a public field trip to see ongoing conifer mortality in Southwest Oregon. During the field trip, BLM foresters will discuss the Bureau’s plan to strategically address the crisis.
More trees in Southwest Oregon died between 2015 and 2019 than in the previous four decades. Increasing tree mortality is leading to concerns about increased fire danger and public safety issues.
To help address the problem, the BLM is proposing to remove dead and dying trees from up to 5,000 acres over the next 5 years. The work would focus along roadways, near homes, and in locations where fire managers will have the best opportunities to stop fires while they are small.
More information can be found on the project website:
The field trip will start near Ruch in the Applegate Valley at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 1, and end around 3 p.m.
To RSVP for the field trip, please contact Todd Bowen at (541) 618-2365.
Do you want to spend two weeks creating art in the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument?
The Bureau of Land Management is excited to announce that applications are open for the annual Artist-in-Residence program. The selected artist receives a one- to two-week residency at CSNM in the month of June. Artists will create work while immersed in a beautiful environment and share their art with the public. All artists are encouraged to apply, and there is no preference given to any style or medium.
The Artist-in-Residence program is in its eighth year and has translated the monument’s natural and cultural resources into images, objects, and performances.
During their stay, the artist will share their experience and artistic vision in a public presentation. Following the residency, artists are asked to donate an original artwork piece, which they will retain the rights to. One artist and one alternate will be selected based on the following criteria: entry materials, residency proposal, professionalism, and creative vision. Interested artists can learn more information and an application at the Artist-in-Residence website (https://bit.ly/CSNMart), by e-mailing jduwe@blm.gov, or by calling (541) 618-2320.
Detailed instructions are on the application form. Applications must be submitted by February 29, 2024. Application materials and sample artwork should be submitted in a single email with attachments or links to jduwe@blm.gov. Those wishing to learn more about the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument information can do so on the CSNM’s website.
One of the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission executives fired in the aftermath of an internal investigation into the diversion of sought-after liquor says the state violated his constitutional rights making the investigation public and by later firing him.
Boba Subasic filed a lawsuit this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court. He seeks $6 million in damages.
He listed multiple claims including due process violations, whistleblowing retaliation, wrongful termination and the intentional infliction of emotional distress.
His lawsuit names as defendants the OLCC, the Oregon Department of Administrative Services and eight state employees involved in the investigation, its release and his firing. Spokespeople with both agencies declined to comment Friday.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek is asking legislators to approve her 500-million-dollar housing production bill.
It would create the Housing Accountability and Production Office. It would streamline the development process to build homes. Construction plans would be available along with city codes to expedite development.
The bill would also make 500-million-dollars available to help cities build infrastructure, like water and sewer connections, for new housing developments. The money would come from existing state resources.
Last Saturday, troopers from both the Salem and McMinnville Area Commands responded to Polk County to help look for a missing child. At about 5:30 p.m. a four-year-old child had wandered off from his home on property which includes 20 acres of thick vegetation.
The child had been missing for about two hours when law enforcement officers from numerous agencies arrived on scene to assist with the search.
After about four hours on his own in the cold, the child was found by an OSP trooper near a pullout on Hwy. 18 about one mile west of the property. Upon seeing the trooper, the child asked, “Can you take me home?”
The child was evaluated by medical personnel on scene and reunited with his grateful family.
The OSP is grateful this child was found so quickly and unharmed. We appreciate the compassion and dedication displayed by our troopers and all the responding personnel.
The Oregon Department of Human Services has expanded its online resources to be more accessible for Spanish-speaking users, the department announced.
As of January 23, website users can access an extra 65 pages on the ODHS website that have been translated by a native Spanish speaker, without the use of online translation tools. ODHS officials said there are now a total of 110 Spanish-language speeches on the website. The expansion of the site also includes a more robust navigation and search bar to help visitors find what they need.
Visitors to the site can access the Spanish pages by selecting “Sitio en Español” on the top right side of the main website’s banner. For individual pages, visitors can navigate between Spanish and English versions by clicking the “Español” or “English” buttons under the headers of the pages. Other languages are also available under the “Languages” button on the upper right of the ODHS website, but most translations other than Spanish are provided by Google Translate.
Former students and faculty from nearly every one of Oregon’s seven public universities told lawmakers this week the state’s higher education system is broken, with students unable to afford housing, relying on Medicaid and food assistance and strapped with mounting debts.
They blamed the failures, in part, on two laws passed more than a decade ago that changed how Oregon’s public universities are governed. The laws gave universities and their boards greater power over budget decisions, while scaling back state regulation.
A new proposal, House Bill 4125, would mandate a study of the university governance system and whether it and the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission, which is supposed to boost postsecondary access attainment, need to be overhauled.
The proposal is sponsored by state Rep. Farrah Chaichi, D-Beaverton; Rep. Ben Bowman, D-Tigard; and state Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham.
Ben Cannon, executive director of the state’s higher education commission since it began in 2013 and a former state representative who approved the system, said many of the problems blamed on the governing system existed before it was created.
