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.

 

Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
Areas of morning frost then partly sunny, with a high near 63. Overnight, expect areas of frost after 4AM, cloudy, with a low around 35 degrees.

Wednesday
A 30% chance of showers after 11am. Areas of frost before 9am. Snow level 6100 feet. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 57. Light northwest winds 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon. Overnight, clear with a low around 25 degrees.
Thursday
Widespread frost, mainly before 10am. Otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 59. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph.
Friday
A chance of rain before 11am, then a slight chance of showers after 11am. Snow level 6900 feet rising to 8300 feet in the afternoon. Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.
Saturday
A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 65.

Around the State of Oregon

November General Election Ballots in the Mail

Checking your voter registration in Oregon is easy. Just go to OregonVotes.gov to find out if you are registered and make sure your information is correct.

 

A Los Angeles man has been arrested for transporting more than 18 pounds of fentanyl, and 26 pounds of cocaine, as he was on his way to Portland, the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s office says.

The Sheriff’s Office says that Tuesday, October 15, a Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant stopped 37-year-old Jose Felipe Ceyca Ramirez who consented to a search where a the Sergeant discovered 45.8 pounds of narcotics, including 18.5 pounds of fentanyl in the vehicle’s trunk. That amount of fentanyl is enough to kill 4,202,600 people.

Ceyca Ramirez was arrested for possession of controlled substances for sale and transportation of controlled substances. He is booked in the Siskiyou County Jail.

 

Dec. 21^st will be the deadline to mail holiday packages thru U.S.P.S.

If you’re using the U.S. Postal Service for shipping, here’s what you need to know.

For delivery by Christmas Day in the contiguous United States, USPS recommends that packages are sent no later than December 21. That’s for Priority Mail Express service, which is faster and usually costs more.

Less expensive options, like First-Class Mail and Ground Advantage service, must go out by December 18. For packages sent to Alaska or Hawaii, First-Class Mail must go out by December 18 and the cutoff for Ground Advantage service is December 16. A complete list of holiday mailing and shipping dates can be found on the U.S. Postal Service website.

 

A man is dead after being shot by police in Lincoln City Saturday afternoon after Oregon State Police and Lincoln City Police officers responded to a domestic disturbance at a motel.

The man in the room had warrants and was associated with a stolen car in the parking lot. He had two guns in his waistband and when he reached for the guns, he was shot. He died at a hospital. Oregon State Police is leading the investigation.

 

A mobilization ceremony was held for 205 members of the Oregon National Guard Sunday at Raider Stadium on the South Oregon University campus in Ashland.

The 186th Infantry Regiment will be part of a Multinational Force and Observers Mission in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt. They’ll supervise the implementation of the Egyptian-Israeli Treaty of Peace.

 

Oregon health officials are planning to tap into federal health care money to help low-income residents avoid homelessness during serious medical crises.

Starting Nov. 1, the Medicaid-funded Oregon Health Plan will offer housing assistance for people at risk of losing their homes due to a chronic health condition or serious medical event, such as a hospitalization or a broken leg.

The new initiative is backed by $1 billion from federal Medicaid. The Oregon Health Plan provides health coverage for more 1.4 million residents, according to state officials. The housing benefits could include up to six months of utility and rent assistance, as well as medically necessary home modifications, like wheelchair ramps, heavy-duty cleaning or pest control.

The initiative aims to keep those residents housed during serious medical events, such as hospitalizations or injuries that prevent them from working. The benefits are not for low-income residents currently experiencing homelessness, nor is it intended to respond to emergency shelter needs, according to state officials.

 

Hundreds of frozen waffle products sold in leading retailers including Walmart and Target stores in Oregon are being recalled because of possible contamination by the listeria bacteria, according to the manufacturer.

TreeHouse Foods said Friday that it issued a voluntary recall after discovering possible contamination during routing testing at its plant. It said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Canadian food regulators are aware of the recall. Listeria infections can cause mild illness including fever and diarrhea or more serious problems.

The illness is most dangerous to pregnant women, newborns, adults over 65 and people with weakened immune systems, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. The CDC estimates that 1,600 people are infected with listeria each year in the United States and 260 die.

The recalled waffles are sold under a variety of names including Walmart’s Great Value, Target’s Good & Gather and private label brands sold by Food Lion, Kroger and Schnucks.

 

 A 28-year-old Coos County man was sentenced for his crimes of sexual abuse on Monday.

Kenneth Lee Wagner appeared before the Honorable Matthew Muenchrath for sentencing and was ultimately given over 9 years for his crimes, according to the Coos County Sheriff’s Office. Wagner pled guilty for the crimes of Sexual Abuse in the First Degree and Attempted Sexual Abuse in the First Degree back on October 11, 2024.

In total, Wagner was sentenced to 111 months for the two crimes.  According CCSO, Wagner will not be eligible for sentence reduction for the first 6 years of his sentence.

