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Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Around the State of Oregon

A 37-year-old man is presumed dead after jumping into Diamond Lake on Saturday, going under and never resurfacing.

Rescuers with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and other groups continued to search for the unidentified man on Sunday.

The man had been on a pontoon boat with friends when he tried to go for a swim around 5:30 p.m., officials said.

Oregon’s rivers and lakes can pose significant danger to people boating, tubing and swimming, especially if they’re not wearing life jackets.

Oregon law requires children age 12 and under to wear life jackets on boats. Adults must have life jackets on board, but they’re not required to wear them unless they’re on extreme whitewater rapids.

 

On Saturday, August 17th, Oregon State Police responded to a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 5 near milepost 38 in Jackson County.

The preliminary investigation indicated a white Toyota Corolla, operated by Susan Dale O’Connell (73) of Talent, was traveling northbound in the right lane on I-5 near milepost 38 when it abruptly slowed and turned left in front of a white Ford F350 traveling northbound in the left lane. 

The operator of the Ford, Jeffrey Scott Trouslot (49) of Klamath Falls, was unable to avoid the collision and struck the driver-side door of the Toyota. As a result of the impact, the front passenger tire of the Ford came loose and rolled northbound on I-5 striking a white Chevrolet Silverado, operated by Sergio Cervantes Valencia (44) of Turlock (CA), on the rear driver side. 

Susan O’Connell was declared deceased at the scene. There were no other reported injuries. 

Jackson County Fire, Mercy Flights, and the Oregon Department of Transportation assisted the Oregon State Police.

 

The Warner Peak Fire is now 85% contained in Lake County.

Yesterday saw Another day of challenging winds testing the containment lines. More interior pockets of fuel burning became visible to firefighters on the ground allowing them to engage directly. The entire western flank of the fire is now contained.

Crews will continue to patrol and monitor for any signs of heat near the new containment,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a news release. “Crews continue patrolling and extinguishing any sources of heat near containment lines. Larger pieces of fuel continue to slowly smolder within the perimeter of the fire.

Areas of heat on the south and southwest portions of the fire may continue to show activity as fire behavior increased with yesterday’s hotter and drier weather conditions. Fire personnel from the local unit began shadowing incident management team members yesterday to share information on the progress of containment and suppression repair efforts.

Relative humidity will be in the single digits as we expect another day of near critical fire conditions. The low relative humidities will increase the chances of active fire behavior, especially interior pockets of unburned fuel. As winds increase in the late afternoon eastern portions of the fire could see increased activity as embers are blown from interior burning. Crews will also be prepared to respond to any new fire starts in the area as fire behavior of a new start could be extreme.

The Warner Peak Fire originated four miles east of Plush.

 

Tillamook, Ore—The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will resume road restrictions this fall in the western part of the Tillamook State Forest to improve deer and elk escapement during hunting season.

Some roads will be closed to motorized use during the general archery and rifle hunting seasons in September, October and November. Selected roads in the Trask, Wilson and Nehalem River areas will be gated and signed. Controlled access during the three-month period is designed to reduce hunting pressure in these areas.

Hunters and other recreational users are welcome to access the gated areas by foot, mountain bike, horse or other non-motorized means.

ODF is partnering with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Tillamook Chapter of the Oregon Hunters Association in this program. The partnership has been in place 21 years and the location of gates change year to year based on access needs, tree stand conditions and operations. 

Motorized access by ODF staff or contractors working in those areas may occur on occasion. Maps of the road management areas are available at the Tillamook ODF office located at 5005 Third St., Tillamook and online. Click on “Tillamook State Forest Road Report” to find the maps. Maps are also available on the Tillamook State Forest blog. 

 

A small magnitude 2.0 earthquake occurred at 4:22 a.m. Monday near St. Helens, Oregon.

The United States Geologic Survey said the quake occurred at a depth of about 12.9 miles.

The University of Washington’s Pacific Northwest Seismic Network reviewed the event.

Two smaller earthquakes occurred nearby later in the morning. There are no reports of damage, according to USGS.

