Chiloquin City Hall photoThe latest and most comprehensive coverage of local News, Sports, Business, and Community News stories in the Klamath Basin, Southern Oregon and around the state of Oregon from Wynne Broadcasting’s KFLS News/Talk 1450AM / 102.5FM, The Herald and News, and BasinLife.com, and powered by Mick Insurance. Call them at 541-882-6476.
Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Sunny, with a high near 82. Calm wind becoming northwest 5 to 7 mph in the afternoon. Overnight, patchy smoke with a low around 43. North wind 6 to 9 mph.
Today’s Klamath Falls Headlines
A Go Fund Me account has been opened to help offset the costs of funeral expenses for a Klamath Falls woman who died in a house fire last week.
Iris Alvarez lived in a home on Applegate that became fully engulfed and she could not be rescued. The goal is five thousand dollars according to family. To donate, please go to Go Fund Me and search for the Iris Alvarez account, opened by Glen Alvarez. The family thanks you.
Chiloquin Visions in Progress will host a “Candidates Forum” on Monday, October 7 beginning at 6 pm in Chiloquin.
The Candidate Forum will focus on the candidates running for Klamath County Commissioner Position 1 and the position of Klamath County Sheriff.
The candidates attending are Andrew Nichols and Rejeana Jackson for Klamath County Commissioner (Position 1) and Shane Mitchell and Brian Bryson for Klamath County Sheriff.
Hosted at the Chiloquin Community Center, this forum aims to provide a platform for candidates to articulate their visions, address community concerns, and answer questions from the community. The forum will be moderated by John Rademacher, CVIP Board President, who will pose questions submitted by the community.
The forum is sponsored by the City of Chiloquin, Friends of the Chiloquin Library, the League of Women Voters of Klamath County, and Chiloquin Visions in Progress.
A contract for law enforcement services on federal lands came before the Klamath County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) for the third time at this week’s regular business meeting.
First presented by Klamath County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) Patrol Lt. Steve Lewis on July 30, the contract in question is a longstanding agreement between county law enforcement and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
In exchange for having a KCSO deputy on BLM lands within the county, the federal agency offers to reimburse the sheriff’s office up to $60,000 annually for their services.
At the July meeting, the board denied KCSO’s re-entry into the agreement for the first time since its establishment more than a decade prior, citing frustrations with inadequate federal support and provisions as well as insufficient KCSO staffing. Two of the three commissioners voted against the annual contract agreement, citing their personal concerns.
Commissioner Dave Henslee, who is also the BOCC chair and a former city chief of police, said providing law enforcement services to the community is a top priority for the county. Lt. Lewis explained in the meeting that the deputy fulfilling the BLM contracted position is also able to provide services outside of federal lands when needed. That position is currently filled.
Sheriff Chris Kaber told the Herald and News that having a deputy on those lands reduces response times to calls from neighboring rural communities. In addition to another KCSO deputy, Kaber said, the contract bolsters the working relationship between the federal and county agencies.
Oregon’s Fish Passage Task Force and Fish Screens Task Force will meet in Klamath Falls on Friday from 8 a.m. to noon at the Best Western Plus Olympic Inn, 2627 South 6th St.
The meeting will be open to the public. Interested people are encouraged to attend in-person or participate virtually. The meeting can be accessed virtually via Microsoft Teams
The meeting agenda includes numerous Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) Fish Screens and Passage Program updates, along with task force business items, and a new fish passage exemption request by Washington County for a culvert along Old Highway 47 at O’Neil Creek. The full meeting agenda is available at the ODFW Fish Passage Task Force website. Public participation is encouraged.
To testify verbally at the meeting, register at least 48 hours in advance — by 9 a.m. Wednesday by emailing charles.m.barr@odfw.oregon.gov or calling 971-678-4871. When registering please provide your first and last name, which agenda item you wish to discuss, and a valid email address and phone number.
Public comments will be heard during the meeting at 9:30 a.m. Written comments will be accepted before the meeting and are encouraged. Preregistration is not required to provide written comments.
