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.

 

Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024

Klamath Basin Weather

Today
Rain and snow, becoming all rain after 9am. Snow level 5000 feet. Steady temperature around 39. Breezy, with a south wind 14 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Overnight, rain mixed with snow, low near 33 degrees.  Snow level 4900 feet. Low around 33. South wind 9 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

 

The latest beginner firefighter training class kicked off this fall on the Klamath Community College campus with a group of 17 students aiming to get their certificates for Firefighter I.

These students faced a gauntlet of physical and mental tasks during the 11-week course. KCC is home to the Klamath Regional Training Center, which includes the Emergency Response and Operations Program for students. ERO includes three disciplines: Structure Fire; Wildland Fire and EMT training.

Students usually range in age from high school graduate up to their 40s. Firefighter I consists of 8 credits: six credits in the lab and 192 hours of hand-on training, plus two hours online for lectures.

The program is about seven years old, and in its fifth year on campus.  After one year of training at KCC, you should be able to take a test for Firefighter EMT certification.

Around the State of Oregon

A Medford man faces a court arraignment for murder and attempted murder in Central Point. 

The man, 45-year-old William Carl Frombach, Jr., has an arraignment in Jackson County Circuit Court for one felony criminal count each of murder, attempt to commit any degree of murder or aggravated murder, assault, animal abuse and felon in possession of a firearm charges. Jackson County District Attorney’s information accuses Frombach, Jr., of killing Devery Allen Bynam and attempting to kill Elizabeth Hadley last Friday, November 8, 2024.

The Jackson County Jail roster lists Frombach, Jr., as an inmate since his arrest Friday.  That’s the same day Central Point Police Chief Scott Logue said police arrested a suspect in a deadly shooting there.

Central Point Police Department (CPPD) said its officers found a dead 42-year-old victim at the 300 block of South 4th Street around 7:30 a.m. Friday, reportedly a gunshot victim.  It said a few minutes later CPPD officers learned of a second shooting in the 500 block of Bush Street, approximately four blocks from the 4th Street scene, where a female victim was located in a vehicle on Bush Street, and she was taken to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.

 

A former Oregon Department of Corrections guard admitted to “killing” his brother in a fatal shooting over the weekend, according to court records that detail what led to the guard’s arrest Saturday in front of the Oregon State Penitentiary.

Alonzo Rowell, 51, of Dallas, is being held at the Polk County Jail on allegations of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, recklessly endangering another person and unlawful use of a weapon.

According to a probable cause affidavit supporting Rowell’s arrest, the former corrections officer fired multiple rounds at a man named Tony Miller, killing him. Miller lived in a camper on property off Monmouth Cutoff Road in Dallas. The property belongs to Tad Bunyard, the court filing states. Authorities confirmed on Tuesday that Miller was Rowell’s brother. He was 54.

Bunyard told police he heard round after round and some bullets “went through the house and into his bedroom, striking near his head as he was lying in bed,” according to the affidavit written by Dallas police Detective Jordan Schrock. 

Rowell arrived at the prison, his former longtime workplace, with “potential intent to harm others,” according to an email that Corey Fhuere, the prison superintendent, sent agency employees Sunday. The prison, Oregon’s oldest, houses about 1,700 people.

 

EUGENE, Ore.—A Eugene man pleaded guilty to three federal hate crimes today for intentionally defacing a Eugene synagogue on multiple occasions.

Adam Edward Braun, 34, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentionally defacing a synagogue and one count of attempting to deface religious property because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people.

According to court documents, between September 2023 and January 2024, Braun intentionally defaced Temple Beth Israel, a Jewish synagogue in Eugene, by repeatedly targeting the synagogue with graffiti, some of which used antisemitic symbols and phrases. Braun’s pattern of behavior culminated in the early morning hours of January 14, 2024, when he traveled to Temple Beth Israel with a hammer and prepared to swing at the glass doors of the synagogue. Braun stopped when he saw he was being recorded by a surveillance camera, and then moved to a different area of the property and used spray paint to write “White Power” in large letters on the building’s exterior.

On January 31, 2024, officers from the Eugene Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, executed a state search warrant on Braun’s Eugene residence. Investigators located multiple pieces of evidence connecting Braun to the attacks on Temple Beth Israel, along with several items and writings belonging to Braun that were consistent with antisemitic beliefs and biases.

