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.

 

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Poor Air Quality Alert for the Klamath Basin Today

Today
Widespread morning then partly sunny skies with a high near 76 degrees.  Light southwest winds 5 to 9 mph in the afternoon. Overnight, a 20% chance of rain after 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 50. South wind 5 to 9 mph becoming east southeast in the evening.

Saturday
A 30% chance of rain before 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.  Mostly clear overnight, low of 43.
Sunday
Sunny, with a high near 74.
Monday, Columbus Day
Sunny, with a high near 79.
Tuesday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 70.
Wednesday
A chance of rain. Partly sunny, with a high near 62.

Around the State of Oregon

A $300 million lawsuit against Medford-based Asante is growing.

More clients are signing on and as a result the suit has grown to $340 million. The medical malpractice and wrongful death lawsuit was field by Medford-based law firm Shlesinger & deVilleneuve on behalf of both patients who survived and those who passed away.

At least one of those patients was a Klamath Falls resident.

The law firm says there are 20 victims involved in the suit. It’s still evaluating whether to include about a dozen additional potential cases in the suit. The lawsuit alleges Asante didn’t follow safety protocols and prevent a nurse from replacing fentanyl, meant for patients, with tap water.

Former Asante nurse, Dani Marie Schofield, is now facing 44 counts of second-degree assault in connection with the alleged drug diversion case at Asante’s Rogue Regional Medical Center.

According to Medford Police, Schofield diverted patients’ liquid fentanyl for her personal use and replaced it with tap water causing serious infections. After her arrest this summer, Schofield is out on bail and awaiting trial in the criminal case. Two other civil lawsuits were filed against Asante earlier this year.

 

An Oregon company is recalling nearly 10 million pounds of meat and poultry products made at an Oklahoma plant because they may be contaminated with listeria bacteria that can cause illness and death.

BrucePac of Woodburn recalled the roughly 5,000 tons of ready-to-eat foods this week after U.S. Agriculture Department officials detected listeria in samples of poultry during routine testing. Further tests identified BrucePac chicken as the source.

The recall includes 75 meat and chicken products. The foods include products like grilled chicken breast strips that were made at the company’s facility in Durant, Oklahoma.

They were produced between June 19 and Oct. 8 and shipped to restaurants, food service vendors and other sites nationwide, government officials said.

The products have a best-by date of June 19, 2025 to Oct. 8, 2025. Officials said they are concerned that the foods may still be available for use or stored in refrigerators or freezers. The products should be thrown away, they added.

There are no confirmed reports of illness linked to the recall. Eating foods contaminated with listeria can cause potentially serious illness. About 1,600 people are infected with listeria bacteria each year in the U.S. and about 260 die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Listeria infections typically cause fever, muscle aches and tiredness and may cause stiff neck, confusion, loss of balance and convulsions. Symptoms can occur quickly or to up to 10 weeks after eating contaminated food.

The infections are especially dangerous for older people, those with weakened immune systems or who are pregnant.

 

Oregon residents at risk from heat and wildfire smoke-related health issues had more ways to receive air conditioners, air filters and other devices this year.

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) distributed more than 10,000 devices ahead of, and during, 2024’s extreme summer weather events through new Oregon Health Plan (OHP) climate benefits and the Air Conditioner and Air Filter program.

Oregon is leading the way when it comes to mitigating climate change’s health harms, especially on our most vulnerable communities,. said Emma Sandoe, Medicaid Director at OHA. 

Devices have been needed as the state experienced historic heat waves over the summer, and wildfires have been active in Oregon for five consecutive months and counting. Though all individuals are vulnerable to the health impacts of extreme weather events, OHA’s “Climate and Health in Oregon 2023 Report” shows that certain communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change.

Given the lack of access to or high cost of cooling devices, people with lower incomes and chronic conditions are among those most likely to experience heat exhaustion, heat stroke or other health conditions. In March 2024, OHA launched the first-in-the-nation Medicaid climate benefits to reduce health inequities and provide a way for eligible OHP members to proactively request devices.

Preliminary data highlights that in the first six months, with support from Oregon’s Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs), OHA distributed almost 6,000 devices to eligible members experiencing specific health conditions and life transitions.

OHA’s analysis of the first four months of data (see Image 1 below) shows that 65% of members who received a device were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. An updated report on the OHP climate benefits will be available in early 2025.

The Oregon Health Authority is on track to add 465 treatment beds by the end of 2026. Thirty-one percent of the beds will be in treatment facilities, followed by withdrawal management, secure residential beds, and substance use disorder beds. When the new beds are online, there will be a total of more than 36-hundred treatment beds in the state. OHA Behavioral Health Director Ebony Clarke says these beds will serve as a foundation for more additions in the future.

