Klamath Basin News, Friday, 3/29 – Klamath County Search & Rescue Find 17 Year Old & His Dog At Hagelstein Ridge And Bring to Safety; Easter Sunny & 56 Degrees Expected

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. Call 541-882-6476.

Friday, March 29, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

See Road Camera Views around the Klamath Basin:

BTS Bus Service Reduced

Public transportation serves many in the Klamath Basin, but starting April 1, some of the regular riders with BTS will have to find a new mode of travel when BTS reduces services across the board in order to continue a sustainable operation. Daily hours will be reduced. Weekends will have no service.

The necessary consolidation and reduction of public transportation services comes a little less than a year after a short-term tax levy on the ballot failed.

Ballot Measure 18-130 defined a tax rate of $0.29 per $1,000 assessed property value for five-year period which would have started July 2023.

So, a local property owner with a home or land that is valued at $100,000 would pay $29 per year for five consecutive years.

The majority — roughly 30% — of the funding comes from a local tax rate of $0.48 which was made permanent by voters in 1997.

Measure 18-130 marked the first request for additional local tax funding in 27 years.

But Klamath County residents voted against the ballot measure, leaving BTS in serious financial peril.

Ridership in the Klamath Basin continues to increase each year, but revenue from ridership only makes up a very small portion of the funding — about 3%.

The VFW is holding an Easter egg hunt 3/31 starting at noon at Veteran’s Memorial Park.

Over 1000 eggs will be for the taking for veterans and their families. For more info call 541-880-4964

IYS is Building Brighter Futures Through the Love our Children “Day of Play”

This spring marks a pivotal moment for Integral Youth Services (IYS) as they launch their inaugural major giving campaign in alignment with the national holiday Love Our Children Day. With the ambitious goal of raising $60,000, this campaign offers numerous ways for the community to get involved in making a difference including giving, volunteering, or supporting vital at-risk youth programming.

Notably, all funds raised remain local, directly benefiting the entirety of Klamath County  youth who access IYS programs.

IYS specializes in assisting youth navigating challenging circumstances such as economic hardship, food insecurity, and homelessness. In 2023 alone, they supported 1,710 young individuals across eight comprehensive programs throughout Klamath County. These initiatives encompass essential facets of support, including community engagement, nutrition, shelter, transitional living, workforce development, and life skills training.

The campaign kicks off with the "Day of Play" event scheduled for April 13th, 2024, from 1PM to 5PM at Mike’s Fieldhouse. This event serves as a vibrant introduction to the broader fundraising efforts.

Love Our Children Day not only initiates Child Abuse Prevention Month but also serves as a rallying call for community backing of IYS's invaluable work with youth and families. “Love our Children Day is meant to celebrate positive relationships between youth and their families says Taylor Hampton, IYS Development Director, “This is a key component of what we strive to create at IYS.”

For those eager to contribute, there are several avenues for involvement:

• Attend the Day of Play event on April 13th.
• Donate directly to the campaign, or become an event sponsor at hypeupyourhope.square.site/love-our-children

• Participate in one of their mini fundraisers happening in April and May including their

Bottles and Cans drive, Feedback for Good rally, or Pickleball tournament.

• Become a volunteer for their events or at their main office at 115 N 10th Street.

To learn more about IYS and their impactful initiatives, visit their website at iyskfalls.org. Join us in making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth and families in our community.

                  Coming to Ross Ragland Theater!

The prehistoric age is going futuristic for an upcoming show at the Ross
Ragland Theater, April 4th

Lightwire Theater is presenting DINO-LIGHT. It’s a glow-in-the-dark story of
adventure, self-discovery, and of course dinosaurs. The show itself
combines dance and puppetry as well as some cool light displays.

Artistic director for Lightwire Theater, Ian Carney, said, “The technology is
called electroluminescent wire or EL wire or L wire for short. It is a
phosphorus-based wire, so a copper wire with phosphorus sprayed on it
and a gel coating, PVC coating basically around it. That’s what gives us its
different colors.”

Lightwire Theater will be in Klamath Falls on April 4 and the show starts at
6:00pm. It is only in town for one day so make sure to buy your tickets at
the Ross Ragland Theater website.

