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, Nov. 1, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

 

KLAMATH AND LAKE COMMUNITY ACTION SERVICES ESTABLISHES PRESENCE IN LAKEVIEW

2024 marks the 60th year since the Community Action Network was established to help American families and communities overcome obstacles to poverty.

This year, Klamath and Lake Community Action Services, a proud member of the Community Action network, will also be celebrating 20 years of helping Oregonians throughout Klamath and Lake counties. To provide in-person access to residents of Lakeview and Lake County to the services provided by KLCAS, we have joined several community partners at the Community Resource Station located at 223 North F Street in Lakeview. KLCAS’ Community Resource Specialist, Mary McQuay, will be available during business hours to accept applications for energy or rental/move in assistance, provide referrals to other community resources and provide information on the programs provided by KLCAS.

Mary expressed deep admiration for the impactful work of KLCAS, stating, “I find the efforts of KLCAS truly inspiring, and it is a privilege to be involved in such meaningful initiatives. KLCAS’ dedication to positive change resonates widely, highlighting the power of collective efforts to uplift the community.  Each act of support we provide serves as a crucial steppingstone toward fostering a stronger and more vibrant community.” 

KLCAS is excited to have a team member at the Community Resource Station to connect Lake County residents to services at KLCAS and other community resources. We believe in the importance of meeting people where they are, providing services that are efficient and supportive and linking community members to resources that can assist them in navigating systemic or situational barriers. In that vein, a portion of Mrs. McQuay’s time will be spent travelling to the smaller communities in Lake County, including Christmas Valley, Summer Lake, Silver Lake and Paisley.

Klamath and Lake Community Action Services is a member of the National Community Action Partnership and the Community Action network, which was created by the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

www.klcas.org  Our mission is to address individual and family needs and make connections to promote communities that thrive.

 

Flying Lotus Circus Arts, a Klamath Falls-based group, will make its final performance at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Ross Ragland Theater.

Flying Lotus, in partnership with Klamath Dance and Exercise, will perform “Cross Roads,” an aerial circus journey through the adventures and discovery of a lone traveler. According to a news release, the performance features “fantastical storytelling from our talented local aerialists as you watch gypsies dance, creatures flip, and dragons soar, all the while encountering Cross Roads at every turn!”

Tickets are $22-30, with discounts for students, seniors and military, and can be purchased at ragland.org/events.

Around the State of Oregon

The person believed to have set fire to hundreds of ballots on Monday in Vancouver and launched a similar attack in Portland may continue to target ballot boxes, police say.

“Investigators believe it is very possible the suspect intends to continue these targeted attacks across the area,” Portland Police Bureau spokesperson Mike Benner said during a Wednesday press conference. Authorities say the suspect first set fire to a Clark County box earlier this month, but the Oct. 8 attack was fruitless as no ballots had been distributed yet.

Two more acts of destruction came during the pre-dawn hours Monday — at the Multnomah County Elections Office in inner Southeast Portland, and at the Fisher’s Landing Transit Center in Vancouver.

All three attacks are linked to the same suspect, according to local police, who on Wednesday also announced a reward for information that leads to an arrest.

 

The BLM’s Lakeview Office is planning a prescribed burn operation starting next week.

The purpose of the operation is to burn hand piles resulting from a sagebrush restoration projects in the North Warner and Picture Rock Pass area. More specifically it will be focused on removing juniper to promote the health of native grasses, sagebrush, Mule deer, and Sage grouse habitats. Crews will work to burn approximately 3,627 acres of hand piles.

In the North Warner area, approximately 2,245 acres will be burned adjacent to Highway 140 east between Lakeview and Adel and along the Plush Cut-Off Road. In the Picture Rock Pass area, another 1,382 acres will be burned along Highway 31 between Summer Lake and Silver Lake. The controlled burn is planned to run from November 1 through May 1, as weather conditions allow.

No roads or trail closures are anticipated, however drivers are asked to use caution in those areas as fire personnel and vehicles will be in the area.

 

Oregon is getting $42-million-dollars from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for work on several rail projects.

Eight diesel locomotives for Watco Companies will be converted to battery-electric. The Lake County Rail Replacement project will get 13-million-dollars. Other projects will be done in Sweet Home, Mill City and Prineville.

