The 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.

 

Monday, Oct. 7, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
Sunny, with a high near 83. Calm wind becoming west southwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Overnight, mostly clear, with a low around 45. 

Around the State of Oregon

Police seize two guns, almost 200 grams of psilocybin, and cash during a traffic stop in Siskiyou County last week.

 

According to CHP Yreka, an officer pulled a vehicle over for weaving onto the shoulder along the north side of US-97 near Angel Valley Road just after 10 p.m. During the stop, police say there were several indicators of criminal activity and intoxication.

 

Inside the vehicle the officer found a loaded Glock 19 with a high-capacity magazine, a loaded AK rifle, a bag containing 199 grams of psilocybin, and a large amount of cash. CHP says over $25,000 was seized through asset forfeiture. The case is now being investigated by the North State Major Investigations Team.

 

Oregon School Student Proficienty Scores Continue To Decline

Assessment data released by the Oregon Department of Education on Thursday, Oct. 3 paints a bleak picture of declining test scores.

The summative assessments in science, math and English language arts were taken in spring 2024, with tests issued to third through eighth graders and high school juniors.

Statewide, the assessment scores remain significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with only 31% of all Oregon students testing at proficiency in math, 43% in English and 29% in science.

During the 2018-19 school year, 46.5% of Oregon’s third graders tested as proficient in English; five years later in 2024 that percentage dropped to 39%. The story is the same for math — in 2018-19, 46.4% of third graders tested at proficiency, while in tests taken this year that number dropped five percentage points to 39.9%.

A student at Gold Beach Jr./Sr. High School student is no longer enrolled after making a list targeting students.

last week, Central Curry School District 1 Superintendent Eric Milburn told the media that the list targeted other students at the school and one adult not affiliated with the school or school district. The school was placed on a hold last Wednesday, where students were held in their classrooms while Gold Beach Police and designated school personnel searched common areas and lockers for weapons.

No weapons were found on campus. The school district says an investigation and threat assessment conducted by Gold Beach Police and the Curry County Juvenile Department found the student has no access to a weapon. The school district reached out to the students, and families of students who were listed as potential targets of the suspect.

The student who created the list is no longer enrolled at Gold Beach Jr./Sr. High School.

 

Oregon School Student Test Scores Continue To Decline

Assessment data released by the Oregon Department of Education on Thursday, Oct. 3 painted a bleak picture of declining test scores of Oregon students. And critics and some legislators say this is just unacceptable.

The summative assessments in science, math and English language arts were taken in spring 2024, with tests issued to third through eighth graders and high school juniors.

Statewide, the assessment scores remain significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with only 31% of all Oregon students testing at proficiency in math, 43% in English and 29% in science.

During the 2018-19 school year, 46.5% of Oregon’s third graders tested as proficient in English; five years later in 2024 that percentage dropped to 39%. The story is the same for math — in 2018-19, 46.4% of third graders tested at proficiency, while in tests taken this year that number dropped five percentage points to 39.9%.

Students who participate in OSAS summative tests receive a score between 1-4. Students who score level 1 are below grade level, level 2 are at grade level and scores of 3 or higher represent proficiency in the subject area. The tests cover math, English and science.

“This is not where we want this. This isn’t normal. This is not where we want to be by any stretch of the imagination, and we are setting goals with districts,” said ODE Director Charlene Williams in a press release. “Between the next three to five years, they are setting learning and growth performance targets based on their data.”

ODE also provided information regarding the share of students at each grade level who scored at “Level 1,” or below grade level. For eighth graders, 43% performed below grade level in science, 51% in math and 34% in English. For third graders, 37% are below grade level in both English and math.

Since the 2022-23 school year, some improvements were made in math assessments. Oregon fifth, seventh and eighth graders saw significant improvements in their math scores.

Oregon is not alone in its struggle to catch up to pre-pandemic levels in standardized test scores. Every state experienced a decrease in average assessment scores for math and English between spring 2019 and 2022, according to a report co-authored by Harvard and Stanford Universities’ Education Recovery Scorecard. However, compared to every other state, Oregon was third last for improvement in reading test scores between 2019 and 2023.

Oregon was also the only state that failed to make any improvement in math scores between 2021-22 and 2022-23, a trend the state narrowly avoided repeating by making improving by 0.4 of a percentage point last spring.

“Every child deserves a high-quality, culturally responsive public education to be set up for success. I’m not satisfied with this year’s numbers,” Gov. Tina Kotek said in a press release. “We must double down on our commitment and collaboration to fix the gaps in our system that are failing students. I am focused on working with education partners across the whole system to identify evidence-based solutions, increase high-quality learning opportunities, and strengthen student wellbeing.”

ODE highlighted four key areas to help “accelerate learning” and improve English language arts proficiency: continued and increased investment in literacy, summer and afterschool learning, data-informed policy and practices, and accountability.

Oregon legislators passed the Early Literacy Success Initiative in 2023 and invested $90 million to close the gaps in reading and writing proficiency for underserved student groups. ODE is confident that these investments will make a difference in future English assessments for elementary and middle school students.

The release of OSAS scores precedes district “report cards” and AP scores released later in the fall.

 

Oregon’s 36 counties will need more than an additional $800 million per year to maintain roads and bridges, according to a new study from the Association of Oregon Counties.

The study, presented to the Legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee, comes as lawmakers start to craft a multibillion-dollar transportation package over the coming months. The Oregon Department of Transportation this summer said it needed an extra $1.8 billion annually just to keep up with maintenance — let alone pay for high-ticket projects like a replacement bridge on Interstate 5 connecting Oregon and Washington.

Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Troutdale and a co-chair of the joint committee, summed the main problem up simply in a meeting last week.  The interstate highway system built in the 1950s and 1960s has essentially lived out its useful life, Gorsek added, and Oregon hasn’t kept up with maintaining and replacing roads, bridges and machinery, like snow plows and graders.

Counties are responsible for the largest share of the state’s road system — nearly 27,000 miles of roads and more than 3,400 bridges, about half of the total bridges in the state. The federal government is next, with more than 25,000 miles, followed by cities with more than 11,000 miles of roads and the state at nearly 8,000.

 

Each year, the Oregon Department of Forestry responds to about 1,000 wildfires across the 16 million acres of land it protects.

It investigates the cause of every fire, and if a person or group is found to have been negligent or malicious in starting or spreading a significant fire, the agency pursues reimbursement for its firefighting costs. The agency has not been very successful in recouping those costs, according to a report discussed at a March meeting of the four-member Emergency Fire Cost Committee.

The account offered a rare glimpse into the scale of the costs and the efforts to recover them. But it only represented a snapshot of the problem, excluding a full list of all the fires the state is investigating or pursuing for reimbursement, Jessica Neujahr, a forestry spokesperson, said in an email.  Few people who have started significant wildfires have millions of dollars to reimburse the department and sometimes investigating who is responsible, or trying to collect the money, can become too costly, according to Tim Holschbach, chief of policy and planning with the department’s fire protection division.

 

Oregon resident taxpayers preparing their own tax returns in 2025 will have the option to electronically file both their federal and state income tax returns using the combination of IRS Direct File and Direct File Oregon, the IRS and the Oregon Department of Revenue.

The IRS and US Treasury Department announced an expansion of the types of returns that can be filed using IRS Direct File beyond what was available in the pilot program during the 2024 tax filing season.

During the pilot last year, IRS Direct File covered limited tax situations, including wage income reported on a W-2 form, Social Security income, unemployment compensation and certain credits and deductions.

For the 2025 filing season, IRS Direct File will support Forms 1099 for interest income greater than $1,500, retirement income and the Form 1099 for Alaska residents reporting the Alaska Permanent Fund dividend. (See the attached graphic for more on who will be able to use IRS Direct File in 2025.)In the 2024 tax season, more than 140,000 taxpayers in 12 states filed their federal tax returns using the limited pilot program while nearly 7,000 Oregon taxpayers filed their state returns using the free, state-only Direct File Oregon option.

The IRS estimates that 30 million US taxpayers will be able to use IRS Direct File in 2025, including 640,000 Oregon taxpayers who will be able to e-file both their federal and state returns for free.The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced in May that it would make IRS Direct File a permanent option for taxpayers and invited all 50 states to participate to create a seamless free filing system for both federal and state taxes.

Oregon was the first of 12 new states to accept the invitation from the IRS in June.

 

A OSU study of more than 700 counties across multiple U.S. states found a link between childhood leukemia and levels of decaying radon gas, including those lower than the federal guideline for mitigation.

The findings are important because there are few established risk factors for cancer in children and the role of the environment has not been explored much, said Oregon State University’s Matthew Bozigar, who led the research.

Radon, a naturally occurring gas, is a product of the radioactive decay of uranium, which is present in certain rocks and soils. Upon escaping from the ground, radon itself decays and emits radioactive particles that can get within the body and collect in many tissues, where they can damage or destroy the cells’ DNA, which can cause cancer.

Odorless, tasteless and colorless, radon gas dilutes quickly in open air and is generally harmless before it decays, but indoors or in areas with poor air exchange, it can easily concentrate to dangerous levels and is recognized as a significant risk factor for lung cancer.

Radon, measured with small, passive detectors and mitigated through passive or active ventilation in basements and crawl spaces, has not been linked to other cancers, according to the World Health Organization.

But in an 18-year statistical modeling study of 727 counties spread among 14 states, Bozigar and collaborators not only found a connection between childhood leukemia and radon, but at concentrations below the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended guideline for mitigation.

 

The Salem-Keizer School District is being sued by a special education instructional assistant who says she’s being assaulted by students and the district is just ignoring it.

Lauren Eriksen says she’s been bitten and suffered concussions as a result of the students she oversees. The School District says it can’t comment on the case. Previously, Superintendent Andrea Castañeda said the district needs more funding to hire additional teachers.

Oregon OSHA released a report saying more staff is needed at schools to care for students with extreme behavioral issues. Stay tuned.

 

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)

 

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.

 

The cost of camping is going up in Oregon. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is increasing camping, parking and reservation fees to keep pace with inflation.

Most of the increases range from two to five dollars. On October 15th, base camping fees will increase. On January 1st, reservation fees increase from eight to ten dollars. Parking fees will increase from five to ten dollars. On July 1st, the out-of-state 25 percent surcharge on RV campsites will be expanded to all camping.

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.

 

FALL BACK ONE HOUR…starts Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024.

In a little less than a month, it will be time to set your clocks back to standard time.

Daylight saving time will end at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 3, 2024. Most devices these days will adjust automatically to the time change, but don’t forget to set any traditional clocks back by one hour.

Despite several efforts to end seasonal time changes, we will be falling back in November and springing forward in March for the foreseeable future. Oregon, Washington and California have all made multiple attempts to permanently switch to either standard or daylight saving time — but none of the efforts have stuck.

Changing to daylight saving time requires congressional approval — and that approval doesn’t appear to be likely, despite bipartisan efforts to allow states to make the change.

 

Thanks for reading the the news on BasinLife.com from Wynne Broadcasting.

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