 

The Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement (MADGE) team is excited to announce that the City of Eagle Point will be joining the regional task force.

Eagle Point is contributing a full-time investigator from its Police Department, enhancing drug enforcement operations throughout Jackson County.

So far in 2024, MADGE has seized 138 pounds of Meth, 6 pounds of Cocaine, 12 pounds of Fentanyl pills, 4 pounds of Fentanyl powder. They have also seized 46 firearms and over $90,000 in cash. 

The MADGE team is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-support approach.

MADGE is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), which is sponsored by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) which coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.

MADGE is currently composed of members from the Medford Police Department, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, Parole and Probation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

 

The Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest will be issuing a temporary area closure for tribal ceremonial purposes on Huckleberry Mountain, which includes Huckleberry camping area and the surrounding area.

The closure was requested by the Klamath Tribe. Pursuant to the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Cultural and Heritage Cooperation Authority, the US Forest Service is required to ensure access to National Forest System land, to the maximum extent practicable, by Indians and Indian tribes for traditional and cultural purposes.

The temporary closure will be implemented once per year for approximately ten days within a six-week period spanning between August 1 – September 15. The closure period will vary from year to year. In 2024, the closure will begin on August 16, 2024 and terminate on August 26, 2024.

The closure exempts 1) those with a specific authorizing permit, 2) any organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of official duty and 3) any member of the Klamath Tribes, or those invited by the Klamath Tribes, to participate in ceremonial activities.

Closure notices, road closed signs will be posted in the affected areas. Nearby alternative huckleberry picking and dispersed camping areas have been identified.

 

A southern Oregon restaurant was sentenced in federal court for stealing more than $759,000 in federal funds intended to help small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Amigos Mexican Cuisine & Cantina LLC, formerly located outside of Medford, Oregon, was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $200,000 and $759,100 in restitution to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). 

In a separate civil proceeding, Amigos was ordered to pay $1.6 million to settle a related False Claims Act allegation.

According to court documents, in a 13-month period beginning in April 2020, Amigos submitted five fraudulent loan applications to steal more than $759,000 from three Covid-19 pandemic relief programs: the Paycheck Protection Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Amigos made numerous false statements on these applications, including claiming its owners did not own other businesses, providing inaccurate company financials, and falsely attesting that the company was not engaged in any illegal activity.

The company further falsely claimed on a loan forgiveness application that it had used the funds received for payroll. In reality, each time the company received a disbursement of federal funds, its owners would transfer the money to their personal bank accounts for use on various personal expenses.

On April 29, 2024, Amigos pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal information charging the company with stealing public money.

 

Missing Child Alert

(Salem) – The Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), Child Welfare Division, asks the public to help find Nevaeh “Rihanna” Rohrbach, age 15, a child in foster care who went missing from Clackamas on June 21. Nevaeh is still missing and believed to be in danger.

ODHS asks the public for help in the effort to find Nevaeh and to contact 911, local law enforcement or the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233) if they believe they see her.

Nevaeh is suspected to be in the SE Portland area.                        

Name: Nevaeh “Rihanna” Rohrbach
Pronouns: She/her
Date of birth: Sept. 6, 2008
Height: 5-foot-7 
Weight: 125 pounds
Hair: Light brown or blonde. Nevaeh frequently dyes her hair, most recently seen to be dyed red. 
Eye color: Bluish-green
Other identifying information: Nevaeh has a tattoo of a cross on her left finger, a tattoo of a half-moon on her left hand, and a sad face tattoo on her right ankle. She also goes by Rihanna sometimes times. 
Clackamas County Sheriff Office case #24-12779
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children #2025507

Sometimes when a child is missing they may be in significant danger and ODHS may need to locate them to assess and support their safety. As ODHS works to do everything it can to find these missing children and assess their safety, media alerts will be issued in some circumstances when it is determined necessary. Sometimes, in these situations, a child may go missing repeatedly, resulting in more than one media alert for the same child.