“The perfect girls’ night out!”

That’s the promise made by male performance group known as HUNKS The Show, set to take the stage in Klamath Falls this Friday.

Starting at 9 p.m. at Why Not Live Entertainment, the HUNKS The Show all-male team will offer an “unforgettable night of entertainment,” the official website reads.

Tickets will be sold at the door with admission ranging from $20 to $40, according to flyers posted downtown.

The show consists of live, choreographed performances to music with special, up-close and personal performances for audience members who reserve the “hot seat” on stage.

“HUNKS stands out as the ultimate male show, owing to the immersive experience provided by our performers,” the website reads. HUNKS management and performers were unavailable for comment.

The Klamath Falls show is part of a nationwide tour with shows scheduled from Oregon to South Carolina with numerous stops in between. According to the website, HUNKS the show is a traveling Las Vegas show with a cast of top-of-the-line performers. HUNKS The Show is also currently seeking new ‘HUNKS’ to join the team.

For more information, visit the official HUNKS the show website at hunkstheshow.com.

Each week, BasinLife.com and KFLS News 1450AM & 102.5FM feature a Pet of the Week ready for adoption from the Klamath Animal Shelter.

George

If you are interested in adopting, 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!

Spring is here, and that means the end of studded tire season in Oregon.

Drivers have until Sunday to remove the winter tires, which are allowed in the state each year from Nov. 1 through March 31. 

Oregon Department of Transportation officials encouraged drivers to remove tires before the deadline, especially if they don’t have to drive in the mountains or in other snowy or icy terrain.

State transportation officials also recommended that drivers consider winter alternatives to studded tires that are less damaging to roads, like traction tires and temporary chains. A 2014 state found that studded tires cause about $8.5 million worth of damage to roads each year.

After March 31, drivers using studded tires may face fines of up to $165.

The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has fined a Bend construction company $103,438 for repeatedly violating a requirement to provide protective systems to safeguard workers from fall hazards that could seriously injure or kill them.

The division cited Sky Ridge Construction LLC following an inspection that focused on a job site where work was being done on new houses. The inspection was conducted under Oregon OSHA’s prevention-based emphasis program addressing fall hazards in all industries.

The inspection found multiple employees working on a roof without fall protection. They were exposed to a potential fall of 18 feet to the ground. Sky Ridge Construction had violated a rule requiring employers to ensure that fall protection systems are provided, installed, and implemented where employees are exposed to a hazard of falling 6 feet or more to a lower level, according to the inspection.

During the inspection, the company corrected the violation identified by Oregon OSHA.

It was the third time since January 2022 that Sky Ridge Construction violated fall protection requirements. Because of the repeat offenses, the penalty for the violation was multiplied, with Oregon OSHA imposing a $103,438 penalty.

Falls are one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry.

Employers have 30 calendar days after receiving a citation to file an appeal.

The Oregon Department of Transportation’s recently released annual bridge report says the agency is “losing ground” to manage the state’s bridge system, as many are nearing the end of their life spans and planners are trying to keep up with new safety measures and seismic standards.

According to ODOT’s 2023 Bridge Condition Report, a significant number of the more than 2,700 bridges in Oregon are in “fair” condition, but likely to transition to “poor” condition in the future.

40% of the bridges across the state need to be replaced in the coming decades, as a majority of them were built between 1950 and 1970 according to the report.

According to the report, there has been a “steady decline” in Oregon’s bridge conditions since 2016. There was some slight improvement in 2023 when nine bridges in “poor condition” were replaced, but ODOT does not have the funding to keep up with bride replacement. With adequate funding, ODOT could replace 27 bridges a year, but current funding levels pay on average for only three bridge replacements a year. At this rate, a bridge will need to stay in service for over 900 years, well beyond the expected service life of 75-100 years.

One of the serious causes of bridge deterioration is “scouring” or erosion of the bridge’s foundation due to fast moving water and gravel. ODOT officials said there are nearly 500 bridges that are unstable due to scouring.

A 5.7-magnitude earthquake hit 110 miles west of Port Orford Tuesday night.  

