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, April 26, 2024
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
A 40%chance of rain otherwise partly sunny, with a high near 51. West wind 10 to 13 mph. Overnight, partly cloudy, with a low around 32. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph.
Today’s Headlines
Klamath Union High School has found its new principal. The Klamath Falls City Schools Board of Education approved the hiring of Rod Heyen during a special meeting Wednesday night at the KFCS Central Office.
Heyen is currently the principal at Oregon’s Warrenton High School and his first day at Klamath Union will be July 1, the first day of the 2024-2025 school year.
Heyen will take over after current KU principal, Tony Swan, retires at the end of the current school year. Swan has been Klamath Union’s principal since February 2018.
Heyen has been principal at Warrenton since August 2004.
There, he created five Career and Technical Education programs of study to connect students with career pathways in welding, automotive, natural resources, graphic design and manufacturing technology.
Heyen was part of the building of a $1.2 million Career Technology and Innovation Center, overseeing the budget, design and construction to ensure maximum functionality of the space for programs, faculty and student experience.
Additionally, Heyen navigated the formation of a campus softball field through collaborating with community stakeholders and harnessing local resources to comply with a Title IX mandate. Heyen implemented the Coastal Commitment through partnership with Clatsop Community College oversight to provide the opportunity for students to select from 44 college credits while on the high school campus.
Heyen served twice as kindergarten through eighth grade interim principal at Warrenton Grade School to ensure district-wide stability and continuity during periods of economic, staffing and COVID-19 pandemic challenges. As interim principal, he created a daily Launch Pad program, leveraging educational technology to ensure all kindergarten through fifth-grade students access to math, reading, writing and coding technologies available for differentiated learning.
While principal at Warrenton High, Heyen, a certified calculus instructor through the CCC Coastal Commitment program, did double duty and taught calculus one period daily for 18 years, allowing WHS students additional college credit opportunities on campus.
The annual League of Oregon Cities conference is in Klamath Falls this week with a two-day event for the state’s local government officials to mix, mingle and learn about each municipality’s experienced issues.
Starting yesterday, Thursday, Oregon municipal governments will gather in Klamath Falls to host workshops on important issues like housing, homelessness and equity and diversity.
A news release from the city said a total of 15 workshops will take place at the annual event with municipalities’ elected leaders set to learn more about addressing the concerns and wishes of the communities they represent.
In addition to elected officials, local leaders in law enforcement as well as city staff are likely to participate in the trainings.
In total, the release said roughly 175 members of municipalities in Oregon are registered for the event at the Running Y Resort this week.
For more information on the annual League of Oregon Cities spring conference, visit orcities.org.
The Klamath County School District held its annual Crystal Apple Awards gala Tuesday night at the Ross Ragland Theater.
KCSD Superintendent Glen Szymoniak welcomed families and friends to the event, highlighting the lasting effect educators and school district staff have on a community.
The winners — Stephanie DeVault, interventionist, Ferguson Elementary; Stacy Johnson, new teacher mentor; Lori Goff, cook manager, Henley Elementary; Jessica Gould, paraprofessional, Chiloquin Jr./Sr. High; Elisa Huffman, fourth-grade teacher, Malin Elementary; Katey Limb, P.E. and health teacher, Lost River Jr./Sr. High; Shelbe Palmer, math teacher, Henley Middle; and Alan Pepper, mechanic, KCSD Transportation — took the stage to receive their Crystal Apples with the inscription: “You Make a Difference,” as well as a special gift from the event sponsor, Highstreet Insurance and Financial Services.
The program included the presentation of colors by the Henley High Junior ROTC, the singing of the national anthem by Henley High student Ayla Bradley and performances by the Mazama AC Choir, the elementary student Crystal Choir, the Henley High Advanced Chorale, a Henley flute trio, and a Henley percussionist.
The gala also featured a special dinner catered by KCSD Food Service for the winners and their families.