Klamath County is said to be in dire straits this fiscal year after receiving far less in federal funding that had been expected, a hit that is expected to impact funding for crucial departments such as law enforcement.
Each year, the county receives roughly $900,000 from the Department of the Interior for Payment in Lieu of Taxes, or PILT. These dollars are provided to counties in which the federal government owns a portion of the land. The Department of the Interior calculates the PILT total that a county will receive by multiplying the number of federal acres within the county by $3.35 (in 2024 dollars). The total is then “reduced by the amount of funds received by the locality in the prior fiscal year under certain other federal land revenue-sharing programs.”
Among those programs is the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program, of which Klamath County has historically been a recipient.
In an effort to increase Klamath County’s PILT funding, Commissioner DeGroot said he and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) spent three years working with municipalities to establish a countywide roads district. The idea, DeGroot said, was to “direct the SRS payments to a separate entity,” which, in theory, could’ve allowed for a higher number of PILT dollars to be appropriated to the county — about $2.5 million more than previous years. But when the 2024 PILT funds came in, the amount had not increased.
The Klamath County School District and Bonanza Schools will host a grand opening ceremony at 1 p.m. on Friday, to celebrate the completion of a new 16,422-square-foot gymnasium on the Bonanza Schools campus.
The community is invited to attend. The free-standing building features two full-size courts, locker rooms, a concession area, and seating for more than 800 fans.
The school will host its first event, the Antler Classic Volleyball Tournament, in the new facility on Saturday, Oct. 5. Work started on the new gymnasium in August 2023. The lead contractors on the project were Soderstrom Architects and Kinsman Construction. The district used federal ESSER relief funds to pay for construction.
Sky Lakes Medical Center Volunteer Services on Thursday donated 12 laptops to the Klamath Community College Nursing program for first- and second-year registered nursing (RN) students as well as licensed practical nursing (LPN) students.
Reid Kennedy, director of volunteer services for Sky Lakes, said it has been a tradition for several years for the volunteer organization to raise money throughout the year for scholarships and the computer donation program. The gift is worth about $9,000.
It showcases the close partnership between Sky Lakes and KCC. The computers were donated to new students in the KCC Registered Nurse Associate of Applied Science degree program.
The KCC LPN, RN and Bridge nursing program accepts between 30 and 40 students each year for its rigorous two-year degree program. Kennedy and Skip Neuber, the scholarship chair for the organization, joined KCC nursing students Thursday to provide the new computers and offer encouragement in their studies.
Kennedy and other Sky Lakes staff began donating computers to KCC nursing students in 2019.
The Bureau of Land Management will conduct aerial herbicide applications through Oct. 31, 2024.
Weather permitting, approximately 2,599 acres in Klamath County will be treated. The applications will be conducted in the following areas east of Klamath Falls: Van Meter Fire area adjacent to Weber Road on Stukel Mountain, Golden Fire area southeast of Bly Mountain Pass. Public lands near the Town of Bonanza, west of Harpold Rd (Windy Ridge area), Lorella and southeast of Gerber Recreation area, in the Horsecamp Rim and Lower Midway vicinity.
The goal of the proposed herbicide applications is to prevent the establishment and spread of invasive annual grasses, including cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), medusahead rye (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), and North Africa grass (Ventenata dubia).
The BLM is spraying the non-native, invasive annual grasses to restore native bunchgrass and shrub species within sagebrush restoration project areas and burned areas. The herbicide to be used for these projects is Imazapic, a pre-emergent that helps reduce the germination of undesirable winter annual grasses. Perennial bunchgrasses are dormant during this period and unaffected by the treatment.
The Klamath County Veterans Service Office will accept nominations for Klamath County’s Oldest Living Veteran.
The Nomination form will be open through October 31, 2024. To nominate a veteran stop by the Veterans Service Office, 3328 Vandenberg Rd. or call 541-883-4274.
The chosen Veteran will be honored on Monday, November 11, 2024 during the Veteran’s Day Ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park.
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Around the State of Oregon
A man died yesterday afternoon after his car rolled over on State Route 96 near Sluice Box River Access in Siskiyou County.
