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Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Sunny, with a high near 53. West northwest wind 7 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 22 mph. Clear overnight with a low near 25.
Today’s Headlines
A 26 year old Klamath Falls man is in jail on murder charges, among others, after a Sunday morning incident on Keno-Worden road left a 40 year old Bonanza man dead with gunshot wounds.
Tyler Patrick is lodged in the Klamath County Jail on charges of murder in the 2nd degree, robbery in the 1st degree, two separate unlawful use of a weapons charges, parole violation, and two charges of possession of a firearm after Ole Hans Rehdahl was found deceased after an altercation involving several people around 10am Sunday morning.
Rehdahl was reportedly shot multiple times in the chest and died at the scene.
Several other people were taken into custody as part of the incident.
51 year old Jesus Miranda of Bonanza was arrested on a felony possession of methamphetamine, unlawful use of a weapon, and menacing.
At least two others connected to the case, Amanda Mitchell and Vanessa Staley, were booked on various felony and misdemeanor charges.
Oregon State Police, Klamath County Sheriff’s department, and the Klamath County District Attorney’s office are expected to continue to update information as it becomes available.
Around the same time frame on Sunday, Tyler’s Lottery Lounge on Oregon Avenue was held up in gunpoint by two men.
It’s not immediately known if they escaped on foot or in a vehicle but they were reported last seen on or near Donald street. No one was injured and it is not immediately known how much money was taken from the business. The manhunt for those two continues as well.
Two Republicans are competing for the Klamath County Senate district currently held by Republican Sen. Dennis Linthicum: Linthicum’s wife and a Klamath County Commissioner.
No Democrats are seeking the seat in the heavily Republican 28th District, which stretches from the California border to central Oregon just south of Bend and includes all of Klamath County and parts of Deschutes and Jackson counties. That means the primary winner will replace Linthicum, who is disqualified from re-running because of his participation in the 2023 GOP-led Senate walkout. He’s running for instead.
His wife, Diane Linthicum, has obvious name recognition but so does her opponent, Dave Henslee, who is a former police chief in Klamath Falls and currently serves on the county commission.
In an interview, Henslee said he would bring a long record of public service and a willingness to work with others to find solutions.
Linthicum, whose husband has endorsed her, didn’t respond to multiple emails and phone calls seeking an interview.
She has served as chief of staff in her husband’s Senate office and also worked as a rancher. In her statement in the state’s voters guide, Linthicum said she’s committed to rural values and liberty without government interference.
Six Klamath Community College teams competed for nearly $5,750 in prize money and bragging rights at the Fifth Annual Badger Venture entrepreneurial competition on campus Thursday night.
While not all walked away with prize money, all inspired the audience of about 50 people with their pitches for problem solving and business savvy.
The top prize winner was Gabrielle Martin with her Posy Wall prototype. Graduating from KCC this June with an Associates in Business Management, Martin took home $2,750 in prize money, including the Audience Choice award.
KCC President Dr. Roberto Gutierrez reminded the competitors that – just like a job interview – they must bring innovation, critical thinking and a way to improve a business in order to succeed in today’s business world.
“But you must be a good listener, too, and be able to motivate others,” he said. “Small business is at the heart of the American economy. We applaud you for your efforts.”
Martin’s Posy Wall is a prototype for a false wall, held up by floor-to-ceiling tension struts that can support a large flat screen TV and other electronics. A variety of “skins” or wraparound material covers the support poles for a stylish look.
The event sponsors included: Klamath County, City of Klamath Falls, Klamath IDEA, InventOR, and the Associated Students of KCC. The event was organized by the KCC Badger Venture Committee including KCC Administration, KCC Business & Engineering Departments, KCC Small Business Development Center, & volunteer pitch coaches of the Klamath IDEA. Judges were John Stanaland of Business Oregon, Reba Vanacker, local entrepreneur, and Scott Siracusa, managing partner of the Running Y. The emcee for the evening was Klamath County Commissioner Kelley Minty.
A crew of six trail maintenance experts from Crater Lake National Park is heading to Slovenia next month.
Since 2017 Crater Lake has had a sister agreement with Triglav National Park in Slovenia.
As part of this agreement, the two parks have exchanged experienced workers for various projects over the years.