 

Northwest Natural rates will be going up November 1st.

The Oregon Public Utility Commission approved an increase of four-and-a-half percent. That’s less than Northwest Natural wanted. The reasons for the increase include improved infrastructure that can withstand an earthquake, federal pipeline and safety requirements, and better monitoring of meters.

 

Sixteen people are facing drug and weapons violations as part of a joint months-long operation between the Grants Pass Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

During the operation, the two agencies served several search warrants throughout southern Oregon.

Additionally, officers seized roughly 20 pounds of meth, a quarter pound of heroin, 1 ounce of cocaine, 1,000 pounds of processed marijuana, nine guns, two vehicles, and over $100,000 in cash. According to the Grants Pass Police Department, investigators discovered several alleged narcotics dealers were coordinating and trafficking large amounts of drugs in Jackson and Josephine counties. This led to obtaining arrest warrants for over a dozen individuals.

 

The presidential election and the race for control of the closely divided U.S. House are expected to dominate attention in Oregon on election night on Nov. 5th.

Voters will also decide a ballot measure to establish ranked-choice voting. At the top of the ballot, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris and Republican former President Donald Trump will compete for Oregon’s eight electoral votes.

Liberal Oregon has moved sharply towards Democratic candidates in presidential elections over the years, so much so that neither ticket has stepped foot in the state since becoming their parties’ nominees.

In the U.S. House, Republican incumbent Lori Chavez-DeRemer faces a tough reelection bid for a second term in a district where voters preferred President Joe Biden over Trump by almost 10 percentage points in 2020. The Democratic nominee is Janelle Bynum, a state representative. Three third-party or independent candidates are also on the ballot.

Chavez-DeRemer was first elected in 2022 by a 51%-49% margin. Republicans are targeting two first-term incumbents in Democratic-leaning districts covering the Salem and Eugene areas. Both Reps. Val Hoyle and Andrea Salinas won their seats in 2022 with a fraction more than 50% of the vote, although Hoyle enjoyed an 8-point margin of victory over her Republican opponent.

Biden carried both Hoyle’s 4th District and Salinas’ 6th District with 55% of the vote.

Voters will also consider Measure 117, which would establish ranked-choice voting. If passed, the measure would represent a significant shift in Oregon’s voting system. It’s one of five statewide questions on the ballot. Oregon’s first reports typically focus on votes cast before Election Day, as the state primarily uses mail-in ballots. Oregon allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive up to seven days later. This means initial results can shift as later ballots are processed.

Areas to watch include Clackamas and Deschutes counties, which are often pivotal in close races​. Ballots were mailed out starting Oct. 16.

 

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently approved a decrease in rates for Avista customers that goes into effect November 1, 2024. 

The PUC approves adjustments annually to the rates of the three regulated natural gas companies, including Avista Utilities, Cascade Natural Gas, and NW Natural, to reflect changes in the actual cost of wholesale priced natural gas. This annual adjustment, known as the purchased gas adjustment (PGA), allows companies to pass through their actual cost of purchasing gas to customers without a markup on the price. 

This decrease is largely due to the lower than anticipated price of natural gas last year as compared with projections when rates were set, which resulted in over-collection of revenues from customers last year. The over-collected funds are used to reduce collections from customers this year. Additionally, customers experienced a mild winter, which reduced the demand for natural gas services. 

Below is the average impact for each customer type as a result of this annual adjustment decision:

• Residential Customers – The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 47 therms per month will decrease by $6.15 or 8.7 percent, from $70.53 to $64.38.
• Commercial Customers – The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 204 therms per month will decrease by $28.26, or 10.7 percent, from $264.31 to $236.05.
• Industrial Customers – The monthly bill of a typical customer using an average of 3,641 therms per month will decrease by $550.84, or 24.7 percent, from $2,233.42 to $1,682.58. 

“Oregon’s purchased gas adjustment mechanism reflects that the cost of natural gas is driven largely by regional, national, and global factors outside the utility’s control, but it also creates incentives to keep utilities accountable for careful management within those market conditions,” said PUC Chair Megan Decker. “We are fortunate this year to see the stabilizing supply and demand of natural gas ease financial pressures on consumers.” 

