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Friday, July 19, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

The Klamath Rails Model Railroad Club will present their annual train show through July 27 at the Klamath County Museum.

The club’s show includes a variety of scale models, with their main layout consisting of several hundred feet of HO-scale track.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday during the two-week run. 

Entry to the train show is included with regular museum admission, which is $5 for adults, $4 for teenagers and seniors, and free for children 12 and under. An additional discount is offered for families enrolled in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“The model trains are always a hit with our visitors, including everyone from little kids to seniors,” museum director Todd Kepple said. “The hobby requires a combination of mechanical skills, imagination and an artistic flair.”

A free-admission day for families with special needs will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, July 14. For more information, contact the museum at (541) 882-1000.

Around the State of Oregon

Two brothers from Pendleton pleaded guilty Wednesday to civil disorder and other charges stemming from their breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Jonathanpeter Allen Klein, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of civil disorder, a felony, and one count of assaulting, resisting or impeding officers, a misdemeanor. Matthew Leland Klein, 27, pleaded guilty to civil disorder and a misdemeanor charge of entering and remaining in a restricted building.

The two men will be sentenced in the District of Columbia on Nov. 15.

According to court documents, the brothers traveled from Portland to Washington, D.C., to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally and then made their way toward the Capitol building and entered into the restricted perimeter before separating and entering the Capitol.

An examination of a mobile device associated with Jonathanpeter Klein suggested he was in and around the Capitol building on Jan. 6 for about two and a half hours, according to the indictment.

Both had notified others of their plan to attend the rally in D.C., according to court records.

 

The large Shelly Fire is now 15,460 acres, the Klamath National Forest said in a news release, and about 18% contained according to fire officials. 

There are 3,077 personnel, 104 crews, 176 engines, 48 dozers, 15 helicopters and 89 pieces of heavy equipment on the scene.

 

On the Williamette River near Portland, the body of “Top Chef Masters” star Naomi Pomeroy was recovered Wednesday, four days after she drowned while tubing with her husband and a friend on the river.

The renowned chef, 49, was on the Willamette River Saturday evening when she became trapped underwater. The tragedy happened when Pomeroy, her spouse, Kyle Linden Webster, and friends were on tubes and a paddle board that were connected together, but got caught on an “exposed snag” that pulled the chef underwater.

Her body was retrieved by authorities Wednesday morning after being spotted by canoers, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office said.

 

On Thursday night, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for a series of fires in Umatilla County near Pilot Rock. 

The OSFM is mobilizing its Green Incident Management Team and three structural task forces from Benton, Marion, and Polk counties. One of those task forces was sent earlier in the afternoon through Immediate Response along with a type 1 helicopter. 

Significant lightning storms moved through Umatilla County Thursday afternoon and have kept local fire agencies busy responding to wildfires. Gusty winds and dry conditions caused some of these fires to grow exponentially and threaten life and property.  

“The conditions our firefighters are up against are extraordinarily challenging and we are working to provide the needed resources to protect our communities from many wildfires burning across the state,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “I can’t stress enough the importance of preventing any new fires and being prepared in case you need to evacuate.” 

The Umatilla County Sheriff’s Office has Level 3 (Go Now) evacuation notices in place. For the latest on evacuations, please follow the Umatilla County Sheriff on Facebook. Shelters are set up at the Pendleton Convention Center, 1601 Westgate in Pendleton, and Grant Union High School, 911 S Canyon Blvd in John Day.  

For information on being prepared for wildfire visit https://wildfire.oregon.gov/prepare.  

The Emergency Conflagration Act allows the state fire marshal to mobilize state resources to protect life and property. Following ORS 476.510-476.610, Governor Kotek determined that threats to life, safety, and property exist because of the fire, and the threats exceed the capabilities of local firefighting personnel and equipment. 

As of Friday morning, several new wildfire starts have resulted from lightning strikes across the region over the last two days. Currently, there are 10 confirmed fires on the Umpqua National Forest.

Lightning-caused fires:

Trail Fire – Just east of Diamond Lake. Trail Fire is estimated at 200 acres. Multiple crews and engines assigned to this incident. Aircraft resources are being shared between Lemolo and Trail Fires.

Evacuations for the Trail Fire can be found on the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.

Lemolo Fire – Estimated 15 Acres. Two engines and crew on site. Aircraft resources are being shared between Lemolo and Trail Fires.