According to California Highway Patrol, police found the man’s car several hundred feet down an embankment by the Klamath River bed.
“Based upon the physical evidence Officers deduced that the Hyundai had left the north embankment and had rolled several times before coming to rest,” the release said.
The man – who was not named in the release because officers are pending next of kin – was found dead in the driver’s seat with his seatbelt on, the release said. The airbags had been deployed at some point in the wreck.
Craig Alexander Lazon Jr. appeared to bow graciously to the jury that found him guilty this week of murdering his wife, Tiffany Lazon.
The verdict in a three-week Linn County trial came late afternoon Friday, following closing arguments from the prosecution and defense Thursday. Lazon was charged with murder in January 2020 shortly after he was named as a person of interest in the disappearance of 37-year-old Tiffany Marie Lazon. Her body has never been found, and it’s not clear when, where or how she was killed.
In one of two Albany storage units Craig Lazon said he rented to help his wife move from her 16th Avenue Southeast townhouse, investigators found Tiffany Lazon’s wallet and identification, including her driver’s license and Social Security card, military veteran card and medical insurance information, as well as her keys and cellphone.
However, her DNA was reportedly detected on a battery-powered circular saw Craig Lazon borrowed from friends. He returned it disassembled and missing its blade, saying he had cleaned the tool.
Police also found evidence of blood in a U-Haul truck Craig Lazon used to move items from his wife’s home.
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek is moving forward with Oregon’s part of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative.
The goal is to restore salmon and steelhead runs in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Last December, the Biden Administration agreed to several parts of the plan.
It calls for developing clean, reliable, and affordable replacement power before considering removal of Snake River dams. Kotek is telling state agencies to move forward with Oregon’s commitments to the plan.
1 in 8 Oregonians Lives Below the Poverty Line
On the flip side of the coin is poverty and, in Oregon, one in eight people live below the federal poverty line.
Lehner says one fact that has stood out in recent years is ‘the number of Oregonians in deep poverty,’ some whose income ‘is less than half of the official poverty level.’ This translates to an annual revenue of $7,000 per person, or $15,000 for a family of four.
The poverty threshold set by the government is a yearly income of $15,480 per person or $31,200 for a family of four.
While Oregon’s poverty threshold remains relatively steady, Lehner says there is an increase in people living in deep poverty.
Poverty Has Been Steadily Increasing Among Hispanic and Latino Residents
The biggest change in the racial poverty gap in recent years has been a steady increase in poverty among Hispanic and Latino residents. However, historically low poverty was recorded in 2023 among Black and American Indian population groups. Poverty among Oregon Blacks is close to 25%, more than double the statewide level.
Clackamas County has the lowest poverty rate in Oregon at 6.6%, while Multnomah County, the largest in the state, has the highest poverty level of 12.9% in the metro area. Although Crook County’s poverty is below 8%, it has one of the highest unemployment rates in Oregon.
Overall, the 2023 survey shows that Oregon household incomes are continuing to rise, although poverty rates among some groups, in some locales, are much higher than statewide. (SOURCE)
The North Bend Police Department in Coos County (NBPD) recently launched its new virtual policing platform, MyPDConnect, that’s designed to help citizens quickly and easily report certain crimes from the comfort of their computer or mobile device.
According to NBPD’s Police Chief Cal Mitts, MyPDConnect specializes in online reporting for property crimes like theft from vehicles, stolen bicycles, fraud or scams, damaged property, shoplifting, graffiti and more.
Chief Mitts says the app works across all devices and will automatically adjust to any screen size as well as allow users to upload photos and videos directly with their reports. It is hoped the system will help reduce hold times and will aid in law enforcement to focus on urgent needs in the community. Due to the budget shortfall and recent staffing shortages, Chief Mitts says the platform will help ease the jobs of dispatchers.
Another feature of the platform is its real-time heat map technology, which will track down criminal activity throughout North Bend and translates into languages provided by Google translate including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, and Korean and this will also allow the public to communicate with local officers directly.