Braun was initially charged by criminal complaint on March 4, 2024. Later, on May 9, 2024, Braun was charged by criminal information with five counts of defacing and attempting to deface religious property because it was a place of religious worship for Jewish people. 

Braun faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine, and one year of supervised release for each count. He will be sentenced on February 18, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. McShane.

As part of the plea agreement, Braun has agreed to pay restitution in full to the victim.

This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Eugene Police Department. Gavin W. Bruce, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Cameron A. Bell, Trial Attorney for the Civil Rights Division Criminal Section, are prosecuting the case.

 

Oregon legislature House Republican Leader Jeff Helfrich announced Monday he will not seek reelection as caucus leader, citing a reevaluation of his priorities following the death of his father.

Helfrich’s resignation comes during a year of considerable turnover in leadership for both parties. Republicans will enter next year’s session with new leaders in both chambers, while Democrats will have a new House speaker and majority leader and a new Senate majority leader.

State House Republicans will elect a new caucus leader Monday, according to multiple lawmakers. The announcement comes after Helfrich, who has served as House Republican leader since September 2023, appeared to barely eke out a win in the November election, with a current lead of just 1,281 votes over his Democratic opponent Nick Walden Poublon, a drug and alcohol prevention specialist. He raised roughly $1 million this election cycle as caucus leader, helping himself and other vulnerable House Republicans defend their seats. His opponent raised just $86,000.

 

Oregon made history this election. Voters up north elected the state’s first Black representative in Washington D.C.

Janelle Bynum, a Democrat and former state lawmaker, appears to have beaten freshman Republican U.S. Representative Lori Chavez-DeRemer in Oregon’s 5th U.S. Congressional District.

The race was called Friday morning and Bynum declared victory at a press conference that afternoon. It was one of the nation’s hardest fought congressional races, with money pouring in and attack ads airing in both the Portland and Bend TV markets. Oregon’s 5th Congressional District represents parts of several major counties, including Clackamas, Deschutes, Multnomah, Marion, and Linn counties.

 

One man is dead and another arrested after a shooting in Roseburg over the weekend.

According to the Roseburg Police Department, officers responded to multiple reports of gunshots on Hamilton Street just after 3 a.m. Saturday morning.

Upon arrival officers found 50-year-old Ryan Dale Burchell who had been shot several times. They began life-saving measures until paramedics transferred him to a local hospital where he later died.

They also found the shooter, identified as 25-year-old Austin Adrian Wall. Wall was arrested and faces a second-degree murder charge. The investigation is ongoing.

 

A Springfield elementary school teacher is on administrative leave after showing a 1st-Grade class a sexual education video.

The video, titled “Help kids learn why it’s important to keep private parts private” was shown to first grade students at Mount Vernon Elementary. While the video is animated in a more child centric way, the video ends with discussing touching ones privates, and the act of which feeling good.

Springfield Public Schools confirmed that the teacher who showed the video is now on leave. According to the district teachers are expected to utilize District-approved, age-appropriate instructional materials/curriculum when providing instruction to students and that teachers may use special aids with the express approval of the principal. Springfield Public Schools has confirmed that they are investigating this incident.

 

The Coos County Sheriff’s Office is looking for a 5-year-old who went missing over the weekend. Police say Joshua James McCoy has been missing since 5:30 p.m. on Saturday from a home on Stage Road in Hauser.

That’s when his mother discovered he wasn’t inside the house after the two of them had taken a nap. Joshua is described as 3 foot 6 inches tall, thin, with brown hair and eyes. The sheriff’s office says Joshua is autistic so he may not respond when called to.

Police are thankful for the community members who have offered assistance, but officers say the search and rescue team is not currently “seeking additional manpower due to the nature of the proven process of searches and evidence preservation.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coos County Sheriff’s Office at 541-269-8911.

 

Two California men were arrested, and 20 pounds of methamphetamine was seized from a vehicle in Ashland last week following a long-term investigation by the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement team.

According to the Medford Police Department, police suspect the men were involved in a methamphetamine trafficking operation from California to southern Oregon.

Following a long-term investigation, police executed a search warrant on a vehicle in Ashland, seizing 20 pounds of meth and arresting 42-year-old Gabriel Calderon of Madera and 62-year-old Randall Banks of Sonora. Both individuals face multiple drug-related charges.

 

A Eugene woman is suing a Lane County medical center and one of its doctors, alleging she was forced to undergo a body cavity search without a warrant or signs that she was hiding contraband.