Starting in May, the Oregon crew will aid in repairing damage done to Triglav’s more than 800 kilometers of trails by severe storms and floods in the last year.
The crew will be in Slovenia for three weeks, working to repair trails for the 100th anniversary of the park.
Despite the hurdles of transportation, lack of hydraulics to keep wing flaps stationary, and the initial acquisition of a retired Air Force jet, the controversial Veterans Memorial Park static jet display installation is well underway.
The installation of the jet onto the concrete slab in the park took place earlier this week.
According to Klamath Falls Public Works Director Mark Willrett, discussions on the jet began in approximately 2015, with the application for acquiring a decommissioned jet submitted in 2016.
The city’s request was approved and placed on a list with 39 other requests for decommissioned jets.
The static jet display has been a controversial topic since residents’ discovery of the city’s plans in 2022.
One month after the project was discussed, the city approved funding for the jet display — $300,000 from federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.
Klamath County officials entered into a memorandum of understanding with the city, agreeing to match the funds with an additional $300,000 also allocated from ARPA money.
Residents gathered in protest, both at city council meetings as well as at the park itself, where civil protestors laid flowers outlining where the base of the jet was originally planned to be placed.
The city later decided to relocate the static fighter jet display to the concrete amphitheater within the park where it now resides on its metal base.
A ceremony to unveil the static jet display is being planned for Memorial Day.
With the goal to see all Oregonians live in thriving communities that are equitable, healthy and safe, The League of Oregon Cities opened its annual Local Government Spring Conference at the Running Y Ranch Thursday.
Created in 1925 through an intergovernmental agreement of incorporated cities, the League of Oregon Cities (LOC) functions as an extended department of all 241 cities in Oregon. The league acts as a trusted partner for local, state, federal and community leaders in developing policy and legislation to empower Oregon’s cities through collaboration, advocacy, training and sharing of best practices.
Open to all municipal leaders including city mayors, councilors and managers, the conference saw over 170 registrants from all across Oregon including townships such as North Bend, La Grande, Gresham, Ashland, Independence, Hillsboro, Maupin, Pendleton, Fossil and Dayton.
Over the two-day conference, the public officials will be taking part in workshops such as planning for and recovering from an emergency, rural resources and leveraging the power of regional resources to meet Oregon’s housing needs. They will also be hearing from keynote speakers Sheriff Nick Hunter of Marion County, State Representatives Ken Helm and Mark Owens and Portland attorney Anit Jinda, whoseclients include public utilities, state and local governments, and privately held businesses.
Klamath Falls City Councilors Abbie McClung and Kelsey Mueller-Wendt said they’d like to collect good ideas from other cities that may help Klamath Falls grow and learn how other city councilors generate positive change.
The LOC provides training to both elected city officials and city staff on a variety of core and specialized topics throughout the year in several locations and online. The LOC’s premier event is the annual conference which is held in the fall — this year in Bend — and is the largest gathering of municipal officials in Oregon. To learn more about the League of Oregon Cities visit their websitewww.orcities.co
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Klamath Falls Field Office, seeks public input on the Gerber Forest Health Treatments Environmental Assessment.
Acting Klamath Falls manager Mike Limb says “Prolonged drought and changing weather patterns are starting to take a toll on our overstocked dry site pine stands, and we need to take action to increase the resilience of the forest and help to prevent a catastrophic loss of these stands,”
This EA covers approximately 27,000 acres of treatment on Public Domain Lands in Southeastern Klamath County, Oregon. The objective of the project is to increase the resilience of forested ponderosa pine stands and woodlands to the impacts of insect, disease, and uncharacteristic stand replacing wildfire. Treatments include commercial timber harvest through uneven aged management regimes, non-commercial thinning, juniper removal, and prescribed burning including both under burning and pile burning.
The BLM asks for public comments through May 30, 2024. Comments must be provided in writing to the Klamath Falls Field Manager.
Lake County leads Oregon in the most affordable places to buy a home, with Klamath County also ranking in the top five, according to a SmartAsset analysis.
SmartAsset, a financial technology company specializing in home-buying calculators and tools to help people make decisions about personal finance, began the study by including all cities with a population of 5,000 or greater. The company analyzed closing costs, real estate taxes, homeowners insurance and mortgage rates throughout the United States.