Chief Mitts says that the public can scan a QR code that is available for quick access to the system from any mobile device and is accessible through the department’s website at northbendpd.mypdconnect.com.
Snap Benefits provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are set to increase this week.
The Cost of Living Adjustment impacts the maximum allotments for those who receive SNAP, commonly known as food stamps. The changes will take effect on Oct. 1 and last until Sept. 30, 2025. SNAP eligibility depends on household income and assets and is adjusted yearly.
Some 42.1 million people – roughly 12.6% of people in the U.S. – benefited from SNAP each month in 2023, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The average benefit was $211.93 per month. State-by-state participation rate ranges from a low of 4.6% in Utah to 23.1% in New Mexico.
Wishing to control power and change the Supreme Court for democrats, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced Thursday he’s introduced legislation that he said would ” restore balance among the three branches of government”.
Wyden wants more Supreme Court justices.
Wyden says his bill “would increase transparency to improve public trust in America’s courts, and modernize the courts to ensure greater access to justice for more Americans,” including the phased-in addition of six Supreme Court justices, for a total of 15.
In the wake of recent rulings upending decades of precedent and evidence of unethical behavior, Wyden’s Judicial Modernization and Transparency Act would modernize the courts by expanding the Supreme Court to 15 justices over three presidential terms, prevent political inaction from bottling up nominations to the Supreme Court, and restore appropriate deference to the legislative branch by requiring a supermajority to overturn acts of Congress, among other modernizing provisions to improve access to justice.
According to Wyden’s news release, which continues in full below: The bill would also implement much-needed reforms to bring more accountability to the Supreme Court recusal process and improve transparency around potential financial conflicts and other unethical behavior.
In July, as part of his ongoing efforts to reform and restore fairness to our country’s judicial system, Wyden introduced legislation to restore much-needed checks on Donald Trump’s right-leaning Supreme Court by providing Congress with new authority to overturn judicial decisions that clearly undermine the congressional intent of laws following the Loper Bright decision.
Wyden also introduced legislation to bring an end to the controversial practice of “judge shopping,” in which plaintiffs cherry-pick judges they know will hand down favorable rulings, leading to sweeping rulings that wield undue power over millions of Americans. Stay tuned.
As daylight hours get shorter this time of year, Valley of the Rogue staff would like to remind visitors that the seasonal hours for the day-use area are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. starting October 1, and the hours will continue to change throughout the season based on daylight hours.
Posted signs will reflect changes as they occur at the park, which is located at milepost 45B near Grants Pass. Park staff will close and lock the gates at the park’s entrance at 7 p.m. and reopen them at 8 a.m. starting October 1.
The park is no longer a rest area with 24-hour access as of fall 2023. Overnight parking is prohibited in the day-use area and restrooms will not be available when the day-use area is closed.
There is no space in the day-use area for semi-trucks to turn around while the gates are closed. The park does include a campground with 175 campsites including full hook-up sites, tent sites, group sites and yurts. Overnight parking in the campground is only for visitors with a reserved campsite. Showers and overnight facilities are for registered campers only.
The day-use area includes two restrooms, a fenced area for dogs off leash, access to the Rogue River Greenway Trail, a boat launch for the Rogue River, picnic tables, an Applegate Trail interpretive kiosk and interpretive and wood carving displays.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued penalties against 16 organizations across the state for environmental violations — and two of them are in Southern Oregon.
According to a news release from the DEQ, the department issued 16 penalties adding up to $445,620 in August.
“Alleged violations included a brewery failing to contain and cleanup building materials and cans from the Columbia River, a general contractor and disaster restoration business performing unlicensed asbestos abatement and a solid waste landfill that failed to manage leachate,” the release said.
According to the release, two organizations in Jackson County were included:Boise Cascade Wood Products in Medford was fined $10,200 for “air quality permitting” violations and Cascade Wood Products in White City was fined $6,906 for “wastewater” violations.