Salina Hernandez, 37, filed a lawsuit this month in Lane County Circuit Court against Lane County, McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center and Dr. Brian Hoyt, alleging negligence and sexual battery. She is seeking up to $10 million in damages. A spokesperson for the Lane County Sheriff’s Office declined to comment and so did the medical center.

Hoyt could not be reached for comment. Hernandez’s claims stem from her arrest on June 22, 2023, on suspicions of menacing, unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm. She was taken to the Lane County Jail, where she underwent a “pat down and strip search” that didn’t turn up weapons or other contraband, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit says Lane County Sheriff’s Office deputies used an “x-ray type security machine” to further scan Hernandez’s body and that, too, failed to detect anything.

According to her claim, Lane County’s policy requires that law enforcement obtain a search warrant to conduct a “body cavity search.” Hernandez alleges that Hoyt, a physician at McKenzie-Willamette, “agreed to perform a highly invasive body cavity search using a speculum to spread Ms. Hernandez’s vagina to look inside her body and using his fingers to feel inside her rectum while she was video recorded and handcuffed to a hospital bed.” The search, the lawsuit claims, found nothing

       

A new memorial park opening at the state Capitol this month will honor the 790 Oregonians who died, and the more than 180,000 Oregonians who fought, during the 20 years of the Vietnam War.

The memorial is designed to be a reflective outdoor space in Salem’s Willson Park, located in the southwest corner of the Capitol grounds, adjacent to the World War II Memorial. Architect Mike Abbaté designed the memorial to include 46 granite columns engraved with the names of Oregonians who died in the Vietnam War, from 1955 to 1975.

It’s meant to contrast with the solid granite wall of the neighboring World War II memorial. The Department of Defense lists 710 Oregon residents who died in the Vietnam War, but that figure is based only on the state in which a soldier entered the service.

 

Three boaters are safe after their 19-foot jetboat ran aground on the Klamath River over the weekend.

According to the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Southwest, the incident happened just north of Wautec on the Yurok Reservation on Saturday. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office requested assistance from the coast guard’s sector in Humboldt Bay after its deputies’ boat was unable to reach the stranded boaters due to draft restrictions.

In response, the coast guard launched a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, who were able to hoist the boaters into the aircraft and take them to sheriff’s deputies who were nearby. No one was injured and no medical concerns were reported.

 

Senator Ron Wyden Speaking to a crowded room of high school students worried about the impact of another Trump administration and adults focused on the ongoing war in Gaza, Oregon’s senior U.S. senator urged Oregonians to stay engaged with their government and keep fighting.

Wyden spoke before an auditorium of students and Portland residents at David Douglas High School, Oregon’s largest high school and one of its most diverse. The town hall on Friday was the 1,101st of left-leaning Democrat Ron Wyden’s career, and he used it to answer questions and talk about his plans for the next few lame-duck weeks in the Senate.

Questions alternated between the students and adults, with most students asking short, specific questions — should their undocumented friends and family be worried about deportation? What is Oregon doing for women’s reproductive health? — and most adults giving speeches about their views on the Middle Eastern conflict and preserving the Owyhee Canyonlands in eastern Oregon.

Wyden, who has gone from being one of the youngest members of Congress as a 31-year-old House freshman in 1981 to one of its typical lifer members as chair of the Finance Committee, said it was important for him to hear directly from young people about their concerns.

He said he’ll also be watching in the Senate for federal attempts to undermine access to abortion, which are not expected to happen at all according to the Supreme Court and President-elect Donald Trump, who forwarded the issue of abortion back to the states, not the federal government.

“Oregon is better off than many states”, Wyden said — Oregon and Vermont do more to protect abortion access than any other states, according to the Guttmacher Institute — but some issues, including regulating medication abortion, are still handled at the federal level.

Pacific Power is making it simple to make a difference in communities by helping struggling neighbors stay warm this winter.

For every dollar that you donate, Pacific Power will match your donation to the Oregon Energy Fund with $2 more. Pacific Power customers who receive their bills by mail will find they include an Oregon Energy Fund contribution envelope in November. Customers who pay their bills electronically can send a check or enroll in the fixed donation program. 

To enroll in the fixed donation program, customers can call Pacific Power toll-free at 1-888-221-7070 or Donate to Energy Assistance (pacificpower.net).

This program allows customers to donate any dollar amount, starting at $1 per month, which is then incorporated into their monthly bill. Fixed donations will also be matched 2-for-1 by Pacific Power.