The quake wasn’t strong enough to trigger a tsunami, but residents along the coast from Washington to California reported feeling it.  No damage or injuries were reported.

Oregonians who invested in a cryptocurrency asset platform need to move their money.  The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation says the Abra platform wasn’t following state rules.

167 Oregon residents have more than 32-thousand dollars invested in Abra financial products.  Abra has agreed to stop selling unregistered securities in Oregon.  Consumers will have at least seven days after receiving notice to remove their assets.  If they don’t, they’ll get a check sent to their address.

An elderly man and woman were safely rescued with the help of K-9 Officer Nix after driving off an embankment on Highway 20 and getting trapped overnight, says the Lincoln City Police.

On Wednesday Lincoln City Police K-9 Officer Nix and her handler, Officer Snidow, were sent to Mile Marker 17 on Highway 20 around 2:30 p.m. to help locate a missing driver.

Police say the driver, an 81-year-old man, had driven off the embankment of Highway 20 the night prior. The crash was not discovered until 2 p.m. the next day by a passerby.

When Officer Snidow and K-9 Nix arrived, they began searching the area. K-9 Nix quickly located the driver, who had walked away after the crash, around 100 yards from his car and stuck in an area of dense blackberries. Police say the driver had apparently had a medical episode, and he was taken to a Newport hospital

Officers Snidow and Nix found an elderly female passenger inside the crashed car who was suffering from a head injury. She was rescued and also taken to the same hospital.

A car crash in Woodburn, Oregon, killed one teenager and injured two others early Wednesday morning, says the Woodburn Police Department.

Woodburn Police Officers, Woodburn Fire District, and Woodburn Ambulance Service were called to a single-car crash at North Boones Ferry Road and Vanderbeck Lane shortly before 2 a.m.

The driver, a 17-year-old Woodburn resident, was found deceased at the scene. A 14-year-old male passenger with life-threatening injuries was taken to an area hospital. A third passenger, a 19-year-old male, had non-life-threatening injuries.

Woodburn Police stated that “it appears speed and alcohol were a factor in the crash.”

On April 2, three organizations are taking the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to federal court in Medford. The three conservation organizations — Klamath Siskiyou Wild, Cascadia Wild and Oregon Wild — are fighting to prevent BLM from what they consider excessive logging in a forest in Josephine County.

They are specifically fighting BLM’s Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) in Josephine County, about two miles northwest of Willaims.

According to BLM’s website, the purpose of IVM is to “promote and develop: safe and effective wildfire response opportunities that reduce wildland fire risk to Highly-Valued Resources and Assets; Fire- and disturbance-resilient lands and fire-resistant stands; and habitat for Special Status Species and unique native plant communities.”

The project near Williams would cover more than 8,300 acres of forest land. More than 7,500 acres would see non-commercial thinning and prescribed fire, more than 800 acres would see commercial treatments.

Dense forest land mixed with dead and dying trees can create a bigger chance of a more catastrophic fire. According to BLM, more trees died between 2015 and 2019 than the last four decades in Southern Oregon. 

Grants Pass voters trying to oust state Rep. Christine Goodwin and prevent her from running for the state Senate say she was never eligible to run for her current House seat.

Documents filed as part of a lawsuit alleging that Goodwin lives outside the House district she represents show that she listed the Myrtle Creek home where she lived for decades but that is just outside her district as her address on a state business registration dated July 6, 2022. Goodwin signed the document attesting under penalty of perjury that the Myrtle Creek address was correct.

To be eligible to run for her House seat, Goodwin had to have lived within the House District 4 boundary as of Jan. 1, 2022. The lawsuit contends that the document helps to prove Goodwin was never eligible to run for the District 4 seat because she hadn’t lived in the district for the requisite amount of time.

Goodwin, a Republican, won the uncontested election to represent House District 4, which stretches from south of Myrtle Creek to the area east of Grants Pass.

For years, Oregon has left thousands of people facing criminal charges without lawyers.

A draft report released last week, funded by Oregon’s Office of Public Defense Services, offers an attempt to draw connections between policy decisions, laws and their costs. It points to policy choices like the prosecution of nonviolent crimes such as drug possession, and mandatory minimum sentences as costly aspects of public defense currently in Oregon.