In 2011, the state Legislature passed Senate Bill 242, which shifted governance of Oregon’s universities and community colleges from a hodgepodge of state education agencies to one – the Higher Education Coordinating Commission – to bring cohesion to the universities and community college system and to allow them to better collaborate.
An Oregon marijuana producer has lost its license for alleged violations.
The Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission pulled the license from Solray Enterprise. They’re accused of transferring 80 pounds of marijuana to a private residence, which is against the law. They also had 100 pounds of marijuana missing. The OLCC requires marijuana producers to keep track of their product.
Solray couldn’t account for a hundred pounds of marijuana. The OLCC investigation is ongoing.
Oregon households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and lost food during the winter storms now have until Feb. 16 to request replacement benefits.
The Feb. 16 deadline applies to 27 counties — including Jackson, Josephine and Klamath counties, the Oregon Department of Human Services said in a news release.
The other 24 counties are Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Crook, Deschutes, Douglas, Gilliam, Hood River, Jefferson, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Morrow, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Wasco, Washington and Yamhill.
Residents who live in other counties can request replacements within 10 days of the date the food was destroyed, the release said.
“Households who disposed of food bought with SNAP benefits that was destroyed due to these events can request that replacement benefits be issued for the cost of the lost food,” the release said. “The maximum amount of SNAP that can be replaced is the value of the food up to the normal monthly benefit for the household. Households should be prepared to provide a list of the lost food, the cost to replace it, and may have to provide proof of the event that destroyed the food.”
Once approved, replacement benefits will be added to residents’ EBT cards.
Researchers at OHSU say multi-dose vaccines could be more effective if given in alternating arms.
Dr. Marcel Curlin studied blood tests from about 2,000 OHSU staffers who agreed to take part in the project, in the early days of the COVID vaccine roll-out. About half took both doses in the same arm, the other half alternated arms.
Dr. Curlin says they’re learning more about the human immune system,
More study is needed to determine whether the results hold true with other immunizations or when administered in a leg, like for infants.
Daylight saving time begins this year at 2 a.m. on March 10, 2024.
Most devices these days will adjust automatically to the time change, but don’t forget to set any traditional clocks forward by one hour.
Twice a year — when we spring forward and then again when we fall back — we get questions about this: Didn’t Oregon decide not to participate in the time change any longer? So why are we still doing it?
In 2019, Oregon and Washington agreed to partner to abolish seasonal time changes, remaining on daylight saving time year-round. California also joined the agreement, seemingly paving the way for the West Coast states to get rid of standard time permanently.
However, any such change is dependent on approval by the federal government, which hasn’t happened.
In 2023, members of Congress reintroduced the long-stalled Sunshine Protection Act, which would allow states to remain on daylight saving time all year.
That bill has yet to make it out of committee.
Changes are coming to the way Oregonians apply for unemployment benefits.
Starting on March 4, those seeking unemployment insurance will submit claims on a new website called Frances Online. It’s part of the state’s $106 million, multi-year effort to upgrade the Oregon Employment Department’s technology to make it more secure and user-friendly.
The state has been gradually migrating to the new system, and the unemployment insurance claims portal is the last major step in the transition, according to Unemployment Insurance Director Lindsi Leahy.
The old system dates back to the 1990s. Multiple state audits have found that it was unable to handle complicated claims and had trouble incorporating rule changes. Officials acknowledged it lacked streamlined ways for people to communicate with the state about their claims.
Before the new system goes live for users, both the old and new online portals will be down for a few days in preparation for the launch on March 4. Starting at 5 p.m. on Feb. 28, users will not be able to access the sites, including for Paid Leave Oregon. Also, customer service phone lines and online support will be closed starting on Feb. 28 and won’t reopen until Frances goes live.
Officials say to avoid an interruption in benefits, claims must be submitted in the old system by 5 p.m. on Feb. 28. Unemployment insurance claimants will then need to create a new account in Frances after 8 a.m. on March 4, officials say.
BOARD OF FORESTRY HOSTS VIRTUAL SPECIAL PUBLIC MEETING ON FEB. 23, 2024
SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will hold a virtual special meeting starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 23. The meeting will be livestreamed on the department’s YouTube channel.
The board’s business agenda includes:
- Post-disturbance harvest rulemaking
The agenda is available on the board’s webpage. Live public testimony will be taken during this special meeting. Sign-up is required and instructions to provide live testimony are available online. Sign-up closes Wednesday, Feb. 21 at noon. Written comments can be submitted before or up to Feb. 21, noon, to boardofforestry@odf.oregon.
Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling ODF’s Public Affairs Office at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at forestryinformation@odf.
The Oregon Board of Forestry consists of seven citizens nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Responsibilities include appointing the State Forester, setting management direction for state-owned forests, adopting rules governing timber harvest and other practices on private forestland, and promoting sustainable management of Oregon’s 30 million-acre forestland base.
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