To increase energy efficiency and save on future bills, review Energy Trust of Oregon’s current incentives and opportunities, including income-qualified offers and learn more about low-cost and no-cost tips to reduce energy consumption. For information about bill payment assistance options, available utility discount programs, and the Comfort Level Billing program that equalizes bill payments across winter and summer months, contact Avista at 800-227-9187 or view information online. Customers may also contact their local Community Action agency to request information on what assistance programs they may be eligible for and how to enroll. 

Avista serves more than 100,000 customers in portions of southwest and northeastern Oregon. 

 

The nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon and Oregon State University have worked together to build a university facility to facilitate the repatriation and return of tribal Ancestors and cultural items currently under the university’s stewardship.

Tribal leaders and university officials marked the transfer of Ancestors in Oregon State’s stewardship to the facility earlier this month. The facility will serve as a space to carry out consultations, repatriations and ceremonies to advance the university’s obligations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), which safeguards and facilitates the return of Native American and Native Hawaiian ancestral remains and certain cultural items.

The act requires federally funded institutions in possession of such items to inventory the holdings, consult with lineal descendants and/or federally recognized Native American Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations for identification and confirmation of affiliation to ancestral remains and cultural items for the purposes of repatriation, where possible, to descendant communities today.

The facility at Oregon State is believed to be the first time an academic institution in the United States, has built a dedicated facility in collaboration with Tribes to advance NAGPRA responsibilities and facilitate the repatriation of Ancestors and cultural items to their home communities.

The work to repatriate ancestral remains and cultural items will take years. Where appropriate, the facility is also intended to be available for NAGPRA aligned activities by other institutions and agencies in Oregon.

With deer and elk migrating to their winter ranges, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is urging drivers to remain vigilant on the roads.

October and November are critical months for wildlife crossings, leading to an increase in animal-vehicle collisions. This seasonal shift means more wildlife may be spotted near roadways, posing risks to both animals and drivers.

To enhance safety, the ODFW recommends several precautions: Be Cautious in Dense Vegetation: Wildlife often hides in thick brush, making them hard to see until it’s too late. Drivers should be particularly attentive in these areas. Slow Down Around Curves: Curves can limit visibility, making it difficult to spot animals. Reducing speed in these sections allows for more reaction time. Expect More Animals: If one deer or elk is seen, be prepared for others to follow, as these animals often travel in groups.

The ODFW also highlights that collisions are a risk not just for large vehicles; smaller animals can pose hazards as well. Accidents involving wildlife can lead to serious injuries for both humans and animals.

Drivers are encouraged to report wildlife sightings and any collisions to local authorities, which can help improve wildlife management and road safety initiatives. As the season changes, the ODFW urges all motorists to prioritize safety to protect both themselves and Oregon’s wildlife during this critical migration period.

 

Razor clam harvesting is now closed along a portion of the southern Oregon coast due to a high level of a marine biotoxin.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife made the announcement and says the closure, which ranges from Cascade Head to the California border, comes after recent razor clam samples showed levels of domoic acid above the safety threshold.

The Oregon Department of Agriculture will continue to test for shellfish toxins twice per month. The area can reopen after two consecutive test show levels are back below the closure limit. Before heading out to harvest shellfish, folks are encouraged to call the Shellfish Safety Hotline at 1-800-448-2474 or visit the ODA Recreational Shellfish Biotoxin Closures webpage.

 

SALEM, Ore. — The Emergency Fire Cost Committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 10 a.m. for a special meeting. Please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund proposed rules
• Eligibility of firefighting costs policy
• Guidelines for eligibility of firefighting costs for the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund Directive

The meeting is open to the public to attend virtually via Zoom. Public comments will be accepted near the end of the meeting. Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at forestryinformation@odf.oregon.gov.

The Emergency Fire Cost Committee (EFCC) oversees the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund (OFLPF), established by the Oregon Legislature as a fund with the purpose of equalizing emergency fire suppression costs among the various Oregon Department of Forestry protection districts and forest protective associations. All districts/associations contribute to the fund so that money will be available to any individual district/association to pay fire suppression costs on eligible emergency fires. View more information on the EFCC webpage.