The report, compiled by the consulting firm Moss Adams, found the state needs roughly 500 more attorneys to meet its public defense obligations. It notes that the state can accomplish that by adding 80 attorneys every year, over the next six years.

The report also notes that the agency’s budget would grow from $576 million in the 2023-2025 fiscal year to $1.3 billion in 2029-2031. The agency’s budget is already forecast to grow considerably next year.

During a meeting this week, the state’s public defense commission asked Moss Adams to reduce the number of hours public defenders can devote every year to cases, meaning a final report is expected to show a need for more public defenders and more money.

Both the U.S. and Oregon constitutions require the state to provide attorneys to anyone charged with crimes if a person cannot afford their own lawyer. Cracks in the state’s troubled system began to first show up during the fall of 2021, when it appeared there were not enough attorneys to cover all of the cases.

As of Thursday, more than 2,500 people are without an attorney statewide, including more than 100 in custody, according to the Oregon Judicial Department, which updates those figures daily.

A little-known piece of U.S. history is the focus of a new virtual exhibit on the Oregon State Capitol website. As part of Women’s History Month, the exhibit recognizes the nation’s first female Governor, who served Oregon in 1909.

While Caralyn Shelton only served as acting Governor of Oregon, she got a lot of attention in her day. 

Shelton’s role lasted a long weekend. She was appointed by Governor George Chamberlain as he resigned to take his newly elected seat in the U.S. Senate. Curator Kylie Pine says Shelton simply held down the fort until the Secretary of State could be sworn in as Governor the following Monday.

Pine says her role as acting Governor garnered worldwide attention.

Shelton, who was originally from the eastern Oregon town of Union, later moved to Washington, D.C. to work with Chamberlain in the Senate. 

The virtual exhibit is a partnership between the Willamette Heritage Center and the Oregon State Capitol Foundation. See it HERE through May 31, 2024. 

A new state website provides information for people seeking an abortion. The Oregon Health Authority’s Reproductive Health Program is behind the new website called Abortion Access In Oregon. 

It includes links with information about accessing services. It also explains people’s legal and privacy rights for reproductive care. 

Governor Tina Kotek issued a statement saying, “Anyone who comes to our state for an abortion, regardless of immigration status, has the legal and protected right to that abortion service, not just Oregon residents.”

The Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, a remote expanse of wilderness along the California-Oregon border, will not lose any of its acreage after the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up two challenges to its expansion.

Logging interests and several counties in Oregon had asked the high court to strike down a 2017 addition to the monument. Their lawsuit claimed President Barack Obama, who seemed to be working to kill the logging industry, improperly made the designation because Congress had previously set aside the land for timber harvests.

By gaining monument status, the area won special protections, including a prohibition on logging.

The challenges to the expansion raised the additional, and broader, question of whether the president’s authority to create national monuments unilaterally under the Antiquities Act should be restricted. Critics of the 1906 law, who have commonly opposed bids for new designations, have argued it gives too much power to the executive branch. The Supreme Court has decided not to address the issue.

The Grants Pass Police Department is urging the public to be cautious after several people have fallen for new scams. 

According to a Facebook post from GPPD, a family has targeted several residents in the area by pretending to be in a desperate situation.

“A family claiming to be from Dubai (said) they found themselves in a desperate situation and unable to buy gas for their Mercedes-Benz because their credit card had been blocked. They approached an innocent citizen who had just finished his grocery shopping,” the post said. “They told him their story and offered to sell $20,000 of gold jewelry for only $1,200.00 if he helped them… However, as you might have already guessed, the punch line in this sad tale of social engineering was that all of the jewelry was fake.”

The post said that this family shows up in Grants Pass every few weeks and several have fallen for this scam, the post said.  It is believed other southern Oregon towns have also been visited by the same culprits.

“If you ask most victims of this fraud, they will likely tell you they were only trying to help a family that was having some bad luck,” the post said. “My advice to our fellow citizens is that if you come across someone you want to help, help them without expecting anything in return. As soon as the enticement of a quick profit is offered, you can be confident that something criminal is afoot.”

Astronomers are gearing up for another North American solar eclipse on April 8^th, 2024. But how much you’ll see depends on where you are in Oregon and your chances are limited. 