 

Oregon State University has set an enrollment record for the 28th year in a row.

Nearly 38-thousand students attend OSU this fall. That’s an increase of three-and-a-half percent over last year. The e-campus is driving the growth with a seven percent increase.

For the 11th straight year, OSU is Oregon’s largest university.

 

Great Oregon Shakeout is October 17^th

Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) staff invite all Oregonians to join the statewide and national earthquake drill, OEM shared in a press release on Thursday. This drill will simulate the response to an earthquake with the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” method for 60 seconds.

The Great Oregon ShakeOut is part of a global earthquake drill taking place at 10:21 a.m. on Thursday, October 17, which will involve more than 500,000 Oregonians, including individuals, families, schools, and businesses. Participants pledge to drop, cover, and hold on, wherever they are and whatever they’re doing. Learn more about the Great Oregon ShakeOut and register to participate by visiting ShakeOut.org/Oregon.

 

The value of Oregon’s agricultural products soared 35% in five years ending in 2022, a big jump that highlights farms’ economic role in just about every county in the state.

In 2022, according to results, Oregon produced nearly $6.8 billion of nursery plants, beef, hay, berries, potatoes, beans, milk, eggs and Christmas trees, among other products.

That’s according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest census of the nation’s agricultural output, conducted every five years. Farms operate in all corners of the state. The biggest output is concentrated in the upper Willamette Valley and northeast Oregon. Plants, trees, shrubs, flowers and grass are Oregon’s most valuable farm products, the census found. They’re grown most in the damp, fertile soil of Marion and Clackamas counties.

Marion County’s farm products had the most market value of any county in the state, $874 million — about 13% of Oregon’s total. Cattle are Oregon’s second-most valuable agricultural good. The state’s cattle trade is concentrated in Morrow County, whose farm products are just behind Marion County’s in terms of total market value. Oregon farming is far less important to the state’s economy than it was 50 years ago, when agricultural accounted for about 1 in every 18 jobs. But Oregon’s economy is about twice as dependent on farming as the average state’s.

 

And the number grows.  Oregon’s governor and top elections official are calling for an independent external audit of the state’s automatic voter registration system after the Motor Vehicles Services Division found another 302 non-American people were incorrectly registered to vote.

The latest numbers, included in an “after-action” report Gov. Tina Kotek requested from the DMV, join an earlier 1,259 people who were registered to vote despite not providing proof of citizenship when they obtained driver’s licenses.

At least 10 of those individuals voted, though election officials have since determined that at least five of those 10 were citizens when they voted.

The growing number is still a minute fraction of the more than 3 million registered voters in Oregon, but it prompted Kotek and Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade, who she appointed last year, to call for a fuller investigation. Both women are Democrats, and Republicans in the state Legislature have been calling for more investigations for weeks.

Kotek also directed the DMV to pause sending voter data to the Secretary of State’s Office until a data integrity review is completed by the end of the year.

While state and local election officials previously expressed confidence that none of the incorrectly registered voters would receive ballots, a press release from the Secretary of State’s Office on Monday said it can’t guarantee that the 302 ballots will be removed before county clerks start mailing ballots next week.

The office has directed counties to flag those ballots, so if they’re returned they can be removed and not tallied unless the voter demonstrates eligibility.

Oregon is now joining 22 other states by filing a lawsuit against the social media platform TikTok for allegedly exploiting and harming young users.

The state’s Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum made the announcement Tuesday, saying the platform is violating Oregon’s consumer protection laws. According to a letter from Rosenblum’s office, a Pew Research survey conducted last year showed that 63 percent of Americans between the ages of 13 and 17 used TikTok. It also indicated most teenagers used the platform on a daily basis. 

The attorneys general involved intend to obtain an injunction that will stop the violations as well as force the company to give up any profits. They also seek to penalize TikTok for up to $25,000 per violation in addition to attorneys’ fees.

Oregon’s Rosenblum joins attorneys general from California, New York, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, South Carolina, Vermont, Washington, the District of Columbia, Utah, Nevada, Indiana, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas aiming to hold TikTok accountable for its role in the nationwide youth mental health crisis.

 

A man who crashed into a vehicle driven by an 18-year-old OSU student back in 2023, killing him, has been sentenced to several years in prison, Benton County officials reported.