Jack Saddle Fire – Estimated 5 acres. About 14 miles northeast of Idleyld Park. In addition to a Forest Service Engine, Douglas Forest Protective Agency (DFPA) air and ground resources were on site. DFPA is now in joint command with the Umpqua National Forest on continued suppression efforts on this fire.

Lost Bucket – near Jack Saddle Fire, DFPA air and ground resources utilized.

Donegan Fire – Estimated .25 of an acre, 100% lined. Contained.

White Creek Fire – Estimated .5 acres, handline complete. 100% contained.

Cultus Fire – Estimated 1.5 acres. Fire is lined. 40% contained.

Slide Fire – Estimated .5 acre. 100% lined.

Puddin Fire – Estimated .5 acres. Completed handline, 70% contained.

Tucker Fire – Estimated .5 acres, Resources: Squad 211 and 212 and one engine. 10% contained, handline and hose laid around it.

More information, including latitude and longitude for each fire, can be found at: https://www.wildwebe.net

 

 

AFTER 30 YEARS, ONE OF OREGON DOC’S MOST WANTED FUGITIVES HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA

An Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) adult in custody who fled from a work crew in 1994 is back in custody. Steven Craig Johnson fled from a work crew at the Mill Creek Correctional Facility (MCCF) in Salem on November 29, 1994.

Johnson was arrested in Macon, Georgia by the U.S. Marshals Service, Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (USMS SERFTF) on July 16, 2024. He was booked into the Bibb County Jail and is awaiting extradition back to Oregon.

According to the USMS Steven Craig Johnson aka “William Cox,” 70, was taken into custody by the USMS SERFTF on July 16, 2024, at approximately 2:00 p.m. at an apartment complex located at 2087 Vineville Ave. in Macon. Johnson had been a resident there and living under the alias of William Cox since 2011. Johnson was wanted on an Oregon arrest warrant for escape. 

MCCF was a minimum-security prison located five miles southeast of Salem on 2,089 acres. The facility was unfenced and housed approximately 290 adults in custody who were within four years of release. MCCF opened in 1929 as the Farm Annex of the Oregon State Penitentiary. The prison closed June 30, 2021, by order of liberal Governor Kate Brown.

DOC is responsible for the care and custody of approximately 12,000 individuals who are incarcerated in 12 institutions across the state.

 

A Cottage Grove woman who made online threats to harm Black people, Jewish people and her co-workers and promised to “go out in a blaze of glory” while amassing a cache of guns and ammunition will spend another two weeks in custody before her release on intense supervision.

Elizabeth West will have spent a total of six months and three weeks in custody stemming from her sentence of time served, followed by three years of federal supervision. She pleaded guilty in April to making interstate threatening communications.

West, 56, was diagnosed recently with borderline personality disorder after earlier diagnoses for bipolar disorder, depressive disorder and post traumatic stress disorder.

Federal agents were first alerted in late September to a post by West on a “Trans Woman Support Group” Facebook page, saying she was being bullied by “trans phobic” co-workers and “at the end of my rope.” She wrote that she was left with no alternative, above a photo of two guns.

West wrote that she would “probably have to go out in a blaze of glory” and would “have to do what I have to do and pray for the gods to forgive me.”

Further investigation revealed violent rhetoric she posted on X, formerly Twitter, in December, sharing her hatred of Jews, Black people and immigrants, with photos of a Nazi flag and other guns, according to a federal affidavit.

 

Oregon’s unemployment rate was 4.1% in June and 4.2% in May and has been in a tight range between 4.0% and 4.2% since October 2023. The U.S. unemployment rate, at 4.1%, changed little in June.

In June, Oregon’s seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment rose by 600 jobs, following a gain of 4,000 jobs in May. June’s gains were largest in health care and social assistance (+1,200 jobs); financial activities (+800); leisure and hospitality (+700); and other services (+700). Declines in June were largest in professional and business services (-1,800 jobs) and manufacturing (-600).

Health care and social assistance continued its rapid expansion. During the two-and-a-half-year period January 2022 through June 2024, it added 34,000 jobs, or 12.8%. Employment gains in social assistance have accelerated in recent months and the industry added 8,800 jobs, or 12.2%, during the past 12 months. Meanwhile, the three health care component industries each added more than 2,000 jobs since June 2023: nursing and residential care facilities (+2,700 jobs, or 5.1%); ambulatory health care services (+2,700 jobs, or 2.7%); and hospitals (+2,200 jobs, or 3.7%).

