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Monday, May 6, 2024
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
A 40% chance of showers, mainly after 1pm, then partly sunny, with a high near 52. West southwest wind 10 to 16 mph, with higher gusts at times. A slight chance of rain and snow showers before 11pm. Widespread frost after 11pm. Overnight low around 30. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Today’s Headlines
Calling it a milestone among milestones, Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation. made a major announcement Friday.
Friday morning, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved KRRC’s project plans for the complete removal of the Iron Gate embankment dam, as well as other major portions of the project.
The renewal corporation began deconstruction of the Iron Gate earlier this week after receiving recent approval from FERC to remove the first 13 feet of the earthen dam.
Bransom said they are currently in the process of removing the sheet pile. Spanning 740 feet across and measuring 173 feet in height, the Iron Gate has stood in formidable stature since its construction in 1964.
Approval of project plans for full removal of the Iron Gate has been granted, in full, marking a monumental step in the largest dams removal project in U.S. history.
But that’s not all. FERC also approved the removal of the penstock intake tower, and to begin lowering the earthen embankment portion of the J.C. Boyle Dam, the Oregon-based, northernmost dam set to be removed in the Klamath River Renewal project.
Bransom said there is some additional work to be done at J.C. Boyle before FERC can authorize total removal but he expects deconstruction to begin within the next few weeks.
Well known Bob Frierich, who spent 50 years as a coach, administrator, and athletic director in the Klamath County School District, passed away early Friday morning. He was 90.
Frierich first began his exceptional career with KCSD at Bonanza high school in 1961 as a basketball coach.
Long after his retirement, Frierich remained active as a volunteer coach for the Henley cross country and track and field teams. The track and field and cross country facilities at Henley are named after him.
He also is responsible for starting cross country at Lost River when Merrill and Malin high schools merged in 1970.
Freirich also helped start the now nationally popular Crater Lake Rim Runs decades ago.
His wife Beverly joined him after a year of teaching at Cove in 1961 here in Klamath Falls. Freirich said he had ample opportunities to move out of Klamath Falls during his career, but found the Basin to be a great place to settle and raise a family.
Along with wife Beverly, he is survived by three daughters and one son. Services are pending.
Beginning today, Klamath Falls city public works will be on several projects.
5/6/2024 & 5/7/2024 – Alley work on St. Francis between Oregon Avenue and Lookout.
5/8/2024 – Driveway approach paving on the 2200 and 2300 blocks of Darrow.
5/9/2024 – Driveway approach paving on the 2200 and 2300 blocks of White.
5/7/2024 through 5/10/2024 – City Streets Paint crew will be painting crosswalks and curbs on Klamath Avenue from Center Street to South 6th Street. Legends and bike lane striping will continue on Oregon Avenue from Biehn Street to Main Street. All work is weather dependent. Please use caution while traveling in work zones. If you would like more information, please call the City Public Works Department at (541) 883-5363.
A defensive burn-to-learn will take place Thursday, May 9, 2024, at 5536 Summers Lane (the old Summers School), near the southside bypass.
SMOKE WILL BE PRESENT AND FLAMES VISIBLE. THIS IS A TRAINING AND FIRE PERSONNEL WILL BE ON-SITE – PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT KLAMATH COUNTY 911. Division Chief Brent Knutson will be training KCFD1 and other local firefighters on defensive structure fire strategy and tactics.
Chiloquin and surrounding areas will likely have smoky air conditions in the coming weeks as the district’s prescribed burn period started last week.
A news release from Klamath County Public Health said the J Lo Project will undergo approximately 1,200 acres of burning. Smoke is expected to be visible from Highway 97.
Depending on the weather, the release said, smoke intrusion is possible for up to 10 days in the communities of Chiloquin, Sprague River, Beatty, Bly and Bonanza.
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.
Around the State of Oregon
Incoming freshmen at Oregon’s public universities will pay record tuition for the upcoming school year, with all seven of the state’s public universities hiking the cost again.
Nearly every one of the schools has increased tuition every year for the past 10 years, making average tuition at Oregon’s public universities today about 26% higher than it was a decade ago, according to the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission.
The hikes have drawn the ire of students and the commission leaders, who point to the lack of state funding for higher education as a key reason tuition continues to rise. Oregon ranks 32nd among states for public investment in higher education, according to the Colorado-based policy group State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.
Incoming freshmen at Oregon’s public universities will pay record tuition for the upcoming school year, with all seven of the state’s public universities hiking the cost again.
Nearly every one of the schools has increased tuition every year for the past 10 years, making average tuition at Oregon’s public universities today about 26% higher than it was a decade ago, according to the state’s Higher Education Coordinating Commission.
The hikes have drawn the ire of students and the commission leaders, who point to the lack of state funding for higher education as a key reason tuition continues to rise. Oregon ranks 32nd among states for public investment in higher education, according to the Colorado-based policy group State Higher Education Executive Officers Association.
The Klamath National Forest has completed the May 1st snow surveys.
These measurements are a part of the statewide California Cooperative Snow Survey program, which helps the state forecast the quantity of water available for agriculture, power generation, recreation, and stream flow releases later in the year.
Generally warm daytime temperatures in April have well advanced the spring snow melt, with the lowest elevation snow course – Dynamite Meadow – already snow-free. The snowpack at higher elevation locations, however, continues to persist, although perhaps for not much longer. According to measurements taken for the May survey, the snowpack is at 94% of the long-term average snow height (snow depth) and at 97% of the long-term Snow Water Equivalent (“SWE”, measure of water content) across all survey points (see results table).