Jim Todd, OMSI’s Director of Space Science Education, says totality will miss us by a wide margin, The dark section, called the umbra, is going to move from Mexico into Texas, the Midwest in Illinois and Ohio, and easterly up to New England .

OMSI and the rest of the state will see a partial eclipse, about 23%. But if you start moving eastward, toward the Ontario, they’re going to get about 33%.  Bend will see a maximum of 25% at 11:25 a.m. In Burns, it’ll be 30% at 11:27 and Jordan Valley gets the most in Oregon at 35%.

If you plan to view any portion of the eclipse, it’s imperative to wear solar viewing glasses from start to end.

Oregon won’t get any other kind of eclipse, of any kind, in North America until probably 2040.

Grange Cooperative Supply Association (“Grange Co-op”), a leading agricultural cooperative based in White City, Oregon, has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) as part of the Organic Market Development Grant program.

The grant aims to support the expansion of processing capacity for organic grain feed, addressing critical needs within the nation’s growing organic industry. With this funding, Grange Co-op plans to significantly enhance its processing capabilities to meet the increasing demand for organic grain feed, particularly in the livestock sector. The project will not only benefit organic producers but also contribute to meeting the rising consumer demand for organic products.

Have you ever wanted to be part of a SWAT Team? Or fingerprint a suspect? Or learn how to catch a cyber-criminal? Then consider participating in the FBI Teen Academy.

The FBI Teen Academy program provides an excellent opportunity for rising high school juniors and seniors to learn about exciting careers in law enforcement within the FBI and beyond. Applicants chosen for the program actively engage with FBI agents and leaders in the Bureau to learn about case studies, crime prevention, evidence gathering, and investigative techniques related to criminal activity. The Teen Academy allows students to delve deeply into levels of law enforcement unavailable to them in a general classroom setting.

Students learn about how criminals are captured, hear from FBI agents about actual cases, and learn how to raise their self-awareness online and watch for cyber-predators. Graduates of the Teen Academy program develop a keen understanding of how the FBI interacts with local law enforcement agencies and how participants can raise crime prevention awareness in their communities. In addition, hands-on instruction by FBI experts and other law enforcement agents allows students to understand the importance of communication between national and local agencies.

Teen Academy members engage in group activities ranging from small group exercises to hands-on simulations. As a result, students learn valuable life skills and increase their knowledge and understanding of how law enforcement agencies interact around the country.

Participation is free to the applicants chosen, and volunteer organizations provide supplies for the events.

Applicants must be rising juniors or seniors in high school in the state of Oregon or Southwest Washington. Attendees will need to provide their own transportation to and from the FBI Portland Field Office.

Registration is available online.

A Coos Bay firefighter has adopted a puppy with burn injuries and will use it to teach fire safety to kids.

The puppy was saved from a house fire and suffered burns to its paws, head and back.  The South Coast Humane Society nursed the dog back to health.  They named it Smoky, because it survived the fire.  A Coos Bay firefighter fell in love with Smoky.  He and his wife adopted the puppy and he’ll use it in stop, drop, and roll presentations at schools.

Oregon’s Dave Turin continues his journey around the country helping everyday people prospect for gold in the Friday, March 29, episode of “America’s Backyard Gold.” 

And in this installment, Turin heads to his home state.  The episode is titled, “Big Dollar Beaches,” and the synopsis describes it this way: “Dave Turin welcomes viewers into his own backyard — the state of Oregon; from the Rogue River rapids to the sands of the Pacific coastline, he shows viewers where the gold is and how to get it.”

Turin became a familiar face to Discovery Channel viewers after appearing on “Gold Rush,” where he worked with fellow Oregonian Todd Hoffman. Since exiting “Gold Rush,” Turin went on to star in “Dave Turin’s Lost Mine,” which aired on Discovery.

Turin, who grew up in Oregon and now divides his time between Oregon and Idaho, said he was surprised to find people prospecting for gold along the Oregon coast.

Other Northwest stops included Southern Oregon, “around the Rogue River, and right on the border of California and Oregon,” Turin said. “We just traveled around, talking to people.”

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