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Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Klamath Basin Weather
Today
Sunny with a high near 41 degrees. Light north wind to 5 mph. Overnight, partly cloudy with a low around 23.
Today’s Klamath Falls Headlines
Klamath Man Arresting For Carjacking Incident in Bend
A Klamath Falls man was arrested in Bend after an alleged attempt to steal a woman’s car at gunpoint.
Matthew Carlton Drake Jr., of Klamath Falls, 24, was arrested Thursday night. He is charged with second-degree robbery, first-degree theft, unauthorized used of a vehicle, menacing and unlawful entry into a motor vehicle.
According to Bend Police the victim called 911 to report the crime at 7:25 p.m., telling dispatch that a man had pointed a gun at her in an attempt to steal her vehicle and forced her out of her car Reed Market Road. Law enforcement was able to catch Drake quickly thanks to the victim’s thorough description.
Drake was located in the parking lot of an Auto Zone on Highway 97 within an hour of the incident at 8:25 p.m. No gun had been located as of Friday afternoon.
“The victim did a great job — she had a detailed and accurate description of the man and what he was wearing,” police said.
Drake was arrested and transported to Deschutes County Jail.
Things were merry and joyous last weekend as Klamath Falls residents welcomed the return of Santa’s Snowflake Village hosted by new event organizers Blonde Pineapple and Bumble Kids and Toys.
Held at the Klamath Falls downtown square, the cherished village returned after a long hiatus following the closing of Winema Electric. A free event supported by 10 businesses and community partners offered various activities for youth and their families to do — photos with Santa, face painting, ornament making and much more.
While the event is free, a canned food drive was held to benefit the Klamath and Lake County Food Bank and, according to volunteers, had already garnered 300 pounds of food in the first hour of the event. With plans to hold the event again next year, Payton Idrogo, manager of Blonde Pineapple, said that typically people go to their store and that it was nice to go to the people instead.
In celebration of National Christmas Tree Day, the Oregon Department of Forestry is reminding residents that cutting Christmas trees on state-managed lands is prohibited.
While many may be eager to cut their own tree for the holiday season, state forests are off-limits for tree-cutting activities. However, for those looking to cut their own tree, the USDA Forest Service offers the opportunity to harvest a Christmas tree from federal forests with a permit.
Permits can be easily obtained online through the official Recreation.gov website at https://www.recreation.gov/tree-permits/ .
Klamath Falls City Council and Klamath County Board of Commissioners will conduct a joint public meeting Tuesday to discuss the Transportation System Plan (TSP).
The city announced the meeting earlier this week via email to local media and community organizations.
Today beginning at 5:30PM, city and county officials and staff will meet at the Klamath County Government Center in room 219, located at 305 Main St., in downtown Klamath Falls.
The public is welcome to attend but “should contact the county commissioners’ office and/or the city recorder,” Nickole Barrington, via email at cityrecorder@klamathfalls.city. The city’s TSP is in the process of being updated within the urban growth boundary (UGB) surrounding the city.
According to the city’s Urban Area Transporation System Plan Update website, the TSP aims to assist the city and county in improvement efforts to expand and meet the transportation needs of citizens in the UGB throughout the next 20 years. Two public meetings have been held this past year in April and again in October.
Seven French students will be on the Klamath Community College campus for the winter term in early January.
KCC is partnering with the CESI School of Engineering in France as part of a student exchange program, according to Fred Griffiths, KCC’s director of International Studies. In turn, KCC hopes to send several students and a faculty member to France.
The college also signed a partnership with Rennes School of Business just outside Paris. That program will allow KCC business students who want to earn a bachelor of science degree within three years to finish their business studies in France in the third year.
The French students coming to Klamath Falls will need housing, and Griffiths is asking families in the community to put the students up for 11 weeks. A stipend will be paid to the families to help cover costs. Four of the French students will study in the Computer Engineering Technology program and the others will attend the Manufacturing Engineering Technology program. They will each take an average of four classes for the term.