Snow surveys are conducted monthly during the winter and spring months (February through May). Forest Service employees travel to established sites in the headwaters of the Scott River watershed to take measurements. The newest measuring site at Scott Mountain has been monitored for over 35 years; the oldest site at Middle Boulder has been monitored for over 70 years. Some sites are located close to forest roads with good access, while others require hours of travel by snowshoe and/or snowmobile.
The height of snow and SWE are measured by a snow sampling tube with a cutter end that is driven through the snowpack, measuring depth. The snow core is then weighed to determine the water content (SWE). The information is forwarded to the State of California, where the data is compiled with other snow depth reports and becomes part of the California Cooperative Snow Surveys program.
Teams of students at Hermiston, Silverton, Henley, Parkrose, Crescent Valley, and McLoughlin high schools have earned top prizes in a media contest designed to increase awareness about workplace safety and health for young workers.
High school students across Oregon were invited to participate in the annual contest organized by the Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]). In its 16th year of putting a spotlight on the importance of young worker safety and health, the 2023-24 media contest challenged participants to create an ad – through either a compelling graphic design or video – that captures their peers’ attention and convinces them to take the O[yes] Young Employee Safety Awareness online training.
The creative possibilities were multifaceted: Participants got to choose the key message, theme, or tagline they believed would attract their audience and move it to act. Participants were asked to submit either a graphic design or a video that was no more than 90 seconds long.
Teams of students met the challenge with smart and positive media projects. In attention-grabbing videos and artful graphic designs, students called attention to everything from workplace stress to worker rights on the job. Their projects stayed laser-focused on convincing their target audience – teen workers or teens who are preparing to work for the first time – to take the O[yes] Young Employee Safety Awareness online training to improve their knowledge of how to stay safe and healthy in the workplace.
The first-place teams in each category also earned a matching award for their schools.
A 26-year-old Yreka man has been found guilty of first-degree murder after shooting a man to death in 2019.
According to a Facebook post from the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, Timothy Chase McDonald killed 31-year-old Spencer Hodgson in 2019.
“On the morning of April 8th, 2019, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a possible dead body near Yreka Walker Road in the Klamath River Area,” the post said. “Investigators identified the victim as Spencer Hodgson, and the Sheriff’s Forensic Pathology team determined Hodgson died from multiple gunshot wounds.”
Nineteen public safety leaders from throughout Oregon successfully completed the International Public Safety Leadership and Ethics Institute (IPSLEI) on April 25, 2024, at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) in Salem.
IPSLEI is an intensive leadership program that involves a variety of learning methodologies, including written case studies, video case analysis, and interactive learning processes. Students explored a number of films, books and articles that inspired a deep exploration of ethical decision-making principles and their application to the students’ own leadership journeys. By simply asking the question “why,” the students developed their critical thinking processes related to leadership and their own self-awareness.
The 160-hour IPSLEI training program takes place over the course of four months and consists of four modules that highlight:
- Developing a Personal Philosophy of Leadership and Ethics
- Leading Others Ethically
- Ethical Leadership in Organizations
- Ethics and the Challenge of Leadership
Over 350 public safety professionals from the police, fire, corrections and community corrections disciplines have completed the program since DPSST began hosting it in 2008.
A dog is dead and two people are injured following a house fire in Coos Bay.
Fire officials say crews responded to the home early yesterday morning after a neighbor called 911. Firefighters arrived to find two people trapped inside the burning home and rescued them, rushing them to a hospital. Crews also found two dogs inside the home. One of the dogs was dead, while the other was rescued and is said to be doing OK.
Police say people who occupied Portland State University’s library caused substantial damage to the fire alarm system.
The alarm system box was pulled out of the wall, many pull stations were activated, and fire extinguishers were sprayed throughout the building.
The Portland Fire Bureau says the in-house fire suppression system remains intact. The pull stations need to be reset and the emptied fire extinguishers will have to be replaced. The building will be boarded up to prevent access until the repairs are made.
Ten-million-dollars will be spent restoring fish habitat in Oregon. The Private Forest Accord Grant Program has awarded its first-ever round of habitat restoration project funding.
It’s going to 25 projects across Oregon that will restore critical spawning grounds, fish passage and habitat improvements for fish and wildlife. The focus is on helping native salmon, trout and select amphibians.
Oregon Congressman Cliff Bentz is defending America’s ranchers when it comes HR 764, the “Trust the Science Act”.
Under HR 764, the Gray Wolf would be removed from the Endangered Species Act in the lower 48 states.
Bentz gave a speech on the house floor during a recent discussion on the topic. The congressman said he didn’t think he had encountered such ignorance regarding the nature of a wolf, adding, “a wolf is not a pet dog. It’s not some schnauzer or golden retriever, or a dash hound. It is the truth of the matter, a natural born killer.”
He said he believes those on the other side of the aisle have no idea what ranchers have to go through when they have to get up in the middle of the night to protect their livelihood from wolves. Bentz specifically referred to Highway 395 which bisects his district down the middle, he says on one side a wolf kills an animal it’s protected and on the other side it’s not. He calls this situation hardly ideal especially for a single-ownership ranch that falls on both sides of the highway.
Bentz also went on to ask the question, “how many wolves are enough?” saying there are tens of thousands in Canada, Minnesota, and Alaska collectively. He says in Oregon there are about 250, a number that he says is adequate for survival under the Endangered Species Act.
He argues that wolves need to be removed from the Endangered Species List so that humans “have some means of controlling an apex predator.”
Thanks for reading the the news on BasinLife.com from Wynne Broadcasting.
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