Donations may be tax-deductible and are forwarded directly to the Oregon Energy Fund, which verifies eligibility and allocates funds to those in need. All funds donated are used to assist families in need within the same county in which the donor resides.

Last year, donations from Pacific Power’s customers, employees and the company helped 2,995 individuals in need throughout Oregon, including 1,482 adults, 503 seniors, 464 people with disabilities and 1,010 children. This year, Pacific Power will match up to $144,000 in donations.

Customers who need bill assistance can speak with Pacific Power representatives at 1-888-221-7070 who can help with payment plans that work for their individual needs, while directing them to agencies that may be able to help.

 

If you plan on traveling to the Oregon coast this week, stay alert to the power of the ocean. Beachgoers could be swept off of rocks and jetties and that sneaker waves and rip currents could occur during this period. 

Friday, the first king tide of the season is expected to hit the coast. King tides are extremely high tides that typically happen during new and full moons and can cause flooding. These big waves and high tides can quickly become deadly.

Visitors should always keep their eyes on the ocean when near the beach.  According to the Oregon King Tides Project, this season’s king tides are expected over the periods of Friday, Nov. 15, through Sunday, Nov. 17, Friday, Dec. 13, through Sunday, Dec. 15, and, Saturday, Jan. 11, through Monday, Jan. 13, 2025.

 

Officials are reporting a record number of steelhead returned to the Deschutes River this year. Biologists collected over 250 adult steelheads in this year’s run. That’s the largest return since the 1960s. The steelhead will be released into Lake Billy Chinook with tracking technology to allow biologists to gather data about their activity.

 

A rural Oregon woman filed a $49,500 lawsuit last week after she said a donkey walking along Main Street in her tiny town bit her in the thigh, prompting surgery and leaving her with “a significant scar from the attack.”

Kelsie Chandler says in her lawsuit that she was walking through the center of Mitchell, population 137, when she spotted the donkey on the loose in April 2024.

The suit states that when she tried to secure the animal and return it to its owner, the animal attacked her by biting her on her thigh.   Geordie Duckler, a Portland attorney who specializes in animal law and filed the lawsuit on behalf of Chandler, said he has represented clients in an estimated 350 animal bite cases during his 37-year career and this is his first case over a donkey biting a person. The vast majority have been over dog bites, though he also has handled cases of cats, parrots and horses biting or scratching people, he said.

Mitchell is located southeast of the Painted Hills of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Wheeler County, the least populous of Oregon’s 36 counties.

The suit lists veterinarian Jacob Crawford and an unnamed person as the donkey’s owners and defendants in the lawsuit. The donkey, named “Hiway” was a well known fixture of Mitchell. Hiway now lives in a pasture far from town, Crawford said.

 

A group of professors is working to calculate the economic costs of what they say is climate change in Oregon. The professors from the University of Oregon and Reed College are analyzing research and data from scientific journals along with reports from state agencies in order to tally the costs. The group is looking at some of the impacts to Oregon, including heat waves, wildfires, sea level rise, air quality and the death of Douglas firs in Oregon forests.

 

Some beachgoers were surprised to find a four-foot-long shark had washed ashore near Avenue U in Seaside earlier this week.

The Seaside Aquarium, which received the report, identified the shark as a female blue shark. The aquarium says these sharks, which are among the most common worldwide, get their name from their blue coloration. While they can grow up to 12 feet in length, they usually don’t surpass 10 feet.

Sharks can be found along almost every continent’s coastline, aside from Antarctica. The aquarium was able to recover the shark, however, it says it’s too difficult to determine how the shark died so no necropsy will be conducted. Instead, aquarium officials will be able to dissect it with local students in the future giving them an opportunity to learn more about the species.

 

OVER 1,000 CONSTRUCTION JOBSITES CHECKED DURING CCB SWEEPS, HUNDREDS OF PROPOSED VIOLATIONS ISSUED

The Construction Contractors Board (CCB), the state agency that licenses contractors in Oregon, conducts periodic enforcement sweeps in search of unlicensed contractor activity and other violations. “Unlicensed contractors put consumers at risk,” said Vena Swanson, CCB Enforcement Manager. “By searching for unlicensed contractor activity, we’re helping to protect consumers that hire contractors.” As of last week, CCB’s productive sweep season came to a successful conclusion. 

What is a CCB Enforcement Sweep?