For more details on CESI, visit cesi.fr/en; and for Rennes, visit rennes-sb.com. To contact Griffiths about hosting students from France, email griffiths@klamathcc.edu. Contact Linda Williamson at williamson@klamathcc.edu.
Citizens for Safe Schools in the Klamath Basin is asking the community to celebrate the spirit of giving this holiday season by donating stockings and stocking stuffers for local youth.
The nonprofit youth-mentoring organization has partnered with businesses in the Klamath Basin — including Basin Gaming, Applebee’s, Cascade Health Alliance and Everybody’s Vintage — setting up donation bins at each location in Klamath Falls.
Donations can be made at each business during regular business hours. Citizens for Safe Schools asked kids for a list of things they want in their stockings this Christmas.
Their lists included: candy, snacks, gift cards, art supplies and a variety of other small items, like D&D dice and Magic the Gathering cards.
The drive is ongoing through Dec. 18.
Leaders of the Citizens of Greater Idaho sent a news release last week in which the group seeks the support of President-elect Donald Trump in their efforts to move the Oregon-Idaho borders.
Many residents of Eastern and Southern Oregon counties expressed their explicit desire to redraw the borders of Idaho to include the conservative-majority regions of the state.
Klamath County joined in on discussing the potential shift in statehood in 2020 when Ballot Measure 18-121 was passed to create the Border Relocation Board. The measure was placed on ballots that year through the initiative process, which is defined by Oregon Statute 250.205.
Oregon law (ORS 250.205) requires that the number of active registered voters’ signatures required to place an initiative or referendum measure on the ballot is based upon a percentage of the total votes cast in the county for all candidates for governor at the last election in which a candidate for governor was elected to a full term.
This required 1,813 valid signatures from Klamath County’s registered voters.
WestSide Community Church presents its 17th annual “Living Nativity” scene for two weekends. You may see it on December 7th and 8th, and also on December 13th and 14th at Mountain Valley Gardens, 4800 Washburn Way.
The event is free and open to all age groups. Refreshments will be provided. Participants in this walk-through-exhibit of the “Bethlehem Marketplace” will be able to experience the sights and sounds of a village where Jesus Christ was born over 2000 years ago.
For additional information about the church and about coming church events during the Advent season call (541) 591-4990.
‘Tis the season of giving in Klamath County with the Marine Corps League’s annual Toys for Tots toy drive already underway.
Last year alone, Crater Lake Detachment 373 Marine Corps League distributed more than 17,000 gifts to 4,126 children across Klamath County.In difficult economic times, the local Marine Corps League is asking residents who are able to give what they can to help support families in need.
This year, Klamath County campaign coordinator Eric Anderson said the drive still needs donations to cover certain age groups. Anderson said the toy drive is hoping to receive a wider variety of local donations in addition to items that have been donated by corporations such as Hasbro and Disney. Although Hasbro donated multiple truckloads to Toys for Tots drives in the Western states, the selection is still slim.
Donations of new, unwrapped gifts can be dropped off at Bi-Mart, Fred Meyer, My Mechanic or the Leatherneck Club in Klamath Falls up until Dec. 24th, which will be the final day of collections.
Families in need of gifts for their children can sign up online until Sunday, Dec. 8, to receive presents. To apply, visit the Klamath County Toys for Tots website at klamath-falls-or.toysfortots.org and select “request a toy.” And for those interested in lending a hand with this year’s toy collections and distributions, Anderson said volunteers are always welcomed.
A group of high school seniors also relinquished a portion of their holiday break to volunteer at the distribution center last year as part of their senior projects. Individuals and organizations interested in volunteering can submit forms via the local website as well.
Opening day for Mt. Shasta Ski Park is set for Wednesday, December 11th this week.
The ski park made the announcement on Facebook Monday morning, also stating that while there is a lot of work to be done, crews are already hard at it.