Across a five-year period, the total average cost of owning a home was measured and used as a proportion of median household income in each location to determine affordability, with extra weight on mortgage payments. The most affordable places were decided by those in which total housing costs were smallest compared to the average income in each area.
Indexed on a scale from 0 to 100, Lake County, determined to be the most affordable in Oregon, scored an affordability index equaling 34.83, with an average closing cost of $1,564 and an average annual mortgage payment of $12,079. According to SmartAsset, the median family income in Lakeview was calculated to be $54,931.
Klamath County scored 22.92 with an average closing cost of $2,641, an annual mortgage payment of $20,393 and a determined median family income of $62,328.
KWUA Klamath Waters Users News Update
On April 15, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) issued a 2024 Klamath Project Operations Plan that provides 230,000 acre-feet of water from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River for irrigation in 2024. This amounts to 35% of the projected net inflow to Upper Klamath Lake
during the 2024 water year.
In a press release that same day, KWUA Executive Director Paul Simmons expressed frustration: “This winter, we have watched water be released to flush sediment in the Klamath River to mitigate impacts of dam removal. We have bent over backwards to put water on our national wildlife refuges.
Within a few weeks, Upper Klamath Lake will be completely full for the first time in seven years, and the
snowpack is in good shape for this time of year. Yet we are looking at the fifth worst allocation in the 120 years since the Klamath Project was authorized.”
Regardless of these concerns, KWUA and member district managers continue to engage in constructive dialogue directed toward improving the outlook. “There is more water available that we should be able to access,” said KWUA Water Policy Director Moss Driscoll. “We are talking that through with tribes and agencies, constructively, carefully, and deliberately, but with a sense of urgency.” This year, downstream dam removal activities dictate the maximum amounts of water that can be released to the Klamath River
without compromising removal activities or public safety.
KWUA hopes that there may be an improved water announcement soon, with a prospect of doing still better than the still-conservative quantity that we may see. But farmers and ranchers, and their bankers, need to know what they have to work with.
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.
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/
Around the State of Oregon
Oregon voters who want to cast a ballot in the May 21 primary have until Tuesday (today) to register to vote or to update their party affiliation.
There are more than 3 million registered voters in Oregon, but 1.3 million aren’t registered as either a Democrat or Republican, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Those voters won’t get a say in which Democratic or Republican candidates are nominated for Congress, the statewide offices of secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general or for the Oregon House and Senate, unless they register as a member of one of those parties.
You can check whether you’re registered with a major party or update your party affiliation by going to oregonvotes.gov/myvote. Enter your first and last name and birthday and you’ll see whether your registration is current and which party, if any, you belong to.
Oregonians who don’t have a valid and current Oregon driver’s license, permit or identification card must fill out a paper voter registration card.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has placed Oregon State Hospital (OSH) in immediate jeopardy status.
CMS surveyors noted that emergency response equipment was located in more than one room in the admissions area of the Salem campus.
CMS surveyors were on site after OSH reported a patient death shortly after arrival. Although the location of the Code Blue equipment did not contribute to the patient death, it was identified as a potential future safety risk.
Meanwhile, a core team of clinical and administrative personnel are creating an immediate jeopardy removal plan describing exactly how and when the hospital will correct any remaining issues (e.g., updating signage) and will continue to abide by this standard to ensure patient safety. OSH will submit the plan early this week. If the plan receives preliminary approval, a CMS surveyor will conduct another unannounced visit to review implementation.
If the plan is successful, CMS will take OSH out of immediate jeopardy status. Otherwise, the hospital may lose eligibility to receive federal Medicare or Medicaid reimbursement for services.
The winners of the last month’s $1.3 billion Powerball were revealed Monday afternoon at Oregon Lottery headquarters in Salem, with one of them reading a statement and answering brief questions from the media.
Cheng “Charlie” Saepen and Laizo Chao shared the winning ticket. Saepen said he is splitting his half with his wife, Duapen Saepen. The Saepens are from Portland and Chao from Milwaukie.
They are the first Powerball winners in Oregon since 2018, when a Salem man won $150.4 million.