 

The Nine Federally Recognized Tribes of Oregon, in partnership with OHA, have received approval for traditional health care practices to be covered through the Oregon Health Plan (OHP/Medicaid) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

American Indian and Alaska Natives experience higher health disparities and a lower life expectancy than most other populations.

There is a direct correlation between historical trauma and negative health outcomes. Better understanding of where ongoing health disparities stem from, acknowledges the true history of the nation and state. Honoring Tribal Traditional Healing Practices with the Tribes of Oregon demonstrates a commitment by the state and federal government to support Tribes for improving health in tribal communities utilizing their own Tribal Based Practices.

Tribes in Oregon, tribal entities and other academic advisors have met regularly since 2003 to gather information about indigenous practices within tribal communities that improve life and health outcomes. OHA has recognized those as Oregon Tribal Based Practices and supported Tribes to utilize those practices, in many areas of health, with contracts and grant funding. It has been a long-standing goal to have some of those practices become Medicaid reimbursable. Because of those efforts, Oregon has become one of the first four states in the nation to receive a first-ever approval to cover traditional health care practices provided by Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, Tribal facilities, and the Urban Indian Organization (UIO).

OHA will work closely with tribal partners toward implementation. Other states among the first to be approved include Arizona, California and New Mexico.

 

Meteorologists met at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry on Saturday to discuss what the Northwest winter will be like.

They agreed with the National Weather Service that we should experience a weak La Niná. This could bring a wetter and slightly cooler winter. There could be more mountain snow and maybe some Valley snow.

 

Medford Police Participate in 21st Annual National Family Violence Warrant Sweep

 

The Josephine County Sheriff’s Office said in a new report today that the operator of the Hellgate Jetboat Excursions boat was at fault for a boat crash this summer. 

 

The crash happened in the Rogue River just outside of Grants Pass on Aug. 4, when a private jet boat and Hellgate Jetboat Excursions boat collided two miles downriver from Robertson Bridge. Five people were taken to the hospital with injuries.  In JCSO’s report, which was released today, they said “excessive speed and operator error contributed to this incident from both parties.” However, the report said boats traveling downstream have the right-of-way and upstream boats should move to the right to let the downstream boat pass. 

 

“The commercial boat was travelling up stream and would be responsible to give way to the downstream boat,” the report said. “Based on my training and experience, the Hellgate operator had ample amount of time to stop and [therefore] is responsible for the crash.” 

 

JCSO and the U.S. Coast Guard conducted two separate investigations. The U.S. Coast Guard still has to release their report.

 

 

78 Active Wildfires Still Burning Across the state of Oregon

Preventing wildfires requires a collective effort from everyone—help mitigate the risk of human-caused wildfires and protect our forests and communities.

Monitor Fires in Oregon – Updated Daily

https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/state/oregon

 

The Oregon Ducks Ranked No. 1 in College Football

 

The Ducks are No. 1 with 1,523 points and 59 of 61 first-place votes in the AP poll and the same spot with 1,323 points and 51 of 53 first-place votes in the coaches poll after defeating Purdue 35-0 Friday night at Ross-Ade Stadium. It’s the first time Oregon is No. 1 in each of the polls since Nov. 11, 2012.

It’s the ninth time the Ducks have been No. 1 in the AP poll and the 10th time in the coaches poll, with all other instances taking place during the 2010 season.

This week, the Ducks will have a top-25 matchup. The No. 1 team in the nation faces No. 21 Illinois at home on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30PM, Pacific time.

 

Thousands of Oregon seniors are set to lose their health plans as some Medicare Advantage carriers cut their offerings in response to rising costs.

Moda Health and Summit Health will end their Medicare Advantage plans in Oregon in 2025. Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Aetna and PacificSource are also removing some Advantage plans from the menu next year.

In all, more than 12,000 Oregon seniors will need to find new coverage options for 2025, based on data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

In Oregon, Curry, Harney, Lake, Umatilla and Union counties will no longer have Medicare Advantage offerings at all. That means residents of La Grande, Umatilla, Lakeview, Burns, Brookings, Hermiston and Pendleton will have original Medicare as their only option. Many Oregon counties will have fewer options in 2025 than this year. Those who live in Coos County, for example, will only have one Medicare Advantage plan option next year, down from seven in 2024.

 

State agencies release synthetic opioid prevention lessons, updated fentanyl toolkit for Oregon schools

Lessons and Toolkit help districts educate students about fentanyl and opioid dangers, and develop policies and practices for substance use prevention and response

— As fentanyl keeps showing up in a variety of drugs on the illicit market, state agencies are continuing their effort to help Oregon educators engage with students about the drug’s dangers – and preventing and responding to fentanyl overdoses – with the release of synthetic opioid prevention lessons and an updated Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools.