The 173rd Fighter Wing out of Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon will conduct two flyovers Saturday, April 27.
F-15 Eagle fighter jets are scheduled to conduct a flyover at the Oregon Football Spring Game at the University of Oregon in Eugene at approximately 1:00 p.m.
They will then perform a flyover at the Regional Track Meet at Grants Pass High School in Grants Pass at approximately 1:28 p.m.
All passes will be approximately 1,000 feet above ground level and about 400 mph airspeed. Flights could be cancelled or times changed due to inclement weather or operational contingencies.
The Oregon Air National Guard has been an integral part of the nation’s air defense since 1941. The 173rd FW is home to the sole F-15C pilot training facility for the United States Air Force.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District and its partners at the Oregon Hazards Lab at the University of Oregon have installed another new fire detection camera in Southeastern Oregon.
The Green Mountain camera is part of a 1,000-plus-camera network hosted on the ALERTWest platform. In Oregon, there are now 16 wildfire detection cameras sponsored by the BLM that feed into the ALERTWest platform. If conditions allow, another wildfire detection camera will be installed on Acty Mountain, 60 miles east of Lakeview, this summer.
In addition to lookouts and aviation assets used in fire reporting, the camera system helps fire managers and responders to detect, confirm, and rapidly respond to wildfires. Fire managers can also use this technology to monitor smoke columns, weather conditions, and fire behavior changes. Natural resource managers and the public are also able to see what conditions are in these locations, as the platform is public-facing. The Green Mountain Fire Lookout will continue to be staffed from June through October.
Spotting fires via camera feeds occurs through automated detections that are reviewed by an operations center that confirms, and reports smoke when they occur during the day. At night, the cameras shift into near-infrared, and the automatic detection monitors for new hot spots on the landscape.
With just a few clicks on alertwest.org, users can access camera time-lapse and panoramic views. Credentialed users have the power to control the cameras, zooming, rotating 360 degrees, tilting, and providing angles from multiple directions. This interactive feature allows officials to monitor a vast landscape in real time and playback the feed later for a more detailed analysis, empowering them with comprehensive data for decision-making.
The Board of Klamath County Commissioners, has entered into a reciprocal agreement with the Harney County Board of Commissioners.
Harney County requires commercial electrical and A-Level commercial structures with fire, life and safety inspection services.
Through the agreement, the two counties’ building inspectors and plan examiners will be providing virtual inspections via coordinated FaceTimes. Each county will be reimbursed for the inspections and plan reviews of amounts not to exceed $35,000.
“This (agreement) is really going to benefit both counties,” Commissioner Dave Henslee told reporters.
In like manner, seeking to complete roadway and utility improvements in the same corridor (Stearns Corridor / Laverne Avenue) as the city of Klamath Falls and the South Suburban Sanitary District, the commission has entered into agreements with both.
The county will contract Rocky Mountain Construction to complete storm drainage, water system and sanitary sewer improvements along the roadway of Laverne Avenue and Bisbee Street on behalf of the sanitary district and the city of Klamath Falls.
The county will be reimbursed the cost of employing Rocky Mountain by the sanitary district and the city of Klamath Falls in a combined amount of $751,690. Additionally, Klamath County will be reimbursed $17,475 for engineering and surveying services associated with the design and construction of the project.
A part of the county’s initiative to make Klamath County School District elementary schools within the Urban Growth Boundary more accessible and safer, the project will encompass a widening of Laverne Avenue for the installation of sidewalks and bike lanes. Klamath County Public Works Department Director Jeremy Morris said that, since a new road is “essentially being built,” it made sense for the utilities to be improved during construction.
While under construction, which began earlier this week, Laverne Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic. Morris estimates construction will last through the middle of August.
BLM hosting Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument plan public meetings
The Bureau of Land Management is inviting you to share your thoughts about the draft management plan for the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument.