This jackpot was nearly nine times that, having swelled to record proportions during the more than three months without a Powerball winner. The $1.326 billion prize was the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot and eighth-largest ever won in the U.S. Powerball is played in 45 states plus Washington, D.C.; Puerto Rico; and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Their winning ticket matched all six numbers plus the Powerball and was the lone winning ticket in the April 6 drawing, purchased at a Plaid Pantry in northeast Portland. The convenience store received a $100,000 bonus selling the winning ticket.
The winners came forward the Monday after the drawing, when the Oregon Lottery announced it was working with the ticket holder, saying the process involved security measures and vetting that would take time before a winner could be announced.
Per state law, players in Oregon, with few exceptions, cannot remain anonymous. Just a handful of lotteries in the U.S. allow anonymity.
A suspect is dead and two people were hurt after a Coburg shooting suspect led police on a chase on I-5 northbound on Sunday afternoon.
Oregon State Troopers responded to the Coburg area to help officials with the Coburg Police Department and Lane County Sheriff’s Office with a reported shooting.
Officials said the shooting critically injured one of the involved individuals and a search began for the other involved suspect. At about 6PM officials said a vehicle of interest in the Coburg shooting was reported as a driving complaint. The vehicle was located by Linn County Deputies, Lane County Deputies, and Oregon State Troopers.
That’s when officials said a pursuit ensued northbound on Interstate 5 from Exit 209. After a successful deployment of spike strips to stop the suspect vehicle, the vehicle crashed along the shoulder of Interstate 5. At the crash scene, an officer-involved shooting occurred, involving the Linn County Deputies and OSP Troopers from the pursuit.
OSP officials said the driver of the suspect vehicle was pronounced deceased. A passenger in the suspect vehicle was also injured during the officer-involved shooting and was transported for treatment.
No law enforcement members were injured during these incidents. The Oregon State Police Major Crimes Team is investigating the Coburg shooting.
OSP Superintendent Casey Codding, who leads the Oregon State Police, is one of three troopers on administrative leave after he fired his service weapon Tuesday amid that high-speed chase on Interstate 5 near Eugene last week.
Codding was among the troopers who responded after police in Oregon identified a former Washington state police and school resource officer who allegedly kidnapped his 1-year-old son and killed two women, including the child’s mother, in West Richland, Wash.
On Tuesday afternoon, Oregon State Police spotted the suspect, Elias Huizar, who fled after troopers tried to make a traffic stop. Huizar later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Capt. Kyle Kennedy, with the Oregon State Police, told OPB that Codding was in the area as the pursuit unfolded.
It’s unusual for such a high-ranking law enforcement officer typically tasked with the administrative duties of a sprawling statewide agency to use lethal force in the line of duty.
With Codding on leave, Oregon State Police Deputy Superintendent Josh Brooks will temporarily take over.
Kennedy said it’s unclear how long Codding and the other troopers will be on administrative leave.
The entire law enforcement organization was focused Tuesday on finding Huizar after the Washington State Patrol requested that the agency issue an Amber Alert, Kennedy said.
Codding, who was driving his unmarked State Police SUV, was part of the pursuit which saw speeds reach more than 100 miles per hour.
Codding, Sgt. Orly Johnson and another trooper who is also on leave, attempted to stop Huizar near milepost 209.
During that, the suspect vehicle lost control, and the suspect began to engage those pursuing officers with gunfire,
Codding and Johnson returned fire, Kennedy said.
Huizar crashed near milepost 197 and died by suicide, police said during a news conference Tuesday. One-year-old Roman Santos was not injured.
Last week’s shooting was not the first time Codding was involved in a high-profile police killing.
On Jan. 26, 2016, Codding was one of the troopers who shot and killed LaVoy Finicum, one of the leaders of an armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
A man wanted on warrants in Klamath County was part of a major arrest late last week in Jackson County.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies arrested two suspects yesterday after an early-morning burglary in rural Central Point. Yesterday morning, a JCSO Community Service 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.
Oregon is one of the worst states in the nation when it comes to rising rates of auto loan delinquency.
That’s according to Wallethub data, which reveals where delinquencies are increasing the most. The top five states where auto delinquencies have increased the most are Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Georgia and Rhode Island.
In each of these states the average number of loan delinquencies in the fourth quarter of 2023 were above eleven-percent. To determine the states most delinquent on auto loans WalletHub analyzed data on consumer delinquency rates between Q-3 and Q4 of 2023.
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.
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.
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