Mt. Shasta’s annual season pass party will happen the Friday before opening day, on December 6. Hours on opening day will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In Oregon, Mt. Ashland Ski Area announced it’s opening day earlier this month, that’s set for December 14.
Meanwhile, Warner Canyon Ski Area, located in Lake County, Oregon is targeting Dec. 21 for its opening, contingent on sufficient snowfall. Warner Canyon remained closed last winter due to a lack of snow.
Umpqua Bank is having their 10th Annual Warm Hearts Winter Drive, an associate-driven campaign to support individuals, families and youths throughout the bank’s footprint who struggle with access to housing and other basic resources.
Umpqua Bank’s 4,800 associates and nearly 300 local branches will help mobilize their respective communities to raise money and collect winter items for shelters and aide organizations serving people experiencing homelessness.
Last year, the Warm Hearts Winter Drive raised a total of $365,000 for more than 100 shelter partners and nonprofits across Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. Since the campaign launched in 2015, the Warm Hearts Winter Drive has raised nearly $2.5 Million in funds and other resources for local nonprofits and shelters helping neighbors in need.
“It’s an honor to celebrate the Warm Heart Winter Drive’s 10-year anniversary and take a moment to reflect on the impact this campaign has made in the communities across our footprint,” said Umpqua Bank Chief Marketing Officer David Moore Devine. “Thank you to all our associates, customers and community members who contribute to Warm Hearts each and every year. We look forward to continuing to work alongside all the amazing nonprofit partners and local shelters that do so much to support those in need and make our communities stronger.”
How to Support the Warm Hearts Winter Drive
The Warm Hearts Winter Drive accepts cash donations in addition to new winter clothes. Contributions can be made at www.WarmHeartsWinterDrive.com. Financial contributions and new winter clothing items can also be donated at Umpqua Bank branches.
Get your fresh Christmas Tree at the Klamath County Fairgrounds now, at Lamb’s Tree Lot!
Click here for tree lot info and hours!
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Around the State of Oregon
A shooting at a downtown Eugene nightclub sent one person to the hospital over the weekend.
Around 2:00 a.m. Sunday, December 8, 2024, Eugene Police responded to shots fired at City Nights Nightclub on West Broadway. Initial information indicates that a suspect fired a gun inside the bar and struck two patrons. According to police one has critical injuries and and one was treated and released. If anyone has tips in this case they are asked to contact Detective Travis Cooper with the Eugene Police Department at 541.682. 5187, or email TCooper@eugene-or.gov. Case 24-18674.
A 29-year-old man was shot and killed in a shooting at an RV park in Myrtle Creek Saturday.
According to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a report of a physical disturbance and shots fired at the Rivers West RV Park on Ruckles Drive just after 1:30 p.m. Upon arrival, first responders located Damion Sumner of Dillard just south of the RV park on Booth Ranch Road.
He was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. Responders provided medical aid, however Sumner died at the scene. Police found and arrested the suspect, later identified as 22-year-old Daniel Hetrick of Myrtle Creek.
Hetrick faces second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon charges.
In the largest national study of its kind, Oregon State University researchers found that low-risk, planned home births are as safe as planned births at accredited birth centers.
According to the study’s authors, the results contradict, “doctors’ long-held concerns about home birth” and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ belief that hospitals — and to a slightly lesser degree, other accredited birth centers — are the safest places to have a baby. Many pregnant women prefer the idea of having a baby at home with the help of a midwife or home care nurse.
In the largest study of its kind, OSU scientists analyzed two national registries for community births to compare health outcomes for both planned births at home and planned births in a birth center with low-risk pregnancies. The researchers analyzed data from more than 100,000 births during a seven-year period, including statistics from all 50 states.
Albany Teachers and Students Go Back to Class After Strike Ends
After one of the longest Teacher Strikes in Oregon, the Albany teacher’s union overwhelmingly approved the contract, which included capped class sizes and guaranteed bathroom breaks.