The BLM will host one virtual and three in-person public meetings on the proposed plan. The virtual meeting will feature an overview of the draft plan and a summary of the alternatives and analysis. The in-person meetings will be an open-house format. Members of the public will be able to meet with specialists to learn more about the draft plan and provide substantive comments.
“The public meetings are a great opportunity to learn more about the Monument planning effort,” said Lauren Brown, BLM Ashland Field Manager. “You’ll have an opportunity to meet some of the team who wrote the draft management plan.”
The meeting schedule is:
- May 8, 6:00-7:30 p.m. – Virtual Meeting
- Register at bit.ly/CSNMdraft
- May 14, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Medford Armory, 1701 S. Pacific Hwy, Medford OR 97501
- May 16, 5:00-7:00 p.m. Klamath Community College, Building 4, Commons, 7390 S. 6th St., Klamath Falls OR 97603
- May 18, 1:00-3:00 p.m. Pinehurst School, 15337 Hwy 66, Ashland OR 97520
The BLM’s Draft Resource Management Plan will consolidate management of the Monument, providing consistency for the land managers and the public. The Monument is currently managed under three separate management plans. The draft plan updates management guidelines for the entire Monument to protect important biological, historic, and public resources, including objects of scientific interest. It also addresses important resource issues, such as fire and fuels, wildlife, livestock grazing, and recreation.
Interested parties may also submit written comments to BLM through the following methods:
- Online via the “participate now” feature at the BLM National NEPA Register.
- By mail to BLM Medford District Office, ATTN: Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument Planning, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR 97504.
Comments must be submitted by July 4, 2024. For more information or questions, contact the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument RMP Team at 458-246-8861 or blm_csnm_rmp@blm.gov.
Tonight at the Ragland!
Take a 15-time IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Dobro Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy who made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that has electrified the acoustic music scene. They perform tonight out of Nashville here in Klamath Falls at the Ross Ragland theater.
Known for their white-hot picking, stone country vocals with soul and world class live musicianship, Ickes and Hensley meld together blues, bluegrass, country, rock and other string band music of all kinds to form a signature blend of music that defies restrictions of genre. They are equally at home on stages of prestigious performing arts centers, theatres and the Grand Ole Opry as they are on Americana, jamgrass, bluegrass and jam band festivals.
Tickets can be purchased at ragland.org or at the box office, reserve yours by calling 541-884-LIVE.
Adults $25.00, Senior/Military $22.00, Student $22.00, 12 & under $10.00
The Ross Ragland Theater once again hosts the highly anticipated “Dancing With Your Klamath Stars,” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 10.
Voting is already open digitally through the event’s fundraising page. Vote for your favorite contestant, or just donate to help the cause, by visiting givebutter.com/dwyks2024.
Modeled after the beloved television series, the event pairs prominent community figures with professional dancers from the Utah Ballroom Dance Company. Together, they’ll grace the stage in a friendly competition to raise funds for deserving causes in Klamath County.
This year’s lineup features six dynamic duos, each representing a different charity close to their hearts:
- Lyle Ahrens, former reporter at KOBI-TV NBC5/KOTI-TV NBC2, dancing on behalf of United Way of Klamath County;
- Nic Phair, branch principal at Highstreet Insurance & Financial Services, dancing on behalf of the David R. Kingsley Foundation;
- Heidi Gaither, director at Klamath County Developmental Disability Services, dancing on behalf of SMART Reading of Klamath County;
- Cora Christ, agency owner at Country Financial, dancing on behalf of the Assistance League;
- Tessa Gutierrez, HEP director at Klamath Community College, dancing on behalf of the KCC Foundation;
- Chris Benjamin, director of choirs at Henley High School, dancing on behalf of Youth Rising.
The real stars of the night are the audience members, who play a crucial role in determining the winner.
Through a voting system, attendees can support their favorite contestant by making a minimum $1 donation per vote. Whether through phone, in-person, or text-to-vote, every contribution counts toward the overall audience score.