 

PRINEVILLE, Ore. – The Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service are proposing an emergency wild horse gather in the Murderer’s Creek Joint Management Area following extensive damage caused by the Rail Ridge Fire.

The BLM is seeking public comment on the proposed gather, which will address critical forage shortages for the wild horse population and protect recovering habitat in this shared management area.

The Rail Ridge Fire, which began on Sept. 2, burned more than 58,000 acres in the JMA and reduced essential forage areas relied upon by wild horses and other wildlife. With limited forage remaining, particularly in lower elevations critical for winter grazing, the agencies propose to temporarily gather and hold about 400 wild horses to aid recovery efforts.

Need for the Emergency Gather

The Malheur National Forest and BLM officials have determined that, without intervention, both the horses and fragile habitats will face significant risk over the winter. An aerial survey estimated the current population of horses at around 650. The Gather operations would use bait and water trapping methods. Agencies will monitor range and horse conditions during the winter and determine if additional horses need to be gathered. Gathered horses will be held in BLM and Forest Service facilities until the range recovers sufficiently. Additionally, the agencies will continue the administrative process for setting an Appropriate Management Level and approving a Herd Management Area Plan and population management actions for the JMA.  No decision is being made at this time regarding the long-term disposition of horses gathered as part of this emergency gather.

Public Comment Period

The BLM is accepting public comments on this proposed emergency gather. The input gathered will inform BLM’s decision on whether to proceed with the gather. Given the urgent nature of the proposal, the BLM is offering a one-week public comment period, closing on November 4, 2024.

How to Submit Comments

The BLM encourages focused comments on the emergency gather.

Comment Submission Options

• Email: BLM_OR_PR_Wild_Horse@blm.gov (Subject: “Emergency Gather”)
• Mail/Hand Delivery: BLM Prineville District Office, 3050 NE Third Street, Prineville, OR  97754
• Online: Submit directly via https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2034934/510

The Determination of NEPA Adequacy and Finding of No Significant Impact documents are available online at BLM ePlanning.

 

The Salem-Keizer School District will become the first in Oregon to install weapons detectors at all six of its comprehensive high schools at a cost of at least $1.5 million, Superintendent Andrea Castañeda announced today.

The district is likely to expand the technology to its middle schools as well, she said. About half of the cost will be covered by money from a settlement with the vaping company Juul, with the remainder coming from Salem-Keizer’s risk management fund.

Conversations about school security and safety systems have been a sensitive topic in Oregon for nearly 30 years, since a 15-year-old student at Thurston High School outside of Springfield opened fire in the school’s cafeteria in 1998, killing two classmates and wounding 25 others. But until now, no school district in the state has installed weapons detection systems — familiar to anyone who has been to the airport, a concert or major league sporting event — at all of its high schools.

Only about 6% of high schools nationwide use the technology, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and most are large urban high schools serving a high percentage of diverse students from low-income backgrounds.

 

Three Oregon laboratories who certify the potency of marijuana before it lands in consumers’ pipes and bongs are under investigation for allegedly doctoring tests to show a stronger high.

That’s according to the Portland Business Journal, which first reported Wednesday that Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission regulators have taken the first step to shut down all three labs, which represent about a quarter of such facilities in the state.

Oregon requires pot to be tested for safe levels of pesticides, toxins and heavy metals before sale, but growers often focus on Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC, because higher levels trigger heightened effects in the user (and fetch a greater sale price).

The state commission has put labs under the microscope after learning that testers were sprinkling “kief,” essentially high-potency cannabis dust, on top of samples in order to boost their scores, according to the Business Journal.

 

A push to bring floating offshore wind technology to the Southern Oregon coast was gaining momentum but local tribes have sued the government.

The Oregon Department of Energy saw floating offshore wind playing a critical role in the state’s — and the region’s — renewable energy goals.

The Biden administration had ambitious national goals for developing offshore wind, and the Oregon Coast played a key role. For the U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, or BOEM, the years-long process of identifying areas for development and selecting potential bidders to see if the technology would work off the coast was coming to a close. And then, in a single week in late September — after years of effort, and less than three weeks before BOEM officials expected to choose a company to develop offshore wind — everything fell apart.