Back on February 10, 2023, Daniel Thomas Stanberry, 34, of Eugene, was driving a car northbound on Highway 99 west about three miles south of Corvallis when he failed to pass another car and collided with a vehicle being driven by Enrique Espinosa,18, also of Eugene.

Espinosa was declared deceased at the scene. Stanberry was arrested and charged with several crimes including manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person. According to Benton County law enforcement officials, Stanberry was convicted of first-degree manslaughter, six counts of recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving, and failing to report as a sex offender on September 26, 2024.

On October 4, 2024, Stanberry was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 36 years of post-prison probation. His driver’s license was also suspended for the rest of his life.

 

Police are searching for three children missing out of Bend who may be headed toward southern California or Mexico.

According to the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), 8-year-old Jose Armani Ayala Barboza, 5-year-old Jailyne Ayala Barboza, and 5-year-old Dolce Ayala Barboza went missing with their mother Sara Barboza on Wednesday. 

The ODHS says the siblings may be at risk and is asking for the public’s help to locate them. Bend is 135 miles north of klamath Falls.

Jose, who goes by Armani, is petite for his age at 3 feet 11 inches tall. He weighs approximately 39 pounds and has blackish-brown hair with brown eyes.  Jailyne is 3 feet 7 inches tall, weighs 36 pounds and had brown hair and eyes.  Dolce is 3 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 37 pounds and also has brown hair and eyes. Officials believe they are headed south toward southern California or even Mexico and they also may be with Francisco Guzman or Juan Carlos Ayala Ramirez. If spotted, call 911.

 

A Central Point man’s solo hike up 9,493-foot Mount McLoughlin here in Southern Oregon took a dangerous turn Sept. 28, when he got lost on his descent.

A text to his girlfriend led rescuers to him as the temperature dropped from a daytime high in the 80s to 29 degrees before sunrise. The 40-year-old hiker started his trek early in the morning, aiming to summit and return home on a day trip while dressed in a cotton T-shirt and shorts, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. After reaching the peak, he turned around but quickly found himself off course, venturing into rugged volcanic terrain.

With hours of daylight slipping away, he realized his water and food supplies were running low, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post about the rescue. To make matters worse, his phone battery was nearly dead. By 5 p.m., the man texted his girlfriend to let her know he was lost and in need of help. She immediately contacted 911, where an operator dispatched search and rescue teams.

Using cellphone tracking, the rescuers pinpointed the man’s location and instructed him to stay put until help arrived.  Rescuers hiked through thick brush and over lava fields covered in boulders to reach the hiker around 9:30 p.m. He was tired and dehydrated but well enough to hike out with the rescuers, the sheriff’s office said. He was guided down the mountain to Oregon 140, where he was reunited with his car around midnight and drove home.

Sgt. Shawn Richards of Jackson County’s search and rescue team urged hikers to prepare for Mount McLoughlin’s unpredictable conditions and varying temperatures. He advised people to bring extra water, wear moisture-wicking layers and never hike alone.

 

A 60-year-old man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the kidnapping, sexual assault and deadly beating of a 19-year-old woman near Mt. Hood Community College in 1980.

In 2021, new DNA technology identified Robert Plympton as a possible suspect. He was 16-years-old when the murder happened. Detectives saw him spit a piece of gum on the ground. A DNA test matched Plympton to the crime. He was living in Troutdale at the time and was arrested.

A Multnomah County judge found him guilty of the murder.

 

Three people were arrested in Crescent City Saturday after police say they were involved in assaulting someone with a machete.

to the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of an assault in the 900 block of Hamilton Avenue to find “a victim who had injuries from being struck with a machete.” The victim identified three people who they said were responsible. Deputies also learned that the suspects had a gun. Later police obtained a search warrant for an apartment in the 300 block of Harding Avenue, where all three suspects, identified as Ethan Raby, Izayah Raby, and Angel Dominguez, were found.

During the search, deputies seized a machete, two handguns without serial numbers, a short-barrel AR-15 style rifle, several rounds of ammo, and clothing they believe may have been worn during the assault. All three suspects were arrested and booked into the Del Norte County Jail on multiple charges including attempted homicide.

 

Oregon Students Proficienty 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.

 

Pacific Power Crews From Southern Oregon Deploy to Georgia for Hurricane Helene Response

In response to a mutual assistance request from Georgia Power, Pacific Power is sending crews, support personnel and equipment from Medford, Bend, Roseburg, Astoria and Grants Pass in Oregon and Walla Walla and Yakima in Washington to aid in power restoration efforts following the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene.

The Category 4 storm, with sustained winds reaching 140 miles per hour, impacted 10 states, with the National Hurricane Center reporting that its effects extended as far as 400 miles from its landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region.