Leading up to the main event, contestants will undergo rigorous rehearsals with the Utah Ballroom Dance Company to perfect their routines.
While votes are tallied, the audience will be treated to an exclusive performance by the talented dance troupe. The winner will walk away with a trophy and $500 towards the charity of their choosing.
The Ross Ragland Theater donates part of the proceeds to the charities from around the Klamath Basin that help this event be a success.
GIVE BACK DAY is TOMORROW, on SATURDAY
Healthy Klamath needs as many able hands as possible to help improve the community with Give Back Day 2024.
Taking place on Saturday, April 27, help make a difference and join Healthy Klamath as they tackle community enrichment projects across Klamath County.
With several projects to volunteer for from brushing around Moore Park with the Klamath Trails Alliance to creating and gifting hand-made caring cards at the Alpine Estates Clubhouses with other projects like gardening, trail maintenance and clearing litter from downtown — there is a project for every interest.
Start times and locations of projects vary. For a complete listing, visithealthyklamath.com/givebackday
Friends of the Children – Klamath Basin invites the community to its annual fundraising dinner auction, Friend Raiser, presented by Lithia Ford of Klamath Falls, Thursday, May 30th. Doors open at Mike’s fieldhouse at Steen Sports Park at 5 p.m.
“This year’s event theme is ‘You Belong!” because we help children feel the belonging and value they need to develop hope and skills for bright futures,” said Executive Director Amanda Squibb. “Our community health depends on our kids’ well-being, and I’m excited to see everyone come out to support professional mentoring in the Klamath Basin.”
Friend Raiser begins with dinner and cocktail stations, a silent auction, wine and bourbon games, and raffle sales. A seated program and live auction follow at 7 p.m.
To reserve seats, visit friendsklamath.org or https://fckb.ejoinme.org/FR2024. Silent and live auction items will be added May 23rd for preview.
Friends – Klamath Basin was established in 2000 to impact generational change by empowering youth facing the greatest obstacles. It pairs youth with professional mentors for 12+ years, no matter what, and will serve 72 youth this year.
Summer Camp Registration Now Open for ages 6-18!!
CLICK HERE: https://ragland.org/theater-camps/
Each week, BasinLife.com features a Pet of the Week ready for adoption from the Klamath Animal Shelter.
This week’s pet is a dog named ” Vador “. Vador is an 8 month old male Pit Bull and Border Collie mix, is black and white, and weighs about 40 pounds.
Around the State of Oregon
The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) is asking community members to weigh in on a potential general rate increase by Pacific Power.
Recently Pacific Power filed a request to increase overall rates by 17.9% or about $322.3 million for all customers combined. If the request is approved, single-family customers using an average of 950 kilowatt hours could see an increase of over $30 per month. For multi-family customers using just 650 kilowatt hours, that’s a jump of over $18 per month.
The power company cite multiple reasons for the proposal to raise rates, including investments in transmission infrastructure, wind generation to serve customer load, upgrades to the customer service system, increased costs of capital to match updated market conditions and risks, as well as wildfire and vegetation management costs. Pacific Power is also proposing an insurance cost adjustment and funding for a catastrophic fire fund.
According to the PUC, “Pacific Power’s general rate case filing is undergoing a nearly year-long review and will be fully investigated on behalf of electricity customers by the PUC, the Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board, and others.”
Members of the community can give their input at a virtual meeting happening April 30 at 6 p.m. or comments can be submitted via phone or mail through June 14.
The Oregon DMV has fixed a problem with a computer system that’s used to process driver’s licenses, ID cards or instruction permits that require photos.
The system went down on Monday. The cause was a configuration issue with the program. It was the first time it occurred, and DMV says it was difficult to find the cause. The system is fixed and starting Thursday DMV offices will again be able to offer new driver’s licenses, ID cards or instruction permits.
Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden has voiced citizen safety concerns over the federal legislator’s passing of a new surveillance bill.