“Recipients of DEQ civil penalties must either pay the fines to the state treasury or file an appeal within 20 days of receiving notice of the penalty,” the release said. “…Penalties may also include orders requiring specific tasks to prevent ongoing violations or additional environmental harm.”
The Portland Trail Blazers will honor basketball legend Bill Walton with a special band on their uniforms this season.
Walton passed away May 27th at the age of 71. The jersey band features a uniquely Walton tie-dye design with his “32” number in white.
The Blazers will hold Bill Walton Tribute Night on March 9th. Fans are encouraged to wear tie-dye and will receive a special tie-dye headband, in Walton’s classic style.
A Woodburn teenager was arrested for allegedly threatening on TikTok to shoot up a local school, police say.
TikTok, which allows users to post and share user-created videos, tipped off the FBI about a menacing post made on its platform about noon Friday, leading agents to trace the threat back to a Woodburn address, officials said in a news release Monday.
The department’s school resource officer and a FBI agent interviewed the 14-year-old boy and his parents, who allowed a search of the home for weapons. They didn’t find any.
Officers arrested the teen later that evening and took him to the Marion County Juvenile Detention center for booking on a single misdemeanor count of first-degree disorderly conduct.
Medford’s Outgoing Mail Handling Challenged By Oregon State Senators
Senators Challenge USPS Mail Handling As Unsatisfactory for residents
Demanding that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy reverse his position to relocate outgoing mail operations at the regional postal distribution center in Medford, U.S., Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley share the grave concerns of the residents of Southern Oregon that the consolidation of processes poses significant negative consequences for the efficiency of postal services and the community.
The Medford processing center has a crucial role- to ensure the mail of residents, businesses, and government agencies is delivered timeously.
The restructuring plan was labeled by DeJoy ‘Delivering for America’ but Merkley said a better name would be ‘Delaying Mail in America.’ He said despite USPS leadership claims that downgrades won’t slow deliveries, every delivery route will be slower when over 500 miles are added. Merkley says this is already happening in his home state.
Despite the downgrade of services, the USPS continues to raise prices. A single stamp costs 73 cents as of July 14. Merkley said while the USPS calls the new system ‘more efficient and cost-effective,’ he calls it ‘paying more and getting less.’ Rural communities are the most severely affected by the price hikes and delivery delays.
Merkley said DeJoy’s downgrades must be reversed now to restore reliable, affordable mail delivery. He suggests the ‘Delivering for America’ plan be returned to the sender.
The senators say the consolidation of the facility resulted in mail delivery delays, impacting essential services. They said the consolidation is felt by those who rely on prompt and reliable postal services, especially seniors, rural Oregonians, and small businesses in the region.
Highlighting that Oregon state votes entirely by mail, the senators expressed confidence a solution can be found that strengthens the Postal Service and serves the needs of local communities in Southern Oregon with thoughtful consideration. They do not see downgrading the Medford site as a solution.
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) is increasing its camping, parking and reservation fees to keep pace with the rising cost of utilities, operations and maintenance.
Most of the increases range from $2 to $5 depending on the fee. The park system has experienced record visitation as well as the impacts of rising costs and inflation.
Utility costs for example have increased by 28% over the last 4 years, but most fees have remained the same. Depending on the fee, the last increase was anywhere from seven to 15 years ago for base fees.
OPRD will increase its base camping fees for the first time since 2017. The increase applies to all camping reservations for 2025. Starting on October 15, 2024, all reservations made for 2025 stays will include the fee increase. OPRD has three main sources of funding: a little less than half comes from constitutionally dedicated lottery funds, about 15% comes from recreational vehicle license plate fees and roughly 35% comes from park fees from visitors. OPRD is not funded by taxes.
Portland is being listed in the top five U.S. cities for UFO sightings. The online gambling company BetUS crunched the numbers from the National UFO Reporting Center to come up with a list of cities were you have the best odds of possibly spotting an unidentified flying object. Portland was ranked fourth. Phoenix, Arizona ranks first, followed by New York City. In at number three is Las Vegas – notably not far from the famous Area 51. Tucson, Arizona rounds out the top five.
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