Report child abuse to the Oregon Child Abuse Hotline by calling 1-855-503-SAFE (7233).  This toll-free number allows you to report abuse of any child or adult to the Oregon Department of Human Services, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

 

A controversial measure that would put more money in the pockets of Oregonians will be on the ballot in November, after it garnered enough signatures.

If passed, the measure would give each Oregon resident a rebate of $1,600 every year, as long as they live at least 200 days in the state. A family of four would receive $6,400.

The group behind Measure 118 is called Oregon Rebate. They say, if passed, the measure would decrease poverty in the state by 36% and increase the financial stability of those living here. The group has picked up some notable endorsements from the United Auto Workers, Oregon Working Families, and the Oregon Progressive Party.

But many in the business community are against the measure because it is funded by increasing the corporate minimum tax on sales, exceeding $25 million to three percent.

The Portland Metro Chamber has come out in opposition to the measure, as well as the Oregon Business and Industry, which represents large and small businesses across the state.

President and CEO Angela Wilhelms says if this measure passes it will make Oregon less attractive for businesses and will drive up costs for citizens.

 

Three Oregon museums will receive part of nearly 750-thousand dollars to benefit cultural and educational programs. The High Desert Museum in Bend will receive 238-thousand dollars for a student learning hub with programs about the region and the community.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland gets nearly 250-thousand dollars to partner with Project LEDO that promotes equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math labs. The Portland Art Museum receives 250-thousand dollars to create a retrospective of painter Yoshido Chizuko for her advocacy of women artists in the 50s and 60s.

 

The Oregon Supreme Court has upheld a decision to suspend a Central Oregon public defender’s law license for two years after the Oregon State Bar found he mishandled dozens of cases.

Jason P. Munn was found guilty of misconduct by the Oregon State Bar in August 2023 after former Chief Deputy District Attorney Brentley Foster discovered in 2020 that the Redmond attorney was not reviewing discovery documents or conducting his own investigation into client cases. Munn appealed the decision, but the Oregon Supreme Court upheld the 24-month suspension.

Munn’s misconduct was first reported by Foster in 2020 after she discovered through her office’s internal case management computer system that Munn had not been accessing client records. The system records when attorneys request discovery and when they access those documents.

 

Of all the worries she has about her shelter’s dogs and cats, Columbia Gorge Humane Society president Suny Simon never imagined they’d be threatened by computer hackers.

But over the past six weeks, unknown social-media scammers have “paralyzed” The Dalles nonprofit, she said.

They took over its Facebook page in early July, posting photos of dogs for adoption that aren’t actually up for adoption, and scamming at least one person out of $150. Unable to kick them out, the Columbia Gorge Humane Society — which relies on donations and fundraisers promoted through Facebook — is unsure how it will feed the 55 dogs and cats in its care.

It all started when scammers impersonating Petfinder, a national adoption database, emailed Columbia Gorge Humane Society’s official email, requesting its Facebook username and password, said board vice president Seth Bradley. They claimed they wanted to link the Facebook page to Petfinder’s website, where the humane society already had a profile set up.

When a team member sent them the information, scammers took control of the Facebook account, he said.

The nonprofit, which has four employees and around 35 volunteers, reached out to Meta, Facebook’s owner, for help. Meta customer service helped the humane society get access back, but it never kicked off the scammers, who were still entrenched as administrators of the overarching Facebook Business Manager account.

 

Sheriff’s Office Busts Burglary Ring Targeting Local Licensed Marijuana Businesses; Crime Spree Leads to 65 Charges for Three Suspects

CENTRAL POINT, Ore. – After a year-long investigation, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) detectives busted a burglary ring targeting local licensed marijuana businesses in Jackson and Josephine Counties.

The suspects committed 16 known burglaries at marijuana farms and storage facilities from April 2023 to June 2024. The suspects arrested accumulated 65 total charges during their crime spree.