The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act re-authorizes federal surveillance for the next two years. It gives the government access to internet and cell phone data without the need of a warrant in order to help find foreign threats to the country.
Senator Wyden, who is a member of the federal Intelligence Committee, says he is concerned with how the bill will be put into effect.
Sen. Wyden says he proposed an amendment for the bill aimed at reducing the invasiveness of this type of security surveillance. That amendment was not approved before the bill was passed.
Healthcare deductibles and co-pays are on the rise for Oregonians. The Oregon Health Authority reports that between 2015 and 2022 the costs of deductibles and copays increased 17 percent. That doesn’t include increases in premiums. In 2022, Oregonians with commercial health insurance paid 13 percent of their total health care costs, while people with Medicare Advantage paid nine percent. At least 28 percent of Oregonians were considered underinsured in 2021, meaning that even though they had health insurance, it was too expensive for them to use.
Voters’ pamphlets for Oregon’s May primary are starting to arrive in mailboxes.
State Elections Division Director Molly Woon says her office is getting a lot of calls from people wondering why former President Donald Trump – the only Republican Presidential candidate – does not appear in the pamphlet.
Candidate Trump did not submit a voters’ pamphlet statement for the May primary. And, just to make very clear, our office does not have any say in which statements appear in the pamphlet, according to the director.
It doesn’t affect whose name is on the ballot, so his name will clearly be on the ballot, but he is not in the pamphlet. She told reporters this week the Secretary of State’s Office only prints what candidates submit, exactly how the statement is submitted.
For Democrats, campaigns are underway in several states to encourage voters to choose “uncommitted” instead of President Joe Biden, to protest Biden’s Middle East policies.
Oregon’s Primaries are “closed,” which means you must be registered with a party to vote on their candidates in May. Unaffiliated voters will still get a ballot with non-partisan races and local measures.
After watching the stunning decline of their local newspaper, Eugene and Springfield residents will have a new alternative in the coming months.
Ken Doctor, noted newspaper business consultant turned publishing entrepreneur, said he will start a digital news site, Lookout Eugene-Springfield, late in 2024 or early in 2025.
A graduate of the University of Oregon school of journalism, Doctor said he has raised $2.5 million from a number of Eugene-area foundations and families and said he plans to raise another $1.5 million.
The news site will have a staff of 20, Doctor said, 15 of them in the newsroom. That’s a third more than The Register-Guard currently boasts, according to that newspaper’s staff directory
The largest donor to the Eugene startup so far is the Tykeson Charitable Family Trust, which pledged $1 million.
By last summer, The Register-Guard had no local editor — its journalists reported to a sibling paper in Salem — no publisher, no physical newsroom and a news staff of six. It once had more than 80.
CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies arrested two suspects yesterday after an early-morning burglary in rural Central Point.
Yesterday morning, a JCSO Deputy took a report from ECSO Dispatch just after 8 a.m. of a burglary in the 5700 block of Upton Road. Through the investigation, JCSO deputies identified several suspects and tracked them to an address in the 100 block of Laurelhurst Street, also in rural Central Point.
JCSO deputies obtained a search warrant for the property and identified a female suspect on scene. During the initial search of the property, deputies located an additional suspect hiding under a shed. The man did not respond to commands to come out and barricaded in the crawl space. After a lengthy standoff, deputies persuaded the man to give up through the use of pepper spray and a K9.
JCSO Criminal Investigations Division (CID), and Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) detectives responded to assist in the arrest and search of the property. During the search, investigators discovered 10 firearms including a stolen pistol, and an AR-style rifle with no serial number. Deputies also found body armor, an illegally-manufactured silencer, methamphetamine, heroin, Butane Honey Oil (BHO), 35 lbs. of processed cannabis, and 58.3 grams of fentanyl. Deputies also uncovered nearly $19,000 in cash.