Despite large gains in health care and a few other industries recently, the list of declining industries is growing. Six major industries cut a substantial number of jobs in the past 12 months. Three of these major industries each declined by about 3,600 jobs since June 2023: retail trade (-3,600 jobs, or -1.7%); professional and business services (-3,600 jobs, or -1.3%); and manufacturing (-3,500 jobs, or -1.8%). The other major industries cutting at least 700 jobs in that time were construction (-2,700 jobs, or -2.3%); transportation, warehousing, and utilities (-1,100 jobs, or -1.4%); and information (-700 jobs, or -1.9%).

 

The U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary is in Oregon this week, for a national VA and Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Conference.

Around 2400 mental health experts and veterans advocates met this week at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland. This is the first time the biennial conference has come to Oregon.

With the new Compact Act, veterans have more access to emergency suicide care, Whether you are an enrolled veteran at VA, or whether you are not enrolled at VA, you can go to any hospital – VA hospital, public hospital, private hospital, any hospital in the country, and you will get that care and they will pay for that care.  An estimated 50,000 vets have utilized that expanded benefit.

The Veterans Crisis Line connected with the 988 Crisis Line two years ago. Since then,  around two-million vets have called to receive help.

 

Thinking about heading to a nearby river, lake, or stream to cool off?  Well, perhaps think again.

According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 70% of freshwater lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands (by acreage) and over 42% of creeks, rivers, and streams (by mileage) are considered too polluted for primary contact recreation, such as swimming.

On average, there are nearly 35,000 waterborne illness cases caused by recreational water use in the U.S. every year.

Since being established in 1972, the Clean Water Act (CWA) has fallen short of its goal to make 100% of U.S. waters “fishable and swimmable,” in large part due to inefficient and insufficient water quality monitoring: Under the CWA, each state is supposed to assess all of its recreational-use lakes and rivers for impairments—to determine whether a body of water is polluted by various sources such as industrial waste, sewage, or agricultural runoff, rendering it unsuitable for its designated uses.

Unfortunately, the most recent figures show that only 19 states assessed even 50% of both their lakes and rivers for primary water contact recreation, which includes swimming.

• Nationally, by acreage, 77.4% of lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands have been adequately assessed for primary water contact impairments. Of those, 70.6% were found to be unsuitable for swimming.
• Oregon has assessed 46.6% of its recreational-use lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and wetlands.
• Of those assessed waters, 75.1% were found to be too polluted for swimming.

 

(Salem) – Having enough to eat is crucial for good health and well-being. Yet hunger is a persistent problem across the country and here in Oregon. Feeding America reports that 1 in 6 children in Oregon face hunger.

To help children get the food they need to thrive, the Oregon State Legislature approved the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) to offer Summer EBT this year. 

With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), Summer EBT provides eligible families $120 per child for groceries when school is out, and children lose access to food programs offered at schools. Help us spread the word—thousands of families may be eligible for this new benefit and not know it.

Thirty-seven states, all five U.S. territories, and two tribes have committed to making Summer EBT available to kids and families in their communities this summer. This initiative is backed by a decade of demonstration projects and rigorous evaluation showing that it works to reduce child hunger and support healthier diets, including increased consumption of whole grains, dairy, fruits, and vegetables and decreased consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. Summer EBT works in tandem with other nutrition programs like the USDA Summer Nutrition Programs, Summer Food Oregon and Oregon Food Bank’s Food Finder.

At a July 17 media event, representatives from ODHS, ODE, the USDA, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Salem, Marion, and Polk Counties and the Oregon Food Bank spoke to raise awareness about the new Summer EBT program. The Boys and Girls Clubs offer summer meals to children. 

“Driven by the ongoing economic fallout of COVID-19, the end of pandemic safety nets and the rising cost of food and housing, we are in an ongoing hunger crisis,” said Sammi Teo, Public Policy Advocate at the Oregon Food Bank. “Last year, we saw 1.9 million visits to food assistance sites through the Oregon Food Bank Network — a 14 percent increase from the previous year and a record number of visits. For families facing food insecurity, June has long marked a time when kids no longer have easy access to breakfast and lunch at school. Many parents and caregivers must come up with at least 10 additional meals per week, per child. Summer EBT helps bridge the hunger gap during the summer. By having Summer EBT on a card that families can use when grocery shopping, they can better accommodate dietary needs and cultural preferences.