An enforcement sweep is a planned effort with Field Investigators working together in designated areas searching for unlicensed contractors and illegal construction activity. This year’s sweep season, which started last spring and concluded at the end of October, touched every region of Oregon. Some sweeps were conducted with other state agencies, while others were conducted as a part of a national sweep effort. The agency conducted 10 collective weeks of sweeps over the last 6 months, sometimes overlapping sweeps in different areas of the state at the same time. 

“We completed 1,052 CCB license/jobsite checks, checked the certification on 330 lead-based paint jobsites, and checked credentialing for 170 tradespeople during this collective 10 weeks,” reported Swanson. The result? The CCB issued 226 proposed violations during 2024 sweeps. These proposed violations can lead to civil penalties. Some of the major violations included working without a license, lack of workers compensation insurance, working on pre-1978 homes without a lead-based paint license, and violation of safety practice standards while working with lead-based paint. There were many other offenses as well, such as failure to have a valid contract in place, advertising without a CCB number, and not being registered with the Secretary of State. 

While the goal of sweeps is to find illegal construction activity and confront it head on, CCB Field Investigators also encounter CCB licensees in the field. Jobsite checks go fast for contractors in compliance with the law. These encounters give licensees a chance to ask compliance-related questions and develop a rapport with field investigators. 

Why Are Sweeps Important?

“When reports of alleged violations are relayed back to our Compliance team, the civil penalty process may begin,” said Swanson. “The desired outcome is to shield consumers from harm and promote a fair business environment.”

Sweeps reinforce CCB’s strong enforcement presence and can help identify, remediate, and stop construction violations. Those in violation of construction laws often take steps toward compliance once a violation is issued. 

Dangers of Hiring an Unlicensed Contractor 

While CCB can fine unlicensed contractors for violations, consumers that hire unlicensed contractors have little recourse when construction projects go awry. CCB urges consumers to check contractors for an active license before hiring them. Consumers who become aware of unlicensed contractor jobsites should report them to the CCB. 

The dangers of working with unlicensed contractors include:

• No ability to look up license history. CCB’s online license search feature allows consumers to look up any license and see its history, including disciplinary history, previous suspensions, complaints and more. No such look up exists for unlicensed contractors.
• No access to mediation. CCB offers mediation services to consumers in dispute with their licensed contractor. Mediations help keep disputes out of court. Consumers in dispute with unlicensed contractors do not have this option, and while some do choose to go to court, others simply give up.
• No insurance, bond, or workers comp policy. Licensed contractors are required to have insurance and a bond in place to protect consumers. Businesses with employees are required to have workers comp. Most often, unlicensed contractors do not have this kind of protection and thus put consumers who hire them at risk.

How Can I Report Unlicensed Contractor Activity? 

Reporting unlicensed contractor activity is easy with the CCB’s website. Consumers that are aware of unlicensed contractors working on active jobsites can report the activity to the CCB at this link: https://search.ccb.state.or.us/online_complaint_enf/ 

Consumers can also find this link themselves through the CCB’s website, www.oregon.gov/ccb 

To report activity, look for the button that says “Report Contractor Activity.” Reports can be made anonymously, or consumers can request a follow up phone call to find out what happened to their report. 

About the CCB

The CCB is the state agency licensing over 42,000 contractors. Anyone who is paid to repair, improve or build a home must be licensed. Learn more about how to have a successful project at www.oregon.gov/ccb.

 

(Vancouver, WA) – This weekend, more than 450 students and faculty from 31 Pacific Northwest, predominantly undergraduate institutions gathered to present and celebrate science research at the 33^rd annual Murdock College Science Research (MCSR) Conference.  

Hosted by the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust and Whitman College, the conference focuses on sharing and advancing new knowledge in the natural sciences.

The following faculty prizes were awarded:

Dr. Andreas Madlung, Distinguished Professor of Biology, University of Puget Sound, was awarded the Lynwood W. Swanson Scientific Research Award.

Dr. Samuel Fey, Associate Professor of Biology, Reed College, was awarded the Lynwood W. Swanson Promise for Scientific Research Award.

Students were also awarded prizes for poster (14) and oral (2) presentations. Student winners were from Eastern Washington University, George Fox University, Gonzaga University, Lewis & Clark College, Northwest Nazarene University, Pacific University, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle University, Trinity Western University, University of Portland, Western Washington University, Whitman College, and Willamette University.

A full list of awards and winners available here.

A Medford fly fishing guide is the newest member of Oregon State Marine Board.

The Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) says Dax Messett has already attended its October 23 meeting in Medford as new Board member who’s replacing Val Early on the Board. OSMB says Messett represents commercial and recreational boating in southern Oregon interests and was confirmed by Governor Tina Kotek and the Oregon Senate in September 2024. Messett’s term became effective October 1.

OSMB has five members of the boating public who volunteer their time and expertise to serve a four-year term and who may apply for a second term of service. OSMB says, “Members represent different geographic regions of the state and different boating activities. Our Board members are also boaters. They own and use motorized boats and paddlecraft. Many own more than one type of watercraft.”

OSMB says Messett has spent the last 25 years working in the outdoor industry as a registered guide and outfitter, sales representative, international destination travel coordinator, writer, photographer and featured guest speaker.   Two of its five members are based in Jackson County.

 

Oregon lawmakers will continue to set their own salaries and those of the governor, secretary of state and certain other elected officials after voters rejected a measure that would have assigned the responsibility to an independent commission.

The measure was failing 53% to 47% in partial returns as of Thursday morning, leaving no plausible path for the outcome to change.  Measure 116’s defeat marks a blow for many lawmakers, unions and progressive groups, which have said for years that the low salaries for Oregon lawmakers and other elected officials discourage young and less affluent individuals from running for office.

Lawmakers currently earn about $35,000 per year, plus $157 daily stipends during legislative sessions. Other statewide elected officials earn some of the lowest salaries for their offices in the nation. Oregon’s governor makes $98,600, its attorney general earns $82,220 and its secretary of state, treasurer and labor commissioner receive $77,000.

 

Bureau of Land Management recreation managers are looking for enthusiastic volunteers to fill host positions at six unique locations for the 2025 summer recreation season.

Volunteer hosts play a critical role at BLM recreation sites. They are the primary, daily connection between public land users and BLM staff.  Hosts also assist BLM staff to open and close sites each day, manage campground and shelter reservations, answer visitor questions, encourage visitor rule adherence, and generally maintain the sites.

A paved RV pad is provided at each site for host volunteers. Sites have varying degrees of amenities from full electric, water, and sewer hook-ups to completely primitive sites with only public potable water access. The selected volunteer(s) must provide their own trailer, motorhome, RV, or tent set-up.

Each host will receive a modest daily stipend to off-set some living costs and incidental expenses. Hosts are expected to live on site during the region’s busiest recreation season, typically from April through September. (The start date for the selected host at Sharps Creek will likely be earlier in the year.)

For more information and to apply for these volunteer opportunities, please visit Volunteer.gov. If you have further questions, contact Kendra Barat at kbarat@blm.gov or (720) 591-6847. 

 

State officials are offering free help enrolling in insurance to 1 million Oregonians who qualify for Medicare or buy health insurance on the federal marketplace.

Open enrollment for Medicare, available, of course, to those at least 65 years old or receiving Social Security disability benefits, started Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, while open enrollment for buying individual plans starts Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15.

Only a fraction of Oregonians buy their own insurance — about 145,500 — while more than 930,000 people are on Medicare. During open Medicare enrollment, people can enroll for the first time or change their plan, including a prescription drug plan — Medicare Part D — or switch between Medicare Advantage and original Medicare.

Health insurance is complicated and there are a lot of options. The Department of Human Services has five staff members and works with nearly 160 volunteers around the state to help people sort through them and avoid scams. Through this year, most Medicare prescription plans have a “donut hole” or coverage gap for prescription drugs, but the Inflation Reduction Act, signed in 2022, closed the gap for Medicare policies starting in 2025. Also next year, Medicare plans will cap out-of-pocket expenses for prescriptions at $2,000. The DHS specialists also can explain coverage for weight loss drugs, expanded family caregiver coverage and increased access to mental health services.

For individual plans, the state has revamped its Window Shopping tool this year to make it easier to explore insurance options and curb costs, according to an Oregon Health Authority news release. The tool compares plans, previews out-of-pocket costs and checks whether plans cover certain providers, facilities and prescription drugs. And it’s not just limited to individual plans but can help people with the Oregon Health Plan or Medicaid, the new OHP Bridge Plan for lower income people who earn a bit more than what’s allowed under Medicaid, Medicare and the federal marketplace for an individual plan.

 

SAFETY TIPS FOR YOUR HOME AS WINTER APPROACHES

The chill in the air here in the Northwest is the reminder to check 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.

 

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