JCSO deputies, detectives, and the Illegal Marijuana Enforcement Team (IMET) served two simultaneous search warrants the morning of Tuesday, April 13 on locations in Central Point. Investigators served the search warrants at properties in the 1000 block of Glengrove Avenue and in the 500 block of Mazama Street, both in Central Point. Detectives served a follow-on search warrant at two storage units in the 1400 block of 2nd Avenue in Gold Hill. These search warrants resulted in the arrest of three suspects and the seizure of burglary evidence, eight firearms, and 520 lbs. of marijuana. Oregon State Police (OSP) assisted with the warrant service. 

The suspects arrested are Mitchell Jeffrey King, 35, of Central Point; Dylan Buck McNerney, 31, of Central Point; and Kenneth Alan Parker II, 48, of Gold Hill. The 65 charges included 32 for King, 23 for Parker, and 10 for McNerney. These charges included multiple counts of second-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy, first-degree aggravated theft, first-degree theft, attempted first-degree theft, first-degree criminal mischief, and unlawful possession of a marijuana item. Additionally, Parker is charged with felon in possession of a firearm. 

This case is under further investigation with detectives following additional leads. The case has been referred to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. Additional charges from the Josephine County burglaries will likely be added at a later time. There is no more information available for release.

 

Retired General Daniel R. Hokanson, the 29th Chief of the National Guard Bureau, was honored Saturday in a ceremony at the Medford Armory, celebrating his 38-year military career and deep ties to Oregon.

The ceremony, held on Aug. 17, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. in the Assembly Hall of the Medford Armory, came just weeks after Gen. Hokanson’s official retirement from his position as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on July 31.

Gen. Hokanson, who previously served as the Adjutant General of the Oregon National Guard, chose Southern Oregon for this ceremony to recognize the region’s significant role in his military journey.

When asked why his final retirement ceremony is in Medford, Gen. Hokanson said, “Southern Oregon has always held a special place in my heart; it’s the closest to home I could get, and the Oregon Guard has been so amazing to Kelly and I”

The event featured standard military honors, including musical performances by the 234th Army Band, presentation of medals, and remarks from Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees (Ret.) and his son Capt. McKinnon Hokanson.

During his tenure as Chief of the National Guard Bureau from 2020 to 2024, Gen. Hokanson led the Guard through unprecedented challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic response and numerous natural disasters. Under his leadership, the National Guard administered 35 million COVID tests, disinfected 71,000 facilities, supported over 1,000 food banks, and delivered over 1 million meals to the American public.
Gen. Hokanson also oversaw the Guard’s participation in the evacuation of Afghan civilians in 2021, which became the largest non-combatant evacuation operation in U.S. history.

In a farewell letter released earlier this month, Gen. Hokanson expressed gratitude for his service, stating, “It has been a tremendous honor to serve as your Chief, and my wife Kelly and I are forever grateful for your faith and your support.”

Maj. Gen. Raymond F. Rees (Ret.), who served as the Oregon adjutant general three times for a total of 17 years and held numerous high-ranking positions in the National Guard, spoke at the ceremony. He reflected on Gen. Hokanson’s journey, saying, “Personally, it’s been a great honor to have seen you both blossom and grow in each of these positions you have held throughout your 29 years as members of the Oregon guard. For the Oregonians, the return on investment from the Oregon military department and the Oregon National Guard has been enormous, but I dare say that the same can be said for the National Guard of every state and territory.”

Gen. Hokanson’s career began with his graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1986 and included combat deployments to Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq. His final day at the Pentagon on July 31 was marked by a traditional clap-out ceremony, symbolizing the respect and admiration he earned throughout his distinguished career.

The Medford ceremony serves not only as a tribute to Gen. Hokanson’s service but also as a homecoming, highlighting the strong connection between the National Guard and local communities across the nation. Armories like the one in Medford play a crucial role in this relationship, serving as hubs where citizen-soldiers train and prepare for both state and federal missions.

 

Be Prepared with Fire Weather Tools

As August rolls on, the National Weather Service (NWS) reminds wildland fire managers that we have tools to help you monitor and fight wildfires. Whether it is a prescribed burn, ground fire or crown fire, fire managers can use this information to make decisions on how best to combat fires and keep the public safe.