Tribes sued, seeking a delay and more information on impacts. Developers backed out. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek raised concerns. And on Friday, Sept. 27, BOEM called everything off.

Some say it was a combination of many factors — including upfront costs, a lack of market, concerns from local impacted residents, and a lack of state-level support — that led BOEM to cancel its October auction.

 

The Oregon State Marine Board voted in favor of new rules on the Upper Rogue River during their regular meeting last week.

The ruling is focused on addressing the issues stemming from non-motorized boaters — particularly the inexperienced ones — rather than imposing heavy restrictions on motorized boating.  After an hour and a half of discussions, the board acknowledged the difficulty in balancing user access and safety.

There was a lot of public input about congestion and safety concerns on the river.  The data shown doesn’t support the idea that motorized boats significantly contribute to these issues. The conflict comes from the interactions between different types of users. The new rules will not allow someone to use a motor that has more than 10 horsepower to travel between Fishers Ferry and Lost Creek Dam. There is a provision that will allow it between May 8 and Sept. 10 between Fishers Ferry and Dodge Bridge County Park.

Charter boats are not allowed to operate between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. with no more than 300 trips per year upstream of Table Rock Road bridge. It would also not allow to charter boats to operate upstream of Rattlesnake Rapids. Although board members approved the rule change, another public hearing is planned for January.

 

JCSO Searching for Missing Woman

PROSPECT, Ore. – Jackson County Sheriff’s Office (JCSO) deputies along with Search and Rescue (SAR) are attempting to locate a woman missing out of Prospect since early Sunday morning, October 20.

April Larson is described as a 41-year-old white woman, 5’6” tall, weighing 120 lbs. She has purple and blue dyed hair with brown eyes.

April was last seen around 1:00 AM going for a walk in the 1st Street area of Prospect. She had a flashlight and is believed to be wearing dark clothing and blue shoes. April was with a friend visiting the area. It is believed that she does not know anyone in the area. 

If you have any information on April’s whereabouts, call ECSO dispatch at (541)776-7206 and reference case 24-5775.

 

Authorities are warning the public about homemade spike strips and booby-trap devices being placed along U.S. Forest Service roads in southwestern Oregon.

People have reported encountering spiked boards on roads in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, with some hidden beneath leaves, making them nearly impossible to spot.

“We are saddened to report that someone has been ‘spiking’ Forest Service roads in the Taylor Creek and Shan Creek areas,” the U.S. Forest Service said in a statement on Facebook.

The agency said that, along with finding spikes, people have come across wires strung across roads and trails in the area.

Anyone with information about the spiked boards or other such items is urged to contact the Grants Pass Interagency Office at 541-471-6500 or the Wild Rivers Ranger District at 541-592-4000.

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

 

SALEM, Oregon—The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department’s All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) Advisory Committee will meet Nov. 14 to review online and hands-on training data, incident reporting, legislative updates and general ATV Program updates. 

The ATV Advisory Committee meeting will begin at 9 a.m. at the Best Western Mill Creek Inn in Salem, 3125 Ryan Drive SE. It will be a hybrid meeting with options to attend in person or via Zoom Webinar, which is open to the public to join as attendees.

The full agenda and schedule is available online.

To attend the meeting as a Zoom Attendee, join here: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82065037198?pwd=wXHgXBvMHP1tCkTYdhZaoZ1Gz6FExL.1

Or use https://zoom.us
Webinar ID: 820 6503 7198
Passcode: 289392

Special accommodations may be arranged up to 72 hours in advance to improve accessibility by emailing ian.caldwell@oprd.oregon.gov. 

The ATV Grant Program provides funding statewide for All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) recreation. Grant funds come from ATV user permit sales and a percentage of gasoline tax revenue. More information about the state ATV program is available at www.OregonATV.gov

 

The Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has released Oregon Women’s Labor History: A Historic Context Statement 1903-1990.

The document, which can be found at www.oregonheritage.org , is the initial product of a larger effort to prepare and submit a Multiple Property Documentation Form (MPDF) for listing in the National Register of Historic Places to encourage future National Register nominations for properties related to women’s history.