These teams, totaling 22 Pacific Power employees, will be equipped with 20 trucks and associated heavy equipment to help restore power to impacted communities. Rocky Mountain Power, Pacific Power’s sister company, is also deploying four additional crews to aid in the response.

“Our crews are fully prepared and ready to respond as they work tirelessly through the deployment to restore power to customers in Georgia and to support our fellow line-crews across the affected states,” said Tom Eide, vice president of operations at Pacific Power. “Disasters can happen anywhere, and part of being a good neighbor is answering the call to help.”

Pacific Power is part of a nationwide network of utilities that provide mutual assistance during emergencies and disasters. According to the Edison Electric Institute, approximately 50,000 electric utility workers from 40 states, the District of Columbia and Canada are currently responding to the devastation left in Hurricane Helene’s wake. While power has been restored to 4.69 million of the 6 million customers affected, some areas have experienced such extreme infrastructure damage that a complete rebuild is required.

For more information on Pacific Power’s involvement in the recovery efforts, please follow us on social media.

 

Anthony Tyrrell Arrested in Portland for Murder of Cottage Woman 

In June, a deceased female was located in the Cottage Grove area who appeared to be the victim of homicide. Lane County Sheriff’s detectives identified the victim as a missing person, Rozaleena Faith Rasmussen, 29, from Cottage Grove.

Detectives identified the suspect as Anthony Wesley Tyrrell, 31, of Cottage Grove. 

Tyrrell is considered armed and dangerous.  Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 911 and avoid approaching or contacting him.

 

Oregon Housing and Community Services’ Homeowner Assistance Fund accepting final applications online

—Oregon Housing and Community Services (OHCS) is reopening the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) online application portal to accept final applications directly from homeowners. Applications must be submitted by Oct. 31, 2024. New applications will be put on a waitlist and prioritized for homeowners most at risk of foreclosure or loss.

Homeowners can now review application criteria and apply directly online using a link on the HAF website: oregonhomeownerassistance.org. If homeowners need or would like assistance with an application, they can contact a HAF intake partner. A list of intake partners can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/ohcs/homeownership/Pages/Homeownership-Assistance-Fund.aspx.

“OHCS is reopening the online application portal through Oct. 31, 2024, to ensure we help as many Oregon families as possible,” said Ryan Vanden Brink, assistant director of Homeowner Assistance Programs. “With our average award of $26,500, we can assist approximately 250 additional households. Any further applications will be placed on a waitlist pending the availability of funds.”

HAF offers federal temporary COVID-19 pandemic relief to help homeowners who experienced financial hardship due to the pandemic. HAF can help homeowners become current on their mortgages, county taxes, homeowners’ (HOA) or condo associations, land sale contracts, secured manufactured home or floating home loans, and lot rent or moorage fees associated with homeowners in manufactured home parks or marinas. Financial hardship includes a reduction in income or an increase in housing costs resulting from the pandemic.

Homeowners are eligible to apply if they meet the program’s general eligibility criteria and are facing foreclosure, involved in a court case that threatens their home, in property tax foreclosure, in collections with their HOA, or in other high-risk situations identified by a housing counselor. Homeowners in foreclosure may have already received outreach letters from OHCS or their county assessor.

OHCS will make its final HAF payments in February 2025, limiting total assistance available to new applicants.OHCS encourages homeowners to explore all other options with their servicer or a housing counselor before applying for HAF. Applying for HAF does not guarantee approval or that a foreclosure will be postponed. HAF is administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

Drop and give me… 1,000?

Maj. Tommy Vu of the Oregon National Guard is once again a world champ as of Friday after completing a jaw-dropping 1,027 chest-to-ground burpees in just an hour’s time. A burpee is a full-body exercise that combines a squat, plank, push-up, and jump to burn calories, improve cardio health, and build strength and endurance. And it’s a mean, tough competitive event as well.

Vu previously sweated his way into the record books in March 2023, when he completed 1,003 reps of burpees in an hour.

Habtamu Franke, a personal trainer in The Netherlands, stole Vu’s title later that year by performing 1,010 burpees in 60 minutes flat. The 37-year-old citizen soldier reclaimed his crown last week at Lancaster Physiq Fitness in Salem, working out in front of a countdown clock and rolling camera as family and friends cheered him on.

While the feat awaits certification from the Guinness World Records organization, Vu said he’s already mulling how to master the eight, 12- and 24-hour burpee world records (which, for the record, is 9,119 burpees in 24 hours).

 

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.

 

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