Fire weather forecasters – The NWS issues Fire Weather Outlooks for the next eight days. These outlooks show areas where pre-existing fuel conditions, combined with forecast weather conditions, may result in a significant threat of wildfires.

Our Fire Weather Program supports land managers and firefighters who mitigate and respond to fires. Our weather forecasts are designed to highlight times and locations where a fire may be exceptionally hard to control. For example, we offer Red Flag Warnings, which mean warm temperatures, very low humidities and stronger winds are ongoing or expected to produce an increased risk of fire danger in 12 to 24 hours for specific locations.

Need a fire weather Spot Forecast? Land managers can request a site-specific, localized forecast for prescribed burns and wildfires to assess a potential threat. NWS recently updated this tool and will deliver additional enhancements to the application later this year. Learn more about the new Spot Forecast tool.

For federal and select state large wildfires, onsite weather forecasting support to firefighters is critical. An NWS Incident- Meteorologist (IMET) can be deployed to your incident command post. IMETs arrive on scene within 12 to 24 hours after activation and can serve up to 14 consecutive days before being relieved by another IMET. https://www.weather.gov/news/241507-fire-weather-tools

PLEASE Help Prevent Human-Caused Wildfires

• Immediately call 911 to report fires.
• Drones and other unmanned aircrafts are illegal to fly near fires.
• Fireworks, incendiary/tracer ammunition and exploding targets, are prohibited during fire season (May-October).
• Use caution when target shooting. Clear a 20-foot radius around the target by removing all vegetation and rocks.
• Ensure vehicles and trailers are properly maintained
• Make sure chains and other metal parts are not dragging.
• Keep exhaust systems clean and use spark arrestors.
• Do not park on dry grass.
• Carry extra water, shovel, and/or a fire extinguisher with you.
• Ensure your campfire is completely extinguished before leaving your campsite by making sure it is cool to the touch.
• Please don’t smoke and if you do, don’t throw out cigarette butts.
• Please be mindful and think about your actions

To ensure all Oregonians remain safe during the 2024 wildfire season, we urge everyone to stay tuned into these communications channels and follow all official safety guidelines related to air quality and recreation:

Watch Duty app: Download this app on your smartphone to understand where wildfires are in real time as well as monitor air quality and other metrics. https://app.watchduty.org

Northwest Interagency Coordination Center: During fire season, this web-based interactive map is updated daily with current fire perimeters and locations. This website acts as the wildfire resource coordination center for the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Oregon Dept of Forestry, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Washington Dept. of Natural Resources and the National Park Service. https://gacc.nifc.gov/nwcc/index.aspx

InciWeb the Incident Information System: The federal interagency all-risk incident information management system provides an interactive map with real-time location information on wildfires. https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

Oregon Department of Forestry Wildfire News: The official wildfire news blog for the Oregon Department of Forestry. Look here for all wildfire news related to state forest lands. https://odffire.com/

Keep Oregon Green: A partnership comprised of statewide and interagency groups working together to promote awareness of the risk and causes of wildfires and how to be prepared in case of a wildfire emergency. https://keeporegongreen.org/

OregonLive Wildfire Map: A project managed by OregonLive that incorporates data from InciWeb, National Interagency Fire Center, Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, Oregon Office of Emergency Management, NOAA into an easy-to-use map tool. https://projects.oregonlive.com/wildfires/map

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality – Air Quality Monitoring Data: A real-time map and cell phone application you can use to track air quality, including wildfire smoke impacts, across the state. Check your app store for OregonAir. https://oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map

Purple Air – Air Quality Map System: Real-time air quality information using crowdsourced data and data from EPA air sensors. https://map.purpleair.com/1/mAQI/a10/p604800/cC0…

NOAA High Resolution Rapid Refresh Data Visualization: The High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency(NOAA) is an experimental data visualization tool for wildfire smoke. Be sure to turn on the “Vertically Integrated Smoke” layer to see smoke paths. https://hwp-viz.gsd.esrl.noaa.gov/smoke/index.html

 

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