A day after the longest teacher strike in the Greater Albany School District’s history ended, teachers celebrated walking back into their classrooms.
Teachers overwhelmingly approved the new contract after nine months of negotiations, followed by the school board’s approval during an emergency school board meeting Monday night.
“The district is pleased to announce that GAEA and the District have settled the contract, and it has been approved by both the GAEA members and the Board as of 8:26 p.m.,” an e-mail from the Greater Albany Public Schools said.
During the three-week strike, teachers had complained about class sizes reaching high levels and had pushed the district to put a cap on class sizes throughout schools. Kindergarten classes are now capped at 25 students.
It was the first teachers strike in Albany in nearly 40 years and the longest one in the district’s history.
Oregon has just approved the state’s largest solar farm – and one of the country’s largest – on about 10,000 acres of active farmland in Morrow County as it pushes to fulfill ambitious clean energy mandates.
The mammoth project also takes a novel approach to offset the negative economic impacts to the local agricultural economy.
Sunstone Solar will feature nearly 4 million solar panels, capable of producing up to 1,200 megawatts of power – enough to provide emission-free electricity to about 800,000 homes for a year – and a battery energy storage system that can store up to 7,200 megawatts hours.
Sunstone’s project will take a massive chunk of agricultural land out of production. It will occupy 9,442 acres within a 10,960-acre site of private land about 15 miles southeast of Boardman.
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s proposed budget allocates more for higher education than the last biennium, but university and community college leaders say the budget doesn’t keep up with increased costs institutions are facing.
The leaders of the universities argue the inadequate funding could make higher education more expensive for Oregonians and slow down the state’s workforce development efforts. The governor’s $138 billion budget, released earlier this week, is a guideline for state lawmakers ahead of next year’s legislative session.
In her proposal, Gov. Kotek doubled down on her top three funding priorities: confronting Oregon’s homelessness and affordable housing emergency, K-12 education and addressing the state’s behavioral health care crisis. Higher education appears to be lower on the list of concerns.
In the 2025-2027 biennium, the governor recommends $4.39 billion for the agency responsible for two main funding streams for colleges and universities: operating revenue to run the institutions and financial aid programs to help students afford the cost of college. The proposal, a 6.4% overall increase from the last biennium, sets aside more than $25 million to build up education pathways that lead to behavioral health care jobs and nearly $29 million to expand select need-based grants, like the Oregon Opportunity Grant.
But those investments fall well short of what college leaders say are necessary, especially when it comes to financial aid for needy students. Higher education leaders in both the community college and university realm want to see lawmakers increase funding for the Oregon Opportunity Grant, the state’s largest student financial aid program.
Both the Oregon Community College Association and the Oregon Council of Presidents are calling for an additional $150 million investment in this program alone, more than five times what the governor’s budget recommends.
Nearly five-thousand healthcare workers at 13 Providence hospitals and clinics in Oregon have approved a strike, if they aren’t able to reach agreement on a contract.
Negotiations have been underway for more than a year. Contracts have run out for many bargaining units. If a strike is called, the union says it would be the largest healthcare workers strike, and the first doctor’s strike, in Oregon’s history.
A mother in Coos Bay has a GoFundMe set up, after the boat her son was on, in Alaska, capsized. She wants to find the whole crew and bring them home.
Carol Hannah said her 22-year-old son, Jake Hannah, would always call her before and after his days at sea. He left for his commercial fishing trip in Alaska, this past Saturday. Stormy weather conditions caused the boat to capsize off the coast of Sitka, Alaska and the U.S. Coast Guard called off their search Monday.
There were four other people on board and the GoFundMe is trying to afford a marine recovery company to locate the boat and dive for the remains.
Carol Hannah said, Jake Hannah’s mother and friends said he was planning on being home for the holidays.