“There are many people who still don’t know about the program. There is a short window to apply, and there is a short window to use the benefits,” said USDA FNS Western Region Administrator Jesus Mendoza, Jr. “While it’s a new program nationwide, this program has been tested here in Oregon. We learned that this program does help address food insecurity for children during the summer months.”

ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams said, “Just like Summer Learning addresses unfinished learning between school years, accelerates academic achievement and strengthens student well-being, Summer Meals keep students connected to proper nutrition so they can stay active and engaged while classes are out. And its why Oregon jumped at the chance to provide Summer EBT to eligible families this year. Giving our families more access to groceries during the summer means students will show up for the first day of class ready to learn.”

ODHS Director Fariborz Pakseresht said, “On June 28, 2024, more than 321,000 children were automatically enrolled in Summer EBT because they participate in other programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or receive services through Medicaid. So far, 322,500 children have received Summer EBT. This adds up to $38.7 million in federal funds that families are spending at grocery stores and farmers’ markets in their communities.”

ODHS estimates another 30,000 children in Oregon may be eligible for Summer EBT if they apply. To be eligible, children must:

• Attend a school participating in the national school lunch or breakfast programs.
• Be in households with incomes at or below 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

ODHS encourages families to visit the Summer EBT website in English and Spanish to review eligibility criteria. If a family believes their children may be eligible, please call the Summer EBT Call Center to verify that they need to apply. The Summer EBT Call Center number is 833-673-7328 and can provide customer service in many languages. 

Families that need to apply can do so online in English or Spanish, or by email or regular mail in multiple languages. 

Don’t delay—the deadline to apply is Sept. 2, 2024. Families have 122 days from the day they received Summer EBT food benefits before they expire. For example, if benefits were issued on June 28, 2024, families have until Oct. 28, 2024, to use Summer EBT benefits. 

 

A man accused of shooting and injuring a woman in the Fern Ridge area as been arrested according to the Lane County Sheriff’s Office. Officers says the woman was shot in the arm and shoulder area and sustained non-life threatening injuries.

LCSO officials said the shooting happened originally on the 25000 block of Hunter Avenue in Veneta. The victim was then transported to Perkins Peninsula Park by witnesses.

LCSO said that deputies responded at about 7:20 p.m. on Sunday, July 14 to a report of a woman who had been shot at Perkins Peninsula Park. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital with a non-life-threatening injury to the arm and shoulder area, sheriff’s officials said.

Authorities said that an investigation culminated in the arrest of Timothy Earl Shaw, 33, who was transported to the Lane County Jail where he faces charges of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. Another person, identified as Hannah Fetko, 32, was also arrested and jailed on an existing warrant, sheriff’s officials said.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact the Lane County Sheriff’s Office at 541-682-4141.

 

The Jackson County Fair 2024 announces it’s schedule on now!  Events, Rodeo, 4-H, Concerts, Carnival and more!  

SEE THE WEBSITE!

Wed, July 17 – 38 Special with The Judd Hoos

Thurs, July 18 – Josh Turner with Highway Bounnd

Fri, July 19 – Clay Walker with Jessie Leigh

Sat, July 20 – Queen Nation with Brisbane Project

The fair will be running from these dates and times:

• Wednesday, July 17 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Thursday, July 18 from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Friday, July 19 from 11 a.m. to midnight.

• Saturday, July 20 from 11 a.m. to midnight.

• Sunday, July 21 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults from the ages of 13 to 61. Adults can get $5 tickets if they are 62 to 74, and admission is free to those 75 years old or older.

Unlimited carnival ride daily wristbands are $45.

 

After a years-long renovation, long delays and months of teasing, Kah-Nee-Ta Hot Springs Resort has officially announced its reopening date.

The Warm Springs resort announced Monday that it will reopen to the public on Thursday, July 18, debuting its new hot spring soaking pools, poolside cabanas and renovated food and lodging options.

Reservations for overnight stays will be available starting July 17, the resort said.

Day passes will also be available from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, for $39 on weekends and $29 on weekdays, according to the Kah-Nee-Ta website.

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, which owns and operates Kah-Nee-Ta, had previously hoped to reopen the resort in 2023. That summer, the tribe officially delayed those plans after fierce spring storms derailed construction. In December, the resort pushed its reopening plans to summer 2024.

 

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