 

People and organizations have been researching and documenting women’s histories in Oregon for decades; there is a lot of history to cover. Many historians and organizations like the Oregon Women’s History Consortium have moved this topic forward and efforts to commemorate the women’s suffrage anniversaries highlighted meaningful stories across the state. But it is “way past time,” notes deputy state historic preservation officer Chrissy Curran, “to specifically recognize the special places associated with the other fifty percent of the state’s population.” 

 

One document cannot sufficiently capture the complexities and diversity of Oregon women’s experiences, or the places associated with those experiences. The SHPO contracted with Northwest Vernacular, Inc. and SJM Cultural Resource Services to study how this topic has been approached in other states, conduct a literature review, and identify already documented historic places in Oregon, with the goal of finding a way to narrow the broad topic of women’s history into a useful final tool. The resulting plan uses themes to phase the project, and the theme of women’s labor history was selected to launch the effort.

 

Oregon Women’s Labor History: A Historic Context Statement 1903-1990 includes a draft context of the theme, a methodology summary, and recommendations for next steps required to complete an MPDF. This document is a fascinating compilation of history that reaches all areas of the state and represents the diverse experience of, and the properties associated with, Oregon women through labor law and practice between 1903-1990.

 

The SHPO has been developing and supporting efforts to diversify the types of properties listed in Oregon’s National Register. Recent work includes the funding of documentation and nomination of properties to the National Register associated with the history of Black and LGBTQIA+ communities in Portland, the funding and promotion of the Oregon Chinese Diaspora Project’s efforts to document and designate related properties, and the coordination with partners to list a statewide MPDF about African American history to support future nominations. These efforts align with the new 2024-2033 Oregon Historic Preservation Plan and the 2020-2025 Oregon Heritage Plan. 

 

Oregon Heritage, a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), includes the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The Oregon SHPO locally administers National Park Service (NPS) programs created by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, including the identification and designation of historic properties and archaeological sites; tax and grant programs; and the Certified Local Government Program (CLG), a partnership program between local jurisdictions and the state and federal government. The SHPO office is funded in part through a grant from NPS.

The SHPO also coordinates closely with other Oregon Heritage programs, including the Oregon Heritage Commission and Oregon Main Street, Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, and various grant and technical assistance programs. SHPO is also guided by the Oregon Heritage Plan and the mission and goals of OPRD.

To learn more about the Oregon SHPO and Oregon Heritage programs, visit www.oregonheritage.org.

 

SAFETY TIPS FOR YOUR HOME THIS FALL SEASON

As the leaves change color, fall weather arrives in the Pacific Northwest. The chill in the air and the falling foliage are reminders to take a moment to check the condition of your yard and tend to maintenance issues around your home.

“Fall is a great time to check the condition of your trees and a good opportunity to prune them before they become an issue once storms start,” said Jeremy Gee, Pacific Power’s vice president of health and safety. “Winter storms that bring down branches are a common source of power outages. Check around your property to see if any trees or branches could harm power lines if they fell. Some preventative work now could save you additional trouble and inconvenience related to power outages later.”

Use caution when pruning trees. Don’t use pruning tools or ladders near power lines. Always keep yourself and anything you’re handling at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines. Never try to remove a branch that is tangled or lying across a power line. Instead, call Pacific Power at 

1-888-221-7070. We’ll be happy to remove it for you.

Some additional tips for fall safety:

• Treat all electric lines with caution.
• Use only wooden and fiberglass ladders. Metal ladders conduct electricity.
• Be aware and steer clear of overhead electrical wires when installing, removing, cleaning or repairing gutters.
• Never use electrical equipment or tools near a pool or other wet areas such as puddles. Additionally, make sure outlets are equipped with a ground fault circuit interrupter, designed to automatically disconnect if the tool comes into contact with water.
• Plant trees and shrubs away from meters, switching cabinets and boxed transformers. Vegetation that blocks electrical equipment makes repairs and maintenance challenging and sometimes dangerous for utility workers.
• Have help when installing or adjusting a satellite dish or antenna. Make sure you’re working at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines.
• Underground power lines are just as dangerous as overhead ones. If your project involves digging, make sure the locations of underground power lines are marked. Call 811 to have underground utilities located and marked for free.

For more safety tips or to order free Pacific Power safety materials, call toll free at 800-375-7085 or visit PacificPower.net/Safety.

 

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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