The first suspect was Kelli Margaret Hernandez, 44, of Medford. She was arrested for conspiracy to commit second-degree burglary, and hindering prosecution. She was booked and lodged at the Jackson County Jail.
The second suspect was Mickey Ray Galatz, 28, of Central Point. He was arrested on 15 charges related to the incident, in addition to five outstanding warrants. The new charges include second-degree burglary, first and second-degree theft, second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree trespass, interfering with a peace officer, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of body armor, possession of a prohibited firearm, unlawful possession of methamphetamine, unlawful distribution of methamphetamine, unlawful possession of heroin, and unlawful distribution of heroin. For the fentanyl Galatz was charged with unlawful possession of a schedule II-controlled substance – substantial quantity, and unlawful distribution of a schedule II-controlled substance. The outstanding warrants include probation violations for felon in possession of a firearm, two counts of felony unlawful possession of heroin, attempting to elude police by vehicle, and a Klamath County warrant for first-degree burglary and first-degree aggravated theft. Galatz is lodged in the Jackson County Jail.
This case is under further investigation with deputies following additional leads. There is no more information for release at this time.
A fire is burning in the Fremont-Winema National Forest, according to a Facebook post from the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership.
The fire is currently 35 acres and has been burning since about 6 p.m. on April 20, the post said.
“The Fire is a holdover from the lightning that passed through the area on April 13, and is in an area fire managers plan to treat with prescribed fire this spring,” the post said. “…Firefighters are looking for opportunities to carefully manage this fire to a larger size to meet forest health objectives much like the Dillon Creek Fire in 2023.”
Crews are on scene and managing the fire, the post said.
A Central Oregon drug trafficker who conspired with others to traffic fentanyl and methamphetamine to Madras and Redmond, Oregon, and surrounding areas, was sentenced to federal prison yesterday. He was originally arrested near Klamath Falls in December of 2022.
Israel Sarabia, 30, of Culver, Oregon, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, as part of a joint drug trafficking investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team (CODE), investigators learned that a Central Oregon drug trafficking organization was using a courier to transport bulk quantities of drugs from either Southern California or Mexico into Oregon.
On December 10, 2022, investigators located and stopped the courier in Klamath Falls, Oregon. While searching the courier’s vehicle, investigators located three packages containing approximately 30,000 counterfeit Oxycodone pills that later tested positive for fentanyl.
Further investigation revealed that the courier was traveling to Sarabia’s residence and that he had been tasked by Sarabia with bringing him fentanyl from Southern California or Mexico.
On March 15, 2023, investigators located and arrested Sarabia near his residence in Culver. On the same day, investigators located and seized 519 grams of methamphetamine, more than 1,000 fentanyl pills, 41 grams of cocaine, and nine firearms from the residence of a co-conspirator who was working for Sarabia and storing drugs on his behalf.
On August 21, 2023, Sarabia pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by DEA and CODE. It was prosecuted by Lewis S. Burkhart, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
The CODE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. CODE includes members of the Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sunriver, and Black Butte Police Departments; the Warm Springs Tribal Police Department; the Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices; the Oregon State Police; the Oregon National Guard; DEA; and the FBI.
In the Rogue Valley, Dezerae Jobe woke up over lastcweekend to a long list of strange emails in her inbox, indicating her Facebook account had been hacked. Now, her friends and others have been scammed — and one person said she even lost $1,000.
Her account was hacked in the early morning hours of Saturday, Jobe told NewsWatch 12 in Medford, and the hackers posted pictures of different items for sale — asking her followers to buy them.
Because Jobe hasn’t lost any money herself, she is unable to file a police report.
Now, she wants to warn the community and prevent more victims.
Aside from her personal account, Jobe runs two businesses. She was able to recover her photography account but said her vacation rental account and personal account are still under control of the hackers. Jobe said it’s been hard to watch this incident affect her work and her clients.