SOUTHERN OREGON EVENTS
Jacksonville OR will host its Victorian Christmas event every night in December except for Dec. 24 and 25 at 185 N Oregon St.
Admission is free except for some activities, such as Trolley tours. Events include trolley tours, a tree lighting ceremony, a holiday parade, bingo, hot cider and holiday music.
The Crater Performing Arts Center will perform The Nutcracker Ballet on Dec. 14, 15, 20, 21 and 22, with prices ranging from $14 to $30.
Gold Hill is bringing back its Winterfest on Dec. 21 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. There will be games, art activities, food and prizes.
Talent, Oregon is hosting its tree lighting ceremony from 5 p.m.to 8 p.m. on Dec. 6 at Old Town Hall. There will also be a local goods market.
In northern California, Alpaca On the Rocks in Weed CA is hosting a Pictures with Santa event on Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A $20 admission will cover up to two children, with a $10 admission added for each additional child. There will be vendors, apple cider and hot chocolate.
Mt. Ashland Ski Area opened on Saturday
Sonnet, Comer and Windsor lifts will be running from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The ski area will feature upgrades such as the widening of Aisle 2 (the entryway to the main mountain), updated LED night lighting for Twilight Skiing beginning Jan. 9, and the opening of the first new chairlift in over 30 years.
The announcement for the grand opening of Lithia Chair will be coming soon with the completion of the chairlift made possible by the largest gift in Mt. Ashland Ski Area history — $2 million from the Sid & Karen Deboer Foundation, with an additional $500,000 from Sid & Karen Deboer.
The Ski Area strongly encourages travelers to continue to check the Mountain report at https://www.mtashland.com/mountain-report for updates on uphill travel access and road conditions. Stay up to date with all of Mt. Ashland Ski Area’s events on the events page: https://www.mtashland.com/event-directory/
Mt. Ashland Ski Area is owned and operated by the 501©3 nonprofit Mt. Ashland Association under a special use permit from the U.S. Forest Service. Its mission is to provide and promote healthy alpine recreation.
Heading into the holiday season, Pacific Power is reminding customers to be vigilant about fraudulent communications from scammers posing as utility representatives.
This activity tends to increase during this time of year.Customers can protect themselves from these types of schemes by being aware of the following facts:
Pacific Power will not contact any customer demanding immediate payment to avoid disconnection of service.
Pacific Power does not ask customers to make payments by purchasing a prepaid card. You and other customers can always choose how you would like to make your payments. service the same day.
Pacific Power will not demand immediate payment for damaged or broken electrical equipment or any other service.
Pacific Power customer service employees will always have your correct account number. Scammers increasingly have used text messages as a means of targeting victims will not demand payment via text message.
Pacific Power encourages customers to set up their online billing profile at Pay My Bill (pacificpower.net) where they can pay bills and review statements. Scammers may use a sophisticated deceptive tactic that makes it appear to caller ID systems that the call is coming from Pacific Power when it is not. Hang up and call Customer Service directly.
Remember, if you still have concerns about the legitimacy of a call, you can always call our published customer service number, 1-888-221-7070. Pacific Power is asking customers to report information about any scam calls received, including the phone number the person is calling from and any information that may help to track down the fraudsters.
Oregonians lost $136 million from holiday shopping scams last year, according to a new study from Social Catfish.
The study says that Oregon ranked #22 in the nation for victims per capita, with 991 per 100,000 residents losing money in a holiday scam. Scammers are salivating because Americans will spend a record $240 billion buying gifts online this holiday season, giving them unprecedented opportunities to steal gift-givers’ hard-earned money.
Residents can avoid holiday scams by doing the following: Be wary of look-a-like stores that have AI chatbots to make it look legit. Carefully check the store’s URL to make sure it’s the official store website — for example, if you’re shopping at Macy’s, the website should be Macys.com instead of Maceys.com.