“The dangers of fentanyl have no age boundaries,” Gov. Tina Kotek said. “We must support the critical role that schools play in substance use prevention and intervention for students. The updated lesson plans and toolkit are a result of multiple state agencies coming together to collaborate on how we can best protect young Oregonians, and I’m grateful for their work on these vital resources.”

Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Department of Education and the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission partnered on these opioid/fentanyl prevention and intervention resources. This cross-agency collaboration with school and community partners to prevent substance use among youth and young adults will continue with the release of additional instructional materials and professional learning resources throughout the school year.

“Responding to the opioid crisis requires all hands on deck,” said ADPC Director Annaliese Dolph. “Leaders in government, healthcare, education and other fields all have a role to play when it comes to helping Oregon’s young people understand and navigate the risks of substance use. Equipping educators with the resources to have those conversations with students – particularly about synthetic opioids – is an essential piece of the puzzle.”

School-based drug education plays important role in youth overdose prevention

School-based prevention efforts such as health education, plays an important role in preventing and delaying first use of drugs and interrupting the development of substance use-related problems affecting youth and their families.

During Oregon’s 2023 legislative session, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 238, requiring OHA, the State Board of Education via ODE, and ADPC to co-develop curricula supplements on the dangers of synthetic opioids and legal protections in place for people who report substance use or who seek medical treatment for drug or alcohol overdoses.

“The lesson plans and Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools are just two elements of a larger, comprehensive effort to improve fentanyl awareness and, more broadly, prevent harmful substance use among Oregon’s young people – a priority that OHA, ODE and ADPC collectively share,” said OHA Director Sejal Hathi, M.D.

Required Synthetic Opioid Prevention Lessons

ODE collaborated with OHA and ADPC to develop the required lessons per Senate Bill 238. These lessons are available on the ODE Health Education webpage and incorporate:

• Youth-designed approaches with space for dialogue, relevant information, and Oregon data.
• Research-based practices that emphasize the importance of promoting strengths-based norms rather than shame or fear-based tactics, skills-based learning over awareness-raising, and connecting to broad prevention efforts within the school and community.
• Alignment with the 2023 Oregon Health Education Standards.

Beyond these required lessons, House Bill 5204 (2024) provided funding to ODE for additional curriculum supplements on the dangers of synthetic opioids. ODE will be sharing these resources along with professional learning opportunities in the year to come. ODE will be seeking feedback regarding the lessons for continuous improvement during this pilot year.

“These lesson plans help empower our students with the most up-to-date information to protect themselves and their friends from harmful substances,” ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams said. “I want to thank the Oregon Legislature for providing us with the framework in Senate Bill 238 and our partners at the Oregon Health Authority and the Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission for all their work collaborating on the lesson plans and toolkit that will save lives in Oregon. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with school and community partners to prevent substance use among youth and respond to the evolving substance use landscape in Oregon.”

Updated Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools, access to overdose reversal medication

The updated 2024 Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools offers resources schools can use to educate the community about the impact of fentanyl and opioids; develop school policies and practices to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses; and build community partnerships for a comprehensive substance use prevention and intervention approach. The updates to the original 2022 toolkit include additional resources based on developing science and practices in substance use prevention and intervention, and recently passed state legislation that requires districts to share information to parents about opioid overdose reversal medications.

In addition to the updated toolkit, schools have access to naloxone through the Save Lives Oregon Harm Reduction Clearinghouse. Naloxone can save lives by reversing an opioid overdose. As of September 2024, about 125 school districts and Education Service Districts have requested and received naloxone kits. Each kit includes a wall-mounted naloxone box and eight doses of nasal naloxone.

 

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck off the Oregon coast Thursday at 4:58 p.m. The temblor happened in the Pacific Ocean, about 75 miles from Coos Bay, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

25 people so far have responded to the agency’s online form asking if they felt the quake. There have been no reported injuries. Earthquakes are common off the Oregon coast, though this latest one is a little larger than most.

A 5.0 earthquake, if it occurs on or near land rather than out on the open seas, is expected to cause some damage.  Last week, a 2.4 magnitude earthquake about 36 miles off the coast from Depoe Bay, a 2.3 magnitude earthquake 14 miles off the coast from Port Orford, and a 3.4 magnitude quake about 129 miles off the coast from Bandon.

 

With the national elections on November 5 approaching, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is reminding campaigners and their supporters that political signs are not permitted on state highway right-of-ways.

Only official traffic control devices are allowed in these right-of-way areas, as ODOT says improperly placed signs can distract drivers and obstruct road safety messages. ODOT stated that any signs found in violation will be removed and held at a nearby district maintenance office for 30 days.

To reclaim them, individuals should contact the nearest ODOT maintenance office. “Signs are prohibited on trees, utility poles, fence posts, and natural features within highway right-of-ways,” ODOT said. They are also banned within view of designated scenic areas.

 

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 last a year 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.

 

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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