Jobe says she has reported this incident to Facebook repeatedly. As of Tuesday evening, she has not received any help from Facebook and is still unable to access her account.
If you have been the victim of a scam, call your local police department.
The Pacific Fishery Management Council has recommended to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to cancel this year’s salmon season.
The action would shut down both commercial and recreational salmon fishing. The recommendation cites previous years of drought, wildfires and algae blooms as reasons for a sharp decline in the salmon health and population.
Salmon fishing guide Captain Darren Deel tells Action News Now that the current salmon conditions haven’t been this bad since 2008. He says that while most seasons see 5 to 20 thousand salmon spawning in the Redding area of the Sacramento river “we had 47 spawning salmon in Redding last year.”
The potential closure of the salmon season prompted the Shasta County Board of Supervisors to draft a letter to the Department of Fish and Wildlife urging them to keep the recreational season open saying, “All aspects of our local economy are given a much-needed boon and stimulated by the money that is generated due to recreational salmon fishing.”
Deel says he and other fishing guides have pivoted to trout fishing, which he says has been very good locally. He also said that the salmon population greatly improved during the last time seasons were cancelled back in 2008 and 2009 and hopes that they can see similar improvements with the possible cancellation this year.
Oregon’s minimum wage will increase 50-cents on July first. Bureau of Labor and Industries Commissioner Christina Stephenson announced the annual adjustment this week, based on inflation.
The Standard rate goes up to $14.70. For workers in 18 rural counties, the non-urban rate will increase to 13-70 an hour, and the Portland Metro Minimum wage will be 15-95 an hour. Oregon switched to a tiered minimum wage in 2017 adjustments based on inflation began in 2023.
The Oregon Cheese Festival is coming to the Expo in Jackson County.
The event will allow residents to sample artisan cheese from across the region. There will also be speciality food, beer, wine and cider available.
The Cheese Festival starts on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. for anyone 21 and older. It will also be open on Sunday for all ages from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and $35 at the door.
The Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is back open after the winter season closure.
Tours will be offered five days a week, Thursday through Monday, on a limited basis. They will run on a first come, first served basis between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Entry to the monument is free, however tickets for tours can be purchased on site or at the Illinois Valley Visitor Center.
Meanwhile, Crater Lake National Park visitors can enjoy a free visit this weekend. Saturday is the first day of National Park Week which means the National Park Service is offering free admission to over 400 parks nationwide.
That includes Crater Lake National Park, and it’s only on Saturday. The next fee free day after that is June 19.
Spring into action: Give blood or platelets with the Red Cross
Make an appointment now to help save lives during National Volunteer Month
During National Volunteer Month in April, the American Red Cross asks donors to help protect the blood supply by making and keeping blood or platelet donation appointments in the weeks ahead. Donors of all blood types – especially type O blood donors and those giving platelets – are needed now to keep the blood supply strong enough to support critical patient care this spring.
The Red Cross depends on thousands of volunteer blood donors to collect about 12,000 blood donations every single day. With no substitute for blood and no way to manufacture it, volunteer donors are essential in transfusion care. Blood drives and donation centers also depend on the generosity and valuable time of those who make it possible for the Red Cross to help people in need.
Spring into action – book a time to give lifesaving blood or platelets now by visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App. Those who come to give April 8-28, 2024, will receive a $10 e-gift card to a merchant of choice, plus be automatically entered to win a $7,000 gift card. There will be two lucky winners. See RedCrossBlood.org/Spring for details.
Visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter your zip code to find additional blood donation opportunities near you.
Visitors to the Winston Wildlife Safari are getting to see a new Wallaroo, Joey. The baby was born last July. At birth, they’re typically less than an inch long and spend up to 270 days in their mother’s pouch. At nine months, they’re permanently out of the pouch. The new joey can be seen regularly in the Australia walkabout section. It’ll be a while longer before keepers can determine its gender.
Thanks for reading the the news on BasinLife.com from Wynne Broadcasting.
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