Look out for deepfake videos that falsely make it look like trusted public figures are promoting Black Friday deals. The video is a deepfake if the audio isn’t matching up, there are extra body parts, or the person is only speaking in one tone of voice or showing one facial expression.
Be careful when marketplaces sell you “discounted” gift cards that have a zero balance. Reverse search the seller to verify their identity.
A popular scam involves the scammer sending an alert to a consumer saying there is suspicious activity. When the consumer goes to verify their account, the scammer has AI customer service representatives steal their information. If you get a suspicious activity alert, avoid this scam by contacting the company “only by using the main number on their website. You are asked to report any scam you’ve discovered to local authorities and the website administrator if possible.
Oregon State Parks has added Brookings to the cities where overnight beach camping is banned.
Residents near Mill Beach voiced concerns about public health, risks to public safety, and impacts on the marine ecosystem. Over 90 percent of comments expressed support for the ban. Brookings joins Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Rockaway Beach, Lincoln City, Newport, Bandon and Gold Beach where camping is also banned.
The Salvation Army out of Monmouth says it received a very special gift in one of its red kettles this season. In Polk County, an anonymous donor dropped in a gold coin apparently worth $3,000. That’s according to a local jeweler where the Salvation Army took it to get appraised.
The good deed-doer dropped the rare coin in a kettle at a Bi-mart. The Salvation Army says the one-ounce coin is over a hundred years old. The organization says it hopes the act of kindness will inspire others to donate what they can, so the non-profit can make the season bright for those in need.
An Oregon cheese is the world’s best, once again. Tillamook Creamery Maker’s Reserve 2014 Extra Sharp White Cheddar was pronounced the “Best Cheddar in the World” at the World Cheese Awards in Portugal.
The creamery’s Maker’s Reserve cheeses are all white cheddars and are aged for at least three years, according to the Tillamook website. An array of Oregon cheeses have won national and international honors in recent years.
In 2019, Rogue Creamery’s Rogue River Blue was named the best cheese in the world at the World Cheese Awards, becoming the first American cheese to win the title. In 2022, the creamery’s Bluehorn blue cheese won a Super Gold medal at the World Cheese Awards. Earlier this year, Tillamook claimed four of the top five spots in the sharp cheddar category at the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest, including first place for its Sharp Cheddar.
If you believe the internet, in his first month at the Ashland Daily Tidings, reporter Joe Minihane skied the slopes of Mount Ashland, ate at 15 restaurants in Roseburg, hiked the Owyhee Canyonlands in Malheur County, took in Autzen Stadium and Multnomah Falls, and visited the Neskowin Ghost Forest on the Oregon Coast.
And sure, more than 1,200 miles of travel to write 10 stories in a month might seem excessive for a local outdoors reporter who was new to his Southern Oregon job, but who could argue with his output? Minihane could. He says none of it happened.
In fact, he said he’s only been to Oregon once in his life. Yet, his name is attached to those bylines. The reality was that none of the people allegedly working for the Ashland Daily Tidings website- once the paper stopped print operations- existed, or at least were who they claimed to be. The bylines listed on Daily Tidings articles were put there by scammers using artificial intelligence, and in some cases stolen identities, to dupe local readers.
The Ashland Daily Tidings — established as a newspaper in 1876 — ceased operations in 2023, but if you were a local reader, you may not have known. Almost as soon as it closed, a website for the Tidings reemerged, boasting a team of eight reporters, Minihane included, who cranked out densely reported stories every few days. The mysterious emergence of AI invaders on the local news scene is a new development in Oregon, and the Ashland Daily Tidings website appears designed to hide its true operators.
After Rosebud Media closed in 2023, the Daily Tidings website emerged again with a claimed staff of eight contributors, none of whom are reporters working in Southern Oregon. Two of the writers have sparse social media presences that suggest they live in South Africa.
Neither responded to a request for comment from OPB, though one did share a social media post in November praising artificial intelligence.
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